by Marie Force
“With all of you out of the house, why didn’t she leave him?”
“Ahhh, isn’t that the question of the ages? We did everything we could to try to convince her to leave. We offered her money and places to stay and anything she could possibly need. Every time we think she’s finally had enough she goes back for more. Eventually, we quit trying. After one of these incidents, the child of choice patches her up and listens to her swear this was the last time. And then they come home from work to find her gone again. It’s happened at least a dozen times in the last ten years. She’s never come to me before. It’s always one of the others.”
“It’s because she knew if she came to you she’d have to face her own conscience for what she allowed you to endure for all those years.”
“Too bad I didn’t meet you sooner. You could’ve saved me a small fortune in therapy. That’s exactly what my therapist said.”
“Maybe the fact that she’s here is a sign that she’s finally had enough.”
“I’ve learned not to get my hopes up.”
They were quiet for a long time as his fingers continued to spool through her hair.
“Now you’ve got the whole ugly story. I can only imagine what you must be thinking.”
Laura rested her chin on his chest and met his gaze. “I’m thinking that you are, without a doubt, the most amazingly heroic man I’ve ever had the pleasure to meet.”
“Oh please, Laura,” he said with a groan. “Don’t pin me with that. I missed so many opportunities to put a stop to it.”
With a hand on his face, she forced him to look at her. “If I want to think you’re heroic, I’m allowed to. You were very brave, and you stood up for your younger siblings, protecting them from the worst of it. You sacrificed your own chance to escape to be there for them. If that’s not heroic, I don’t know what is.” She kissed the protest off his lips. “I hate to think about what you went through for so long. I wish I could’ve been there for you.”
“I wouldn’t have wanted you anywhere near it.”
“If your mom hadn’t come here, would you have ever told me?”
“I suppose I would’ve had to explain at some point why I have nothing to do with my parents other than an occasional call to my mother to make sure she’s still alive.”
“Where are your brothers and sisters now?”
“Julia and Katie still live in Texas. Julia is an office manager and Katie is a nurse. I’m really proud of both of them. They lived through the worst of it with me, and came out on the other side happy and productive.”
“Are they married?”
He shook his head. “None of us are. I’ll let you shrink the deeper meaning of that.”
“It doesn’t take a shrink to figure out why the institution doesn’t hold much appeal to any of you.”
“My brother John put himself through college with some help from me and my grandparents. He’s an engineer living in Tennessee. Cindy stayed in Texas, too. She cuts hair at a salon outside of Dallas, and does really well. Josh is a cop in Virginia, fortunately not in the town where my parents live so he won’t have to be the one to arrest my dad.” This was said with a chuckle that belied the deeper pain he had to be feeling as decades of violence came to a head.
“And Jeff?” Laura was almost afraid to ask about his youngest sibling.
“He had some issues with drugs for a while. My grandmother waged war, got him into a top rehab and nipped it in the bud. Now he’s in college and doing really well. Fingers crossed.”
“You know, I thought the world of her before tonight, but now. . .”
“She’s amazing,” he said simply. “We never would’ve survived without both of them.”
“I wonder. . .” Laura stopped herself, not wanting to delve too deeply into things he might consider private.
“What, honey? After all I’ve told you, there’s nothing you can’t ask me.”
Laura chose her words carefully. “I don’t know Adele all that well, but I have a sense of her as a strong, capable woman from our frequent phone calls. And now, after hearing what she did for you and your siblings, I admire her even more. So I can’t help but wonder how a daughter of hers ended up in this situation.”
“Gram and I have had many a conversation about that,” Owen said with a sigh. “Apparently, my mother fell hard and fast for my dad at a dance when she was in college. Her parents had him tagged as verbally abusive and passive aggressive from the get-go, but there was no reasoning with her. After a while, Gram said it became a matter of pride to my mom. She refused to admit they’d been right.”
“Pride goeth before the fall.”
“Exactly.”
With her hand on his face, she kissed him with all the love and passion she felt for him. “This doesn’t change anything between us. I was already head-over-heels in love with you, and after this, I love you even more than I did before.”
“Laura. . .” He cupped the back of her head and brought her in for another sweet kiss. “I love you, too.”
The kiss took on a new urgency, as need overtook them both. Before she had time to register his intent, she was under him, clinging to him as he kissed her with deep, sweeping strokes of his tongue.
Even though it was the last thing she wanted to do, she turned away from him to suck in greedy breaths and to gather her sanity. “We can’t do this with your mother in the next room.”
“Yes, we can.” His lips were hot on her neck as his erection throbbed against her core. “We’ll be so quiet.” He rolled the tendon at the base of her neck gently between her teeth, setting off a wave of reaction at all her pressure points.
She bit her bottom lip to keep from crying out from the intense burst of longing and pushed hard against him.
“I knew I could convince you.”
Her unsteady laugh drew a smile from him. “You think you’re so clever.” She hooked her feet around his legs, giving into his passionate persuasion.
All at once, he stopped moving and dropped his forehead to her chest, drawing in deep breaths.
Confused, Laura combed her fingers through his hair. “What is it?”
“I have something else I need to tell you.” He raised his head and looked into her eyes. “Your dad called earlier.”
Surprised, Laura said, “Why didn’t you tell me? Did he want to talk to me?”
Owen shook his head. “He wanted to tell me that he’d talked to Justin.”
“And?” Laura asked, sensing she wasn’t going to like this.
“Justin agreed to the divorce and the custody arrangement you wanted for the baby.”
She gasped. “Are you serious? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because it came with a condition.”
A sense of dread overtook her. “What condition?”
“You have to give me up, and greedy bastard that I am, I didn’t want to tell you because I need you so damned much. Especially right now.”
Laura was filled with outrage. “I’ll never give you up! He’s crazy if he thinks he can blackmail me that way.”
“You need to think of what’s best for you—and the baby.”
“That’s exactly what I’m doing. You’re what’s best for us.”
His eyes went soft at her pronouncement. “Your dad is talking to the senior partner at Justin’s firm on Monday. Apparently, they’re old friends.”
“Yes, they went to Mount St. Charles together.”
“Your dad didn’t want to upset you any more than you already were yesterday, which is why he called me. He’s hoping his friend will agree to exert some pressure within the firm.”
“Let’s hope it works. I’ve had just about enough of Justin Newsome.”
“What if he won’t give you the divorce?”
“Then you and I will live in sin for the rest of our lives, and I’ll fight him with everything I’ve got for custody of a baby he doesn’t even want.” As Owen’s mouth curved into a sensuous smile, she let out a huff of aggravation. �
��Why is that funny?”
“It’s not funny,” he said, kissing her again.
“Then why are you smiling like a crazy fool?”
“Because you’re so fierce and sexy when you’re pissed. I’ll have to remember to make you mad as often as possible.”
Before she could form a response to that outrageous statement, he had captured her mouth in another sensuous kiss. His hand found its way under her pajama top to roll her nipple between his fingers, drawing a response from her despite her reluctance to make love with his mother in such close proximity.
“Take this off,” he said, tugging on her top and lifting to give her room to move.
“Owen. . . What if your mom wakes up?”
“She won’t.”
“What if she does?”
“We’ll hear her.”
He helped her pull the top over her head. “God, I love the way you feel.” Rubbing soft chest hair over her nipples, he made her whimper with the need that coursed through her.
She couldn’t believe they were doing this, but before she could make another feeble attempt at protest, he was tugging at her pajama bottoms as well as the thin bit of lace that covered her.
“Owen. . .”
“Shhh. It’s okay. I need you so much, Laura. So damned much.”
“I’m here,” she said, surrendering at last. After all he’d shared with her and all he’d been to her, there was nothing at all she wouldn’t give him. She pushed her hands into the back of his flannel pajama pants to cup the muscular globes of his ass.
His groan became a tortured moan when she shifted a hand to the front to stroke him. Remembering how it had felt earlier to take him into her body had her straining against him, wanting him desperately.
“Easy, baby,” he whispered, his breath against her ear setting off a whole new series of shock waves. “Nice and easy.” He entered her slowly, stretching her almost to the point of pain before torturing her with his retreat. “Are you sore from before?”
Unable to form words, she shook her head and squeezed his ass again, hoping to encourage him to move faster.
He took the hint and entered her fully on the next stroke, drawing tense gasps from both of them. “Nothing has ever felt so good,” he said, his raspy, sexy voice telling how deeply affected he was by their lovemaking. Remaining buried in her, he throbbed and pulsed as he kissed her senseless.
“So much more than your share,” she said as she moved her legs farther apart and struggled to accommodate him.
His soft laughter rocked them both, sending him deeper into her.
All their problems faded away, and Laura was consumed by the heated glide of their skin where they were joined, the friction of his chest hair against her nipples, the scent of his appealing cologne and the dip and dive of his tongue into her mouth, mirroring the movements of his hips.
They came together in a moment of perfect harmony that left her heart pounding and her body throbbing.
“Thank you,” he whispered after a prolonged period of charged silence.
She knew he was talking about far more than their explosive lovemaking. Tightening her arms around him, she closed her eyes and let sleep claim her.
Chapter 22
The next day passed in a blur of activity that included a trip to the clinic where David determined that Sarah’s ribs weren’t broken, only badly bruised. After they returned to the Surf, Blaine came to take Sarah’s statement. Laura had ceded to Owen’s wishes that she not be present to hear the dirty details.
An hour later after he and the police chief had entered the bedroom, Owen emerged abruptly from the room.
Laura, who’d busied herself going over Sydney’s proposed designs for the second-floor guest rooms, got up and went to him and was shocked when he brushed her off.
“I can’t right now,” he muttered on his way to the front door. It slammed behind him a minute later.
Filled with indecision, Laura stared at the door. Should she go after him?
Blaine came out a minute later.
“Is she all right?” Laura asked of Sarah.
“I suppose she will be, but she’s got a long road ahead of her.”
“Is she going forward with the charges?”
“Yes.”
Laura nodded. “Good. It’s about time.”
“On that we agree. I’m going to get things moving. Tell Owen I’ll be in touch.”
“Thank you, Blaine.”
Even though she wanted to go after Owen, she knew he needed some time to himself. Laura took a deep breath to settle her nerves and went into the bedroom to check on Sarah.
She was staring out the window, watching the latest ferry leave South Harbor.
“Mrs. Lawry? Can I get you anything?”
“You could call me Sarah,” she said with a small smile.
Laura was astounded by the way the smile took years off Sarah’s face. In it, she also saw a hint of Owen. “If you’d like.”
“I would.” She patted the bed. “Come and sit for a minute.”
Laura perched on the edge of the bed, careful not to jostle the injured woman.
“Owen seems quite taken with you.”
“As I am with him. He’s an exceptional man, but I probably don’t have to tell you that.”
“No, you don’t,” Sarah said with a sigh, “and it’s no thanks to me that he turned out the way he did.”
Laura had no idea how to respond to that.
“He hadn’t told me about you or the baby.”
“I, um—”
“I don’t mean to make you uncomfortable. I’m just surprised, that’s all. I’d given up on him settling down and having a family.”
“I should tell you that I was briefly married, and the baby’s father is my soon-to-be ex-husband.”
Sarah’s face fell with disappointment. “Oh.”
Laura couldn’t tell if that single word conveyed a world of judgment or understanding.
“I thought you and Owen—”
“We are,” Laura said, blushing. “Very much so. Owen has been such a good friend to me during a difficult time.”
“He’s a caretaker. Always has been.”
“He’s very good at it.”
“Yes.” Sarah tugged at a string that had come loose on the quilt. “Unfortunately, he had no choice but to become good at it when he was far too young for such responsibilities.”
“He doesn’t blame you,” Laura said. The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them.
“He should.”
“Well, he doesn’t.”
“I don’t deserve him or any of them. Somehow they all turned out well despite me.”
“It’s absolutely none of my business, but. . .” Laura stopped herself, debating whether she should finish the thought. Her situation was hardly comparable to what Sarah was dealing with.
“Please, speak freely. I have very little pride left.”
Hearing her say that broke Laura’s heart all over again. “Six months ago I was on the verge of marrying the man I thought was the love of my life. Nothing since then has turned out like I’d expected, but somehow I seem to be exactly where I belong. And all of the pain and disappointment led me to Owen. I can’t help but hope the same thing might be possible for you.”
Sarah attempted a smile but it turned into a grimace when her ribs fought back against the small movement. “What happened with your husband?”
“He failed to give up his dating life after we were married.”
When Sarah raised an eyebrow, Laura again caught a glimpse of Owen in the familiar expression. “Is that right?”
“Uh-huh.”
“How’d you find out?”
“He made a date online with one of my bridesmaids. She’d noticed his profile was still active, so she started talking to him, just to see what he would do. One thing led to another, and he made a date with her. She went to the restaurant to see if he’d have the nerve to actually show up, and there
he was waiting for her.”
“My goodness. How shocking that must’ve been for you.”
Laura could vividly remember the moment her two best friends from childhood had come to her new apartment to tell her what they’d learned about her new husband. “It was. . . awful.”
“You were lucky to find out early on before things got worse.” She glanced at the window, lost in her own thoughts. “I was too bull-headed. I didn’t listen to my parents or my friends who told me they didn’t like the way he talked to me. If he talked to me that way in front of people, they’d say, what will it be like when you’re alone?”
Laura stayed quiet and let her get it out.
“He was charming and persuasive and ambitious. I fell so hard for him. It didn’t take long to realize I’d married a monster. Back in those days, women with children and no way to support them didn’t leave. We stayed and did the best we could with what we had.” She returned her gaze to Laura. “I admire the courage it took for you to leave him.”
Laura covered Sarah’s cool hand with her much warmer one. “You have that same courage inside of you.”
Sarah closed her hand around Laura’s. “I’m not going back this time. I’m not sure what I’ll do, but I can’t go back to him. If I do, eventually he’ll kill me.”
“You’ll stay right here with us for as long as you’d like. This hotel is much more yours than it’ll ever be mine, and there’s a place for you here for however long you wish to stay.”
Tears sparkled in the gray eyes that were so much like Owen’s. “I can see why my son cares so deeply for you.”
“It’s going to be okay,” Laura said, squeezing Sarah’s hand before releasing it. “Get some rest, and call me if I can get you anything.”
“Thank you, honey.”
Laura got up to leave the room and was startled to find Owen standing in the doorway. She was relieved to see some color in his cheeks after the time outdoors. Her heart gave a pitter-pattered at the intense way he looked at her as she moved toward him.
He stepped aside to let her by and tugged the door closed behind her.
