Page 10 of Stunner (Whiskey Dolls 3)
“Well, not in those exact words, but that was the gist of it.” I waved it off. “You know what? It’s fine. Totally fine. It’s not like I wanted to see him again anyway.” I let out a bitter laugh. “I wasn’t exactly thrilled to be living there anyway. It wasn’t a house, it was a showroom, and God forbid it should actually look or feel lived in.”
The corner of Owen’s mouth hooked up. “Guess you dodged a bullet then.”
“Several.” I sighed before finishing my coffee and moving to the sink to rinse out my mug. “And as much as I’d like to keep my head buried in the sand a while longer, I should probably get back to real life.”
Owen sucked back the last of his coffee and deposited the mug in the sink beside mine. “All right then, just let me grab you a pair of shorts for the trip back to the real world.” His eyes dragged down the front of my body, lingering on my legs for a few seconds, and I could have sworn I saw the green darken just a bit before he blinked them back to normal. “They’ll be baggy as hell, but you can roll them up at the waist so they stay put. Then I’ll give you a ride to wherever you need to go.”
“Oh, you don’t have to do that. You’ve done enough already, Owen. I don’t know how I could possibly pay you back.”
His gaze met mine, the green locking me into place so I couldn’t have looked away if I tried. It was penetrating, seductive, encompassing. “I’m not Asher.”
My brows shot up to kiss my hairline. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
“It means, not every nice deed is done with the expectation of being paid back. If I’m doing something for you, it’s because I want to, not because I want something in return.”
Well, I thought as I pulled in a deep, cleansing breath,apparently, I’ve read Owen Shields wrong this whole damn time.
5
OWEN
The front door to my sister’s house flew open as soon as I turned into the driveway, my niece shooting out like a little bolt of lightning at the sight of my familiar red and white ’81 Chevy Blazer. It was the same truck I’d been driving since I was sixteen and my father had passed it down to me.
She danced around the front yard, spinning and attempting a cartwheel before falling on her butt as I shifted into park and killed the engine. “Uncle Owen! Uncle Owen!” Hazel shouted loud enough for the whole block to hear. “Momma! Uncle Owen’s here!”
My sister came out of the house at a much slower, more relaxed pace as I rounded the hood, holding my palm out to Gus at the edge of the grass so he’d know to stay put as I crouched down low. “Hey there, my Hazel girl. Come give me some sugar.” She didn’t have to be told twice. She ran at me as fast as her little legs would carry her, launching herself into the air before she was close enough. Lucky for her, I lunged forward in time to catch her and climb to my feet, spinning her in a circle fast enough to make her squeal with delight.
Taking my cheeks in her hands, she smooshed them together and announced, “I’ve missed you, Uncle Owen!” before giving me a loud, smacking kiss.
I hugged her close, my chest swelling like it did every time I inhaled the fresh scent of her little girl shampoo. “I’ve missed you too, baby girl.” I placed her on her feet and bent to her level, holding out my fist. “Pound it out, munchkin.”
She gave me a little fist bump and hopped in place. “Can I play with Gus now? Pretty please?”
Thrown over for my dog, I thought with amusement.Typical.
Gus stood right where I left him, where the driveway met grass, his tail wagging so fast his whole back end was moving, energy pouring off of him in waves as he desperately waited for my command to release him so he could get to Hazel. “All right, boy. You can go. Be gentle.”
He shot past me like a bullet leaving a gun, a blur of golden fur racing through the grass to get to his favorite human on the planet. He jumped in circles before collapsing on the ground and rolling onto his back in submission so Hazel could hug and crawl all over him. I made my way up the front porch steps, keeping a watchful eye on my niece and dog as I joined my sister at the porch railing.
“God, you’d think she never sees you and Gus with how she acts every time you come to visit.”
I pulled my little sister into a sideways hug so we were facing the yard as Hazel laughed gleefully while Gus licked all over her face. “Not my fault I’m her favorite human on the planet. Maybe if you weren’t so mean—”
My insult was cut off with a grunt when Hardin stabbed her elbow into my ribs. “I’m not mean. You just spoil her rotten.”
I dropped my arm and moved to one of the two rockers facing out toward the street. “Sure do,” I said without an ounce ofremorse as Hardin took the chair beside me. “And I don’t regret it for a second.”
“It’s good at least one of the men in her life does,” my sister said, the sullen tone putting me on high alert.
“I’m guessing Keith missed his scheduled visitation this week?” I tried to keep my voice neutral, to make sure the animosity I felt toward my sister’s ex and the father of her kiddo didn’t drip from my words.
She let out a sigh that carried the weight of the world. “This week, and the one before that, and the one before that.”
It took everything in me not to hunt that worthless piece of shit down and punch his teeth out. “What was his excuse this time?”
“Same as always. He had a gig.”
“Asshole always has a gig,” I muttered under my breath, but loud enough for her to hear.
