Owen tapped out his response. When he was done, he wished her a good day and signed the message—Jeff—with a tiny palm tree next to the name.
Sometimes, after he had hit Send, he wondered if he had signed the right name and had a mini-heart attack until he’d checked his Sent file to make sure it said Jeff and not Owen.
After a quick shower, Owen grabbed his bags and headed out. Sliding a twenty into his pocket for Pete’s tip, he dropped his wallet back into his messenger bag.
“Kansas, here I come.”
Chapter 3
Jenny unlocked the door to her apartment. Grateful to be home after a fun but long day, she pinched the clip resting on the back of her head, allowing her blonde hair to fall free. Dropping her purse on the oversized couch to her right, she kicked off her shoes and scooted them next to the couch to prevent tripping over them later.
Her phone rang from her back pocket. “Either Sammie or mom,” Jenny guessed. They were the only two who’d nailed down the exact time she usually made it through the door on the days she headed straight home, which was most days. With a quick glance at her phone, she hit the green button. “Hey, Sammie,” she greeted her friend, then put her phone on speaker and laid it on the arm of the couch.
“Hey! Just calling to confirm I’m picking you up at eight tomorrow night.”
Jenny slapped her palm against her forehead. “Leslie’s bridal shower?” She didn’t want to spend her Saturday evening there.
She stripped off her top at the door and held onto the knob for support as she tugged off her jeans.
“Are you seriously asking me that right now? I knew you’d probably forget.”
Leave it to Sammie to use the whiny guilt trip voice. Jenny grabbed her phone and groaned dramatically as she carried her fur-covered garments straight to the washer and threw them in. Rarely did she bother to separate by color or fabric. She only had two piles. Clothes she wore to work and clothes she didn’t. Spending eight hours a day in a vet’s office meant she and her attire came into contact with all kinds of things, some of which were unmentionable.
“I’m so not in the mood for that, but I promised you, so whatever.”
Sammie let out a phew! sound. “Just dress cute. It’ll be fun as long as we’re together.”
“Yeah, yeah.” Jenny poured in liquid detergent without measuring and twisted the knob to start the cycle.
“Love you!” Sammie sang into her ear.
“Love you, too. See ya then.” Jenny hung up and frowned. She didn’t want to go to Sammie’s cousin’s bridal shower. Technically, Sammie didn’t want to go either, which was why Jenny was extra-obligated to her BFF duties. Oh, well.
Jenny jumped into the shower. Afterward, she threw on a pair of sweats and a soft t-shirt. In the next three minutes, she made a cup of instant coffee, turned on the news, grabbed her laptop and got comfy on her couch. The first stop on her virtual tour was her eMatch account. She logged in, and her heart sped up when she saw a new message from Jeff. She clicked on it.
Jenny, I can’t say my day has been nearly as exciting as yours. You certainly win the prize for best story. Again! If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t laugh nearly as often. After work today, I did some surfing and watched two dolphins for a while. Though I often see dolphins, I still marvel at them. Now, if I encountered two wasted dolphins, I think it would only enhance the experience. Just kidding. Well, sort of. ~ Jeff
Jenny giggled and hit reply.
Fortunately for me, the reefer doggie was the highlight of my day. Everything else was routine, which is fabulous because, as you know by now, that means no 911s. However, when I got home, my friend Sammie called and reminded me that I have plans for tomorrow tonight. *big sigh* I really wanted a quiet Saturday. Watching dolphins sounds nice. You’re so lucky. It’s been too long since my toes have touched sand. Life gets busy and time just flies by! Maybe one of these days, I’ll fly to Florida and we can have coffee. I don’t want you to think I’m a stalker, ha-ha. Have a good night, my friend. ~ Jenny
Hovering the mouse over the Send button, she stared at the screen. Before she could chicken out, she added, P.S. Wanna video chat sometime? But the air in her lungs froze. She couldn’t do it.
She frantically deleted the last sentence, then hit Send with a loud “Argh!” Sometimes she caught herself thinking of herself and Jeff as a couple that people nicknamed J.J. or J&J. But it was only cute for a fairy tale or a daydream. Not in real life.
Jenny closed her laptop. She should try dating real men again, the kind she could have dinner with. Look them in the eyes and get to know them. But then thoughts of Henry came back, and she shivered. Sometimes the flesh and blood type were overrated.
Starting over, though. Ugh. Just the thought of it threatened to give her a panic attack. Relationships were a lot of work, and her job was often emotionally taxing. But she could be wrong. Maybe things would work out with Jeff someday. It wasn’t like Florida was on the other side of the world. But what if Jeff was some weirdo with a fake profile? That question had popped into her head too many times to count. She tried to be careful with the information she gave out, but she had a bad habit of talking too much and being too honest. Over the last couple of months, she’d revealed her line of work, and Dover was tiny. He wouldn’t have trouble finding her if he wanted to. But if the guy had been an ax murderer, she’d already be dead. Besides, as silly as it might sound, he seemed authentic. They’d shared serious life details with each other, and now they were friends.
Why should the fact that she couldn’t meet him for coffee mean their friendship was less real, anyway? They emailed back and forth every single day. She couldn’t imagine not getting his messages.
Jeff was kind, compassionate, and he loved animals. She’d never be able to even consider anyone who didn’t love animals the way she did. And there was something old-fashioned about him. He’d never once said anything weird or inappropriate. He was either a perfect gentleman or the best actor on earth. And if that was the case, he probably planned to kill her.
Chapter 4
Owen couldn’t remember the last time he’d been on a commercial flight, but he quickly regretted not sitting in first class. Zero leg room, and being shoved against his burly neighbor and touching elbows with him was less than pleasant. Fortunately, his best friend Jeff lived in Houston, so he’d planned to stay at his place before heading to Kansas.
While on the flight, he upgraded his flight into Kansas City for more comfort. A few virtual buttons and his next flight would be first class. Sure, he could have taken his company jet, but he wanted to try to feel like a normal human being for once. Plus, if he’d taken the jet, too many eyes and ears would be all over his itinerary, wondering what he was doing. For once in his life, he didn’t want to be checked up on.
“No, thank you,” Owen told the stewardess who offered him a beverage as she served everyone from the tiny cart. He wouldn’t have minded a drink, but what she was passing out was a mere taste. Using the same few cans of soda to serve all the passengers seemed ridiculously frugal.
As he stared out the window, a stench crept up to his nostrils. He waved a hand in front of his face, and a boar-like snore erupted from his neighbor, who somewhat resembled the animal. “Disgusting,” he said. The man had drool creeping out of the side of his mouth.
“Thank God,” Owen muttered under his breath when he heard the release of the landing gear. Eager to be fully vertical again, he prayed there wouldn’t be any disembarking delays. Time seemed to stretch into eternity, but finally, twenty-five minutes later, one of the stewardesses thanked him for flying with them as he exited.
His long legs carried him through the massive airport until he spotted Jeff and broke out into a grin. At least he’d get to spend a day with his best friend. Not that they never saw each other. Jeff visited Destin often enough, since his parents still lived there. But this was the first time since he’d moved to Houston that Owen had visited him.
“H
ow are ya, man?” Jeff wrapped Owen’s surfer frame into a bear hug. “I can’t believe you took the commoners’ way to get here.”
“I’m good.” Owen winced and stretched for the umpteenth time. Jeff always had to do the crazy hug. It had never hurt before but being crunched on the flight made it less than comfortable.
Jeff tilted his head and peered at Owen through squinted eyes. “You didn’t even travel first class?”
“I will tomorrow.” Jeff’s obnoxiously loud laugh drew a few stares, and Owen shoved him away. “Shut up, already. Get me out of here.”
The two friends chatted nonstop during the short drive to Jeff’s house. Jeff’s wife greeted them at the door, and Owen’s spirits brightened. “Molly, you’re a sight for sore eyes.”
“What am I? Chopped liver?” Jeff asked, feigning offense.
“Pretty much!” Owen reached out and tapped Jeff’s stomach. “Molly, have your cooking skills improved, or did he do that to himself?”
“Hey, now. He didn’t marry me for my culinary abilities, but I like it!” She wrapped her arms around Jeff’s middle and planted a kiss on his lips.
“Oh, jeez. You still act like newlyweds. I’d say get a room, but I’m in your house.”
Later, after Molly had headed into the kitchen, Jeff dragged a few details out of Owen about his reason for heading to Kansas. Owen told him everything about Jenny and the time they’d been talking, explaining that he’d used a fake profile picture.
“Whoa. You made a fake profile?”
“Yeah, man. I couldn’t think of anything else to do. I can’t just slap my name on it. What if it would have gone differently? Someone does a quick search, figures out who I am, then I’m in the same boat or worse.” But if his buddy found out that Owen had used his personal information in the profile, he and Molly would both be up in arms. It was a stupid thing to have done, but he’d been desperate. Short of using a magazine model, it had been his best option.
“How are you going to meet her if you used fake information?” Jeff asked as Molly strolled in with drinks and snacks.
“What?” Molly said. “You used a fake name on your dating account?”
Owen groaned, wishing she hadn’t heard. “Don’t worry. I’ll clear the whole thing up.”
A thought occurred to him. What if Jenny had done the same thing? Maybe her name wasn’t Jenny. What if her account had a fake picture? For all he knew, she could be some hairy old man in suspenders just playing games with him. But he’d looked up her veterinary clinic. Her name was on the site, with a photo. Unless she was an unknowing victim—like Jeff, Owen thought with a wince—then she had to be for real. He couldn’t believe that was true, that she was a victim. They’d been talking for months.
“You better clear that up quick, mister.” Molly chuckled as she unloaded her arms. Jeff helped by taking the drinks out of the crook of her arm.
Jeff shook his head and grabbed a cookie. “That’s not good. How are you going to work this out?”
“I haven’t exactly figured that part out yet.”
“I think you should come clean tonight, before you even get there.” Molly clucked her tongue. “Otherwise, you’re going to scare her, just showing up in her home town unannounced. If it were me, I would run far, far away.”
Owen sat back and ran a hand through his thick hair. Even though they were stressing him out, it felt good to be somewhere besides his sterile flat. Jeff and Molly’s home had personal touches throughout it, with her watercolor paintings of flowers in the hall and Jeff’s football magazines on the coffee table.
The next day, after a late lunch with his friends, they dropped him off at the airport and made him promise to visit again soon.
The flight to Kansas City was uneventful but not boring. Now in first class, he sat with his legs stretched out in front of him and a glass of red wine on his tray. He took care of a question from Patty, the only person in Destin who knew he was Kansas-bound. They were in the middle of negotiations for a new property, and he felt obligated to finish what he’d started. It would be rude to leave the sellers hanging. He knew Patty could take care of any fires that popped up in his absence, but he couldn’t completely ignore his business until his return.
He wished he could call the nerve-wracking hour and a half drive into the small town of Dover uneventful, but instead, he white-knuckled it for the better part of an hour in rush-hour traffic. While he regularly drove himself around Destin, it had been a while since he’d driven himself on a busy highway. All his trips in the last several years had been for work, and he’d had drivers each time.
Temporary relief washed over him when he took the Valencia exit off the highway and eased his grip on the steering wheel. I’m such a wuss. He wove through the neighborhoods and took in the scenery. It didn’t take long. Jenny worked in a dinky town.
When he passed the Dover Animal Hospital, he couldn’t stop the grin that spread across his face. That was where Jenny had emailed him from earlier that day.
His elation fizzled. How was he going to sort out the mess he had unintentionally created? Maybe he could say, “Hi, I’m Owen, but you know me as Jeff, and you seem to really like me.” Great idea! That wouldn’t freak her out at all. She’d only be a hundred miles away before he could explain.
He had never intended to make a connection with someone he’d be interested in talking to more than once, much less meet them. But it would sound pathetic to admit he was lonely and starved for genuine female company and that he’d felt he had to lie to get it.
Owen sighed and pointed the car toward the bed & breakfast he’d booked a couple of miles away. Dover didn’t have a hotel, so the B&B had been his only option unless he wanted to stay in the next city over.
Maybe he should skip the whole Jeff thing and just ask her out as himself. Not even mention eMatch. It wasn’t like he asked women out often, but when he did, they never said no.
That’s it! That’s the answer. Owen smacked the steering wheel and laughed. Why hadn’t he thought of that before? There was no reason to complicate matters or to lie, although lying by omission wasn’t ideal either. Not as bad, though, right? Maybe after she fell in love with him, he would tell her the truth.
And she would fall in love with him, wouldn’t she? After all, he was the same guy she emailed every single day, just with a different face and way more money than he’d let on. Once they were a couple, she would think it was cute and romantic instead of stalker-ish. But what if she didn’t fall in love with him? What if he wasn’t in love with her? Maybe he’d been so desperate to feel something, he’d convinced himself that she was the one. Well, he’d find out soon enough.
Owen pulled up to Betsy’s Bed & Breakfast and whistled. The Dutch Colonial home took up nearly triple the land that the rest of the homes in the area did. “Beautiful structure,” he commented to himself. Though most of his property experience dealt with vacation-style villas and condos, he had an appreciation for architecture of all kinds. He didn’t think he’d ever seen something like this located at the edge of a neighborhood.
Following a small sign with an arrow directing him to the parking lot in the rear, Owen immediately thought of five things he would change if he owned this property, pavement instead of gravel in the parking lot being the first.
Grabbing his bag, he followed the walking stones that led to the porch. The first step creaked as he put his weight on it.
He was poised to ring the doorbell when the door swung open, surprising him.
“Hello, there, handsome,” said an older woman wearing a bright smile. “You must be Mr. Kaine.”
“Owen is fine.” He grinned at her.
“Come on in, handsome Owen. Let me show you around.”
Owen beamed at the spunky elderly lady, already enjoying the informal atmosphere. “Are you the Betsy of Betsy’s B&B?” The aroma of cinnamon apples wafted through the open door, causing his stomach to growl.
She snickered. “I am. But none of that Ms.
or ma’am crap. Just Betsy, please. Any guest who tries to make me feel my age will get the smallest serving of my famous pancakes.” Betsy looked him over, and he resisted the urge to squirm. “Are those your only bags?”
Owen nodded. “This is it.”
“You booked for a week with the possibility of extending your stay.”
“Correct.” Owen nodded again, starting to feel like a bobblehead.
“You travel light. If you forgot any essentials, there’s a Walmart in Topeka, about twenty minutes from here.”
Owen dutifully followed Betsy in a large circle of the downstairs, which included a sitting room with a bookcase and a fireplace, and a separate room with a television and a shelf that held puzzles and games.
Betsy motioned to a small office with a computer, printer, and fax. “If you need to take care of any kind of business, just go on in. Nothing is set up with passwords around here.” Next, she showed him the dining area adjacent to the kitchen, from which the wonderful scents came.
“Smells wonderful! Do you do the cooking as well?”
“You bet I do!” Betsy exclaimed. “I can’t name the place after myself and let other folks do the important stuff. Speaking of the cooking, breakfast starts at seven a.m. I prefer my guests to join us at the table. Please try not to be any later than eight. If you feel the need to sleep in or have other things to do, I won’t grumble at you, but I will be silently disappointed.”
“Understood.” Owen made a show of taking another big whiff of the yummy smells and said, “I won’t be missing breakfast. Count me in.”
Betsy’s face lit up, and she folded her hands in front of her. “Lovely. Let me show you to your room. If you’ve missed dinner and don’t feel like going out, there are always snacks you can grab in the dining room. I keep the shelf stocked with fruit, homemade granola bars, nuts, and some other treats. Would you like something now?”
The Conflicted Billionaire (The Conflicted Love Series Book 1) Page 2