“Wow. How did get so lucky? I’ve been here all summer and Charlie hasn’t let me help out in the kitchen once.”
They’d never actually discussed her helping in the kitchen, but Sarah was good at her job. She made all her campers feel special.
“This is Rainbow Sprinkles.” Arlyne held up her bear for Sarah to see.
“You’re one lucky girl to have an awesome bear and to get to help Charlie with dessert. I’m pretty sure we’re going to have the best cabin this week. Come on. I’ll show you the way.”
Arlyne’s mom bent down to hug her daughter and kiss her on the cheek before she scurried off with Sarah.
“My family and I can’t thank you enough for giving our children this opportunity.”
“Seeing the smiles on the kids’ faces makes it all worthwhile. Arlyne is in good hands but we have your number in case of emergency.” Charlie read off the information she had to make sure it was all still accurate.
“Thank you again,” she said once more with tears in her eyes before she left.
There was a lull for a few minutes and Charlie used the time to run to the bathroom. She returned just in time to see Olivia run into Gina’s arms, Owen close at her heels.
Charlie stayed back, partially hidden behind a tree and watched the sweet moment. Owen kept his hands in his front pockets. He didn’t wear the excited and nervous smiles as so many of the other campers and their parents.
It was hard to tell from the distance, but she could see when he clenched his jaw. His lips made a flat line as if he was wary about the situation. Gina and Olivia talked to each other, oblivious of Owen’s unease.
Charlie took a step toward him and then Gina turned her attention to him, placing a hand on his forearm. Whatever she said to him made his shoulders and jaw relax.
There was no need for Charlie to intervene. Gina could handle it all. With a sinking heart, she returned to her station. Since she had N-Z and Gina had A-M, the McDougalls wouldn’t be visiting her table.
A family of four came up to her, blocking the view from the Hallmark moment to her left, and she greeted them the same way she did Arlyne. When she had the boy registered and Hunter had taken little Tommy to the cabin, she glanced up and noticed Owen smiling at her.
“Hey.” He strode over to her table—yes, strode—those muscular legs of his making a pair of Levi’s the sexiest thing in the world.
Charlie stayed in her seat, afraid if she stood, she’d do something stupid like fawn all over him. He wasn’t hers anymore.
No. He never was hers to begin with.
“Olivia all checked in?” She was nowhere to be seen.
“Yeah. Sarah and another girl came to get her and brought her to her cabin.”
Gina had returned to her table and was cheerfully checking in another camper. Charlie watched as Owen glanced at Gina and then looked everywhere but at Charlie.
“She must be excited.”
“An understatement.” Owen kicked at the dirt with the toe of his boot. “I, on the other hand, am a ball of nerves.”
“Most parents are.” She cringed and continued. “And older siblings and grandparents. It’s a pretty big deal sending your kiddo—your relative—to stay with strangers for a few days.”
“The three of you are hardly strangers. At least I know she’ll be in good hands.”
“Right. I’ll probably only see her if she signs up for kitchen duty.”
“I told Gina I’d prefer if Liv didn’t. I’d rather her do arts and crafts or outdoor activities.”
“Oh.” He might as well twist the dagger he stabbed into her heart. “Sure. I get it.” Less time with Charlie so she would work on forming a closer bond with Gina. It all made sense.
Olivia was good for Gina as well. She wasn’t judgmental and she was full of life and energy, exactly what was missing from her friend’s life.
“It’s not...” Again, he jabbed his boot into the ground. “She spends so much time in the kitchen. I’d rather her explore other avenues. Make some friends her own age.”
“Oh yeah. I get it.” She waved him off. “We’ll make sure she has the experience you both want her to have. It was nice seeing you again, Owen.”
There weren’t any campers waiting to check in, but she dismissed him anyway, giving him an out to step away and end their conversation. When he didn’t leave, she lowered her head and rifled through the pile of papers as if she was searching for something.
Which she was.
Only it was standing in front of her, not in a stack of papers.
Was standing in front of her. He’d moved down the line to talk to Gina. Right where he belonged. Where they belonged.
Swallowing the lump in her throat, Charlie blinked back the emotions and forced her heart to be happy for her friend. Which she was. She really was.
If only it wasn’t with Owen.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Owen walked back to his truck more confused than ever before. Charlie had been acting crazy lately. Not wild and crazy like when he first met her, but... different. Gone were her flirtatious ways and teasing nature. Instead, she was formal, if not overly kind, and avoided eye contact.
His prediction at the bowling alley a few weeks ago was spot on. She could tell he was interested in her and instead of having to give him a rejection, she guided his attention toward Gina.
And the crux of it all, he really liked Gina. She was refreshingly kind and didn’t seem to want anything from him, unlike Charlie.
Charlie wanted his attention. Charlie wanted to know about his life. Charlie wanted...
Wrong again. Charlie didn’t ask for anything. It was the pressure he felt while around her that made it seem like she wanted more. If Owen was honest with himself, he’d see it was the other way around. He was the one who wanted to give his attention to Charlie. He wanted to confide in her, to make her part of his world while at the same time keep her at a distance and ignorant to his past.
He steered his truck out of the camp’s busy parking lot and headed back to his worksite. The next few days would be different without having to worry about Liv. It was sad how sending her away to camp for the first time caused him less angst than keeping her at home with their mother.
After putting in a twelve-hour day hanging sheetrock at the Jones site, he drove to his mother’s to pay her a visit. It wasn’t often he stopped by to see her; his visits were solely to check in on Liv or to pick her up.
His mother’s aging Honda was in the driveway, but he’d learned it didn’t mean she was home. Knocking on the front door he waited a minute until she opened it for him.
“Olivia isn’t here,” she said as a greeting, like she didn’t expect to see him without Liv. Or she didn’t want to see him.
“I know. I dropped her off at Camp Illumination this morning.”
“I’m aware.” She went into the kitchen and loaded the dishwasher. “I’m leaving in a few minutes, so you’ll have the house to yourself if you need it.”
“I have my own place.” She’d hadn’t been to his home in over a year. Not since two Christmases ago when he insisted she come over to join him and Liv for brunch. “Are you going to ask about Liv?”
“About what?”
He’d done a hell of a job controlling his anger toward his mother when his sister was around, but with this rare opportunity he didn’t know if he could contain it much longer.
“Maybe ask how she was when I dropped her off? Or ask about the camp. Do you even know where it is?”
“Of course I do. It’s the place that was on the news last year. A man set some of the buildings on fire.”
“And this doesn’t concern you? Don’t you want to know if it’s a safe place?” All questions he’d have asked and investigated before sending his sister, much less a daughter to.
“I assumed it was safe or you wouldn’t have sent her.”
So much for the motherly obligation to be sure your kids were safe and well taken care of. “Could you be
her mother for a minute?” He banged his fist on the counter and she jumped at his outburst.
“There’s no need to talk to me like this. I’m going out tonight and you seem bent on making sure I have a miserable time.”
“Do you hear yourself?” He shook his hands in the air. “You’re more concerned about your night out than your daughter. What would you do if I wasn’t here to take care of Liv?”
“I take care of her just fine.” She planted her hands on her hips and yelled at him as if she truly believed what she was saying was true. “I raised you and besides being disrespectful to your mother, you turned out okay. Olivia is a smart, passionate little girl.”
“Who spends her time in the kitchen or hanging out at a diner instead of playing with friends.”
“She loves to cook.”
“Because it’s the only thing she knows how to do.”
“I don’t need you telling me how to raise my daughter. Kids these days are dependent on their parents for everything, glued to electronics. At least Olivia isn’t that way, although she may be now since you bought her a phone. She’s too young for it.”
“I agree. I only bought her a phone because she’s left home alone too often.”
“You were too at that age.”
Exactly. She’d left him alone or with his father too often. Alone was better.
“Who is this person you’re going out with?” His mother turned away and dug through her purse ignoring his question. “Are you seeing someone? A man?”
“It’s none of your business.”
“It is when you leave my sister alone so you can go...” exasperated, he let out a grunt and clawed at the back of his neck.
“I don’t need to answer to you. You complain about Olivia not having a social life; I could say the same about you. Go find your own friends and stop hovering over your sister and me.”
“I don’t hover.”
“You know your way out.” She brushed past him and into her room, slamming the door behind her.
Part of him wanted to wait until her date—it had to be a guy—showed up, but the sensible side of him knew he’d end of saying or doing something he’d later regret.
Choosing wisely, he climbed into his truck and sped off. Home didn’t feel like a home with his unfinished walls closing in around him. It was either beat them down with his fists or take his anger and aggression out at the gym.
He changed into his shorts and sneakers, something he hadn’t done in ages, and drove to the local gym.
For nearly an hour, he beat away at punching bags until his shoulders ached, and then ran on the treadmill until his calves cramped. Drenched in sweat, he dragged himself to his truck.
His stomach rumbled reminding him he hadn’t eaten since lunch, and that was a solid nine hours ago. Since his fridge was as empty as his social life, he turned into the local grocery store for some much-needed food.
The store was a ghost town this time of night. Fewer people were a good thing. His mother’s hollow words came back to him. He needed a social life. Even parents were entitled to go out from time to time, and he considered himself a single parent to his sister.
The guys he used to hang out with were either still working on destroying their liver or they were married with kids. He didn’t exactly fit in with either crowd. Hell, he used to be able to go to the gym and know every person there. Tonight, he didn’t know a soul.
His old crowd wouldn’t be hitting the weights at eight o’clock on a Wednesday night. And even the guys there didn’t seem like his crowd.
“Looks like we have the store to ourselves.”
Owen glanced up from the can of soup he held and grinned at Drew. “Best time to shop if you don’t feel like running into anyone you know.”
“Exactly why I’m a regular at closing. First time I’ve seen you though.”
“New schedule this week.” He dropped the soup into his basket.
“Brooke says Olivia is at camp.”
“Yeah. She didn’t even say goodbye to me. Took off like she was at Disneyland or something.”
“Charlie’s grown pretty attached to her. Gina and Brooke think she’s pretty cool too.”
“My sister has been eating up the attention from them, that’s for sure.”
“So, uh, dining alone tonight?” Drew pointed to Owen’s basket.
“Guess so.”
“Me to. Unless you wanna grab a bite to eat together or go back to my place? Or yours?”
Owen burst out laughing. “Wait until I tell your wife how terrible you are at pick-up lines. I hope you used a better line on her.”
Drew grinned. “For a man who makes his living with words, I suck at speaking. I could pass you a note instead if it’ll make things less awkward.”
“I’m good.” Owen chuckled. “I wouldn’t mind company.”
“So,” Drew added a can of soup to his basket, “My place or yours?”
An elderly man stopped and put his hand on both their shoulders. “It’s nice to see a little diversity in our small town. You two boys have a good night.” He patted their shoulders again before walking away.
Drew and Owen burst into laughter. When he could finally breathe again, Owen suggested his place. “I need to shower and I’m only a few miles from here.” He gave Drew his address. “I’ll grab the frozen pizza if you want to grab the chips.”
“And beer.”
“I thought you didn’t drink much.”
“I don’t but manly men do when they hang out, right? Pizza, chips, beer.”
“Belching, farting, and adjusting ourselves while watching sports.” All things he didn’t do with a little sister in the house.
“Awesome.”
They grabbed a few extra snacks, made their way through the check out and drove to Owen’s. He wasn’t expecting company, but it wasn’t like he had too much to clean. Since he was rarely home there wasn’t anything to pick up other than a few of Liv’s things.
“Watch the third step. It’s rotted on the right,” Owen pointed as they made their way to the front door. “I bought the house as a fixer upper but haven’t had a lot of time to fix much.”
“It has a lot of rustic charm.” It did, which was why he’d invested in it. “How long have you owned the place?”
He switched the grocery bags over to one hand and held the door open for Drew. “Eleven years.”
“Wow.”
“Like I said, I’ve been busy.” He viewed his home from a stranger’s point of view. A wealthy stranger who lived on stunning waterfront property.
The wood floors were classic and in fine condition, even if they did need a good sanding and anew coat of poly. The small rooms were typical of a house built in the thirties, as was the wainscoting and crown molding. The chipped and peeling paint was item number four hundred fifty on his list of five hundred projects.
The moss green carpet in the hallways was a solid two decades older than Owen and looked its age, as did the yellow linoleum floor in the kitchen. The kitchen space was large, as was the dining area off it. Most of the space was empty since he didn’t have the furniture or the need to fill it.
Three cabinet doors habitually hung loose so he took them down a few years ago and had yet to replace them. Liv was the only one he entertained, and she didn’t care what the place looked like.
It was a cross between a dump and a bachelor pad. He had no idea which way Drew leaned.
“I like the built ins.” Drew opened the glass door to the shelves on the back wall of the dining area. “This is what the newer homes are missing. Custom jobs like this. Do you do any work like this?”
“Sometimes. New construction is pretty basic. Seems all the clients nowadays want an open concept which limits the creativity with the wall space.” Owen offered Drew a beer.
“Thanks.” He took it and clinked his bottle to Owen’s.
“I prefer the refurb jobs. I’m not as skilled at the custom work as some of the others in the area, but I e
njoy the challenge. Usually, it’s a floor or kitchen cabinets. This place is going to take years to turn into something halfway decent.”
“It’s got a ton of potential.”
“Way to let it down easy.” Owen turned on the oven and opened the frozen pizzas. “Does this count as cooking since we didn’t order out?”
“As long as I’m not eating M&Ms, Brooke is happy. I imagine Charlie makes you eat real food all the time as well. She’s an amazing cook.”
“I wouldn’t know.” He shoved the two pizzas in the still cold oven and then opened the bag of Doritos, grabbing a handful of chips.
“No? I guess with her living at the camp and your sister living here it’s hard to find time to—”
“Two things,” he snapped. “Charlie and I aren’t... we aren’t. And Liv doesn’t live here.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Drew sipped from his bottle and stuck his hand in the bag of chips. “Brooke gets mad at me for partially listening, especially when I’m in the middle of writing a book. Which is almost always.”
Today had worn him down. Between Charlie’s odd behavior, Liv taking off without a goodbye, and his mother’s blatant poor parenting skills and not seeming to care one bit about her daughter’s life, Owen was spent.
He chugged the rest of his beer and tossed the empty in the recycling bin. Taking another handful of chips, he paced the kitchen while he chomped.
“It’s not your fault.” He paused by the side window and stared out to the dark night, seeing more of his reflection than the outdoors. For once, it would be nice to have someone to talk to, to vent to, to talk about the shit he’d gone through for the past thirty years.
But his private life was private, and he didn’t want to drag innocent people into his mess.
“If you ever need to talk or need someone to listen...”
What could a rich, successful man like Drew Beckett offer a guy who grew up on the wrong side of the tracks who was raised by an abusive father and neglectful mother? From what Owen had heard, Beckett’s family was as polished and well off as he was. He wouldn’t understand what it was like growing up in his house.
What it was like dealing with his mother and trying to keep Olivia safe and help her be well-rounded. Yeah, epic fail there. She had no idea what other opportunities were out there for her. He’d failed her in so many ways.
A Thousand Sunsets (Band of Sisters) Page 10