by Wendy Smith
“You’re amazing. I hope I’m making you realise that. You’re scared and hurt, and all you’re worrying about is someone else’s feelings.” I kiss her again. “But let me tell you what I know. There is nothing in the world I won’t do to protect you. That’s what love is, and with you I finally worked that out.”
Ginny flings her arms around my neck. “When we started this, I didn’t know what would happen. I’m so glad I took the chance.”
For a moment, I breathe her in. I never thought it was possible to love someone this much.
My whole life, I’ve been scarred. I’ll never forget that moment as a twelve-year-old, not understanding why my dad was kissing someone else. He loved my mum, didn’t he? It left me so confused for so long, but with Ginny there is no confusion.
She lets go, cupping my face and looking into my eyes. “You’re everything to me, Owen.”
I’m too choked up to speak at first. Everything I feel is in her eyes. “I feel the same way, sweetheart. It’s not one of our nights, but I don’t want you going home alone tonight. Stay here. I’m going to do what I can to protect you.”
“I know,” she whispers.
With a final kiss, I head towards the door, turning as I get there.
“I’ll grab Ava on the way home. I love you, Ginny.”
“Love you too.”
I take a deep breath before raising my hand to knock on Kelly Webster’s door.
She’s a regular customer, and a nice person. I hate to lay this on her, but if this has happened to anyone else, she needs to know. I have enough respect for her to tell her the truth.
The Websters never had any children, and maybe that’s why I’m not so fazed by telling her. With Ava in my life, I can’t imagine what a breakup with Ginny would mean to her. It’s my job to protect her from anything like that.
I tap the door, and Kelly smiles as she opens it.
“Owen Campbell. What a pleasant surprise.
“I need to talk to you.”
“Oh?” Her eyebrows dip in concern, and my stomach twists into a knot. But I’m determined to see this through. She needs to know. “Come in.”
She leads me into their living room. It’s a cosy little place, and there are pictures on the mantel of her and Nathan. If it wasn’t for Ginny back home, I’d leave and let her live out the rest of her life without knowing. But I can’t do that.
I sit on the couch where she indicates.
“Would you like a coffee? Tea?”
I shake my head. “Thank you, but I’d really just like to talk.”
She sits beside me.
Taking a deep breath, I focus on her. “Well, it’s like this. Ginny’s been invited to a conference for special needs children after the work she’s done with Max.”
Kelly nods. “Nathan’s been talking about it. Sounds like a big deal.”
“It is. For Ginny, anyway.” I swallow. “See, the thing is that Nathan’s told Ginny he only wants to book one hotel room for the two of them.”
Her expression tightens.
“I don’t want to hurt you. Ginny’s such a sweetheart. She’s been uncomfortable for a while, but didn’t want to rock the boat with the kids she looks after, and—”
She sighs. “I’ve heard rumours. Just didn’t want to believe them. Let me deal with this.”
“I’m so sorry, Kelly. I just need to do what I can to protect my girl.”
Her lips twitch. “Never thought I’d see the day when you had a girl to protect. There are plenty of rumours about you, too.”
“I wish I could put a stop to them.”
She nods. “You’re a good man. If people don’t understand that, it’s on them, not you.”
The door opens, and Nathan Webster strolls in. He fixes his gaze on me.
“I’ll see myself out. Kelly.” I nod toward Nathan. “Nathan.”
I leave the house with a smile on my face. There’s no way I’d want to be in Nathan Webster’s shoes right now. His wife has always come across as tough as nails.
Ginny’s safety is my number-one priority, and now I know she’ll be out of danger.
She’s all that matters.
On the way home, I stop at day care to pick up Ava.
At the sight of me, she runs from the other side of the room, launching herself into my arms. I hold her tight, kissing her temple. “Ready to go home, sweet pea?”
She nods.
“Did you have a good day?”
Linda walks toward me, a smile on her face. “We had a great day. She’s doing so well, Owen. I’m sure that’s all down to you and the great care you’re taking of her.”
“We’re trying to take care of each other. Aren’t we, Ava?”
Ava wraps her arms around my neck and squishes her face against mine.
“I think she’s almost back to how she was before …”
I nod. “That’s the goal. Make her a happy little girl who feels safe. No more crazy stuff. See you tomorrow.”
Plucking her bag from the peg, I turn and walk us back out toward the car.
“Owen?” Ava says.
“Yes?”
“Can I have a gingerbread man when we get home?
Home. My heart warms at the word. “Sure thing. Although I think you need to cut back on how many you’re eating. You might turn into a gingerbread man.”
Ava giggles, and it fills my heart.
Things are coming right.
Sleep doesn’t come easy.
Despite my conversation with Kelly Webster, I still worry about Ginny. She’s had concerns about her career with this. Could I have made things worse?
No. Worse would have been her feeling pressured enough to go to that conference and share a room with Nathan.
Whatever happens, she’s got me.
Rolling over, I study her features. Despite the night light I bought her, Ava still prefers it if the hall light’s on, and it means I have enough light to take in Ginny. She’s so at peace now, far from the stress of earlier today.
I love her so much.
It’s nearly two when I get out of bed and head to the kitchen. Baking soothes my soul, and if I can’t sleep, I might as well try and tire myself out.
On the bench is a bag of gluten-free flour. I bought it to experiment and try some new recipes. If Ginny needs it, there’ll be other people who do, surely. Maybe the first time I tried selling it, it was ahead of the trend. Regardless, I’ll make something for her.
Measuring out the ingredients, I tip my dough onto the floured board I bought for the occasion. I don’t know how this will turn out, but it’ll be worth it for the look on her face.
“What are you doing?” Ginny’s voice comes from behind me.
“Making gluten-free bread.” I turn to look at her as she steps into the room.
She runs her fingers through her long, brown hair. “It’s two in the morning.”
“I couldn’t sleep. This is what I do when I can’t sleep.” Kneading the dough, I shape it under my hands.
She slips her arms around my waist and kisses my shoulder. “Come back to bed. Why can’t you sleep? What’s wrong?”
I heave a breath. “Everything. Nothing.”
“What do you mean?”
“I’m worried that I’ve made things worse for you with the way I handled Nathan. And I worry about Ava. What am I doing, Ginny? What happens if I do something wrong?”
She lets go of me and moves to my side. I turn my head to look at her.
“How do you think other parents work it out? Parenting is trial and error. You’re trying your best for that little girl, and you’re doing an amazing job. Stop second-guessing yourself.”
I sigh. “I can’t help it.”
“And as for me, I’m just glad I told you about it.”
“I can’t believe you hadn’t told anyone here. Especially me.”
She runs her hand down my back. “He didn’t make any real move until he suggested the shared motel room. Oh, there was innuendo,
and sometimes the way he looked at me made me uncomfortable. But I doubted myself. And you did nothing wrong. You took care of me.”
I let go of the bread and turn to her. My hands are caked with gluten-free flour, but she takes them in hers.
“I love you, Owen. Once I thought maybe this whole Nathan thing was me imagining things, and I thought about leaving town just to get away from the situation. But nothing would drag me from this place now. Not with you and now Ava to love.”
Cupping her face, I press my lips to hers. Her mouth opens a little, enough for me to run my tongue over her own. I lose it when her breathing quickens. “Maybe we should go back to bed.”
She shakes her head. “You’ve got bread to finish.”
“I’ll leave it to rise and bake it in the morning.” I drop my hands, and smile at the spots of flour on her cheeks. “Come here.”
Pulling her in front of me, I pick up her hands and place them on the bread.
“What are you doing?” She laughs.
“You can finish kneading the bread.”
She squeezes the dough, and I slip my hands between hers and show her what to do.
“Did you always want to be a baker?” she asks.
“Always. Baking was something Mum and I used to do together, and I loved every second of it.” I pause. Mum hasn’t done any baking for a long time. I doubt she’ll do any more. “I loved being able to use my hands, and it wasn’t just about the food. It was about the art.”
I nuzzle Ginny’s neck as she keeps kneading. Placing my hands on her hips, I press myself against her.
“How much is too much?” she asks.
“Never enough,” I murmur, having lost interest in the bread. I’m far more interested in her skin.
“Owen.” She laughs.
“It’s fine.” I reach around her and shape the dough into a loaf, placing it on a nearby tray.
“So that’ll be ready to go in the morning?”
“It doesn’t need that much time, but once I go back to bed with you, I’m not getting up again.”
She slips her arms around my neck. “Thank you.”
“What for?”
“For baking me bread. For loving me the way I love you.”
“You know, that offer is always open for you to move in.”
Ginny pulls me in for a kiss. “Soon,” she whispers.
“Better be soon. You’re busting my balls when you’re not here.”
She giggles.
We leave a trail of flour all the way back to the bedroom, and I don’t care in the slightest.
I only wish she’d stay every night.
21
Ginny
Jessica Turfrey’s waiting for me in my classroom when Owen drops me off in the morning. She’s the deputy principal, and my stomach clenches at the sight of her.
“Ginny.” She smiles.
“Hi, Jessica. How’s it going?”
She clasps her hands together. “Nathan Webster resigned last night. I’ll be the acting principal.”
I nod, and wonder how much she knows.
“Becky Lane is going to be acting deputy principal until the board makes its appointments, but I’m certain they’ll take my recommendations with everything being such short notice. So, with that in mind, I wondered if you were interested in the role of senior school team leader.”
My stomach flips. “Me?”
“Everyone loves you, Ginny.” She takes a big breath. “I had a call from Kelly Webster last night telling me what happened. For years, there have been whispers about Nathan, and there was something not quite right, but there wasn’t any proof.”
I burst into tears. Owen believes in me. He never once questioned my story, and he’s always on my side. Maybe I didn’t give anyone else enough credit.
“Oh no.” Jessica slips her arms around me, and I cry on her shoulder.
“I didn’t know if anyone would believe me.”
She gapes. “Why wouldn’t we?”
“He’s been here for so long, and I didn’t know if it’d be taken seriously.”
Jessica smiles. “Sounds to me like you’ve got a good man who went into battle for you. And I’m sorry you didn’t feel like you could come to me. I would have listened.”
“Thank you.”
“That conference is yours, too. You’re the perfect person to send to it. The work you’ve done here is fantastic, given our lack of resources. We’ll catch up later in the day about the new position.”
I nod.
And I can’t wait to get home to Owen and Ava tonight.
Adam picks me up after work.
“I’ll take you to the garage. Your car’s there, ready and waiting.” He smiles.
“What was wrong with it?”
“Starter motor was buggered. I replaced it.”
“What do I owe you?”
He chuckles. “Nothing.”
“I can’t pay you nothing for repairing my car.”
“You’re family, Ginny. Besides, what you’re doing with Owen and Ava—I’m so grateful.”
Tears well in my eyes. “I’m not doing anything special.”
“You turned my brother’s life around. And my niece has the stability she needs, thanks in part to you.”
We travel the rest of the distance in silence, and when we stop outside the garage, he turns to me. “Here we are.”
“Thank you, Adam.”
“You’re very welcome. I’m glad it was something simple.”
“Me too.”
Owen’s cooking dinner when I get to his place. The smell of chicken fills the flat.
I’m tired from our early baking session, and weepy over the circumstances of my promotion. But I’m happy, and where I need to be.
Ava leaps up from the floor and wraps her arms around my waist. I hold her tight. Sometimes she wants me to carry her, and I do it even though it hurts. My body doesn’t always behave when I want it to.
“Hey, sweetheart. Did you have a good day?” I ask her.
“I went to day care.”
“I know you did. What did you do there?” Making my way to the couch, I sit down and she jumps up beside me.
“We made cookies.”
“Did you?”
“I brought you one home.” She plucks a little package from the coffee table, and I smile at the wrapping. It’s all tied up in a pink bow.
“Thank you.”
“Eat it. It’s yummy.”
I open it up, and it’s a shortbread biscuit. It’s round, and iced with a smiley face.
“She brought one for me too. I gave it an eight out of ten.” Owen walks into the living room and stands behind the couch. I raise my face for him to lean over and kiss.
“Eight? That’s generous coming from you.”
“Well, maybe a six for the cookie, but Ava got points for bringing us both one home.”
I laugh. “Maybe you can make some shortbread and show them how it’s done.”
“How was your day?” he asks.
“Nathan resigned. And after the dust settled, I got a promotion.”
He grins, leaping over the couch—much to Ava’s delight—and pulling me into his arms. “Then this is an extra special day.”
“I still feel weird about it, and I feel like Nathan got away from any consequences by resigning, but it is good. I’m the team leader for the senior school.”
“I’m so proud of you. And don’t worry about Nathan. I’m sure Kelly will make him suffer, possibly forever, for it.”
“You don’t think it’ll break them up?”
He shrugs. “I don’t know. But either way, he’s the one who ends up second best in this.”
“Thank you for believing me.”
“I’ll always believe you.”
Ava leans over, placing her weight on my pelvis. I suck in a breath at the pain.
“Eat your cookie,” she says.
I grab her under her arms and pull her into a hug, relieving the pressure. “
I’ll eat it just for you.”
“Are you sure you should?” Owen asks.
“It’s just one cookie. I’ll be fine.”
Even if it’s not, I’ll do it for Ava.
I love being here.
I’m the one holding out on the three of us being together, but right now this is where I need to be. There’s so much we need to talk about when we do move in together. I’m dreading it.
But for the moment, when we’ve put Ava to bed and snuggled on the couch for a while, he takes me to his bed and all is right with the world.
He touches me gently, his hands caressing my body as he works his way down.
Even though I know it’s coming, I still gasp as his tongue rolls over my clit. He knows I can’t do this fast and hard, but he never asks why. He just gives me what I need.
This is why my heart belongs to Owen Campbell.
No one can tell me he’s any different to this. He’s the Owen I know and love.
I relax as he licks me, touches me, moans. Closing my eyes, I lose myself in the sensation, in Owen’s attentions.
And he does pay attention to every little thing.
My body jerks as I come, the gentle build giving way to a whole-body experience.
“I can’t wait any longer.”
I open my eyes to see him over me, reaching for the condom. Running my hands over his chest, I hook my arms around his neck.
“Me either. I need you inside me.”
When the condom’s on, he slides slowly in.
“You feel so good. We could do this every night, you know.”
“I know,” I whisper.
We move together, and I fight the urge to close my eyes again, instead drowning in the love written all over his face. My heart’s bonded with his, and it’ll stay that way. I’m sure of it.
He presses in a little too deep, and I grip his biceps.
“Sorry. It’s hard to hold back, but I don’t want to hurt you.”
I nod. “I know. It’s okay.”
“I love you, Ginny.” His goofy smile shows what’s in his heart. I never have to second-guess his feelings.
“I love you too.”
He groans, stilling over me. Missionary has become my thing after other positions being too painful in the past. Yet, he just accepts it, and does whatever it takes to make me happy.