“I’ll have a medium Coke and a bottle of water, please.” She changed the subject because they’d get nowhere going back and forth like this. Shannon didn’t want to be friends and bond over their shared unhappy Dale experiences. No, she wanted to keep Owen all to herself. Who could blame her? After what she’d been through, Owen’s kindness probably seemed like a true miracle in her life.
Shannon placed her order on the counter and rang up her total. Claire handed over the three dollars and grabbed the water and soda.
About to turn away, Shannon asked, “When will you start your new delivery business?”
Baffled by the questions, she cocked her head to the side. “I’m sorry, what?”
“The catering business you and Owen talked about starting.”
Ah, the reason he’d cut his lunch with Shannon short to be with her. “It’s still in the planning stage.”
“Right,” Shannon said, a note of disbelief in her voice.
“Have a good weekend,” she said, and walked to meet Brody by the tree.
“What the hell was that all about?” he asked.
She didn’t think Brody had been paying attention. She should remember his military background and the fact nothing got by him.
“Her ex-husband is the one causing all the trouble.”
“I don’t think she likes you much.”
“She likes Owen,” Claire said, handing over his bottle of water.
“Yeah, I got that.”
“Owen is trying to keep a professional distance from her, but she relies on him.”
“Maybe too much if her ex thinks she’s having an affair with him.”
“At least her taste has improved,” she teased. They walked back to the ball field. Owen’s gaze immediately shot to her, and she waved. His smile made her knees go weak.
“Yuck,” Brody said from beside her. She cracked up laughing.
The game ended twenty minutes later with the Blue Jays still up by two. They circled around Rain and Owen with all their hands in the center. They pumped their hands up and down three times and shouted, “Blue Jays,” waving their hands up in the air. They lined up to high-five the other team. Owen and Rain shook hands with the opposing coaches and the girls came running to her and Brody at the coolers. Rain and Brody brought the girls drinks. Claire had brought the snacks.
Owen didn’t waste any time. He walked right up to her and gave her a kiss. “I missed you.”
“You were right over there.”
“Too far away from you, sweetheart. Did you enjoy the game?”
“I did. I saw Shannon at the concession stand.”
Owen snagged a drink from the cooler and took a deep swallow. “I forgot she works here on the weekend.”
The girls devoured the orange slices she’d spent her lunch break cutting up. Luckily, Brody remembered a bag to set on the ground by the cooler for the girls to toss in the peels.
“I thought you were bringing treats from your shop,” Dawn said, disappointment laced in every word.
“I heard Mom say something about cupcakes,” Autumn chimed in.
Claire smiled and opened the cooler, pulling out the two white bakery boxes. “Do you mean these cupcakes?”
All the girls cheered. Even Owen joined in with an exaggerated yell to match the girls, making her laugh and shake her head.
“See, I did bring you a treat.”
“Does that mean I don’t get to kiss you again?”
“Nothing stops you from kissing me.”
“I like kissing you.”
“I like you kissing me.”
“Come here, sweetheart.”
Caught up in the fun of the game, the excitement of seeing the girls win, and Owen’s playful joking with the girls and her, she had no trouble walking into his arms, raising her head, and accepting the kiss he laid on her. Soft, sweet, nothing too racy in front of the children. He tasted of chocolate frosting and cake and the now-familiar taste of just him. He hooked his arm around her side and pulled her close. She leaned into him and settled into his side with a contented sigh. They watched the girls devour the cupcakes with an exuberance only children can display when cake is involved. She loved their chatter and squeals.
“You two look good together,” Rain said, walking up beside them.
“Hey, beautiful, did you get a cupcake?” Owen asked, and this time the beautiful didn’t bother her in the least.
“I need something more substantial before I start eating cupcakes. Besides, I don’t think the girls left us any.”
Claire stepped away from Owen, but he reached out and grabbed her arm. “Where are you going, sweetheart?”
“Well, I thought the game might end late and everyone might be hungry, so”—she opened the lid of the cooler and pulled out a couple of the Styrofoam takeout boxes—“I brought lunch. I thought we could have a picnic.”
“You are the best girlfriend ever,” Owen said, leaning in and kissing her while stealing a container from her.
Her eyes went wide and she stared up at him. Her stomach filled with fluttering butterflies. Excitement raced through her. The thrill of it made her lightheaded. Things were moving too fast. They needed to slow down, take a breath. No. Everything in her clung to the exhilaration, even if a small voice reminded her to remain cautious.
Owen leaned into her ear and whispered. “Breathe. Let it settle.”
“Please tell me one of those is mine,” Rain pleaded.
Claire shook off the shock and her conflicting emotions and handed over the container with Rain’s name on it. She promptly opened the lid and sighed out her pleasure. “My favorite. Turkey and Havarti on sourdough. You remembered.”
“I try to pay attention. You make it easy, because you order the same thing each time. Same with the girls.”
“They’re picky.”
“Well, if you can get them off Brody’s back, I’ve got lunch for them, too.”
Rain called to the girls, rolling and playing with their father on the grass nearby, literally jumping all over him as he picked them up and tossed them around, wrestling them over his shoulders and tickling them unmercifully. Her gaze met Owen’s and they shared a quietly tense moment. He smiled and she walked to him with her lunch container and sat down between his legs, leaned back into his chest, and held his arm when it banded around her middle, and he pulled her close and kissed her on the side of the head.
Yeah, you’re his girlfriend.
The butterflies in her stomach made her giggle. He poked her in the ribs and made her laugh even more.
“What is so funny, sweetheart?”
“Nothing. This is a good day.”
He kissed the side of her head again. “Yes, it is a very good day. Let’s make it a better night. Come up to the ranch this evening. I’ll make you dinner.”
Chapter Twenty-One
* * *
CLAIRE DROVE DOWN the road to Owen’s place, her stomach tied in knots. They’d had such a wonderful day together, she couldn’t say no to his dinner invitation. Still, she didn’t know exactly what to expect. She checked her face in the rearview mirror for the tenth time in half a mile. The light makeup job she’d done on her eyes with a faded violet shadow made the green stand out. Her lips were tinted a soft pink. She’d chosen her wardrobe carefully, changing from one blouse to another, until she finally settled on the simple soft pink tunic, black leggings, and ankle boots. She left her hair loose and draped over one shoulder down the front of her. She’d seen the way he looked at it and wanted to please him.
She had second thoughts about the matching pink lace bra and panties. They made her feel sexy, but this was just dinner. Right? She’d thought of nothing else but sleeping with him since . . . well, practically since she’d met him. He’d left the when up to her. Still, she didn’t know if she was ready to take the next step. The hum in her gut and erotic thoughts in her head said otherwise.
She couldn’t wait to see him again.
She’d never
been to his place. The road to it was long and winding, following the fence line on her right. She passed the turnoff to Brody’s place. Easy to spot the new construction, piles of lumber, and trailer sitting on the side of the property. She drove on and realized Owen’s spread must be huge to cover so much land. He and Brody probably owned it together, but still. To think how much the land must be worth, and that they’d never sold it to be parceled off for land developments when others close to town had done the same.
The directions Owen gave her said to turn right on the second gravel road after Brody’s place. She took the turnoff and followed the road around a bend. The two-story white house came into view and she gaped at the structure. She expected old and run-down, especially after some of the stories he and Brody told her about growing up here with their neglectful father, but the place looked well tended. The flowerbeds could have used some sprucing up, but the yard was clean, the bushes and trees trimmed. She loved the big red-and-white barn with the white fenced-in corrals and pastures. A beautiful dapple-gray horse pranced around a corral, shaking its massive head, having fun.
She parked behind Owen’s truck and stepped out of her car. Halfway up the walkway to the porch steps, a loud catcall whistle rang out behind her. Unable to help the smile, she spun around and found Owen by the barn, leading a brown horse with a slightly swayed back. The horse might have caught her attention, but Owen held it. The hum in her gut intensified, rippling out waves of heat through her system. Dark brown boots, tight well-worn blue jeans, a white T-shirt plastered to his broad chest with splotches of water. His windblown blond hair swept backward with rake marks from his fingers. The man looked gorgeous in a suit, handsome and wholesome in baseball gear, and rough and rugged here on the ranch. His blue eyes squinted from the sun, but his gaze remained on her. As if he’d touched her, she felt the sweep of his gaze over her from head to toe. A shiver rippled over her skin.
She stopped several steps away, cocked her hip, and stared at him.
“I should have known you’d be early,” he said, sighing and looking over his shoulder at his big friend.
She checked her watch. “I’m three minutes early.”
He lifted his hand, but let it fall when he realized he didn’t have his watch.
“Is it really that late?”
“I can come back later if you’re busy.”
“Hell no.” Frustrated, he raked his hand through his hair. “I’m a mess. This guy decided to play in a mud puddle. I couldn’t put him back in his stall covered in mud, so I had to wash him down. Give me five minutes.”
“Take all the time you need,” she said, her voice husky with the need to kiss him building the longer he stood there with that urgent look in his eyes.
“See something you like?” he asked, a half smile on his handsome face and a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“You are many different men.”
“What?”
“I thought I liked the baseball look the best. Now, I’m thinking this is much better. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a man look as good as you in everything he wears.”
The glint in his eyes turned sultry and narrowed on her flushed face. “If you think I look good dressed, wait until I take it all off.”
She swallowed hard. He’d unnerved her, but two could play that game. She let her gaze roam over him in a slow sweep. She took her time and savored every hard plane and rippling muscle outlined beneath his well-fitting clothes and revealed in his strong arms. She pointedly let her gaze settle on his waist and dip lower to his crotch. She swore his thick erection plastered to the front of his fly twitched beneath the barrier she wanted to rip away with her teeth, right after she tore off his shirt.
Yep, maybe the lace panties and bra started her mind down Dirty Road this evening, but she didn’t need the frippery to want him the way she did. She just needed this man to look at her like that to make her nerves hum, her blood heat, and her body ache to have his hands on her.
“The anticipation is killing me, but right now I’m enjoying the dirty thoughts.”
“Any one of them you want to act on, just say the word and I’m all yours.”
The teasing tone didn’t hide the fact he was dead serious, but she appreciated him keeping things light. Because of that, she walked to him. A step away, he took a quick step back.
“Don’t touch me.”
She raised her eyebrow, confused.
“I’m filthy. I don’t want to mess up your pretty clothes. God, you smell like heaven.”
She smiled at the compliment.
“You smell like a horse, but I’m going to kiss you anyway. Come down here, cowboy.”
She didn’t touch him, and he didn’t touch her, but he did lean down and plant his mouth over hers in a sultry kiss made all the more intense because they both wanted to take things deeper, but held back from reaching for each other, pouring everything into the connection they made with only their lips.
The horse tugged on the rope, yanking him sideways, breaking the sweet kiss.
He held her gaze. “I’m sorry I’m running late.”
“I’ll wait.”
“Come inside with me.”
“Are you sure?” She eyed the giant beside him, nervous. She’d seen horses before, but never up close.
“This here is Luke. His buddy, Bo, is in the pasture.”
“As in Bo and Luke Duke. Dukes of Hazzard.”
“I like you even more for knowing that. I’m totally picturing you in a pair of Daisy Dukes.”
She laughed. “Not going to happen.”
“Now I’m picturing you naked.”
She smacked him on the arm, noticing how hard it was beneath her hand. “Stop. Put your horse away. You promised me dinner.”
“I’ve got most of it ready inside. Come with me. You can see the kittens,” he practically sang in a teasing tone.
“Tempting me with furry fluff balls. Not fair.” She followed him into the barn not expecting much, but quickly changed her opinion when she saw the neat, orderly, and clean interior. The pungent odor of manure she expected didn’t exist. She smelled hay and horses, but the odor was rustic, even pleasant, not caustic. Owen took care of his animals, his things. He cared for them.
“I’ll just be a minute brushing him down.”
“Take your time.”
A mewling kitten drew her attention to the stall on the right. “Go on, sweetheart. They’re in there.”
The kittens played on a blanket, tumbling over one another in a bundle of tan striped with black fur. All except the orange-and-white one attacking the mother’s tail.
“Ah.” She unlatched the gate and stepped in. Not frightened by her intrusion, the kittens bounded over on their tiny legs to attack her boots. One tried to climb up her. She settled on the floor and crossed her legs. Two tabbies bounded into her lap and pawed at each other in the circle of her legs. The redhead came over and she scooped him—no, her, she discovered with a quick look—up and hugged her close. “Hello, sweetheart.”
She lost herself playing with the kittens, the redhead settled on her thigh to sleep. She pet her often, but used the feather on a plastic stick to tease and play with the others. The mother settled in for a nap beside her foot, keeping warm and enjoying the respite from the energetic babies.
One of the cats raised up on his hind legs, front arms outstretched, and pounced on the feather, grabbed hold with his tiny teeth, and shook his head like he was killing it. Claire giggled and tried to make him do it again.
“He’s fierce,” Owen said from the stall door.
She looked up and there he stood, arms crossed on the top of the door, his chin on his arm. He spoke of the kitten but stared at her.
“You’re really beautiful when you laugh.”
She didn’t know what to do with such a compliment, delivered with so much honesty and charm. Her stomach fluttered and a shy smile stole across her face.
“This is playing dirty. I can’t resist them. I�
�ll have to come back to see them again.”
“I’m not playing at anything, Claire, and you can come back any time you like. Maybe you’ll even get used to the horses.”
“They make me nervous.”
“Do I make you nervous?”
“A little, but you’re more predictable than they are.”
“I’ll have to work on that,” he teased.
“No, you don’t. I hate surprises.”
“Some surprises are fun and make you happy. Like opening a Christmas present on Christmas Eve.”
“My experiences say otherwise.”
“I want to make you happy. Nothing I do will ever be designed to hurt you, Claire. I hope by now, you at least know that much about me and who I am.”
She gently put the kittens crawling on her leg and shoulder on the blanket next to their mother. She took the sleeping redhead and tucked her next to a stuffed teddy bear. The toy made her smile, because Owen had bought it for the kittens to play with and cuddle. She rose and walked the few steps to him, his gaze always on her. She liked that about him, too. Whenever they were together, his focus always remained on her. Like at the baseball field when she stood to go to the concession stand. He’d known immediately, despite her being out of his line of sight.
Stopped in front of him, barred by the door between them, she stood with her face a few inches from his, since he leaned down on his forearms. She looked into his gorgeous blue eyes and studied him for a moment and thought about all she knew about him. All the things she wanted to know about him. Whatever this was between them, she wanted to hold on to it, explore it further. Know all there was to know about this fascinating man, who may have been a lawyer, a little-league softball coach, a rancher, but under it all was a kind and decent man who bought teddy bears for his kittens.
“I know who and what you are, Owen. I’d like to come back here, again and again, to see the kittens—but mostly to be with you.”
That brought a smile to his handsome face. She put her hand to his jaw. His whiskers scraped against her smooth skin. She leaned in and gave him a soft kiss, keeping it light and poignant for the moment they shared. She leaned her forehead to his and sighed before opening her eyes.
Falling for Owen Page 15