“Owen. Oh, thank God, you’re here.”
They stepped past the blue drape. Shannon lay on her back on the gurney, her face about as white as the pillowcase she rested her head on. A large bruise spread over the right side of her face from her forehead down to her cheek. The impact injury to her forehead looked to be the worst of the damage, resulting in not only the ugly purple splotch, but a small nasty cut that had been stitched closed.
Since Owen let her enter first, Claire took Shannon’s hand and held it for comfort. “How are you feeling?”
“Better now,” Shannon answered, though her gaze remained locked on Owen, who stepped up to stand directly behind Claire. Shannon slipped her hand free of hers and grabbed for Owen’s and held tight.
Claire restrained the jealous urge to rap Shannon’s knuckles and say, “Hands off. He’s mine.”
“Did they find him?” Shannon asked, her voice breathy and desperate.
“No. No, they didn’t. What happened?”
“I was doing some chores around the house. I took out the garbage, came back in, went to get ready for bed and remembered I didn’t lock the door. I rushed back to lock it, but it was too late. He was already in the house.”
“The police said you fought. He slammed your face into the kitchen counter.” Claire prompted her to go on. The more information they had, the better their chance of finding him.
“It was nothing. The same old stuff we always fought about. He wanted me to forgive him and go back to him. I refused. He accused me of sleeping with you.”
Owen slid his hand around Claire’s side and rested it on her hip, his arm across her back. She took comfort in the simple gesture and leaned into him. Shannon caught the move but never took her gaze off Owen.
“By now he should know that I’m with Claire.”
“I told him that, but he didn’t believe me that you aren’t seeing the both of us. He said he’s seen us together at your office, when you came to the house to help me with the security stuff, and when we met for coffee in the park.”
What? Claire didn’t know anything about any of this. Well, except for the meetings at his office for the restraining order and to catch up on the latest developments—though there weren’t any—on tracking down Dale.
Owen didn’t explain or look at her, but his hand tightened on her waist, holding her in place. She tried to break free, but short of ripping his hand away and storming off in a jealous-girlfriend huff, she couldn’t break his hold. His silent way of telling her they’d discuss it later. Yeah, they would, and she’d give him what-for for keeping secrets.
Shannon must have seen her surprise and tried to explain herself.
“Oh, it was nothing but Owen being kind to me. Like he always is, seeing to this and that to help me out. He cares so much. I do so appreciate all the little things he does for me. Going above and beyond, well, that’s what makes him such a good and successful lawyer. It’s what makes him such a good friend.”
The way Shannon said friend rankled. Claire would bet her store Shannon wanted something more with Owen. Maybe she did have reason to be concerned about the amount of time these two spent together.
It wasn’t anything she did or said outright, but there was something there under the surface. The heat of rage built in her gut, but she tamped it down. She didn’t want to show how much it hurt to think that she’d given everything of herself to this relationship and trusted Owen to see how hard that was for her to do. But she’d done it because she cared deeply for Owen. The only way to make a relationship work was to put her whole heart into it and trust that Owen didn’t stomp on it.
Maybe you’re making something out of nothing because of what the asshole did to you. His cheating and hurting you are clouding your judgment. You’re letting Shannon’s troubles and the way she relies on Owen during these hard times make you see things that aren’t really there. Owen is a good and decent man. That’s why you love him.
There, she’d said it. Or thought it. Whatever. The point is, he cares about people and doing the right thing. He’d never cheat on her.
Didn’t he just not-in-so-many-words say he loves you? Yes. So stop looking for more trouble and be a friend to Shannon like Owen is.
She tried to refocus her wayward thoughts and smothered the unwarranted jealous-girlfriend bit.
“Owen is the best,” she said, meaning it wholeheartedly.
“Shannon, did Dale say where he’s been staying?”
“He didn’t say much of anything besides yelling at me about how he’s going to get back at you for doing the divorce and locking him up.”
“He’s completely out of his mind. I may have helped you with the divorce, but you wanted it.”
“I guess he thought I’d stay with him like all the other times. I probably would have if you hadn’t convinced me that I deserve better.”
“You do. We all deserve better than Dale,” Claire added.
“Ah, he’s not so bad when he’s sober. Still, it’s been a long time since he put the bottle down for any length of time. He’s got demons.”
“Yes, he does, and he keeps unleashing them on you and Claire. Did he say why he keeps going after Claire?”
“She’s in the way,” Shannon answered matter-of-factly.
Owen glared and gripped Claire’s hip tighter. “What does that mean?”
“Oh, uh, I’m not real sure. Maybe he wants you to be alone because you took me from him.”
“I didn’t take you from him. You wanted to leave him for a chance at a better life.”
“And I’ll have it, too. They’ll find Dale, and he’ll get what he deserves. They’ll lock him up for a long time for all the bad he’s done, and the way he ruined my life. I could have gone to college and been something. Now, I cashier at the pet store and work odd jobs to make ends meet. What kind of life is that? I deserve a good husband. I’m going to have one, too.”
“Well, I’m glad to see you’ve kept your resolve to stay clear of Dale,” Owen said, giving Shannon’s hand a squeeze. “Dale is in a lot of trouble. You don’t need any more of that in your life.”
“That’s right. You’ll make sure the police find Dale and punish him.” Shannon gave Owen a soft smile that made him smile at her, too.
“Let’s get you out of here and home. Do you have someone who can stay with you tonight?” Claire asked.
“Um, well, no. I’d finally gotten used to living on my own, then Dale gets out of jail and starts terrorizing me. Now, I don’t feel safe there anymore.”
“I know just how you feel.” Claire put her hand on Shannon’s arm for reassurance.
Shannon pulled her hand from Owen’s and away from her and crossed them over her chest in a kind of hug. “I really don’t want to be alone tonight,” she admitted. “But I don’t have anyone to call.”
“I’ll call your cousin, Trevor, to come and stay with you,” Owen offered. “He’s only a half hour away, and if Dale comes back, he can handle him.”
“Trevor is away on one of his hunting trips. I’ll be fine. Really.”
“I could put you up . . .”
“Would you? I’d love to stay with you. Dale is sure to leave me alone then. No way he goes after you. You’d never let him get close to me. You’d kill him.”
Claire stiffened at the thought of Shannon spending the night in Owen’s home. With them.
Owen quickly adjusted Shannon’s crazy way of thinking. “Shannon, that’s not what I was saying. I could put you up in a motel for tonight.”
“Oh, well, um, I thought . . .”
Claire glared. Yeah, she thought Owen would take care of her. Well, he would, but not in the same way he cared for her. Shannon better get that straight and soon, or she’d have to set her straight. This third-wheel shit was getting old.
“I don’t have any of my things,” Shannon said. “We’d have to go to my place anyway. You can’t always be with me. On second thought, I’m sure I’ll be fine there alone.”
&
nbsp; Damn right. Oh, the drama.
Still, the last word held so much loneliness, even Claire sympathized.
“If you’re sure, I’ll call the police and have an officer patrol your area tonight. We could call one of your friends to stay with you.”
“I hate to bother them with my troubles.”
“If they are your friends, they won’t mind,” Owen coaxed.
“No. Really. Dale is probably off drinking himself into oblivion. He won’t be back tonight.”
Claire wished she shared Shannon’s definitive attitude. Then again, she knew Dale and his ways.
“If Dale is so angry with Owen, why wouldn’t he confront him? After all, that’s what he came to my house to do the first time he attacked me.”
Shannon stared blankly and offered no answer for a good fifteen seconds. “Well, um, he was probably drunk that night and feeling like he could do anything. Now he sees that pestering you and me is an easier way to rile Owen.”
Owen sympathized with Shannon, but it annoyed the hell out of him that her life kept crashing into his. He wanted to get her home so he could finish this night with Claire in his arms. He’d tried so hard to give Claire a carefree night out filled with good food and wine. A night to take her mind off things, but again things had turned ugly. Not Shannon’s fault, but still, he’d had plans for himself and Claire at home alone. Again he had to put things on hold with Claire to deal with this mess with Shannon.
“You’re probably right,” Owen said. “I’ll get the nurse and see if the doctor has discharged you.”
Owen gave Claire a quick kiss on the head and left back through the drape.
“So, um, you two are seeing each other all the time now?” Shannon asked.
“Yes, since the night Dale came to my house.”
“He was supposed to be my future,” she said sadly.
Maybe at one time Shannon believed Dale was her future, but after all that happened, why not be happy to be rid of him? Well, hard to move on when he kept coming back and wreaking havoc in her life.
“I know what it’s like to start over. You’ll find someone new. Someone who is kind and loves you the way you deserve to be loved.”
Owen drew the curtain back and allowed the nurse to roll the wheelchair to Shannon’s bed. Her smile bloomed at the sight of Owen. Claire wanted to shake her head. Shannon thought of Owen as her white knight. Well, she could think it all she wanted, but in reality, Owen loved Claire. She held tight to that thought, even when Owen helped Shannon from the bed and into the wheelchair and Shannon held fast to Owen’s hand all the way out to the truck he’d moved to the ER entrance.
Somehow Shannon ended up in the middle seat next to Owen. When he climbed in the truck behind the wheel, he looked over at Claire and gave her a surprised but resigned look, like he didn’t know how that happened. She had to admit, Shannon sure did seem like a lost puppy, running after Owen like he was her everything. Claire understood her need to hold on to something good, but she’d have to learn to let go now that Claire was in the picture. Boundaries needed to be respected when a man was seeing someone. Shannon should understand that and adhere to them. If she didn’t, Claire intended to remind her. Nicely, of course, but she wasn’t going to sit back and watch another woman flirt with her . . . boyfriend. Wow, that sounded so strange. He seemed like so much more than that simple, youthful term in her life.
They really did have something special.
Settled, she let out a sigh, propped her elbow on the window, and watched the road disappear beneath the truck. The silence stirred her from her thoughts. She glanced at Owen. He leaned against the door. Shannon had fallen asleep and leaned against his shoulder. He glanced over at her and Claire gave him a smile to let him know it didn’t bother her. He frowned and shook his head, not liking the situation or her so far away. She smiled even more, making him frown deeper.
She went back to watching the road and the houses that got fewer and far between as they left town. They didn’t go too far before a large white house appeared on the right. Owen took the drive and passed it, slowing on the rutted, dirt road. The truck bounced and jolted. Shannon remained asleep, despite being thrown into Owen’s side by a particularly deep rut.
“I don’t know how she makes it down this road in her little car.”
“Unlike your hulking truck, her little car can maneuver around these craters.”
That earned her the first laugh she’d heard from him in hours. The laughs had dwindled over the last few weeks with the Dale storm cloud gathering overhead, threatening a hurricane any time things started to get back to normal.
Owen pulled up in front of a small cabin with four stairs leading up to a wide porch. A single bare bulb cast an eerie glow over the dark exterior. The place couldn’t have been more than eight hundred square feet. A dead juniper stood on each side of the stairs. The rest of the yard was nothing but overgrown weeds and bare patches of dirt. A large flattop rock sat beneath an old oak. She’d have planted some pretty flowers and used the rock as a bench to sit and admire the yard. The dark brown cabin could use a lighter touch of trim. A bright white or softer cream. Right now, the windows stood as black eyes in a darker face that didn’t welcome but made you leery.
Home should be a comfort, not something that caused intimidation and foreboding. Claire’s spirit dropped thinking of Shannon out here alone.
Owen gently patted Shannon’s knee to wake her. Her head rolled and she came awake with a start. “Huh. What?”
“Hey, sleepyhead. You’re home.” Owen kept his voice low and calm.
“This place is a dump. I’d love to move into town, or at least a bigger, prettier house. Like yours,” she added. “It’s so big and bright and cheerful.”
Claire couldn’t argue, she loved Owen’s place. It had great bones, and slowly but surely Owen was fixing it up. He even asked her opinion for projects he’d like to do in the future. Several items of her clothing hung in his closet. She’d left some spare makeup and toiletries in his bathroom. He’d done the same at her house. Over the last weeks, they spent more nights together than they did apart. Of course, Owen had to be home at certain times to feed and care for his beloved horses and cats.
“You didn’t leave the outside lights on,” Owen said.
“Someone must have turned off the switch.”
“The motion lights are good protection. If Dale tries to come to the door, the lights might scare him off, or at least alert you that someone is near the house.”
“Did they go on when Dale showed up earlier?” Claire asked.
“I-I’m not sure. Everything happened so fast, I didn’t get a chance to see.”
“You should get a dog. Living out here alone, a dog would alert you if someone came to the house.” Owen had made the same suggestion before, but Shannon never considered it. For someone who worked at a pet shop, she didn’t seem inclined to wanting a pet.
“I’d have to feed and walk the dog. I just don’t have the time. My work schedule is erratic.”
“Think about it,” Owen said. “You’d have someone to come home to and you’d have a friend and companion for times like these.”
“I have friends. I just don’t want them to know my business. It’s bad enough Dale hits me, I don’t need everyone’s pity and thinking I’m weak. I’m not weak.”
“No one said you are.” Claire rested her hand on Shannon’s arm. She pulled it away, not wanting her comfort. “You’re caught in a bad situation. Once Dale is apprehended, things will go back to normal. You won’t have to be scared or worried again. You can live your life and be happy.”
“I can’t wait for that day to finally come.”
Owen slid from the truck seat and offered his hand to Shannon to exit on his side. She slid across the bench seat and stepped down and fell right into Owen’s chest.
“Sorry. I’m not very steady after the meds they gave me at the hospital. I’m sleepy and fuzzy.”
Owen held her arm to stea
dy her. Claire stayed in the truck. Tired of this whole situation, she’d let Owen take Shannon inside and get her settled.
“Claire, honey, come with us. I don’t want to leave you alone out here.”
“I’ll be fine. I’ll lock up the truck if it makes you feel better.”
“You with me will make me feel better.” His adamant tone caught her attention and made her exit the truck to follow him into the house.
Even worse than the outside, the furnishings were thrift-store castoffs in dark browns and blue-and-cream plaids. The coffee table had various size nicks and gouges to go with the overlaid water-ring stains.
The small kitchen didn’t look much better, with its cream tiles and dark brown grout. The cabinets needed either a coat of paint or a good grease fire to burn them to ashes. Either would be an improvement.
Shannon kept things neat and tidy, but everything looked old and shabby. She didn’t have the know-how or the extra money to make over some of the better pieces or buy something new. It was sad. The whole place felt sad.
Claire wanted to go home, curl up in her soft and comfortable bed, surround herself with her pretty and bright things, and make love to Owen, the best thing in her life. Everything inside of her wanted to hold on to him. If she had nothing else but him, she’d have everything.
“Owen, honey, we need to go,” she said.
She’d never called him by a sweet name, and it got his attention. He stared at her, his eyes going dark with a predatory stare, trying to read her How could she explain to him everything she was feeling? It just wasn’t possible. She’d show him. In her bed or his, didn’t matter.
She needed him.
Owen reached up and cupped her face, his eyes going soft. He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. That’s all. Just the simple touch of his lips to her skin, but she felt the extra second he took and the way his fingers softly caressed her cheek when he released her.
Yeah, he understood her need for him. She felt the same thing from him.
“Thank you for driving me home.” Shannon’s voice intruded on the moment Claire and Owen shared with her standing next to them.
Falling for Owen Page 20