Falling for Owen

by Jennifer Ryan

  “What are you going to do now?”

  “Hire a private investigator. I’ve done it for a few of my cases. He’s like a dog with a bone on a case, he won’t let it go until the job is done and done right. I wanted to hire him weeks ago, but Dylan assured me they were on it and they’d get Dale. I’m tired of waiting on them to find him. I’m tired of waiting for the next bad thing to happen.”

  “Get it done,” Brody said.

  “I will. For good this time. No more fucking around.”

  “I’ve got your back.”

  “I’ve got yours,” Owen said with a smile. “Can you believe we’re doing this? Us. The bad-boy McBride brothers are getting married.”

  “About damn time if you ask me,” Brody said, smiling.

  “Damn right. Family. We always wanted it. Now we have it.”

  They tapped bags.

  “Catch you later, man.”

  “See ya,” Brody said, turning to head back to his truck.

  Owen tucked the bag under his arm and headed back to his office, smiling like an idiot. He took the stairs two at a time and entered the office happy to see Jeanine at her desk, typing away.

  “Hey, pretty lady, wanna see what I just bought?” He pulled the ring box from the bag and held it up in front of her.

  “Owen . . .”

  He flipped the lid open, and her eyes went wide. “Oh. My. God. That is beautiful.”

  “Yes, it is,” Shannon said, stepping out of the library.

  “I tried to tell you. Shannon stopped by for an update on Dale.”

  Owen clicked the box shut and stuffed it back in the bag. “I’m glad you stopped by, Shannon. I wanted to tell you I’m hiring a private investigator to locate Dale. If the police can’t do it, my guy will. He won’t be distracted by other more pressing cases. His sole focus will be to locate and detain Dale until the police can pick him up and arrest him.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes. I don’t like the way things have escalated. Dale is a loose cannon. There’s no telling what he’ll do next. Claire’s safety and happiness are my top priority.”

  “Yes, I can see that,” she said, her eyes going to the bag he set on Jeanine’s desk.

  “I’m doing this for you, too, Shannon. He’s hurt you for the last time.”

  “Yes, it’s time this ended for good.” She cast him a sideways glance. “How long do you think it will take the investigator to find Dale?”

  “Depends on where he is. Someone knows where he is, or is helping him hide. He has to have some place to stay, some way of getting money, since he hasn’t used his credit card. The investigator will start with his last known whereabouts, his family and friends, and work from there. I expect with his single-minded determination we should have some good solid leads within a few days. Hopefully, Dale will be behind bars soon after.

  “The investigator will probably contact you first. His name is Kevin Mehr. Tell him what you know. I’ll ask the police to show him Dale’s file. The more information we give him, the sooner he’ll find Dale.”

  “All right. Um, I better get going. I’m looking at a new apartment today.”

  “That’s great,” he said, meaning it. “I’m glad to see you’re moving forward.”

  “Yes. Soon, I’ll have everything I ever wanted.”

  “Me too,” Owen said, picking up the jewelry store bag. “I’ll contact you once I have any information. Talk to Kevin. You’ll like him. He’s nice. He can help us finally end this.”

  “Yes. That’s all I want, to end this.”

  Owen gave her a nod and walked down the hall to his office. He picked up the phone and made the call to Kevin to get the ball rolling. Twenty minutes later, Jeanine walked in with two bottles of his favorite beer. He’d explained the whole situation to Kevin and ended the call with, “Whatever it takes, man, find this bastard. I want him behind bars yesterday.”

  “I’ll contact Dylan, get a copy of his file, and work with him to bring this to a close. I should be up to speed and off running by tomorrow morning.”

  “I appreciate it. You find this guy and stop him, I’ll owe you.”

  “I’ve gotten more referral jobs from you than anyone else. The favor is mine to repay.”

  “You’re the best and that’s what I need right now. Call when you have something.”

  “I will. Bye.”

  Owen hung up and accepted the bottle of beer. He twisted off the top and handed it back to Jeanine, taking the other bottle and twisting the top off that one.

  “Congratulations.”

  He clinked his bottle to hers and downed a quarter of the contents in one long swallow. “Thanks. I needed that.”

  “You’ve got a lot to celebrate. Tom is happy you won the fraud case. That’s some big-time billing coming in. Nothing traumatic has happened to you or Claire in four days. You’ve set Kevin on Dale’s trail, and it looks like there’s a wedding in your future. That was one gorgeous ring.”

  Owen pulled it out and looked at it again. “You think she’ll like it?”

  “If she doesn’t, I’ll take it,” she teased. “She’s going to love it, Owen. I am so happy for you both.”

  “I still have to ask her. I have no idea how I’m going to do that. Any ideas?”

  “You’ll figure it out. Make it personal. However you do it, I’m sure she’ll love it.”

  “And say yes.”

  “You know she’ll say yes. She loves you. Anyone can see that.”

  “Yes, so why does Dale keep harassing us when it’s so obvious I’m with Claire and not Shannon?”

  “Who knows why any deranged man does what he does. It’ll all come clear when Kevin finds him.”

  “Do you think he will?”

  “He’s never failed to uncover whatever you sent him after. Why so skeptical?”

  “I’m not. It just seems so convenient that Dale disappears after each incident. He’s not a career criminal. He’s only ever been in trouble for drunk and disorderly, domestic disturbances, and spousal abuse. The vandalism isn’t his style. Letting out the horses . . . what purpose does that serve?”

  “It pissed you off.”

  “Yeah, it all pisses me off, but how is that any kind of payback for me sleeping with his wife? Most of the things that have happened have been to Claire. Again, how does that pay me back? If he hoped she’d leave me because of it, it’s only drawn us closer. And why would he want her to leave me? If I’m with her, I’m not with his wife. Why go after Shannon again and hurt her? That just draws me back into Shannon’s life. None of it makes sense.”

  “Only one person is happy about you being in Shannon’s life and that’s Shannon.”

  “Yeah, she’s not exactly Claire’s biggest fan either, but let’s face it, she wouldn’t go after Claire this way. She’s too quiet and submissive. Look how Dale has manipulated her all these years.”

  “That woman is enamored with you. I can’t see her thinking that harassing you and Claire would put her in your good graces.”

  “Exactly, so we’re back to Dale and his twisted mind.”

  Jeanine took a sip from her beer and tilted the bottle in his direction. “You know what I say, focus on your future with Claire. Let Kevin and Dylan do their thing and find Dale. Don’t let him come between you two. Ask that girl to marry you, make pretty blond babies, and live a happy life. You deserve it.”

  He smiled and held up his beer in salute, then drank deeply. “I’ve got some paperwork to finish up. Thanks for the drink. Go on home to your husband. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah, now that the fraud case is done, we’ve got some breathing room on other cases. Might as well take advantage.”

  “Why don’t you go home and start planning how you’re going to ask your girl to marry you?”

  Owen smiled and leaned back in his chair. “Great idea. I’ll head out soon after you.”

  “Let me know when I can congratulate Clair
e.”

  “I will. Until then, let’s keep this between us.”

  “I hope Shannon doesn’t say anything.”

  “Why would she?”

  “You never know what a jealous woman will do.”

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  * * *

  CLAIRE DROVE UP to her shop early Friday morning to bake before she opened for the day. She parked out front, because Owen warned her about parking in the back alley where there was less traffic and a better chance someone could take her by surprise. She didn’t recognize the black Porsche, but the man waiting at the front door sent a flood of memories through her mind. She didn’t know why her ex was here, but she wanted him gone.

  She exited the car, phone in her hand, and sent off the text, not giving Mike, the asshole, her attention until she got to the door and he blocked her path.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  “I need to talk to you. I’ve called a dozen times and you refuse to call me back.”

  “I have nothing to say to you. Move.”

  “Claire, honey, can’t we talk, for old time’s sake.”

  Funny, those old times seemed so far removed from her life now. The hurt and righteous indignation she’d held on to had disappeared. She just didn’t care about Mike or anything he did or wanted anymore. “Everything you ever said to me during those old times was a lie.”

  “Not everything. I did love you.”

  “Bullshit. Now move, or I’ll call the police and have them move you.”

  He moved out of her way, but followed her inside her shop.

  “This is lovely, Claire. It suits your eclectic style and flare.”

  “You’d know, since you kept several of the pieces I’d bought and wanted to keep.”

  “You didn’t do so bad in the divorce.”

  “Not if you don’t count the ruined credit, loss of a place to live, the debt I owed because of your whoring ways,” she said with a sweetness to her voice she neither meant or felt for this man.

  How could she be so stupid and naïve to ever think she loved him? Even more stupid and foolish was the notion that having a family with him would be the dream she’d wanted.

  No, that dream would only be a beautiful reality with the man who walked in the door next. He gave Mike a once-over in one long sweep of his gaze and gave her a look that said he found him lacking. She cocked a brow and tilted her mouth and gave him a look that said so clearly, “You’re right, and I was stupid once, but not anymore.”

  “Good morning, sweetheart. I’ve missed you.”

  “You saw me twenty minutes ago when I kissed you goodbye.”

  “So he’s the reason you refuse to answer any of my calls,” Mike said, sizing Owen up much the same way Owen had done to him moments ago.

  Owen walked right up to her and gave her a kiss. She accepted it without hesitation. “Why is he calling you?”

  “Don’t know. Don’t care. I have nothing to say to him. He’s an asshole.”

  “Nice, Claire. I see you’re still the bitter bitch. I came here to have a civil conversation with you.” Mike took a calming breath and blurted out, “I’m getting married.”

  Nothing. That news didn’t faze her in the least. She wanted him to move on and stay out of her life. She had someone better. Someone who really did love her. “My condolences to your bride.”

  “Damnit, Claire, why can’t you make anything easy?”

  “You certainly were, along with every woman you fucked while you were married to me.” Okay, maybe that was a bit bitter, but he’d earned that shot.

  “Can’t you let the past go and listen to me now?”

  “Why are you here now? What do you want?”

  “I need you to remove the lien on the house, so I can sell it. My fiancé doesn’t want to live there.”

  “Pay me the money you owe me, since you refused to sell the house during the divorce, and the lien will be removed.”

  “You know why I didn’t sell the house. With the housing market in the tank, it would have taken months, and we’d have lost a fortune on it.”

  “I didn’t care then, and I don’t care now. If you’d sold the house at a loss then, the debt would have been a hell of a lot less than I ended up owing to pay off all the other bills. But you didn’t care about that, or how I’d pay those debts. You got what you wanted. Live with it.”

  “She’s pregnant. I need to sell the house quickly and get another place before the baby comes.”

  Claire took a step back and put a hand over the knot in her stomach. This man had denied her the one thing she’d wanted more than anything. He’d done it by spending his time in other women’s beds, instead of the one they vowed to share for the rest of their lives. To hear him ask her for a favor because he was going to be a father with another woman who didn’t want to live in the house they’d shared rankled.

  “Let me get this straight. You are engaged to be married. She’s pregnant and doesn’t want to live in the house you and I shared, so she asked you to sell it and buy her a new one and here you are asking me for a favor.”

  “I’ll pay you the money after I sell the house.”

  “Sell the house and the lien will be paid out of the proceeds.”

  “In this market, I can’t get enough out of the house to pay you and buy the house we’ve put an offer on.”

  She laughed outright and smiled, but not in a nice way. “So you want me to remove the lien so you can sell the house, buy your pregnant bride-to-be a new house, and I get shafted on the money you owe me.”

  “I earned the money to buy that house.”

  “I didn’t earn what you did to me, or the debt I had to pay for it.”

  “I’ll keep the house and never sell it. You’ll never get your money.”

  “And your bride will never get the house of her dreams. You can’t afford to keep the house and buy a new one. If you rent the house, I get half the rent until the debt is paid.

  “Are you even sure the baby is yours? I mean, in ten months of marriage, I never got pregnant. With the amount of women you took to bed, not one of them showed up pregnant, until now. With the women you pick, you sure she’s not cheating on you, the way you’re probably cheating on her?”

  His eyes narrowed, and he looked away, thinking about it. She’d hit the mark and made her point. He’d played her for a fool too many times for her to let him get away with trying to do it again.

  “Claire,” he said in that placating tone she’d grown to hate, because it meant he thought she was stupid enough to fall for it. She had many times, but not anymore. “She’s my boss’s daughter. I have to do this right, or I risk losing everything.”

  “Not. My. Problem.”

  He grabbed her arm to keep her from walking away. Owen stepped between them, and Mike let her go.

  “Touch her again, and I’ll lay you out on the floor.”

  “Who the hell are you?”

  Owen tilted his head and gave Mike a smile that hinted at danger. “Claire, sweetheart, give me a dollar.”

  Claire pulled a dollar out of her purse and slapped it into his hand. She held it there with Owen’s fingers wrapped around hers and glanced at Mike. “He’s my very smart and handsome attorney.”

  “Claire, we don’t need to involve attorneys.”

  “They are very expensive. Mine works for a dollar. How much will yours charge?”

  “I should have known you wouldn’t be reasonable. Even your parents said you’ve been acting strange lately. Now I see why. Your involvement with him has obviously changed you.”

  “Yes, it has. I now know what a real man acts like when he loves the woman he’s with. I know what it feels like to be important to someone above all else. I know what it is to be loved so completely and without any expectation of getting something in return. I know the joy of loving someone who accepts me without wanting me to be anything but who and what I am.

  “He loves me. I love him. Because of that, I’m a
better me. I will not allow you to cheat me out of what is rightfully mine. You took everything from me without remorse. You stand here, asking me to accept even more loss and offer no words of apology for what you did, or what you ask of me today. While it’s so obvious to you that I’ve changed, it is so blatantly clear you have not. So, no. I won’t take the lien off the house. I won’t let you be who you are with me anymore, because you think you can get away with it with a smile and an empty promise that you’ll pay me back. I hope my denying you this makes you be a better husband and father. I hope you finally realize that sometimes you have to sacrifice and work really hard to get what you want and to make the ones you love happy, because their happiness is more important to you than your own.”

  “Claire, please. I need you to do this for me.”

  “You heard her. She said no,” Owen interjected.

  “You don’t understand. Once I marry her, I’ll have the money to pay you back.”

  Claire shook her head. “Of course. She’s got money and has no idea that you owe me. She has no idea what she’s getting herself into with you and your finances. Another relationship built on lies and doomed to fail. I really hope you go back to her and tell her the truth. If you love her, and she loves you, you’ll find a way to work it out. It’s not the money standing between you, it’s the pile of lies you’ve told to get her to marry you.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  She laughed outright at him. “No? It pisses you off that I know exactly what I’m talking about. I lived it, remember?”

  Owen wrapped his arm around her waist and held her close. He took a business card out of his suit jacket and handed it over to Mike.

  “Have your attorney contact me with a real settlement offer, and we’ll let you know.”

  Mike grabbed the card and stormed out of the shop. He revved the Porsche’s engine and gunned it out of the parking spot out front.

  “Good riddance.”

  “What an asshole,” Owen said, kissing her on the side of the head.

  “Some attorney you are. Why did you tell him I’d take a settlement? He drives a Porsche. I drive a ten-year-old Honda.”