He shook his head. “I looked before I approached your place.” He paused. “Drew came to see me tonight.”
Her eyes widened in shock. “What? Oh, my, God, what was he doing there?”
Owen shifted his weight and glanced toward the kitchen. “Long story. Got any beer?”
“Sure.” He waited while she retrieved a beer, cracked it open, and handed it over. Their fingers brushed and brought a current of heat around the chilled bottle. She yanked her hand back, then shook her head. “I’m assuming you saw Page Six.”
He moved deeper into the room and eased closer to her. “I did.”
“I’m sorry you got dragged into this,” she finally said. “I’m sure the last thing you need are cameras following you around because of me.”
“I’m not sorry. It’s part of your life in the spotlight. And that dance was special. Reminded me of all the good things between us.”
“Oh.” She seemed caught off guard, her fists clenching and unclenching in her normal nervous tell. “What did Drew say?”
He kept his gaze steady and glued to hers. “Let’s just say he was clear in his intentions for me to stay away from you.”
“I don’t like being fought over like a bone,” she said with a touch of bitterness.
He arched a brow and took a huge gamble. “It wasn’t like that. I think he genuinely believes he’s better for you. That he can give you the things I can’t. He’s got money, a powerful foundation that can do a lot of good for animal rescue, and your father’s approval. He’s self-made, so he obviously has ambition. And he recognized you for your worth.”
Her anger was a beautiful thing to watch, like a frothy cocktail ready to splash over the edges of a glass. She practically growled her words, eyes snapping blue fire. “Wonderful, then it’s settled. I guess Drew wins. He checks all the boxes, and you’ll surrender me to him gracefully. You always were a gentleman, Owen.”
His lips quirked. The fact she was pissed gave him hope. She wasn’t in love with Drew. If so, she’d be defending him and pushing Owen away. As bad as she might want to have Drew be the one, it wasn’t working. Thank God, because the man was an asshole. “You don’t understand, Chloe. I concur his points are reasonable and may be true, but it means nothing to me. I’m not stepping politely away because I think he’s better than me. That’s my point—it’s the exact reason I needed to leave four years ago. The Drews in the world would have beaten me every time. I didn’t believe in myself back then. But now?” He leaned in, catching her scent, the air practically crackling around them. “Let’s just say I’ll go to the mattresses for you, babe. I’m the man for you because no one can love you the way I can. Not even perfect Drew.”
Her mouth made a little o. It took all his willpower not to move in and capture her lips, kiss her hard and deep, forcing her to confront her true feelings. Instead, he fisted his own hands and stayed still.
A broken sigh escaped her. Confusion along with a longing she couldn’t hide flashed in her gaze. “I’m trying to figure some stuff out. But it’s not what you think with Drew and me.”
Hope surged. He searched her gaze, falling into the ocean blue depths that emanated a swirl of emotions. “Tell me.”
The command was simple, and she seemed to realize he was here to truly listen, not judge her for pursuing another man. God knows, he’d broken something between them, and he wasn’t stupid enough to assume she’d wait for him to return. He had no rights here. Pretending he did disrespected them both, even though his insides roared with pain at the idea of her being intimate with Drew.
“I was his date for a finance dinner with his employees. The night was a bit…awkward. I didn’t really fit in with his crowd, but Drew didn’t seem to notice. He wanted to get more serious. I realized we weren’t a good fit, so I broke up with him.”
“And the kiss?”
“There was paparazzi waiting when we came out. He took the opportunity to kiss me in front of the cameras as proof he was serious about our relationship. I wasn’t pleased.”
The tightness in his chest eased. She’d broken up with him. She’d recognized, on her own, he was rotten on the inside, and a dizzying relief poured through Owen. “He tried to pretend you were still together. That you had an ongoing sexual relationship.”
Her jaw tightened, and temper snapped in her eyes. “We never had sex. Not that it’s your business,” she added.
He tried desperately to keep from giving a primitive, manlike yell of satisfaction, choosing to just nod. “I know.”
“Drew asked about you, and I told him about our past. He didn’t accept the breakup—told me he’d give me some space to rethink things. He probably thought sending the flowers would make you back off. Along with coming to challenge you like some ridiculous cock fight. What a jerk.”
“Classic territorial move,” Owen said, the final pieces fitting together. Again, he couldn’t blame the guy for trying to hold on to Chloe, but lying wasn’t the way to her heart. The real challenge was to crack open her defenses and allow her not only to love him but trust him again. “So here we are.”
A broken laugh escaped her lips. “Guess so. Vivian knows, and so does the staff. We’ll just have to ride out the press for a little while until a new juicy story takes my place. Dad called to remind me about Evie’s birthday. Mia invited us to the farm this weekend so it will be a good escape.”
“Harper called me, too. Asked me to join them.”
She jerked back. “I—I didn’t know. It may not be a good idea for us to be there together. Not now.”
He placed the beer down on the side table and reached over. Her head tilted back to stare at him with wariness, but he smiled gently, his hand pushing back the wayward strand of hair covering her brow. “I disagree. I think it’s a great idea. We both need to get away and spend some quiet time together. I won’t push, Chloe. I just want the opportunity to talk. Ride horses. Visit with the Bishops. I miss you.”
She sucked in a breath, but not before he caught the gleam of longing in her eyes. “I don’t like the feelings I have around you,” she finally said.
God, he loved her directness, the fire trapped within her kind heart. “I’m sure you don’t. It’s easier to hate me and run away. But this is too important to ignore and you’re too damn brave to back away from a mess. Even when you’re scared.”
Her body trembled. “You used to be my best friend,” she whispered. “But now I don’t know what we are to each other.”
Owen broke. Muttering a curse, he reached for her, tucking her against his chest and holding tight. Her shoulders trembled, and he stroked her hair, giving her the comfort she so desperately needed. He held her for a long time, treasuring the firm warmth of her body, her fresh scent, the way she clung back, accepting his embrace.
“Come to the farm with me, Chloe,” he said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “Give us some time to figure it out together.”
Her voice was muffled against his chest. “I don’t want to pretend we can go back. We’re not the same young kids we were years ago.”
“No, we’re not. But maybe we can revisit the beginning so we can find a new ending for us. I want that chance.”
She waited a while to answer. They held each other as the seconds ticked by, and Owen wished time would stop. Her closeness completed an empty piece of him he’d been mourning since he walked away. He held his breath as she slowly broke the embrace and took a few steps back.
“Okay. We’ll go to the farm.”
He smiled at her. Her wobbly smile back touched his heart.
He left her place with a fresh hope and looked forward to the weekend.
* * * *
The Robin’s Nest B&B was nestled in the quirky upstate town of Gardiner, which held twisty country roads and a charming array of farm markets, shops, and cafés, all framed by the mighty Shawangunk mountains. Endless green acres sprawled out for miles, the red barns for the horses dotted in a long line from the distance behind a pret
ty white fence. As Chloe got out of the car with Dad and Alyssa, a light-hearted joy flowed through her, reminding her this was where it had all begun.
Her love for animal rescue. Her blossoming into a woman rather than an angry girl. Forgiving her father for the past and moving forward. Getting her own horse to care for and love. Falling in love for the first time.
But most of all, it was a reminder that family was everything.
“Is it okay if I go to the stables?” she asked.
Her father laughed. “Sure—I’ll bring in your luggage and meet you there in a bit.”
“Thanks!” She took off at a run, flying down the familiar path that wove through the woods, then exploded into a clearing where horses grazed and the mountain’s jagged, earth-colored rocks rose before her like a king on his throne. She spotted Harper and Aidan immediately, washing down two of the horses, playfully squirting water at each other.
“Chloe, you’re here!” Harper said, dropping the hose and coming to greet her. “You look amazing!”
They hugged and Aidan walked over, a big grin slashing across his sun-creased face. The Irish horse trainer had come to the farm to help train Phoenix, an abused rescued horse, to win the Triple Crown. Phoenix had fallen short but captured America’s heart and everyone else’s along his journey.
And Aidan had captured Harper’s. They’d gotten married and doubled the size of the horse rescue farm.
“We missed you around here,” Aidan said, jerking his head toward the stables. “Especially Chloe’s Pride.”
“I know, it’s been so damn busy with the Spagarelli case at work along with other issues. I promise to get here more often.”
“No worries, she’s well taken care of,” Harper said with a wink. “Seems she’s got a crush on our new stud Maui.”
Chloe laughed. “Maybe Owen can test him out when he gets here. See if he’s worthy of my horse.”
Aidan cocked his head. “Things okay with you two? We didn’t know, but Mia really wanted all of you here for the party.”
The Bishops had all watched Chloe and Owen fall in love and pursue a serious relationship during college. They’d also comforted her when it had all broken apart, but Chloe had always been careful never to badmouth Owen to the clan. He was part of them, and she never wanted to come between them. “He’s back to stay in New York and we’ve been working this abuse case together. Finally have a date for a civil trial. We’re going to see how things unfold.”
Harper nodded. “We love you both and just want to see you happy, however that unfolds.”
“Thanks. Now, what should I get to work on?”
Aidan waved his hand in the air. “Nope, not this weekend. We’ve got plenty of helpers now, and we want you to enjoy yourself. There’s a cupcake festival this weekend you may want to hit. Have you seen Mia or Ethan yet?”
“No, Dad and Alyssa went ahead to the inn. I’m going to check on Chloe’s Pride and then head back.”
“Sounds good.”
She strolled down to Barn C, enjoying the musty scents and the hay beneath her feet. She grabbed an apple, reached the stall, and whistled low, putting her hand out. The beautiful white horse did a double take of recognition, then immediately pushed out her nuzzle for affection. Chloe crooned love words to the horse, slowly feeding her the apple.
Horses had been the gateway to her passion. The magnificent creatures were so full of love to give, yet too many discarded them as worthless once they couldn’t race, or work, or do something equally useful.
Chloe had learned early on that love was the most useful element of all.
She spent some time in the barn, showering the horse with affection and slowly felt the air rise and charge around her.
She turned. Owen stood framed in the doorway, watching. His long legs were spread apart, hands fisted at his hips, gaze locked on hers. He wore faded jeans and a simple black T-shirt that stretched across his broad chest. His hair curled messily across his brow, reminding her of when he was young.
Since she’d agreed to come to the farm, he’d given her space, spending most of his time out at site visits or the courthouse. Seeing him in his element made a shiver race down her spine and slowly spread, warming her body more than the muggy heat.
“I knew you’d come to the barn first,” he said, his lips quirking in a hint of a smile. “How’s your girl doing?”
Chloe’s Pride let out a whinny, sensing more company to demand affection from.
They laughed. “Thriving, but I heard she missed me. Have to get out here more. Plus, when I do ride, it’s like the world makes better sense around me.”
“I know exactly what you mean,” he said. “I just peeked in on Flower and promised her some exercise this weekend. Want to check in at the house and then ride?”
“Sounds good.”
She followed him out of the barn, but suddenly he stopped short, jerking back and almost sending her stumbling. “Ah, crap, he did it again! Scared the hell out of me.”
Chloe peeked around and there he was, blocking their path.
Hei-Hei.
The giant Polish chicken looked monstrous up close, with heavy, fat jowls, beady eyes, and a bunch of crazy white feathers sticking out of his head like a crown. The chicken let out a shriek at the sight of Owen and began clawing the ground madly with his hooked feet. Owen made a low noise of distress, and Chloe bit back a giggle.
Owen and Hei-Hei had a complicated relationship.
“Get away from me, you crazy chicken,” Owen commanded, trying to intimidate the creature by pulling himself to full height.
“Umm, Owen, I don’t think you should—”
“I won’t let him intimidate me any longer!”
“But—”
The chicken cocked his head, considering the command.
Then charged.
Owen let out a low yell and Hei-Hei began pecking at his feet, moving his body side to side in some type of bizarre dance. Chloe tried to stop it, but Owen seemed to want to protect her, even though she’d always been able to control the chicken. Hei-Hei only listened to Chloe, Ethan, and of course, Mia.
Suddenly, a female voice whipped out and echoed in the air. “Hei-Hei! How dare you treat Owen like that—he’s a friend.” The chicken stopped his insane pecking and regarded his mistress. Mia wagged a finger at him in warning. “I mean it. Now go back to the house and if you don’t behave, I’ll let Evie play with you again.”
Hei-Hei rushed away from Owen and began rubbing his feathers against Mia’s legs, as if begging her to reconsider the punishment. Chloe imagined playing with a one-year-old wasn’t high on the chicken’s list of fun things. “I don’t know why he’s always been so naughty with you, Owen,” Mia said, shaking his head. “He must’ve snuck past me in the commotion back at the house.”
Owen cleared his throat. “No problem. I was handling it okay.”
Chloe bit back the giggle that threatened and headed over to Mia. “Hei-Hei just likes to make a dramatic entrance,” Chloe said with a grin, giving her honorable aunt a huge hug. “Sorry we got caught up with the horses.”
“You both always do. And each other.”
Heat flushed her cheeks, but Chloe ignored the comment. Mia practically glowed with health and happiness. Her trim figure was fashionably dressed in linen shorts, a lacy white blouse, and white sandals. Dark hair curled under her chin in a blunt, stylish cut. Her amber eyes gazed back with her usual frankness, boldly studying the two of them to decipher exactly what was going on. Chloe knew she’d be grilled by everyone the moment they got her in private. Mia might be the owner of one of the most successful PR firms that handled her father’s campaigns, but underneath, the woman still adored good gossip.
“I cannot believe we’re celebrating Evie’s first birthday,” Chloe said, grabbing Mia’s hands. “How did a year go by so fast?”
“With little sleep,” Mia quipped, squeezing her hands. “But worth every moment. Ophelia’s making dinner for everyone tomorrow
night with a cake to celebrate. Why don’t we grab a bite to eat first and then you can take an early evening ride? We put out some sandwiches and ordered pizzas.”
“Sounds great—I’m starving,” Owen said.
Mia laughed. “Harper said when you first started your volunteer work, all you cared about was your phone and next meal.”
He winced. “I outgrew one out of two. I’d give up my phone any day.”
They laughed and walked to the main inn where everyone waited. Ophelia and Kyle welcomed them warmly, and Chloe noticed Ophelia had not only ordered a variety of pizzas, but created a tray of sandwiches and wraps, with a Greek salad and crusty rolls of bread. She remembered eating dinner here that first night and being overwhelmed at the amount of delicious food Ophelia happily cooked. As the main owners of the B&B, the married couple had turned the inn into a highly successful retreat that was consistently booked all year round. With her long golden hair, willowy body, and blue eyes, Ophelia reminded her of a fairytale princess. They all fell into easy chatter, but Chloe noticed her father refused to acknowledge Owen’s presence. Alyssa kept shooting him pointed looks, but every time Owen tried to say hello, her father became engaged in another conversation.
Great. The governor of New York was acting like a toddler.
“Ah, there’s our guest of honor,” Mia said. “Did she wake up early?”
Chloe turned to see Ethan and his daughter, Evie, walk through the door. The baby had a head full of auburn hair, amber eyes, and a stubborn jaw just like her mama. Her chunky legs kicked with glee at the crowd of people, pegging her as an extrovert. She wore pink stretchy leggings, a glittery shirt with a unicorn on it, and pink walking shoes.
Ethan laughed and chucked Evie under the chin. “Her naps are getting shorter each day. She tried to crawl after Hei-Hei but he was too fast for her.”
“Good, that chicken needed a good punishment,” Owen muttered.
Ethan called out greetings to everyone, and Chloe ran over. Her heart melted as Ethan handed her the baby, leaning in to kiss Chloe on the cheek. “Good to see you, Chlo,” he said, those kind eyes full of warmth. “We missed you.”
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