My Three Hometown Alphas (Aspen Springs #3)

Prologue

OWEN

FOUR YEARS AGO

Pulling my fatigue cap off my head, I scrape my nails over my scalp through my short hair. There were only two things that sucked when I joined the Army after high school: cutting my hair short and leaving my family.

My family. Olivia. I’m rattled back to the reality of why I’m sitting in a too-small seat in the crowded Dallas airport waiting for a flight back home.

Olivia. My twin sister.

Our older brother, Will, called me three days ago. He made the call because Liv couldn’t bring herself to do it. I don’t remember most of the conversation other than the word cancer. Everything else just faded in comparison to that.

My formidable twin sister had brain cancer.

My mind has been snapping between emotions like an out-of-control slide show the past three days, while I arranged to go on leave. One minute I’m raging with anger and the next I’m crumpling to the floor with unimaginable grief over something that hasn’t even happened.

My heart is aching not only for myself but for my brothers, my parents, Lyla. Lyla. She’s only four years old, and now her mom is… dying. It isn’t fair.

None of this is fair, but that most of all.

Something hits my left foot that’s extended out in front of me, and my head snaps up to see a mess of long black hair careening downward.

On instinct, my arms wrap around her to keep her from face planting on the ground.

Somehow in the mix of me trying to save her—because yes, it’s a woman—she ends up sitting in my lap.

“What the fuck?” she snaps, turning to glare at me over her shoulder.

My eyes widen involuntarily because holy shit, she’s beautiful. Like the kind of beautiful people write songs and shit about.

And suddenly, I’m very aware of how close our bodies are pressed together.

“Why were you sticking your foot out like that?” she demands, seemingly more bothered by my foot placement than the fact she’s still perched on my lap with both of my arms wrapped around her.

“I needed more room. These seats are fucking tiny,” I say with a shrug. She’s already cussed, so I’m guessing she doesn’t have a delicate nature that would be offended by me doing the same.

Her eyes rake over me for the first time, obviously taking in my 6’4” frame clad in army fatigues. She cocks her head to the side.

“I guess you would need more room than the average person.”

“I’ve been told I’m above average size,” I say, fighting the smile that wants to break free.

“Ah, so those extra-large boots that almost sent me to an early grave have a matching counterpart in the size department.”

Fuck. I like this girl.

I can’t help but smile now. “I guess you’d have to give it a test drive to see.”

Her stoic face remains in place for one, two, three seconds before she bursts out laughing. She leans back until her head is resting on my shoulder.

Seeing her laugh so freely makes me do the same.

We both draw in lungfuls of air. She turns her head to look at me.

Her lips are only inches from mine, and I want nothing more than to close the distance and press my lips to hers. The way her eyes are locked on my mouth tells me she’s thinking the same thing.

What the fuck do I have to lose?

It’s probably a shit idea, but I don’t care. I kiss her. I half-expect her to pull away in horror, but she doesn’t. Her body settles more against me as she parts her lips for me on a small gasp.

Our tongues slide against each other like we have all the time in the world to explore one another, not like we’re stealing a kiss in the middle of a bustling airport.

This angle isn’t exactly ideal, but neither one of us are moving. I’m sure as shit not doing anything to break this moment of bliss we’re both trapped in right now.

I don’t really know how long we kiss for, but I know it’s long enough for me to be half hard.

She pulls away just enough to look me in the eye. She grinds her ass back against me, making my bite my cheek to keep from groaning too loudly.

“I guess you aren’t a liar, Mr. Above Average,” she says with a devilish glimmer in her hazel eyes.

“It’s only halfway through the show right now, angel.” I lower my voice so I’m sure no one else can hear us. “Keep grinding your perfect little ass against me like that, though, and I promise you’ll get the grand finale.”

She laughs, quieter this time. “What the hell just happened?” she asks, shaking her head.

“I don’t know, but I’m not mad about it.”

Her eyes soften. “Neither am I.”

“I’m Owen,” I tell her, stroking my thumb over her hip where it’s currently resting.

“That name fits,” she says.

“Well, that’s good. It would be a shame after twenty-seven years if I discovered my name didn’t fit me.”

She snorts out another laugh, jutting her elbow against my abs.

“Ouch,” I say even though it didn’t really hurt. “Do I get to know your name?”

“Avery.”

Maybe her comment about my name isn’t total bullshit because her name fits her, too.

“Nice to meet you, Avery.”

“You too, Owen.”

We stay there staring at each other for a long moment before she starts to sit up. I’m reluctant to let her go because I’ve already grown addicted to the feel of her cradled against me.

She gives me a small smile over her shoulder before standing up and retrieving her bag, which fell to the floor in the commotion.

“I guess I should go,” she says, looking around.

I grab my bag from the seat beside me, settling it between my feet. “Sit down.”

“Oh, uh… no…”

I raise my eyebrows. “Was the kiss that bad?”

She bites her lip, eyes sparkling with amusement.

“Fine,” she huffs, plopping down into the seat. Her bag falls back to the ground below her. “It was the best kiss I’ve had in a long time, maybe ever.”

It was a phenomenal kiss. I know practically nothing about this woman other than her name and the depth in those mesmerizing eyes, but I feel like I’ve known her for years.

How that’s even remotely possible, I have no idea.

“It was above average.” It’s a gross underrepresentation of the kiss, but it gets her to smile.

She shifts in her seat, so she’s facing me as much as she can. “What’s your story, Owen? Where are you flying to today?”

All the levity from the last few minutes whooshes from my body like a deflating balloon, and reality settles back in. The pain inside of me is threatening to squeeze the very life from my lungs.

She must see the change in my expression because her face falls, too. “Shit, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

I wave my hand in front of me. “No, it’s fine. You had no idea. It’s just been a rough few days.”

She nods in what looks like understanding.

Maybe it’s this undeniable connection that’s already snapped into existence between us or some other force at play, but I feel the need to spill my guts to this woman.

“My twin sister has cancer.”