Chapter 25
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
“It’s been less than five weeks since I met him.” Sam pressed her palms to her cheeks and eyed Emily in the reflection of the bathroom mirror. “Am I crazy?”
Emily smiled. “First of all, you fell in love with Owen, like, the second you bumped into him in the lobby in Mexico; otherwise, you would’ve told him your name that day.
” She pointed a scolding finger in the air.
“And second of all, you’re not crazy because you love him; you’re crazy because you’re in a bathroom right now, at a party, talking to me. ”
I love him. She had wanted to tell him this morning, but she hadn’t been able to get the words out.
She pursed her lips together and turned to check her dress in the mirror, trying to deflect her thoughts so she could focus on the party. “The mix of Navy SEALs and Hollywood hotshots here today . . . it’s pretty damn awkward.”
Emily’s palms landed on the counter. “Yeah, but interesting, right? And Luke’s fiancée’s brother, Harrison”—she fanned her face—“is so hot.”
Sam folded her arms, a smirk on her face. “I know who you actually like; don’t even pretend.”
“And, on that note, I’m going back to the party before we miss the big gender reveal.” She swirled her index finger in the air and turned away.
“When do I tell him?” she rushed out before Emily opened the door.
She pivoted to face her. “You’ll know when the time is right.”
After their conversation this morning, she was still terrified of one thing. “I don’t want him to think he’s replacing Brad or he’s my second choice.”
Emily released the door handle and faced Sam. “Brad will always be in your heart, and I think Owen might be the only man who won’t be jealous of that fact.”
“And if something happens to him, too?” She thought back to the agonizing seven days Owen had been in Russia, and then her mind circled to Owen’s words to her that morning. He’d practically warned her he could die any day.
“Sweetie.” Emily wrapped a hand around her forearm and gently squeezed. “There are no guarantees in life, and you know that. But don’t give up a good thing because you’re afraid.” She smiled. “Now get your ass out there so I can go flirt with some hotties.”
A laugh broke through, stifling her tears. She knew in her heart Emily was right—she couldn’t lose Owen.
“Thank you.” Sam swiped at her face, ensuring she was tear-free, then followed her friend out to the party where throngs of people were gathered.
She was grateful Owen had asked her if she wanted to bring Emily so she wouldn’t feel so overwhelmed.
Sam scanned the crowd, spotting Owen chatting with Eva and her brother, Harrison. He tipped his head back and laughed at something Harrison said before his eyes caught hers from across the room.
He raised his Corona to his lips and held her eyes, and it had her pulse jumping. He motioned for her to approach, and she nudged Emily in the back, encouraging her to come with her.
As far as she could gather, Eva and Luke weren’t married on paper, but they both wore rings, and she was pretty sure they were married in their hearts.
“There you are.” Owen winked and then pulled her to his side and wrapped his arm around her waist.
Her sense of security heightened about a thousand times. “Are you nervous to find out?” Sam asked Eva, and she rolled her eyes in the direction of Luke standing a few feet away, talking to some of the guys from Echo Team.
Apparently, there were ten guys plus Jessica in their black ops group, but retired Navy SEALs also worked with them at Scott clearly, she had more insight into the two than Sam, but it didn’t take a genius to figure out there was more between them beneath the surface.
“Don’t let them kill each other while I’m gone.” Luke nodded Owen’s way.
“I’ll do my best, man.” He glanced at Sam and winked.
A few minutes later, the entire Hollywood Reed family from Eva’s side, as well as Luke’s buddies, gathered around the present.
Eva stood on one side of the gift and Luke on the other, and then they slowly cut the center of the box open. When pink balloons flew into the air, Sam cupped her hand to her mouth as a grin stretched her lips.
She’d swear Luke had tears in his eyes.
Luke slowly moved around the table and cupped his fiancée’s face. Then he kissed her like there was no tomorrow.
Owen squeezed Sam’s hand and whispered into her ear, “Want to get out of here? There’s somewhere I’d like to take you.”
“I can’t believe you have me strapped in the cockpit of a plane.” Sam eyed all of the instruments around her.
“Not just any plane: it’s a Lear 60XR with less than a thousand landings clocked in, which is pretty decent for a ’14 model.”
She studied his hands, moving deftly over the buttons and controls, none of which she knew anything about. She hated being in the back seat, let alone in the front—where, she now realized, everything looked that much more complicated. “How did you pull this off?”
“I made a few calls before the party and arranged some flying time.” He smoothed his hand over the wheel, which he’d informed her was called a yoke. “It belongs to a friend of mine who has a lot more money than me.”
“I still don’t know how you talked me into flying.” Her hand fell to her lap, and she double-checked that her belt was secure, even though they were already at cruising altitude.
“The fingernail marks in my right arm might take a while to disappear, but . . .”
He wasn’t exaggerating. “Shit, I’m sorry.” Her fingers stroked his arm.
He released the yoke and pivoted to face her.
“Wait! Don’t let go of that thingy!”
“The thingy will be just fine for a second. Planes have autopilot, like cars.” His lips stretched even more, and she touched his clean-shaven jaw. This was her first time ever seeing him sans beard, and she loved both looks equally.
“I know flying is a big part of your life, and I’m grateful you wanted me to experience it with you.” She lowered her hand to touch his arm again. “But if you try and get me to jump out of a plane, we’ll have some problems.”
His rich laughter met her ears and heated her body, but then he grew quiet for a moment, and his warm hazel eyes shifted back out the front window.
“Flying always makes me feel closer to my brother.” His voice was throatier this time.
“I’m not sure if heaven is really above the clouds, but either way, I feel more connected to him when I’m up here. ”
She gently squeezed his arm, trying to calm her fears enough to feel how Owen did—at peace, maybe?
“Sam, you make me feel like it’s okay to live my life and be happy.”
Liquid gathered in her eyes faster than she’d thought possible, and her chest tightened.
“I’ve felt guilty,” he said, facing her again, “for surviving when others in the past haven’t. But meeting you has changed me.” His jaw muscle tightened. “Changed everything, actually.”
He reached for her hand and laced their fingers together before releasing a breath.
“You changed me, too.”
His eyelids tightened for a brief second before his hazel irises found hers, and then he reached for the chain around her neck with his free hand and smiled. “And I’ll fight like hell to always come back to you. I promise.”
He sat back in his seat but kept his right hand with hers. They both peered toward the clouds, toward their second chance at life.