Chapter 10
The next afternoon, Anna was at her computer in her office, Mari at her side. They were staring at footage from a client’s front door camera. In this particular case, the client had won the house in her divorce, but her ex, in order to avoid paying childcare, had vanished.
Anna had been hired to find him, and she’d done just that.
“It’s so freaky.” Mari shook her head as they both watched the missing husband sneak in the front door at two in the morning. Thanks to interior cameras that Anna had asked her client if she could place inside, they stared as the guy went upstairs and then from there climbed into the attic access.
“I’m shook,” Mari said in disbelief. “He’s phrogging her. Living right beneath her nose.”
“More accurately, above her nose.”
Mari sat back. “Love stinks.”
“Couldn’t agree with you more.”
“But also,” Mari said, “I hate being alone.”
Anna shrugged. “The next time you feel alone, you could remember there are fifteen billion antibodies flowing through your veins who’d die in order to protect you.”
“You read too much.”
“Is that even a thing?” Anna asked.
“Hey, I can’t help it that I love too easily. And it’s not like I don’t know that I’m infamous for falling in love with someone made entirely of red flags, try to fix them, get hurt, and then go on a three-month bender to get over him.”
“It wasn’t three months,” Anna said. “It was three days, which I know because I tracked you down in Mexico and brought you home.”
Mari set her head on Anna’s shoulder. “Did I thank you?”
“Profusely. In tequila.”
“Right.” Mari smiled. “Good times.
Anna glanced at the time and stood. “I’ve gotta run. Lock up?”
“Of course.” Mari’s smile went sly. “I’ll want details in the morning of this non-date date you’re going on with Sexy Coin Guy.”
“You mean Owen Harris?”
Mari grinned. “So you do think he’s sexy.”
Anna ignored this and headed to the door.
“Don’t do anything I wouldn’t do!”
She ignored that too, because there was nothing Mari wouldn’t do. By four thirty she’d parked at the restaurant and put Wendy in her ear and her phone in her pocket because her sister had insisted on coming along.
In return, Anna had extracted the promise that Wendy wouldn’t talk because she couldn’t deal with Owen, Will, and Wendy at the same time.
Walking through the lot, she looked around. She didn’t see Owen’s truck. Probably for the best after yesterday, when she’d stupidly lost herself in his kiss. She wanted to believe it made no sense, that they had zero in common. But even she knew that didn’t matter.
“I hope you’re wearing mascara this time,” Wendy whispered as Anna entered the restaurant and took a seat at the bar.
Yeah, she was wearing mascara, and even worse, she’d lost her mind and had actually put on a dress. “Shh.” She eyed the time again, and her palms began to sweat just as her phone buzzed an incoming text.
Owen:I’m on my way. Please don’t leave.
A waitress came by and asked if she wanted a drink.
“Yes,” Wendy said.
Anna had no idea why she asked for a glass of wine. No problem, she decided. She’d use it as a cover. Only when the drink came, a few sips jumped right into her mouth.
The good news was that by the time Owen arrived ten minutes later, she was feeling much more relaxed. And damn, he looked edible in jeans and a white button-down, which she decided was the wine’s fault.
“You okay?” Wendy asked in her ear. “You just moaned.”
Ignoring that, she held Owen’s gaze. “You, um— You...”
He grinned. “Have I made you speechless?”
“Ohmigod, what is he wearing? Details!” Wendy demanded.
“Nope,” she said to both Owen and her sister.
Owen smiled. “You’re drinking wine. There’s a linen tablecloth. You’re wearing a sexy-as-hell dress, and your hair’s down again. Is this a date, babe?”
Shit. She knew she’d gone one step too far with the hair. “Absolutely not. Although, nice touch on the button-down shirt. You didn’t have to dress up for me. Babe.”
He looked amused, both by the “babe” and possibly by how hard she was working at not being attracted to him.
“So.” She drew a deep breath. “I owe you an apology for yesterday.”
“Huh.” He sat next to her. “I’ve never had anyone apologize to me about a kiss before. So you didn’t like it.”
If she’d liked it any more than she had, she’d have self-combusted on the spot. “It was... fine.” She was just about to add that while they were talking about said kiss, it could never, ever happen again, when he leaned in.
“If it was only fine,” he said, voice husky, “then clearly I have something to work on.”
Anna snorted because he didn’t have to work on shit. He was magic, and he knew it.
In her ear, Wendy had gasped. “You didn’t tell me you kissed! When?”
Possibly misinterpreting her silence, Owen let his smile fade. “And I’m sorry I’m late. I was afraid you’d think I was standing you up.”
She shrugged and pretended to look around for Will, whom she’d honestly forgotten about.
“Was there tongue?” Wendy asked.
“Anna,” Owen said. “Look at me?”
She turned back to find him watching her with a mix of rueful regret and earnestness.
“I’d never stand you up,” he said.
Her chest tightened. Because while she’d definitely been stood up before, and had let it bead off her back, she realized that being stood up by Owen would really hurt. And that in itself was ten times scarier than the kiss.
His hand covered hers where it rested on the table. “Anna—”
Her drink server stopped on her way past their bar table and went brows up at the sight of Owen, looking him over appreciatively. Anna got it, he was extremely nice to look at, but there was a familiarity in the woman’s gaze, an intimacy that couldn’t be ignored.
“Well, look who the cat dragged in,” the server said.
Owen smiled. “Hey, Caitlin.”
“Hey yourself. Looking good. Which is annoying as shit. How do you never age?”
“Good genes?”
Caitlin snorted at him and looked at Anna. “You with this guy?”
“Is she an ex?” Wendy asked in her ear. “Is she pretty? Can you take her?”
Caitlin playfully nudged Anna. “Hon, let me give you some advice on Owen Harris.”
“Quick, lean in closer so I don’t miss anything,” Wendy said. “This just got interesting.”
“He knows how to make a woman melt,” Caitlin said. “I’ll give him that.” She lowered her voice to a stage whisper. “Just don’t give him your heart.”
“Ouch,” Owen murmured.
“Don’t worry,” Wendy said. “Exes are always bitter.”
“No worries,” Anna said. A lie, of course. She was made up of approximately 99 percent worry. “My heart’s locked up tight.”
“Another ouch,” Owen said.
“Smart girl.” Caitlin smiled at Owen. “How you doing, honey?”
“Can’t complain.” He smiled, the very picture of “no worries.” “You about done trying to scare off my date?”
“You’re on a date?” Wendy again. “Yay! Tell me you shaved all the way up. Like to the North Pole—”
“This isn’t a date,” Anna said to everyone within hearing.
Caitlin smiled at her. “I like you. Your wine’s on me.”
When she was gone, Anna just looked at Owen.
“It was a long time ago,” he said. “Like... five years ago?” His phone rang, and when he looked at the screen, he winced. “I’m sorry, it’s my aunt’s caregiver. I’ve got to get this.”
“No worries,” she repeated, mostly for herself. She needed the reminder.
With a grateful smile, Owen stood up to take the call in presumably a quieter place. While he was gone, Caitlin came back with menus. “Your waiter should be here any minute. So have you known Owen long?”
Anna had to think about that. Had it only been a week? It seemed like she’d known him forever, and that startled her. “Long enough,” she said, not sure why she answered like that. She wasn’t... jealous? Damn. She was totally jealous of the obvious friendship that lingered between Caitlin and Owen.
“Sorry, had to pee,” Wendy said in her ear. “I left you on the bed. What did I miss?”
“Look,” Caitlin said, “you seem really nice. Can I be honest with you?”
“Ohhh,” Wendy said. “Say yes!”
“Uh—”
“Listen, us girls have to stick together, right? Owen’s a great guy, truly. Just... be careful with your heart, because he won’t be.”
“Everyone’s got exes,” Wendy said. “It doesn’t mean anything.”
“I thought we were doing great,” Caitlin said. “I was wrong.” She paused. “I figured it out when every week he’d visit his mom’s grave site and never take me. Not one time. He had invisible barriers protecting him that kept me on the outside looking in. Fact is, I wanted more and he couldn’t give it to me. He can’t give it to anyone.”
Anna blinked, unsure what to do with that. “Uh...” Wow, wasn’t she eloquent today.
Caitlin patted her hand. “That all said, I still think he’s a great guy, just not the forever guy.” And then she was gone, and that amazing, warm, caring guy was heading back toward the table, slipping his phone in his pocket.