Chapter 14 #2
She snorted with laughter. “That can’t possibly be true. There’s a very good possibility that I have BO at the moment because I don’t remember the last time I showered and—”
He kissed her. “More beautiful than ever. And for the record, you always smell good.”
“Love has made you smell-blind.”
“No, it hasn’t.”
“Yes, it has.”
He shook his head, propped himself up on his arms and began to move, slowly at first, intent on making it good for her before it was good for him. By now, he knew just how to get her to the finish line, which he did far more quickly than he’d have preferred, but they were on borrowed time lately.
Afterward, he held her in his arms, running his fingers through her hair until he encountered a knot. “Is this oatmeal?”
“I think it might be from yesterday.”
Owen laughed. “They’re kicking our asses.”
“We’re outnumbered. That’s the problem.”
“We can still hire help.”
“We don’t need that. We’ve got your mom and Charlie, my dad and Betsy and lots of other people who pitch in when needed.”
“Except you rarely ask for help, even when you’re on your last leg. We’re going into our busy season at the hotel, and I worry about it being too much for you.”
“I’m fine, as long as I have you to help me with everything.”
“I’m not going anywhere.”
“Do you ever long for your previous life as an unencumbered traveling musician?”
The question, which she hadn’t asked in a while, startled him. “Never.”
“Oh come on! You must yearn for it sometimes.”
Owen propped himself up on an elbow and gazed down at her. “I never, ever, ever yearn for anything other than what I have right here with you and our kids and our family.”
“Even when all three of them are screaming at the same time?”
He cupped her face and ran his thumb over her sexy bottom lip. “Even then.” Her smile lit up her face and his life. As long as she was smiling, he was content. “So I saw Julia holding hands with Deacon Taylor.”
“Is that right?”
“Uh-huh.”
“You don’t like him?”
“I don’t know him at all.”
“You know Blaine.”
“Yeah.” He dropped down to his pillow and looked up at the ceiling fan, which was off. Soon, they would need it, but not yet.
“What’s on your mind, love?”
“I worry about her.”
“How come?”
“She’s had some health issues over the years… Eating disorders. That kind of thing. She looks particularly thin to me, and I’m worried she’s back to that again.”
“Did you talk to Katie about it?”
“I did, and she’s had the same thought. She asked me to keep an eye on Julia while she’s away. She hinted that something’s up with Julia but didn’t give me details. I just wonder if this is the right time for her to be getting involved with Deacon.”
“I understand why you’re concerned about her, but don’t forget how we got involved with each other at the worst possible time. I was pregnant with my ex-husband’s child and going through an acrimonious divorce. We proved that sometimes the worst time is actually the best time.”
“That’s true.”
“If Deacon is anything like Blaine, your sister is very lucky to have him in her life.”
“I should talk to Blaine about him.”
“You absolutely should not do that.”
“Why not? If he’s going to be dating my sister—”
“Julia is old enough and smart enough to decide for herself if he’s worthy of her time and attention.” She snuggled up to him, her head on his chest. “I know it’s hard to break the old habit of feeling like you have to protect everyone you love from impending doom.”
“It’s impossible to break that habit. I’m constantly waiting for disaster to strike.”
“I think it might be okay to relax a little, O. Everyone is good. Your mom is so happy with Charlie. Katie is happily married to Shane and off on her honeymoon. Julia and Cindy are sticking around for the summer, which is awesome. Your brothers are doing great. Our family is perfect. It’s okay to stand down. ”
“I don’t know how to do that.” His hypervigilance when it came to the ones he loved was the legacy he’d been left with after a chaotic, violent childhood.
“Let me help. When you want to interrogate Blaine about his brother, come talk to me instead. When you want to interrogate Julia about her health, come talk to me.”
“What if I see her heading for trouble?”
“Then you talk to her and express your concerns without telling her how to run her own life.” She caressed his chest and belly, which made him hard all over again.
Laura laughed. “Put that thing away. I need to shower and get some work done while the monkeys are napping.”
“That thing doesn’t like being talked to that way.”
Grinning, she kissed him. “I love you, and I love the way you love all of us. I’m here for you whenever you need me. Even when I have three kids hanging off me. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yeah, baby, I know.”
“Take a deep breath, O. Everything is okay. I promise.” She kissed him and got out of bed to go shower.
For a long time, he lay there staring up at the ceiling, trying to find it in him to leave his sister alone to run her own life. But old habits were hard to break. If he saw her heading for trouble, he wouldn’t hesitate to intervene.