Chapter Ten: Owen

The sound of large machines outside the small house woke me from one of the best nights of sleep I'd had in a long time. Even better than some of the five-star hotels I stayed at with Vanessa.

Staring up at Aspen's ceiling, I wondered how many missed calls or messages I'd find on my phone this morning. I purposely left it charging in the kitchen area.

Turning over, I saw Aspen was still asleep in the same position as the night before. Her eyes were pinched shut as if she was in pain, and knowing the stubborn woman, she was hurting but refused to ask me for anymore help.

It was a humbling experience to have her require my assistance last night. Just imagining what would have happened if I hadn't been there was all I needed to finally call my mother.

That in itself was humbling enough for me. But just as I knew she would, my mother came at my first request for help. I remembered her having to stitch my wounds a few times growing up, when my dad got reckless with a pocketknife. Shaking my head, I ridded my thoughts of my mom having to stitch herself up when my father would go after her.

Stretching, I climbed out of Aspen's bed, doing everything I could to keep from waking her up. As I slipped on my shoes, I watched her eyelids tighten even more and her lips flatten into a line.

Out of instinct, I shuffled over to her side of the bed and gently ran my hand across her hair. Her body immediately relaxed beneath my touch.

She really was beautiful, especially when she wasn't out to get me. Though, those were some of my favorite memories. Her comment the night before about prom was something I was going to keep locked away for good measure. It was the most honest conversation I'd ever had with Aspen, and I knew she told me that in confidence. I wasn't even sure if she would remember it when she woke.

Downstairs, I cleaned up the mess left in the bathroom from the night before, then left the house. The large farmhouse was my destination. I hadn't been lying when I told her I cooked breakfast for me and my mom growing up.

Settling for something sweet, I went about gathering the loaf of bread, making a note to myself to restock it for Mrs. Easterly today. Then I gathered some eggs, milk, vanilla extract, and cinnamon.

It took me a couple of minutes to find everything I needed around the kitchen, but before long, I was making enough french toast to feed an army.

As I plated the first batch, I was surprised there didn't seem to be anyone home in the house. With all the banging around I was doing, I would have woken everyone up. I glanced at the clock on the microwave and saw it was 9:30 a.m. Not too early in the morning, but definitely early for Aspen.

Just as I plated the last couple of batches and found the syrup, the sound of the front door slamming forced me to look down the long hallway leading to the front of the house. Mrs. Easterly and her three other daughters stared back at me in surprise.

I felt like I'd been caught stealing.

"I'll… uh… replace the loaf of bread."

Marisol smiled gently, then walked down the hall toward me, her daughters trailing behind her.

"You made french toast?" she asked.

"Yes, ma'am. I was going to take it over to Aspen's." Now, looking over the multiple platters of food, it was far too much for two people. I might have gotten carried away.

"She's still asleep?" Autumn asked as she not-so-sneakily snatched a slice of the french toast. One of her hands rubbed her expanded belly as she moaned with each bite. "This is delicious, by the way."

"Thanks."

Marisol drew my attention once more. "Is she sick? Aspen has never slept in."

"Yeah." Unsure how much to disclose, I hesitated. "She got a small injury last night while out in the fields, repairing a fence."

"What?" Marisol's face turned an ashen hue just as Nash walked into the room through the back door.

"Aspen got hurt last night," Marisol told him, not looking at her husband, who was loading up a plate with the french toast, but at me. "Is she okay? What happened?"

All eyes of the Easterly family were on me. All except Nash's. For some reason, I had a feeling he already knew what was going on. Nothing took place on this farm without him knowing. My mother and the medical assistant driving through the main gates would have been on his radar.

Thankfully, I was saved by the pixie in question as she walked casually into the room. "I'm fine, Mom. Just a nasty scrape that needed stitches." She showed her wrapped arm and went into a Cliff's Notes explanation of what happened. I watched Nash out the corner of my eye. He nodded slightly as he smothered his breakfast in a month's worth of syrup.

Turning to her father, she told him she'd fix the fence this morning after moving Carrie the cow to a different field.

"That dang cow has had it out for you since she came to this farm," Marisol inserted as she started filling her own plate with the toast. Her other daughters did the same. "Should we look at rehoming her, Nash?"

"Mom, she's fine. I just need to make sure she's not in a field where I'm working. It's not her fault. She thinks I'm encroaching on her territory."

I could tell there was more Marisol wanted to say. Even I had a few thoughts, but I kept my mouth shut. This was family business, and I was just a fly on the wall.

Aspen filled a plate, and then I finally grabbed some breakfast for myself. Before I knew it, all the toast was gone, and Nash was cleaning dishes.

Marisol and Aspen's sisters had been out at the hair salon that morning, and I noticed how Aspen deflated at the knowledge. Even though I liked her long waves, I knew she felt passed over next to her sisters.

In my quest to take her from the house, I thanked the family for allowing me to use their kitchen and then ushered Aspen away. I was pretty sure I even saw Alex crack a knowing grin in my direction.

I was still in my clothes from the night before, but I didn't mind, as Aspen and I loaded into the UTV parked at her house. We stopped by the main barn to restock the wire, and then we were off to repair the fence she'd been working on.

This time, she used a pre-barbed wire, so all we had to do was wrap it around the posts and pull it taut.

As we were finishing up, a large brown cow with a white head meandered over to the UTV, her eyes trained on Aspen.

"That's Carrie," she said as she tossed the spool back into the UTV.

"Well, aren't you a pretty girl?" I said to the cow, pulling her attention away from Aspen. It was as if the animal had just then noticed my presence. She cocked her head to the side, then strutted closer.

"Don't let her nibble on you. She's been known to bite."

Nodding, I let the cow get within a foot before I stood straighter. Carrie was large, but I was taller. I could see how she wouldn't be intimidated by Aspen, but she seemed curious around me.

Reaching out, I stroked the top of her head, and I swear I heard her purr.

"God, you even put Carrie under your spell. How is that possible?"

"It's a talent. What about you? Do I have you under my spell?"

Giggling, she smacked my stomach gently with her good hand. "You wish, Casanova."

Carrie turned her head toward Aspen, and I wasn't sure what the cow was thinking, but her eyes followed every move she made.

"Hey, girl, you have to be nice to my friend. She's here to take care of you and keep you safe, okay?"

The cow looked at me and stared for a minute before her head dropped once, then she wandered away.

It was fucking weird, but maybe I made things easier for Aspen. Or worse. There could be a jealous cow on the loose at Sunny Brook Farms now.

Back at the barn, we dropped off the UTV and walked back to Aspen's house, where I gathered up my few things and stored them in my car. We stood on her small porch like nervous teens finishing up their first date. I'd never been anxious around Aspen until now.

"About last night," I started. "I don't know why I came over initially. I just…. I don't know. I wanted to see you. You're the only one who will treat me like a normal person. And our truce has been a nice change of pace."

"I get it. The last couple of days have been… nice. Weird, but nice."

"Maybe we can hold up the truce whenever I come back to visit?"

She laughed and made no promises.

"You remember I'm picking you up at 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, right?" I asked.

"Yep. Still not going to tell me what we're doing?"

"Not a chance. See you then, cricket."

"Bye, Owen. Thank you… again."

I left her house filled with emotions I couldn't place. Maybe this was what a blossoming friendship felt like. I wasn't sure.

***

After two days without seeing Aspen, I actually missed her. I wasn't sure what the fuck that was about. I'd missed no one in my life—except my mom, when I went to summer camp as a young boy.

As promised, I showed up at Aspen's house at 6:00 p.m. I knocked on her door, and she called out for me to come inside. The living area was barren, but I saw a light coming out from beneath the closed bathroom door.

I had ideas for tonight, and I planned on testing Aspen's limits a bit. I needed to know what I was working with.

With my back turned, I heard her call out my name. Spinning around, I nearly lost my balance as she appeared in a short denim skirt and a flowy shirt covered in flowers. It was the perfect mix of casual and feminine, and a complete one-eighty from the outfits she normally wore.

"Will this work for tonight?" she asked, her fingers nervously skimming along the hem of her skirt.

"Yeah," I croaked, then repeated the word more clearly. "You look great." Her makeup was done. Her mascaraed eyelashes fluttered, and I saw her lids were a shimmering gold color. Aspen's hair fell in soft waves down her back, and I was stunned by her appearance.

It made me wonder how she looked at prom, all done up.

"Will you tell me now where we're going?"

"Not yet."

"Well, what shoes should I wear? Sandals, sneakers, or my boots?"

"Whatever you're most comfortable in."

"Boots it is," she said as she quickly ran up her stairs. I averted my gaze, not wanting to focus on her backside right in my line of sight. She dashed back down, carrying a pair of socks.

After slipping everything onto her feet, we were out the door.

"New car?" she asked as she ran a finger over the hood of the McLaren. I'd found the car for sale in Nashville and used the last two days to seal the deal. I contacted my old friend in town, Chris, and he and I went to pick it up this morning. Chris worked at the police department in town and had the next couple of days off, so I promised we'd spend some time catching up.

I realized since I'd been home for four days, I'd made a lot of promises I wasn't sure I could keep. My coach had scheduled a video call for next week, and there was a chance he was going to want me back in L.A. sooner rather than later. There were a few charity games and press events he wanted me to attend. At least, that was the gist I received from his assistant.

As I watched Aspen lower into the bucket seat, her skirt exposing more leg than any man could resist eyeing, I realized I wasn't quite ready to get back to reality.

We didn't drive long, just enough to bring us toward downtown, and I stopped at the bar where Aspen and I started our deal.

"What are we doing here?" she asked as I parked the car out front.

"This isn't our final destination. But it's our first lesson. I want you to go inside and sit at the bar. Your goal is for someone to pay for your drink."

"What? How do I do that? Owen, you know I'm not good at this. I've never even asked to borrow a pen from someone, let alone to buy me a drink."

"You can do it. I'll come in just a minute behind you. You won't be alone. Okay?"

"What if no one buys my drink?"

"Then I'll do it." I shrugged. "You'll get a free drink either way."

The leather squeaked as she sunk against the seat, her eyes closed. My gaze traced the gentle slope of her nose and the long line of her neck before trailing down her shoulder. Her wound was covered in a few large bandages that matched the color of her skin.

Sitting upright, she unlatched the seatbelt and reached for the door handle. "All right. Wish me luck."

"You can do it, cricket."

"Gah, I hate that name," she mumbled as she opened the door and stepped out of the car.

"I know."

She leaned down and shook her head when she found me grinning like a loon. I had faith that Aspen could work her natural charm and get someone to buy her a drink. I just needed her to have faith in herself. Her lack of confidence astonished me.

Scrolling through my phone, I gave her three minutes before I left my car and slunk inside the bar. The light was dimmer than I remembered, but it was easy enough to spot Aspen. She was perched on a stool at one corner of the bar. She might not have noticed, but every male's eyes in the place was locked on her. She was like the first flower in bloom after the winter cold. With her blonde hair and innocence, she stood out, whether she wanted to or not.

I scanned the place as I took a seat at a high-top right near the entrance. This left her in my direct line of sight.

"Can I get you a drink, sir?"

"I'll take a water," I said to the female server. Just as she started to walk away, I added, "You see that girl sitting at the bar in the white flower shirt?"

"Yes, of course."

"In five minutes, if she doesn't have a drink, will you please get her whatever girly drink is popular right now and put it on my tab? But don't tell her it's from me."

"Of course. Sister?" the woman asked with hope.

I shut her down real fast when I replied, "Girlfriend."

She walked away, glancing over her shoulder at me in confusion… twice… before pushing through the doors to the kitchen. She returned quickly with my water, and I sat at my table in the dim light, tracing the woodgrain lines of the tabletop. Looking down at my outstretched arm, I focused on the mountain landscape that wrapped around my forearm. A world-renowned tattoo artist etched the intricate details into my skin. She added everything in the design that I requested, even some hidden features that only I knew existed.

When my phone showed that five minutes passed, I glanced up to the bar to find a bored Aspen swirling a straw around in her soda glass. The server I'd spoken to earlier slipped behind the counter and prepared a drink, then handed it over to her with a smile. Aspen looked up to ask her who sent the beverage, but the server only shrugged.

Looking to her left and right, Aspen caught the eye of a table of young guys, and she smiled sweetly at them.

I knew then that I could never tell her I was the one who sent the drink.

After twenty minutes passed and Aspen finished her drink, I asked for the check from the waitress, who informed me there was no bill for the water. When I asked her about the drink, she confessed another patron ordered the one she served to my girlfriend.

Instead of feeling pride for her accomplishing her first task, I felt… jealousy. Didn't they know she was here with me?

My chair scraped loudly as I stood from the table, grabbing Aspen's attention, then she slid off her stool, wearing the brightest smile I'd ever seen.

Fuck, I couldn't even be mad, because I'd do anything to make her smile like that again.

She waved at the group of guys as she made her way toward me, but her eyes never left mine, and when she reached out her hand to me, I took it without a second thought.

"I did it, Owen! At first, I thought you may have sent the drink to boost my courage, but then I realized you would have ordered me a beer."

She was right. I remembered that was what she was drinking last weekend. But that would've only happened if I ordered the drink on my behalf. A cocktail could've been from anyone else.

"I'm really proud of you, cricket," I said as I held the car door open for her, just as the suits from Saturday exited a brick building down the block.

They stole her attention immediately, and she stiffened next to me. The men were chatting, but the short one quickly noticed the car and then me. My fan gestured to his friends, and all their eyes turned toward us.

"I'm going to kiss you, Aspen."

"What?" she whispered.

"Just play along, okay?"

"Okay."

I cupped her face and twisted it toward mine, and I brushed my lips against hers. She opened up hesitantly, and my tongue dipped inside, tasting the sweetness from her drink.

The kiss didn't linger, and I pulled back with a grin. Her smile matched mine, and I ran my thumb along her bottom lip.

"That okay?"

"Mmhmm," she replied, as if in a daze.

A car horn sounded from down the road, bringing Aspen and me back into the moment. She immediately sank down into the car, then I shut the door and moved around to the driver side.

I was thankful for the interruption, because I could have stood there kissing her sweet lips for hours if she would've let me.

Soon, we were driving down the alleyway toward a warehouse-looking building in town. I looked up the old place and saw a young couple bought it and were working to fix it up. They already restored the old signs and woodwork.

I'd never tell Aspen, but I was a little excited to check it out. When I lived here, the place was too derelict to ever visit and was never open. Though I did recall one hell of a party taking place in the building, before it was broken up by the cops.

"We're going bowling?" Aspen asked as I pulled into the lot. It looked completely different from what I remembered. Fresh paint. A new retro sign. Neon lights. The couple who bought it dropped some serious cash.

"We are. And you can play one-handed. Have you been here since it reopened three years ago?"

Her energy never wavered as she told me that I already knew the answer. It was clear she wasn't exaggerating when she said she didn't get out much.

The timing was perfect, because as my phone switched to 7:00 p.m., Jenna's car pulled in beside mine with her date, Derek, in the passenger seat.

"You invited Jenna?" Aspen asked, leaning across the center console, gripping my forearm with her injured arm's hand, and waving to her friend with the other.

"I did. I thought a double date would be a good way to get the relationship rumor mill going. If we can convince Jenna, then we can convince everyone else."

"Good idea," she said, smiling up at me before sitting back in her seat.

Exiting the car, I walked around to the other side and helped her out of her seat. The two women hugged, and then we walked inside.

I didn't spend a lot of time lingering on the looks of the place as I paid for a lane and the rental shoes. Bowling wasn't a sport I excelled at, but I had fun either way. And that was the point of our date tonight.

Derek and I chatted as we ordered some food for our lane, along with a pitcher of beer. I wouldn't drink more than one or two glasses, since I was driving and under advisement from my coach to keep up my training regimen.

The girls giggled as they tied their clownish-looking shoes, but I had to admit these weren't as hideous as some of the ones I'd seen on television or in the movies.

We played a few practice rounds, Aspen nearly releasing her ball behind her twice. And that was with her good arm—the right one, and she was righthanded. She confessed to never having bowled before, and it showed, but as we all teased her, she laughed, knowing it was all in good fun. I wanted her to see that a date could be something amusing and spontaneous. Even if it was something new, she didn't have to be so apprehensive. Not all dates had to be formal and serious.

It was also nice to see her let loose. Jenna leaned toward me once the food arrived and told me this was the happiest she'd seen Aspen in years.

When I ran into Jenna at the grocery store yesterday, I broached the topic of a double date. She was skeptical of me going out with Aspen after all the torment we caused each other growing up. But when she agreed, I made sure that Betsy, the town gossip, overheard us. I was sure the news would spread like wildfire by the end of the week.

Which was most likely the reason no one was on the lanes closest to ours. Everyone requested lanes on the complete other side, knowing the chaos that surrounded us whenever we were in the same room together back in the day. I was thankful the owners hadn't grown up in Ashfield with us. They probably wouldn't have let us into their establishment together at all.

Two rounds, a large pizza, and two pitchers of beer later, we were laughing so much we didn't notice the group of college-aged kids who took up the lanes close by. There were no colleges in Ashfield, but there was a small private university in the next town over, which catered to kids who were born with a silver spoon in their mouths.

I worried they'd recognize me when a few of the guys started eyeing our lane, so I turned my back to them, unsure if I should suggest ending the game. We were having a great night, and I didn't want my fame to ruin that. I was used to being noticed, but I knew from my time with Vanessa that not everyone could handle it.

"Everything all right?" Aspen asked as she took the seat beside me, leaning her head on my shoulder.

"Yeah, I just think those frat guys might've recognized me. I… uh… just wanted to have some fun, you know?"

Reaching down, she used her right hand to squeeze mine before standing and walking away. I didn't dare turn around to watch, but I was certain the group was watching her every move. Across the way, Jenna's attention was on Aspen, which gave me peace of mind.

Suddenly, the entire room was bathed in blackness, before purple-tinted lights clicked on.

Uncontrollable laughter bubbled to the surface, and I bent over to catch my breath. I knew this had to be Aspen's doing, since I'd seen on a sign that Cosmic Bowling wasn't until tomorrow evening.

What better way to keep people from recognizing you than to make it dark enough no one could see you? The only thing that stood out was my white Henley shirt and the laces of my clown shoes.

Soon, Aspen was back, and I immediately reached out and pulled her close.

"You're the fucking best. Thank you," I told her before I pressed my mouth against hers in a chaste kiss.

She looked a bit surprised when I pulled away, before she mumbled, "You're welcome. Now… I challenge you to the next round."

"You're on."

An hour later, we left the bowling alley, Derek and I both driving since we limited our beer consumption to two glasses each. I had originally planned on only drinking one, but we stayed until midnight when the bowling alley closed, which was a long-enough time for two beverages.

Jenna gushed about Aspen's and my new relationship the entire way to the car, and as I settled my date in her seat, her best friend exclaimed she wanted to be the maid-of-honor at our wedding. She was getting a little ahead of herself, but the thought of marrying Aspen didn't scare me the way it did when it came to Vanessa.

During the drive home, I thought back to my ex and our engagement. I had never actually asked her to marry me. Instead, she wanted to live with me in my house and said we could only move forward like that by getting married.

The next day, she had a ring on her finger that she purchased with my credit card and gushed to everyone that I proposed to her over dinner the night before. I went with it, because I was happy with Vanessa, but looking back, I realized I was merely complacent.

Looking across the car, I caught Aspen's tipsy smile and returned it. "Have fun?"

"It was the freaking best. How's your shoulder? I saw you wincing toward the end."

Damn her for being so observant.

"It's okay. I probably need to ice it later."

We exited the car together, something that bothered me more than it should have. I wanted to be the one to open her door for her. When we reached her porch, I hoped she would ask me inside, but I also didn't want to overstep. Everything we were doing was fake, and even though I spent the night with her… twice, it was because of unforeseen circumstances.

Bugs danced around the porch light next to the door, buzzing whenever they got too close to the heat.

I pulled Aspen into the shadows. "I had fun tonight."

Smiling up at me, she replied, "Me too, even if it was all for show."

"Yeah," I agreed in jest. None of it felt like a show, and it was only the first date. "Maybe on the next one, we'll go to a cricket farm or something."

She reminded me of a tarsier, with her eyes widening and pupils shrinking to the size of a pinpoint.

"You do not joke about that."

Chuckling, my body shook, jostling my sore shoulder. One stupid tweak while I was showing off at the bowling alley, and now I was worried about my throwing arm. It had been worth it though.

"Sorry. I couldn't resist."

"Well, goodnight, Owen."

"Goodnight, Aspen."

I followed after she stepped over to the door, walked inside, and closed it behind her. I stood at the threshold, contemplating my next move.

The light on the porch clicked off either due to the timer or Aspen flipping a switch, and I took that as my cue to leave.

Only… I didn't want to go back to my rental. Not yet, at least. I reached for the knob and twisted. The door was still unlocked. "Fuck it."

Once I opened the door, there she was… waiting.