Chapter Eight: Owen

When I'd woken in the morning to the sound of tractors outside the window, I was shocked to find Aspen already left. I even climbed into the narrow loft to double-check, and lo and behold, she'd already made her way out of the house.

There wasn't much time spent lingering in her sleeping space other than to notice a few travel books on an end table.

Outside, I stood in the morning sun. It was warm, even though there was a crispness in the air giving a hint of the upcoming fall season. I hadn't felt a day like this in years. My time in LA usually revolved around going to the beach and the training facility.

That was something I'd have to sort out soon while I was in Ashfield. Training in the off season was just as important as training during the prime season. My bats were still resting inside the trunk of my rental car, and I felt anxious not having them within reach.

It was the one thing that irritated my ex the most—she claimed I loved my sport more than I loved her.

She may have been right.

I needed to speak with my mom, but as I followed a path over the hill that gave way to the main farm property, I knew that was going to be toward the bottom of my list of things to do. First on my list was to track down Aspen.

The oversized barn filled with equipment was empty, and an employee pointed me toward the path leading to the family farmhouse as where I would find Aspen. The moment I walked through the side door leading to what I determined was a mudroom, I instantly felt like I stepped into a well-loved home. Work boots, sandals, and sneakers were haphazardly strewn across the floor. A few rain jackets hung on pegs above the shoes. Baskets were filled with gloves and hats. The entire room was a mess but in the best way. It reminded me a bit of our locker rooms at the stadium. Though chaotic, everything had a place.

When I stepped into a hall and found my way to the kitchen, it was clear I was an unexpected visitor. But the Easterlys greeted me warmly just after I surprised Aspen, who kindly threw a pack of bacon at me.

That was something I was going to have to remember for later.

She even went so far as making me breakfast, though she'd probably already been at work for a few hours already. I'd never been a morning person, but I couldn't imagine having to do it every day because you'd fallen into a role within your family.

But the biggest surprise of the morning was hearing her agree to my scheme. I was so thrilled I pulled Aspen into my arms and hugged her close, verifying she was onboard for the farce we were about to perform. After a few seconds, she stepped away, and I wanted nothing more than to kiss her plump lips. But I knew she wasn't ready for that.

I had a feeling Aspen was more innocent than she let on.

"So," I began as I took a step back, hesitating as I released the hold on her wrist. "What's in store for today?"

The corner of her lip twisted like an evil queen's, and I worried for a second that she had something nefarious planned. Color me surprised when she said, "I'll be busy running data most of the morning and then checking the books for some way to move around the budget."

"Oh, what for?" I studied finance in college as a way to learn how to manage my money when I went pro.

Aspen licked her lips and glanced out the window for a split second, before replying, "I would like to lease some farmland to some local cattle farmers. I need to see if it"s in the budget to add a fence and shelter."

"Well, what if I helped you?"

I stunned her silent, as her eyes widened, staring at me like I'd grown two heads. "You want to help me?"

"Sure. I mean, I'm not a professional, but I'm pretty good with finances. It was my major, after all."

Aspen paused and seemed to weigh her decision, her teeth nipping at her plump bottom lip. "Okay. I suppose you owe me anyway, right?"

"Owe you? Our deal is mutually gratifying."

She giggled, and I was turning into a fool for that sound. "I wasn't talking about that deal, Owen."

"Yeah? Then why do I owe you, cricket?"

She moved around the kitchen and back toward the main hallway, calling over her shoulder, "I found you a place to rent while you're here. Now, let's get started. My dad's office is this way."

Her dad's office was a combination of both organization and chaos. I didn't know how anyone could find anything beneath the stack of papers and books, but Aspen skirted around that space and moved toward a computer in the far corner. It was more modern than the ancient desktop on the oversized wooden desk in the center of the room that looked like it came out in 1994.

She sat in the chair and then swiveled toward me, gesturing for me to grab one of the extra chairs against the wall. It wasn't nice like hers, but it was cushioned enough that I wouldn't lose all sensation in my ass.

"So, my brother Andrew and I have been working to move all the books for the last ten years into a computerized system. It makes it easier for both us and the accountant. It makes sense to Andrew, but to me, it's just a bunch of pie graphs and dollar signs. Finance was not an area I excelled in, and Andrew has been swamped with new contracts for the farm."

As she mentioned her brother, I wondered why he wasn't at the forefront of taking over Sunny Brook. But I didn't think we had moved far enough away from rivals to a friendship to ask those personal questions about her family.

She flipped open a laptop that I hadn't noticed and logged into the device before shifting it over toward me.

"I'm looking for a range of ten to twenty thousand that we could maneuver. The bookkeeping software is on here, as well as the manufacturer and wholesaler catalogs for the items we use on rotation. You're also welcome to search for a better deal anywhere else. If you find them, then that's up to Andrew. I just want to see if we can come up with a proposal, you know?"

"Sure. Sounds easy enough." I watched her boot up another desktop with a thin, sleek monitor. "What will you be doing?"

She went on, talking about the robot she sent out to test some fields this morning and how she wasn't sure of the quality. The details were vague, but it seemed she was hoping to add new crops to the land. "Essentially, I'm running some data and comparing it to our control field, which produces our healthiest crop of corn."

"That sounds neat, actually. I didn't know things like that existed."

"They didn't until recently. Nate sold the patent to a huge firm with enough investment to keep it affordable to farmers. We're the backbone of the country."

"You're proud of that, aren't you? You like being a part of something that's a legacy in its own right."

"Yeah," she whispered. "I'm surprised you figured that out. It's why I'm afraid to… leave. What happens if I do? The alternative scares me."

"That's something for your family to figure out, Aspen."

The moment the words slipped from my lips, I immediately regretted them and tried to apologize, but no sound came out.

"Let's… um… get to work. Then we can grab your car and check out the rental."

I spent an hour analyzing all the numbers for Sunny Brook Farms. There was a large lump sum withdrawn recently, which gave me pause, but I knew none of that was my business. Clearly, they were in the black and doing well. I did not need to question what they spent their money on.

I glanced over at Aspen a few times, enraptured by the way she pursed her lips and twisted her hair as she compared multiple data points on the screen. It looked like a mashup for line charts, but she seemed to know what she was looking for.

"Any luck?" she asked, spinning around in her chair, catching me red-handed while staring at her profile.

"Yeah. I've typed up a few areas where you could tighten dollars by saving on delivery fees, all by changing the purchase date of some items. It may take a few of weeks, but in the long run, you'd have a couple thousand extra.

"Now, I also researched a few new manufacturers for your ancillary items, and some look like they offer steeper discounts for bulk ordering than the ones you've used in the past."

"Can I see?" Aspen pulled her chair closer to mine and leaned over my arm, getting a better look at the document and the information I pulled.

"It's all there for you to review with your father, but I think with these changes, you could make it work."

She twisted her head to glance over her shoulder, bringing our mouths mere inches apart.

"Thank you," she murmured, her eyes darting down to my lips, then back up again, before she righted herself.

"You're welcome," I squeaked like I was going through puberty. Clearing my throat, I asked, "How was it for you… with the data, I mean?"

"It was… satisfactory. I think what I'm looking for is there."

For a moment, I didn't think she was referring to the data.

A startled gasp sounded from across the room, and both Aspen and I jumped in our chairs. Her sister, Alex, stood at the threshold, looking like she'd seen a ghost.

With her eyes narrowed and pinned on me, she sneered as she asked me, "What are you doing here?"

Before I had the chance to answer, Aspen stood from her seat and shut down her computer. "Shut it, Alex. Owen was helping me with something."

"Right. Just like he helped himself to the bottle of ketchup in middle school and convinced everyone you had your period and bled through your clothes?"

Oh shit. I'd forgotten about that stunt in the sixth grade. It had been a prank I saw in a movie at the time and thought it was harmless fun. I was too na?ve at that age to know what a period even was.

Aspen got her payback though. During the championship baseball game for the all-star team, she lined the locker-room bench with brown furniture polish, which left me with a huge brown stain on my white baseball pants. Right on my ass. Actually, that was a genius move on her part.

"Alex, we were both eleven years old. Didn't we all do stupid things at that age?"

"Sure, but that was malicious."

I watched as Aspen shrugged and turned her back to her sister.

"You need to leave, Owen Ramsey," Alex protested, and I stood from the office chair and shut down the laptop I'd been using.

"No, he doesn't. He's with me, Alex, and I don't need to ask your permission. You've never given two shits about what happened to me before. I don't understand why you care now. I'm telling you it's water under the bridge, so let it go."

Her sister's cheeks reddened at Aspen's defense.

"Look, I'm just trying to—"

"If I wanted your advice, I'd ask for it. Besides, Owen and I are…" She paused and looked over at me with wide eyes.

"Dating," I interjected.

"Dating?" Alex repeated in shock.

Aspen turned back to face her sister, hip cocked and fist resting on the curve. "Yes, dating. Is it so hard to believe that someone might be interested in me? I realize I'm not as pretty as the rest of you, but still."

"That's not what I meant. I just…. This is a surprise. That's all. He's only been home for two days and was supposed to get married right before."

"And he stayed with me last night."

I could feel the tension growing in the room, and it was not something I wanted to be a part of. Sisterly quarrels weren't necessarily my forte, having been an only child myself.

"I think maybe we need some clarification. Yes, I was supposed to get married. My ex cheating was the best thing that's probably ever happened to me. Aspen and I have kept in touch since she tried to run me off at Frannie's wedding. Animosity turned into friendship. And when I came home yesterday, she was there, and we decided to try something new."

I felt both Alex and Aspen's eyes on me as I wove the lie. In my head, it seemed probable enough, but as the words left my lips, I second-guessed myself.

"Mommy," two young voices called out on repeat, bringing all the attention away from me.

Just as the voices stopped, two little girls popped around the corner and collided with Alex's legs. They looked nothing like Alex, but I'd clearly heard them call her Mommy.

"Aunt Aspen!" they cheered as they darted into the room and ran in our direction.

Alex must have noticed my curiosity, which did not play well into our scheme. After a year, I would've surely heard about two nieces at this point.

I tried thinking back to any and all conversations I'd had with my mother over the years, and I only vaguely recalled Alex eloping last year.

Taking a chance, I looked at the little girls and turned on my charm. "These must be your stepdaughters. Hi, I'm Owen."

They giggled at my outstretched hand, and I crouched down in front of them, bringing me to their eye level.

"I'm Eloise," the one with cute pink glasses said as she gently shook my hand.

Nearly pushing her sister out of the way, the other girl with haphazard braids falling on either side of her head grabbed my hand and shook it with gusto. "And I'm Molly. Our dad said you play baseball. He doesn't like your team, but he likes you."

News of my return had traveled fast, it seemed.

"Well, I'm glad to hear that."

"What are you doing with our Aunt Aspen?"

Aspen gripped my arm and pulled me toward the opening. "We were just leaving, actually. He's going to be staying at Aunt Rory's house for a few months."

"Yay!" the girls cheered as if I was their new best friend.

There was no fighting my smile as I passed Alex, despite her down-turned mouth. It was clear she didn't approve of any sort of relationship between me and Aspen. Which left the two of us faking it as hard as we could to convince everyone.

I stayed silent as we trekked back to Aspen's house, but as we settled into my car—her in the driver seat, since she refused to relinquish my keys she still had—she paused before shifting the gear into drive.

"I'm sorry about that. You did good… covering, I mean. It's an easy-enough lie to remember."

"Your sister was kind of…"

"Mean? Yeah, the two of us have never gotten along. Not since I put pink hair dye in her shampoo when I was five. In my defense, I thought she'd like it. I didn't realize the dye was for marking animals. Her skin was stained for the entire summer."

"So, I'm not the only one you wreaked havoc on?"

"Clearly not. You were just the only one who gave it right back. I still stand by the fact that you initiated our rivalry."

She finally started the car as I laughed while rolling down the window. It was another gorgeous day in Ashfield. I'd forgotten how beautiful it was when the end of summer met early fall.

"In my defense, how else was I going to make sure I won the line-leader spot for a month?"

"So you came up with breaking all the crayons and blaming me?"

"Yep, and it worked, didn't it, cricket?"

"You know, I've always wondered why you gave me that nickname. The pranks involving insects didn't start until later."

"That's my secret. Maybe I'll share it with you one day."

Her lips pursed as she clenched the steering wheel. I knew this was something that had been on her mind for a long time, and I wasn't ready to tell her why I'd fallen upon that name. I didn't think she was ready either.

In town, we picked up her car first, and I was immediately sad she wasn't here, confined with me anymore, instead of in her little tin can on wheels. Not that my rental was anything to write home about, but it was at least built within the last five years. I'd need to look around at buying one while I was here. I could hand it off to my mom in my absence.

Just thinking about my mom forced my mood to take a nosedive. There were more secrets at play than just the house being condemned and her needing a job because she didn't want to use any of the money I sent her over the years. Stubborn woman.

Evidently, that was who I got it from.

I followed Aspen to Rory's house, which was only a short drive from the downtown area and the school. Once we arrived, Aspen explained Rory and her husband—hotel heir, Talon Beckett—had built a new house for themselves on the family property just as Alex had. She'd been thinking of renting out this small craftsman-style home, where she lived before they got married, but hadn't taken the leap yet. I was her first renter.

Surprisingly, Aspen helped me sort through my few pieces of luggage. The house was the perfect size for one person. I was surprised Aspen hadn't tried to snag this place for herself.

Rory had given the space a mid-century modern aesthetic. Aspen pointed out that her sister took the pictures on the wall, which showcased her photography skills.

Talent ran deep in the Easterly family.

Aspen left soon after, but not before I laid some ground rules for our mock relationship. We had to be seen in public twice a week. My goal was for people to post on social media that they'd seen us around town. I wasn't a fan of tabloid photographers, and I knew it wouldn't be long before they caught wind of my location and came to Ashfield, but it was an unfortunate part of getting Vanessa off my back. In the time it took to place my clothes in the dresser, she'd called, then texted fourteen times. Which was fourteen times too many.

Another rule was that Aspen had to do whatever I said when it came to teaching her how to date. I'd never had to work to get a girlfriend or a date, even before landing my multimillion-dollar contract with the Coyotes. If she was going to learn everything I knew, then she was going to have to follow my lead.

And lastly, we'd stage a breakup where she was the one dumping me. Unlike Aspen, I was leaving once my season started. She'd be stuck with all the rumors in town. For her sake, it was easier to have her end things.

That night, I ordered takeout from the Indian restaurant, but even the spicy flavors and the football game on the TV couldn't pull my attention away from the constant ringing of my phone.

Knowing I was going to regret my decision, I picked up.

"Owen?" she squeaked before I could even say a word.

"Vanessa, stop calling me."

"But… Owen, I—"

Frustrated, I hung up immediately, knowing all I did was add gasoline to the fire. For the life of me, I couldn't figure out why she was so adamant about speaking to me. She made it very clear on our wedding day that the vows we rehearsed meant nothing.

I had never been more thankful that I discovered her deceit before we officially exchanged the declarations.

A bullet dodged.

Now, I just needed to convince her we were over for good.