Chapter 51

fifty-one

BEN

"Ben! Wait."

My footsteps slowed as Owen raced toward me.

"Where are you going?"

I didn't want to have a conversation with Daniel's brother, but he was standing in front of me. "Back to Daniel's apartment."

"Are you all right?"

I bit my bottom lip. The kindness in Owen's face made me want to cry. "I'll be okay. I just need a taxi or an Uber."

"I'll drive you."

"It's okay. I can find my own way back."

Owen stuck his hands in his pockets. "I don't know what's happened, and I don't need to. But I'm worried about you. It's not safe to walk anywhere at this time of the night. Especially when you're on your own."

"I'll be fine. I lived in Los Angeles for most of my life."

"My car isn't far away."

I glanced at the crowded sidewalk and the cars traveling along the busy road. After living in Sunrise Bay, the traffic in Manhattan was as bad as an IndyCar race. Vehicles filled each lane, honking their horns and competing for the lead position at the traffic lights.

With a resigned sigh, I turned to Owen. "Thank you. I'd appreciate a ride."

"Thank goodness. I was worried I'd have to bribe you with the best hot chocolate in town to get you to the parking building."

Owen was trying to make me feel better, but it wasn't working. I followed him along the sidewalk, lost in thoughts that only made me feel more miserable. "Did Daniel ask you to drive me back to his apartment?"

"Was I that obvious?"

"Only a little."

Owen sighed. "I don't think ‘ask' is the word I would have used. He told me to find you or he wouldn't be going to Shelter Island."

"Why is it important you all go there?"

"This Christmas it'll be twenty-five years since Mom and Dad died. We used to spend a lot of time at the Island but, after they died, we hardly went back. Daniel thought it was time we resurrected a family tradition."

I shivered as a cold gust of wind raced along the street. "Why don't you go sooner?"

"This way." Owen pointed to the left-hand side of the parking building. "We'd like to, but our schedules fill up too fast."

As we walked behind the parked vehicles, I frowned. "Did Daniel tell you I'm going home?"

"I think he was hoping you'd eventually call Manhattan home."

Owen's softly spoken words brought more tears to my eyes. "I don't know how I feel about anything at the moment."

"It happens to all of us." Owen unlocked his car and opened the front passenger door. "We wouldn't be human if someone didn't let us down every once in a while."

I sat in the sports car and pulled on my seat belt. "You should write a column for the newspaper."

"I can see the headline now. ‘A single person's guide to love and all its pitfalls.'"

Owen's grin was so much like Daniel's that my breath caught.

"Who knows, a wonderful woman might read the article and ask me on a date."

"You don't have a girlfriend?"

"Not at the moment." Owen reversed out of the parking space. "I'm too busy running my own business and making sure my brother's okay. Daniel enjoyed staying with you."

Despite feeling as though my heart was breaking, I smiled. "He taught me how to dance."

"That would have made Grandma's day. She spent hours with Daniel, teaching him the difference between his left and right foot."

My eyebrows rose. "But he's such a good dancer. I thought he must have been born with a natural rhythm."

"Don't let his confidence fool you. Daniel spent hours perfecting each step." Owen glanced at me. "Some people look at my brother and think his life has been easy. But he's worked hard for everything he's achieved. When Daniel started Wilson Enterprises, he didn't have enough capital to grow the business into what it is today. Granddad became his majority shareholder, but that investment involved a lot of high expectations."

"Wilson Enterprises has one of the best online retail stores in the world. Your grandfather must be happy with what Daniel's done."

Owen shrugged. "It's hard to tell with Granddad. Daniel's contract as chief executive is up for renewal. Even though you're working with Wilson Enterprises, Daniel could still be out of a job."

"Do you think that will happen?"

"I hope not, but if Granddad agrees, they can do just about anything. Can I give you some advice?"

I sighed. "Do I have a choice?"

His lips twitched. "Not really, but I thought it was polite to ask."

"In that case, how can I say no?"

Owen smiled. "I'm beginning to see why Daniel has fallen in love with you."

Hot tears filled my eyes. "He has a funny way of showing it."

The smile on Owen's face disappeared. "Daniel wouldn't have meant to hurt you. After Mom and Dad died, he locked away his feelings. Even Tom, his ex-fiancé, didn't make him as happy as he's been over the last few weeks. When you're thinking about what happened tonight, don't underestimate how much he loves you. He wants to be part of your life."

I pulled a bunch of tissues out of my pocket and blew my nose. Being part of my life wasn't enough. I needed to trust Daniel, and I didn't know if I ever could again.