Owen scrubbed his hand across his cheek. “Listen, Brooke, I need to put this out there right now. You came to me for lessons because you’re into Kai, and I’ll do everything I can to help you make a connection with him. But I’m not about to be your runner-up or help you pass the time until you can get to him. Not after what I’ve been through. Ihumiliatedmyself with Sophie. It was disgusting. I swore I’d never let it happen again.”
I started to answer him but he kept talking.
“Kind of funny that all went down at the barn. Like history repeating itself, you know? I got burned by the love triangle thing bad, and I promised myself I’d never let it happen to me again.”
“But that’s not what—”
Owen silenced me with a pointed look.
“I’m sorry.”
“Yup. At least you get it. Sophie seemed to enjoy the drama.” Owen frowned. “And I wassucha fool for letting it go on for so long. I kept thinking she’d figure out that I was the better match for her. Pickme, you know? And she did, for a little while. She’d complain to me about Josh, how awful he was to her.” He shook his head. “Guess she got over that.”
“Do you want to talk about... the news?” I asked tentatively.
“I don’t give a shit that they’re engaged,” he fired back, sounding like he did. “But seeing him was a reminder of what I let her do to me. I willingly subjected myself to it. I’m still mad atmefor being such a fool.” He smacked his palm to his chest hard enough that I wondered if it hurt.
“Anyway, you get where I’m coming from,” he added.
I’d never been in any part of a love triangle, so I didn’t actually. I’d written a few, but seeing the collateral damage up close made me never want to again.
“It was a mistake. I’m a mess, sorry,” I said quietly, slumping in my seat. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing.”
“Yeah, you do,” he replied. “You’re going to perfect your pickleball game, woo your muse, and write a bestseller. Easy.”
I leaned my head against the window. “Yeah, right. Easy.”
Plus, I needed to cauterize whatever confusing Owen feelings were waking up inside of me.
“Hey, you learned how to pick hooves today. That’ll help with your word count, right?”
I snorted. “Oh, for sure. The bonding scene between Austin and Abby is going to be amazing, cruddy horse feet notwithstanding.” I paused. “But after that? I’ve got nada.”
“And that’s where our buddy Kai comes in. Speaking of, let’s get your first game on the books. I’ll text you a list of public courts and you let me know what works for you.”
He looked so grim that I wished I could give him a hug. But actually not, since I now knew what it could lead to.
“You’re doing too much. Seriously.”
Owen met my gaze, softening a little. “I’m helping a friend. Plus, it’s sort of fun experiencing the back end of book world. The writer’s struggle. How the sausage gets made.”
Sausage. Why was I cursed with a mind that couldn’t stop conjuring up dad joke double entendres?
“You’ll be my first thank-you in the acknowledgments for sure,” I said. “You’re my pickleball gateway drug.”
“Ah, so you’re addicted to thegamenow? It’s not all for Kai?”
I blushed a little at how shallow it sounded coming out of Owen’s mouth. It wasn’t exactly “all for Kai,” at least not anymore. My feelings for playing had shifted since the first time I picked up a paddle.
“Well, now that I’ve discovered that I have a tiny bit of coordination, Idolike it.”
“Tiny bit?” Owen scoffed at me. “Please. It’s like a switch flipped. I’m getting scared of you.”
“Yeah, right.” I laughed at him.
“I’m serious. Get a couple of games under your belt and my work will be done. You’ll be ready to meet your muse on the court.”
I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye, deflating a little. “Done? Like the end of my lessons?”
