“I told Charlotte.”
“And made her promise not to tell Cal or anyone else.”
“Is it too much to ask for a little privacy?”
“Sorry, sweetheart. I call bullshit.” Keeping my voice quiet, I take her hand resting on the dog between us, in mine. I’m not looking for conflict, but I need to understand. “You’re hurt. Someone tried to kill you. Your family and friends want to seeyou. This is more than avoiding the girls’ I told you so’s. Talk to me. What’s going on in that head of yours?”
“None of your business,” she whispers.
“Oh, I think it is. You’re in my house, in my bed, with my dog next to you.”
“Our dog, remember? We’re co-parenting.”
Thank God for Maui.
“And you’re deflecting.”
“And you’re annoying.”
“Clover, talk to me.”
She maneuvers herself until she’s on her side facing me. “I like being here with you. Just you and me. We don’t need reality to come along and ruin things.”
I adjust to mirror her. “Daisy, I’ve been stealing moments with you for over a decade. I’ve been waiting for you to see me. The real me.” I reach out and tuck her hair behind her ear, a habit I don’t ever want to stop. “I’ve been waiting for you to be ready for me.”
She rubs her forehead. “It must be the concussion, because I don’t understand.”
“Nice try. You heard me loud and clear in New York. I also made my feelings known at Oktoberfest and several times before.”
Finally, dropping the oblivious act, she sighs. “We hooked up at my grad party, and you and Janelle started dating a week later. You were with her for years.”
“True, we started dating shortly after. It’s also true we were off more than we were on. I’ve been stealing moments since your graduation party, but since Hawaii, there’s been nothing real. Only you.”
She runs her hand over the sleeping pup. “I still can’t believe you named her Maui.”
“That trip changed everything for me.”
“Make it make sense, Owen. You might as well have had sex on the dance floor at Cal and Charlie’s wedding. You’re with a different woman every weekend.”
“You’re exaggerating a wee bit, don’t you think?”
“Uh. No. I don’t.”
“Good to know I had your attention at the wedding. That was the point.”
“You expect me to believe that?”
She attempts to roll away, but I’m not letting her hide from me tonight. Scooting the dog out of the way, I move close enough to throw my leg over her hip so she can’t escape.
“You date as many men as I do women. All I’m doing is keeping myself busy until you figure it out.”
“Figure what out?” she asks, still playing the fool.
“That for me, it could only be you. The rest are just filler. I haven’t been with anyone but you for over a year.”
She gasps, her eyes as round as saucers. “What?”
“You heard me.”
