“I did. And Tori Wells is the new chairperson for the Historical Society. I’m so fucked.”
Maddy’s eyes lit up with glee, her amusement ramping up at his expense. “Well, well, well. Mr. Celibate broke his streak with the President of the PTA and now it’s coming back to bite you in the ass,” Madeline laughed. “You have bad luck with one-night stands, don’t you?”
Considering his one-night stands were Maddy and Tori, he would say he was two for two on unlucky hookups. One hookup, a momentof heartbreak he’d tried to numb with a heartbroken and confused Maddy ten years ago, resulting in Avery. The other, a night of loneliness after his 32nd birthday with a freshly divorced Tori Wells.
He did not make good decisions when emotional.
“Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up. It’s going to be a pain in the ass with Tori signing off on all my suggestions for the renovation.” Owen sank down into his chair.
“Poor Owen, surrounded by women of his past who he’s stuck his dick in. The downside of living in a small town, huh?”
Owen sent her an unamused glare.
“That’s why I like to stay on the move. I never run into my hookups. The women are gone in a matter of days.”
“Yes, but one of us has to stay in one place for Avery. Stability and all that.” Owen didn’t consider his words until they were out in the open. At the hurt expression on Maddy’s face, he instantly regretted them. “I didn’t mean it like that, Mads,” he rushed to smooth out the edges of his words, even if there was some truth to them.
Maddy’s lips tipped in a half smile, her earlier amusement forgotten. “I know. Wasn’t expecting the rush of guilt. Avery knows I love him, right? It kills me to disappoint him.”
“He knows.Iknow,” Owen said.
Maddy gave him a grateful smile, the shine in her eyes revealing her inner conflict. She stood from the couch and stretched her arms above her head. “I should get packed so I can head out after breakfast,” she said with a nod toward the guest room she stayed in when she visited.
Owen stood from his chair and gathered both of their beer bottles, following her out of the living room. When she reached the guest bedroom door, Owen stopped her. That worry buried deep in his ribcage, unmoving.
“What I said earlier about staying safe? I mean it, Mads. Make sure you come home in one piece. No matter how experienced you are, water can be unpredictable.”
She walked over and gave him a quick hug. “I’m always safe. I’ll see you in the morning, O.”
He watched her close the bedroom door behind her, then went through the motions of shutting down the house for the evening. Tossing their beer bottles in the recycling, locking up, and checking on Avery a last time to assure himself he was safe before he took himself to bed for the night. Then he texted Summer to ask if she could watch Avery in the afternoon so he could attend his meeting with the Historical Society, already mentally preparing himself for the crushed nine-year-old he’d have on his hands tomorrow.
Chapter 8
The Offer
Ava kicked her feet up on the porch railing and relaxed into the cushioned chair with her third coffee of the day. Sleep continued to escape her the previous night, leaving her with a headache and a determination to stay busy.
That’s how she ended up finishing all the downstairs closets. She’d removed everything, organized them into keep, donate, and trash piles, then cleaned each closet from top to bottom. A lingering mist of lemon cleaning spray filled the downstairs.
Normally, the sense of accomplishment would drive her to keep going, but the tense muscles in her back forced her to take a break. At least for a bit.
She sipped her coffee and soaked in the quiet afternoon. Loons cooed from the pond at the edge of the property, their calls echoing through the trees. Wind sent ripples across the surface of the glittering water. Leaves and pine needles covered the unused canoe by the dock.She made a mental note to check on its condition. The canoe might be in the rare category of items that would be worth selling.
And then her intrusive thoughts struck, ruining her peace. Thoughts of Owen and the redheaded woman he’d led behind the counter in the café. It bothered her how easily he invited her into his space. Then it bothered her that she was bothered by it. What Owen did with other women was none of her concern.
Time for another distraction.
She pulled out her phone and shifted into work mode. The double-digit number next to her email app begged for attention. She scanned her inbox, her finger pausing at an unread email from Alec.
Was he switching to email now to reach her?
Her first instinct was to delete the email without opening, but the subject line piqued her interest. Against her better judgment, she opened it.
Subject:Board Member Connection
Ava,
