“Dude,” Matt said. “Cut the shit. Are you forgetting I was around when you two first started hooking up. You two were obsessed with each other. Still are, from what I can tell.”
Owen dropped into the chair facing Matt's desk, lowering his head into his hands. “I almost kissed Ava last night. In the cabin. Noah walked in before it could go anywhere.”
Matt stayed silent. When Owen looked up, his eyebrows were raised in question.
“It wasn’t the first time, either. We've been talking since she's been in town. Hung out a few times. Avery likes her, takes every chance to talk to her.” Owen tipped his head back to stare at the ceiling. “She's everywhere I turn. At the café, on the sidewalk, at the hardware store, at the lake. Hanging out with my son. And fuck–” Owen cut himself off.
“You've missed her,” Matt said, his voice as solemn as Owen had ever heard.
Owen shot him a pleading look to drop it. His frustration lessened, but the confusion remained.
“Shit, man. You're down bad for Birdie even after all these years.”
Owen's body tensed. “Don't call her that.”
Matt's eyes widened to almost comical ovals. Then he burst into laughter. “You're so fucked.”
Owen mulled over Tori's proposal throughout the afternoon. He needed to call her already and tell her no, but something had him procrastinating the call, worried she would pry into his refusal. Instead, he did what he did best. Work.
He told himself it was so he could monitor the renovations across the street. It was not so he would see if Ava came into town today. Not at all.
And yet, anticipation ran through him when he glimpsed Ava through the café windows, walking with Noah. Noah's much taller frame towered over her, but their identical smiles made it easy to see how they were related. They both resemble their mom. Not a womanhe’d particularly liked, but he'd been spared much interaction with her over the years.
Noah opened the door to the café and ushered Ava inside. Owen watched him take in the changes since the last time he'd visited, as he stepped up to the counter.
“Owen, love what you’ve done to the place. The artwork is cool,” Noah greeted him with an easy smile.
“Thanks, man. If you're still around, we have some events coming up if you'd like to check them out.”
“Sweet, I definitely will,” Noah agreed with an enthusiastic nod.
Owen turned his attention to Ava; not like he could ignore her presence when her eyes felt like a brand on his skin. Awareness shot through him whenever she was near.
“Hi,” he said. He hoped Noah didn't notice how his voice lowered, softened, where Ava was concerned.
She peered at him under her eyelashes. “Hey, Owen.”
Noah's eyes ping-ponged between the two of them. For a brief moment, Owen worried Noah had seen more than they realized when he’d walked into the cabin last night.
Noah hooked a thumb over his shoulder to the back windows overlooking the lake. “I'm gonna grab a table. You know what I like, A.” He turned and walked away, leaving them alone.
“You left without saying goodbye last night,” Ava said.
There was no accusation in her tone, but Owen felt it all the same.
“Matt had a few more drinks than me. Didn’t want him driving home,” Owen said.
“Right,” she dragged out the word. “It’s not because of, you know.” She cast a glance over her shoulder in Noah's direction.
Owen played dumb. “Because of what?” His heart rate sped up at the memory of the look on her face. The desire.
Her eyes narrowed, the pinched expression on her face cute and not intimidating as she intended. Owen held back a smile, but that only seemed to embolden her. She placed her hands on the counter and leaned across it to invade his space. Owen resisted the urge to look down at the cleavage revealed by the change in position. Instead, he leaned his hips flush to the counter, placing his own hands down on the counter inches from hers.
“Because of you coming on to me in the kitchen last night. I know what it’s like to be kissed by you, Owen.” She tipped her chin down, hiding her gaze from him. “Like I could ever forget,” she muttered.
Without thinking, Owen pinched her chin between his thumb and finger to lift her head back up to look at him. His fingers burned from the contact, but he didn’t let go.
“And I know what it’s like to be kissed by you, Ava. That,” he emphasized, “I will never forget.”
