They walked the short trail to the watermill, and Ava’s fingers curled in the belt loop of his jeans as she followed behind him. Much like the Agatha Building before he'd bought and renovated it, the old watermill sat in disrepair since being damaged decades earlier. It was an abandoned structure just outside of town, serving as a popular spot for teenage trysts. There were always talks of reviving the mill, but the town never seemed to take it any further than a petition here and there.
Owen spread out the blanket on a flat area with a good view of the town. A short distance away, Cedar Lake glittered as the sun began its evening descent. The firework show would start within the hour.
Ava kicked off her shoes and sat on the blanket, her tempting red dress spread out around her. Owen joined her and unloaded the basket, pulling out the bottle of wine. He popped the cork and poured them each a glass.
She held her glass to toast. “Cheers.”
“Cheers,” he repeated.
He held Ava's gaze as she sipped the red wine, which stained her lips even darker.
“Are you ready for Avery to come home tomorrow?” Ava leaned back on one of her hands, crossing her ankles in front of her. The relaxed stance emphasized the swell of her breasts. Owen continued unpacking the basket to avoid getting distracted by all her curves on display.
“I am. It's crazy how much I miss that kid when he's gone. Not that he's away from home all that often.”
“He doesn't go spend time with Madeline?”
Owen handed her a cloth napkin and set the basket to the side. “She usually comes here to see him. I keep the guest bedroom set up for Maddy when she's in town. With how much she moves around for work, she doesn't always have the room for Avery to stay. Selfishly, I prefer having him nearby.”
“That's not selfish. You're a good dad, Owen.” Ava sat her glass to the side and turned to face him, a frown on her face. “I don't say this to bash Madeline, but I can't imagine wanting to be away from my kid. Avery's still so young. I'd want to be there for every moment.” She paused, looking toward the lake in the distance. “I know my dad wished he could've had us for more than the summers.”
Owen put his hand over hers where it rested on the blanket between them, giving it a squeeze until she looked at him again. “I know she loves him. When Maddy got pregnant, she thought this would be her only shot at having a kid naturally, but I don't think she ever dreamed of being a mom. We were twenty-two, and she wanted a life of freedom and adventure. I didn't want to take that away from her, not at the expense of Avery having an unhappy mom.”
Ava bit her lip but didn't stop him. This was why he wanted to take her out tonight. They had to discuss Avery and Maddy and what that meant for their future together. If they had a future at all.
“But I always knew I wanted to be a dad. I was ready, mentally, after what happened with us.”
Ava tried to pull her hand away, but Owen held tight, not letting her put distance between them.
“I can't pretend to know what it's like to be Maddy, because I agree with you. I want to be there for every moment with Avery. The good, bad, hard, rewarding, uncomfortable. I wouldn't trade it for the world. Because of that, I have to be careful who I bring into Avery's life.”
Ava closed her eyes, understanding washing over her features. “There can't be a repeat of last night unless this is serious. Between us,” she said softly.
Owen nodded, refusing to loosen his grip on her hand. “Avery is the one thing in my life I'm not willing to compromise. I have to put him first, always.”
Ava gave him a smile, moving closer to cup his cheek with her other hand. “I would expect nothing less from you.”
Relief coursed through Owen, a tension he didn't know he’d held releasing from his shoulders. He didn't date because Avery was his life. Not every woman would understand his son came before them, even if that woman was the love of his life.
“I can't make you any promises. Not anything I don't know with a thousand percent certainty I can keep,” she said.
Owen's heart stuttered to a stop.
“But I want to try this again. I'm here for another six weeks. Can we take it slow? Spend time together, the three of us, and see where this takes us? There are some financial matters I need to clear up with dad's estate with my brothers, and I still have my final Board of Directors interview scheduled for August, so I need to take this one step at a time.”
It wasn't the perfect answer, but Owen appreciated her honesty. Ava didn't commit to anything without thought. He couldn't expect her to leave her job, her life in New York. As much as he might want her to.
“One step at a time. I can handle that,” he agreed. “What do you say, Birdie? Take a second chance with me? Me and Avery?”
Ava gave him a blinding smile, nodding hard enough to make her curls bounce behind her headband. “Let's give it a shot.”
At her words, Owen closed the distance between them and pulled Ava to him, sealing their agreement with a deep kiss. She moaned into the kiss, and he parted her lips to explore her mouth. When she shifted closer, Owen grabbed her around the waist and hauled her to straddle his lap. She ground down on the erection through his jeans. He clamped his arms around her hips to hold her still.
“Birdie,” he said. Her eyes stayed closed, a shiver coursing over her. “Look at me.”
Her hazel eyes shot open. He took in her puffy lips and the brightness of the green in her irises.
“Owen,” she breathed.
