The next day, Jill drove to Owen’s house terrified of how things were going to turn out.
Though she didn’t regret telling Darren what she had, she hadn’t expected him to try to call her all night and beg her to stay in his life. That he needed her and didn’t know what he’d do without her.
Because her friendship meant too much.
If he really cared about her, then he’d see what their friendship was doing to her, but he didn’t and she had to stay strong.
She pulled into the driveway of Owen’s house. It was a nice development that he lived in, an older established one and there were tons of holiday decorations on many of the homes. It was a place she’d love to live one day. She was thinking it suited him more than something flashy and new. There was really nothing about Owen that screamed that to her.
He opened his front door before she could even knock. “Were you waiting for me?” she asked.
“I’ve been looking out the window. Come on in.”
She stepped in and went to slide her shoes off when she saw his socks, but he stopped her. “It’s fine. I don’t wear them when I walk around the house, but we won’t be here long.”
“Is Luke here?” she asked, realizing that the house was too quiet to have a child in it.
“He’s at my parents already. He knows you’re coming and I can’t get a read on him about it, so I thought it might be good if my mother talked to him first.”
“Is he upset?” She’d been thinking about this all night. Just what she needed to be stressed about on top of her fight with Darren.
“I don’t think so. He’s seen me with women I’ve dated before. You won’t be the first woman he’s been introduced to, but you’re the first since Ashley’s death.”
She’d kind of figured the last part since he hadn’t lived here that long and commented on being alone for a while. “Why did you want me to come here first then?”
He pulled her into his arms and just held her tight, then tipped her chin up and kissed her softly. She’d been missing this from a man. Tenderness that she didn’t get often.
“I wanted to do this and figured it probably wasn’t best in front of Luke. I also wanted to show you around my house.”
She sighed in his arms, glad that he’d planned it this way. She needed a hug more than she realized. “I’d like to see your house.”
He walked her through the first floor and though it was nicer than anything she’d ever lived in or could afford, it wasn’t anything that made her jaw drop. She was learning that Owen didn’t like to stand out, much like herself.
He did have a tree up though and some decorations by the fireplace. Many looked handmade and it made her heart soften that he was putting things up that Luke had made for him.
“You need to make it more festive for Luke,” she said, grinning at him.
“Next year for sure. This is about all I could handle this year.” On the second floor, he showed her Luke’s room and a spare, then into his. “I haven’t done much other than paint. I don’t have the time or energy to do much once I get home from work and deal with Luke and schoolwork. I figured I’d live in it for a bit before I made any decisions on the future.”
“It’s a good size,” she said, her eyes landing on his king-sized bed.
“If we had more time I’d show you how comfortable that bed really is.”
“Much more comfortable than my bed or couch, I’m betting. How much time do we have?”
He laughed. “Not as much as I’d like. Another time.”
“Darn. I could use something to relax me right now.”
“There’s no reason to be nervous, but maybe this will help.” He pulled her back into his arms and showed her that a kiss could be just as good of a relaxation technique if done right. Owen did it right.
“It’s nice enough out so we can walk down, if you don’t mind. It’s only about two blocks.”
“That’s good,” she said. “I don’t mind early December weather as long as it’s not snowing.”
“Luke is hoping for snow before Christmas, but I told him not to hope too much. It’s like we’re having an Indian summer right now. High forties, low fifties this time of year is nice, but I’m not banking on too much more of it.”
They walked out of his front door and down the street, past more houses that were similar to his. Some were bigger, some were smaller, all had about the same amount of yard, which was more than she’d seen in other developments.
His parents’ house was about the same size as his, but when she walked in the front door she noticed it wasn’t as up to date and was cut up differently. This was a house that screamed holiday spirit and she wondered if it was done for Luke or it was a yearly tradition. Since some of the decorations looked centuries old, she guessed they loved to celebrate like she did.
Luke came running forward and then halted when he saw his father with someone. “Hi,” he said, quietly.
She walked forward and held her hand out to his. He took it like a gentleman. “I’m Jill Duncan, and you’re Luke.”
“Luke Taylor,” he said primly and she giggled, causing him to laugh. As for icebreakers, it worked about as well as she could expect.
Owen’s parents were nice. His mother open and friendly and very engaging with Luke. She could tell he needed that in his life. Owen’s father was a little bit more like Owen. He was nice but quiet. Reserved was probably the best description.
“You’re the first woman we’ve met that Owen has dated in close to six years.”
The unspoken “since Ashley” was in the room. She looked at Owen. “Are you so slippery that no one can hang on, or just so private you pretend someone doesn’t exist?” she asked, winking at him. It was said as a joke, but deep down she wanted to know.
“I haven’t found anyone worth trying to hold onto.” Good answer.
Owen’s mother looked at his father and smiled. “Owen has never been as slippery as some might have accused him of. I personally think he is one heck of a catch.”
“Thanks, Mom, but I’m sure Jill doesn’t need to have a list of all my good traits.”
“Maybe I do,” she said, “because we know Owen is private. It’s like pulling teeth at times.”
“He’s always been that way,” Owen’s father said.
Jill was ready to breathe a sigh of relief when the dinner was over. It wasn’t the worst meeting of the parents she’d ever been to, but it was the most nerve-inducing.
The three of them walked home with Luke running down the road faster to get there first. “Do you think he likes me?” she asked.
“I’m sure he does. He’s a pretty laid back kid at the root of it.”
“Would he tell you if he didn’t like me?” she asked.
“I believe he would.”
She didn’t want to ask what would happen if Luke did say that because that would be making Owen choose and she knew darn well where she’d fall in the equation.
***
Owen had been sweating the last few hours.
Had he wanted to toss Jill on his bed when she walked in his room and relax them both? Hell yeah. But he didn’t because he found when he was with her he lost track of time and all his thoughts, and he had to stay focused.
His parents were good, just like he expected them to be. Even Luke was good considering he’d been quiet since Owen told him last night.
Now it was just going to be the three of them in the house without his parents as buffers.
“Did you want me to leave?” she asked him.
“No. Why?”
“I don’t know when Luke goes to bed or if you wanted some time with him alone.”
“It’s only six. We purposely ate early so that we could come back to the house and relax. I thought maybe we could play a board game or something that Luke could pick out.”
“I’d like that a lot. Does he have video games?”
He snorted. “Of course. He wants a more advanced system, but he’s got a Wii. That’s about all I was willing to give into right now.”
“Wii’s are fun. Especially the dance games.”
“Oh no, are you going to make me dance?” Talk about embarrassing. There was only so much he was willing to do for a woman.
“Do it for Luke,” she said.
She hit below the belt. “You’re already playing me,” he said.
In the past, that would have bothered him if Ashley tried to guilt him into something, but with Jill, he knew it was just in good fun.
“No, I’m going to beat you,” she said, then took off in a run after Luke. He caught up to her fast enough and both of them were laughing when they reached the driveway with Luke cheering him on. “No fair,” she said to Luke. “The person with the loudest cheering section normally wins.”
“I’ll cheer for you if you want to run back down to Grandma’s and back.”
Owen burst out laughing. “He’s kidding,” he said when Jill looked down the street like she was considering it. “Speaking of being played. He’s good at that.”
“I’m saving my energy up to kick your dad’s butt in some games. What do you have that I can beat him at?” she asked Luke when Owen was unlocking the front door.
“Dad is great at everything. But he doesn’t always like playing all the Wii games. I like video games the best. Do you like them?”
“Really?” she asked. “Which ones are those?”
Owen was trying not to laugh at the puppy dog eyes that his son was sending Jill’s way.
“Volleyball, cuz he’s afraid he’s going to hit the ceiling. He jumps really high. So nothing with jumping at all. And dancing. Daddy really hates to dance.”
“Do you like the dancing one?” she asked Luke sweetly.
“I like most of them,” Luke said.
“Since they’re your games, Luke, why don’t you pick out what you want to play? I love the Wii,” she said, rubbing her hands together.
“Do you have your own?” Luke asked.
“I had an older one. It’s good entertainment.”
Almost an hour later, all three of them were sweating and Jill was laughing more than he’d ever seen. The same with Luke. It was a good night.
“Jill,” Luke said. “You haven’t won anything.”
“That’s not very nice, Luke,” Owen said.
“I didn’t mean it that way. I just meant that everyone should have a chance at winning so I’m going to let Jill pick the next game. One more before bed, please?”
He couldn’t say no to that, even though he’d told Luke the last game was going to be the last one of the night.
“One more game. Jill’s choice and then we’re done.”
“Dancing,” she said. “Any dancing game you’ve got, I’ll play it.”
Even Luke groaned, so Owen didn’t feel so bad.
After Jill won the first match, Luke piped up and said, “I think it’s time for bed.”
Owen burst out laughing. “That’s his way of saying he doesn’t like to dance.”
Luke put his head down. “I was trying to be polite about it.”
“That was a good way to say it, Luke,” Jill said. “I appreciate being able to beat you both at something.”
“I had fun tonight,” Luke said.
“Me too. But I should probably leave now that you have to get ready for bed.”
“You don’t need to go,” Owen said. “It won’t take long to get Luke in bed.”
“If you don’t mind,” she said. “I’ll just relax in here.”
“Sounds good. Come on, Luke. Up the stairs to clean up.”
Luke raced ahead of him and dashed into his bathroom and started to brush his teeth. When he was done and had his pajamas on, Owen turned the TV on and set the timer for thirty minutes. He didn’t normally allow for TV in bed, but the weekends were their splurge, plus he figured Luke might need to wind down.
“Daddy.”
“What, bud?” he said, tucking Luke in.
“Mommy told me that I’d have a family again someday.”
Of all the times for this to come up. Ashley was good at filling Luke’s head with dreams of the three of them living happily ever after. “That can’t happen, Luke.”
“I know. I know Mommy is in heaven and I know you and she would never make a real family with me anymore.”
He hated to hear those words spoken, but he’d wanted Luke to know all along that it couldn’t or wouldn’t happen back then. “No. It can’t happen.”
“Mommy wasn’t always a nice person.”
He sat back fast after he’d kissed Luke on the forehead. “Why do you say that?”
“Because she’d say mean things about people all the time and laugh at them. She didn’t always want to play fun games with me either.”
“I’m sorry that you have those memories of her. You should think of better things and remember them instead.”
“I do. I try to.” Owen nodded and got up to leave the room. He was one step out when Luke said, “Jill is nice.”
“Yes, she is.” And he was starting to wonder if maybe it was time to put himself first for once in his life.