Page 103 of Owen

“So you keep telling me.”

She rolls her eyes. “You are so predictable.”

I give her one last kiss and spank her ass for good measure. “C’mon, you need to go. You’re meeting Gregor in five minutes.” They are driving down convoy style, and that settles any concerns I have about being apart from them, knowing he’s watching out for her. She slips something smooth into the palm of my hand before her hand drops out of mine.

“Now you have a little part of me with you too.”

Unclenching my fingers, I stare.

It’s her lucky poppy stone.

“But you need this for flying.” I attempt to give her it back, panicking, as I know how much she relies on it as part of her flying ritual.

“I’ll get it when you come home.” She winks, then grabs my hand to drag me to the side of the car.

Home.

Jumping into the driver’s seat, she lowers the window and pokes her head back out of the open space to kiss meagain.

“Love you, Owen.”

“Drive safe.”

“Always.”

“And fly safe.”

“Always,” she repeats.

And then she’s off, with the wonderful females I have in my life, and all I can do is watch as she drives out of the black wrought-iron gates and around the corner out of sight.

“See you soon,” I whisper, clutching her lucky charm firmly in my fist.

My phone vibrates in my pocket, bringing me out of my daze, and when I pull it out to see who is calling, I hit accept.

“I miss you already,” Jade shouts down the phone, making me laugh.

“You too.”

“Love you,” she shouts again, and then Mari and Babs join in. “We love you too.”

And we all burst out laughing.

God, how I love those women.

My earpiece alerts me to another incoming call.

Camilla.

If I can survive an hour with Camilla, I can do anything.

And before I know it, I’ll be back with my girls.

30

OWEN

Back behind the wheel of my silver Aston Martin Vantage, I take it for a spin along the cliffs of Castleview Cove to blow away the cobwebs as it had been sitting, unused, for too many weeks. I didn’t believe Camilla when she said my father didn’t sell it, but when I arrived at my house, it was parked outside waiting for me.

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