Page 76 of Owen

Covered in a sheen of perspiration, panting and satiated, our bodies press against each other. Every cell of my being sings with happiness.

I hum out a contented sigh.

“I love you, Jade,” he whispers, trailing loving kisses down the skin of my neck and shoulder, then back again. “I love you so much.” He reaffirms the sentiment.

I can’t help but smile, blown away by how in tune we are, jumping from wild and fast to soft and gentle in a heartbeat.

The bond I feel between us is so strong already, it shakes me to my core.

With neither of us wanting to face our problems, we lose ourselves in one another.

And tomorrow we’ll tackle my lack of a full-time nanny issue, and we’ll face whatever is coming with his father, but until then, it’s just us.

At least until the sun rises.

“I love you too, Owen.”

22

OWEN

Wrapped in a thin white sheet, Jade and I are lying face to face in bed as the sun welcomes the new day.

“What happens if your dad shows up here?” Nervously, she nibbles on her bottom lip.

“What can he do? Blindfold me, tie me up, and fling me into the back of a plane to fly me home?” Not likely. And we no longer have the private family jet. Out of the blue, he sold that last year.

“I don’t know what he is capable of.” She looks at me with those big, innocent doe eyes.

She’s right, she doesn’t know him, but I do, and although he’s an ass, I don’t believe he has it in him to be so bold. He’s comfortable in his own surroundings in Scotland and barely leaves the country. He’s far from the man about town he thinks he is.

“Positive. He may have tracked me, but we leave here in five days, and I have no intention of returning to Scotland.” He can’t make me.

“We have so much to pack before then.” Jade groans at the enormity of it all.

I moved in with her and Poppy the day after Mari’s accident, and we’ve grown into this villa, accumulating things as if we were already a little family.

“You focus on refining your choreography. Is today the last run-through?”

She’s glowing with happiness when she nods. “Yes, and Families Day is on Friday to say thank you to the base for hosting and show them the entire display from start to finish.” She pulls the covers up to her mouth with excitement.

“Then home on Saturday,” I confirm.

Then back to the cold weather of England. I shiver at the thought.

With only one suitcase and a passport to my name, I never in a million years thought I would move to England.

Although—I stare at Jade—I’ve got her and my lovely little Pop-a-doodle and they are more than enough to stoke the fire in my belly to find a job and make some money so I can look after them. I’ll do whatever it takes to make this work. I’ll even take a job in finance if I have to. I’ve already been looking and there are plenty of options. I’ll not struggle to get work.

“My choreography worked out perfectly.” She sighs.

“Your display is jaw-dropping.” And stomach-dropping. Poppy and I have made our way up the cliffs several times to watch them practicing and every time I spot something different, and now they’ve added in flying with colored smoke, it gives the stunts that extrawowfactor. I especially love the giant love heart two of the jets perform. The precision and shape of two planes drawing a heart shape in the sky with red smoke while only feet away from each other blows my tiny brain. I do notknow how they do it. The risky maneuver is performed perfectly every time.

I bop the end of her nose. “So, you concentrate on being awesome, and I’ll pack. It won’t take long.” I’ve already packed most of Poppy’s toys ready for the plane.

While Jade is flying her jet back to England, Poppy and I are returning on a flight from Larnaca airport to Manchester, where we’ll be greeted by a driver to take us on to camp to meet Jade. Without check-ins and transfers, she’ll be back before us, but not soon enough to meet us at the airport.

Having never flown with a baby before, I’m unsure of what I’m doing, so I’m winging it. I’m a little worried, but I’m sure we’ll be fine.

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