Page 71 of Second Chance Fate

“Yeah, that’s the day I found her on the side of the road.”

Goosebumps lifted on the bare skin of her arms. “That’s the day I left Martin. May twentieth, it was a Tuesday.”

“…a Tuesday,” he spoke over her at the same time.

They stood staring at one another, both of them taking in the magnitude of that discovery. Or maybe she was projecting. Maybe the fact that he’d found Minnie, who suffered from nearly identical ailments as Owen, on the side of the road and rushed her to the vet on the same day that she got the call at Owen’sschool, and she left Martin, and they drove across the country to Hope Falls, didn’t strike him as significant.

This was the second time today she’d gotten goosebumps. The first came when Caleb’s mom showed up with the exact hairstyle she’d always pictured her imaginary mom having, down to the color, everything, and then she called her by the nickname her imaginary mom called her. Sweet Pea. Sure, it was a common endearment, but not as common as, say, sweetie. And now May 20th. She hadn’t told Caleb about the coincidence yet. They’d been too busy dealing with the truth bombs they were about to drop.

The silence that hung in the air was broken when a message alert came through on Caleb’s Apple Watch. He glanced down at it, and his jaw tensed.

“Everything okay?”

His eyes lifted back up to meet hers. “Yeah. It’s Judy. I need to stop by the church before I go see my parents.”

“Oh, okay.” There was a cloud hanging over him, and her instinct was to ask more about it, but she didn’t want to pry.

His hand snaked around the back of her neck, and he pressed one more kiss to her forehead. The feeling of his lips sent a shiver dancing down her spine, landing between her legs. He stood back up, oblivious to the sensation he’d just inspired in her.

“If you change your mind, just call or text, and I’ll be back.” Both his gaze and tone were earnest and sincere.

She nodded and watched as his arm dropped from her neck; he turned and headed out of the house. After taking a few deep breaths, she topped off her lemonade, poured a fresh glass for Owen, slipped off the barstool, and then headed out into the backyard. As she pulled open the accordion glass door, it felt like something she’d done hundreds of times, not twice. It was strange to think that she’d only been in Caleb’s house for onenight, Owen had been there less than two weeks, yet it felt like home. Or at least what she always imagined ‘home’ would feel like. Since she didn’t have a frame of reference, she couldn’t really be sure.

Whether or not this was what ‘home’ felt like, she was just happy that this conversation was happening in a space that she felt safe in and that, from what she could see, Owen felt safe in.

The cool late evening air was crisp as she stepped onto the deck. She glanced to the right, admiring the large farmhouse table and its rustic charm. To the left, there was a built-in barbecue and outdoor kitchen. String lights hung delicately from the wooden beams of the pergola, casting a warm and welcoming glow over the outdoor space. Strands of ivy climbed up its wooden posts, adding to the natural and serene atmosphere. A large fan with oversized black blades was positioned strategically in the center to provide a cool breeze during hot summer days.

Beyond the deck, the area was beautifully landscaped, with a large patch of grass surrounded by luscious green plants, bushes, and colorful flowers in bloom. Taylor made her way to the fire pit in the far corner, which had a cozy atmosphere. She sank into one of the cushioned Adirondack chairs, placing her lemonade in the cup holder and Owen’s on the tiny bistro table beside her.

She sat patiently watching Owen run around with the dogs. So much of his life he’d been physically incapable of being active, there was no way she’d cut his time short when he had the energy to chase the dogs around.

The only drawback was the delay gave her mind more time to wonder what his reaction was going to be to the bomb she was about to drop in his life. She was 99.999% sure he’d be happy about Caleb being his biological father. Passing along that information didn’t worry her at all. The sinking feeling in herstomach was there because of the other news she had for him. The news that she was married. There was a good chance he’d be upset that she’d done that without even speaking to him first, and he’d be completely justified in feeling that way. She just hoped he would forgive her.

He ran around for another twenty minutes or so before he came over and collapsed into the chair beside her. By that time, her palms and underarms were sweating. He took a big swig of lemonade, and she leaned down and gave both dogs scratches behind their ears before they plopped down at their feet.

After two more drinks, Owen wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and sank back in the chair. “How are you feeling?” he asked. “Do you want me to help with dinner?”

Dinner? She’d completely forgotten about dinner.

“Um, maybe, I actually wanted to talk to you first, if that’s okay.”

“What?” He immediately sat back up and leaned toward her. His entire demeanor switched in the blink of an eye from carefree and happy to serious and worried. “Do you have to go back to the hospital?”

“No,” she quickly assured him. Seeing his reaction validated the fact she’d done the right thing not to tell him about the marriage while she was in the hospital. “I’m fine. This isn’t about me.”

“Okay, is it about Martin? His trial. Did something happen?”

Damn, she’d forgotten to tell him about that, too. Owen knew the trial was supposed to start today.

“Actually, yes, but that’s not what I was going to talk to you about. The trial was postponed.”

His brow furrowed. “Why?”

“Medical reasons.”

“Medical reasons for who?”

“Martin.”

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