Leena sat at Chris’s waiting for what seemed like hours for Owen and Steven to arrive. Chris wouldn’t tell anyone why this was an emergency meeting and wasn’t going to say anything until everyone was there.
She killed time reading through the part of the list she had left off on a few days ago. She smiled as Dade and Cora seemed to be having yet another of their face-to-face discussions. Some day they would open their eyes and see what was in front of them.
Dade glanced over Cora’s shoulder to see if Leena was still busy on the other side of the room. “Doc said he’d get someone to page him, and then he can pick up his own car when Owen takes him back to the hospital.”
Cora nodded. “I’ll fake a headache or something I guess.” She looked uncomfortable with the plan. “Then you can take me home.”
“This is why I picked all you ladies up tonight.” He turned toward Chris and looked at him a moment. “What has he come up with to call this meeting?”
Cora shrugged. “I have no idea. He wouldn’t share with me.”
Leena was up off the chair and in Owen’s arms before he got all the way in the door. He’d said he’d keep his distance. Hadn’t he vowed that to himself all the way here? How could he not hold her when she was wrapped around him? Unable to stop his own arms, he pulled her tight against his body and held her. Unable to stop his own mouth, he kissed her deeply, and when her mouth devoured his, he forgot he wasn’t going to do this.
His traitorous hand reached and held her head gently, forgetting again he wasn’t going to do this before they talked.
Leena pulled back and smiled up at him. “I need to hear everything. You’ve left me hanging all week about this big deal, Owen.” She nibbled his bottom lip. “First, we need to find out what was so important that Chris called us all here, though.”
He tucked her under his arm, then walked into the room. Owen ignored the knowing grin Dade gave him and settled down on the couch with her still close to his side. Why did just being near her settle all his fears? Wasn’t he the one with the talent that was supposed to do that to others?
Rubbing his hand down her arm, he and smiled into those sexy amber eyes. “I really need some time with you later, Leena,” he whispered.
She grinned. “You better, after being absent all week again.” She snuggled tight into his shoulder and sighed.
Chris cleared his throat and waited until they all turned to look at him. He was holding a tray with flutes of champagne. “I called this little gathering tonight for a rather important announcement, and I’ve just found out we actually have two important announcements within the group.” He set the tray down. “Owen, why don’t you share yours first, then I’ll tell everyone about the second.”
Owen gave him a startled look but grinned. “Well, I spent half of this week haggling with publishers and editors... and signed a contract for a six-book series.” He hugged Leena tight against him. “Of course, I’m not sharing the plot line with anyone right now.” He winked down at her. “But it’s the biggest deal I’ve ever signed and I won’t have to worry over finances for some time to come. I’m well into writing the second story now.”
There were cheers and congratulations from all directions. Hands were extended to shake his, kisses sweetly placed on his cheeks. His heart stopped when he finally looked down at Leena again. She looked back at him with a pride he’d never remembered seeing in anyone’s eyes when they’d been looking at him. There it was shining back at him so clearly it almost blinded him.
“I’m so happy for you,” she whispered and hugged him tightly to her.
Chris walked over and stood in front of them. “It’s obviously all about the two of you tonight. Leena. Tyler’s case went before the judge yesterday afternoon.” She gave him a startled look. “I helped push a few buttons, and it wasn’t that hard when they wanted to get it done before he could take off again.”
He sat on the coffee table and looked at her anxious expression. “He will be out of the picture for the next ten, with no chance of parole for seven, and once he is out, he is not allowed to even be in the same city as you.”
Leena sat there for a moment as she absorbed what he was telling her. “I can’t believe it’s over.” She looked up to see the tear-filled eyes of her female friends and then turned to look at Owen. “I’m really free from him for good,” she whispered, still in shock. She half climbed right into his lap as she hugged him tightly.
Half kneeling, she spun toward Chris and grabbed him, wrapping her arms around his neck. “Thank you, Chris.” In one excited leap she was up off the couch, over the table, and into the girls’ arms.
The four men each reached for glasses on the table and watched the women. It was one of those moments men tried to avoid but certainly didn’t mind seeing from time to time. Cora stopped hugging and walked quickly over to the glasses of champagne. She looked at Leena and lifted the glass. “To the ending.” She lifted it toward Owen with a smile, “and the beginnings,” she smirked into her glass when Owen almost choked on his drink from her well-placed words.
After several rounds of chatting and some more endless chatting, Owen looked at the clock. If he started now, he might get her out of here in the next hour. He was just starting to rise when he noticed Cora holding her stomach.
“I don’t think the champagne agreed with me.” When he stepped in her direction, she shook her head. “No, it will be fine, Owen. I’ll just get Dade to take me home so I can lie down.”
“You’re sure?” When she nodded, he turned to see if he could persuade Leena to go. Doc swore in the corner as his pager went off. He cursed silently to himself when he headed over to him.
“Can you run me back to the hospital, Owen?” He watched behind him as Cora was hugging Chris and getting her purse. “I didn’t think I’d have to go back tonight or I would have taken my own car. I’d ask Dade, but it looks like he’s taking Cora home.”
Owen glanced around at everyone else. Why did he have that weird feeling? They seemed to be in deep discussion standing at the door. Chris was off in the corner talking quietly to Leena.
Something wasn’t feeling right here, but he couldn’t put it in words. “What is going on?” he asked no one in particular rather loudly. Everyone stopped and looked at him. Leena gave him a startled look from the tone he’d used.
Dade swore and stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down at the floor as Cora looked at hands that were no longer clenching on her stomach. Kasey and Rachel stopped talking and looked at each other. That was all he needed.
Owen spun back to the Doc. “You’re in on this, too? Do you really need to get to the hospital?” Steven let out a long breath and looked as guilty as Chris stood there with his attorney face on. “What the hell is going on?”
“Owen.” Leena started to walk toward him, but he held up a hand.
“You’ve been doing this to me all week, haven’t you?” He glared at Dade. “You son of a bitch! I have been losing my mind, and you’re behind it?” Dade only shrugged in his ‘whatever’ way and continued to look at him.
“Stomach suddenly better there, Cora, darlin’?” Cora at least looked guilty. He gave a brief glance to Rachel and Kasey, then turned back to Leena. She was clearly shocked and confused. He stomped over and grabbed the bag he knew was hers, grasping it in his hand he went towards her. “To hell with all of this!”
Owen walked over and flipped her up into his arms to carry her tightly against her chest. When she yelped, Dade stepped forward. “We’ll take care of this ourselves. Just stay out of it.”
“Owen, have you lost your mind?” Leena demanded probably looking as bewildered as she felt.
“Close, baby, but not yet. Later ask everyone how hard they worked this week to keep us away from each other, but right now I’m taking you home where I can bloody well see you and talk to you without playing goddamned phone tag!”
“What?” She demanded as he went through the door with her. She chanced a look over her shoulder to see everyone standing together with the biggest smiles on their faces she’d ever seen. “Well,” she pushed against him. “Put me down, and at least let me walk. You look like an idiot carrying me and a purple purse.”
Leena went with him without another word and continued to not say anything until she was sitting in his living room. She smiled at him when he finally settled down in the chair across from her. “Now will you explain to me what just happened? I think I’ve been pretty good about being hauled out of Chris’s and tossed into your Jeep.”
Owen ran his hand over his hair as if rubbing it would help him find the words. “Sorry, but when I realized I’d been going out of my mind all week trying to get some time to talk to you... I’m pretty sure your friends have kept you really busy this week, busy enough...” He stopped and stared at his phone. “Shit. Dade probably turned the damn thing off on me.” He leaned forward and looked down at his clasped hands that rested on his knees. “None of that part matters right now.” He looked up at her. “I did a lot of thinking while I was driving back and forth this week, Leena.”
“I see.”
He didn’t like how quietly she had said that. “It’s not what you’re thinking. I’m not telling you to bug off or anything. I just... just need you to listen to me, please.”
“I’m listening, Owen, but I have no idea what you’re trying to say.”
Nodding more to himself than her. “Right. I’ve tried to figure out how to explain this, spent all week trying to figure out how to explain this, and I still don’t know how to explain it.” Owen stood up and paced to the window turning back toward her.
Then he stuffed his hands in his pockets. She looked so soft and lovely as she sat there looking up at him patiently. Letting out a long breath, he tried again. “You know how my father was. Actually, if I think about it long enough, I could blame my success with writing on that man. I lived in my own mind when I was growing up, wrote stories when I needed to escape.” He paused for a moment and ran his hands over his face. “I really love being with you, Leena, and I am half in love with you. Well, probably a lot more than half, but I’m not being fair to you.” Leena sat forward and studied him silently for what felt like an hour.
“In what way, Owen?”
Her soft, understanding voice almost made him crawl to her and rest his aching head in her lap. “I vowed, years ago, I don’t know the exact day or anything, but I vowed I’d never have children. I’d never take that chance...that I’d never take the chance I’d be my father.” When she went to speak, he pleaded. “Please, let me finish now or I might never get it out.”
She nodded.
“I don’t think he was always like that, but I don’t remember when it started. It was a gradual thing, I think.”
Owen walked over and squatted in front of her and took her hands. “I’ve never been in the position where that could happen. I wasn’t looking to get into it either. I see you with children and a warm, loving home. You do want kids someday, don’t you, Leena?” He almost hoped she’d say no so he could hold her and kiss her right now, when he’d never needed to more.
Leena lowered her lashes and looked at their hands. “Someday,” she whispered.
“You’d be an amazing mother, Aileena,” he told her quietly. “I want so much to be with you, don’t misunderstand that, but I can’t be a father. I won’t take that chance with an innocent child.” He gripped her hands tightly for a second then let them go. “Do you understand what I’m trying to say?” He looked into eyes that were glossy with tears that didn’t fall.
“No, not completely.” Leena swallowed and then cleared her throat quietly. “You basically just said you loved me, but you don’t want to be with me.”
She looked up at him, her eyes filled with pain. “I do want to be with you, Leena, more than I’ve ever wanted to be with anyone.” He stood up and walked back to the window. “You deserve a husband and children and the happy world you were denied for years. I can’t be that man.” He couldn’t let himself think of her with anyone else just yet. “I can’t give you that.” He turned to look back at her.
Leena had her arms wrapped around her stomach. “So, what do we do now?” Her voice trembled.
The sound of her voice almost brought him to his knees, his chest tightened so much it hurt to breathe. “I don’t know.” He turned to see her taking her phone out of her purse. He knew she was calling one of the friends they’d just left to take her home. He didn’t want her to go, but he stopped himself from telling her.
She closed her phone and looked up at him. “I think you need some time to figure out what you do want, Owen.” Her lips quivered as she spoke. “I can’t do that for you.”
A moment of weakness hit him. “Leena.” He actually reached toward her and then stopped, pulled his hand back, and put it in his pocket. “I didn’t plan this, didn’t plan beyond the fact that every time I looked at you my heart jumped in my throat and I couldn’t think.”
She sat there a moment with her purse bunched up in her lap holding it before she looked at him.
“I’m sorry,” he whispered. His throat felt raw, and he couldn’t find any more words for her.
Leena’s phone buzzed in her hand. Dade must be at home. He’d be here in five minutes. She put it in her purse and stood up. “I know you didn’t, Owen, and I do understand why you think you couldn’t be a father.” She walked and stood in front of him and looked up to see the torment in his eyes. The pain she felt, he felt too. “Let me just tell you what I know. I know the man that sheltered me and kissed me when I was all but broken would never raise his hand to a woman. I know the man that led a shy little boy around a fair would never so much as raise a harsh voice at a child, never mind his hand.”
She reached up and placed her palm on his cheek. “When you work this out...” her voice was shaking, “when you work this out, let me know what to do.” She stretched up and kissed him softly on the lips. She turned and moved quickly to the front door.
He whispered her name once as she went out it.
Dade had just pulled in the driveway when he spotted Leena walking quickly out the door. It only took one look on her face to know that Owen had in fact lost his mind completely.
As she climbed in the van, he glanced back at the house to see his friend standing in the door looking much like Leena did. He would give him a day then tell him what an asshole he was. As he backed out of the driveway, he glanced at the woman who was barely holding it together.
Leena didn’t remember the drive home. Dade hadn’t spoken, He knew she didn’t need his words then. As she walked in the house, she heard the answering machine come on.
“Leena, I’m sorry.” His voice was rough with raw pain. “I want so much to beg you to come back, but I know that’s just being selfish. I... I wish... I’m sorry, Leena. So sorry.”
The machine clicked off.
She let the tears she’d been holding in out as she collapsed onto the couch still hugging her purse.
The next morning, Owen ignored the phone. He would have picked it up if Leena’s number had come up, but it didn’t. He ignored the doorbell. He ignored the loud knocking. Ignored Dade’s cursing on the outside of the door. He threw himself into his writing and vowed he wouldn’t stop until he burned out this confusion, until he could sit for five minutes without wanting to drive to Leena’s and beg her to forgive him.
On the other side of town, Leena read the tenth message that had been sent to her. She ignored each phone call, ignored messages. She made sure all her doors were locked and turned her stereo on low and forced herself to go over each list Chris sent earlier again. Hoping she’d missed something the first time. She needed time to settle. She needed time to decide what she would do with her broken heart when Owen told her he was walking away for good.