Owen pulled out of the parking space and made a left out of the parking garage. Big, fat raindrops spattered the windshield, and the roar of the just brewed storm accurately reflected the tempest raging in her head after watching Summer handle Adams like a skilled therapist guiding her patient to an emotional breakthrough. Summer hadn’t said a word since they’d walked out of Adams’s office and she seemed weighted down by the visit, but Owen felt the need to say something to cut through the heavy silence in the car. “Good thing Mary didn’t come, she would’ve missed her doctor’s appointment for sure.”
“Uh-huh.” Summer’s phone buzzed and she looked at the screen. “Crap.”
“What is it?”
“Nan texted me to say she got stuck at her doctor’s office. She wants to know if I could pick up Faith from school.”
She started texting on her phone at a furious pace. “What are you telling her?” Owen asked.
“I’m texting Faith to let her know I’m downtown without my car and to see if she can hang out inside until I get there.”
“Which school? Spence? Long?” Those were the only two names Owen could conjure up.
“Spence.”
Owen made an illegal U-turn at the next intersection and stepped on the gas, heading east instead of back to the courthouse. “Tell her we’ll be there in less than ten minutes.”
“It’s okay. She can wait. Besides, I’ll still have to get my car from the courthouse.”
“I’ll take you back after we pick up Faith.”
“Seriously, Owen, she’ll be fine.”
Owen wasn’t sure how to read Summer’s resistance. Was she merely being polite or did she really not want to be stuck in the car with her? All she knew was she wasn’t ready to part ways. Try one more time and then drop it. “It’s no bother, really. It’s a tiny detour. Okay?”
Summer hesitated for a moment and then gave her a reluctant smile. “Okay. You’re very sweet, you know.”
“Sweet?” Sweet wasn’t a word she was used to hearing. Dedicated, loyal, hard-working, but sweet?
“Yes, sweet. No wonder Nan has a crush on you.”
Owen warmed to the compliment and she smiled. “Is that so? Is she available?”
“Are you?” Summer’s eyes widened and her hand flew to her mouth. “Oh wow, that was inappropriate.”
Owen laughed. “Are you asking for Nan or are you asking for you?”
Summer blushed. “I’m sorry. It’s none of my business.”
“Okay.” Owen snuck a look at Summer, who’d slunk down in her seat, and then she took the ramp off the highway and used the time on the service road to toss around the pros and cons of sharing personal information with a virtual stranger, a work acquaintance. But Summer didn’t feel like either of those things. She’d been in Summer’s home and shared a meal with her family, so they weren’t strangers, and Summer tagging along on her case at Mia’s request hardly felt like a working relationship. Now they were here in the car together, headed to pick up Summer’s daughter from school. She didn’t know what words would best define the relationship between them, but oddly enough, accompanying Summer on this family errand was more intimate than anything else she’d shared with anyone in a long time, which likely explained why, when she pulled to a stop at the light ahead, she turned to Summer and said, “I am single, by the way.”
Summer turned in her seat and looked at her with a hint of a smile at the corner of her lips. “Duly noted.”
“And you?” Owen ventured, injecting a nonchalance she didn’t feel into her voice.
“Am I single? Yes, very.”
The light changed, leaving Owen no time to check out Summer’s expression, but the tone was enough to convey Summer was firmly settled in her single status. Still, Owen couldn’t resist another question. “What about Faith’s dad? Is he involved in her life?”
“Faith’s dad was a one-night stand after a late night party my senior year at Berkeley. My girlfriend and I had broken up the week before and I was exploring my bi side. Turns out I chose a poor specimen to experiment with since when I told him I was pregnant, he didn’t believe it could be his. I offered to get a paternity test, but he wasn’t interested in having a kid at that stage in his life and I wasn’t particularly interested in tying myself and my unborn child to a guy who’d turned out to be kind of a jerk.”
“Makes perfect sense. So, you had Faith on your own.”
“Completely. I barely knew Nan then—she and my mother never really got along. And when my parents found out I’d gotten pregnant, they had a lot of opinions, most of which involved me going into seclusion for the duration of my pregnancy and giving my baby up for adoption. When I told them I wasn’t interested in their plan, they cut me off. Without their help and with a new baby to raise, I wound up deferring my admission to Hastings Law.”
“You went to law school?”
“I was supposed to. That was the goal, anyway. Law school, then a job with the ACLU or NCLR or the Southern Poverty Law Center.” She grinned. “I was very idealistic and very much all about resisting authority.” Her expression became serious again. “Raising a baby on my own was harder than I thought, and I kept putting off law school. Relationships were hard because people say they’re fine with a ready-made family, but when you have to interrupt a date to go home because the babysitter calls to tell you your kid is throwing up or your kid wanders into the bedroom wanting you to read her one more story while you’re trying to be intimate, you pretty quickly find out someone’s staying power. Couple that with the visits from dead people in the middle of the night and the dating pool shrinks even further, so I focused on making the best life I could with just the two of us.”
“So, with law school out of the picture, you decided to put your ‘gift’ to use?” Owen tried not to stumble over the word, but she could hear the slight edge in her voice when she echoed the term Summer had used for her supposed psychic skills.
“Oh, I was all about ignoring the gift at first. I took a job as a paralegal for a local firm. One thing led to another, and I wound up helping out the local sheriff on a case, not with any of my paralegal prowess, but by using the abilities I’d spent most of my life trying to squelch. It was a revelation. At first…Anyway, the sheriff gave my name to Bruce, the DA in Santa Cruz, and I worked with Bruce for several years before I decided to move out here.”
Owen had a ton more questions, like how Summer had reconnected with Nan and why exactly she’d left Santa Cruz, and whether she’d been in a relationship when she’d left, and why, if she’d found a calling, she’d been reluctant to use it when Owen had first approached her about working on this case. She settled on the least personal of the topics. “I’ve only been to Santa Cruz once, but I find it hard to believe anyone would leave there voluntarily.”
“I know, right? It’s even better to be a local than a visitor because then you get to know all of the offbeat places tourists don’t see, and trust me, there are a lot. Faith and I had some good times there.”
Before Owen could ask another question, Summer pointed at the building up ahead on the right. “She’s usually waiting over there. Yep, I see her.”
Owen steered the car toward the driveway, and when she drew in closer, she motioned for Summer to lower the window. Summer called out to Faith, but Faith stood in place, squinting at them for a full minute before she appeared to recognize her mom in a strange car. Once she did, though, she jogged toward them and leaned down to look in the window.
“Hey, Owen.”
“Hey, Faith. I’m your chauffeur if that’s okay.”
Faith exchanged a look with her mom and burst into a broad grin. “Better than okay,” she said as she reached for the door handle and climbed inside. Once she was settled in, she leaned forward into the console space. “What’s the plan?”
“Owen is taking me, us, back to the courthouse where my car is parked and then you and I will head home. You’ll do homework, while I prep dinner. I’m thinking chili. Thoughts?”
“Sounds fab. Can Owen stay for dinner?”
“Honey, Owen probably has work to do. She brought me to pick you up as a favor, but she’s a very busy person. Maybe another time.”
Owen replayed the words, searching for clues about whether Summer really didn’t want her to stay for dinner or whether she was simply teaching Faith boundaries, while she hoped Summer would join in Faith’s request.
“But Nan says she needs to eat more. Owen, what will you eat if you go home by yourself?”
“Faith,” Summer said in a low growl. “You’re being a busybody.”
Owen laughed. “It’s okay. Don’t worry, Faith. I have a freezer full of perfectly balanced dinners. All I have to do is pop one in the microwave and I’m all set.”
Faith stuck out her tongue and made a gagging sound. “See, Mom?”
Summer raised her hands in surrender. “Owen, would you like to join us for dinner?”
Owen paused for a moment to assess whether Summer was only inviting her because she’d been pressured by Faith before deciding Summer didn’t seem like the kind of person who let herself be pushed into doing something she didn’t want to do. Besides, the invitation sounded sincere and she could think of nothing she’d rather do. “Believe it or not, chili is my absolute favorite dish. I’d love to.”
✥ ✥ ✥
“What time did you tell her to come over?” Nan asked.
“Six thirty. Faith has a big test tomorrow and I don’t want her staying up too late.” Summer ran a knife along the edge of the red onion, discarded the skin in the trash, and chopped what remained into thick chunks. When she was done, she scanned the kitchen counter. The chili was simmering in a pot on the stove and the counter was lined with bowls of the rest of their favorite toppings—sharp cheddar cheese, sour cream, jalapeños. Before she’d started her homework, Faith had grated the cheese, barely able to contain her excitement at having company for the second time in as many weeks. Summer made a mental note they needed to be more social, no matter how naturally resistant she was to expose their little family to other people. Why did time with Owen not feel like an invasion?
“Are you going to change?” Nan asked in a tone that said “please do.”
Summer looked down at her outfit. She’d switched her suit for joggers, an ancient Berkeley T-shirt, and her favorite Reefs—perfect clothes for cooking but not so much for having guests. She’d fully intended to change before Owen arrived, but she decided to tease Nan for a moment. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?”
Nan twisted the dishtowel in her hand and snapped it at her in a playful move. “You’re hilarious. Go put on something presentable. But don’t wear that formal stuff you wear to court. I’m thinking casual but flirty. Git. I’ll set the table.”
Summer ducked out of the path of the snapping towel and jogged upstairs. She’d worn her favorite pantsuit to the courthouse this morning, a vestige of her former life. Hosting Owen for a home-cooked dinner definitely merited a more casual look, but after years of only sporadic dating, flirty wasn’t in her repertoire. Which was fine, because tonight wasn’t about flirting. The only reason Owen was joining them for dinner was because Faith had begged and Summer was powerless to resist granting her daughter such small favors when she knew Faith was having trouble fitting in at a new school where everyone was a stranger. Like you aren’t a little bit excited that Owen is coming over tonight.
She pushed her inner voice aside and combed through the hangers in her closet, finally settling on an indigo blue sweater, faded blue jeans, and her favorite pair of Frye boots. She held the sweater up to her neck and looked at her reflection in the mirror. The saleslady had commented about how the color accentuated her blue eyes, but she’d bought it for the flattering scoop neckline. She vividly remembered the day she’d made the purchase. She’d gone shopping for something new to wear for a first date. A first date that hadn’t happened because that morning the story broke that she’d been assisting the Santa Cruz DA’s office and her special skills had missed the mark. The date had ghosted her, never showing up, never calling or texting, and Summer was certain the brush-off was a direct result of the publicity. She’d seen her picture reflected everywhere she went. People pointed in public, Faith got harassed at school, and the one safe place Summer had carved out for them in the world no longer felt safe. She quit her job and holed up in their apartment until one night, her grandfather, Charlie, had come to her in a dream and told her to call Nan. Two weeks later, she and Faith arrived in Dallas to start their new life.
In the flurry of the move and settling in, there’d been no time to think about dating, and she’d been fine with that. Tonight wasn’t a date, but she was going to wear the sweater anyway because it made her feel good and confident and like a boss, and up against Owen’s strong energy, she needed all the help she could get. She peeled off her T-shirt, slipped on the sweater, touched up her makeup, and took a step back to assess the result in the full-length mirror. Happy with what she saw, she dabbed on some of her favorite cologne and walked out of her room where she ran into Faith in the hallway.
“Homework’s all done. Do you need me to set the table?”
“Pretty sure Nan’s got that covered.” Summer looked her up and down, noting the new pink Chucks she’d been saving for a special occasion. “You changed clothes.”
“You did too.”
“True.”
“We’re having company,” Faith said. “We haven’t had company since we’ve been here. Well, except for last week when Owen was here, but that was different because that time we didn’t invite her in advance. Right?”
“Uh, right.” Summer took a minute to process Faith’s excitement. She didn’t want to squelch it, but she wanted to set realistic expectations. “She’s definitely invited this time, but it’s still a work thing. And it’s temporary. The trial starts in a few days and it will probably last two weeks tops. Then it’s back to looking for a job for me, and Owen will be working on other cases.”
Disappointment flashed in Faith’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced with the bright light of a new idea. “Maybe you can get a job working at her office?”
The doorbell rang, saving her from having this particular conversation. Faith took the stairs two at a time and threw open the front door. Summer heard her greet Owen with as much enthusiasm as she’d ever seen her have about anything, and she vowed not to do anything to squelch it. She’d work this case with Owen and when it was over, if she never saw her again, she’d deal with the fallout if Faith was disappointed. And as for her own disappointment? She’d have to find a way to deal with that too.
“Mom, Owen’s here.”
Summer paused on the landing and watched as Owen and Faith engaged in a lively conversation about Faith’s school. Owen wore dark jeans, black loafers, and a fitted lux-looking black V-neck sweater. Cashmere, maybe? She’d have to feel it to be sure, and suddenly the idea of running her hands along Owen’s side sent a warm flash through her entire body. It had been too long since she’d been intimate with anyone. Surely that was the reason her body kept reacting the way it did whenever she was around Owen. Whatever the reason, it needed to stop. They were in each other’s lives for a temporary purpose and, just like she’d told Faith, when this case was over, they would part ways, each moving on to their different lives. She took a deep breath and descended the stairs.
They both stopped talking as she approached, and Owen handed her a bottle of wine. “I hear this is a good wine to pair with chili, but I realize it’s a weeknight, so feel free to stash it for another time.”
Summer read the label. Chateau Petrus Pomerol. It looked French and fancy—not exactly chili material, but she decided to go with it. “Let’s have a glass.” She led the way to the kitchen, but not before noticing Faith slip her hand into Owen’s and tug her along. Instinct told her she should do more to discourage Faith’s instant bond with Owen, but how could she when she was developing a bond of her own?
While Faith regaled Owen with tales of her science project, she rummaged through the cabinet for proper wine glasses, but all she could come up with were the short juice glasses she used every day, caring more about what was in the glass than how it reached her lips. With the whirlwind her life had become over the past couple of months, drinking straight from the bottle would’ve been an option if she weren’t worried what Faith would think.
“Why aren’t you talking to your company?” Nan whispered in her ear.
“Because I’m busy trying to find a wine glass for said company,” Summer whispered back, glancing across the room, happy to see Owen, thoroughly engaged in her conversation with Faith. “She brought a bottle and it looks expensive.”
Nan reached up and closed the cabinet door. “I keep the good glasses in the hutch in the dining room.” Summer started to head that way, but Nan pulled her back. “Go talk to Owen, and I’ll get the glasses.” She lowered her voice even more. “She looks good in a suit but even better like this. Right?”
Summer rolled her eyes, but Nan was right. Casual Owen was even more delectable than the courtroom litigator version, probably because she seemed more approachable. Summer knew better—Owen was way more vulnerable, even in a suit, than she liked the world to believe, and she wondered what had happened in Owen’s life to make her feel like she had to put up barriers between her and the rest of the world.
But tonight wasn’t about that. She wasn’t sure what tonight was about, but she decided to take it one step at a time and the first step was dinner. She opened the oven door and pulled out a cast iron skillet.
“Is that cornbread?”
Summer nearly dropped the pan in surprise to find Owen standing right behind her. Owen reached out to help her and their hands touched for a brief instant, but enough to send Summer into overdrive. “Sorry,” Owen said. “I didn’t mean to startle you.”
Summer took a deep breath and set the skillet on a trivet, hyperaware Owen was still standing close behind her. “It’s okay. And yes, cornbread. It’s my fav with chili.”
“Mine too.”
Owen’s eyes closed as she spoke, and Summer caught a glimpse of the aura from earlier, filling the space between them. Owen’s mood was heavy and joyful at the same time, and Summer couldn’t resist asking, “What are you thinking?”
Seconds trudged by before Owen opened her eyes and grinned, all traces of sadness evaporated. “You mean you don’t know?”
Summer rolled her eyes, but inside she yearned for another glimpse of the aura, certain it would give her a glimpse into Owen’s psyche. And she desperately wanted that glimpse. Maybe too much. She shook away the thought and pointed at the bowls on the counter. “I hope you like toppings.”
“I do.” Owen smiled. “And I see you’re a fan of all the right ones.”
“Well, I mean my chili’s pretty good, but it’s merely a palette.” Summer grinned. “Toppings are life.”
“I’m in complete agreement.” Owen pinched a few shreds of cheese, popped them in her mouth, and moaned. “Oh, that’s the good stuff.”
Summer’s stomach flipped at the visceral pleasure Owen displayed. She shut her eyes briefly and imagined feeding Owen bits of cheese, enjoying the soft interplay when she touched Owen’s mouth with the tips of her fingers. Would Owen moan at her touch?
Nan appeared with the wine glasses at that moment, saving her from having to contemplate things that would never happen. Things she wasn’t even sure she wanted to happen. Being around Owen opened up all of her senses and the ensuing onslaught of sensations was affecting her ability to focus. That was all this was—nothing more. She poured three full glasses of wine and handed one to Nan and one to Owen.
Nan downed a liberal swallow. “This is delicious.” She examined the bottle. “I don’t recall having seen this brand before.”
Owen shrugged. “I pulled it out of my stash at home. I think it might have been a gift.”
“Nice gift,” Faith called out from the kitchen table where she was holding her cell phone. “It’s been sold out for years. The only place someone might get a bottle is from this auction house in France and they give first bidding rights to their wealthy members. You’re not a member, are you, Owen?”
Owen laughed. “Not hardly.”
“Then you’re out of luck, Mom. Guess you’ll have to settle for that stuff you buy at the grocery store.”
Summer rolled her eyes. “Thanks, Faith. Appreciate the vote of confidence.” She took a sip of the wine, followed quickly by another. “Oh wow. This is amazing.” She reached for the bottle. “I’m half tempted to hide the rest of this and keep it to myself. Nan?”
Nan took another sip. “Beautiful bouquet,” she announced. “Let’s skip the chili and have this for dinner.”
“I’m with you,” Summer said. “Food is overrated.”
“Hey,” Faith said, waving her hand in their direction. “Remember the twelve-year-old whose idea this whole dinner was. She’s hungry, and not for grape juice. Chili’s getting cold.”
The room was quiet for the next few minutes as they dug into dinner. Summer used the time to think, weighing which topics would be most likely to get Owen to talk without making her feel like she had to discuss the case. In a perfect display of mind reading, Faith beat her to the punch.
“Owen, does your family live in Dallas?”
Summer caught the flicker of sadness in Owen’s eyes. It was a quick flash, rapidly replaced by a neutral expression, but she was certain the sadness ran deeper than Owen let on.
“I don’t have a lot of family. It’s mostly just me. But I’ve lived here most of my life. Bring on all your Dallas questions and I promise I can find you answers.”
Faith opened her mouth and, afraid she was going to pry, Summer summoned all the energy she could muster. “Let’s not ask her a lot of questions. She’ll share things about herself as we get to know her.” Faith flashed her a smile to signal she’d gotten the message, and then plunged into a mini interrogation about the best museums in town. Summer breathed a sigh of relief, but there was a part of her that was disappointed because she wanted to know everything she could about this enigmatic woman, but she didn’t want to do it in front of Faith and Nan. I need to find a way to get some private time with her. She met Owen’s eyes and was startled at the feeling that Owen was seeing into her head, reading her thoughts. As it had earlier, the idea of sharing a psychic connection with another person, especially a smart, attractive woman like Owen was exciting, but she realized she was probably just projecting. On the off-chance Owen was really able to see into her head, she boldly unfurled the one message that dominated her thoughts at this very moment. I wish we were alone right now.
Owen cleared her throat and the connection was broken. “When this trial is over,” she said to Faith, “I’ll take you, and your mom and Nan, of course, to the Perot Museum of Natural History. It’s fascinating and I’m a member so I get to bring guests for free.” She turned to Summer. “In the meantime, we have some trial prep to do. Are you free tomorrow night? I know it’s a Friday, but it tends to be the quietest time of the week for me.”
“Absolutely,” Summer said, acutely conscious of Faith and Nan mentally cheering her on. “It’s work, you two.” “I’m at your disposal for the duration of the trial.”
“Good to know.”
Owen held her gaze for a moment and everything else receded. After a few seconds, Summer felt compelled to change the subject because they weren’t alone and this wasn’t private. Tomorrow. Tomorrow she could be alone with Owen and have a better shot at examining these feelings without an audience. She pointed at Owen’s bowl. “You left some.”
Owen looked down at her bowl. “I didn’t mean to.” She ate the last bite and scraped her spoon around the inside of the bowl like a kid wishing for a second helping of ice cream.
“There’s plenty more.”
Owen grinned. “That obvious?”
“Pretty much.” Summer reached out a hand, motioning for Owen to hand her the bowl. The spell between them was broken, but this sharing of the everyday was nice too. “I’m glad you like it.”
“Like it?” Owen shook her head. “Love it is more accurate.” She patted her stomach. “But I better not have any more or I won’t be able to walk out of here.”
“We’ll pack you a to-go box,” Faith said. “Right, Mom?”
“Great idea,” Summer said. “Cornbread too?”
“That would be amazing.” Owen set her napkin on the table and leaned back in her chair. “This was the perfect dinner. Lucky for me you invited me over when you were making my favorite meal.”
Summer watched Nan and Faith exchange grins, and she raised her napkin to her lips to hide her own, but it was too late. Owen narrowed her eyes. “What’s going on?”
Faith pointed at the empty dish. “Not a coincidence.”
Owen looked at Nan, who nodded in confirmation. “Nope,” Nan said.
When Owen finally turned to her with a question in her eyes, Summer raised her hands in surrender. “Guilty as charged. I got a hint about the chili and I went with it. I promise I wasn’t reading your mind.” She wasn’t lying since it was the spirit surrounding Owen who gave her the message, not Owen herself. Summer waffled about saying anything else before she decided to wade slowly into the subject. “Was it your mom who used to make it for you?”
The minute the words landed, she wished she could reel them back in. Owen’s friendly demeanor shuttered closed and she clenched her hands in her lap. “I’m sorry. That’s none of my business.”
“It’s okay,” Owen said, her voice on the edge of curt, belying the words. “You know, I should get going. I have a lot of trial prep to do still. Dinner was amazing and I truly appreciate you having me over.” She edged her chair back and it scraped against the floor making a loud awkward squeak.
Summer ignored Faith’s pleading expression and her silent voice, begging her to stop Owen. She was as disappointed at Owen’s change in mood as Faith, but she couldn’t blame Owen for wanting to protect herself from being vulnerable. It wasn’t like she didn’t feel exactly the same. When was she going to learn to maintain boundaries between what she knew and what was appropriate to share? She’d put Owen on the spot by bringing up her deceased mother—she was certain that’s who had appeared to her—and now she’d ruined their pleasant evening. The least she could do was not make it any more awkward than it already was. She stood and faced Owen across the table, injecting all the compassion she could muster into her gaze. “I’ll walk you out.”
Owen said polite, but stiff, good nights to Nan and Faith and followed her to the door. Summer put her hand on the doorknob but paused before opening it. “I’m sorry. I had no right to bring up your personal life. It’s hard not to share when I get a caring message, and I’m certain whoever it was that told me you liked chili was someone important to you, someone who cared about you very much.” She paused, noting the pained look on Owen’s face. “And here I am, doing it again.”
Owen cracked a hint of a smile and Summer wanted to ask if she would see her tomorrow, if she still wanted her to help prep for trial, or whether she was going to stay mad at her for a very long time, but she also didn’t want to fill this heavy space between them with words that didn’t have anything to do with the feelings she was having about Owen. Strong feelings. Connected feelings. Feelings that continued to bubble to the surface no matter how much she tried to ignore them, so she embraced them instead, reaching for Owen’s hand. Their fingers laced for a moment before Owen released the hold and took a step back.
“I have to go,” she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I know.”
“Thank you.”
Owen placed extra emphasis on the words, and Summer wondered about the underlying message. Thank you for dinner? Thank you for not asking more questions? Thank you for not asking me to stay? She couldn’t quite home in on which, so she said the only thing that seemed appropriate. “You’re welcome.”
As she watched Owen walk down the steps to her car, Summer thought of a million better things she could’ve said. She hoped she’d get the chance.