Page 85 of Sweet Home Louisiana

He just held her as she cried.She let it all out.The fear, the embarrassment, the confusion, the happiness.

Because, yeah, there was happiness mixed in there, too.She wasn’t proud of her reaction.She hadn’t used her head and had gone on pure emotion.That was stupid.It was also something she hadn’t done in over a decade.Everything she did now was controlled and planned and rational.

Not here.Not with this guy.The guy she was clinging to like he was a life preserver and she was in the middle of the ocean, at risk of drowning.

She just cried, her hands gripping the back of Owen’s shirt, for a few minutes.

He rubbed his big hand up and down her back and talked to her in a low, soothing voice.“You’re okay.”“I’ve got you.”“It’s all okay.”“I’m right here.”

And slowly the fear and humiliation started to fade, and in its place was a warmth—she hadn’t been hugged and comforted since, well, he’d done it on the dock the first night she was in town.Before that, it had been a very, very long time.He was solid and warm, his heartbeat strong, his hold on her tight and secure.He made her feel safe.He made her feel like someone had her back.They all did.She’d freaked out, screwed up in front of customers, and yet her partners had just met her on the dock and worked on diffusing the situation as best they could, giving her a chance to get it together.

Partners.

They were her partners.But in more than business.She had no trouble believing that any of them would go out of their comfort zone for her if needed.

Her tears stopped, but she didn’t let go of Owen.In fact, she cuddled in closer.God, he was so…real.He smelled like sunshine and dirt.He was hot, not just body temperature but from being outside in the sun for the past hour, too.He was hard, the planes of his muscles firm against her, and she knew that he could pick her up and carry her out of here if he wanted to.If she asked him to.

She really wanted to ask him to.

Of course, if she said, “Will you carry me out of here?”she’d also add, “and up to your bedroom?”

He’d do it.She knew that, too.They were balancing on the edge of tipping over into hot, crazy, this-is-going-to-tear-up-my-heart-but-I-want-it-anyway.

Part of her attraction was to his huge heart.The one beating a little fast against her ear, but also the one that allowed him to love big and completely.His family could do anything and he’d still be there for them.If someone said, “Hey, can you help me bury a body?”, he’d show up with a shovel.And she knew that extended to her as well.

The arousal that was always coursing through her just below the surface when Owen was around grew stronger as the fear, mortification, and the muddled feelings faded.With a deep breath, she pulled back and looked up at him.

He met her eyes.

They just looked at each other for a moment.Then his hands moved up to cup her face.

“I didn’t think about Tommy,” he said gruffly.“I’m so sorry.That was part of it, right?”

She nodded.“Yeah.But I overreacted.”

“No.”He blew out a breath.“Fuck.I’m so used to going out there and doing that, it didn’t even occur to me that you might think of Tommy.Damn, that was really stupid of me.”

Maddie reached up and squeezed his wrists.“It’s okay.It really is.And yes, I did think of him, too, but that was really mostly aboutyou.”

He took a breath, then nodded.“Okay.”

“Areyouokay?”she asked.

He gave her a half smile.“Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

“Not scared of me?”

He glanced around.“If you left that Remington on board the boat, then I’m not worried.”

She gave a small laugh, then groaned.“Oh my God, Owen, I’m so sorry.”

He focused on her.“For?”

Her eyebrows went up.“For almost shooting you!”

“Oh, that.”He shrugged.

“Oh, that?”she repeated.

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