Page 87 of Falling For You

For a moment, our eyes locked. A wave of conflicting feelings rushed through me.

Anger.

Hurt.

Betrayal.

Sadness.

But also something I couldn’t quite name. I had wanted to forget him, just push him out of my mind entirely for the day… or the rest of my life.

Yet, seeing him there, watching everything unfold, stirred something inside me. I wasn’t ready to deal with any of it.

Owen gave me a slight nod, almost as if to say, “I see you. I understand.”

In fact, I could almost hear his voice now.

But I forced myself to turn away and focus on the crowd around me. I felt his gaze still on me, and for some reason, I felt a little better and stronger.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Violet

I sat in my usual spot on the worn leather couch tucked in the lodge’s back living area. It was away from guests and reserved for our family.

It was my happy place. The décor felt homey, with the large stone fireplace tucked in the corner and blankets draped over the rocking chairs. My parents often put up a family Christmas tree here, in addition to the one out front for the guests. It was connected to the kitchen, so it always felt like I was close to the heartbeat of the lodge.

Christmas.

It was hard to believe that was coming up next month. First, I needed to get through the upcoming auction. I shoved that unpleasant thought away and stretched my feet in front of me.

My laptop stayed propped open on the coffee table in front of me as I worked away on my food blog.

I’d been going through the motionsandscheduling upcoming posts since I got home from downtown this morning, but my mind wasn’t on the words on the screen.

The protest had left us all fired up but with nowhere to put our energy.

My brothers teased and shouted one-liners between them.

The moodwas riding higher than usual in the lodge. But sitting here and staring at the blog posts I had written left me with unresolved feelings.

Despite my best efforts, my thoughts kept drifting back to Owen. The way he was there, holding up his sign in support of our little town. Not to mention, he braved the crowd of people who squarely blamed him for everything in the first place.

He didn’t have to show up, but he did. I thought back to what Abby told me and wondered if she was more on the money than I wanted to give her credit for.

I sighed and smiled as I listened to all the comforting sounds of Honey Leaf filling the air. The comforting clatter of dishes in the kitchen as Mom baked, the playful banter between Fifi and Sienna as they played cards at the dining table, and the low hum of the stereo filling the rooms.

And then my mind drifted to Owen.

Again.

It was hard to reconcile all the people who had come together to save Buttercup Lake.Then, think about the one person who led us to protest.

Owen.

The guy I fell for.

Somehow, in one week, he had turned my world upside down. He showed a softer side, one that made me reflect on my own dreams and desires. When he started helping me with the blog, I saw a genuine interest in my success. He made me see potential where I had only seen routine. Or was he trying to hand me a Plan B if the lodge shut down?

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