Page 31 of Mercy Lake

Mum had signed him up for micro soccer to play in the same team as his new best friend, Cooper. It would be his first run around, and I was excited to see him try something new.

“Hurry up, Mum! Come on!” Austin screamed.

“Okay, okay,” I muttered before grabbing my sunglasses and heading downstairs.

My parents were on the couch, wide, identical grins geared towards my boy, who was bobbing impatiently by the door.

When I said goodbye, they both looked at each other with a suspicious gleam that I should have taken note of.

I stood on the outskirts of the field, watching my boy join his new team, his little face serious.

Unfortunately, my attention waned—again—as it had been for the past half hour. Owen stood proud as their coach, gentle in his teaching but firm when he had to be.

He was great with the kids, and they all seemed to love him. And they weren’t the only ones.

Soccer mums waded on the sidelines, gleaming teeth and bunched up bosoms, waiting for their moment to shine. I didn’t know why they had to get all dressed up to watch their kids run a set of drills… Which they were pretty much shit at anyway.Hello, they’re three.

Owen, on his part, kept his focus on the kids, despite a couple of soccer mums getting a bit too close.

Becky, their ringleader, took that opportunity to introduce herself to me and give the rundown of who’s who and what’s what. She didn’t know who I was yet, since she had moved to Acacia Falls one year before. But I was sure she would find out soon enough since she had successfully elevated herself to Top Bitch.

I tuned out for most of her musings until she got to the interesting part.

“Mm, look at that smile. He has a great smile, doesn’t he?” I followed her gaze to none other than Owen, his hands moving as he explained some steps to the team.

That’s not his real smile.

I blinked, contemplating the passing thought. Owendidhave a great smile, proven by the amount of women swooning over it. However, that was his public one—the polite show he put on for others.

He had a private one. A secret one that he only reserved for me. A little sideways tick of his lips when he said he loved me orjust before he kissed me. It was pure and it wasours—well, used to be ours.

“He’s single, you know,” Becky continued. “All the women in this town have been trying to hook him for years, but he won’t even agree to a date.” By her pouted lips, I didn’t have to imagine who he’d rejected.

I shrugged. “He seems a bit sketchy to me.” Becky’s brow lifted from the contrast of my observation versus the sunbeams practically glowing from Owen’s good guy aura.

He isn’t as innocent as he looks. Opp, talk about bitter.

Thankfully, Owen called it, and practice was finished. As the mothers rounded up their little ones, Austin dragged a boy over, stopping in front of me.

“Cooper, this is Mummy,” Austin said as a way of introduction.

“Hi, Mummy,” Cooper replied.

Austin stared back, affronted. “No. She’smymummy.”

I chuckled, crouching down to their level. “Hi, Cooper. Although I go by Mummy, people also call me Alexis.”

Cooper smiled, shaking my offered hand. “We’re going to the park after this. Can Austin come? Please?”

“Ah, maybe you should ask your parents—”

“Uncle!”

Then, Owen raced over, and when his eyes met mine, something shone beneath before it was shut behind blinders.

“What’s up, Coop?”

“Can Austin and Alexis come to the park? Pleaseeee, I want to show them the new slide that’s really high.”

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