Page 13 of Exhale
Owen scowled and gripped the wheel, his knuckles turning white. He shoved the SUV into drive and pulled away from the curb.
“New flash,” he snarled back, “I am your boss on this case.”
He was way bent out of shape over thegrandpacomment, but kept his mouth shut. If he spoke right now, he would say something that wasn’t going to do either of them any good.
They both needed time to calm the hell down.
Him, more than anyone.
Damn it.
Jordan could have kicked himself in the ass for his comment.
Granted, it had been said in anger, but Owen had closed off to him completely.
And he wasn’t sure how the hell to fix it.
They stayed at the Hyatt hotel just off the highway, and Owen disappeared into his room with a curtly spoken goodnight.
“Well, what do you expect, jackass?” Jordan admonished himself.
Owen was far from a grandpa. The guy was only forty-two. Granted, there was an age gap between them, but not that many years.
Okay, maybe to some, fifteen years would be a gap, but not to him, and it wasn’t that he preferred older men. It was the sole fact that he preferred Owen, plain and not so simple.
Jordan rubbed tiredly at his jaw and entered his own room next door. He showered and changed into track pants and a t-shirt, all the while thinking of how he was going to explain his remark to Owen.
Stepping back out of his room several minutes later, he walked the few feet to Owen’s door and knocked.
And waited. Silence greeted him, and the door remained firmly closed.
“Owen? It’s me,” Jordan called through the door, not sure if Owen could hear him or not. “Look, you took something wrong when I said it, but it was the way I said it that made you take it wrong. I didn’t mean it how you think.” He stumbled over his words.
Okay…now he sounded like a rambling idiot. He took a deep breath and placed his palm flat against the door and spoke quietly.
“You’re not a grandpa in age, you’re a grandpa with electronics. I bet if they still sold flip phones, you’d have one. That’s all I meant. It just…I’m sorry.”
A noise sounded behind him, and Jordan whirled around.
“Were you talking to my door?” Owen said.
Jordan’s mouth hung open; he snapped it closed and glared.
“I was. Did you hear any of that?”
“I heard it all.” Owen’s lips twitched.
“So, you know I wasn’t calling you a grandpa per se…I was pointing out the fact that you’re not tech savvy.” Jordan shoved his hands into the pockets of his track pants. His chest felt tight, and the last thing he had wanted was to hurt Owen.
Owen held up items in both hands, two water bottles in one and a pack of microwave popcorn in the other.
“Come inside,” Owen said and handed him the waters before flipping the keycard against the door lock.
“Ah, yeah…okay.” Jordan followed and placed the water down on the table while Owen started the popcorn cooking. “So…you get what I’m saying, yeah?”
“You’re saying that you’re younger, smarter, and savvier than me?”
“No!” Jordan said hurriedly and belatedly noticed the smirk on Owen’s lips.
