Page 82 of Guarded Secrets
“When did you do all this?” she asked. “It’s beautiful.”
“The string lights have been here, but I haven’t used them much. Everything else I arranged this evening.” He held out a chair. “Have a seat.”
He used the corkscrew to uncork the wine.
“Can I help?”
“I got it.” He handed her a wineglass. “Drink your wine and relax. Dinner is being kept warm in the oven. I’ll bring it right out.”
He needed to give Mario and Jen raises.
He opened the foil containers and plated golden pan-fried chicken with spiral pasta topped with mushroom sauce.
Adding roasted asparagus and soft dinner rolls, he carried the plates to the porch.
He took a seat and raised his wineglass. “To the future.”
Her expression turned wary, but she raised her glass, tapping it to his. “To the future, whatever it may bring.” Keeley took a bite of pasta drenched in sauce. “Oh, this is so good.”
“It’s my favorite on our menu. You haven’t tried it?”
She shook her head. “You don’t charge staff for meals, and I didn’t want to cut into your profit by eating the fancy food.”
He stared at her in disbelief. “You can eat anything you want. In fact, I rely on staff to give me feedback on the menu.”
She shrugged. “I’m glad I haven’t because then this wouldn’t be such a wonderful indulgence.”
He sampled his own dinner and agreed. It was damn good. They ate as the music flowed around them. The view from the porch brought the twinkling lights from Sisters into bright relief, and overhead, stars were strewn across the heavens.
“Did you give Sawyer the flash drive?”
“Yeah, he met me in the parking lot. He’s really protective of you.”
She paused with her fork halfway to her mouth. “What’d he say?”
“That I fucked up.”
“Oh good heavens. Delaney and I talked. She must’ve told Cam who then told Sawyer.”
“Sounds about right.”
“Yeah, but Sawyer’s your friend. I don’t want to get between you. I wish he and Walker wouldn’t treat me like I’m sixteen and in need of big brothers.”
“I can deal with them. And Sawyer’s right, I did fuck up.”
She shook her head and the honey streaks in her hair gleamed in the candlelight.
“It’s fine, Owen. I appreciate the effort you made tonight to set things right between us.” She bit the end of an asparagus spear and chewed thoughtfully. “It’s still better for me to stay with Delaney and Walker. I’ll go in the morning.”
He set down his wineglass. This was it. There was no going back.
“Don’t go. I love you, Keeley. I want you to stay.”
Her fork clattered onto her plate and her eyes grew wide. “You can’t say that. You can’t say that if we can’t be together. It hurts too much.”
“You’ve got me, Keeley. I don’t want to fight it anymore.” He gazed into her beautiful hazel eyes and saw his future.
“Everything I am is yours. Protecting myself from pain no longer works because it’s painful to be apart from you.” He took her hand, turning it over in his, brushing his thumb across her palm. “Do you remember the first time we met?”
