Page 26 of Guarded Secrets
Keeley plated the cookies, and in short order they were seated at the table, mugs steaming between them.
“I feel we haven’t had time to catch up. Most days we pass each other while trading shifts caring for your dad. I’m thankful you’re able to be with him more while Mrs. Troung is on vacation. It’s a real help.” Abby was a librarian and had cut back her hours to mornings only so she could be home for Bruce the rest of the day.
Abby bit into a warm cookie. “Oh, this is perfect.” Wiping crumbs on a napkin, she said, “Tell me about the sisters. Are they feeling any pregnancy symptoms?”
“Not that I’ve heard. Delaney says Walker’s been reading a book on pregnancy. He was looking a little green when he got to the part on childbirth.”
“Oh, that’s perfect. The bad boy is humbled.” Abby laughed. “Now, tell me how it is working for Owen.”
“For the most part it’s fine. He can be grumpy.” Keeley chose her words carefully. Abby hadn’t been exactly subtle in her opinion that Keeley and Owen would make a good match. No sense in giving her mom false hope. “But he’s also, I don’t want to say kind, but he can be considerate in a grumpy Owen way.”
Seeing a spark of interest told her she hadn’t been as careful as she’d hoped. Keeley steered the conversation away from Owen. “Josie Whitlock works there and she’s still as awful as she was in high school. She has the hots for Owen and decided I’m her rival. I’ve told her that’s ridiculous, but she’s hardwired to see me as her competition no matter what.” Keeley’s smile flashed. “She was complaining about something stupid from high school and Owen told her to get over it.”
“Good for him. He’s protective of you.”
Keeley shook her head. “That’s overstating things. Owen cares about you and Dad, so by extension, he keeps an eye on me. Add that my tires were stabbed after he told me my car would be fine leaving it on the side of the road overnight, and I think he feels some responsibility.” She didn’t know if she was trying to convince her mom or herself. There’d been that moment in the office that made her think maybe the heat wasn’t one-sided. But that’s all it’d been. A fleeting moment of feelings, soon to be forgotten.
“I think he’s been hurt in the past so he’s careful.” At Keeley’s raised eyebrows, Abby shook her head. “Whatever it is, Owen hasn’t shared, but there’s something painful there.” She laid her hand over her daughter’s. “No one gets through this life without some grief, but having strong love, sharing a life with someone who loves you deeply, makes it easier to bear.”
***
Keeley steered her CRV up the driveway, the security light over the garage door coming on as she parked next to her cottage. Girls’ night had been a blast. She’d spent the evening with Delaney and her sisters at her cabin. It’d started with Delaney and Keeley, then expanded to include Emery and Cam. They’d had so much fun. Delaney couldn’t remember the last time she’d laughed so much. Walker had given them space and headed out to hang with his dudes at Easy Money.
Keeley and the sisters had spent the evening in digital detox, setting aside their phones and hanging out. They’d decided on crostini with everyone bringing their favorite toppings to go with Cam’s fresh-baked baguettes, followed by a variety of delicious chocolates purchased at a newchocolateriein town. They’d given each other DIY spa treatments so Keeley’s face glowed from her facial, and her finger- and toenails were buffed and glossy with new polish called Cherry Bomb.
Emery had suggested theynotspend the evening talking about their men and focus instead on other aspects of their lives. Fine with Keeley since she didn’t have a man. Conversation had revolved around pregnancy and babies, as well as work and homes, and plans for the future.
It’d been great. Time with her friends always gave her an emotional boost. But Keeley couldn’t help feeling her life had stalled.
Sure, she had a solid career, one she enjoyed and that gave her professional satisfaction. That was fine, but she was also back home living with her parents. She was there as they navigated Alzheimer’s and its impact on their family: to emotionally support both her parents and to be part of her dad’s care team.
But she couldn’t help feeling her friends with their handsome husbands and beautiful homes were farther up the life curve than she was. She needed to renew her efforts to meet someone.
Lately though, dating seemed a chore. She couldn’t lay that entirely at Jaxon’s feet. Most of the men she met were perfectly fine, but none lit any kind of spark in her.
Blame for that lay entirely at Owen’s feet. Working for him had been a strategic mistake because spending more time together had only deepened her stupid crush. The hope that more exposure would reveal his flaws and her crush would wither and die had been way too optimistic.
Once in bed with the doors locked and double-checked, she spent an hour scrolling through profiles on the dating app she’d joined. She swiped past dozens, and when none appealed, she told herself she was being too picky and went back for a second look.
One guy, Ric, was kinda cute in a nerdy sort of way. His profile said he was an entomologist with a state agency. He checked the gainfully employed box. His Instagram page showed he posted pictures of bugs. Lots of bugs. She chewed her lip, considering. Nerdy was okay, not everyone could be an Owen Hardesty. Therewas nothing wrong with insects being your passion. She tapped the “I’m interested” button and continued scrolling.
A chime sounded. Ric wanted to message her. Okay. With a couple of taps, they started chatting. Thirty minutes later she’d finally extricated herself from a text conversation about the life cycle of a particular species of parasitoid wasp that laid its eggs in the bodies of other insects and when the eggs hatched, the larvae ate the host.
Or was it the pupae that ate the host? Whichever, the end result was the insect host, after being eaten from the inside out, was dead.
She and Ric werenotadvancing to the next stage.
Keeley still had the creeps when she finally set her phone on her nightstand before she tried to fall sleep.
***
The next evening, Owen’s Bronco was missing from the parking lot when she arrived at Easy Money for her shift. Jen was bartending, and for some reason, Owen’s absence threw Keeley off.
“He’s at his house,” Jen said when Keeley asked.
“His house?”
“Yeah, you know, the house he inherited from his grandparents? A delivery for the remodel came in and he took the day off to deal with that and put in some hours.”
