Page 63 of Guarded Secrets
Luke walked to his truck and Keeley turned to Owen. “You have a hard time with gratitude. You do big things for people, but are uncomfortable when they want to show appreciation.”
“Maybe. I don’t like people making a big deal.” He brought her hand to his mouth and absently pressed a kiss to her knuckles.
“You could just say thanks. It works.”
“Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Yeah. It’ll take Luke an hour or so to work out a plan. Why don’t you get your stuff together.” He rolled his eyes before giving her a half smile. “Keeley, I’d like you to stay at my house so you’ll be safe. Would you please accompany me?”
“See? That wasn’t so hard. Really formal, but yes, thank you for asking.” She went onto tiptoes to kiss his cheek. “I’d like to see your house.”
She turned to the cottage, then looked back over her shoulder. “Oh, and Owen? You may be relationship averse. Don’t let it scare you, but this feels like a relationship.”
***
Keeley showered and dressed, then fielded a call from Delaney while packing a small suitcase. Putting her friend on speaker, she set the phone on her nightstand while she folded a pair of jeans.
After she’d told Delaney she’d be staying at Owen’s and would no longer need to bunk with her, Delaney said, “You’re staying at his house? I know he’s doing a lot of work on it and Walker and Shane helped him with a job that took three strapping men to do, but I’ve never seen it myself. He’s pretty private and I’m thinking that him being willing to take you there to keep you safe is a big deal. Am I right that you and Owen are together now and it’s official?”
“It’s complicated. A friend of his is here to put in a security system and Owen didn’t correct his assumption we’re together. But I don’t know. Last night we, um, were together together, if you know what I mean.”
Delaney’s shriek nearly popped Keeley’s eardrums, and she was three feet from her phone. “You and Owen did the deed? Oh my god. Was it good?”
“Oh yeah, it was good.Verygood. That’s all I’m going to say about it.”
“With all those sparks between you two, I don’t think there’s any way it could be bad. I’m so glad you each got out of your own way.” Delaney paused, and when Keeley didn’t say anything, asked, “Are you okay? I know you have strong feelings for him. He feels something too, but Owen’s harder to read. It’d be bad if you’re more into him than he’s into you.”
“I do have strong feelings for him. And I know he feels something for me. I don’t want to overanalyze it. This is new and we’re in a weird situation with me being caught up in something sketchy, which makes him all protective.
“Where things currently stand? He made a point of saying he doesn’t do relationships, but this morning felt really relationship-y.Include in that him thinking he can be bossy and make decisions for me.”
“Alpha male is going to act alpha male. Call him on his shit and you’ll be okay. Ask me how I know.” Keeley could hear the humor in her friend’s voice, but then her tone changed. “Sawyer told Walker about Jaxon being outside your house last night, but you gotta fill me in. They were way too skimpy on details.”
Keeley explained how Jaxon had texted asking her to meet him, but that it’d been a ruse. Continuing the story, she continued, “So then Jaxon shows up at my house and starts pounding on the door and yelling.”
“That would’ve scared the crap out of me.”
“He sure scared me. He was ranting, demanding that I help him. He said he was in danger and could be killed.”
“Killed? Do you think he was serious?”
“I’m not sure. He tends towards the dramatic so it’s hard to tell if he was being performative to manipulate me, or if he’s really in danger. He also said I have something of his and he wants it back.”
“What do you have of his?”
“That’s the thing, I don’t have anything of his. You can add delusional to his issues. Oh, and get this, he said he needed money.”
“What a jerk. No offense, but I don’t know what you ever saw in him.”
Keeley had asked herself that a lot lately. “Honestly? I want what you have, Delaney. You and Emery and Cam. I want a husband and a family so I’m trying to put myself out there to meet guys. I thought Jaxon was kinda cute, but that soon wore off. I seem to attract the weirdos.”
“Owen’s not a weirdo.”
“No, but he’s also taken pains to tell me there’s no future for us together.”
“Maybe if you could get him to open up about whatever it is that makes him think that way, you could help him work through it. It’s obvious he cares about you.”
