Page 37 of Heart to Heart

Sunlight streamed through my turret windows just the way I remembered it from when I was a kid, and I smiled. How had I managed to get so fortunate?

My phone pinged with a few incoming texts, and I fumbled for it on my bedside table.

It was Gram. And Liam.

LIAM: Good morning, sunshine.

My heart turned over in my chest. We weren’t officially dating, and we deliberately didnothave sex last night and he still sent me a good morning text.Amazing.

ME: I can’t wait to see you.

LIAM: It’s mutual. Be there soon.

GRAM: Sugar pie, I’m coming over with coffee and breakfast from Vi’s. Time to rise and shine and make plans!

ME: I’m up and can’t wait! See you later.

I quickly changed into a pair of shorts and a hoodie then dashed down the stairs to meet Gram.

She was already ringing the doorbell when I finally made it to the ground floor.

“I’m coming!”

I threw open the door to find Owen on the other side, wearing a tool-belt and clearly ready to work. “Well, isn’t this a surprise. Been a long time, Holly. You still look good.” His eyes ran up and down my body almost too fast for me to realize he’d done it, but not quite.

“Yeah, um, hi...”

He pushed his way around me, headed for the area in the rear of the room where Liam and Luke had torn the wall down. “I’m supposed to finish work on the wood floor,” he stated.

“All right. I guess that’s fine. I’ll leave you to it.” For lack of anything better to do, I headed into the kitchen to wait for Gram and check out what Rose and my mother had bought.

Footsteps across the floor made me turn around. Insistent hands at my hips made me see red.

“Babe, I saw how you checked me out and the answer is yes. Remember how hot we used to be together?” Owen dug his fingers into the sides of my ass, leering at my mouth as he tried to pull me into his body for a kiss.

“What the hell, Owen?” I twisted away, taking a few steps back. “Get out of here.”

“You don’t have to fight it. I won’t say a word.” He reached out, catching the back of my neck with his palm.

“What are you doing? Let go of me!” He didn’t let go; he yanked me closer. He had never been rough with me like this before. It was shocking and scary. “You’re hurting me.”

“Stop fighting me, Holly. We both know what you need—"

“Yoo hoo! Door is open, Holly, honey. It’s Gram!”

Owen went still and I took the opportunity to step back then punch him in the stomach, stomp on his foot, and give him a good shove. I was fists up and ready for more when he started yelling.

“What the fuck, Holly? You bitch!”

“Just what in the hell is going on here?” Gram entered the kitchen. “Watch your mouth, Owen.”

“Nothing is going on,” he wheezed, hands to his stomach. “Just a misunderstanding is all—”

“Get the hell out of here, Owen,” I ground out. “Get out before I finish you off, and I do not mean the way you intended when you grabbed my ass.” I held onto my temper by a thread. One more word out of his stupid mouth and I’d let it go.

“I see, I get it. Not all men, right? But somehow, it’s always a damn man,” Gram tutted. “It’s time for you to go, Owen.” She pulled her cell out of her handbag. “I’m calling Luke.”

Owen knocked the phone out of her hand, and it skittered across the floor. “I’ll go. Let’s leave Luke out of this. I need this job. I got kids.”

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