Page 27 of By Your Side

“Owen figures renovations should be done by mid-October.” I lean back, grinning. “It will be weird to have the house so empty again.”

I would be lying if I said the idea didn’t make me a little nervous.

Raelynn sets down the samples I have laid out over my coffee table. “I’m sure you’re looking forward to not seeing Owen as much.”

My shoulders slump. We seemed to be progressing, but lately, he’s been back to his grumpy self. “I don’t know what his problem is. I work hard. I stay out of his way. And I rarely argue with him.”

“He’s just a little tough on the outside, he’s really a big teddy bear on the inside.”

Nodding, I sigh. “I know. I just wish he could lessen the grump just a little. It seemed like a turning point when he brought me Kane and Stella. We were getting along and I even felt like we were becoming friends, but yesterday after we moved everything into my bedroom, he got all snippy over a question I asked about the kitchen cabinets. And he has this annoying habit of never saying goodbye.”

Raelynn laughs. “He’s always been like that, don’t know why.”

Almost like his ears were burning, the door opens, heavy footsteps coming down the hall before Owen comes in.

I look at Raelynn and we both burst out laughing.

He halts in the doorway, narrowing his eyes on us. “Why do I feel like that’s at my expense?”

Raelynn smirks, her voice teasing as she sings, “Because it is.”

Shaking his head, he makes his way to the stairs, where he is almost finished installing the flooring.

After Raelynn leaves, I peer over Owen’s shoulder as he positions the final piece of flooring on the stairs.

He huffs out a breath. “I can feel you staring.”

Bristling, I snap, “What is your problem? We were getting along great but ever since yesterday, you’ve had a bug up your ass.”

He stands, his eyes sparking. “Sometimes you just push my buttons and I’m trying not to say something I will regret.”

Stepping into him, I cross my arms and hold his gaze. “Say what you need to get over this snit so we can go back to the way we were.”

My hands shake a bit as I challenge him. Clenching them, I wait.

“You just have no idea, you’re clueless to how you impact people and it’s careless.” He clenches his jaw and breathes out hard, before softening. “It’s a me issue. I’m sorry I’ve been snarky.”

He backs away from me, turning to finish his work.

When he leaves, he doesn’t meet my gaze and that hurts more than when he was being gruff.

sixteen

Adeline

Whimpering wakes me up before Kane has his giant paws on my bed and he’s nudging me. Rolling away from him, I firmly say, “Kane, go lay down!”

He paws at my back, incessantly. Blinking, I notice a weird sound when his whining lulls as I sit up. It’s coming in from my open window. It’s loud, almost crackly. Another sound breaks through, almost like a boom. That’s when the smell hits me.

Leaping out of bed, I race to the window.

The barn is on fire. Holy shit.

Racing down the steps, I dial 9-1-1. The dial tone seems to ring forever as I pull my boots on.

The operator answers, her short spiel feels like it takes minutes.

“My barn is on fire!” I rattle off my address and assure her no one is inside. I don’t tell her I’m racing toward the barn. I’ve seen a cat come and go a few times in the last several days. But it runs from me every time I get close. What if it’s trapped?

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