Page 32 of By Your Side

“I can feel you looking at me.” His voice has a tinge of humor.

“I was just curious why you rent from Wally instead of buying a house. You plan on being in Willowbrook Lake for your entire life, it would make sense to purchase a home.”

Owen’s expression shifts, his eyes soft as he looks at me. “Wally is in his late seventies. I moved in to help him before I was in a position to buy a house and I plan on staying until he decides to retire and sell the farm. I wouldn’t feel right knowing he was there alone without help if something happened.”

My heart warms at the affection in his voice for Wally. I met Wally once at the hardware store and understand Owen’s attachment. He was friendly, the laugh lines deep on his face as he helped me find something for my tractor.

“That makes sense.” Pausing, I ask, “How did you meet him?”

“He hired me to help rebuild some outbuildings about ten years ago. He had the extra house, and it needed some work, so I initially moved in to renovate and ended up staying.”

That’s such an Owen thing to do and it’s one of the reasons this town loves him so much. It’s also one of the reasons I can feel the draw that keeps me up at night feeling guilty.

We fall silent as I watch the trees and fields pass us by. Unlike when he first started working on my house, the quiet is comfortable.

The cab of his truck smells like him, fresh and outdoorsy with a hint of lumber from his work in the barn. Closing my eyes, I listen to the sound of his truck and think about how far we’ve come.

There’s not much work left to do in the house. Owen managed to wrangle some guys to finish the basement while he focused on the barn. All that’s left of my renovations is the new kitchen, replacing the stone in the fireplace, and cupboards in the main floor bathroom. Then the final touches of paint, flooring, and trim.

Come December, if all stays on schedule, my house will be done and Owen will move on to his next project.

My chest aches at the thought.

Shoving it away, I open my eyes to scroll my phone for Christmas décor.

As I add things to my cart, there’s a pop and we’re slowing down.

“Damn it,” Owen rumbles as he pulls over to the side of the road.

He hops out of the truck and after a moment, I join him.

The rear tire on the passenger side is flat.

Owen frowns as he starts to pull out everything he needs to switch for the spare. I watch as he works quickly and efficiently, getting the truck propped on the jack before I would’ve even been able to locate mine.

He sees me watching and asks, “Have you ever changed a tire before? Since my dad died when I was really young, my mom made sure to always teach me what she could or have my uncles pick up on things she didn’t know. She always made sure I wouldn’t be left stranded.”

His voice is fond as he speaks, sending that warmth through me again.

“My dad showed me when I was sixteen, but I don’t really remember.”

His expression turns sly as he hands me the tool to loosen the wheel nuts. “Here, I will show you again. It’s an important skill.”

He explains the best way to get the nuts off, watching approvingly as I work. When I get to the last one, it won’t budge.

“Here,” he says right at my shoulder, his breath soft on my neck as he wraps his fingers over mine to help loosen it.

I inhale a sharp breath, his hand on mine feels hot. The skin beneath his touch is electrified as the muscles twitch. He lets go as the final nut comes off and I look at him.

His eyes on mine burn into my soul, the heat spreading from where his hand rested on mine straight to my core.

Clearing my throat, I gesture to the tire. “Now what?” My voice comes out breathless and I can feel my face flush.

Heat flares in his gaze. “You can pull the tire off now. It’s dense, so make sure you don’t hurt yourself.” His voice is low, the weight of it as heavy as his gaze as I turn and wrestle the tire loose, stumbling back as it comes off.

Owen catches me, his chest against my back as his arms wrap around me to stop the tire from slamming into me. His warmth feels so good, his body against mine protectively in a way that sets my heart racing.

My breath catches as he tosses the tire to the side before his hands land on my hips to steady me before he steps away.

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