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“Hi,” she whispered.
“Glad you made it,” he said. He wouldn’t have let anything happen to her as he guided her through the woods, but he was pleased she was safely in his arms.
“Where’s Luna?” she asked, taking a glance around.
“She left when you were about halfway to me. She must have decided we could take it from there.”
“She’s phenomenal at her job. I’m going to write a kickass promotional article for her,” Sophie said.
“You’re a good friend.”
“Not always. I’m sorry I lost my temper with you. I think trying to have you interview with me in your ear was doomed to failure. I wouldn’t be able to do your job with just you talking me through it. It just is what it is.”
“I texted with Ethan this morning. You must have talked with Helen?” he asked and got a nod. “I figured. Ethan told me that he thinks you going to interview the guy is a worthwhile risk if I’m close enough to keep an eye on you. Set it up if you can.”
“I appreciate that. With any luck he’ll be willing to meet with me.” Sophie started to pull back from him, but he wasn’t ready to let her go yet.
“I’ve got something else to say.” He’d made a decision to be more open with her in the minutes that she’d walked toward him. He didn’t talk about his upbringing or his family much. Those were details he rarely shared with anyone. If she knew a few things about him, though, it might help them understand each other better.
“Sure.” She was relaxed now with her hands resting lightly against his chest, but he was finding it tough to get the words out. “Owen?”
“Yeah, I…” He had to do better than that, had to let her in.
“Should I ask questions? Give me a broad topic and I’ll start there.” It was sweet of her to offer, and it gave him the courage to plow ahead.
“No, it’s about my family.”
“Oh. You’ve never mentioned them that I can remember.”
“Not often. My family is…competitive is the best word for it. They don’t handle failure well. When I was a kid and failed at something, they never let me live it down. They made it clear I was a disappointment. So when someone suggests that I’ve failed at something…it’s…well, it’s a touchy subject for me.”
“I’m sorry your family made you feel that way,” she said. “And I’m sorry that I may have over-reacted and touched on that sore spot. I was upset. Please don’t take what I said to heart.”
“You had every right to be mad. Normally, I’m great at getting people to feel comfortable around me. A teammate once called me a chameleon because I can fit in with different crowds. But I guess I was already pissed at Razor about the tires and for putting you at risk by having you meet him in such dangerous places. Then, it was clear that I was failing to sweet-talk him, so I reverted to what I do well. Be a tough guy badass and threaten him. It wasn’t my best move.”
Her eyes were on his face. “What you do best is charm people, but your badass is pretty compelling, too.” Her hands slid up and went around his neck. It was comfortable standing like that with her out here where no one was around. “I understand how family can mess with you. I know it’s cliché, but mine have never understood me. They’re not bad people, and I know they love me, but they just don’t get why going after what I want is so important. I’m a little…ambitious.”
“A little?” he teased gently.
“I like to challenge myself. My family are content with the status quo. They have good lives, my parents and siblings, but they aren’t interested in going after something big. I can accept that about them. I wish they’d accept me and see that what I do is important not only to me but to others as well. They don’t take me seriously. That’s what it comes down to.”
“I take you seriously.”
“You do,” she said. “And you aren’t a failure.” They stood for a minute more in a loose embrace before she pulled back. “I suppose we should go back and prove to Luna and the others that we’re good.”
“Luna stayed long enough to know. Let’s do something fun instead. It’s a beautiful afternoon.” The spring day was warm without a hint of dampness or the humidity that would come later in the season. The sun was out and all around them the forest was coming alive with fresh green leaves.
“What do you have in mind?” she asked.
He grinned. “Skinny dipping? The lake’s probably warm enough.” He’d passed a small lake on his morning patrols.
“In broad daylight?” She laughed. “I only skinny dip by the light of a full moon.”
“My loss. I’ll remember that.” Though it might make things easier on him if he could forget it—thinking about her naked in the lake wasn’t going to help him sleep at night, especially since she would be right next to him.
“There was an activity this morning that looked fun—archery,” she said. “I’ve never done it. Have you?”
He had seen the targets set up earlier, but they’d skipped the optional session. “Sure. Lots of times. I can teach you if you like.”
