if you didn’t push people away, they could get to know the real you and figure out if it’s love or not.” Lena gave him that stubborn look of hers. When they were kids, he’d have shoved her and then they’d have wrestled until someone yelled at them to cut it out.
But they were adults now, so he shook his head instead. “I thought we’d agreed we weren’t going to do any matchmaking for one another. I have my reasons for not seeking out another wife, and you have yours for not finding a husband. So let’s try to get through the next few days of having a single woman under our roof without your planning a wedding. Otherwise, I’ll be forced to ask my various single male friends out for a visit to meet my charming sister.”
“You wouldn’t.”
Owen grinned. “I would, and you know it.”
The long sigh escaping Lena’s lips told him that he’d won. Then she said, “I just think that you can’t let your bad experiences keep you from a potentially wonderful future.”
Owen picked up the saddle from where he’d hung it on the stall. “Great advice, sis. Let me know if it works when you follow it yourself.”
He was needling her, but she’d started it. Some of their childish ways would never be broken.
“I just came to tell you that dinner’s ready. Since we have a guest, I will be on my best behavior, and I expect you to be, as well.”
Lena winked at him, and he grinned. His arrow had hit its mark, and even though Lena was aching to meddle in his love life, she wouldn’t. Not now.
That was sometimes the trouble with being so close to his sister. It made it harder to be close to others who didn’t understand that a man’s best friend could be his sister. He and Lena had been through a lot together, been each other’s rock when they’d had nothing else.
Among other problems in their relationship, Sadie had been jealous of Lena. To the point that Owen and Lena spent a good year without speaking. The hardest year of his life. And, it turned out, Lena’s hardest, as well.
“I’ll be there in a minute,” Owen said. “Let me get this put away.”
“Don’t take too long or else I’ll eat your dessert.”
She stuck her tongue out at him as she left the barn, and he knew she was giving him his space before having to go in and deal with Laura. His first time protecting her had been so much easier when she wasn’t questioning his every move and he could ignore the calf eyes she made at him. But now she acted as if he owed her something.
And maybe he did. He’d promised he’d keep her safe from James, which is what he’d been trying to do. But she was making it really difficult.
He put his tack away, then stepped out of the barn. The ranch was positioned so that they could see a rider coming for miles. On a night like tonight, with so much cloud cover and not much moon, a man would have to be crazy to ride out here with all the rocks and shrubs in the way. But James wasn’t a sane man.
Still, as Owen scanned the area and could see the lights from town dotting the distance, he felt a sense of peace. James wouldn’t be coming tonight.
When he went into the house, the family was already seated at the dining table, eating.
“I told you we weren’t going to wait,” Lena said before taking another bite.
“I didn’t ask you to. I’ll just go wash up.”
He could feel Laura’s eyes on him as he left the room. Not just her eyes, but the weight of those questions in her eyes. His appetite fled as he thought about having to sit at the table with her and make small talk about things he didn’t want to discuss.
When he returned to the table, the girls had nearly finished, and the ladies appeared to be eating more slowly to give him time to catch up. Presumably to give him company so he wouldn’t have to eat alone.
“Papa, did you know Miss Laura doesn’t have any children?” Anna smiled at him like she had a whole day’s worth of conversation to catch him up on. And she did, he supposed, since he’d been gone most of it.
“I do know that. And that’s probably not a polite thing to say about a lady. It might hurt her feelings,” he said gently.
Anna turned her attention to Laura. “Did it hurt your feelings that I asked if you had children? Papa says I ask a lot of questions that I shouldn’t, but how do you know things if you don’t ask?”
Owen closed his eyes for a moment and prayed for patience. Anna was an inquisitive little girl with a zest for life, and Owen didn’t want to kill that spirit totally, but sometimes, she made it difficult.
Fortunately, Laura didn’t seem to mind the impertinent little girl. She smiled at Anna. “It did not hurt my feelings. But thank you for being willing to consider them.”
His daughter preened at being validated in her questioning of Laura. If there were ever someone with enough questions to match Laura’s, it would have to be Anna. But Anna’s questions were easier to answer.
Lena set her fork down on her plate with a clatter. Owen looked up at her, and she smiled sweetly. A little too sweetly.
“Girls, let’s clear the table and let your father finish his supper. Miss Laura can keep him company. I’m sure they have much to discuss.”
She gave him another sugary smile before picking up her plate and leaving the room. The girls followed suit, leaving Owen alone with Laura in the awkward silence.
“You have a very nice home,” Laura said.
“Thank you. My uncle had it built for his bride.”
“I know,” Laura said. “Lena told me.”
He gave a nod, then focused his attention back on the delicious roast Lena had prepared.
“I find it interesting,” Laura continued, “that you both refer to her as his bride and not your aunt.”
Owen set his fork down. Small talk was not something he enjoyed, nor was he capable of it. Especially because nothing about his life involved small talk.
“That’s because we don’t like talking about her. She hurt a lot of people, and my uncle stayed here, hoping that someday she’d come back to him. She never did. He put everything he had into this place, all for her. But she never appreciated it. He was never bitter, so I suppose we’re bitter on his behalf. He was a good man, and he didn’t deserve to be treated like that.”
Something he and his uncle had in common. They both picked women they thought they could save, but in the end, they didn’t have that kind of power.
“I suppose that makes sense, then,” Laura said, sounding a little too cheerful. She was probably hoping this would open him up to more of her questions.
“So the girls’ mother is dead? I believe you said your wife died?”
Owen set his fork down and patted his lips with his napkin. “Yes. And that is all I will say on that matter. Please don’t bring it up again. With me, my sister or my daughters.”
He threw the napkin down on the table. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to—”
“You’re not going anywhere,” Lena said, reentering the room, carrying a pie. “The girls helped bake this, and we’re all going to enjoy a nice family dessert and chat about things.”
Had Lena heard Laura ask about Sadie? Her face was too innocent for him to be able to tell, but he had to think not. Though Lena liked to encourage him in that department, she’d never give a stranger such easy access to his pain.
“Owen, sit,” Lena said. “You don’t get to go off sulking tonight because your perfect little plans got ruined. We’re going to have pie and get to know Laura better, and it’s going to be fun.”
Emma