Chapter Fourteen

Owen

I will prove it.

I’ll prove it a thousand times over and over again.

I’m a changed man now that she is home and I have my second chance with her. The kind of man Charlie needs. The kind she’s always needed. I told her anyone willing to let her go was an idiot, and I’m the biggest one of all.

There’s no denying it anymore. From the moment I saw her again, everything changed. The lies I’ve been telling myself became just that—lies. I don’t want to be single the rest of my life. I don’t want to just be an uncle. I was able to convince myself that it would be enough…and then I saw her again.

And everything changed.

“I remember you,” Jackson tells Charlie as we walk into the house for dinner. “You’re not sweaty now.”

Charlie laughs. “Not yet. If I stay out here long enough, I will be.”

“We could jump in the pool.”

“I didn’t bring a swimsuit.”

“Sometimes I go in in my underpants,” Jackson tells her.

“I like that idea,” I say, nudging Charlie with my elbow. She laughs and shakes her head.

“Maybe another time,” she tells Jackson.

“Are you Owen’s special friend? Scarlet was Daddy’s special friend for a while. First she was my nanny. Now she’s my mom.”

“We’re just regular friends.”

For now. I grab a tray of hamburgers from the grill, helping Dad bring in the food. A few minutes of chaos follow as everyone loads up their plates, pours themselves drinks, and sits around the table.

Dad is the last one to join us at the table and comes over carrying copper mugs, passing out Moscow Mules to everyone but Quinn, who can’t drink since she’s breastfeeding Arya.

I don’t catch it right away, but then I remember Danielle is pregnant. Other than Logan—of course—no one else knows, and they want to keep it that way until Danielle gets things checked out by the doctor.

Danielle, who’s sitting next to me, looks across the table with a bit of panic at Logan. If she refuses to drink, it’ll be the first thing people ask her. Everyone knows they’ve been trying for another baby.

She picks up her mug and brings it to her lips, pretending to take a sip. Mom says grace and then we all start eating. I pick up my own drink and suck it all down. Charlie watches me out of the corner of her eye but doesn’t say anything.

Most days, I eat pretty healthy. Why put all the effort into working out when your nutrition sucks? But some days, like today, I’m just lazy. I had breakfast while watching TV and snacked the rest of the day, and came here with an empty stomach.

Sucking down a drink isn’t a good idea.

I take a big bite of my burger and then grab Danielle’s drink, trying to surreptitiously swap out our mugs.

“Thank you,” she whispers, slowly moving her mug onto my placemat. I think we pulled it off.

“How’s your cat?” Quinn asks Charlie. “I saw her at the vet when I stopped by to check on a litter of kittens from the shelter.”

“She’s doing as well as she can be. She’s eager to get up and move around again.”

“Poor thing. She’s very pretty. We don’t have any long hair cats.”

“Don’t even think about it.” Archer puts his arm around Quinn. “Unless you want me to get a motorcycle.”

“No way. Those are dangerous.”

“Wait,” I say as I feel the vodka start to hit me. “If Quinn gets more cats, you get a motorcycle?”

Archer chuckles. “That’s the deal. Actually, let’s go look for long-haired kittens.”

Quinn narrows her eyes, trying to act like she’s mad at Archer. “I’d worry too much about you.”

“You shouldn’t risk your hands,” Dean tells him.

“Right,” I quip, looking at my brother. “That’s your favorite part, right? Wait, I mean second favorite.”

“Hilarious,” Dean deadpans.

“You’re a surgeon, right?” Charlie asks, sticking her fork into her salad.

“Right. I do general surgery.”

“I would see riding a motorcycle as an unnecessary risk then too.”

“Thank you,” Quinn tells her. “I agree. Scraping up your hands aside, you have too much to lose.”

“You sound like my mother,” Archer laughs. The conversation shifts from one subject to another, and by the time we’re almost done eating, I’ve finished my drink and the refill Dad got for Danielle.

It doesn’t feel like I’ve had that much until I stand up and realize I’m pretty buzzed. Which is fine.

But then we move onto dessert and Dean busts out a Mason jar of moonshine he got from one of the guys on the construction crew. He pours everyone but Quinn—and the kids, of course—a shot.

“I don’t think I want to try this,” Charlie laughs, apprehensively sniffing the shot glass in her hands.

“Me neither,” Danielle sets her glass down.

“You’ve had it before,” Dean tells her. “And liked it. I got a second jar for you and Logan.”

“Oh, uh, thanks.” Her face starts to turn red. I’ve never wanted a baby or got anyone pregnant. I can only imagine how much it would hurt her and Logan to find out they were expecting only to lose it again, and I understand completely why they don’t want to tell the whole family out of fear they might have to go through everything all over again.

So I do the only thing I can think of. Down my shot and reach for Danielle’s.

“That is good.” I set the empty shot glass down. “Strong, but good.” Fuck, I’m so fucked. I can see Charlie looking at me again, and I do my best to act like I’m super interested in the last bit of food left on my plate.

Danielle gets up to help Mom with the dessert she brought from her bakery, and Logan catches my eye from across the table. He gives me a curt nod, thanking me for taking Danielle’s drinks and saving her from having to explain why she’s not drinking. Dean pours us all another round, skipping Danielle this time since she’s not at the table, and that third shot goes down a lot smoother than the first.

The moonshine hits me right as I’m digging into my chocolate cake. Leaning back, I let my fork fall to the plate and reach for my water instead. Moonshine isn’t supposed to be drank like shots.

I’m drunk.

Things move in a bit of a blur after that. Everyone else eats dessert and Logan comes up with an excuse to take me outside. I do my best to hold it together, but it’s obvious I won’t be able to drive Charlie home.

I told her I changed, but as far as she can see it, I’m just the same as before.