Summer Days

Chapter 60

Owen laced our fingers together as we left my therapist's office. "Feeling okay, darling?"

I gave his hand a slight squeeze. "Much better than before." I admitted. I cut a glance at him. "You're not finding me irreversibly broken?"

He stopped walking and turned to face me, staring. His gaze slowly turned hard, and the gray darkened to steel. I focused on the way his jaw tightened and the slight twitch that told me he was working very hard to control himself. His brows drew down as he frowned at me. "Sang, darling..."

His voice was controlled, soft and dare I hope, tender? I couldn't help but look up at him. "Yes, my love?" I felt tears bubbling beneath the surface.

"You're not broken." He ground out before raising his free hand to caress my cheek, thumbing away the tears I hadn't realized were falling. "In case you didn't notice, we all have issues and things in our past that have broken us. But together, darling girl, together we're made whole again and that truly, fully, started the day you met Kota a year ago." His lips met mine in a reassuring kiss.

I warmed at the comment and caught on fire with the kiss. My free hand slid up to wrap around his neck as I kissed him back.

Today was the anniversary of meeting Kota.

I should probably make a special dinner, give Max a bone and hope that it rained tonight.

Owen laughed as he pulled away. "Plans for tonight?" He arched an eyebrow at me.

I felt my cheeks flush. "Sorry... it just popped in." I shrugged. "I have absolutely no problem with the kiss or the kisser, just so you know." I smiled.

He grinned at me and turned to walk to the car. "Again, plans?"

I pursed my lips. "A nice dinner for all of us, drop off a bone for Max, family meeting and hopefully, it's raining before a walk with Kota followed by hot cocoa?" He raised another eyebrow in my general direction. "Sorry. My spontaneous thoughts are always detailed and complete. It doesn't have to rain though."

He shook his head. "To the butcher shop then for a bone and your dinner menu."

"Perfect."

He smirked. "Of course, it is. Were you expecting something different?"

"Never." I said, getting in the car as he held the door open for me. "Everything is always perfect with you."

He tilted his head slightly, considering my words before he leaned in and gently kissed me. "For you. There are others who don't share your opinion that it's as perfect."

I shrugged. "You've known Sean a long time, Owen. He sees the perfection as a flaw because his mother wishes to impose them on him."

He nodded slightly before shutting the door and heading around the car to slip in behind the wheel. "I suppose you're right. That's been an unusual aspect to our friendship whenever she's around."

"I think things are better now after her last visit but it's always something that can be worked on." I pointed out and he nodded again. "We will move on together as a family."

His eyes softened as he started the car and carefully pulled out of the parking space. "I do love the way you think, darling."

"Of course, you do."

~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

I was feeling really good about tonight. All the boys were coming over to Owen's house since I'd recruited him to be my sous chef.

And let's face it, he had the most room for all of us to eat comfortably at the same table.

There was a pot roast in the crock pot, well, three pot roasts in three crock pots. All set on high so that the meat would be fork tender by dinner time. I'd managed to discover that the only way to get Luke to eat a cooked vegetable was if it was cooked with roast. It was one of the more amusing family meals to see him fighting North over who would get the last of the carrots. We had dinner rolls, salad and of course, there was going to be apple pie for dessert.