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Chapter 4

Owen and Sean

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To say that Owen's home was gorgeous would be an understatement. The dark gray siding-clad home is a combination of a modern farmhouse and a coastal home. It's two-stories with a porch on each level. From the car I could see the large windows and that each porch has two fans. The railings on the porch are painted white giving the house a crisp clean look. And while there was a door to each porch, the front door of the house was off to the side and pushed farther back. The driveway is long, and the smooth pavement still looked new. The rose bushes around the front of the house were absolutely beautiful but looked slightly out of place with the two palm trees on either side of the front lawn.

"I believe she likes your home, Owen." Dr. Green quipped.

Owen pulled into the garage and turned the car off. He gave me a look that told me to stay put then he made his way around to my side to open the door for me. I quietly got out. Dr. Green sat patiently but pouted after a moment.

"Aren't you going to open my door, Owie?" He whined.

Owen gave him a look that silenced him. Dr. Green sighed heavily before hauling his door open. Before he could get out, Owen slammed the door in his face then grabbed my hand. We left a stunned-looking doctor in the car and walked into the house, Dr. Green's laughter echoing over to us.

The inside of the house is just as gorgeous as the outside. The walls were painted a lighter shade of gray, but the trim was still a bright white. We were in what seemed to be a mudroom. Beside the door was a bench that had a cupboard to hang coats in and cubbies beneath it. Owen slipped his shoes off, so I followed suit. I felt quite uncomfortable in a home as elegant as this. The hole in my sock seemed to stand out much more. Especially since Owen's eyes were locked onto it.

He held his hand out and I released my shoes to him. Following him deeper into the home, we entered the kitchen and living space. The home seemed to be an open concept. The kitchen and living space had more of a farmhouse feel to it. The cupboards were white, and the countertop was white and gray marble. The island top was a light-stained wood with four wooden chairs. There was a gas range, and as I looked around the room, I realized the I couldn't find the fridge.

Owen had disappeared and Dr. Green was standing next to me with a grin on his face. He wiggled his finger for me to follow him. He opened a pocket door to reveal a pantry and a French-door fridge. My brow furrowed as I looked at Dr. Green.

He chuckled, "It must seem odd to you, having a fridge in the pantry. There's a good reason for it though. That French door can be locked, and you have to have the code to get in." I twisted my head to see what he was talking about. I never saw him enter a code. "It's only locked at certain times. We have a brother who is a tad mischievous but also obsessed with sugar. Owen found that if left available, our brother would mess with his food either by over-seasoning it or using hot sauce. He also liked to store his candy here. So, Owen had the lock placed. I believe there is also a camera in here."

I shook my head, giggling a little. I couldn't imagine having a brother like that. While I wasn't much of a prankster, I did love sweets. We didn't get them very often at home, so I cherished them when I did get them.

"Ah, now that's a beautiful sound. You have to stop it though. Your giggles are contagious, and it wouldn't do for Owen to catch them." The thought of Owen giggling made me giggle some more. "Keep it up and I'll have to give you the cure."

"What's the cure?" I asked.

He leaned in close his lips hovering a mere inch above mine. My mouth was suddenly dry. The corner of his mouth drew up in a smirk. "Would you like to find out?"