Her lips curved into a small smile. “I’m a ball of laughs lately. If I’m not puking, I’m sleeping.”

Since she was awake, he reached for her and brought her into his embrace, her head resting on his chest. “I’ll take you any way I can get you.”

“Love truly is blind.”

“I love you so much, Laura. You can’t possibly know how much.”

Her eyes opened and zeroed in on his face. “What’s wrong?”

“You think something’s wrong because I told you how much I love you?”

“It’s more the way you said it, as if you’re worried I don’t know. So tell me what’s wrong.”

Owen knew it was probably pointless to try to talk her out of coming with them, but he felt he needed to try again anyway. “I wish you weren’t coming to Virginia.” He paused before he added, “That didn’t come out the way I intended it to. You know I want you with me no matter where I am. It’s just this time… The thought of you hearing all that…”

Laura raised herself up so she could see his face. “Are you afraid it might change how I feel about you if I hear the dirty details about your father?”

“Maybe.”

“It won’t.” She kissed him and gazed down at him with love in her eyes. “Please don’t ask me to let you go through this by yourself. You did it alone for thirty-four years. You’re not alone anymore.”

Her sweet words brought tears to his eyes. In his wildest imagination, he never could’ve dreamed of the life or the love he’d found with her. Trying to contain the flood of emotion that wanted out, he closed his eyes tightly. He didn’t want to be this guy—the one who was laid low by childhood demons he should’ve conquered long ago.

Determined to power through it the way he always did, he settled her gently back on her pillow and sat up. “My mom’s going out with Charlie tonight. Why don’t we take dinner down to the beach and let Holden get dirty?”

Laura looked at him intently before she nodded in agreement. “Sure, that sounds like fun.”

He leaned over to kiss her. “I’ll go to the store and get something for dinner. Be right back.” Owen left the apartment feeling like he’d dodged an emotional bullet. He knew she was only trying to help him, but her sweetness and desire to help made him feel raw and unable to face the firestorm that lay ahead of him. Somehow he had to find a way to talk her out of coming with them, and he only had a few days left in which to do it.

Chapter 2

Chapter 2