He had a private one. A secret one that he only reserved for me. A little sideways tick of his lips when he said he loved me or just before he kissed me. It was pure and it was ours—well, used to be ours.

“He’s single, you know,” Becky continued. “All the women in this town have been trying to hook him for years, but he won’t even agree to a date.” By her pouted lips, I didn’t have to imagine who he’d rejected.

I shrugged. “He seems a bit sketchy to me.” Becky’s brow lifted from the contrast of my observation versus the sunbeams practically glowing from Owen’s good guy aura.

He isn’t as innocent as he looks. Opp, talk about bitter.

Thankfully, Owen called it, and practice was finished. As the mothers rounded up their little ones, Austin dragged a boy over, stopping in front of me.

“Cooper, this is Mummy,” Austin said as a way of introduction.

“Hi, Mummy,” Cooper replied.

Austin stared back, affronted. “No. She’s my mummy.”

I chuckled, crouching down to their level. “Hi, Cooper. Although I go by Mummy, people also call me Alexis.”

Cooper smiled, shaking my offered hand. “We’re going to the park after this. Can Austin come? Please?”

“Ah, maybe you should ask your parents—”

“Uncle!”

Then, Owen raced over, and when his eyes met mine, something shone beneath before it was shut behind blinders.

“What’s up, Coop?”

“Can Austin and Alexis come to the park? Pleaseeee, I want to show them the new slide that’s really high.”

Owen hesitated, his expression turning awkward as hell. But I didn’t want to linger on that. Austin had found a new friend, and I wasn’t about to ruin their new bond because of our grown-up issues. I wasn’t going to let my fucked up past affect my son.

“We’d love to come… If that’s okay with you?” I asked, pitching the question to Owen.

His eyes widened with surprise before he accepted.

Chapter 19

OWEN

Alexis followed behind my car as I led us to Mercy Lake. My mind was working overtime in the alternate reality I had found myself in.

“You okay, uncle?” Cooper piped from the back seat, noting my unusual silence.

“Yeah, buddy.” More than okay. “Just thinking if we brought enough food.”

Every week after soccer, I took my nephew for a picnic to my favourite spot, which had soon become his as well.

What I hadn’t envisioned was Alexis going to that place with me ever again.

Old memories stirred as we pulled into the new playground built next to the lake. The boys ran off while Alexis helped me unload from the boot.

“I didn’t mean to intrude,” she said. “Austin’s been through a lot of change recently, and I didn’t want to disappoint him.”

“Of course you’re welcome. You both are.”