“Does that mean you two have… kissed?” He lowered his voice, trying to come off inconspicuous but failed. Failed so fucking hard.

“Ahh… Yes.”

Austin and Cooper released a joint, “Ewwwwwww!”

Alexis laughed and sent me a sneaky wink over her shoulder. Her actions struck me dumb. Then, my shit of a nephew threw me under the bus—again.

“Daddy said Uncle Owen is obsessed with you. What does ‘obsessed’ mean?”

Austin reached the top of the playground next to his friend. “Oh, I know this one. It’s when you really, really like something. Like my Spiderman. I’m obsessed with him, my nanny says.”

“Is that true, Uncle? Is Alexis your superhero? Are you obsessed with her? Do you really, really like her?”

I chuckled. I couldn’t fucking help it. “I guess you could say that.”

Alexis turned bright red.

Cooper shifted to Austin and continued to spill all my damn secrets. “Daddy said that Uncle is sad and getting old, but he’s still in love with your mummy. That’s why he always buys those olives nobody likes—”

“ALRIGHT!” I yelled, launching to my feet. “When I catch you, you’re both in big trouble!” I bolted after them, and they split in separate directions, screaming and giggling at the top of their lungs. “And wait till I see your father, Coop. He’s dead!”

Chapter 24

ALEXIS

I knew Owen still had feelings for me. He had said as much after we had our big talk. However, Cooper’s confessions from his gossiping father had me reeling.

Over the past couple of months, I had been enjoying my time with Owen. We were getting to know each other again as the people we had grown into. Before he had become my lover and husband, he had always been my best friend, and I forgot how much I missed that, missed him.

After everything was said between us, I had a lot of conflicted feelings to work through. I had so many lingering doubts, our past constantly playing in my mind.

If I had stayed and talked to Owen back then, would it have made a difference? I honestly didn’t know. But there was one concrete factor I could never bring myself to regret.

Austin Thorne.

In the end, I took Owen’s advice and refused to obsess over the what ifs. Instead, I chose to focus on the present, which had led me right back to the place it all started—Mercy Lake.

Owen and I innately gravitated towards each other like we always had. That easy magnetism remained, pulsing and thriving between us.

It was like all the attributes I adored in him before were elevated to a higher, more potent level. He was passionate in his job, caring and attentive to Austin, an amazing uncle to Cooper and he had become even sexier than I could ever remember.