Falling For You (Honey Leaf Lodge #1)

Chapter Thirteen

Violet

There were two things I knew to be true. Owen made me feel terrific, and I was horrible at picking men.

I wanted to believe my picker had improved, but I knew better. I couldn’t suddenly be healed of bad dating decisions and lousy choices in men just by setting foot in Buttercup Lake.

But as I listened to Owen happily explain how much his brothers and family meant to him on the elevator ride down, I started to wonder ifI could be wrong.

Maybe I was growing and wouldn’t choose emotionally unavailable men going forward.

After all, Owen seemed very available at the moment.

The kisses signaled a mutual interest.

Things might be looking up.

“You ready for some delicious food?” I asked him.

“I’ve been pleasantly surprised since I’ve been here,” he whispered, squeezing my hand.

I told the hostess my name, and she led us to the table I’d reserved before I went up to Owen’s room.

“Enjoy,” she said happily as she handed us the menus. I noticed Owen never took his eyes off me.

Another point for the businessman.

Giddiness bubbled through me as we settled at the table overlooking Buttercup Lake.

I’d spent days trying to tamp this spark down but couldn’t.

I liked being with him. There was no doubt about it.

Even when he was annoying me by not telling me anything, I wanted him to be close.

It was like I was a glutton for punishment.

His eyes met mine, and I couldn't help but grin, shaking my head at his playful antics.

Owen looked so effortlessly handsome. His blond hair, slightly tousled to the side as if he’drun his fingers through it, drove me wild.

I chuckled and realized it might have been my fingers that left his hair that way.

“Why are you giggling?” His intensity both thrilled and unnerved me.

“You.”

Owen leaned back, resting his hands on the table as he studied me and smiled at me in that way that made my heart skip a beat.

I unfolded my menu. “Tell me. How does someone like you end up in a little town like Buttercup Lake?”

Owen chuckled. “You never give up, do you?”

I grinned. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Just trying a new way to glean intel from me, making it sound smooth. Trying a new angle,” he said softly. “I respect that. I like people who are persistent.”

I laughed, feeling that same joyful and nervous energy wash through me. “Well, I’m definitely persistent. Some liken me to a gnat.”

Owen laughed and nodded. “I could see it.”

“Of course you could,” I said wryly.

“Or maybe a mosquito? Out for blood,” he offered.

“Someone like you would say that.”

His brows lifted teasingly. “What’s that supposed to mean? Someone like me?”

“You know,” I said, playing with the edge of my napkin. “A guy like you doesn’t want a woman like me getting in your way.”

“Oh, yeah?” His gaze stayed on me. “I didn’t mind your getting in my way up in the room earlier.”

My cheeks flushed from his words and the way he looked at me. It was as if he wanted to do things to me I’d never even dreamed of, and the thought was more than enticing.

“That was merely a thank you,” I muttered.

“Oh, yeah? That’s how you thank people in Buttercup Lake?” He laughed and shook his head. “I’ll have to remember that.”

“Just special people,” I corrected as the server came over for our drink orders. We both ordered a local beer, and the woman trundled away.

“You’ve got this mysterious, city-guy vibe going on. I’m pretty sure you don’t run into too many water troughs in your everyday life.” I eyed him. “So, I’m glad you recognized it as a hazard.”

He chuckled and shook his head. “When a woman yelps and her two feet are sticking straight up into the air out of a bucket, it tends to wave some pretty serious red flags.”

“You know…” I shrugged. “I haven’t given up on finding my answers.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

“And I’m not falling for your wardrobe of new flannel shirts, even though you look incredible in them.” I eyed him. “You’re still a city slicker.”

“Takes one to know one.” Owen smirked, leaning in slightly, his gaze sweeping to my lips and up again. “What, you think I’m too fancy for the country life?”

“I mean, I don’t see you wrangling cattle or chopping firewood anytime soon.”

“Oh, you’d be surprised,” he said, his voice dropping just a bit, making it feel like we were sharing some private joke. “I can chop firewood like a pro. And I’ve been known to wrangle a cow or two in my day. I can ride a horse with the best of them.”

Something about those words nearly unhinged me. Imagining Owen riding anything turned my body temperature up too many degrees.

I quirked an eyebrow, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of believing his stories.

“Uh-huh. Sure. What was that—when you were, what, five or six? On a school field trip? Playing cowboy?”

Owen grinned, shaking his head. “I know my way around a ranch.”

I couldn’t help but laugh at the image of him trying to handle farm chores in a suit and tie, but there was something about how Owen said it, with his teasing grin, that made it impossible to resist.

“Okay, fine, I’ll take your word for it. But just so you know, if you ever try to chop firewood for me, I’m definitely filming it. Or better yet, if you try milking anything, I will be there in a heartbeat. You know, for blackmail purposes or whatever comes my way.”

“Blackmail?” He raised an eyebrow, feigning offense. “You’re already planning ways to sabotage me, and we haven’t even ordered our dinner yet.”

“Hey, a girl’s gotta be prepared,” I said with a grin. “Who knows when I’ll need some leverage. Remember? I lived in Chicago for a very long time.”

Owen leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table.

His gaze fastened on mine in that way that always made my pulse quicken. “I think you might be trouble, Violet.”

A little flutter surfaced in my chest with how he said my name. His voice was soft but playful as if he were testing the waters.

I cleared my throat. “Oh, I’m definitely trouble, but you already knew that.”

He laughed, shaking his head again. “Here, I thought I would impress you with my firewood-chopping skills.”

“Maybe you still can,” I teased, sipping my water. “If you’re lucky, I just might hand you an axe.”

Before Owen could respond, the server appeared at our table, offering us the specials for the night. I glanced at Owen as the waiter spoke, but his eyes were already back on me, that same teasing glint still there.

It felt so good that I didn’t even know what to do with my body’s response.

Worse yet, I had no idea what the server told us.

“What do you think?” I asked after the server left. “Are you planning to go for something fancy, or will you stick with something safe and boring?”

Owen shrugged, glancing down at the menu momentarily before his eyes flicked back up to meet mine. “I’m not usually into safe.” He bit his bottom lip for a second. “And I’m definitely not into boring.”

His words sent an incredible thrill through me.

“I could see it.”

Owen chuckled, shaking his head. “I don’t know whether to be flattered or offended.”

“Definitely flattered,” I replied with a grin. “Don’t worry, it’s a compliment. Sort of.”

“Sort of?” he repeated, his voice playful.

“There’s just something about you that constantly surprises me.”

His smile lifted on the left more than the right. “I could say the same.”

“It’s interesting, isn’t it?” I asked, letting my eyes land on grilled walleye.

Nothing said Wisconsin like that dish.

“Which part?”

“We both had to come to some small town to bump into one another.”

“Well, now I’m curious—how would you describe yourself? A small-town girl with a side of city-girl sass, or vice versa?”

I laughed, rolling my eyes. “I’d like to say that the small town put the sass in me, and the city sharpened it.” I placed my napkin on my lap. “But the charm is all me.”

“Oh, I’ve noticed,” Owen said, his tone softening slightly.

There was something in his eyes as if he wereseeing me for the first time. The look made my heart race and my mind feel dizzy with hope.

For a moment, the air between us felt a little sharper and more magnetic, like the teasing banter had shifted into something deeper.

But before I could fully process the change, Owen smirked again, leaning back in his seat.

“But don’t worry,” he added. “I’m sure I can keep up with your charming self.”

I chuckled, grateful for the return to lightheartedness. “Honestly, I doubt you can keep up with me.”

“I’ll take that as a challenge,” he said, raising his beer. “To keeping up with Violet.”

I clinked my beer glass against his and wondered what kept pulling us together.

The server returned, and we ordered our food, but the playful energy between us didn’t fade even as the server came and went.

I glanced around the restaurant, seeing several familiar faces and many more whom I didn’t recognize. I turned my attention back to Owen.

“Okay, serious question,” I said, folding my hands under my chin. “What’s the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened to you?”

Owen groaned. “Oh, no, we’re not going there.” He ran his palm jokingly over his face. “Definitely not going there.”

“Oh, come on,” I teased, nudging his foot under the table. “You owe me after watching me fall into a trough before your very eyes. It’s only fair.”

He chuckled, but the faint blush creeping up his neck told me I was on to something. “Alright, alright,” he said, shaking his hands in mock surrender. “But you can’t hold it against me.”

“No promises,” I replied, laughing.

Owen hesitated for a second before leaning in closer.

His voice dropped to a low whisper, but the deep hum of his voice wasstill detectable.

“Okay, so when I had one of my first meetings with a big-time investment bank, I knew my entire future rode on this huge presentation. It was a make-or-break moment.” He chuckled nervously and shook his head.

“Go on…”

“I was already nervous and didn’t want to mess it up. My brother had helped me practice for months. But before I went to present, I spilled coffee all over my pants.”

I gasped, trying to suppress a giggle. “No!”

He grimaced. “The problem was that I didn’t know it. I remember walking up in front of all these distinguished men in their crusty suits and slicked-back hair.” His eyes sparkled. “And my poor brother was sitting in the back with this horrific look crossing over his expression, and I didn’t have a clue.”

“Oh, no,” I said, feeling utterly horrified on his behalf.

“So, I plugged in my laptop, turned on the screen behind me, and just started talking. But as I kept going, I noticed every person in that room kept looking at my crotch.” He chuckled and shook his head. “I knew I couldn’t stop the whole presentation and look down, but the damp fabric had finally turned cold from the lukewarm coffee, and I knew something had seriously gone wrong.”

“That’s incredible. I would have died on the spot.” I chuckled.

“I almost did,” he said, laughing. “But the best part?”

“What?”

“I got the deal.”

“You’re braver than me,” I said, still giggling. “I would’ve just walked out, moved states, called it good.”

“Nah. No way,” he said, shaking his head. “You would’ve handled it like a pro. I can tell.”

“Oh, you think so?” I asked, lifting a brow. “You think I’d be cool as a cucumber under pressure?”

The server refilled our waters, and I glanced outside to see a beautiful glow bouncing off the lake water from the walkway lights above.

“Absolutely,” Owen replied, his smile softening. “You’ve got that ‘I can handle anything’ vibe. I mean, you kissed me after I pulled you out of a water trough. That’s gutsy, being all crusty and stuff.”

“As if.” My eyes widened. “I kissed you? You kissed me.”

He chuckled and nodded. “True. I just like to get you fired up.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

His eyes stayed on mine. “I like you, Violet.”

I blinked, caught off guard by the sincerity in his tone.

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. But before I could respond, the server came back with more drinks. We both reached for our glasses, the brief pause letting the weight of the moment settle.

“I like you too.” I frowned playfully. “More than I expected.”

It felt like there was something unspoken between us, just under the surface. A quiet spark, charged with something more, something we were both starting to feel but weren’t quite ready to name.

The server brought my fish and set down Owen’s filet mignon.

“I wasn’t expecting to have this much fun tonight.”

“I don’t know whether to be insulted or joyous,” I teased as my cheeks warmed.

He reached across the table, and his fingers brushed mine in a way that sent a jolt of electricity through me. “It just goes to show you’re so full of surprises.”

“You too,” I said softly, melting into this moment, trying to memorize everything. “Hey, are you busy tomorrow?”

“Not really. I just have a meeting in the morning.” He took a bite of his steak.

“Okay, well, at one o’clock, I’ll meet you here. Deal?”

“Deal.” But then I saw something flicker through his gaze again—that same something that’s worried me repeatedly. I thought he might say something that was weighing on him.

Instead, he just smiled, his thumb tracing small circles over my knuckles, and I felt my heart skip a beat.

I took the last bite of walleye and stared at my plate, wondering what all these feelings meant. It was all happening so fast.

Stealing another glance at Owen, my pulse quickened. I couldn’t deny that there was something about him drawing me in. Of course, I wanted to know what he was hiding. But for now, I was content with the easy banter, the shared smiles, and how his hand felt in mine.

Whatever came next, I wasn’t ready to let go of this moment. Not yet.