...And He's Back (Book One, Breaking Open Series)

An Earthquake?

"Patty," He says with a twinkle in his eyes, "It's all part of the job."

"Oh hush, you've always been a little hero Owen, your father taught you well." She praises.

Owen gives a heartfelt smile making my heart ooze and gush. "I better get going, Luke's waiting in the car and we're patrolling around this perimeter today."

I give a lazy wave while stuffing my face with my breakfast egg roll. Owen chuckles and hugs Patty before he leaves. She turns to me but I am quick to answer the question I know is coming. "He lost at bowling and now has to bring me breakfast for a week."

Patty grins. "You two are so cute."

I roll my eyes and get to work. And by work, I mean finishing my tater tots. I head to my office and glance out my window as the sun shines down on the dark green grass. Soon it will be brown and gross with the coming fall, but for now it's not.

I spin in my chair and this time, actually get to work thinking about my upcoming game with Matt's team in a couple weeks. I'm excited to get grass and dirt stains all over my legs, and to slam softballs out of the park. At the thought of that I'm reminded of Daniel.

Maybe I should invite him, get some ice cream afterwards.

My day passes by nicely and soon it's lunch time. There's a knock on my door and I see a large beautifully wrapped sub. Beautiful because the white paper has my favorite hole in the wall sub place's name stamped on it. My mouth waters a little and Patty pokes her head through my door.

I drop my pen and lean back in my chair. "Now I know we didn't place a bet, so what's the catch?"

She laughs and hands me the sub. "Italian with lots of banana peppers."

She opens hers as I give her a quizzical look causing her to sigh and push her sandwich away. "I wanted to talk to you." I give her the go ahead and she continues, "I know what's going on between you and Owen seems like a mountain, but I really feel like you aren't giving it your all."

A low hum escapes my lips acknowledging her comment, but also in delight from how good my sub is. I don't know if it's my drunken sub stupor or what, but I decide to tell her about the incident.

"We kissed Saturday, twice. But I initiated both of them."

She leans over and grabs my hand endearingly. "Sweetie, how can you be so blind."

Giving her a dumbfounded look, I put down my sandwich ignoring it.

Me ignoring a sub! That's a pretty big deal people!

"Patty, the first one was a peck turned into something more. The second he tried to reject it and walk away, but I made this face and he saw it. He didn't want it. He just pitied me so I angry kissed him."

Patty stops me with her strict mother hand that says you say one more word and I'll smack ya. "He's in love with you. Daniel saw it, I've seen it and others certainly have. You need to stop downplaying this and get on the offensive. He's your guy Harp, just like how Walt's mine."

If only.

"I've been on the offense... I kissed him...twice!" I pucker my lips to the side and shake my head, making Patty sigh. She straightens to her full height and looks me dead in the eye, "Did I ever tell you about how Walt and I ended up together?"

I shake my head no. She looks at the clock and we still have some time before lunch is over.

"Walt and I grew up in the same town, like you and Owen, but that's pretty much where the similarities end." She pauses and sits back in her chair, relaxing a little bit. "We weren't close. We just knew of each other. Ran into one another from time to time. We didn't think much of it. But sometimes people need to mature before they can come together and I certainly know that I needed some maturing."