Alpha's Girl ~ Owen Grady

|Thirty|

The following morning, Daniel had risen with the burning sun and was winding Solo up before anyone had opened their eyes. Helen was taking him to the mainland for the day to go to a zoo. Apparently living in a dinosaur park isn't entertaining if you live there for a small child. 

"Give you grown ups some space," she had also claimed when they were boarding the boat that would take them from the heaving Isla Nublar. The stern look and motivational hug I had received from Helen as she held the small boy's hand before she left told me everything. She wanted me to talk to Owen. 

I would find the right time... eventually. 

So, Owen and myself spent our rare day off together in the blistering heat. Owen, taking apart his bike and tinkering with the parts I'm most confident he disassembled just last week. Myself, lounging in the hammock we'd strung up between two palm trees near the waters edge of the lake. Solo lying in the shadow the hammock cast as I read my book; my eyes slowly drooping in the warm sun, Owen's music from his small radio casting Everywhere by Fleetwoodmac  into the still air, his quiet singing accompanying it, and the gentle swaying of the string hammock rocking my fatigued body to sleep.

Awoken with a start, I sit up quickly when Solo lurches from his position underneath my swinging cocoon to bark after a new arrival on our small plot of land. My head spinning at the sudden action whilst I grab blindly on top of my head for my glasses, pulling them down onto the bridge of my nose so that I could somewhat make out the previous blurs of the large, pearl white, car that had pulled up. 

The unmistakable, fiery red hair that appeared from the drivers side had both Owen and I dropping our shoulders in annoyance. If Claire Dearing ever shows up, it's usually disastrous news; she just had to chose our one free day together to deliver it.

Stepping out of the high car, her pale heels almost sinking into the soft earth beneath them, as she appears in her immaculate white blouse and skirt had my frame hesitating from leaving the security of the hammock. Dressed in a pair of jean cropped pants and one of Owens red and black flannel's tired around my waist with a vest top keeping my shoulders exposed to the sun, made Clair appear all that more authoritative. Even as she flinches away from the charging Great Dane that had scuttled to a halt in front of Owen, the animals body ready to launch at the woman at Owens command. 

I watch as Owen continues to work on the last piece of his bike as she begins talking to him, the smart woman strutting a little closer after Owen had given the command for Solo to stand down so the dog could wander off, sniffing the ground around the large car having taking his interest. 

I flinch slightly as my hearing aid gives a high pitched screech. My hand instantly going up to adjust it from where it had slipped during my nap and silence the incessant thing. Straining my ears, I could just make out a Seahawks game playing on the radio. 

Giving a sigh and taking a deep breath to push away my shy nature that was screaming at me to hide in the safety of the hammock, I slide my flip-flops on and hesitantly make my way over to the pair of discussing teenagers. Insults and snarky comments flying between the two. 

Having cast a glance over his shoulder because Claire had moved her attention onto myself, Owen gives me a sympathetic smile as he reaches out with one arm to hold me into his side. Solo growing and trotting over to push his way between our legs in hopes of pushing us apart. 

"Solo! Pack that in, now!" Owen grunts as he pulls me closer to his side, "I ain't standing for any of you're cráp,"

Smiling softly, I reach out with my hand that isn't around Owens waist to stroke the grumpy dogs head. His grumble of contentment audible to us all as I begin massaging his floppy ears.