This is the next installment in The Davies. We’re in Owen’s POV for this one. It’s the second half of the scene in Chapter Thirteen.

Owen pulled his arm out from under Renee and spun to face her as Kennedy took off. “What the hell was that about?”

            “Penance Owen, it’s only just begun.” She smiled, tossing her hair over her shoulder.

“So, you hating on a woman you do not know somehow makes me pay for the mistake of sleeping with you?”

Renee rocked back. “Nice, Owen.” She leaned in with her face just inches from his. “I could tell from across the room you were sizing her up. The way I see it? I saved the girl some heartache. If that makes you angry as well – so much the better.”

“Heartache? How could I possibly have caused you heartache? Are you telling me you put your heart into it? I think we both know that’s crap. I’m sorry and I’ll say it a thousand times if it makes it better for you, but I never once lied to you. You came at me like a freight train, and you can’t go back now and act like I led you on.” He brushed past her to find Will.

He was going to have to let Will know that Kennedy had left. Apparently hurling insults and bolting was a thing for her. Entertaining as it was to see Renee get a face-full, he suspected that Kennedy was not aware of what she was in for. Renee was likely to add her to the list of victims. That and it was a long walk back to Coventry.

Will was in a corner with Craig Martin, and they were still talking baseball. Craig was a fanatic and Will loved to rub it in when the Sox lost. As he walked over, Will looked up.

“Kennedy bolted.” Owen explained. “Renee came over and was her usual charming self and Kennedy told her off and left.”

Will uttered a soft swear and stood up off his stool. “Why’d you let her leave?”

“Uh, I could just as easily ask why you left her.” Owen shot back at him. “I assume you came in the boat?”

            “Boat yeah. But I doubt she’s waiting there. If she’s ticked, she’s probably trying to walk home. She doesn’t drive so she has no idea how far away things are. Did you come in the Porche tonight?”

“Yah, no room for you, but don’t worry about it. You stay here in case she comes back. I’ll go after her and text you when I’ve caught up.” Owen fished his keys out of his pocket and headed for the door. Renee was sulking back at the bar. He knew he’d have to take care of that situation eventually before she poisoned him or shot any more innocent bystanders.

Once he got into the car he drove slowly up the road to Coventry. Sure enough, after barely half a mile he saw Kennedy walking up the road. What was she thinking? He wondered. She could not have any idea how far away it was or she would never have tried. Or maybe she was just that mad; probably the latter.

He pulled over beside her and rolled down the window. Kennedy squinted at him for a moment, recognized him and kept walking. “Wait,” he called out, but she didn’t. He drove ahead of her, stopped the car and got out to walk back to where she was. “Please let me give you a ride home.”

She stopped.

“Please” he repeated. “I’m sorry about Renee, those claws were out for me. You were collateral damage.”

Kennedy huffed at this, but didn’t respond.

“Her current goal in life is to make me miserable and really, I’m sorry for how she behaved to you.” He paused. “Will should never have left you on your own.”

            “Oh, so this is Will’s fault?” she yelled at him. “Are you all so emotionally damaged that you can’t be trusted to be civil to a stranger for more than five minutes?”

Ouch. No, not that crowd. “You’re right. It’s a rotten crowd. I’m not going to argue with you. Please let me at least give you a ride home. I may be emotionally damaged, but I can still drive.” He tried to get her to laugh. He was slowly walking toward her the entire time he was speaking like she was a deer he was afraid to startle. “You know its 5 miles from here to the edge of Coventry, right?”

Her face fell. Clearly she didn’t. He looked down at her shoes. Flip flops. The woman was nuts. “Those aren’t made for walking long distances and you’re not likely to get an Uber out this far. C’mon, let me give you a ride and you can insult me the entire way home.”

She gave him a wary look.

“Not a serial killer – I promise.” He had one hand over his heart and the other held up like a boy scout. Finally she just shrugged her shoulders and walked to his car.

He walked ahead of her and opened the door for her.

“Nice car.” She said blandly when he had climbed in and started up.

The Porche had been a graduation gift from his dad. He loved the car. It was incredibly impractical, had cost him two speeding tickets, and was crap in the winter, but it drove like a dream. “Don’t wrap it around a tree.” His dad had said when he handed over the keys. Owen had been astonished his dad hadn’t given him a pickup. It was the first sign in years that his father understood him. Rubbing at the sudden ache in his chest, he forced his thoughts onto the woman beside him.

Kennedy was sitting with her arms crossed, still as anything, saying nothing. She radiated hostility, but he could sense that she was upset and had he tried to talk to her he suspected she’d start crying. He definitely did not want that. So he asked her where to go.

“Parker house.” She answered. “Do you know it?”

            “Of course.”

“It still amazes me that everyone seems to know our family.” Her tone said she wasn’t happy about it either.

            “The Davies are one of the oldest of the old Yankee families around here.” He chuckled softly. “It kind of makes you a celebrity.”

She didn’t smile at this and his heart ached a bit for her. He was trying to think of something to say that wouldn’t make it worse.Finally he settled on “Don’t blame Will for tonight. He’s kicking himself hard enough. Speaking of which.” He nodded to the phone in her hand. “Would you text him and let him know that I’m taking you home? I promised I’d tell him.”

“So he’s worried now is he? He should be. The pinhead.” She began texting “Next time maybe he’ll actually warn me or even tell me where we’re headed before dragging me in.”

             “In Will’s defense, he doesn’t think about that kind of stuff. I mean, what you might think of the people there. He pays exactly no attention to any social tension. He could walk into a royal ball in jeans and not feel uncomfortable.”

“Are you saying that I should have felt uncomfortable?”

“Oh, no! Not at all, I just mean he misses social cues. Like if you felt uncomfortable, he’d never know it or understand why. He’s got social armor or something. No way should you have felt out of place. You look great. Please don’t think otherwise.”

“Whatever.” She waved a hand. “I’m more annoyed that he promised me fireworks and I got a stupid party full of jerks instead.”

Owen took note of where they were and calculated if they’d be able to still see the fireworks this far out. He pulled the car over “You can still see them. They’ll start in five minutes and the rocks at this cove look right out over the harbor. Are you afraid of heights?”

“Not in the slightest, but my flip flops aren’t exactly made for climbing.” She pointed to her feet.

            “No worries, it’s not that high. I wanted to be sure since you might have to kind of lean out to see and I didn’t want that to freak you out.”

She stared at him for a  moment like she was doing the mental math on whether she could trust him.

“The fireworks are pretty cool.”

She waited and he wondered if she was going to say no. The moment stretched to where he was about to say never mind and start the car.

“Okay, let’s go.”

He got out of the car and jogged around to open her door. She gave him a half smile and followed him up the short path and out onto the top of the rocks.

The first firework went up as they found a good spot and sat down. The trees down to the left didn’t stick out after all so they both were able to sit on the rock outcropping and watch without leaning out and risking a fall.

Truthfully, the fireworks were nothing that spectacular, but with that view over the water lifted them to pretty fine. The presentation lasted about 10 minutes and Owen found himself looking at her more often than the crashes of light. The top she was wearing barred her shoulders and he found his eyes lingering there.

She wasn’t a knockout, she was…lovely. Her mouth was a work of art and her eyes were large and expressive. Her face had a kind of delicate look to it that made him long to take it in his hands and… Whoa. That was completely wrong. First of all, he doubted she would appreciate him making a move on her and second, she was Will’s friend and perhaps something more despite what the man had said. He could see her resemblance to Ella, but she was night to Ella’s day. Her eyes were darker and her hair was brown rather than Ella’s blonde. She was taller too, with more to her. Ella seemed like a pixie at times.

Kennedy’s personality was also completely different. She seemed to be quiet, but with a fiery streak when provoked and a pointed bluntness that probably got her into trouble. There was no bull with her. She seemed open if not accepting. Ella was a bright light, all fun and sparkle, but when she was hurt, that light went out and she withdrew. It was something Will had never understood about her. She wasn’t a fighter. He lashed out, thinking she’d give back as good as she got, but she just took the hits, trying to love him through it. He wanted to spar, she wanted to heal him. It was no surprise she gave up.

When the fireworks ended, they headed back to the car, not really saying anything. Owen was in a pensive mood and he appreciated that she didn’t need to fill the silence. Kennedy seemed to be the kind of person comfortable with quiet moments. It was a nice change.

He knew the way to Parker house having been there a few times during the Will and Ella era and they were there in a few minutes. He pulled into the driveway and up to the little turn-around spot to avoid having to back out the whole way. He got out of the car and opened her door. She slid out and stood in front of him. Her mood had obviously not fully improved. He tried to say something funny, but the slight pout on her lips and having her standing so close became too much of a temptation. He slipped an arm around her back, gently pulled her close and kissed her.

For a moment she returned his kiss, and then she pushed him off. Her face was a mix of shock and confusion. Before he could see it coming. she slapped him across the face. He staggered a bit as he hadn’t expected it, although he should have. Her expression was thunderous as she pushed him back and stomped off into the house. He was too shocked to even call out an apology to her as she left.

He got into his car rubbing his face. He had completely deserved that. She hadn’t given him any indication she was even remotely interested in him much less interested in kissing him. He was surprised at himself; he never did that. He always waited for a clear sign of interest. What the hell had gotten into him? Just then his phone rang. It was Will. He would have hit the reject button if he could. “Hey,” he answered. “She’s home now.”

            “Is she still pissed at me?”

“Probably not as much.” Owen answered honestly.

Will was silent for a moment. “You are just getting her home now? Did you stop somewhere?” Will clearly sensed trouble in Owen’s tone of voice.

 “We stopped on the way to see the fireworks and then I brought her home. And.” He paused wondering if there was a way out of admitting it. Nope. “Uh. And then I kind of kissed her.” Silence on the other end. “If it makes you feel any better, she hit me.”

Will was silent for a full minute. “What is wrong with you?”

“I was just asking myself the same thing.” Owen braced, but the phone went dead. Will was gone. What a great night.

Image credit, Hannah Camerota via Unsplash