Hope sent her heart fluttering, so hard and fast it was nearly painful. “Really?”
“Of course. I’d be stupid not to take advantage of your knowledge while you’re here.”
As quickly as it had come, hope fled, leaving her with a hollow disappointment she didn’t quite understand. Their arrangement had always been for the weekend from the very beginning.
It was stupid to want more. Owen was a Daddy through and through. And even though she’d enjoyed coloring, and even playing with the fake kitchen in the playroom, she wasn’t a Little. She had no desire to have every aspect of her life controlled day in and day out like the Littles at the Ranch, so there was no future for her with Owen.
“You okay, babygirl?”
“What? Oh, yes, I’m fine.”
Clear blue eyes locked on hers, and she had to fight not squirm under his all-too perceptive gaze. “I don’t appreciate being lied to, Julia Lynne.”
“I’m not lying.”
He narrowed his eyes and her breath caught in her chest. If he wanted to, he’d get the truth from her, there was no doubt in her mind. But after a long moment, he simply sighed and shook his head. “It’s obvious something is bothering you. You don’t have to tell me just yet, but please don’t lie and tell me you’re fine.”
After everything they’d shared over the past few hours, it seemed like the least she could give him. “I’m sorry. I just…don’t really feel like talking about it.”
“I understand. I hope you’ll come to me when you’re ready.”
She forced a smile. “I’ll try.”
“Thank you. So, what do you want to do after dinner? You can finish coloring or we can play a board game. It’s up to you.”
Relieved by the change in subject, she propped her chin on her hand, making a show of considering her options. “Hmmm. What kind of games do you have?”
“Pretty much everything.” His grin flashed, relaxed and easy, sending her heart beating madly against her rib cage again. “My family loves board games. Whenever I go home for the holidays, we spend hours playing. And drinking.”
“That sounds…fun, actually.”
“It is. My brother and his wife are extra competitive, so we never let them team up together. It’s more fun to watch them play against each other.”
A laugh burst out of her, louder than she intended, and she immediately slapped a hand over her mouth. “Sorry! I didn’t mean to be so loud.”
“You don’t have to apologize, babygirl. I love hearing you laugh.”
Ugh. Why did he have to say such sweet things? Leaving at the end of the weekend was already going to be miserable, and every time he opened his mouth, it just made her want to stay.
If Owen noticed her reaction, it didn’t show. For the rest of dinner, he regaled her with tales of dinners and holidays with his family. The love he had for them practically radiated from him, and she couldn’t help the little twinges of jealousy in her chest with every happy memory.
“What about your family?” he asked as they carried their plates to the sink. “Any overly competitive siblings you enjoy torturing?”
“No.” The single syllable came out sharper than she’d meant for it to, so she softened her response with a smile. “It was just me and my mom growing up.”
“Grandparents? Aunts, uncles?”
“Only child of an only child, and mom wasn’t close with her parents, so we rarely saw them.”
“I see. Do you visit your mom often?”
“Ah, I used to.” A lump formed in her throat and she forced herself to swallow hard, to keep the grief from spilling out and ruining their perfectly pleasant evening. “She passed a few years ago. That’s when I went to live at the Ranch.”
“Oh, baby. I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine.” Ignoring the familiar ache in her chest, she smiled up at him. “It was a long time ago.”
“Still.” He ran a hand over her hair, and the sweet, simple gesture nearly snapped the tenuous hold she had on her emotions. “I’m not sure we ever quite get over losing our parents. If you want to talk about it, I’ve been told I’m a pretty good listener.”
“Thanks, but I’m fine. Now,” she said, wiping her hands dry and draping the dish towel over the rack before turning to him, “which game are you going to let me kick your butt at tonight?”
“Challenge accepted, babygirl.”