Page 48 of Deserving Lara
Tiny wasn’t wrong. “What about Savannah? She’s not around much, since she can do the books remotely, but she’s pretty.”
“How about you stop trying to set me up?” Tiny drawled. “Just because everyone around here is getting married and having babies, doesn’t mean weallhave to.”
“You don’t want that?” Owl asked. “And I’m not judging. I mean, it’s fine if you don’t.”
It took Tiny almost a full minute to answer. Just when Owl thought he wasn’t going to respond at all, he spoke.
“I want it. I look at Brick and the others and see how happy they are, and it makes me want itmore. But…” His voice trailed off as he stared at the dance floor without seeing it.
“But?” Owl prompted.
Tiny shrugged. “I have trust issues,” he finally said.
“Don’t we all,” Owl commiserated.
Tiny’s gaze pinned him intensely. “You ever woken up to the woman you thought you’d marry plunging a knife into your chest?”
Owl’s eyes flew wide. “Um…no.”
“Yeah. Don’t recommend it. The thought of falling asleep next to another woman is enough to make me never sleep again. Hell, I’m not sure there’s a woman alive who could put up with my paranoia and trust issues.”
“You’d be surprised,” Owl told him.
“I don’t like surprises,” Tiny grumbled.
He couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Shut up,” Tiny said, bumping Owl’s shoulder with his own.
Owl was still smiling as a new song began playing. His grin grew as he watched the women of The Refuge converge on the pseudo dance floor. They were all there. Jess, Carly, Ryan, Luna, even Savannah. And of course, Alaska, Henley, Reese, Cora, Lara, and little Jasna.
“Y-M-C-A!” they all yelled, using their arms to make the corresponding letters as they sang.
The room was filled with happiness and joy, and if anyone had asked Owl if he knew this was where they’d all be a year ago, he would’ve laughed his ass off. He and his fellow Refuge owners weren’t ogres, but they also weren’t exactly what people would call joyful.
At one point, with ear-to-ear smiles on their faces, Cora wrapped her arm around Lara’s waist and together, with one arm each, they made the movements to form each letter together.
Owl’s throat got tight as a ball of emotion formed. The friendship between the two women was unbreakable, and so damn strong it was beautiful. Thinking about everything Cora had done to make sure Lara was all right was something he’d rarely ever seen.
The song ended, and Cora turned to Lara and hugged her tightly. They shared a few words on the dance floor before Cora smiled up at her, then walked toward her new husband.
Another song started, and when Owl saw Lara look around self-consciously, he was on the move. It was unacceptable that she would feel even one moment of doubt, of worry. Not after the pure joy he’d just witnessed.
He was at her side in an instant. “You thirsty?” he asked, knowing it was merely an excuse to make sure she was good.
“A little,” she said, smiling up at him.
Owl steered her away from the others still dancing, over to a table where Robert had set up a drink station. There were soft drinks in a bucket of ice, various juices, bottles of water, and even some punch that he’d hilariously labeled “Baby-Making Punch.” It was simply fruit punch and sprite, but everyone had gotten a kick out of it.
Lara reached for a water and held it out to him.
“I’m good,” he said with a shrug.
She grinned. “Will you open it for me?”
“Oh! Yeah, of course,” Owl said. He twisted the top off and handed the bottle back.
“I mean, I could’ve opened it myself, but my hands are a little sweaty,” she explained.
