Page 42 of His Secret Wish

Chapter 10

Claudia was a little chatterbox, asking questions about things they passed, or just anything that popped into her head. Isabella tried her best to be patient and answer honestly, but with the rapid-fire questions, it was difficult.

Not that she really cared. In fact, of she was being honest with herself, she kind of loved it. The whole thing was very domestic.

For as chatty as Claudia was, Marissa was just as quiet. She watched, her beautiful brown eyes taking in everything around her. There was no doubt in Isabella’s mind that she was going to be the type of kid that missed nothing, but was very selective about her words and opinions.

Owen’s gaze kept straying to the rearview mirror, as if he was making sure the girls were okay. It was super sweet, and clear that, just like her, the two little munchkins had him wrapped around their fingers. Just like their own children would have.

Another wave of sadness washed through her, and she looked out the passenger side window, hoping Owen wouldn’t notice the change in her. She needed to stop. Letting the past and regrets she had have such a hold over her was not good. For her, or the people around her.

Like Owen.

She glanced at him. He was looking in the mirror again, and he saw that she noticed. The tips of his ears turned pink. It was incredibly cute.

“Just making sure there’s no one following us or anything.” His voice was hoarse, and he cleared his throat. Turned his gaze back to the road.

A little more of the anger and resentment she’d been holding onto, melted away. Which wasn’t good. Because it meant all the old feelings, the lifelong feelings, she’d always had for him were starting to peek through. And that was very dangerous territory.

“How does the famer get the milk from the cow?” Claudia’s question cut through her thoughts. They’d just passed a billboard with a big cartoon cow on it.

“The cow has a part called an udder. The milk comes from there.” She glanced back and smiled at the girls, although her brain was still churning.

She couldn’t be having romantic feelings about Owen. It just wasn’t practical. They were about to get divorced, and she’d moved on. Had a new life. Not a very exciting life, but that was okay. Exciting was overrated. She glanced at Owen. Her heart skipped a couple of beats. The traitor.

Nope, not going there. All that led to was heartbreak. She and Owen may have loved each other, but it was clear they weren’t good for each other. And their communication skills were shit.

There was no denying that half of that was her fault. She hadn’t exactly been forthcoming with her feelings when they were struggling to have a baby. She’d smiled and nodded, and pretended her insides weren’t crumbling to dust every time she miscarried.

And then, of course, there was the whole hysterectomy thing. She’d tried to tell him, had wanted to tell him so many times. But when it came to actually saying the words, they dried up on her tongue. Saying it out loud felt like it was actually admitting it. That she was a failure.

“Did you ever milk a cow’s ubber?”

She shook her head to clear it, pushing all that to the back of her mind. No point in worrying about things she couldn’t change. Besides, she had girls to entertain. “I have. Owen’s brother owns a dairy farm. So, all those cows are milked every day.”

“Can we go there?” The excitement in Claudia’s voice made it so high-pitched there were probably dogs on the other side of the state howling.

She turned to look in the back of the van. Claudia was bouncing in her seat, her muscles tense and practically vibrating. Marissa was watching, always watching, although there was a hint of excitement in her gaze.

“Maybe someday.” Her breath hitched at the lie, her heart feeling like it was shrinking in her chest. She glanced at Owen. His jaw was tight, his gaze glued to the road.

He was most likely thinking the same thing as her. She doubted very highly her cousin would bring the girls up to Redding for a visit. Not unless she got something out of it. And since the trip would be long—Yolanda, Jorge and their family lived just outside of Madison Wisconsin—and expensive, it was unlikely. The only reason they’d made the twenty-seven-hour drive this weekend was because it was most likely Yaya’s last birthday celebration.

Same reason Isabella was here.

It didn’t take long for them to reach their destination. Not that there was really much to the place. It was very much a tourist town, with lots of restaurants and little gift shops. You’d have to go all the way to Reno to find a big box store.

Owen pulled into the parking lot of the Truckee Crossroads, a shopping complex that had a grocery store and a big drug store as anchors. There wasn’t much here, either, but it would have to do. He parked the van, and she got out and went to help the girls.

It took a bit of wrangling, but she and Owen managed to get them out of the van without too much hassle. She’d forgotten just how all-consuming caring for little ones could be. It had been a few years since her niece and nephew were this age. They were currently moody tweens who scoffed and were outraged at the idea of a babysitter.

She squatted down until she was face to face with the girls. “You need to make sure you’re holding either mine or Owen’s hand at all times, okay?”

Marissa nodded, her little face solemn.

“Yes.” Claudia said, still practically vibrating with excitement. Her gaze darted all over the place, from the stores to the people to the cars driving in and out of the parking lot.

“Good stuff.” She pushed to her feet and held out her hands. Two little ones met hers, one on each side. Something in her shifted, and she had to catch her breath for a moment. It didn’t hurt exactly, but she didn’t know what it was, or what it meant.