Savage Lane (31 page)

O
H MAN,
Owen thought.
Was this perfect or what
?

He’d been trying to figure out a way to get to Karen’s house, to be there to support her and shit, when he got a call from Elana, going on in that annoying, whiny tone about how kids at school were giving her a hard time about her mom, and how this was the worst day of her life, and she was so upset and missed him so much. At first, when she was bitching, he was barely listening, but then it clicked that this was exactly what he needed. He’d never believed in God, but it sure as hell seemed as if
somebody
was looking out for him.

So he left the motel and headed over to the Dailys’. If things went well, maybe he could move his stuff over late tonight or tomorrow morning. He was glad because the motel was too stuffy and, besides, he was used to living in a house. When he and Karen got married the house would be half his. Owen Harrison, homeowner, who would’ve thought? Just a few days ago, his future had seemed so bleak. He was an eighteen-year-old high school dropout with a shit job and was living with his parents, but pretty soon he was going to have a sexy wife, step kids, and a house with a big back yard and a lawn to mow. Talk about turning his life around.

Shit, there were lots of people, reporters and camera people probably because there were news trucks too, in front of Karen’s house. Owen should’ve expected this, but he hadn’t. He was too excited about the future to pay much attention to anything else.

He rang the bell a couple of times then saw the blinds in the living room part for a second. He hoped Karen would answer the door but it was Elana who opened it just wide enough for him to slip inside, then she closed it and locked it again.

“Oh my God, it’s so great to see you,” she said, hugging him tightly.

“Yeah,” Owen said, looking past her, toward the kitchen, hoping to see Karen there.

“Come on, let’s go up to my room and hang,” she said.

“Where’s your mom?” Owen asked.

“Why?”

“I just want to say ‘hi’ to her, see how she’s doing.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea. My mom’s really not handling this too well.” She whispered, “She just had this big fight with Riley’s dad.”

“Really?” Owen wanted to hear about this. “What about?”

“Come up and I’ll tell you.”

“Just tell me now.”

“I only heard some of it, I was upstairs, listening in,” Elana continued, whispering. “It was really weird though. He was telling her to turn herself in to the cops, and my mother was like, ‘I didn’t do anything, why should I turn myself in?’ and Riley’s dad was like, ‘But we’re in love,’ and my mother was like, ‘That’s crazy.’”

“Wow,” Owen said, thinking this was great news. If Karen was really hooking up with an old guy like Mark Berman there was no way in hell she’d be able to resist a hot young stud like himself. After all, Deb had blown off Mark to be with him, so why wouldn’t Karen do the same thing?

“I know, it’s so fucked up,” Elana said. “That’s why I need you here. I love you so much.”

Shit, she didn’t just say “love” too, did she? Was everybody around here losing their minds?

“You don’t mean that,” he said.

“That I need you here? Of course I need you, that’s why I called you. Come on, let’s go up and hang.”

He’d have to straighten her out later, or she’d just figure it out on her own. But right now he had one thing on his mind.

“Where’s your mom?”

“In the den, I think, but—“

“Lemme talk to her,” Owen said. “I’m really good at like, you know, consoling people. I ever tell you, when I was growing up I wanted to be a funeral director?”

“Really?” Elana asked.

Sticking with the bullshit, Owen went, “Yeah, I was gonna go to school for it. I still might someday. I’m great with grief. In my family, whenever someone died or got sick or something bad happened, I was always the one who talked to whoever was hurting and made them feel better.”

How was he able to think of this shit so quickly? It was like a fucking gift.

“You’re so amazing,” Elana said.

“Wait for me in bed, baby,” Owen said.

“’Kay,” she said and finally went upstairs.

Okay, that was one problem out of the way, now down to business. Owen went to the other end of the house, past the living room, and then there was a room with the door closed. He could hear Karen talking, sounded like she was on the phone. He knocked softly, then opened the door a crack and poked his head in.

Standing, facing away, talking into her iPhone, Karen was saying, “…They’re staying here with me and that’s final!” Then she turned and saw Owen and seemed surprised, or maybe angry. She said into the phone, “I have to go now. I said I’m hanging up.”

Then she ended the call and said to Owen, “What are
you
doing here?”

Putting on his sexiest smile, Owen said, “Elana called and wanted me to come by, and I wanted to check in on you.”

“Well, she shouldn’t’ve called you, and you shouldn’t be here now,” Karen said. “You have to go home.”

“But I
want
to be here,” Owen said, coming fully into the room, and taking a couple of steps toward her and then stopping, maybe three feet away.

“You have to leave, right now,” she said.

“It’s okay,” he said.

“No, it’s
not
okay,” she said, crossing her arms in front of her chest. “This is the last thing I need right now. I want you to leave.” She called out, “Elana!”

Elana was all the way upstairs and they were at the other end of the house; Owen knew she couldn’t hear.

“Please, just try to chill, look at things in perspective,” Owen said.

“Perspective?” she asked.

“Yes,” Owen said. “I think it’s horrible what they’re saying about you, I think it sucks so bad. But they don’t know who you really are. They’re just talking, saying whatever they want to say. But you know who you really are. Your family knows too.”

Shit, he was good.

“Thank you,” Karen said, “but actually you don’t get it.”

“Get what?”

“Nobody—”

“—Believes you didn’t do it?” Owen said. “Well, who gives a shit what everybody thinks? I believe you didn’t do it, because I was there.”

“What do you mean you were there?”

Owen had to be careful. He said, “At the country club. I was there when Deb Berman attacked you out of nowhere. You didn’t do anything—it was all her. She was drunk and acting crazy. I saw her drunk at the country club all the time, acting crazy. You weren’t doing anything wrong.”

“Tell the police that,” Karen said.

“I already did,” Owen lied. “As soon as I heard what was going on I called the police and told them.”

“Thank you.” Karen wasn’t crossing her arms anymore; her arms were at her sides. “It was very nice of you to do that.”

“Of course I’d do that,” Owen said. “I’d do anything to help you and your family.”

He saw a look in her eye—a green light. He’d seen the same look from Deb, about two years ago, right before it had all started. He wanted to hold Karen’s hand again—fuck, he wanted to do a lot more than that—but they had their whole lives together; there was no rush.

“I’m sorry I flipped out when I saw you here,” Karen said. “I’ve just been under an incredible amount of stress. You’re welcome to stay for dinner.”

“Can I help cook?”

“Thank you, I don’t think I’ll be cooking much. Just fish cakes and vegetables and the fish cakes are already made.”

“Then at least let me set the table, and I’ll do the dishes too.”

“It’s okay, I can do it,” Karen said. “Why don’t you go spend time with Elana? I’ll call you down when dinner’s ready.”

She smelled so good. He wanted to ask her what perfume she was wearing, but he knew he should probably keep his mouth shut.

“What perfume are you wearing?” he asked.

Shit, it had slipped out.

“Excuse me?” she asked.

“I mean I just noticed you smell good, and I think I’ve smelled it before. Maybe on Elana.”

“I’m not wearing any perfume,” Karen said.

“Oh,” Owen said. “Then maybe it’s just soap.”

Upstairs, Elana was waiting for him in her room, lying in bed, on her iPad, going, “Facebook is like a total clusterfuck. You can’t believe what people are saying about my mom. How was she? What’s going on?”

“She’s cool,” Owen said. “I talked to her and helped her, I think. She invited me to stay for dinner.”

“Really? That’s so awesome. I mean, my mom has been kind of strict about us, because you’re older and everything, but it’s awesome that she invited you to dinner.”

“Yeah, your mom’s amazing,” Owen said. “You’re lucky to have her.”

“Come here,” Elana said, putting down the iPad.

Owen didn’t want to get in bed with her, but he didn’t see how he was going to avoid it. For right now, Elana was the thing that was keeping him close to Karen, so he had to make sure not to mess this up. Eventually he’d have to tell Elana the truth, that he was in love with her mother, or, actually, it would make sense if Karen had that talk with her. She was her mom after all. She would know the best way to break the news to her daughter.

Owen was kissing Elana, imagining that it was Karen. Karen had great lips—thick, but not too thick—and he bet she was a great kisser.

“I’m so happy you’re here,” Elana said. “I almost didn’t call you.”

“Why not?” Owen asked, distracted, still thinking about Karen’s lips.

“’Cause the other night, I don’t know… I didn’t think you were into me anymore.”

“Sorry,” Owen said. “I was just in a bad mood. It had nothing to do with you.”

“Yeah,” Elana said. “That’s what I thought.”

They kissed some more and Owen could tell Elana was getting into it. He let her go down on him, which was pretty amazing actually because he imagined it was Karen doing it.

He almost fucked everything up, though, when he said, “Oh, shit, that feels so good, Kar…”

Elana stopped, went, “What did you just say?”

“I said careful,” Owen said.

“Oh,” she said.

“D
INNER TIME
!” Karen called from downstairs.

Owen and Elana were still in bed, cuddling. Oh, man, Owen loved Karen’s voice. He couldn’t wait till he heard her screaming out his name when they were doing the teacher-student fantasy. He bet she’d be better at it than Deb.

He and Elana went down to the kitchen. Her little brother was already at the table. This was so cool—a built-in family, waiting for him. When Kyle was here, it would be even cooler. All they needed was a dad—and now they had one.

“Let me,” Owen said, going over to Karen at the stove,
smelling
her. “Sit down, relax, I’ll serve.”

“It’s okay,” she said.

“No, I insist,” he said.

Karen sat and Owen brought over the fishcakes and broccoli and salad that she had prepared. Then he got apple juice for Matthew and seltzer for Karen and Elana and then finally he joined them. Karen seemed kind of out of it still so Owen took control of the conversation, asking Matthew what was going on at school and then talking about swimming. Although Matthew didn’t swim, he knew Kyle from school and wherever, and Elana knew Kyle too.

When Matthew said, “Mom, can I have ice cream now?” Owen cut in and said, “You have to finish your broccoli first or you can’t have dessert.” Owen liked this new tone in his voice, how fatherly he sounded, and he could tell Karen liked it too. She’d been alone, divorced for a while now, and she was probably sick of dating. She liked having a man in the house, somebody who could take charge and be a good role model for the kids.

“Okay,” Matthew said and stabbed a piece of broccoli with his fork and stuffed it into his mouth.

Owen saw Karen smile, just for a second, but he could tell inside she was happy.

“Where do you live, Owen?” Karen asked.

Owen, getting a flash of seeing all his stuff on the lawn in front of his mom’s house, wasn’t sure how to answer.

“What do you mean?”

“I know your mom, Linda, has told me where she lives, but I forget. Is it Katonah or Lewisboro?”

“Katonah,” Elana said.

Then, suddenly, Owen saw an opportunity.

“Actually I’m not living anywhere right now,” he said.

“What do you mean?” Karen asked, and Elana asked, “Yeah, what do you mean?”

“My mom and stepdad…Well, they asked me to move out.” Owen wasn’t sad, but he forced out a tear or two to make it look good.

“When did this happen?” Elana asked.

“Yesterday,” Owen said. “I came home and my stuff was on the lawn.”

“Your mother put your stuff on the lawn?” Karen asked.

“Not my mother, my stepfather, but my mother lets him do whatever he wants so I guess it’s the same thing. Raymond, my stepfather, he isn’t the nicest guy in the world. We got into a fight, and he hit me.”