Page 19 of I Love You, I Hate You

Olivia looked up at her. “Your name is Victoria?”

An unexpected flush crawled up her neck, caught between an innocent child and her not-so-innocent memories of the man in front of her. “Yep, that’s me,” she said in a slightly strangled voice. “I take it this one belongs to you?” She gestured down at the little girl, who was now looking interestedly between them.

At least Owen seemed as thrown as she was. “Uh, yeah. Olivia, when I said you could wait outside while I changed your sister’s diaper, I meantby the door,” he said, sternly but not unkindly. “Now let’s not bother Victoria anymore.”

“She wasn’t a bother,” Victoria heard herself say, and Owen’s eyebrows shot up.

“Are you guys friends?” Olivia asked, and Victoria opened her mouth to reply and then closed it, becausefuck nowas probably not an appropriate thing to say to someone still watchingSesame Street. “Because he’s talked about you.” And now it was her turn for her eyebrows to shoot up, becausewhat.

Fortunately, Owen came to her rescue before she had to try and figure out whatthatmeant. “She works with me, sort of. Now let’s leave her alone.”

“I want her to come with,” Olivia said stubbornly. She grabbed Victoria’s hand and Victoria had to stop herself from flinching away, because there was no way Owen would ever let her live down hurting a little girl’s feelings. He already thought she was cold; knowing she was uncomfortable around children would be handing over endless ammunition. The girl on his hip started squirming and Owen set her on the grass, watching Victoria carefully.

“I’m sure she’s busy,” he said, and Victoria saw it for the opening it was.

“Actually, not doing anything important,” she said brightly, because fuck him, he didn’t get to get out of this either.

Owen’s eyes flashed with mild annoyance and Olivia clapped. “You said snow cones,” she said to Owen authoritatively. “Victoria gets one too.”

“Uncle Owen is buying us all snow cones?” she asked, amused.

“He’s not my uncle,” Olivia said, clearly disgusted. “He’s mybrother.”

Owen looked at Victoria with resignation. “I guess I’m buying you a snow cone,” he sighed.

She hefted her purse on her shoulder and the two little girls took off running, this time bolting toward a bright blue food truck withsno coneswritten on the side in white bubbly letters. “Sisters?” she asked.

“Technically half-sisters. Dad’s third wife.”

“She must be young,” Victoria observed.

“She is. Went to high school with me, in fact.”

Victoria blinked. “That’s gotta be weird.”

“It was, but I’m used to it now. Besides,Ashley’sactually pretty cool.”

It took a moment for that to land. “Ashley’s your . . . stepmom?”

“Yep. And I’ve definitely never hooked up with her,” he said tightly.

Embarrassment flooded her chest. “Shit, uh, sorry. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions.”

“Yeah, you really shouldn’t have,” he replied. He looked her straight in the eye, utterly serious. “I wouldn’t do that, okay?”

“Okay,” Victoria muttered, cheeks burning. There was a whole world of implication in thatokayand she wasn’t sure she could get her brain around it all.

The younger girl stumbled, her chubby legs not as fast as her sister’s, and Owen jogged ahead to scoop her up. “This is Lily, by the way,” he said, checking her for scrapes. His tone was easy, a sharp contrast to moments before.Okay, so we’re letting the whole Ashley thing go, she thought to herself, relieved and a little surprised he was willing to extend her that much of an olive branch.

“Nice to meet you, Lily,” Victoria said awkwardly.

The little girl ignored her and Owen snorted. “She’s a two-year-old, not a managing partner.”

Lily ran ahead again and Victoria rolled her eyes. “Whatever, I don’t know any kids,” she said.

“Why am I not surprised,” he sighed, more to himself than to her, and to her everlasting shock, she decided to let his barb pass by without a retort.

They joined Olivia at the back of the line. “We’re both getting blue,” Olivia announced. Once again Victoria had to bite back a smile because this little girl was clearly going to be a CEO of something someday.