Destinbury

"Watching from one of the windows to see what Nila is doing. You were so perfect with her, but now it's time to take a deep breath. Now come with me because we're going to lie down in your darkened bedroom until you settle down."

"Char..."

"Owen, this is very similar to the advice you gave me, so do as I say please."

Chapter Two Hundred Twenty Eight

An hour later Char emerged from Owen's bedroom and found Kate in the kitchen having coffee. "How is he doing?"

"Unless I woke him when I eased out of bed, he's sleeping, but that won't last. I'll hit him with a couple of pills tonight to be sure he sleeps, and I'll camp out with him."

"That makes me feel a little better. I watched Nila closely after Owen slammed the door. She just stood there like she was in shock, but then she cried, and mean she cried hard and almost laid on the trunk of her car. She finally tossed her things in the car and left, but she was a mess. How could she think she was going to get away with what she was doing forever? Common sense should have told her she was headed the wrong way on a one way street. My God, Owen couldn't have made it any clearer that he hates Jake with a passion, and I've never known Owen to hate anybody before."

"Owen is a lover. Always has been and always will be. Jake has been like a poison to him, and now that I know that whole story I can understand why. I'd hate that bastard too. I do hate that bastard."

"I do too. I wonder if that Trace will every call here again. In fact, I wonder if I nosed around a little if I could find his number."

"What are you thinking Kate?"

"I'm not sure, and I don't want to cause trouble between him and Owen, but I think I might be able to safely make my point. In person would be best if I can manage to make that happen. You're not going to tell Owen about this right?"

"Of course not, I fully approve of what you're trying to do. Go look now and I'll be your lookout."

Kate went to the bottom right hand drawer of his desk just as a guess, hoping all the way that he didn't have everything on his computer and password protected. Then she remembered Molly and smiled, and walked out telling Char, "Never mind, I have a better way to do this. Get me his cell phone and we'll leave it out here like in his grief that's where he left it.

Minutes later, Kate heard Molly answer and she dove into who she was and what had just happened to Owen and the marriage plans. "Oh no Kate, what a horrible thing to have to go through."

"He's hurting Molly, so don't be surprised if one of us calls you later to come over and just be a friend."

"Well I am a friend, so of course, just let me know when."

"Molly, I do need Trace's phone number."

"Oh God Kate, that might not..."

"I'm not even mad at him, but I think that if I work it right, I can hit him with enough information that he will see Jake for what he really is. Just maybe Trace has enough influence to poison more of Jake's friends. We have nothing to lose really, and I'll be sure that I pour myself out to Trace and be wearing a low cut top. I can be pretty good if I'm inspired, and I'm really inspired right now."

"Yes, of course," and she shared Trace's number with Kate ,and they talked for a minute about what Kate might want to say to Trace. Then Kate put Owen's phone down and smiled at Char. "You take good care of him and I'll go see what I can do from a different angle."

"Just don't get Trace mad and don't do anything to make life bad for you."

"I can promise you that he will have no reason to be mad at me or any of us, and I think I have a shot at making my point. Nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?"

"That's true. Good luck, and thanks for your help."

"I'll call you, but it may be some time, so don't worry," and Kate left with a plan already forming in her mind.

Char picked up Owen's phone and spent the next half hour calling Alana and Dan, and then Kathy and Perry, and they were going to pass the word to anybody they knew that would have been attending the reception. Even if Nila took on that chore, Char felt better knowing they didn't have to rely on her for at least a lot of them on the list of reception guests. But she didn't know how to get in touch with Marcie and Elise, and it didn't occur to her to call Molly again, but that's when Owen appeared, so she put that minor detail out of her thoughts. "What can I get you that's non alcoholic boss?"

"Not a thing Char," and he again dropped onto the sofa and pulled her into his side. "I'm not falling apart now, but that's about all I can say."

"Kate had to leave, but she'll be in touch she said. Oh, and Perry and Kathy, along with Dan and Alana have been told, so don't worry about that."

"Thanks. It's a lot like notifying people that a close family member has just died."

"That's exactly right, it is a lot like that, because a part of you did almost die."

Kate was still heading down the road as she called Trace, but had to leave a message telling him who she was, and that she needed to talk to him and it was quite important. Trace called her back as she pulled into her driveway saying, "Hi, this is Trace and I got your message."

"Trace, this isn't something I want to get into on the phone. Is there a time and place where I could meet you. I only need maybe twenty minutes of your time."

"Sure I guess so, how about...well I don't know where you live so..."

"Do you know the Hardy's on Park Lane?"

"I do. Say about five?"

"About five it is, and I'll be wearing a red top and black slacks."

"Okay Kate, I'll see you there. Do I get a clue as to what this might be about?"

"I really can't without just creating more questions, but I'll see that you have every detail at five."

"Okay, I'm looking forward to meeting you Kate," and she went inside to work on dressing very sexy for him. She was even going to enjoy herself she decided.

Chapter Two Hundred Twenty Nine

Kate was at Hardy's ahead of Trace so she would have time to get a corner table, and go to the bathroom to once again check herself in the mirror. Then she ordered two coffees and parked herself so she could watch people coming in. She had no idea what he looked like, but she did have preconceived ideas based on what she'd heard about him. She had to throw away all of her expectations as the guy looked at her and smiled, and she held up his cup of coffee. He took her hand and smiled as he said, "I really hope you're Kate or I'm going to be very disappointed."

"Hi Trace, and I am Owen's sister Kate."

"I do hope all is well with him."

"Well I wish it was, but that isn't so. Trace, I need your help is what this really comes down to, but please allow me a few minutes to share some things with you."

"Of course, and take your time."

Taking a deep breath and easing it out for effect, she smiled and leaned forward a little, and giving him just a reasonably deep view of her cleavage as she said, "Thank you. Okay, I want to go back quite some time. Do you know anything about the time Jake flew Nila and me to New York for the weekend?"

"Oh, that was you, okay. Sure, I remember hearing just a little about that, but nothing in particular. Did you have a good time there?"

"Yes and no," and she smiled as she drilled her eyes into his. "Sorry to be so vague with my answers, but maybe that will make sense pretty soon. Okay, how to I tell this objectively?" Kate walked him through how much Owen didn't like the New York idea, but he went along with it, and then every detail of that weekend. "Trace, Jake, with his money, his fantastic apartment, the closet full of clothes for her, and the plans for the wild weekend in the big city hit Nila like a fast train at a country crossing. I don't know if she even remembered her own name. That doesn't mean Nila was innocent at all. Remember I was right there, and even as her best friend, I'll say she handled herself about as badly as she could have. The big successful city guy took advantage of a thirty something naïve woman from a small town, and screwed her silly, set up a threesome for her...her first one, and more."

"Really?"

"Very really Trace, and I'm not going on her word, because again, I'll say I was right there, so I saw a little of that action. But Trace, so much more happened that weekend. Very big things and very damaging, and I mean to Owen and Nila's relationship.. I'm pretty much a small town woman myself, but I had the luxury of being able to stand back just enough to handle myself better than Nila did. Where is this going I'm sure is a question you want to ask me. Trace, it took many weeks and a lot of forgiveness from Owen for he and Nila to put patches on their relationship, but love did prevail, and they mended well enough that they..."

"That they're getting married next weekend, I remember Owen telling me and I was going to send them a gift."

"Don't send anything Trace, because the wedding is off, and Owen is home." She stretched the truth about as far as she dared by adding, "And about four steps from crumbling into dangerous depression."

"Oh no, what the hell happened Kate?"

"Trace, Jake happened. You innocently told Owen about them getting together, but Owen was already building a suspicion about something like that. Trace, had they gotten married, Owen would have found out, and can you imagine how messy that could have been? I hate to even think about that. So in effect, you saved Owen without realizing it."

"Wait, let's go back a few steps. So...let me get this. So when Jake was with Nila last week, that wasn't an okay thing."

"Oh my God no and that didn't happen just once. Owen has never hated anybody. That's just not him, but after New York, Jake's name wasn't even to be uttered. He was poison, Trace. Owen made it so abundantly clear that Jake would never be allowed in his house. That Jake's name was even forbidden. Owen and Nila both have had other lovers by mutual approval, but of course Jake continued to be off limits. Owen was still carrying a huge load about New York, but he was making progress in that area, because he loved Nila that much. Trace, I know that Jake at least knew a lot of this. I'll just say that I was in contact with the guy I was with at Jake's apartment. Trace, I don't know how well you know Jake, or how close you two are, but I have to say this. Jake is a user. He'll tire of Nila soon enough and toss her away like trash." She pulled his hand closer to her, leaned over the table as far as she could, and he grabbed quick views of her very nice breasts as she told him, "Trace I'm going to ask a very big favor of you. Not because of Owen," and more lies flowed. "Nila is my very best friend, and I'm worried about any other woman that gets near Jake. He's a destroyer of lives. He preys on the innocent, the naïve, the easy targets if you will. I'm like Owen in that I pretty much at least like about everybody, but Jake is another matter. I don't just dislike him, he scares me, and he's almost destroyed Owen, and he's going to destroy Nila. How can we stop him Trace? What can I or you do? I feel so powerless with this, and yet I couldn't just sit there and watch Owen totally fall apart knowing Jake would cause more havoc with others. Can you imagine how it would feel if you lost Gail?"

"Kate, I can't picture that. I don't know what we can do, but let me think about this and talk to Gail and a couple of our friends."

"Could I beg you to call me?"

"You don't have to beg Kate. You've grabbed my attention to say the least. I won't go into some things that I either know or was led to believe, and things of that nature. But I will say that I can't just forget I've met you and we've talked. I can't just forget what happened, and please tell Owen how sorry I am. I'm a hell raiser and always have been, but I've never torn people apart or left a path of destruction in my wake. I don't live like that. I know my friends and I know the limits of some." Then he smiled and added, "And some don't have limits. Oh, and tell Owen that I talked to Wendy, but also tell him that I'll be talking to her again soon."

"I'd love to do that, but you and I have never met."

"Oh, right, thanks for reminding me. Kate, I'm so glad I could meet you."

Smiling and still holding his hand, she said, "Trace, I have a confession. You're a lot different than I expected you to be."

"I hope that's a good thing."

"It's a very good thing, and tell Gail I said I think you're one hell of a stud and a nice guy."

"I can't wait to share that with her," and his smile lit up their corner of the restaurant.

"Owen will be back and stronger than ever, and I think he'll be doing parties again, if for no other reason than to keep his mind busy."

"I hope he does, because there is no other place like his for that special kind of fun." Kate stood up and he joined her, and putting his arms around her, he said, "You look a hell of a lot sexier and better than Owen, and be sure you share that with him some day."

"You can count on that stud. Take care."

"You too pretty one," and as they went their separate ways, she couldn't control her smile.

"Good or bad, I like how that went," she told herself as she drove toward home.

Chapter Two Hundred Thirty

Kate waited until Thursday evening to go see her brother and Char, and she was waiting for Kate outside. "Tell me, how did it go with Trace?"

"I don't have a clue what, if anything, will come from it, but I have to say, it went a lot better and easier than I ever could have hoped for. How is Owen doing?"

"He's functional, but he isn't one for smiling now."

"That doesn't surprise me, but he is doing a little better, right?"

"Yes, some better, but this isn't going away in the next few days."

"Well hell no it won't. He'll be almost afraid to relax his hold on his misery, but he will at least to some extent, and that's just what we want."

"Well right, we can't expect our efforts to pull him away from his mourning, but if we can just give him a little relief for a few hours, here and there I'll say we're doing the right thing. Now go on in and see him, and if he asks, say I'm just taking a little fresh air for a few minutes."

"Right," and Kate dove into seeing her brother, and doing her best to keep her words soft and understanding, without getting maudlin.

An hour later as Kate was leaving, she went upstairs to Char's room and they talked for a minute, and then Kate said, "Thank you Char. I think between you and me, we just may save Owen from himself. Well he'd survive without us, but I think we can hurry that process just a little.

Char was dressed in slacks, soft blouse, heels and make up applied, as Owen joined her in the morning. "You look very nice Char, got a date?"

"Oh right. No, I'm running a couple of errands, and will be home some time this afternoon, so if you think of anything you need, you'll have that long to catch me."

"Thanks, but I'm pretty set I think. I'll likely we working in the office a good part of the day."

"Okay, and I'll have a nice dinner ready for us about six or so."

"Char, just because you live here doesn't mean you have to cook."

"I'm not cooking, I'm charging it to the kitchen budget, so you're buying and I'm bringing home."

"That's much better."

Char was home before five, and managed to slip from the kitchen up to her room without Owen hearing her. When she came down half an hour later, she found him out of his office and sipping a drink in the den. She watched him stare at her as she smiled and asked him, "Work all done boss?"

"Damn Char, you look fantastic," and he jumped to his feet and threw his arms around her. "Okay, I can see you spent some time at the beauty shop, but I see so much more." He was guilty of mild overstatement only as he added, "Girl, you're taking my breath away. Look at that sexy top that shows just enough of your breasts to make me want to see more or even undress you. 'Honey, you're just oozing sex. Nice perfect fitting slacks too."

"Oh now, you've seen me naked almost everyday, so I know you're making this up."

"Lady, say what you want, but you look hot. Wait, you were at a tanning salon too."

"I was. Did I get too much tan?"

"Oh hell no, you look awesome. Is there a special occasion that I don't know about? It's not your birthday."

"There's nothing special about today, but while were talking, I was hoping we could just sit and enjoy each other for awhile. I mean talking maybe."

"Well yes, I'd like nothing better."

"Yes there is, you said you like to see me naked, or at least words in that direction."

"Okay, you've got me there."

Char had blown half of her paycheck treating herself to the manicure and the pedicure, plus the facial and the tanning booth, but she enjoyed every minute of her wild spending, and was still enjoying it as she told him, "Then Owen, I'd like you to undress me please."

His eyes joined hers, but neither smiled as he reached for the buttons on her blouse as he told her, "I'd be honored to do that, but Char..."

"I'm not going to ask you to make love to me if that's what's worrying you."

"I'd be worried only because I'm not sure I could be all that you deserve right now."

"And I wouldn't expect that of you."

Char told herself that she had her plan and it was going exactly right, but she also had told herself that she could keep herself detached and be able to control any strong emotional investment, but she knew she was wrong even before he undid the last button on her blouse.

Her blouse slipped down her arms, and he draped that over the arm of the couch and then added her bra before he kissed her tenderly. "Char, I truly hope that you will be with me and be part of my life for many years to come, and despite your protestations, and your reminders that you're fifty just doesn't matter to me. You are sexy and so tempting." Then slipping her slacks down he stopped, smiled and kissed her more firmly before he said, "Damn you."

Char knew what prompted that soft spoken expletive, but she sounded totally sincere as she asked him, "What's wrong Owen?"

"Absolutely nothing is wrong, but there is so much that's too right. My God woman, there you stand in thigh highs with the most beautiful lace tops on your awesome legs and sweet heels. We just have to come back to this one of these days when I'm ready with my camera, and I'm very serious."

"Let's do that, and whenever you're ready, except now," and she slipped his baggy shorts off. "I like it better when you're naked, and...oh look at you baby, you're so hard for me."

"My God, I hope you're not surprised. I'd have to be dead not to respond to you."

"Lie on your back for me."

"But Char honey..."

"Owen, pretend it's girls night at the dance and I get to lead, so lie back and just go along with me. Trust me to make the dance enjoyable honey."

She watched him stretch out and let him know she was gazing at his erection, and she didn't have to pretend to like what she saw or the thoughts that were shooting through her mind. "Now remember honey," she told him after she kissed him low on his belly, "This is my dance and you're supposed to go with me okay?"

"How can I say anything but I'm yours."

Char was good as she teased him with her hands before she tasted his hardness, and then paused for a moment to smile up at him. Her style or technique could have been average and it might not have mattered, but Char proved to be very good and very patient. She started with slow moves, and very gradually took him deeper into her mouth. Her hands were soft from her time at the spa, and she didn't leave any part of his cock or sack untouched or untasted.

Owen reached down and touched her, and gently combed his fingers through her hair as he whispered soft words of encouragement, but as much as he wanted it to be otherwise, he knew he just couldn't last long. She was too good, and he needed her and what she was doing for him just a little too much. "Honey, you're..." but Char already knew what he was going to say, so she quickly took him deeply into her throat and then gave his cock a few fast strokes before teasing his frenum with the tip of her tongue. To her, it was now all about his orgasm, and him watching her catching as much of his offering as she could in her mouth. A few more fast strokes and her face caught some of his cream before she captured his cock head and held him in her mouth until he had no more to give her.