Faux Vows, True Desires novel Chapter 464

Owen flashed a cheeky grin. "Then let's just hang out at the diner for some practice."

"Get lost!"

"So rude. You'll never get hitched with that attitude. Looks like you're stuck with me."

Owen chuckled, seizing the moment before Cecilia could react, and quickly made his way to his car.

Whatever Owen needed to discuss with Stefan, Cecilia was clueless about. Once the girl returned, Cecilia asked her to mind the diner while she stepped out to get some groceries.

But after she had cooked a fine meal, Owen called to say he wouldn't make it for dinner.

Cecilia sighed in frustration.

She had gone to the trouble of cooking some of her best dishes, and he had the gall to bail on her. Considering he went to see Stefan, she figured he must've had something more pressing and generously decided not to hold it against him.

Still, Owen hadn't checked in for several days.

Accustomed to him being as sticky as bubblegum, Cecilia was actually starting to miss his constant presence.

The afternoon sun was lazily hanging in the sky, and Cecilia felt its lethargy seep into her bones.

She lay sprawled across the cash register, doodling aimlessly on a piece of scrap paper with a pen in hand.

A bowl of freshly washed cherries appeared before her.

"It's a rare sight to catch you daydreaming. Let me guess, missing your Mr. Malicious? The little birdie told me he hasn't dropped by in days. Let's see, from Wednesday to now, Sunday, wow, it really has been a while."

Lucinda leaned against the counter, having placed the bowl of cherries, and teased Cecilia with a playful smirk.

Darlene sat by a window, observing the quiet afternoon streets through the glass pane. The heat had driven most people indoors, leaving the sidewalks deserted.

In her hand was a steaming cup of coffee, from which she occasionally sipped.

Hearing Lucinda's playful jab, Darlene glanced over with a smile but didn't join the banter, choosing instead to sip her coffee in silence.

Recently, she had her own set of headaches.

She felt like she was being watched.

And the watcher was none other than one of Keith's men.

Luckily, her secret-keeping skills were top-notch, and she had arranged things so swiftly that her own sister couldn't find out, not to mention Keith's people.

Keith's persistence in finding the mysterious woman was troubling. What if he had other motives? Could her attempts to redirect his attention cause trouble for someone else?

After much contemplation, Darlene decided to drop by and feel out the situation with Lucinda.

"Lucy, after Owen went to see your guy that day, he hasn't been around. Did Stefan mention what they talked about?"