Earl shrugged. “Guess there ain’t much I can say about it. You’re both grown adults. What you do is your business, even if I don’t agree with it.”
“But I still don’t want you to be disappointed in me,” she replied.
“I could never be disappointed in you, Emmie Lou.” He patted her leg. “I love ya too much, even when you drag a poor feller out of his bed to go skinny dipping.”
Emma’s hand flew to her mouth as Aidan burst out laughing. “But how…?”
“That don’t matter. I’s not comin’ out here to give you two a hard time. Your grandmother just wanted me to tell the two of you that breakfast is ready. Then we’re going to church.” He gave them a knowing look. “All of us.”
After Earl shuffled off, Aidan threw his arm over his eyes. “I cannot believe he caught us.”
She giggled. “I can’t believe you’re complaining about that over having to go to church.”
“Trust me, I’m not thrilled by the prospect, but I’ll go, especially if it makes him and Grammy happy.”
“It will.”
“Then come on. Let’s go get ready to be holy.”
28
Aidan fought his suspension of disbelief as he sat in the backseat of a car bound for Earl and Virginia’s church. The last time he had been to Mass was Mason’s baptism, and he couldn’t remember a time before that. So much for keeping the promise he made to his mother about attending once a week. At least she would be proud he was getting some kind of moral guidance.
Sitting beside him, Emma remained quiet. Aidan cut his gaze over to her. She looked beautiful in an ice blue dress that was far less daring than the sundress she had worn the day before. With her hands folded in her lap, she appeared demure and innocent—except for the swell of her stomach. Before he could stop himself, he reached out and took her hand in his.
A smile curved on her lips before she turned to look at him. “You sure you’re okay with this?” she whispered.
“Fine.”
As they pulled into the crowded parking lot, Emma shook her head. “Famous last words.”
He didn’t get a chance to question her. Instead, they were ambushed the moment they got out of the car. Emma coming back home to the mountains and to church seemed to give her an almost celebrity status. It took him totally off guard.
Women were oohing and aahing over her while she was given countless hugs. Hands were thrust at him and introductions made. He gathered she hadn’t brought a man, boyfriend, or male piece of flesh with her to church since Travis.
Finally, the throng of people cleared and they were able to walk into the building. “So,” he said, opening the door for her.
She grimaced. “So?”
“Can I get your autograph later?” he teased.
Emma giggled. “You’re so bad.”
“I didn’t realize I was dating the town sweetheart.”
“Sorry. I forgot to mention it,” she grumbled.
“Next you’ll tell me you were homecoming queen or something.”
When she pinched her lips tight, he widened his eyes. “Seriously?”
She nodded. “But it was a really small high school.”
Aidan draped his arm over her shoulder. “What else have you been holding out on me, queenie?”
“Emma? Is that you?”
Aidan felt her tense beside him. He surveyed the attractive, well-dressed woman who appeared to be in her fifties. Her beaming smile faded when her eyes homed in on Emma’s swollen belly. An expression of agony flickered across her face, and Aidan thought she might burst into tears.
“Hello, Jane. It’s good to see you again,” Emma said pleasantly.
Jane momentarily recovered, dragging her gaze from Emma’s stomach and back up to them. Without hesitation, she drew Emma into her arms. “You’re absolutely glowing, sweetheart. I’m very proud and happy for you. I’m so glad your dreams of motherhood are finally coming true.”
Emma’s body trembled in Jane’s embrace, and a sob rolled through her. Aidan fought the urge to drag her away from this woman who was obviously causing her so much pain. He cleared his throat. “I’m Aidan Fitzgerald. It’s nice to meet you,” he said, thrusting out his hand.
Jane warily eyed it over Emma’s shoulder before slowly pulling away. “Where are my manners? It’s nice to meet you, Aidan. I’m Jane Lewis.” She took his hand in hers. “Congratulations on the baby. I’m so very, very fond of Emma.” Her chin trembled. “She was once going to be my daughter-in-law.”
Aidan’s chest constricted. Jane was Travis’s mother. Now it all made sense. Seeing Emma pregnant only made her think of Travis’s child that would never be. He squeezed her hand. “I’ve heard lots about your son, ma’am. I’m very sorry for your loss.”
She smiled. “Thank you. I appreciate that.” She released his hand and stepped back. “Now you take good care of our Emma, okay?”
“Yes ma’am,” he said—although the moment the words left his lips, he waited to be struck down. It wasn’t as if he was lying in the house of God; it was just that he didn’t know if he could ever live up to the expectations Jane and everyone else in the church and in town might have for him where Emma was concerned.
Jane gave Emma a final hug before joining her husband. As Emma wiped the tears from her eyes, Aidan exhaled noisily.
Emma gave him a sheepish grin. “Sorry about that. I should have warned you we might see them.”
“No, it’s okay. It was just intense. At first I thought she was just some holy roller pissed off that you were unmarried and pregnant, but then when I found out who she was…” He shuddered. “Please tell me Travis wasn’t an only child,” he said as they eased onto their bench.
“No, he had two sisters.”
“But her only son.”
Emma nodded.
“Damn.” Aidan’s eyes widened when he realized he had just cursed in church. “Sorry,” he mumbled under his breath. He glanced over at Virginia to see if she had heard him, but luckily, she was chatting up one of her friends.
Then the service got underway. Aidan listened appreciatively as Emma belted out the hymns. His mind began to wander during the sermon, and he was never more thankful than when church ended.
When he shot out of his seat, Emma laughed. “Guess you’ve had your fill, huh?”
“You could say that.”
Earl came up behind them and thumped Aidan on the shoulder. “Come on, son, I’d like to introduce you to a few people.”
Aidan reluctantly nodded. He wasn’t quite sure he wanted to hear the introductions Earl might make for him. After all, he was just Emma’s boyfriend…or the sperm donor…or the asshole that’d knocked up the sweet angel of the community.
Surprisingly, everyone was very friendly and welcoming. Of course, one guy continued staring daggers at him, and Aidan wasn’t too surprised to learn it was Steve—another blast from Emma’s past. Even though he had a beautiful wife beside him, Aidan could tell Steve was very protective of Emma.
He was never more thankful than when Earl ushered him out the door and into the yard. After Earl finished introducing him to just about everyone outside as well, Aidan craned his neck through the crowd, looking for Emma. A hand patted his arm and he glanced down to see Virginia. His expression must have spoken volumes because she pointed over his shoulder. Turning his head, he saw Emma standing at the far side of the church cemetery. He then nodded at Virginia, and she gave him an encouraging smile.
Drawing in a deep breath, he started weaving his way through the maze of tombstones of different shapes and colors. Finally, he reached Emma. She stood stoic and silent in front of a pink granite monument that read “Harrison”. Underneath it were the names Noah and Katherine, along with their birth and death dates. A large silk flower arrangement sat at the base of the monument.
“Em,” he said softly, putting his arm around her waist.
Tilting her head, she gave him a sad smile. “I’m fine. Really. I always come out h
ere when I visit.”
Aidan gazed at Emma’s father’s death date. “Your mom never remarried?”
“For a little while. It was about five years after my dad died. I was in middle school then. It only lasted a couple of years. It wasn’t that Paul was a bad guy or anything—I still talk to him from time to time—Mama just said there wasn’t anyone in the world for her but my dad.”
Aidan nodded. “Sounds like Pop.”
They stood in silence for a few moments, the wind rippling their hair and clothes. Aidan’s heartbeat accelerated when Emma reached out and took his hand in hers. “I don’t remember much about my father, but I know my mother would have loved you,” she whispered.
He squeezed her hand. “I’m glad to hear that. Considering how much Pop adores you, there should be no doubt as to how my mother would feel.”
Emma smiled at him. “It’s good our baby will have lots of guardian angels to watch over him or her.”
Thinking of his mother made Aidan’s throat close up. He could barely croak, “Yes, it is.”
“Come on. We better get back. Grammy’s got a feast waiting on us at the house.”
Aidan bobbed his head and let Emma lead him back across the cemetery.
29
After saying their goodbyes, they all piled into the car to head back to Earl and Virginia’s. The moment they entered the house, the wonderful aroma of a roast wafted back to Emma. Grammy had risen early to prepare not only breakfast, but lunch as well. Even after the insanely large breakfast she had devoured, Emma’s stomach still rumbled. Inhaling sharply, Aidan moaned in appreciation. “God, that smells like heaven.”
Grammy smiled at him. “Thank you, son.” She then wagged a finger at Emma. “You’re going to have to start cooking more for your man.”
While it was silly, Emma still felt her cheeks flushing at the mention of Aidan being her man. He raised his eyebrows. “You mean you know how to cook like that?” he said, jerking his thumb toward the kitchen.
She giggled. “Of course I do.” She nodded her head at Grammy. “I had the best culinary teacher anyone could have.”
“Hmm, I’m in for a treat then.”
“Yeah, don’t hold your breath on that one. Between work and the pregnancy exhaustion, I don’t have a lot of time or energy for cooking.”
Grammy tsked as she wrapped her red gingham apron around her waist. “You better start making time, sweet girl. After all, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach.” She then winked at Aidan before heading into the kitchen.
When Aidan snickered at Grammy’s admonishment, Emma nudged him in the stomach with her elbow. “Don’t make me tell her the way to your heart is through your dick,” she whispered.
Aidan’s eyes widened and he made a strangled noise. He glanced left and right before hissing, “I cannot believe you just said dick in your grandparent’s house.”
Emma laughed. “And I love how you’re not even trying to argue that it isn’t the truth!”
He scowled before easing down into one of the dining room chairs. On her way into the kitchen to help Grammy, she ruffled his hair playfully. He glanced at her over his shoulder and grinned.
Two of her uncles sauntered in with their wives and families, filling the massive antique table to its capacity. Emma edged Mary out of the way before she could plop down next to Aidan. Even though she had won the bet, Mary seemed hell bent on continuing to see how far she could get with Aidan, and Emma was happy to draw the line. Mary scowled at her before stalking down to the “kids” table.
At the scuffle between the two, Aidan chuckled. Emma responded by rolling her eyes. “Wipe that sexy little smirk off your face or you’ll keep encouraging her.”
“Nothing wrong with her stopping by to say hello.”
“Oh really? Last night you didn’t seem too taken with her attention.”
“And last night, you were encouraging her, not me.” Leaning over, he nuzzled her neck before she shoved him away. “Besides, I’m still not taken with her. It’s just hilarious seeing you get your panties in a twist over a fawning nineteen-year-old girl.”
“My panties are not in a twist,” Emma huffed, smacking her linen napkin down in her lap.
He took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. Kissing her knuckles, he gave her his best puppy dog expression. “You know you’re the only one I want, right?”
Emma struggled to breathe. Even though he was joking around with her, his words hit straight home. “Yes, I know.”
Her heart melted when he winked at her then they were interrupted by Earl taking his seat at the head of the table. “All right everyone. Let’s return thanks.”
After Granddaddy gave the blessing, they started passing the bowls and plates of food around. Filling hers to the brim, Emma let the familiar cuisine melt on her tongue. Glancing over at Aidan, he seemed to be enjoying the meal and conversation just as much as she was. For a moment, she tried to imagine what it would be like if this were every Sunday. Even if she didn’t move back to the mountains, it was comforting to think of Aidan being by her side for future Sunday dinners or family events; she just didn’t know if that was getting her hopes up too high.
When the main course and dessert were finished, Grammy and her aunts started gathering up some of the dishes. Emma rose out of her chair. “Here, I’ll help you clean up,” she said.
“Thanks, honey,” Virginia replied.
While the rest of the men started vacating the table to duck out of cleanup duty, Earl nodded at Aidan. “Come on out on the porch with me and the boys, son,” he suggested.
“Are you sure?” he asked.
Earl nodded. “We can leave the women folk to the dishes while you tell me a little more about yourself.”
Emma couldn’t fight the smile spreading across her cheeks. She knew if Granddaddy wanted to know more about Aidan, then he had really made an impression. At his momentary hesitation, she gave him a gentle nudge. Aidan finally put one foot in front of the other to follow Granddaddy outside.
Once the dishes were done and the kitchen cleaned, Emma hurried to check on Aidan. She skidded to a stop at the sight of him lounging in the porch swing with a pocketknife in one hand and a piece of wood in the other. Her mouth gaped open. Before she could ask what the hell a city boy like himself was doing whittling, he grinned. “Your granddaddy is teaching me.”
She laughed. “I see.” She gestured to the gleaming knife. “Just be careful, okay?”
“Aw, he’ll be fine. He’s not quite the sissified city boy I originally thought he was,” Earl replied.
“High praise indeed,” Emma mused, easing down next to Aidan. In a hushed voice, she murmured, “Don’t even think about taking up chewing tobacco to impress Granddaddy. I won’t let you anywhere near my mouth with a chaw of nastiness.”
He chuckled. “You have nothing to worry about.”
As the afternoon wore on, Aidan put aside his whittling and wrapped her in his arms. A happy sigh escaped her lips as she snuggled against his chest. She tried ignoring the flashback that assaulted her of sitting the same way with Travis after Sunday lunch many years before.
While Grammy filled her in on some of the local gossip she had missed in the last two weeks, Emma watched as Aidan’s eyes grew heavy. It wasn’t long before the heave and sigh of the porch swing caused him to nod off. She kissed his cheek and rose out of his embrace. There was somewhere she wanted to return to before they had to leave.
30
Aidan woke up to Beau’s tongue slurping across his face. Rubbing his eyes, he peered around the front porch. The rest of Emma’s extended family had left and only Virginia sat in one of the rockers, working on a quilt for the baby while Earl read a newspaper. Aidan fought the urge to shake himself at how he felt like he was in a scene straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting.
“Well, hello there, sleepyhead. Decide to finally wake up?” Virginia asked.
“Yes, ma’am. I apologize for nodding off.”
>
She waved her hand dismissively at him. “Why, naps are the best parts of lazy Sunday afternoons.”
Aidan gazed around the porch. “Where’s Emma?”
“Down at the dock.”
He nodded and motioned for Beau. After pounding down the porch steps, he followed the winding path around the house to the pond. When he got to the shoreline, he paused.
Emma sat on the end of the dock, dangling her legs over the edge. Her sundress was hiked up to her thighs and she swirled her feet and calves around in the water. She leaned back with one hand while the other rubbed wide circles around her belly. A serene smile curved on her lips.
The mere sight of her sent a stabbing pain ripping through his chest, a pang of true and pure emotion. In that single instant, it was like the earth shifted on its axis, and every molecule in his body shuddered to a stop.
He was in love.
A suffocating panic crippled him, causing his lungs to burn. He had never felt like this before. Not even what he’d had with Amy could compare. The feelings flickering within him the last few months had grown from a tiny ember into a raging fire, and now that inferno of emotions threatened to consume him.
He loved Emma.
Fuck. He absolutely and completely loved her with every fiber of his being, and that very fact scared the hell out of him.
Aidan raked a trembling hand through his hair. God, how had he let this happen? They had just been having fun, spending time together, enjoying each other’s company, and having great sex—really great. He had done it dozens of other times with assorted women, but had never gotten to this level of emotion for them. He always ended it way before that could happen.
His foolish offer to give Emma more had ended up taking more from him than he could have ever bargained for. It felt like he was submerged in an undertow of his feelings and was drowning hard and fast.
He needed desperately to get away from her. If he could just put some distance between them, then his feelings could change. He might be able to go back to the way he had felt about her the weeks before or even the day before. In reality, he knew the depth of his lie. Every time he had been away on business, he had missed her—sometimes even ached for her in his heart, not his dick.
Love in the Dark Page 109
