Never Date Your Ex

by Genevieve Goodwin

  "Daddy! It's Thorn and the lady from the beach!" the child called out excitedly and lunged toward Thorn, who was equally happy to see the boy.

  Jamie's eyes widened and she felt her knees go weak.

  Aidan appeared in the foyer, a look of surprised anguish on his face.

  Jamie was too shocked to hide her surprise. "He's yours? You're a… you have a…" Jamie couldn't get the words out.

  "A son," Aidan finished for her. He stood by the boy's side. "Ross, this is Jamie, Jamie, this is my son, Ross."

  "Nice to meet you again" he said, offering his child size hand in the manner of a grown man.

  She took his hand. "Nice to see you again too," she said, somehow managing to find her voice. She peered over at Aidan, trying to read his expression. "I'm so sorry to intrude. I didn't know you had a family otherwise I wouldn't have … you know, barged in." She watched Ross as he played with Thorn, who was bubbling over with enthusiasm at the sight of his pint size play mate. Jamie unleashed Thorn and the two wrestled on the floor, gleefully.

  "I had wanted to tell you but…" Aidan eyed his son. "Perhaps we can discuss it later?"

  Jamie nodded. "Of course."

  "Can they stay for dinner, huh, Daddy? Please, please, please?"

  "I'm not much of a cook to be truthful" Aidan said sheepishly, turning toward the kitchen.

  From the odor that permeated the house Jamie had to agree. Dinner was already burned. She followed him into the kitchen more on instinct than anything. Thorn and Ross romped in the adjoining family room.

  She'd just had the surprise of her life. Aidan was a father. He had a son, a family. Inexplicably, this revelation made her affection for him greater. And her fury toward him more intense. Why hadn't he told her? Why would he want to keep his son a secret from her?

  "Looks like a night for pizza," Aidan said, emptying the charred food into the garbage.

  "Pizza, yay!" Ross shouted. "You hear that Thorn? We're having pizza!"

  There was a joyous fullness to Aidan's house filled with the laughter of a child, a barking puppy, toys scattered about and the clanging pots and pans. There was no quiet stillness, no chance of emptiness. This was a home full of life, and that was something no designer, no matter how talented, could ever create.

  Suddenly, Jamie could not control the emotions that the sight of Aidan, his son and her puppy all happily together in his kitchen stirred in her. Discretely wiping away a tear, she excused herself to the bathroom before Aidan could witness such silly behavior.

  She had about made a clean break when she felt the familiar hand tugging at her arm. She kept her face downcast, ashamed to let Aidan see her tears. How could she explain them to him when she didn't understand herself?

  "What do you like on your pizza?" he asked in a sunny voice.

  "Oh, we can't stay. I'm sorry" she said, thankful for the diffused light the setting sun provided.

  Aidan cupped her chin in his fingers and tilted her face toward his own. "You can't disappoint Ross. He wanted to keep Thorn when he wandered here before. At least let him have a visit, all right?"

  She nodded in agreement as a tear fell down her cheek and wet Aidan's fingers.

  "What's wrong?"

  "I don't know. It's a shock to me. Why did you keep him from me? Why didn't you tell me about your son?" she whispered.

  "Does it make a difference to you?"

  "Of course, it does. You should have told me the truth. Why wouldn't you want me to know?"

  "We'll have to discuss this later, in private."

  She didn't understand what she was feeling. Her life seemed to be changing dramatically from one second to the next. Falling in love with any man was a big deal to her, but falling in love with a man who was a father had a serious reverence of its own. Not that she was anywhere close to falling in love.

  She peered at Aidan across the falling darkness of the room, into his grey eyes. She had always thought of his eyes as having a tragic sadness to them, but now she saw gentleness and warmth she hadn't noticed before.

  Aidan pulled her close and held her loosely by her hands. "Stay for dinner" he said softly.

  She wanted to kiss his lips, which were so very close, and something in her warmed to him in a way she had never felt before. He looked beautiful, strong and kind all at the same time.

  "Everyone likes pizza," he said.

  How could she refuse that deep, husky voice and those persuasive caresses?

  "I like mushrooms on my pizza" she said.

  "Okay, mushrooms it is. I thought you would want caviar or something. Mushrooms we can do."

  She looked at him, puzzled. "Caviar?"

  "Ross wouldn't like caviar on his pizza."

  "I wouldn't think so," she agreed. "Do you have any more secrets you are hiding from me? A wife in the attic perhaps?"

  Aidan stared at her, his gray eyes expressionless in the dusky light. "No, Jamie. My wife is dead."

  The words stung the air, solemn and grim.

  It was everything she wanted to know and everything she didn't want to know. But now was not the time for finding out about Aidan's past. Innocent Ross was an earshot away, and she had enough surprises for one day.

  "I'm sorry" she was all she said.

  "It's been five years. I've accepted it now," he whispered in her ear.

  He brushed his lips gently against her cheek then let her go. "Please, stay," he murmured in her ear.

  And she shivered in the falling darkness. Was there more he was asking her in asking her to stay?

  Chapter Ten

  The evening turned out to be a pleasant surprise, at least once the pizza arrived. Ross, who was delighted with the pizza but not the mushrooms, fed them inconspicuously to Thorn who had hidden himself underneath the kitchen table.

  Aidan and Jamie cleared away the kitchen table while the Ross and Thorn played outside together on the back patio. Dogs and kids were a match made in heaven, she mused. Too bad the creator hadn't done as well when she matched men and women together. She caught Aidan happily watching his son through the kitchen window as he washed dishes at the sink. She loved the way his face took on the expression of a proud parent.

  "Ross has wanted a dog for the longest time. I kept saying no because I thought the responsibility might be too much at his age," Aidan said out of the blue. "But I think that I might have to give into this one. He must get lonely sometimes with no brothers and sisters around."

  "I'm sure he does," Jamie said, remembering her own childhood devoid of siblings or pets. "Do you have any brothers or sisters?" she asked.

  Aidan was quiet. Jamie recalled Kerrie talking about his brother being killed when they were in high school. "I'm sorry. I had forgotten about your brother's accident. I don't really know the details about what happened."

  Aidan's face hardened. "He was in a boating accident. The engine malfunctioned. He got stranded in a severe storm when he was out fishing one day. The boat capsized. His body was never found."

  "I'm so sorry" Jamie said.

  "We tried to inform the manufacturer about the problem but they got some high-priced lawyer and that put it to rest," he said with cynicism. "We didn't want to sue them. It wouldn't bring Danny back. We wanted them to change the design of the engines so no one else would get hurt. As it is, they still make the engines exactly the same way, and people are still getting killed."

  "That's awful." Jamie felt the deep sorrow in his voice. She wished she could wrap her arms around him, and comfort him but she knew that would be a mistake. He would mistake her compassion as pity, and a proud man like Aidan Brice wouldn't want pity from anyone. Especially from Jamie.

  Ross and Thorn came thundering through the door and Jamie felt relieved. Their very presence uplifted her and filled the room with a glorious happiness that chased away the gloomy topic. It was after nine when Thorn and Ross finally exhausted themselves and fell sound asleep on the couch.

  "I better put Ross to bed" Aidan said. He picked u
p his son and started up the stairs. Thorn stirred, barely opening his drooping eyelids before dropping them shut again. A slight wag of his tail was his goodnight gesture.

  Jamie followed Aidan upstairs, enthralled by this ritual. She had never put a child to bed, never really been around many children in her life. Ross was angelic. Sweet, joyful, and beautiful, he was a cherubic perfection.

  She watched as Aidan laid him in his airplane bed and slipped his tiny sneakers off his child-size feet. She looked around the room at the toys scattered around the floor. Stuffed animals sat aside warrior-like figures, miniature cars, trucks and fire engines lined the windowsill and an airplane hung from a string attached to the ceiling. It was a men's club in the making, Jamie thought humorously and then a little sadly as she realized it lacked the feminine comfort of a mother's touch.

  Ross, who had barely stirred as he was carried up the stairs, was now tucked warmly into bed. Jamie bent down and kissed Ross's forehead. "Good night, sweet child" she whispered as she smoothed back his unruly blond locks. Aidan's hand touched hers, intertwining his fingers in hers.

  "Not bad for a novice," he whispered. They stepped quietly down the stairs.

  "I'd better be going," she said as she glanced over at Thorn who was sprawled out lazily on the couch. "Thorn is exhausted and so am I" she said, barely able to stifle a yawn. "I had a wonderful evening. Thanks for the pizza."

  "Pizza's not exactly a gourmet dinner. Next time I'll cook," Aidan said.

  Jamie scrunched her nose. "I think I'll pass on your cooking," she said with a laugh. "Perhaps if I ever get a new kitchen in my house, I'll cook for you."

  Aidan could barely contain his surprise. "You cook?"

  "I love to cook. It's a matter of finding the time and a reason to cook."

  "A reason? Isn't a growling stomach reason enough?"

  "Take-out can fill a growling stomach. It's not fun cooking a scrumptious meal and having no one to share it with."

  "I suppose not," he agreed.

  Jamie picked up Thorn's leash near the front door and called for him quietly. He rose, stretched and let out an enormous, languid yawn then slid lazily from the couch and strolled toward Jamie. They both laughed at Thorn's nonchalant attitude.

  "It's a dog's life,' Aidan mused as Jamie fastened the leash to Thorn's collar. "I sure am envious."

  Jamie smiled as Thorn relaxed on his stomach. She and Aidan stood quietly for a moment. Was it only last night that they had held each other in their arms? Now, they seemed like strangers again. In fact, they were strangers. She hadn't even known Aidan was a father. There was so much she didn't know about him. So much she wanted to know. She looked up to see him watching her.

  "I know what you must be thinking" Aidan said wistfully, "Everything happened so fast. But please understand I must be careful about who my son meets."

  That was the last thing she expected him to say. "I'm not sure what you mean?"

  "I don't want Ross forming any attachments to someone who may not be around for long."

  "I see." She felt indignant. He thought she wanted a fling, after all he had heard her say just that, and apparently, he wanted nothing more than a fling either.

  "Very well, it's late. I'd better go." She tugged on Thorn's leash to wake him. The puppy rose to his feel and stretched and looked up at his beloved Aidan, nudging his leg for attention. Jamie gritted her teeth at the dog's affection for Aidan and turned toward the door.

  "If you had kids, you'd understand" Aidan said.

  She twirled around to face him, angry. "I do understand. You seem to think because I have a successful career, that disqualifies me from having any maternal…"

  "Any…?"

  "Any maternal understanding!" She poked his chest with an angry gesture. "Wake up, Aidan! It's' not the dark ages anymore. Women head companies, are wives and mothers all at once. We do it all!" She threw the infuriating man a haughty nod.

  He smiled in a small, stiff movement. "But do you do it well?"

  "Men have done it for centuries, why wouldn't a woman be able to? You own a business and are a single father? How do you manage that?" she said with sarcasm.

  She backed away from him, containing her frustration as she studied the ruggedly handsome, gray-eyed Neanderthal. He was boorishly behind the times. She wondered briefly if her attraction to him had been purely physical, if some demented form of pheromones had tricked her into believing her attraction was something else, and that an urban career woman and a small town, single father could live happily ever after.

  "I think this conversation could get out of hand," he said with a rueful twist of his mouth. "I'm not interested in arguing the battle of the sexes. The fact remains, I have a son, and my responsibility to him is paramount in my life."

  "I am sorry if you feel that I am imposing on your responsibilities to your son. I shall keep a solid distance from you in the future. Good night!" She stormed out the door and into the night.

  She strode home with Thorn in tow, refusing to give in to the piercing pain that tore at her heart. She had enjoyed the evening so much, adored beautiful Ross and then, Aidan pretty much told her to get lost. Her eyes stung, and she blinked to keep the tears back as she walked to her front door. She opened the door, unleashed Thorn and let out a grunt of frustration.

  "Jamie, my dear."

  A smooth, round voice drifted through the darkness, familiar yet all but forgotten. Thorn let out a low growl.

  "Conrad?"

  In the dim light of her shabby, storm-worn cottage the impeccably dressed Conrad Malcolm stepped forward. His icy green eyes shone like an alley cat's in the dark of the night. A chilling shudder ran through Jamie as Conrad gave her a frigid stare that left her shivering despite the warmth of the night.

  "I've missed you, my dear," Conrad said, as he took Jamie's hands in his and kissed them with cold affection.

  Jamie drew away from Conrad with cool remoteness. "I've gathered as much," she said, watching Thorn sniff distrustfully at the unwelcome visitor. "I went by your office."

  Conrad's black hair was slicked back to perfection. He was dressed in a dark suit, a flawlessly starched white shirt and black shoes, which were shined like chrome. He stood stiffly with his slender hands clasped in front of him, and Jamie was amazed how small and unimportant he looked in her empty living room.

  He sniffed, drawing a handkerchief from his trouser pocket. "Yes, I know. Elsie told me you came by. My schedule has been a bear with the upcoming campaign." He wiped his brow. "But you should have had Elsie call me. Don't you have my cell number?" he asked as he stuffed the cloth back into his pocket.

  "I wanted to speak with you in person."

  "Sounds serious," he said with mock interest.

  "It is serious. Have you seen the Palm Beach Post today?"

  "I believe I skimmed through it this morning."

  "I called them about our so-called engagement announcement. The editor told me your publicity people leaked it. I have asked them for a retraction, of course."

  He reached over and pressed his skinny fingers against her cheeks. Jamie jerked away, frowning at his pompous smile.

  "Why, my dear?"

  "Because I am not going to marry you. Can't you get that through your head?"

  He walked away from her and pulled the handkerchief out once again. He patted it all over his face. "Don't you have air conditioning in this godforsaken place?"

  Her smile was immediate. "No."

  "Why wouldn't you want to marry me? Most women would be flattered I'd even considered them."

  She groaned inwardly. "I told you, I don't love you. We barely know each other. Why you want to marry me is beyond my understanding."

  "Love?" His laugh was mocking. "Love is a romantic illusion, Jamie. People like you and I know better than to believe in such nonsense. Marriage, to be successful should be like a contract, a business deal if you will."

  "A business deal? Are you kidding?"

  "Our marriage w
ill help both of us. Your business will boom. Think of the clients you will gain. Everyone will want the prestige of a Senator's wife to design their home."

  Jamie's curiosity was peaked. This was no one way street.

  "My business is already successful. What's in it for you? If this is indeed a business deal then you must be benefiting."

  "I admit that," Conrad said peevishly. "I come from a wealthy family, attended Ivy League schools and was basically born with a silver spoon in my mouth, as they say." He chuckled. "Lucky, yes but today's voters are envious, even suspicious of men of such good breeding. You were abandoned by your father, raised by a single mother who died and left you on your own before you had even graduated high school. Yet despite all that…" he sniffed again, "that tragedy, you finished high school early, won a scholarship to a prestigious University and have become a successful, outstanding citizen of the community. Your charity work alone will win me votes."

  Jamie stared contemptuously at the man who stood in front of her, so meticulously dressed, so hollow of heart. He had as much depth to him, as much emotion and concern for other human beings as a crocodile.

  "You make me ill." Her soft tone hid the fury stirring within her. "I wouldn't marry you if you were the last man on earth."

  "Jamie-"

  There was no mistaking the cool undertone of a warning; a threat lingered in his tone.

  "And furthermore, you are deranged. I am going to seek a restraining order against you for all the crazy things you have done." She was fast losing control. She wasn't sure how he knew so much about her childhood. But to want to use her suffering as a means of gaining votes appalled her.

  "The answer is no, never and absolutely no way. Ever. Do I make myself clear? You need to leave. Now."

  "I always get what I want, my dear Jamie. I always have." He grabbed her by the chin harshly. "That's the nice thing about being rich and powerful, almost everyone has a price. And I know yours," he hissed. "Mark my words, you will be my wife."

  She pushed him away with an inelegant shove, and looked him squarely in the eyes. "Never."

  Conrad chuckled humorlessly and strode slowly toward the door. He turned around as he reached for the handle.