by Tanya Agler
The more Aidan tried to find reasons to justify taking Danny with him, the more there were for Danny to stay.
* * *
NATALIE TRACED HER finger around the mason jar of sweetened iced tea, her favorite drink at the Holly Days Diner. Rather than meeting Aidan at The Busy Bean, she opted for comfort food and lots of it. Located across from her sister-in-law’s garage, the diner was a local Hollydale institution with its old-time jukebox and milkshakes so large she’d always split one with Mike and Becks growing up. The posters of movie stars from the fifties might be fading, but the delicious aromas of the best biscuits this side of the Mississippi never did.
Most of the lunchtime crowd had dispersed, and they’d been lucky enough to score her favorite booth next to the huge pane of glass overlooking Maple Drive. She loved watching people stroll by, and more people were arriving to enjoy the weekend’s festivities and local natural amenities.
“Thank your mom and dad for watching Danny and Stormy at the last minute. Again.”
“My parents love Danny as much as they love all their grandkids.”
His jaw clenched, and he picked up a menu from behind the metal napkin holder. “What’s good here?”
“Everything.” She didn’t even pick up a menu as she knew it by heart. “What’s something you’ve never tried before?”
“One advantage of being a translator is getting to try a variety of foods in different regions.” He opened the menu and perused the selections.
She used her deep supply of patience as he kept the menu aloft. It was all she could do not to snatch it so he’d have to look at her. “What’s been your favorite?”
He exhaled and lowered his menu. “You’re going to keep harping on food rather than discuss Danny?”
She put her elbow on the table and rested her chin on her upturned palm. “I like finding out new things about you.” One look at her reflection in the glass confirmed her suspicions: her cheeks matched the color of her pink sundress. “And we need this out in the open. There’s something going on between us.”
He replaced his menu with some deliberation behind the napkin dispenser and leaned forward, intensity emanating from him. The waitress must have sensed the mood between them because she took one look at them and hustled back to the kitchen. Natalie met Aidan’s gaze, and they burst out laughing.
He stopped chuckling first. “I didn’t plan for this to happen.”
One more giggle escaped her. “You can’t plan attraction. It either happens or it doesn’t. When it’s right...” Her words faded away as she wondered if she should count on his being here tomorrow.
She had to face it. He wasn’t in a safe profession. If this relationship progressed, she’d have to find a way to deal with that.
Memories might have to suffice once again, and she didn’t know if she wanted to take that chance, even for something as beautiful and rare as love.
Love?
Who said anything about love? He planned everything down to the minute. He probably even wore his watch to bed. She flew through tasks by the seat of her pants, and yet, the truth of the matter was, none of that mattered. What mattered was the connection between the two of them, a connection that was more than Danny. They laughed no matter the outcome of a hotly contested game. They liked slow, long dances with the rain falling. Somehow, they fit together, his gray eyes never missing a beat, taking in everything while she was already halfway to the next thing.
And there was something about a man petting a kitten and nursing her to health that might be the sweetest thing she’d ever seen.
Aidan had swooped into town and restarted her heart. Sitting there, he made her world better just by being himself. Sometime during the past couple of weeks, she’d fallen in love with Aidan Murphy. Love didn’t have a time frame, and it sure didn’t pick the person with the same outlook on life. Maybe that was the best part of all—love had sneaked up on her and scored a slam dunk.
“When it’s right... What else were you going to say?” Aidan prodded with a gentle way about him, another unexpected layer to the man she hadn’t known a long time although, through Shelby, it was as though she’d known him forever.
“Um, uh, well.” For someone who taught kindergarten and had been on the receiving end of questions about nearly everything, she rarely became flustered. There would have to be a first time for everything. “So, what’s on the menu that you’ve never eaten before?”
“Diversion. An effective strategy at times. Hmm, let me see...” Aidan moved his elbows off the table and reached for the menu again.
The waitress appeared, fanning herself with her order pad. “Natalie, the heat coming from this table is hotter than our barbecue sauce, which is hot enough to scorch the toupee on Ed Hicks’s head. Of course, every true North Carolinian knows vinegar-based barbecue sauce is the real deal.” She glanced at Aidan. “Well, hello there, Major Murphy. I’m Jolene. Pleasure to make your acquaintance at last. Just to let you know, the betting pool around here is an even fifty-fifty.”
“What betting pool?” Aidan leaned back, and Natalie recognized the instant worry on his face. Endearing.
Jolene plucked out a pencil from the front section of her apron. “For who’ll win the pie contest. Now what’ll you have? You look like a daily special man to me. Our cook has a real nice grilled catfish sandwich on Fridays.”
Natalie glanced at Aidan, who was almost salivating at the words “daily special.”
“I’ve been dared to try something new and adventurous, so I’ll take the fried green tomato sandwich with pimento cheese.”
“One antacid special for you.” She turned to Natalie. “What can I get you, hon?”
“I’ll have the Friday special with a side salad instead of fries. Thanks, Jolene.”
The waitress strode toward the kitchen, and Natalie leaned forward, her chin resting on her hands again. “It seems like we both did something unexpected. You ordered something unusual while I went for the daily special.”
“You mean, we did something the same?” He straightened the white paper placemat on the red-checked tablecloth, good humor radiating from the slight crinkles around his gray eyes. “For the most part, I eat whatever’s available from the commissary. There’s nothing I like better than a hamburger, hot off the grill, but I like experiencing whatever’s around me. Bibimbap in South Korea. Cheese soufflé in France. Personally, I’m a big fan of the Italian tradition of an alcoholic cordial with breakfast.”
Layers of the more complicated soldier emerged with every passing day. Problem was, the days passed by with increasing speed. The waitress delivered their meals, and their conversation remained light.
Aidan polished off his sandwich, and she leaned forward. “What did you think? Worth the trip?”
“I wouldn’t have missed this for anything. That meal was certainly...” He reached for a napkin and wiped his cheek, that left dimple downright appealing. “Interesting.”
“I can’t tell if that’s a good or bad thing with you. You always make every situation seem more complicated than it really is.”
“With you, nothing is simple.”
Jolene came over with her notepad. “Can I tempt either of you with the last slice of lemon meringue pie? It’s famous in these parts.”
Aidan screwed up his face. “Anything but pie.”
“I’ve got just the dessert for you two to split.” Laughing, Jolene marked something on her pad. “It’s one of Natalie’s favorites, chocolate cake with Cheerwine cola frosting. We only make it on Fridays. Be right back with a slice and more tea to top off your drinks.”
Natalie crooked her finger toward Aidan, waiting for him to get closer. “Shh, don’t tell Jolene, but all the desserts here are my favorite.”
“What’s Cheerwine cola?”
“It’s a local drink.”
Aidan reclined against
the bright red vinyl pleather of the booth. “You love this area, don’t you?”
She sipped the last of her tea and considered everything. “I can’t imagine living anywhere else.”
* * *
AIDAN REACHED FOR Natalie’s hand. Natalie walking alongside him should make everything worse, but it didn’t. He liked this far too much, considering they were heading in different directions. Even now, they were leaving downtown for their respective homes. Though they were next door to each other, they were miles apart.
They passed the Corner Grocery and headed for Hollyhock Lane. She nestled her hand in his, a small gesture but a welcome one. His turmoil about Danny and the future dwindled to a trickle, their long strides matching, hers in ankle boots and his in sneakers. After this, his first extended leave in some time, he’d have to adjust to military gear again.
They arrived at her porch, and she sighed. “We still haven’t discussed Laurel and her suggestions.” Natalie’s eyes lost a little of their usual sparkle. “Why don’t we talk it out here where we can watch the town go by?”
They settled on the swing, her presence already a steady marker in his life. This close, her strawberry scent filled the air with sweetness. “Is it a requirement that all porches in Hollydale have swings or rocking chairs?”
She pumped her legs, the silk fabric of her sundress rustling in the summer breeze. “My dad’s hobby. You know he likes you when you get one of these for a birthday or Christmas present.”
The litmus test for Natalie’s parents. Good to know.
“Maybe you, Danny and I should do something on Tuesday the fifth. Just the three of us. Provide stability together. Work for him, not against each other.” His stomach clenched. He’d just suggested they do something, and it sounded like he wanted them to be a family. Sitting on this swing with her might not have been a good idea after all. Whenever they were alone, they either fought or kissed.
And Natalie was a good kisser.
He saw the uncertainty written on her face.
“Maybe we shouldn’t plan on something happening. Maybe we should go wherever the wind takes us.” Natalie’s musical voice was lower than usual.
“What about that stability Dr. Hargraves said Danny needs?”
“I don’t think that comes from planning every minute of every day. Danny needs to know that, no matter what we decide, he can always depend on us. Both of us. We need to commit to both of us being a part of his life.”
He let the hot metal of the chain links slide through his fingers. One way or another, he finally accepted Natalie was destined to be a part of Danny’s life. Something else gnawed at him. “What do you have against plans?”
The air between them crackled, yet there were only blue skies on the horizon, no lightning in sight. “Why do you like plans so much?”
“They represent order and purpose. After my mother died, my father planned every minute of the day. When he met Cathy, that stopped. I missed our closeness.” His sleeves hiked up, and he let go of the links to push them down but decided against it. She knew about his scar and accepted him anyway. “Now, what’s so bad about plans?”
“Before Francisco died, we made plans for our future together.” It was her turn to twist the metal chain links together before letting them go. “After he died, it seemed more important to make each minute count to the fullest.”
“Burn me once, shame on you. Burn me twice?”
“Interesting take, but something like that.”
Natalie’s mother, Diane, stuck her head out the doorway and took one look at them. “Don’t mind me. Danny’s fine. Take your time.”
Diane disappeared back inside.
“Guess I should follow her.” Natalie paused and smoothed her skirt. “Otherwise, I’ll hear about how I’m spreading my eggs too thin or something like that.”
Aidan touched her arm and liked the feel of her skin under his. “She loves you. That’s her way of showing it. About next Tuesday. You, me and Danny. Plans, real plans.” He released her and still took comfort from her having sat so close. “You haven’t worn Francisco’s chain in a while.”
“I won’t forget him, but it was time.” She traced the outline of the links with her fingers. “Time to make new memories and be happy without feeling like it’s a compulsion.”
Enjoying being happy. It was what he’d found in this short time with Natalie.
“Interesting. You’re being yourself because you’re you, and not to please anyone else.”
“Thanks for understanding. I’m glad you’re not one of those people who insists everyone else should wear a watch because it suits you so well,” Natalie admitted with a wistful look. “I think that sums up the attraction between us. You’d think those kisses would have gotten you out of my system.”
He’d be lying to himself and her if he denied that. “One more kiss ought to get each other out of our systems.”
“I agree. We should test your theory.”
They moved closer. Rather than anything awkward or clumsy, their lips joined as if by some invisible spark guiding them together. The feeling ignited embers in him he never knew existed. Chocolate cake had never tasted so good as now.
After a minute, they backed away from each other, retreating to their own sides of the swing.
“Totally out of my system.” Her words were more of a croak than her usual melodious voice.
“Liar.”
She shrugged and laughed. “Maybe, Murphy, maybe not. While I’d be a bad role model for my kindergarten students and Danny if I went around lying all the time, sometimes it’s not a lie if it’s for everyone’s best interests.” She licked her lips and wiped her palms on her sundress. “Next Tuesday. What’s your pleasure?”
“Or my poison?”
“Tsk, tsk. Fun isn’t overrated.” She rose and popped her hands on her hips. “If I can finagle a canoe rental from my friend, how about it? You, me, Danny and a day on Timber River. I’ll plan everything, and you do nothing but show up prepared for a day you won’t soon forget.”
He blinked. He’d been so sure she wouldn’t go through with actual plans. Letting go and counting on others?
If he trusted Natalie, would she give up when the going got tough? Would she let him down?
Or was trust like swimming? No matter how meticulous he was about practicing, he hadn’t gotten the hang of it until he plunged off the deep end.
Natalie extended her hand, and it was his turn to hesitate. “Do I have to dare you?”
The swing squeaked like Stormy did when he fed her. A reminder the kitten was due for her afternoon meal. “I’d better say hello and goodbye to Danny and take Stormy back to my house for her next feeding.”
“That kitten has downright entranced you. What about Tuesday, then?”
The kitten isn’t the only one. Aidan gripped her hand in his, her lightness filling him with something close to hope.
“It’s a date.”
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
AIDAN CHECKED HIS detailed set of float blueprints while shifting his weight in Shelby’s compact. Using her car had allowed him to return his rental, but he’d had a good seven inches on his sister.
Mike hadn’t batted an eye when Aidan enlisted his help the other day to drop off the rental at the nearest location in Asheville, a good thirty-mile drive via US-25. On the way back, Aidan tried to talk to the sheriff about the city’s emergency plan and offer some new insights and suggestions. Mike waved him off, preferring to shoot the breeze, even inviting him out for a night at the River Bar and Grill with him and his wife.
If he didn’t know better, he’d almost think he’d made a friend.
The Harrison family was becoming part of his life quite fast. Diane was taking the morning to prepare food for those who showed up this Saturday morning, the big day to work on the float at Hollydale Park, while keepin
g an eye on Danny and Stormy.
Climbing out of Shelby’s tiny compact, he debated whether to shed the windbreaker he’d worn over his short-sleeve T-shirt. Other volunteers might want to make light talk about his scar. He hated to draw attention to the fine line, a sliver of white against his tanned skin. However, the early morning breeze made his decision easy. He’d wear his jacket for now and finagle his way next to someone who wouldn’t make a big deal of his scar when the day grew warmer.
The open green field separating the pavilion area from the playground was empty, and he shook his head. So much for the legion of volunteers promising to help with the float. No volunteers, no food, no Natalie.
Natalie’s SUV approached and he snapped to attention. She parked and ran over to him, a wide smile beaming her welcome, her red hair pulled back in a messy bun. A cold glass of lemonade in summer didn’t look half as good as her in a yellow top with matching daisy capris. Pink sneakers replaced her usual boots.
“Why am I not surprised you’re here an hour before everyone else?” While she used her kindergarten teacher voice, her twinkling eyes told the real story.
“I’m on time. Ten hundred, just like you said.”
“Aren’t you on my group text?”
He shook his head, and she pulled out her phone and checked something. “We pushed back the start time to eleven a couple of days ago. Thought you knew. Please help me with the food.”
Natalie opened the back doors of her vehicle, and he beheld stacks of plastic containers on one side and a bushel of apples and other snacks on the other.
“You were busy,” Aidan said.
“Not all my doing. Some of my students’ parents, who are out of town this weekend and can’t help, dropped off fruit, cookies or other items. It takes a town.”
Yet another reference to the town’s involvement in her life and, by connection, Danny’s. If he heard one more reference today, he’d...
Do what? Scream? Kayak in the upstream rapids? Concede and agree to this co-guardianship idea and revisit it after he received his honorable discharge?
