Aiden nibbled at a bagel with lox, capers, and onions, watching Grace repeatedly evade her mother. He was deep in his own thoughts when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned around. A man with short dark hair and hazel-green eyes, wearing a fireman’s dress uniform, put his hand out.
“I’m Caleb Cochran,” he said. “I want to thank you for being there for that baby.”
Aiden set his plate down on a nearby table. He gripped Caleb’s hand. “I didn’t recognize you without your gear. I’m the one who should be thanking you! You saved our lives. I couldn’t have held on much longer.”
“You came around fine. Just got a little cold.” Caleb laughed. “I was just doing my job.”
“Well, thank you, anyway,” Aiden said, not wanting to embarrass him. “I’m getting to see what kind of people live in this town.”
“It’s a pretty special bunch,” answered Caleb. “It’s a tight community. We take care of each other.”
Aiden looked around. “I can see that.” Then he broached another subject. “What about Fenton? Was the body ever found? I haven’t heard.”
John Giamo, approaching the two men, answered the question. “Actually, I just got word as we left the cemetery. State police found the body this morning hung up in a blowdown at the side of the river about a mile downstream. That man really cracked. We were fortunate. Fortunate to have you and Grace and Jordan with us today.” It was a characteristic of the chief to heave a deep sigh whenever his thoughts grew heavy. “Burying somebody is always hard, but it’s easier to bury an old man than a young one, or a child.”
The weight of his words kept them silent for a moment, until a pretty young woman, sporting an obvious baby bump, came up to Caleb and slipped her arm through his. Caleb said, “Aiden Stewart, this is my wife, Lauren.” He turned to his wife and explained, “Aiden’s company recently merged with ChatDotCom. Aiden saved little Grace Fitzgerald the night of that debacle.”
Aiden smiled, “Pleased to meet you.”
Lauren smiled back. “I’m so glad to meet you as well,” she said. “You’re to be commended. That took courage.”
“I guess it was more like instinct. Good thing your husband was there to back me up!”
Caleb laughed, and the small company dispersed, morphing into new groups as they all worked their way through the room. Finally, Aiden found himself sitting at a corner table with Jordan, Ashley, and Kyle.
“We were just talking about Chat,” Jordan said as Aiden sat down.
“What’s the damage assessment?” asked Aiden.
“Not as bad as it might have been,” Ashley replied. “Most of the damage was to the lower end of the building, which wasn’t fully restored anyway. It was used for storage, miscellaneous stuff, and equipment. It wasn’t cleared for any kind of occupation, as you found out when that old fire escape gave way.”
“So it’s business as usual?” asked Aiden.
Kyle answered him. “The fire marshal will have to inspect it and clear it. Then it’ll have to be cleaned to get the smoke smell out of it. There’s some electrical and plumbing damage. I’d say in a week to ten days, everything will be up and running same as before.”
“I hate to lose a lot of time,” said Jordan.
“Don’t worry,” laughed Ashley. “It’s digital. We can do most anything from our garages if we have to!”
Little by little, the clots of people broke up, reformed, and graciously took their leave. It was nearly one when Jordan pulled Aiden aside. “I need to get Grace home for a nap before she comes undone. Mom and Dad are ready to leave, and Dan just left to take his mother home. It’s time.”
Aiden was standing with his mother and father. “You go on ahead. I’m going to go back to the Inn with my parents. I’ll call you in a little while.” He leaned forward and kissed her upturned lips. It was their first public kiss, and in Aiden’s heart, it signaled the end of one era and the beginning of the rest of their lives.
After she had gone, the Stewarts made their way out of the building. “What’re you driving, Dad?” asked Aiden with a wink at his mother.
“We’re driving your mother’s car,” the old man grumbled. “I don’t like your mother’s car. Too small. Cramps me up. Smart ass.”
Aiden laughed and got in the back seat. When they reached the Inn, Gordon looked significantly at his wife. Aiden caught the glance but didn’t understand its meaning. “What?” he asked.
“Your father and I want to talk to you a minute, Aiden,” Nell said. “And, we’ve got something to give you. Something that might come in handy.”
“Oh,” said Aiden simply. “Okay. What is it?”
“Come over here and sit down a minute, son.” Gordon led the way to a grouping of an overstuffed sofa and two chairs in the corner of the lobby.
It wasn’t like his parents to be mysterious. They were usually upfront and direct about anything they had to talk about. Obediently, he sat down on the sofa beside his mother. Gordon settled himself in the chair.
Nell turned to her son. “Aiden, your father and I have been talking. We know how you feel about Jordan, and we want everything for your happiness. It’s something you and Jordan will have to work out yourselves, find your own way together, if that’s what the two of you decide you want to do. I guess what I’m saying, Aiden, is that your father and I are behind you whatever you decide.” Her voice caught at that moment. She reached for his hand. “Aiden, your actions in rescuing that baby the other night made us so proud, but when your father and I realized the danger you had been in…Well, I can’t begin to make you understand the anguish we went through thinking about what might have happened. We’ve always been proud of you, so we want you to have this…in case…in case you need it.” She smiled at him as she reached into her purse and brought out a small, worn, brown velvet box.
Aiden’s eyes widened in recognition. The box had always been kept in his mother’s vanity in her bedroom. It housed her grandmother’s engagement ring, which Nell wore sometimes on special occasions.
“Mom!” he said.
“Take it, Aiden,” said Gordon. “I have a feeling you might have plans for it soon.”
Aiden took the old box from his mother and opened it. There was the ring: a one carat rose-cut diamond, set in a delicate filigree and flanked by two baguettes. Feminine and elegant, it reflected the era in which it was crafted, and yet there was a contemporary-looking flare that resonated from it, a modern flash that mirrored the energy of the woman on whose finger Aiden pictured it.
“I don’t know what to say,” he murmured humbly.
“Well, you can say thank you to start,” said Gordon as he rose to his feet, “and then just let us know what happens.”
“Thank you,” said Aiden, smiling at them both. “I can’t say what will happen or when, but I’m hoping I’ll be using it soon.”
“Good, then,” said Gordon. “Now help us with our bags. We’ve got to get going so we can get home before dark. I don’t like driving in the dark anymore. In fact, I don’t even like driving much at all. Especially your mother’s car.”
Aiden laughed. “I’ll bring your car back as soon as I can, Dad. Jordan and I will have to assess the damage from the fire and…and work some stuff out.”
Gordon nodded and clapped Aiden on the back. Aiden slipped the ring box into his pocket. A few minutes later, he stood watching his parents’ car disappear down the main street, headed back home. Oddly, Aiden felt quite at home where he was. An aura of warmth and comfort settled around him. He smiled to himself and made his way to his car. It was as good a time as any.
When he reached Jordan’s home, her mother met him at the door. “Jordan’s down at the company, Aiden,” she explained. “I expect she’s trying to make some sense of all this. I know she’d appreciate your being there with her.”
It took Aiden five minutes to get to the Chat parking lot. He pulled in beside Jordan’s Jeep. The place looked deserted, but he knew she was there somewhere. Aiden walked
around the back side of the building, where most of the damage had occurred. Jordan was standing in the narrow service alley, looking up at the charred and crumbling outer wall of the annex. She had changed from her funeral clothes. Aiden’s stomach gave a little leap at the sight of her round rear end encased in snug-fitting jeans. A light cotton white T-shirt and silver flats completed her simple and very sexy outfit. He stood looking at her for a minute, remembering how she felt naked in his arms.
“Looks like we’d better get our hammers out,” he called.
Jordan swung around to face him. Her face, perplexed when he had been standing there watching her, broke into a smile. She walked toward him with a graceful, fluid gait and held her arms out to him. He caught her up in an enthusiastic embrace, lifting her off the ground and kissing her mouth.
“It’s a mess,” she said, as he set her down. “I don’t know where to start. My office stinks like burning tires.”
“Don’t worry,” Aiden answered her confidently. “The fire marshal will be here tomorrow. After that, we’ll get a cleaning company in, and then we’ll rebuild. I think they’ll let us build some type of temporary partition between the part of the building that was destroyed and the offices, so we can continue to work.”
“I hope so,” she murmured dubiously. “When Mr. Palmer was alive, it was easy to figure things out. I guess I knew I could always run things by him. Now I’m kind of on my own.”
Aiden snorted. “You wound me! You’re not alone. I’m here. We’re in this together.”
Jordan gave him a small smile. “You know, it’s habit, I guess. I brainwashed myself into thinking I had to do everything myself. I apologize, because in the end, none of this matters. When I really think about what I might have lost, none of this matters at all. And the only reason I didn’t lose everything, Aiden, was because of you. You pulled Grace out of the water. You saved her.”
Aiden took her hand. “Come with me,” he said. “We have to talk.”
They wandered down next to the canal and stood, staring at the black water. The remnants of the fire escape still hung in the water.
“I’ve been thinking a lot these last couple of days,” Jordan said. “That is, when I can bear to. Sometimes, it’s just too much to imagine my baby so near death. I have to shut it out of my head, or I go catatonic.”
“What have you been thinking about?”
“I’ve been thinking about you and me. Where are we going? I know I don’t want to be with anybody except you, ever. I hope you feel the same, but I’m a realist. We’ve known each other for about two and a half weeks. I know we’ll have to let it evolve, see how we hold up under a long-distance relationship. You have your job in Maine, and I have mine here. That’s pressure, Aiden. Not too much for me, but maybe it might be for you.” She sighed. “I love you, Aiden. I truly do.”
Aiden took her hands in his. “I love you, Jordan Fitzgerald, and I’ll do whatever has to be done to make sure you keep loving me. For starters, I’m going to stay here for now. I’ve been thinking, too. I’ll rent a place, or stay at the Inn, or something. We’ll oversee the renovations together. Things will make themselves clear and everything will work out. I know it will. We’ll get the company back on track. It’s like my mother said; we’re stronger together than we are apart. Two is stronger than one. And, for your information alone, I would be totally useless if I couldn’t hold you next to me, if I couldn’t kiss you, feel your skin, smell your scent. I need you now. You’re already a part of who I am, who I will be. And I have something to prove it. It’s May, Jordan. Almost June. We’ve got a lot of work to do, and we’ve only got three months before the big event, but I think we can do it.”
“Wait!” Jordan blurted. “What are you talking about? What big event? I must be losing it. What event is that? Was it in the merger contract?”
Aiden laughed. “No, but it should have been.” He slipped his hand into his pocket and brought out the old velvet box. Taking her hand, he placed the box gently in her open palm, closing her fingers around it. “Will you marry me in September, Jordan? I can’t wait longer than that.”
Jordan stood as though turned to stone.
In slow motion, she opened the box. The diamonds flashed and glittered in the evening sunlight. She stared at it.
“Put it on,” urged Aiden. “I want to see if it fits.”
With trembling fingers, she took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her finger. “Oh, Aiden,” she breathed, “it’s a perfect fit.” Tears of happiness blurred her vision as she gazed up at him. “I will marry you, Aiden. I will!”
He bent and kissed her tenderly on the eyelids, cheek, and lips. It was mutual, Aiden knew, this indescribable feeling of love, confidence, and security.
“Where did you get this ring? It’s so, so beautiful!”
“It was my great-grandmother’s,” he explained. “My mother gave it to me to give to you.”
“Oh, Aiden! I—I don’t know what to say. It’s fantastic! I love it! Oh, Aiden, I love you!” Jordan wrapped both arms around him and kissed him soundly. “Yes, I will marry you in September, even if we have to elope!”
“Let’s go tell your parents.”
They walked, hand in hand, to his car. As they drove slowly back to the house, Jordan said quietly, “I was thinking about something else too. Something hard for me to think about.”
“What is it?” asked Aiden. His heart was calm; he had what he wanted now. He felt very strong and confident. He would help her through anything. They were together now; that was what mattered.
“What you said about Grace needing to know her father’s family. Aiden, she might have died, and they would never have known she had been born. I don’t even know them, but I know that’s just not fair. It was kind of an odd relationship, Mark’s and mine. Sort of a friendship born out of loneliness and need, almost childish, now that I look back on it. But Grace came from that relationship, and I owe it to his memory to tell his mother and father that they have a granddaughter. Part of their son is a living, breathing, laughing little girl, and they need to know that. I don’t know them. I know they live in Montgomery, up in the Northeast Kingdom. I have no idea what kind of people they are, or what they’ll say. They might refuse to see or talk to me, but I have to try. Will you help me with this?”
Aiden cleared his throat, trying to conquer his sudden emotional response. He knew what to say, what to do. It was the honorable thing, the only thing, to do. His heart swelled with love for her, and he knew she saw it, too. The furtive, guarded, insecure Jordan was gone. In her place was a confident, self-assured woman who knew who she was. Love will do that, thought Aiden.
“Of course,” he answered. “Of course I’ll help you. We’ll do it together. It will be a shock to them, so we’ll have to plan it carefully for their sakes, but it needs to be done. They need to know. Grace needs to know.”
They drove the rest of the way to the house in silence, each caught in their own thoughts. Aiden felt fulfilled, as though his life had started in earnest at last. And Jordan seemed happily surprised to find not a shred of doubt that this was where she was supposed to be, what she was supposed to be doing. Everything else was incidental, and they would figure it out as they went along.
It was two weeks later, a warm and sunny June afternoon, when Aiden pulled the Jeep up to the front of a neat, white frame house on a quiet, modest street in the tiny town of Montgomery. Vermont was awash with the vibrant green of full summer.
Two large maple trees shaded the home, and a carefully cared-for colorful border of annuals lined the walkway from the front door to the sidewalk. Jordan looked at Aiden. “Here goes nothing,” Jordan said quietly as she got out of the car. Opening the back door, she lifted Grace out of her car seat. Cradling the baby on her hip, she started up the walk with Aiden following at a respectful distance.
The front door opened before Jordan could ring the bell. A gray-haired couple stood there, hand in hand. The woman was small and sto
cky with an open, pleasant face. The man was tall and thin with sad eyes.
As Jordan approached the couple, the man let go of his wife’s hand and put his arm around her shoulders in a protective gesture, but the woman slipped out from under her husband’s embrace and started down the walk to meet Jordan and Grace. She stopped just short of them, smiled and held out her arms toward the baby.
Grace giggled and buried her face in her mother’s neck. Then, she extended her chubby little hands out to the woman and smiled broadly.
With tears in her eyes, the grandmother stepped forward and reached out for something she had thought she had lost forever.
Acknowledgments
Thank you to my publisher, Elizabeth Harper—again! Also many thanks to Cindy Campbell who patiently hammered it out with me when our editing programs didn’t mesh! Also to Jennifer DeLucy for once again coming up with just the right music for my trailer. Thanks to the rest of the Omnific team, especially Coreen, Lisa, CJ and Kim and many, many hugs to Traci Olsen who has guided me through the confusion more than once, sometimes over tasty lunches!
About the Author
Linda Cunningham grew up a small town country girl and it is here where she’s still most comfortable. She has written steadily throughout the years, although usually other peoples’ speeches, articles, and grants, primarily for medical and agricultural trade journals. Now that her three children are grown, Linda is writing full time and writing the stuff she loves—Romance!
Linda lives in a romantic stone house in the Green Mountain State of Vermont, surrounded by her gardens and animals which include horses, dogs, cats, chickens, sheep, a parakeet, goldfish and the wild visitors who tiptoe through on a regular basis. When time permits, she also enjoys cooking, sketching, and painting.
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