Dogwood Hill

by Sherryl Woods

  “She might not, but I do. I made a commitment. Besides, any decisions I make about next year’s team will be based on what I see on the field.”

  She drew herself up, her expression hardening. “Then I imagine my husband will want to have a chat with you Tuesday morning.”

  Aidan nodded, keeping his expression pleasant. “I’ll look forward to it.”

  As much as he didn’t want to get into it with any player’s father, the prospect of tangling with a mother who was so obviously on the prowl was a whole lot less appealing.

  * * *

  Even though Pet Style was supposed to close at six, it was after seven by the time the last customer left. Liz’s feet ached and she was even more exhausted by having to keep a smile plastered on her face, especially with a couple of customers who’d been rude and demanding. She’d also been out of sorts since she’d noticed Pamela Hobbs, a notorious flirt, flaunting her ample chest in Aidan’s face.

  “I noticed you made a conquest earlier,” she said in what she hoped was her most casual, disinterested tone as she turned the lock on the door and put the closed sign in the window.

  Aidan glanced up curiously from the display he’d started straightening. “What are you talking about?”

  “Pamela Hobbs,” she said. “I should probably warn you, though, that she’s married, but has a reputation for not paying much attention to that fact.”

  A slow grin spread across Aidan’s face. “Thanks for the heads-up, but I knew exactly who she was and what she was after, which is why I turned down her invitation to leave here and go out for a drink.” He gave her a wink. “Thanks for giving me the perfect excuse.”

  Liz wasn’t sure if she was more impressed by his intuitiveness or appalled by Pamela’s lack of discretion. “Does that happen a lot?” she asked. “Women coming on to you?”

  “When I played pro football, it happened all the time,” he said in a way that suggested he was more bewildered than pleased by it. “Since I’ve been coaching less than a week, this is a first that a mom has tried to assure her son’s spot on the team by offering herself up as an incentive.” He held her gaze. “And just so you know, I wouldn’t have been interested even if I hadn’t known she was married. She’s not my type.”

  Liz couldn’t seem to keep herself from asking, “What is your type?”

  “I’ll let you know when I figure it out, but definitely someone a whole lot less obvious than Pamela Hobbs.”

  “You’ve never been in a serious relationship?”

  “Define serious.”

  “One you thought might lead to marriage,” she said at once.

  He shook his head. “I’ve had a couple of long-term relationships, but in college I was too focused on making it into the National Football League. Once I was drafted, I was determined to put all my energy into getting better. Anything too serious would have been a distraction. The women I knew got tired of waiting around.”

  “You don’t sound terribly distraught over that,” she noted.

  “Which tells me I wasn’t that serious about any of them,” he said. “I was certainly sad to end things with a couple of them, but I wasn’t ready to make the commitment they wanted.” He shrugged. “Then my mom got sick, I had a career-ending injury and I didn’t have a lot of time to think about anything else.”

  “Is your mother better now?”

  A deep sadness darkened his eyes as he shook his head. “She lost her battle with cancer last summer.”

  “Oh, Aidan, I’m so sorry.”

  “Me, too.”

  “And your father?”

  He seemed to still at the question. Avoiding her gaze, he shrugged. “Never knew him. And before you ask, there were no siblings.”

  Liz couldn’t imagine what that was like. She might not have the perfect family, but she’d grown up with two loving parents and a couple of sisters who could get on her last nerve, but whom she adored. None of them had understood it when she’d chosen to move away from Charlotte, North Carolina. They’d wanted her to stay close, where they could support her, but what they’d seen as genuine caring to her had felt a lot like smothering. She’d needed to make a clean break to start over.

  She realized Aidan was watching her intently.

  “Where’d you go just then?” he asked. “You looked sad.”

  “I was just trying to imagine what your life must have been like with only your mom around,” she said.

  He laughed. “If you’d ever met my mom, you wouldn’t look so distraught. She was amazing. She worked hard and she turned every day into an adventure. She loved New York, so whenever she was off we took advantage of all the city has to offer. We spent hours at the Museum of Natural History or the Botanical Garden or just walking through Central Park with her pointing out every tree and flower until I’d memorized their Latin names.”

  “Sounds as if she would have loved Chesapeake Shores and the way people here care about the environment. I’ll bet she and Thomas O’Brien would have been kindred spirits.”

  Aidan looked startled by the comment, but he nodded slowly. “You’re absolutely right,” he said, that faraway expression back in his eyes. “She would have loved it here.”

  Not for the first time, Liz got the impression that there were things Aidan wasn’t revealing, some part of the story of his past that he was keeping to himself. Still, it wasn’t in her nature to pry, especially not when whatever it was seemed to make him so sad. She understood all too well that there were things people needed to keep private. She had plenty of demons of her own carefully locked away.

  “Not to change the subject,” she said lightly. “But I am absolutely starving yet again, and you must be, too, since you never did have time to finish your lunch. I need to get home to let the dogs out. If you’re interested, I could order a pizza. I owe you more than that for the way you pitched in today, but I’m not sure I can muster up the energy to cook or go out. I just want to take a shower, kick back and be off my feet.”

  “A pizza sounds fantastic,” Aidan agreed at once. “Why don’t you head home to deal with the dogs and I’ll pick it up? Anything to drink?”

  “Beer if you want it. I only have tea and diet soda in the house, but I’m good with that.”

  “Either one suits me, too,” Aidan said. “I may not be in training, but I mostly steer clear of alcohol except at a summer barbecue or on the occasional night hanging out with the guys.”

  Liz thought of Shanna’s remark to Henry about good player nutrition. “That reminds me. Do you plan on getting into the whole diet and exercise thing with the players?”

  “Of course. Why?”

  “Henry mentioned something about needing to get stronger. Shanna’s apparently a little freaked that he might turn to steroids, even though Henry says he’s gotten the message about how bad those are.”

  “My players won’t go near steroids,” Aidan said flatly. “I’ll make sure of that. Tell Shanna she doesn’t have anything to worry about. I’ll start hammering that message home first thing at Tuesday’s practice. I hope to work with each player next week and come up with an individualized training plan for the summer. And just because school’s out doesn’t mean I won’t be following up to make sure they stay on track.”

  Liz regarded him with approval. “I was right,” she said with satisfaction.

  “About what?”

  “The kind of coach you’re going to be. It’s great that you care so much. The high school is very lucky to have you.”

  “We’ll see if the players agree once I start getting serious about their workouts,” he said.

  “I think they’re going to take to it like ducks to water,” she said at once. “Those boys want so badly to prove themselves and start winning. Nothing against Coach Gentry. He’s a great guy, but he didn’t have what it took to mot
ivate them or to teach them what it would take to improve.”

  “And you think I do?”

  “I know it,” she said with confidence.

  She also thought he had what it took to heal her heart, if only she weren’t so terrified that he could just as easily break it.

  6

  Aidan was halfway up the walkway to Liz’s when she opened the front door. Archie bounded out with an ecstatic bark, paused to pick up a tennis ball, then almost knocked Aidan to the ground in his exuberance.

  “Is it me or the pizza he’s excited about?” he called out to Liz, who stood where she was, laughing and leaving him to extricate himself from the situation.

  “Let’s just say I’ve never seen him get that worked up over pizza before, and it’s a staple around here,” she said. “Archie, behave! Get back here.”

  Instead of obeying, Archie sat down in the middle of the sidewalk blocking Aidan’s way, dropped a tennis ball at his feet and looked up at him with adoring eyes. Despite himself, Aidan couldn’t help chuckling.

  “If you want me to play with you, you have to let me inside so I can put dinner down,” he scolded.

  The dog’s response was to pick up the ball, then drop it again in an attempt to get his own message across.

  Aidan cast a helpless look in Liz’s direction. “I think we’re at a stalemate. Can you grab this pizza?”

  She came out wearing shorts and a tank top that almost caused him to swallow his tongue. With her feet bare, he couldn’t help noticing that her toenails were painted a pale pink that reminded him of seashells. Though her hair had been pulled back neatly all day, tonight she’d swept it up on her head in a careless knot that left damp blond tendrils framing her face. She looked as if the weight of the day had been washed away by a quick shower.

  “You look...” Words failed him.

  “Clean?” she suggested.

  He laughed. “Way better than that.”

  “I needed to get out of those clothes and into something comfortable,” she said. “A shower helped, too. I was feeling pretty grungy.”

  “You looked great before, but you look even better now. Being relaxed suits you.”

  “Doesn’t it suit everyone?” she replied, reaching for the pizza. “You have five minutes with Archie or I can’t promise there will be any of this left by the time you get inside.”

  Aidan dragged his attention away from her fresh-scrubbed face and glossy lips long enough to say, “Did you hear that, Archie? Five minutes and not one second longer. I’m not giving up dinner with a pretty woman to entertain you.”

  Woof! the dog responded, head tilted as if he understood completely.

  “I’m telling you, he has a real connection to you,” Liz said. “Are you sure you don’t want a dog?”

  “Have you seen that apartment upstairs from your shop? It’s barely big enough for me to turn around, much less have Archie underfoot.”

  “I suppose I can’t argue with that,” she said with obvious regret. “I certainly wouldn’t want him to be cooped up in a small space all day. See you inside in a couple of minutes. Tea or soda? I’ll pour that before you come in.”

  “Tea’s good,” he said. “Unsweetened, though.”

  She shook her head. “You Northerners don’t know what you’re missing.”

  Aidan watched her walk up the porch steps, his gaze pretty much glued to her shapely bottom in those shorts. There was a good chance the woman was going to make him a little crazy if he wasn’t careful, especially since she’d made it pretty clear she wasn’t interested in dating anyone right now. He wasn’t sure he believed her, but he had little choice but to take her at her word and act accordingly.

  Friendly banter and no sudden moves, he warned himself, then turned his attention to the dog, which was much safer territory.

  * * *

  Liz put the pizza and drinks out on the kitchen table, then stood at the dining room window, where she could watch Aidan and Archie in the yard. The dog ran in excited circles waiting for Aidan to toss that grungy tennis ball again and again. More times than not, Archie managed to catch it before it ever hit the ground.

  “Okay, that’s it,” Aidan said at last. “It’s time for a rest.”

  Liz scurried away from the window and back to the kitchen as she heard Aidan coming up the steps. He tapped on the screen door, then opened it. Archie raced ahead of him into the kitchen. The dog went straight to his water bowl and began lapping it up, splashing more of the water onto the floor than he could possibly have drunk.

  “Seems to me it’s too bad Archie isn’t human,” she commented, glancing up at Aidan as he washed his hands at the sink.

  “Oh?”

  “He was doing a darn fine job of catching your passes in midair.”

  Aidan glanced at her. “You were watching?”

  “I caught a glimpse,” she claimed.

  A smug smile spread across his face. “You were watching!”

  “Okay, maybe I was just a little fascinated. I always like to be sure humans aren’t mistreating my pets.”

  “I don’t suppose it mattered if Archie was wearing me out?”

  She gave a deliberate shrug. “You can take care of yourself, I’m sure.”

  “Nice to know what your priorities are.”

  She held his gaze. “I’ve tried my best to make them clear.”

  Aidan sighed. “Message received.” He kept his gaze locked with hers. “Just so you know, though, I’ve been known to break a few rules in my time.”

  Liz shivered at the intensity in his voice and the daredevil spark in his eyes. Yeah, she could definitely believe that.

  * * *

  Overnight the springlike weather changed. Sunday morning dawned with a chill in the air and rain in the forecast. Liz couldn’t imagine that would be good for business, but when she got to Sally’s for her morning coffee and croissant, Shanna didn’t look the least bit distressed. Nor did Heather or Megan, who joined them a few minutes later.

  “Why don’t you all look more upset by this rain that’s about to come down in buckets?” Liz asked.

  “Because rain means most people won’t be going out on their boats or swimming today,” Heather said. “Since they’ve come for a long holiday weekend, they won’t take off for home, either. They’ll be shopping!”

  “After the rush yesterday, how many people can possibly be left?” Liz asked.

  “Just you wait and see,” Megan told her. She gestured at the line already waiting for tables at Sally’s. “See what I mean? Have you ever seen it this busy before at this hour? Everyone’s already out and about. I predict Ethel will sell out of puzzles and games before noon and you’ll be down to the last of your merchandise before the end of the day.”

  Liz regarded her with wide eyes. “You can’t be serious. I ordered what I thought would be enough to last through the Fourth of July.”

  “And how did the shelves look at the end of the day yesterday?” Shanna asked.

  “Pretty bare,” Liz admitted. “I’ll be restocking for the next couple of hours till I open the doors.”

  The women exchanged an amused look.

  “Will Aidan be helping with that?” Shanna asked slyly.

  Liz felt her cheeks turn pink. “Why would you ask that?”

  “Because he was there till closing last night,” Heather said. “Just so you know, I wasn’t spying. Connor walked by your shop on his way to meet me for dinner and he mentioned it to me.”

  “And Mick noticed Aidan was in the yard with Archie when he was driving past Dogwood Hill on his way home,” Megan added, then patted Liz’s hand sympathetically. “Don’t freak out. It’s not as if we’re all nosy, just observant, especially when it involves someone we like. In this case, two people we like.”

&n
bsp; Bree came in just then, grabbed a chair and pulled it over. “What did I miss?”

  “Liz looking like a deer caught in headlights when we mentioned all the attention Aidan is paying to her,” Shanna said, her grin unrepentant.

  “Oh, yeah, about that,” Bree said, a twinkle in her eyes. “I heard Pamela Hobbs had him in her sights at your store yesterday.”

  Liz frowned. “Did you also hear he turned her down? Emphatically, I gather.”

  “Smart man,” Megan said. “I’d say I can’t understand what gets into Pamela, but that’s not true. If I were married to Porter Hobbs, who knows what I might do to keep from drinking myself into a stupor every night. He’s not only a big blowhard, he’s terminally boring.”

  “Why don’t you tell us what you really think, Mom?” Bree said, laughing.

  Megan looked momentarily taken aback, then laughed. “Tell me I’m wrong.”

  “I surely can’t do that,” Bree said. “He was in Abby’s class, not mine, but he was no better back in high school.” She turned to Liz. “Ask my sister next time you see her. Porter made a few passes at her before she and Trace got serious. Pamela was his fallback girl and she always knew it. Still, she likes that big fancy car dealership he has in Annapolis and the money it brings in.”

  Heather sat back, a grin on her face. “Sometimes it hits me just how much fun it must have been to grow up here. I lived in a fairly small town, but it was nothing like this.”

  “It didn’t have O’Briens,” Shanna suggested.

  Megan laughed. “Yes, I’m sure that made all the difference. Chesapeake Shores was definitely shaped by my husband and his brothers.”

  “Don’t forget Gram,” Bree said, her expression turning thoughtful. “Nell is the one who made them into the men they became, and she still has a firm grip on the rest of us. I’m so glad she’s still around to impart those values to the next generation.”

  “Amen to that,” Megan said, her own expression turning serious.

  Bree frowned. “Mom, what’s wrong? Is Gram not well?”

  “As far as I know, she’s fine,” Megan insisted, though her smile was clearly forced. “I just worry about how much things might change when she’s gone. After that scare she gave us a few years ago, losing her is never far from my mind.”