Dogwood Hill
Page 27
“I believe that now,” Aidan said. “You didn’t finish telling me about your wife’s reaction. If me sticking around Chesapeake Shores is going to cause problems—”
“Nonsense,” Thomas said. “At least not for Connie and me. Certainly not for anyone else in the family, either. We embrace our own, however they come to be a part of us. Now, you put together another losing football team, and I can’t speak for the rest of the town.”
Aidan laughed. “I’m on it,” he told Thomas. “In fact, I’m heading over to the school to find out just how many unofficial workouts I might be able to squeeze in before the school district comes down on my head.”
“Good luck with that,” Thomas said. “I’ll be in touch about the DNA test as soon as I know anything. Then we’ll figure out where we go from there.”
Aidan considered letting the conversation end on that note, but for some reason he couldn’t. “Do you have some time in the next couple of days? I’d like to talk about that book I’ve been reading, maybe make some plans for the fall projects for the group at school.” He felt surprisingly awkward even making the suggestion and quickly added, “Unless you want to hold off on that.”
“No reason to hold off,” Thomas said, clearly enthusiastic, if perhaps a little surprised. “I’m working in town today. You want to meet for coffee at Panini Bistro in an hour? Or on the pier at Mick’s? Sean’s dying to go fishing. He’d go every day of summer vacation if I were here to take him.”
Aidan liked the idea of spending time with Thomas and his son. It sounded so normal, like something they might have done when he was a boy.
“Does Sean know what’s going on?” he asked, needing to know so he didn’t inadvertently slip up and say the wrong thing.
“No, though something tells me he’ll be ecstatic to have a big brother. He loves having a big sister, but a guy? And one who coaches football? He’ll be over the moon. I won’t tell him, though, till we know the truth. For one thing, I love that boy with all my heart, but he couldn’t keep his mouth shut if he tried. For another, I don’t want him to be disappointed if it turns out we’re wrong.”
“I totally understand,” Aidan said. “I just didn’t want to put my foot in it. But if you don’t mind me being around him before we know, maybe I’ll buy a fishing pole and you can give me a lesson, too.” He couldn’t help thinking that it would be a nice first father-son memory, even if the facts weren’t in yet.
“I have an extra pole I’ll bring along,” Thomas said at once. “We’ll be there in an hour.”
“Great. That’ll give me just enough time to stop by the school.” And maybe a few extra minutes to stick his head in the door at Pet Style for a quick glimpse of Liz to be sure she was doing okay. No matter what she’d said about wanting to be left alone, Thomas’s reminiscence about his courtship of Connie suggested to Aidan that backing off from a relationship that could really matter wouldn’t be the O’Brien way.
* * *
Liz spotted Aidan at the door of Pet Style and was grateful that she’d left home early and gone straight to Sally’s. She’d wanted to be in and out with her morning coffee before any of her friends arrived to cross-examine her about the dark circles under her eyes that even an expert touch with makeup couldn’t conceal.
When Aidan realized the store was still locked up, he glanced toward Sally’s, but to her relief, he turned away and jogged across the street to the town green and kept on going.
“Why don’t you seem very eager to run into Aidan this morning?” Bree asked, startling Liz as she appeared seemingly out of nowhere and slid into the booth.
“No idea what you’re talking about,” Liz said, mopping up the coffee that had spilled from her cup when she’d been startled by Bree’s unexpected arrival. “I just happened to notice he was out there.”
“And knocking on the door of your shop,” Bree said. “Yet you didn’t tap on the window to get his attention. You looked oddly relieved when he went away without coming in here.”
“You’re imagining things.”
“I’m not imagining that you look as if you’ve had a rough night,” Bree said, holding Liz’s coffee cup in the air and gesturing to Sally for a refill for Liz, plus her own cup. “Problems keep you awake?”
“Something like that.”
“Let me be more specific. Problems with Aidan?”
Liz gave her a plaintive look. “Nothing I want to talk about.”
Bree’s expression turned momentarily triumphant at having her guesswork confirmed, but then she frowned. “What did he do?” she demanded.
Her quick indignation actually made Liz smile. “What makes you think he did anything?”
“Because he’s a man, and they’re sometimes incredibly stupid and insensitive. They don’t mean to be. It just happens.”
“Does Jake know you hold him in such high esteem?” Liz inquired, amused by Bree’s assessment.
“My husband is an exception,” Bree declared at once, but then her expression turned thoughtful. “Now, anyway. There was a time when he fell into that category, too.”
“So it’s thanks to what, your training, that he’s evolved?”
Bree grinned. “Pretty much.”
Liz sat back with a sigh. “I envy you,” she admitted without thinking.
Bree looked startled. “Why?”
“Because you have this perfect marriage and an adorable little girl, plus an amazing career as a playwright. Not to mention a flower shop as a side business that you love. You grew up in this incredible town, surrounded by family.”
“Oh, sweetie, believe me, it wasn’t always that way. I couldn’t wait to get away from here and out into the world. When I came home from Chicago as a failure after an apprenticeship at a regional theater, I thought my life was over. Jake hated the sight of me because I’d let him down on so many levels. It took us a long time and a lot of patience and hard work to get where we both are today.”
Liz was startled. “I thought you were childhood sweethearts.”
Bree nodded, her expression nostalgic. “We were and then I blew it. I won’t go into all the ugly details, but when I got back to town Jake didn’t trust me and rightfully so, though of course I didn’t want to admit I’d done anything wrong.”
“How did you get through that and turn things around, because you obviously have?”
“Like I said, it took patience, hard work and a whole bunch of meddling to get us to admit that we still loved each other. We had to figure out whether our priorities meshed. I needed to get my feet back under me, personally and professionally. Jake needed to figure out if he could trust me again.”
She gave Liz a knowing look. “Are you and Aidan having trust issues? Jake’s something of an expert in that area, if you need to talk. He got through to Jenny when she was up in the air about giving Caleb another chance.”
“How’d you know that trust was at the root of my issues with Aidan?” Liz asked, startled by her insight.
“Because you have this big Keep Out wall up around yourself. You’ve denied to anyone who’d listen that you have feelings for Aidan. It’s clear to all of us how hard you’re fighting the attraction. What I don’t understand is if this is really about Aidan or more about you.”
“It’s me,” Liz conceded. “Mostly. He hasn’t exactly been reassuring, though. There’s something he’s keeping from me, something big. I don’t want to get close with another man, only to discover he’s been deceiving me about something important.”
“Another man? Is that about your marriage?”
Liz waved off the question. “Not now, okay? The point is I won’t risk my heart again, not when there are clear warning signs that something’s not right.”
“Have you confronted Aidan about your concern?”
“Sure. And he doesn’t deny that he’
s keeping a secret of some kind, but he refuses to let me in on it. He says he’s made a promise and he has to honor that.”
“Well, that sounds fair,” Bree said.
“Unless it’s a convenient lie,” Liz said.
Bree looked startled by the distrust in her voice. “Oh, sweetie, if you think he’s capable of lying to you, then you’ve got bigger problems to worry about. Trust is essential to any relationship.”
“I know that,” Liz said in frustration. “Probably even better than you can possibly imagine. So it seems we’re at a stalemate.” She sighed. “It’s probably for the best. I don’t need the complication of a relationship, anyway. I need to focus on Pet Style and building a life for myself here.”
“A life without a man in it?” Bree concluded. “Even if there’s one right here who makes your toes curl?”
Liz smiled. “I don’t know that he does.”
“Liar. The two of you set off more fireworks when you’re in the same room than the town does on the Fourth of July.” Her expression brightened. “That’s coming up soon. There will be chaos down here on the green, but we can see them from my dad’s, so there will be a huge barbecue there that night. You have to come.”
“Is this another opportunity for you to throw Aidan and me together?”
Bree chuckled. “The party will happen whether either of you is there. I just don’t want you to miss your first big fireworks show in town. You should celebrate with friends.”
Liz couldn’t deny that it sounded like exactly the sort of small-town celebration she’d been envisioning when she’d chosen to settle in Chesapeake Shores. Why deny herself that just to avoid a situation that might never happen?
“I’ll be there,” she promised. “What can I bring?”
“Just yourself, or you’ll insult my grandmother. Nell’s already started baking. Dad’s in charge of burgers and hot dogs. It’s a pretty simple menu. Add some sliced tomatoes and potato salad and we have a major picnic.”
“What about your mom?” Liz asked curiously. “Does she make the potato salad?”
“Actually we take turns trying to keep her out of the kitchen,” Bree said with a laugh. “Cooking’s not her strong suit. Besides, she’ll be working at the gallery all day. She’ll get home just in time for a bite to eat before the fireworks.”
Bree glanced at her watch. “Oops! We both need to run. Time’s gotten away from us. Only ten minutes till our stores open.”
They paid quickly and hurried out. On the sidewalk in front of Pet Style, Bree gave her a quick hug.
“Don’t write off Aidan just yet,” she advised. “The O’Brien consensus seems to be that he’s one of the good guys, and, if nothing else, I do trust my family’s judgment.”
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Liz promised.
“I also trust the sparks he puts in your eyes,” Bree added with a wink. “You should, too.”
* * *
When Aidan arrived at Mick’s pier, Thomas was sitting on what was apparently his usual spot on a bench. Sean was dancing around impatiently in front of him as Thomas slathered on suntan lotion.
“Mom already did this,” Sean protested.
“So you’ve said. A little extra won’t hurt,” Thomas told him. “And wear your baseball cap.”
“It’s too hot.”
As Aidan stood by, Thomas gave him a wink, then turned to Sean with a serious expression. “Maybe it’s too hot to be out here at all,” he suggested.
Sean’s eyes widened with unmistakable panic. “No, it’s not. It’s perfect.” He settled the baseball cap on his head, then even added yet another coating of suntan lotion to his nose. “I’ll be fine.”
He spotted Aidan. “Hi. I didn’t know you were coming.”
“Your dad mentioned you all would be here and that maybe I could get a fishing lesson.”
“You’ve never been fishing before?” Sean asked, his expression incredulous.
“Never,” Aidan confirmed, then amended, “Well, once, but it probably doesn’t count since I didn’t catch anything.”
“That happens,” Sean said wisely. “Don’t feel bad. I’ll bet we’re going to catch at least a dozen fish today.”
“And how many do we keep?” Thomas asked.
“Just enough to eat,” Sean said dutifully, then grinned. “I can eat a lot.” He looked up at Aidan. “Want me to show you how to bait the hook? You’re not scared of worms, are you?”
Aidan looked at the box of slimy bait and resisted the strong desire to gag. “Nope. Not a bit.”
“That’s good,” Sean said approvingly. “But I could have done it for you, if you were.”
Aidan glanced toward Thomas, who was watching them with an odd expression. Maybe it was just a trick of the light, but it almost looked to Aidan as if he might have tears in his eyes.
* * *
Liz heard the plaintive woofs coming from upstairs and recognized the sound. Archie had tired of being cooped up. She was sure that just like with a baby whose cries should sometimes be ignored so they learned to fall asleep, ignoring Archie’s barks was the sensible thing to do. If he’d been at her house, she’d never have heard them, after all.
But he wasn’t at her house with the companionship of two other dogs and a cat. He didn’t even have his person around. At least she hadn’t seen any sign of Aidan returning.
When she couldn’t stand it another minute, she put a closed sign on the shop door, ran down the street to the management office and asked Susie if she could let her into Aidan’s apartment.
Susie regarded her with immediate curiosity. “Planning a surprise? A wicked little welcome-home surprise, perhaps?”
“Not the kind you’re imagining,” Liz scolded. “It’s Archie. He’s barking like crazy.”
Susie stood up at once and grabbed a key off the rack in the back of the management office. “Do you think it’s a burglar or that something’s happened to Aidan?”
Liz flushed a little at having caused her to worry. “Actually I just think he’s lonely.”
“You want to rescue the dog because you think he might be lonely?” Susie repeated, her expression torn between amusement and incredulity.
“Okay, I’m a soft touch. Sue me,” Liz said. “Are you going to help me out or not?”
Susie shook her head, but she did close up the office and follow Liz outside. “If this were anyone but you or anyone’s dog but Aidan’s, I would not be doing this,” she muttered. “And if he blows a gasket, I swear I’ll tell him you broke into the office and stole the key or held me down and took it, something so that I don’t come off as being unprofessional.”
“Just a liar,” Liz said, amused by her righteous indignation and choice of alternatives.
“Better that, than having my father fire me.”
“As if that’s likely,” Liz said. “Everyone knows what a fantastic job you do running that office. And O’Briens don’t fire family.”
“Worse, they’d just look extremely disappointed in us,” Susie said as they climbed the stairs to Aidan’s apartment.
Apparently Archie knew that a friendly human was on the way, because his barking grew even more frenzied. When Susie unlocked the door, he made a dash straight past both of them and down the stairs to a nearby patch of grass.
Liz and Susie exchanged a look, then burst out laughing.
“He needed a potty break?” Susie said. “That’s what all the commotion was about?”
Liz regarded her with a chagrined expression. “Think of it this way—we just saved the wood floor from an untimely accident.”
Relieved, Archie now stood at the bottom of the steps, tail wagging enthusiastically.
“Back inside,” Liz commanded.
The dog just ran in a circle, yipping happily.
“I’ll get your leash.” She grabbed it off the back of a chair, waited for Susie to lock up and followed her down the steps.
“Thanks for doing this. I guess I’m going to have a helper for the afternoon.”
“No more than you deserve,” Susie said, grinning. “I sure do hope I’m around when Aidan discovers his dog has escaped and sought refuge with you.”
Liz shivered at the reminder that she was now going to be forced to see the very man she’d all but banned from her life. Maybe she hadn’t been half as serious about that demand as she’d meant to be since she’d just seized an excuse to break the rules herself. Of course the biggest broken rule of all was the one meant to protect her heart. Despite every best intention in the world and enough warning flags to stop a NASCAR race, she’d gone and fallen in love again.
20
Aidan was lost in thought as he walked home from Mick’s carrying a bucket of seawater with a very nice rockfish in it. He had no idea how to go about cleaning it, but Thomas had promised to stop by in a half hour to give him a quick lesson.
It had been a good morning. Being around Thomas had been amazingly stress-free, probably thanks to Sean’s exuberant presence as a buffer that kept them from getting into the one topic that both of them preferred to avoid, but probably needed to keep on discussing until it became more comfortable: how to handle the new father-son thing, if it turned out to be true.
As Aidan crossed the green, he glanced toward Pet Style, blinked and looked again. Yep, no question about it. That was his dog sitting just inside the door barking his fool head off.
Even as he stared, Liz opened the door and Archie made a dash across the thankfully deserted street and straight for him. Aidan barely managed to get the bucket with the fish out of the dog’s path before Archie jumped up to lick his face, then caught wind of the fish and tried to investigate.
“Get your nose out of there,” Aidan commanded. “That’s my dinner and I worked very hard for it. Now sit!”