Dogwood Hill

by Sherryl Woods

  “I’ll be there,” he said.

  Bree smiled. “Good decision.” She pumped her fist. “I must have gotten a few of those guilt-inducing genes from Gram.”

  “You might not want to brag about it,” Aidan said. “It’s annoying.”

  She laughed. “Spoken exactly like one of my brothers. You’re an O’Brien, all right.” Her expression sobered as she held his gaze. “Welcome to the family, Aidan. I mean that.”

  “Thanks, Bree. And I mean that.”

  “Get some sleep. I’ll do what I can with Liz tomorrow, but you might want to give her some space, let her come to you.”

  “Sure,” he said, but he knew better. Liz wasn’t going to come to him. For better or worse, she’d made her decision tonight and he doubted there was a thing Bree could say to change her mind. After all, the last time she’d been hurt this deeply, she’d left her hometown and her family to get away from the memories.

  * * *

  Pleading a summer cold she was determined to nip in the bud, Liz called her part-time employee first thing in the morning and asked her to cover the shop for the whole day. Tess was delighted to have the extra hours. She was saving up to buy her own car.

  With that cowardly decision behind her, Liz went back to bed and pulled the covers up. The worried dogs hovered nearby. Her cat sprawled across her feet and purred loudly in what Liz supposed was meant to be a comforting gesture. Instead the noise was just getting on her last nerve, probably because she knew somewhere deep inside that she didn’t deserve to be comforted.

  The things she’d said to Aidan the night before had been unkind and unwarranted. Sure, he’d kept a big secret from her, even knowing how much she hated secrets, lies and deceptions, lumping them all into one basket with her cheating ex-husband.

  But, she was forced to admit, this wasn’t exactly the same. Aidan’s secret might have shaken her confidence in him, but it wasn’t about her, not really. It was about him having a father he’d never met before coming to Chesapeake Shores. She tried to imagine what that must have been like and couldn’t. And now that the news was out and he was ready—and able—to share it with her, she’d shut him down. It was probably the most dramatic, life-altering news of his life and she wouldn’t even listen. How had she allowed Josh’s big lie to harden her heart like that? And, she wondered, how had she forgotten just how many secrets of her own she’d been keeping since coming to Chesapeake Shores?

  Even though she’d reached the conclusion that she’d been wrong, she had no idea how to correct her mistake. The most obvious answer was to go to Aidan and apologize. A mature, rational women who wanted a relationship with him would do exactly that. A woman who was scared to death of taking another risk, especially with a man who’d held back something important, no matter how valid his reasons—well, that was something else entirely.

  The pounding on her door wasn’t entirely unexpected, but it surely wasn’t welcome. She dragged herself out of bed, pulled on a robe and padded to the door. She found Bree, Shanna and Susie on her porch.

  “You’re not at work,” Shanna announced as if Liz might not be aware of the fact.

  “It’s about Aidan, isn’t it?” Susie said. “You’ve broken up with him. Don’t you know that hiding out at home won’t help anything? I tried hiding out from Mack more than once. It was a waste of time. He always found me and then I just felt foolish.”

  Liz’s gaze narrowed. “Are you saying I’m foolish?”

  “Not at all,” Bree said, aiming a warning glance at Susie, even as she pushed right past Liz and headed for the kitchen.

  By the time the rest of them trailed along behind, Bree already had coffee brewing.

  “Make yourself at home, why don’t you?” Liz muttered.

  Bree grinned. “Already have,” she said, going into the refrigerator for cream, eggs and butter. She emerged and reached for a loaf of bread on the counter. “I’m thinking French toast. That’s good comfort food.”

  “Ooh, I love French toast,” Shanna said, then patted her belly. “So does the baby.”

  Liz just pulled out a chair, sat down and rested her head on her arms on the table. The chatter swirled around her. Oddly enough, she found it comforting. Clearly they didn’t hate her for sending Aidan away, though she knew sooner or later she’d hear what they did think about it.

  “Liz, any syrup?” Bree asked loudly, as if she feared Liz might have fallen asleep on them.

  “Cabinet to the left of the sink, middle shelf,” Liz murmured without looking up. “There are strawberry preserves from the farmer’s market in the fridge.”

  “Drink your coffee,” Shanna said as she set down the cup. “You’ll feel better. Bree’s is strong enough to make your hair stand straight on end.”

  Liz did glance up at that. “Sounds divine.” She took a long, slow sip, then sighed appreciatively. She looked at Shanna. “You ought to consider having her make it at the bookstore.”

  Shanna’s gaze narrowed. “Did you just insult my coffee?”

  Liz managed a faint grin. “I think I did.”

  “You know it’s true,” Susie added. “Shanna, not to be mean, but I’ve had plain old water that had more flavor.”

  “Gee, thanks,” Shanna said, then laughed. “Okay, I make lousy coffee. We all know it. If I could work that stupid cappuccino machine I bought when I opened, maybe it would be better. Kevin had a knack for it, but he’s not inclined to come in to make coffee for my customers before he heads off to work. I’m stuck with that old coffeemaker of his that picks and chooses when it wants to perk. Is it any wonder I don’t charge for the stuff?”

  “Any one of us could probably help with the cappuccino machine,” Susie suggested gently. “Did you ever think to ask? We just thought you made bad coffee so the customers wouldn’t linger too long.”

  “Fine,” Shanna said, seizing on the offer. “From now on you can stop in and get the cappuccino machine going every morning. Your efforts will be rewarded with one to-go cup and my eternal gratitude.”

  Liz grinned as she listened. “And Sally’s dismay,” she reminded them. “She’s sold a lot more carryout coffee since people on Main Street have tasted yours.”

  Shanna frowned at her. “Bite me.”

  “Ladies, ladies,” Bree said as she set plates of French toast in front of each of them. “We did not come over here to discuss coffee. We came because our friend needs us.”

  Liz noted that three expectant faces were suddenly focused on her. She hesitated, then said, “I’m not sure what to say. Thanks?”

  “Say you’re going to forgive Aidan,” Susie encouraged. “He’s crazy in love with you, and he didn’t mean to hurt you by keeping this news a secret.”

  “He really didn’t,” Bree agreed.

  “I know that,” Liz admitted, shocking them all into silence.

  “You know that?” Bree repeated. “Since when?”

  “Since the rational part of my brain kicked in,” Liz admitted. Her curiosity stirred. “How’s the family taking the news?”

  Bree grinned. “How do you think? Dad swears he knew all along that Aidan was an O’Brien. Of course, there’s no way he could possibly have known, but you know Dad. He claims to have whatever it is the Irish have that makes them more intuitive than the rest of the world.”

  “My dad says Thomas is still stunned,” Susie reported. “He had no idea he had a son. He denied it was possible when Aidan first confronted him, but the DNA results prove that Aidan is his.”

  “Thomas insisted on a DNA test?” Liz asked, startled.

  “Well, sure, wouldn’t you?” Susie said. “It might have hurt Aidan’s feelings that Thomas thought he would lie about it, but nobody takes that kind of thing on faith. I guess that’s what they’ve been waiting on before telling anyone. It’s not the kind of thing you
can just blurt out and then find out you were wrong. Imagine the uproar that could have caused, especially for Thomas and Sean.”

  “How’s Connie taking the news that she has a grown stepson?”

  “Mom talked to her last night,” Bree said. “She says there was never a doubt in Connie’s mind that Aidan was telling the truth. She claims she could see the O’Brien in him. I think it might be easier for her that Aidan’s mom is gone, so there’s no question of old feelings being rekindled between her and Uncle Thomas, but even if that weren’t the case, I’ll bet she’d be okay. Connie’s steady as a rock. And they’ve already dealt with blending families because of Jenny and how hard it was for her to accept Uncle Thomas as her stepfather. This is going to be a piece of cake, once the shock has passed.”

  Liz realized Shanna’s gaze hadn’t left her face.

  “Okay, your turn,” Shanna said quietly. “How are you dealing with the news?”

  “You mean today or last night at the pub when I first figured out that something monumental was going on and Aidan hadn’t told me?”

  “Both,” Shanna said at once.

  “Last night I was just a shade worse than the shrew in Shakespeare’s play. Nothing Aidan tried to say could get through to me. I wouldn’t let him explain anything. In fact, I kicked him out.”

  “And broke his heart,” Bree said quietly.

  Liz regarded her with shock. “What makes you say that?”

  “I waited for him to come back from here. I had a bad feeling that it wouldn’t go well, and I was right. You really hurt him, Liz.”

  “He really hurt me, more than you could possibly understand,” Liz retorted.

  “Because he kept a secret that he felt wasn’t entirely his to share,” Bree suggested gently.

  Liz made a face at her perfectly rational argument. “Yes, that. And some of the things he said to me. I probably deserved them, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t hurt.”

  She turned to Shanna. “You asked about this morning. When the dust settled and I could think like a sane person again, I saw that he’d only done what he thought was right for Thomas and anyone else directly involved. I wish he’d included me in that circle, but I was wrong to demand it of him. There was so much at stake for him, for Thomas, for all of the O’Briens, for that matter. I shouldn’t have made it about me.”

  Bree looked delighted with her response. “And you’ll go to Aidan and tell him that? Work all of this out? We so want you to be a part of this family, too, and if you and Aidan get married, we’ll be cousins. How perfect will that be?”

  Liz stared at her incredulously. “Boy, when you take a leap forward, you really make it a giant one, don’t you?”

  “Only way to go,” Bree said. “Plunge in and go for broke. Will you?”

  “One step at a time,” Liz countered. “I have to see if this new, sane me is real. If I’m ever going to have a relationship with someone, trust has to be a part of it. I can’t freak out over every little thing the way I did over this. It wouldn’t be fair.”

  “But you are going to try,” Bree pressed. “Starting today.”

  “I’ll speak to Aidan and try to clear the air,” she promised. It was as much of a commitment as she could make for the moment.

  “And you’ll be at the family dinner at Mick’s on Sunday,” Susie said as if it were a foregone conclusion. “It’s going to be an official welcome for Aidan as an O’Brien.”

  “Let’s see how it goes,” Liz equivocated.

  The only way she could go to an event like that was if she and Aidan had reached some sort of understanding, if he’d forgiven her for overreacting and lumping him in with Josh. If he was the man she’d believed him to be, he’d understand, but she also knew how difficult it was to move on once harsh words had been spoken in anger. She’d already dismissed the things he’d said as an overheated reaction to her behavior. But if he couldn’t forgive the accusations she’d hurled at him, it might be over between them, and she’d have no one to blame but herself.

  * * *

  Aidan’s heart ached for Liz and what she’d endured, but he hadn’t deserved the way she’d lashed out at him the night before. If there was so little trust between them, how could they possibly move on? And right this minute, he had other things on his mind, such as figuring out how he fit in with this new family that was opening its arms to him.

  He found himself once again reaching out to Thomas, as a son might reach out to a father, for advice. They agreed to meet on neutral turf, along Shore Road.

  “I’ll bring coffee,” Aidan told him. “I’d like to talk some more about where we go from here and the fallout from the big announcement.”

  “Happy to do that,” Thomas said.

  Aidan had anticipated being alone with Thomas, but when he arrived just before ten, he found him there with Connie and Sean.

  Sean ran toward him and threw his arms around his waist. “Wanna go fishing? You can take me this time. Our dad has to go to the office later.”

  “Aidan and your dad need to talk,” Connie said. “You can go fishing another time.” She smiled at Aidan. “Don’t mind us. Sean and I will be heading to the bookstore. We were just keeping Thomas company till you got here.”

  Relieved, Aidan watched them go, then sat down and handed Thomas a cup of coffee. “You were right about the grapevine,” he said. “I was on my way to see Liz after I left your place, but before I got to her, she already knew something was up.”

  Thomas looked chagrined. “My fault. I thought I should tell my brothers. I told them the news was strictly confidential. Apparently it took each of them about ten seconds to agree to meet at O’Brien’s. I doubt they’d have blabbed to everyone else, but the place was crawling with family. Liz was there with a bunch of the women. Apparently Susie picked up on just enough of her dad’s conversation with Mick to stir up trouble. I’m so sorry.” He regarded Aidan with real concern. “How’d it go with Liz?”

  Aidan shook his head. “Not good. She threw me out of her house, refused to let me explain anything.”

  “I could speak to her, tell her you’d kept silent at my request,” Thomas offered.

  “I don’t think that will matter to her,” Aidan said. “She has some real deep-seated issues about trust. I knew that when I kept this from her.”

  “Still, I feel responsible for your being in that position.”

  Aidan shook his head. “I put myself in that position.”

  Thomas studied him. “So, what’s next for the two of you?”

  “I have no idea. I was wondering how things went on your end.” He allowed himself a faint smile. “Sean seems to be doing just fine with the news.”

  Thomas laughed. “I told you he would be.” His expression sobered. “Aidan, you do want to have a relationship with me now, don’t you? I could understand if you have reservations.”

  Aidan gave the question some thought. The fact that Thomas was sensitive enough to have asked it really mattered to him.

  “There were times in my life when I resented the man who hadn’t cared enough to stay with my mom. Even when I first got to town and saw you with this huge family and with a wife and son, it stirred up those old resentments.”

  “Understandable,” Thomas said.

  “But wrong,” Aidan told him. “You never knew about me, and that was my mom’s decision, not yours. Maybe things would have been different if you’d known, but more likely there would have been another divorce in your past.”

  “I’d like to think otherwise,” Thomas said, “but I can’t deny the likelihood.” He gave Aidan a lingering look. “You had a good life, though, didn’t you?”

  Aidan smiled, remembering. “For the most part, I did. The only thing missing was having a dad. There were times when that was huge, but in general I have no complaints. My mom
gave me love and values and a good education. No parent could have been more supportive of my choices in life. Nobody yelled louder than she did when I was on the field.”

  Thomas smiled at that. “I imagine she was very proud.”

  “She was. I’m glad she got to see me play professionally before she died.”

  “She must have loved that.” He gave Aidan a sideways glance. “I saw you play a time or two. I know how good you were and how terrible it must have been to have your career ended by an injury.”

  Aidan shrugged. “I think coaching was what I was meant to do all along. I’m happy here. I hope to stay.”

  Thomas looked startled. “Is there any reason you wouldn’t?”

  “If this turns out to be too much for everyone to handle, for you to handle, I’ll leave. It was never my intention to complicate anyone’s life.”

  “Nonsense,” Thomas said emphatically. “Chesapeake Shores is where you belong. You’re family, Aidan. Make no mistake about that. We’ll work out all the rest in time.”

  And for the first time since he’d arrived in town with this dark secret in his heart, Aidan truly felt at home. Now, if he could only make peace with Liz, his future might very well be everything he’d ever hoped for.

  23

  Thomas approached Nell’s cottage with a huge knot in his stomach. He hoped that for once the family might have honored his wishes and left it to him to tell his mother about Aidan, but he couldn’t be sure. One thing he did know: she wouldn’t appreciate learning this news from anyone other than him. Nell had always been an exceptionally tolerant and understanding woman, but she had her ways of making her displeasure felt. A simple look could be more gut-wrenching than any words she might speak. Even in his fifties, that look could make him feel like a kid deserving of a scolding from the person he respected most.

  He found her in the yard working in her garden. The early-morning sun was already hot, but she seemed oblivious to it as she weeded. A wide-brimmed straw hat, a recent concession to the sun’s effects, shaded her lined face.