by Unknown
“Love?” Aidan echoed, panic setting in. “Who said anything about love? Liz is a beautiful woman. She’s sassy and charming and generous, but recognizing all that does not mean I’m falling for her.”
“Okay, maybe it’s just lust. Call it whatever you want to, but Dad seems to get it. Maybe it’s because he and Mom got a divorce and he had to win her back. Anyway, my point is he tends to nail these things. He sure did his best to get Heather and me together. And he saw what was going on with Kevin and Shanna before either of them were ready to admit it. Heck, he has a whole long track record I could cite.”
He gave Aidan a commiserating look. “I almost feel sorry for you.”
Aidan blinked at that. “Why?”
“Because when Mick O’Brien sees two people he thinks are right for each other, he stops at nothing to make sure they fall into line,” Connor told him, an amused gleam in his eyes.
“Sweet heaven,” Aidan murmured. “And your wives? Were they in on this bet, too?”
“They didn’t bet, but they thought you’d cave even faster. In fact, they’ve been counting on it. They’re all anxious to see Liz happily settled.”
Alarm once again made Aidan’s pulse race. “Happily settled? As in married? To me?” This just kept getting worse and worse. Liz was still balking at the thought of a date, and he was only a step or two ahead of her. Marriage? That was so far down the road, he couldn’t see it with binoculars.
He sighed. “This isn’t good,” he said as he grabbed his cup of take-out coffee and started outside. He paused and gave Connor a curious look. “Why did they focus on me?”
“Well, to be honest, you weren’t in the picture when they got up a full head of matchmaking steam, but the minute you turned up in town and they spotted a couple of sparks flying, the handwriting was on the wall as far as they were concerned.”
“Can’t you tell them to butt out?” Aidan asked plaintively. “Heather, at least?”
“My wife is in a hormonal state these days,” Connor lamented. “I try not to argue with her about anything. It’s a no-win proposition. Same with Kevin and Shanna. Sorry, pal. You’ll have to take a stance all by yourself, at least if that’s what you really want to do.”
Aidan heaved yet another sigh. At this rate they were going to have to treat him for hyperventilating in another couple of minutes. “Living here is going to be a challenge, isn’t it?” he muttered.
“Only if you fight the inevitable,” Connor said, not even trying to hide his amusement. “By the way, I know you’re the football coach, but I’m guessing you can hold your own in a game of hoops. Want to join us tonight? I’m thinking you might need to work off some of that frustration. You’ve met most of the guys already. After we play, we hang out, drink a couple of beers and tell tall tales about how athletic we used to be.”
Aidan finally let himself relax again. Any sport was familiar turf, and a much better topic than women in general or Liz in particular. “Used to be?”
“I played college baseball,” Connor reported. “I wasn’t half-bad, but there was no chance I’d make it professionally. Mack, of course, played professional football till he was sidelined by an injury. The whole family plays touch football every Thanksgiving. It used to be men-only, but then my cousin Susie got into the game one year to make a point to Mack, and things haven’t been the same since. We had to stop playing dirty.”
“How annoying!” Aidan said dryly.
“You have no idea,” Connor said with real regret. “But Mack is crazy in love with his wife and he’s not about to tell her that she can’t play. She had a tough battle with cancer a few years back. She’s been in remission for a while now, but nobody wants to deny Susie anything. We’ve all had our share of successes in one way or another, but Susie’s the real hero in our family. She’s as tough as they come.”
Aidan heard the note of genuine admiration in Connor’s voice and tried to imagine how incredible the woman must be to have earned that. From what he knew, Connor had been a pretty hard-nosed divorce lawyer in Baltimore, who was trying to mellow out with a general practice in Chesapeake Shores.
“I’m a little rusty when it comes to basketball, but I imagine I can hold my own,” he told Connor as they walked along Main Street in the direction of Connor’s office. “I’d love to play. What time and where?”
“There are outdoor courts in the park on the far side of Dogwood Hill. You can see them just past the dog park. You should be able to find them with no problem, or I can stop by and pick you up.”
As Connor perfectly well knew, given their conversation just now, Aidan was well acquainted with the location of that blasted dog park. “I’ll find them.”
And just like that he suddenly had the potential for a group of real pals. As much as he’d enjoyed his first weeks in town, he missed the camaraderie with his teammates. He missed getting together with Frankie, even though he heard from him almost on a daily basis, checking to see if Aidan was ready yet to come back to New York where he belonged.
Still, as much as he was looking forward to getting together with Connor and his relatives for a game of hoops, guilt nagged at him. He couldn’t help wondering just how friendly they’d be when they discovered he was family and he’d kept that from them. The longer he kept the secret, the less likely they’d forgive him for it. And, surprising as it was to him, he realized that was starting to matter.
*
Liz sat on the porch at Susie Franklin’s beautiful home on Beach Lane relaxing at the end of the day. On the nights when the guys played basketball, the women in the O’Brien family got together at Susie’s for what was purported to be a book discussion. To the total frustration of Shanna, no more than fifteen minutes ever seemed to be devoted to talking about whatever book they’d chosen. Tonight all the talk was about Aidan Mitchell and, to her everlasting regret, Liz’s connection to him.
“So, Liz, now that you’ve spent some time with Aidan, what do you think of him?” Susie asked as if they’d never before had this conversation. There was a mischievous gleam in her eyes that suggested she hoped this time they’d get a different answer.
“There have been plenty of other sightings of the two of them together,” Bree reported.
“All of which we’ve discussed, ad nauseam,” Liz reminded them to no avail.
“I wonder if he deliberately rented my old apartment over the shops just because your store is right downstairs?” Shanna speculated, a grin tugging at her lips.
“I’ve wondered the same thing,” Susie claimed. “And let’s not forget that I lived there, too, so I know what an incredible view it has of the green and whoever might happen to be walking by.”
“Stop it!” Liz said, laughing. “How many times do I have to tell you there is nothing between Aidan and me.”
“Until you make it sound convincing,” Bree said. “So far, not so much, especially when he seems to be underfoot every time we turn around.”
Liz frowned at her friends. She needed to set them straight before they manufactured a romance that was doomed before it even started.
“There’s not going to be anything between Aidan and me, except maybe a friendship. My only goal is to get him to take Archie off my hands, and just last night I finally found a way to do that.”
Bree gave her a triumphant look. “See what I mean? They were together again last night. You might as well admit the truth, Liz. There’s something going on.”
“I’m not admitting anything,” Liz said very firmly. “I talked him into taking the dog—that’s it.”
“Did it involve holding him hostage and torturing him till he agreed?” Shanna asked. She grinned. “That could be fun. Fur-lined handcuffs. Maybe feathers or whipped cream.”
Liz rolled her eyes at the suggestive comment, though it did stir up a few steamy images. She imagined those would be stuck in her head all night long.
“Absolutely not,” she said. “I just pointed out a few inescapable facts.”
“Such as?” Shanna asked.
“Archie already adores him. He’s more Aidan’s dog now than he is mine, even though I’m the one who’s been feeding him and taking care of him.”
“Okay, I hear what you’re claiming about Aidan not being in your life as a potential lover, but I’m not sure I understand it,” Heather said. “Do you have something against good-looking and sexy? I swear if I weren’t happily married to Connor, I’d give him a second look, I can tell you that.”
Shanna, who was pregnant with what would be a fourth child for her and Kevin O’Brien, patted her belly. Everyone knew they were desperately hoping for a girl this time. They already had Davey, Kevin’s son from an earlier marriage, plus Henry, and then Johnny, the son they’d had together just two years ago. She’d flatly refused to learn the sex of this baby in advance.
“Okay,” Shanna said, glancing around with a guilty expression as if she feared being overheard. “I should not even be looking at other men these days, but every time Aidan walks by the bookstore, I have to admit I admire the view. Kevin caught me the other day and dragged me into the back room and kissed me senseless. He said he just wanted to be certain if I was thinking about sex, he was the one on my mind.”
“And I’m sure you told him there was no question of that,” Bree protested with exaggerated dismay. “That’s my brother’s baby you’re carrying, after all.”
“Which means my hormones are in overdrive,” Shanna reminded her. “It’s a side effect of pregnancy I’d never anticipated. Liz, you really do need to go out with Aidan, so you can tell us all about it. We long to live vicariously.”
“And since I’m in the throes of morning sickness most days, I could use a good distraction, too,” Heather chimed in.
After a quick glance at Susie to see how she was reacting to all this talk of pregnancy, Liz frowned at Shanna and Heather. “I am not going out with Aidan just to satisfy your curiosity. Seriously, that would be crazy.” To say nothing of dangerous to her own mental health, she thought to herself. It would not take much for her to forget all these noble resolutions she’d made and see if he was half as clever with those lovely, strong hands of his as he was with charming words.
“Then go out with him to satisfy yours,” Bree suggested. “I know you want to. I’ve seen the way you look at each other whenever you cross paths at Sally’s.”
“Which seems to be every morning lately,” Heather commented, her expression innocent. “Quite the coincidence, wouldn’t you say?”
“Definitely,” Susie agreed, then reached over to give Liz’s hand a squeeze. “You do know we’re only interested in making sure you’re happy and stay right here in Chesapeake Shores forever, right?”
“What do I have to do to convince you that I am here to stay and that I am happy?” Liz asked in exasperation. “Just because you’ve all married the men of your dreams doesn’t mean I need a man in my life. Been there, done that.”
Bree frowned. “Hold on. What was that tone all about? It’s the first time you’ve even hinted that your marriage was anything other than perfect.”
Liz cursed herself for the faint slip of the tongue. “You’re imagining things. I just meant that I’m nowhere near ready to get involved with anyone again. It’s possible I will never be ready.”
“There it is again,” Bree said. “Happily married women don’t swear off men when they’re widowed. They grieve, to be sure, but eventually they usually open their hearts to someone else.”
“Says who?” Liz retorted. “There are plenty of women who don’t think any man could possibly live up to the one they lost.”
“And you’re one of those?” Bree asked, her skepticism plain. “That’s not how it sounded.”
Susie frowned. “I agree. I heard the same thing. Liz, you certainly don’t have to tell us anything you don’t want to, but we are your friends. If there’s ever anything you need to talk about, we’ll listen. No judgments and no advice.”
Liz lifted a brow in disbelief. “As if you could pull that off.”
“We can just listen,” Heather insisted. “We’ve had some practice.”
“Oh, who are you guys kidding?” Shanna said, siding with Liz. “The O’Briens have rubbed off on all of us. We couldn’t shut up if we wanted to.”
“But we will try,” Bree said, belatedly regarding Liz with genuine concern. “Remember that, okay?”
For just an instant, Liz was tempted to open up and reveal the secret she’d been keeping to herself ever since the night she’d lost her husband, but when it came right down to it, she couldn’t. She knew it would change the way they looked at her. That night and everything that had led up to the accident had certainly changed the way she’d looked at herself.
She was very much afraid, in fact, that no amount of time passing would ever diminish the pain of that night, not just the accident itself and losing her husband, but every awful revelation that had come before it. How could she possibly think of moving on when she’d failed so terribly as a wife the first time?
*
Aidan wasn’t entirely shocked by the discovery that the O’Brien men and their friends were a very competitive group. They took to the basketball court as if they were the Miami Heat and LeBron James going up against San Antonio in the NBA finals. Not that a one of them possessed the same skill level, of course.
Despite the intensity of the game, however, they still found plenty of time to taunt each other as only friends of long standing and family could. They knew each other’s weak spots and exploited them. It was only a matter of time before their attention turned to Aidan.
Maybe it had something to do with the fact that his gaze kept straying toward the dog park, but Connor was the first to pull him into their sights.
“Something interesting going on in the dog park, Aidan?” Connor teased. “Your attention seems to be wandering.”
“I noticed the same thing,” Mack chimed in. “That wouldn’t have anything to do with Liz, would it? You hoping to catch a glimpse of her? Or maybe it’s that dog I understand you’re about to adopt, though it would be a pity if you found that to be more interesting than a beautiful woman.”
“I am not watching for Liz or Archie,” Aidan claimed. “It’s just that this game is moving so slow, my mind’s had plenty of time to wander.”
Kevin regarded him incredulously. “Men, did you hear that? He just accused us of being sluggish and boring on the court.”
“I heard the same thing,” Connor said.
Aidan grinned as he dribbled the ball and watched for an opening. “Truth hurts, doesn’t it?” He dodged Connor’s attempt to block him and drove past him to make the basket. “So does losing. Not that I would know about that, since last time I checked my team was winning.”
Will Lincoln, a shrink who was married to Jess O’Brien, the owner of the inn, winced at the comment. “Would you mind a little advice from a mental health professional?” he said to Aidan. “Do not take pokes at a sleeping lion. We might have these guys on the ropes right now because they’re distracted by all the trash talk, but I guarantee they can pick up the intensity in a heartbeat.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Kevin said, grabbing a rebound and charging past Aidan for a quick dunk shot that brought them within six points of Aidan’s team.
Aidan didn’t much care if his comments cost his team the game, as long as it changed the direction of their thoughts from his love life.
For a full ten minutes, the two teams were silent except for their panting and the sound of their sneakers slapping against asphalt as the battle on the court escalated. As the buzzer on their kitchen timer ticked down, Aidan stole a ball from Connor, took it down the court and sank the shot, just as the timer went off.
“And that,” he said with a triumphant grin, “is how it’s done.”
Kevin and Connor exchanged a look.
“Bet I can wipe that smug look off his face,” Connor taunted.
Kevin grinned. “You mean by menti
oning that Liz just hit the dog park wearing short shorts and a very tight tank top?”
Recalling precisely how hot she’d looked the other night in just such an outfit, Aidan’s head whipped around, but there was no such vision in sight.
“You dog,” he said to Kevin.
Kevin and Connor gave each other satisfied high fives.
“Knew you’d look,” Kevin said.
“And why is that?” Connor teased, his expression innocent.
“Because he’s in l-o-v-e,” Bree’s husband, Jake, said.
“Hey,” Aidan protested. “You were on my team. Aren’t you supposed to be on my side here?”
Jake chuckled. “Not when it comes to this. It’s too much fun watching you squirm. All of us have paid our dues. We’ve taken the heat, made it to the altar and are now living happily ever after. We want everyone to share in our joy.”
Aidan shook his head. “What you really mean is that misery loves company. You’re jealous that I can date any woman I happen to find attractive.”
Will winced for the second time that night. “Please tell me you did not just suggest that we’re miserable because we’re married. If that remark makes its way to our wives, you’ll be run out of town.”
Right this second, Aidan wasn’t seeing the downside of that.
*
After she left Susie’s, Liz couldn’t seem to shake the old memories that had been stirred up by their conversation. Once she’d left North Carolina, she’d resolved to put her marriage and all the rest where it belonged, in the past. Most days she’d been successful doing that. Josh March rarely crossed her mind, or when he did, she immediately found some way to drive him out again.
That determination to keep those thoughts at bay was one of the reasons she’d taken up running. With her earphones in and music blasting as she ran, to say nothing of just trying to breathe, those memories couldn’t creep in, not the good ones or the bad.
Since it wasn’t that late when she got home, she changed into jogging shorts and shoes, grabbed her iPod and turned on a mix of songs with a fast beat and cheerful lyrics. Ignoring the plaintive looks of all three dogs, she went out alone.
