by Unknown
She’d been doing just fine building a new life. The attraction to Aidan had been an unanticipated distraction from her goal of becoming the independent woman she wanted to be. And, no matter how hot those kisses had been, two people with secrets they were intent on keeping could hardly have any sort of future, not when trust and honesty had to be at the core of any relationship.
So, instead of the routine she’d come to love, she ate a bowl of cereal standing up at her kitchen counter, then took the dogs for a walk, hoping the exercise would wipe out the memory of that amazingly romantic moment on the deck at Brady’s with moonlight spilling over them. Unfortunately, it seemed it would take more than a daily walk to accomplish that. That kiss had been every bit as magical as Aidan had believed, no question about it.
Maybe, she thought with a hint of wry humor, it could be excised from her brain with some sort of Gamma Knife procedure. Until then, though, she had to keep moving and trying to dodge all the questions that kept coming her way from her friends.
On the second Sunday of her self-imposed exile, she was almost home when Archie started straining at his leash, then broke free and bounded toward the house. She understood why when she spotted Aidan sitting on the front porch. Her traitorous heart leaped with almost as much joy as Archie was expressing. She closed her eyes for an instant and prayed for guidance.
“Good morning,” Aidan said quietly, then held out a large take-out cup of coffee from Sally’s. “You weren’t at breakfast. It’s not the first time you’ve missed it. Since the absences started the day after we kissed, I’ve gotten the feeling you’re avoiding me.”
“Why would I do that?” she said, as if the thought had never crossed her mind. “I just changed up my routine. I like taking the dogs for a walk instead. They need the exercise before being cooped up in the house all day.”
Hoping to divert his attention from whatever his mission might be, she said, “By the way, isn’t school out this week?”
“Tuesday’s the last day,” he confirmed.
“Then you’ll be getting Archie on Wednesday,” she said flatly, not allowing any room for argument. “I’ll have all his things ready by eight, so you can pick him up.”
Aidan’s gaze locked on hers. “I didn’t come to discuss the arrangements for Archie.”
A flash of panic washed over her. She’d been hoping that he’d gotten the message, that the words she’d spoken that night at Brady’s and her subsequent actions had finally gotten through to him that she wasn’t interested. Or, to be more precise, wasn’t going to allow herself to act on any wayward interest she might feel.
If only they’d never shared that blasted kiss, she thought, remembering it in exquisite detail—the softness of his lips, the mingling of their breath, the heat that had tracked right through her bloodstream. Good thing she wasn’t like most men, she concluded wryly, since they thought with their hormones. A dynamite kiss was all it took to wipe reason straight out of their heads. Fortunately, she was less susceptible. Well, not to the kiss, but to the urge to follow up on it with more.
She accepted the coffee Aidan held out to her, but made herself frown at him. “I thought we weren’t going to pursue this, whatever this might be. Didn’t we decide that just the other night? I thought I’d made myself clear. Have you forgotten that conversation and your promise already?”
Aidan didn’t seem impressed by the reminder or the snippy tone in which she delivered it. “I brought coffee, Liz. Friends do that sort of thing, especially when they sense they might have upset a friend and that the friend might be deliberately avoiding them because of it.”
The way he delivered the word friend made a mockery of it. Still, he allowed the words to hang in the air until she finally sighed, pretty much acknowledging that he’d gotten it right. Darn the man for being so intuitive. Under other circumstances, it was a trait she’d appreciate.
“Do you want me to go?” he asked.
“I suppose not, especially since you’ve brought coffee,” she said, sounding more like a petulant child than a grateful woman. And truthfully, she was grateful. She’d been caffeine deprived for days now. The weak, if convenient, coffee she’d been begging from Shanna just didn’t compare to Sally’s strong brew.
Filled with reluctance, she sat next to him. All three dogs flopped down in the sunshine, though Archie’s spot was once again as close as possible to Aidan. Liz got it. Despite her very strong resolve, she wanted to throw herself straight into his arms. She had a feeling all that solid muscle and masculine heat would prove irresistibly comforting, and right this second, she was in desperate need of reassurance. Unfortunately, though, he was the last man she ought to be getting that from.
They sat in silence for a while, sipping coffee. She had to give him credit. He apparently wasn’t going to push for answers, even if he claimed to have come here to get them. She appreciated that more than she could say.
“Do you want to talk about it?” he asked eventually.
She immediately stiffened. So much for not prying. “Talk about what?”
“Whatever happened that made you so determined to keep men in general, or me in particular, at arm’s length.”
“Do you really need to dissect the whole thing?” she asked. “I thought most men hated that sort of discussion.”
“I’m not most men,” he said. “And despite these walls you want to keep up between us, I do care about you.”
She studied him curiously. “Hasn’t anyone ever turned you down before?”
The question seemed to amuse him. “More times than you can probably imagine. I can take rejection, Liz. It’s not about that.”
“Then what is it about?”
“I made you cry,” he said simply.
“I did not cry,” she said fiercely.
“Close enough,” he said. “I saw the tears in your eyes, even as you were saying no to us spending more time together.”
“You’re imagining things,” she said, a note of desperation in her voice.
He held her gaze, then said quietly, “I don’t think so.”
“Why can’t you just take what I said at face value and leave it alone?”
“Because that kiss was amazing. I don’t know about you, but that kind of chemistry doesn’t come along every day for me. I felt it the first time I saw you. It seems like a shame not to see where it could take us. Believe me, I have a whole slew of reservations about it, too. The timing is lousy for one thing. I have a lot to prove in this town. Still, I can’t help thinking that some things are worth the risk.”
She gave him a long look. “You don’t know what you’re talking about, Aidan. There are plenty of risks not worth taking.”
He frowned. “What happened to you, Liz? You’re not a cynical person. In fact, you may be the most positive person I’ve ever known. Anyone who knows you would say the same thing.”
She could tell that he intended to keep pestering her until he got some answer that satisfied him, no matter how much she was hurt by having to reveal things she wanted to leave buried.
“I got my heart broken, that’s what,” she blurted before she could question the wisdom of responding at all. “Not just broken, shattered. I came here to put it back together, not to risk it being broken all over again.” She leveled a look into his eyes. “I won’t allow that to happen, Aidan. Do you get it now? I will not allow it!”
And with that, she got up, went into the house with the dogs racing in after her. She slammed the door emphatically behind her, hoping to finally convey the message she’d tried to send all along—that she wanted him to stay away.
*
Aidan sat where he was after Liz had gone inside, too stunned at first to move. Instinct told him to go after her, to try to get to the bottom of her heartache. That’s what a real friend would do. A true friend wouldn’t leave someone in the sort of pain she was obviously in.
Unfortunately, he was the source of at least some of that pain. His determined prodding had
forced her into revealing something she’d clearly kept private from everyone in Chesapeake Shores. He knew if she’d revealed her secrets to any of her friends, someone would have alerted him, maybe not to the details, but to the fact that he needed to treat her with extra care. Instead, the whole town thought of her the same way he did, as a strong, perpetually cheerful woman who was 100 percent contented with her life.
Though a part of him thought it cowardly, he forced himself to go back into town in search of someone better suited to help Liz through this crisis. Observation suggested she was closest to Bree, but Aidan couldn’t seem to find her anywhere. Shanna, however, was in the bookstore, the closed sign still on the door. He tapped to get her attention.
Frowning, she came to the door and unlocked it. “Everything okay?”
“Not really,” he said. “Do you have a minute before you open?”
“I have an hour. I just came in early to reshelve some books that were scattered around by customers yesterday. Coffee’s on, if you want some.”
“Thanks.”
She poured him a cup, then gestured toward one of the comfortable upholstered chairs that had been strategically placed to encourage customers to relax and read. She pulled over a nearby straight chair from one of the tables set up in the tiny coffee area.
“Shouldn’t you be sitting here?” Aidan asked worriedly. “That chair doesn’t look very comfortable.”
She grinned. “It’s not, but I can still get up from it. If I sit where you are, I’ll be there till I call in a tow truck. Something to keep in mind if you ever have to deal with a pregnant woman. Straight chairs are our friends.”
He laughed. “Not in my immediate future,” he said.
“The time will come,” she said with confidence. “Tuck the advice away till you need it. So, what’s on your mind, or do I need to ask?”
“It’s about Liz.”
“Of course it is. You’re worried she’s avoiding you.”
“I know she’s avoiding me,” he corrected. “And now I have some idea about why.”
“Were you getting too close?” Shanna asked gently. “We’ve all noticed she seems a little gun-shy about the idea of forming a new relationship.”
“Has she mentioned why?”
“Not a word,” Shanna said, then frowned. “Did she tell you?”
“Not the whole story,” he conceded, “but enough to know that something bad went down in her past.”
Concern settled on Shanna’s face. “How did you get that much out of her? The only picture she’s ever painted of her past for us was pretty rosy.”
“I’m not surprised. That’s what she seems to want everyone to think.” He sighed. “But I pressed too hard and she snapped. I don’t think she meant to tell me anything, but the words came out before she could stop them. Then she ran into the house and slammed the door.”
“And you left?” she demanded, regarding him incredulously.
“I know it sounds cowardly, and it probably was, but I honestly think I’m the last person who can help her right now. I thought maybe you or Bree could check on her. Whatever happened, she may need to talk about it.”
Shanna stood up at once. “On my way,” she said. “She’ll probably be here soon to open the store, but it would be better if I caught her at home. I’ll call Kevin and ask him to come in and cover for me till I get back.”
She hesitated. “I don’t know what to do about Pet Style, though. She’s going to use opening up as an excuse not to talk to me.”
“Do you have a key?” Aidan asked.
She nodded. “She gave me one for emergencies.”
“I helped her out Memorial Day weekend. I know the system. I can cover. Just give me a heads-up when you’re on your way and I’ll figure out a way to make myself scarce in case she doesn’t want to cross paths with me.”
Shanna finally gave him a more approving look. “I take back all those mean thoughts I was having about you five minutes ago. You’re a very considerate man. You didn’t just run screaming for the hills when she had a meltdown, you had the good sense to come for me.”
Aidan shrugged, not sure he deserved the praise. “I care about her, Shanna. I know she doesn’t want me to, but I do, even if it never develops into something more.”
“Give me your cell number,” Shanna said. “I’ll call when we’re leaving the house or to let you know that she’s not coming in at all, if she decides she wants her part-time employee to finish out the day.”
Aidan wrote it down for her. “Thanks, Shanna.”
“Don’t thank me. I’m her friend. So are most of the women around here. We’ve got her back.” She handed Aidan the key to Pet Style. “I’ll let her know that you do, too.”
He stood in the doorway to Liz’s shop and watched Shanna hurry off to her car, talking on her cell phone as she went. She might have been calling Kevin or rallying the troops. Either way, he knew Liz was going to be in good hands, with a much better support system than he might have provided in his own bumbling, if concerned, way.
*
The doorbell rang again and again, sending the dogs into a frenzy. Liz pulled a pillow over her head, but she couldn’t seem to block out the commotion.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” she finally muttered, dragging herself off the bed and going to the door. Enough time had passed since she’d abandoned Aidan on the porch that she doubted it was him.
She threw open the door, startled to see both Shanna and Bree there. She frowned at them.
“Why are you here?” she asked as they marched determinedly right past her as if fearful she’d shut them out. Truthfully she’d been tempted to do just that.
“Where else would we be in a crisis?” Bree asked.
“What crisis?” Liz replied, though she was very much afraid she already knew. Aidan had gone for help, which, if she thought about it, was very sweet of him, but totally unnecessary. Her crisis was over.
“Aidan told me he upset you. He thought you could use a friend,” Shanna told her. “From the looks of those puffy, red eyes, the least you could use is some help with makeup.”
Liz was startled when a chuckle erupted. It was the first time since she’d found Aidan on her front steps that she’d felt at all like laughing.
“Thanks for pointing out that I’m a wreck,” she said to her friend.
Shanna grinned. “Always glad to help.”
“Now, talk to us,” Bree commanded. “What did that slimebag do to upset you?”
“Aidan is not a slimebag,” Liz said, rushing to his defense.
Bree looked smug. “I wasn’t actually referring to Aidan, but it’s telling that you’re so very quick to defend him.”
“This has something to do with what happened to you that sent you fleeing from North Carolina,” Shanna said, regarding her with a worried expression. “You didn’t leave just because your husband died in an accident, did you?”
Liz closed her eyes. She really, really didn’t want to talk about this. “Not entirely, no,” she said eventually.
“Sweetie, don’t you want to talk about it?” Bree asked. “It might be easier to move on if you got it off your chest. Who better to share this with than two people who care about you?”
“What did Aidan tell you?”
“Not a blessed thing,” Shanna said with unmistakable frustration. “Just that you were upset and might need a friend.”
“So we both came,” Bree said cheerfully. “You need a friend in this town, you get a twofer. Sometimes more, but we decided not to overwhelm you by dragging everyone else who cares along with us.”
Thank heaven for small favors, Liz thought. “Aidan really didn’t say anything?”
“Honestly, no,” Shanna repeated. “Whatever you said to him, he kept to himself.”
As badly as Liz wanted to hate him for forcing her to drag up old memories, she couldn’t help being impressed by his discretion and by his decision to send her friends over here in his place. “Look, if yo
u’re worried that we’re going to share whatever you tell us with all of your friends, I promise that won’t happen,” Bree said. “We all love you and want to help, not to make things worse. You get to decide who knows what and when.”
“I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but I really don’t want to talk about it with anyone,” Liz told them. “I’ve worked hard to put that time in my life behind me. Talking about it will only make it fresh.”
“Or maybe it will help to share the burden and get a new perspective,” Shanna told her gently. “We don’t want to pry. And if you say that’s not what you need, we’ll respect it.”
“But you need to know we’re here anytime you need us,” Bree added. “You’re not alone.”
Tears welled up in Liz’s eyes yet again. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Shanna and Bree were by her side at once, pulling her into a fierce group hug that had the tears flowing even harder.
“I swear if your husband weren’t already dead, I’d go after him myself,” Bree said.
“How do you know what happened was his fault?” Liz asked, surprised by the ardent statement. “Maybe I’m the one to blame for everything that happened.”
“Not buying that for a second,” Bree said. “We know who you are, Liz March. You’re a good person through and through. Whatever he did was all on him.”
Liz regarded her friends with wonder. “How did I get to be so lucky?”
“You came to the right town for your new life,” Shanna said simply. “I know all too well just what that means. Chesapeake Shores gave me a fresh start when I was down and desperate, too.”
Liz knew Shanna was exactly right. Chesapeake Shores—and the O’Briens—were filled with healing warmth and compassion.
*
Aidan thought he was handling things at the store reasonably well, despite being distracted by worries about what might be going on at Liz’s.
When Shanna finally poked her head in, he frowned. “I thought you were going to give me a heads-up when you left the house so I could take off. I need to be gone, if Liz is coming in.”
