by Susan Mason
Lindsay barely let her inside the door, claiming that her mother would be back later that night once her job in Kingsville had finished.
The brief view of the cluttered interior confirmed Chloe’s worst fears and did nothing to improve her mood. However, there was nothing she could do about it, so after Matt stomped off to his room, Chloe said goodbye to Lindsay and headed home. Disappointment seeped through her as she pulled into her driveway. She would have to call Lily and apologize for missing lunch.
Chloe trudged up the porch stairs, anxious to get out of her high heels and relax in a hot bath. In the main hallway, she hesitated. As much as she wanted to avoid Aidan, she really needed to talk with him about Matt. Give him some advance warning in case Mr. Cooper called him. Before she could change her mind, she marched over and knocked on his door.
Aidan appeared, looking disheveled. “Chloe. Is everything all right with Lindsay and Matt?” He tucked the tail of his shirt into the navy pants he’d been wearing at church earlier.
“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about, if you have a minute.”
“Sure. Come in.” He opened the door wider. “Have a seat.”
“No, thanks. I can’t stay long.” Now that she was here, the idea didn’t seem as good. His nearness evoked images of the kiss they’d shared and stirred feelings she’d rather keep buried. “First I want to thank you for helping me with Nick. He’s too protective at times.”
“You’re welcome, though I still don’t agree with you being so involved with the kids.”
Great. And now she was trying to get him involved. “Maybe I will sit down after all.” She sank onto the couch and gathered her courage. “I have a favor to ask.”
“Why do I get the feeling I won’t like this?” Aidan sighed and sat across from her. “This has something to do with the Brown kids, I presume.”
“Yes.” She gave him a quick run-down. “So I thought having Matt do some community service might serve a dual purpose. Keep Mr. Cooper from having Matt arrested, and possibly get Matt interested in the youth center. After all, he’s exactly the type of kid we want to help.”
His intense gaze unnerved her.
“If you think it’s a bad idea, I—”
“I think it’s brilliant.”
Her mouth dropped open. “You do?”
“Yes. This might be the very thing that turns Matt around. In any event, it’s worth a try. I’m just amazed Mr. Cooper went along with it.”
“It took some convincing, but when I mentioned Matt giving Mr. Cooper some free labor to make up for the trouble he’d caused, he seemed to warm up to the idea. He made it clear though, that this was Matt’s last chance. If there’s a next time, he will press charges.”
“Sounds fair. What about Mrs. Brown? Was she there?”
“No. Apparently she works over in Kingsville and isn’t allowed personal calls. That’s why Lindsay called me.”
He pinned her with a thoughtful stare, one that made her pulse sprint. “I may not agree with your methods, but I have to admit what you’re doing for Matt is admirable.”
She looked into his handsome face, trying to gauge his sincerity. “Is that a compliment? I couldn’t quite tell.”
Aidan smiled. “Yes, Chloe. It’s a compliment.” He paused. “And if you need my help with Matt, I’ll do whatever I can.”
A boulder of anxiety rolled off her shoulders. “Thanks. I appreciate that.” She got up. “Mr. Cooper wants you to call tomorrow. I thought we could get Matt started on a second coat of paint in the gymnasium.”
He followed her to the door. “You’ll have to supervise Matt during the times he’s working.”
“I can do that. I’ll need a key to the center though.”
“Sure. Pick it up whenever you want.” When he reached around her to open the door, his arm brushed hers. “Sorry, this door sticks sometimes.”
His low voice caused goose bumps to tingle down her neck. She needed to get away before she lost all self-control and did something crazy. Like kissing him again. Ducking under his arm, she escaped into the hallway. “Thanks again. See you at school.”
****
Mrs. Brown wasn’t answering her phone. Aidan would have to call back another time. He scrubbed a hand over his jaw and peered at his watch. Four-thirty. What would Chloe be doing now? He pushed the thought away. As long as Chloe was helping at the school, he had to maintain a professional distance.
His thoughts turned to his ex-girlfriend, and amazingly, the usual sting of betrayal didn’t materialize. The hurt he’d suffered at Patricia’s hand—her manipulations and ultimate rejection—had lessened, but the bitterness remained. Getting involved with a co-worker had brought a big batch of heartache, and had a negative effect on his career. Aidan wouldn’t risk that again. Maybe if he told himself that often enough, he’d start to believe it.
A soft knock sounded, and Chloe poked her head inside. Her brown eyes held a question. “Do you have a minute?”
Aidan’s heart took off at a gallop. Her constant presence was making it very hard to ignore her. “Sure. What do you need?”
She stepped inside the room. “I just wanted to tell you that Matt will be working at Mr. Cooper’s for the next few days, and we’ve arranged for him to start at the youth center on Friday. Will that be OK?”
He struggled to focus on her words, not on the way her hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders. “Shouldn’t be a problem.” He smiled, attempting levity. “What, no hot date for Friday night?”
A hint of color tinted her cheeks. “Nope. I’ve sworn off dating for the foreseeable future. Besides, I expect to be busy for the next little while.”
“OK, I’ll bite. Busy how?”
Her eyes literally sparkled. “Getting my bakery ready to open.”
“You’re kidding? The loan came through?” He knew she’d been waiting for word from the bank.
“Mr. Johnson called me this morning. I went in on my lunch hour and signed the papers.” Her excitement filled the room with a palpable energy.
“That’s wonderful. Congratulations.”
“Thanks. You have no idea how good it feels to get my life back.”
He remembered the day he’d got word that he’d been awarded the vice-principal position. “I think I have a fair idea.” He smiled. “I’m happy for you, Chloe.”
“Thank you. You’ve been a good friend to me, and I’m grateful.”
Friends? Is that what they were?
Their eyes locked, and for a few seconds Aidan forgot to breathe. “Let me get that key for you.”
****
After work on Wednesday, Chloe unlocked the door and stepped across the threshold of her soon-to-be-bakery. A giddy smile bloomed as she surveyed the property. She still couldn’t quite believe the way everything had fallen into place. The person initially wanting the property had decided it didn’t meet their needs. When Chloe learned the loan had come through, she’d immediately called Myra and had met with her yesterday to sign the lease. After writing a check for the first and last month’s rent, the place was officially hers.
Chloe set down the bucket of cleaning supplies. Excitement bubbled through her system. She’d paint the walls a soothing green and freshen the white of the wicker furniture. The glass display shelves would showcase her confections, and she’d set up a coffee bar on the far side where people could refill their own mugs. She smiled, imagining her customers enjoying themselves in her cozy bistro.
Chloe hummed as she pulled out her little music system, chose her playlist to provide background music, and grabbed some garbage bags. She’d start by getting rid of the trash left by the previous tenant, and then she’d begin scrubbing.
Almost three hours later, she stood back to survey her progress, stretching the tight muscles in her lower back.
The bell over the front door jangled and fresh autumn air blew into the shop.
Aidan stood in the doorway.
At the sight of his tall frame, a th
rill of pleasure shot through her. “Aidan. This is a surprise.”
“I thought you might be here when I noticed your car wasn’t in the driveway.”
“You came to check up on me?”
“Maybe.” He winked and pulled a bag from behind his back. “I also thought you might be hungry.”
“I’m starved. I was so busy, I forgot to eat dinner. What did you bring me?”
“Sandwiches and donuts from Ruby’s.”
“Chocolate glazed?”
“Of course.”
She grinned. “Sounds wonderful.”
He dropped the bag, along with take-out coffees, on one of the tables and pulled two wicker chairs around. “Come and sit.”
Suddenly conscious of what she must look like in sweats and neon rubber gloves, she held up a finger. “Give me a minute to clean up. Back in a flash.” She carried her cleaning supplies to the little bathroom in the back. A glance in the warped mirror over the sink made her grimace. She smoothed her hair, retied her ponytail, and straightened her sweatshirt. It would have to do.
“So this is will be your bakery?” Aidan asked when she re-emerged.
“It will. And a coffee bar as well. The Rainbow Falls answer to a coffee house.”
“I like it.” He pulled the lid off one of the drinks. “As much as I love Ruby’s, her take-out coffee could use some help.” He swirled the contents with a stir stick. “You know, these chairs and tables are in pretty good shape. Some white spray paint and they’d be as good as new.”
“That’s exactly what I have in mind for tomorrow.” She picked up half of the sandwich and took a large bite.
“I’ve got nothing on tomorrow night. I could give you a hand.”
“Are you serious?” Even though spending more time with Aidan could prove dangerous to her emotional well-being, her treacherous heart sprinted at the idea.
“It seems only fair after all the work you did at the youth center.”
“Then I accept.” She pointed to the wall behind him. “I was hoping to get that wall painted too.”
“You bring the paint and I’ll be here.”
****
Aidan whistled as he parked in front of Chloe’s shop. Never had he looked so forward to hours of menial labor. Chloe’s enthusiasm made every project seem shiny and new. He hoped he could help make her shop look that way too. He got out, popped the trunk, and pulled out drop sheets, paint trays, and rollers. When he entered the front door a few seconds later, his senses were assaulted by a blast of music and the smell of fresh paint. He chuckled.
Chloe liked her music loud while she worked. And she’d been busy. The tables and chairs were covered in old sheets and the first coat of green shone wetly on the far wall.
Aidan wandered to the back of the shop. The rear door to the alley sat wide open. Despite the fact that Rainbow Falls was a safe town, he didn’t like Chloe leaving the front door—and the alley door—unlocked when she was here alone.
“Chloe? You here?”
He poked his head into a room and discovered the large, industrial-sized kitchen. He ran his fingers over the stainless steel work area. Not much work needed in here, except a good cleaning.
But where was Chloe?
He strode out of the kitchen and barreled right into her.
She squeaked as the bucket in her hands tilted, sloshing green paint all over her shirt.
He reached out to steady the tin, and his own hand became covered in green. “Sorry about that.”
She laughed. “Good thing it’s my favorite color.”
“Here, let me get a rag.” He took the can and went over to the supplies he’d brought. Setting the pail on a sheet of newspaper, he handed a rag to Chloe and kept one to wipe his hands. “Off to a great start.”
She laughed again, her brown eyes sparkling under the rim of an old ball cap. “I’m glad I wasn’t the klutz this time.”
“Oh, right. I forgot about your bad reputation. Painting with you might be a hazard.”
“Risk of the job, buddy.” She tossed the rag onto the newspaper and put the lid on the can. “I was about to start the furniture while the first coat on the wall dries.”
“OK, tell me what to do.”
An hour later, all the wicker pieces had been sprayed.
Aidan stood back and appreciated their handiwork. ”Looks as good as I imagined.”
“Not bad. Except you missed a spot.”
“I did? Where?”
“Right there.”
He bent to see where she pointed, and a blast of wetness hit his back.
Her giggle echoed off the walls. “Oops, missed.”
The paint seeped down his back.
He turned to find her face contorted with suppressed amusement.
“You did that on purpose.”
She doubled up, howling. “Just getting you back for earlier. I think we’re even now.”
“Oh, we’re not even close.” He sprinted across the room.
She shrieked and took off running, but he caught up and snagged her around the waist. “You will pay for your treachery.”
Chloe squealed again and squirmed in an attempt to escape.
Grinning, he scooped up her legs, and held her pinned to his chest. “I think you’d look good with a nice white mustache.”
She doubled her efforts to get free, her breath huffing out between the laughter. Her eyes locked on his with sudden awareness.
He stilled. It was the laundry room all over again. His pulse thudded as his focus fell on her mouth. Those lips—so tempting and close—called to him.
The bell over the door jangled loudly as someone entered.
Chloe jerked in his arms and gasped. “Nick!”
With an inward groan, Aidan released Chloe’s feet to the floor.
“What’s going on here?” Nick’s blue eyes were frostier than his voice.
Aidan swallowed and took a step away from Chloe. “Just a friendly paint fight.”
“That’s not how it looks from here.”
Her cheeks pink, Chloe laid a hand on Nick’s arm. “Relax. We were having some fun after a lot of work.” She swiped a hand over her forehead. “Come and see what we’ve done so far.”
The harsh lines around Nick’s mouth didn’t soften. “I think I can see the results from here.” He swung his gaze to Aidan. “Looks like I got here just in time.”
A trickle of sweat slid down Aidan’s back. Nick didn’t know how right he was. One more minute and Aidan might have given in to temptation for a second time.
12
Chloe paused from scrubbing the kitchen in the youth center. Not the ideal way to spend a Friday evening, but since Matt’s community service had been her idea, both Aidan and Mr. Cooper had made her responsible for ensuring a dependable adult was present.
Matt rolled paint on the wall, his ever-present earphones glued to his head. For all his grumbling about the work, he really didn’t put up much resistance. Mr. Cooper had been impressed with his work ethic, cleaning the storage room and re-stocking the shelves with quiet resolve. And he was turning out to be a pretty good painter as well.
Chloe hummed in time to her own music as she scraped the kitchen counter. She looked at her watch. Another half hour before she could escape to her apartment with a tub of ice cream and a good chick flick. She rinsed the counter and dried her hands.
Matt’s slumped shoulders aroused a tug of sympathy. How sad for this fifteen-year-old boy to have no father in his life and a mother who was never home.
The trouble she’d caused her widowed mother when she’d pushed the limits of Mama’s patience made her grimace. Thank goodness Nick had been around to keep her in line. Chloe hung the towel on the rack and walked into the gym. “Hey, Matt.”
No answer.
She pulled one earpiece out. “How’s it going?”
He shot her a glare. “Peachy.”
Clearly, he wasn’t as thrilled as Lindsay with Chloe’s help. And though she didn’t fe
el worthy to pray for herself, she offered a quick prayer on Matt’s behalf. Lord, please soften this boy and let me be Your instrument to help him.
“I know this isn’t much fun,” she said, “but it probably beats going to juvie.”
“I guess.” He continued to roll yellow paint.
“Do you like sports?” Most guys liked to talk sports.
He shrugged. “I play some basketball.”
Chloe pretended to inspect the paint job. “Mr. North wants to get some pickup basketball games going here when the center opens.”
“Cool.” Matt put finishing touches on the last spot and dropped the roller into the tray.
“Can you come into the games room for a minute? I want to show you the next area to paint.”
Matt wiped his hands on a rag and, without a word, followed her across the floor.
“Obviously we want to brighten this room up,” Chloe said as she flipped on the lights.
Matt snorted. “Yeah, this color stinks.”
“It kinda does. So, what type of activities do you think we should do in here?”
His eyebrows rose to meet his bangs. “What do I think?”
“That’s right. We’re aiming for kids your age and up. So how about a Ping-Pong table? Maybe board games?”
He snorted again. “Board games? Try video games.”
“OK. Where would we get the equipment? We don’t have a lot of money.”
“Maybe someone could donate an older system.”
“Good idea. What else would you like in here?”
“Air hockey. Maybe pinball.”
“OK. I’ll look into that.”
“Really?” A hint of a smile hovered on Matt’s face. “This place might not be so bad after all.”
A surge of hope lifted Chloe’s spirits. Matt needed a better group of friends to hang out with. Nick had practically bribed Maxi to befriend Chloe during her rebellious phase. She thanked God every day for the gift of Maxi’s friendship and hoped she could find a positive influence for Matt.
Heavy footsteps thudded across the floor.
“Hey, Brown.” A large, swarthy kid, who appeared older than Matt, stood in the doorway of the games room. He wore a dark bandana around his head, a black T-shirt, and baggy jeans with chains attached. Both his bottom lip and one eyebrow were pierced.
