Somebody Like You: A Darling, VT Novel

by Donna Alward

  “None. You can’t bribe me, either. This kind of leverage doesn’t come along every day.”

  Laurel’s head began to ache. It had been an up and down day, but now it was too similar to their previous history. Guys and their belt notches, she thought angrily. This wasn’t a joke. Or leverage. It was private. Maybe this wasn’t the baseball team, but it seemed cops had their own brotherhood and code. Maybe boys didn’t really grow up after all.

  “Kyle,” Aiden warned in a low voice.

  Kyle looked over at Laurel. “You have to understand. Straight and narrow Gallagher here just got caught in the act. But I can promise you this. I’ll keep your name out of it, if you want.”

  Straight and narrow Gallagher? Since when? she wondered. “I’d definitely like my name kept out of it,” she replied, holding the blanket close. She looked up at Aiden. “Can we go now, please?”

  “Yeah, we can.”

  He put his hand under her elbow, but she shifted away from his touch.

  “See ya, Kyle,” Aiden called out.

  “Keep it out of the wilderness, brother,” Kyle called back. “And don’t forget to do a tick check.”

  Laurel grimaced. Seriously, ticks? The idea of going home now and having to check her armpits and other … crevasses for the disgusting things was just the cherry on top today.

  Kyle was right behind them as they walked to Aiden’s truck and got inside. Laurel threw the blanket into the back and stayed to her side of the cab, so uncomfortable that she wished she could snap her fingers and be back at home again. It took several minutes to exit the long lane and then head into town, then to Laurel’s street. Porch lights were on. One house had a line of cars parked along the curb, presumably a Memorial Day barbecue going long into the evening. Aiden hadn’t said anything to her the whole drive home.

  He parked in her driveway and killed the engine.

  “I’m really sorry how things ended,” he said quietly.

  “Remind you of anything?” She couldn’t resist.

  “I thought we called a truce.”

  “We did,” she admitted. “But oh my God, Aiden. We got busted making out on the golf course. Do you know how humiliating that is?”

  She looked over at him. The dashboard lights were off, and his face was only illuminated by the circle of the carriage lights on the front of the garage. His jaw was tight, and his nostrils flared. He wasn’t just sorry. He was angry. At her? What had she done?

  “Which part exactly was humiliating? Getting caught? Or the fact that you were with me?”

  She opened her mouth and then shut it again. She really didn’t know how to answer. “Maybe both,” she finally replied, her voice tight. “It’s bad enough to get caught like a couple of horny teenagers, but worse when it’s the same horny teenager you got caught with the last time.” She put her hand out to touch his arm and then pulled back. “Even if we call a truce, other people remember.”

  “I guess you’d say no if I asked you out to dinner, then,” he commented. The words were casually spoken, but he stared straight out the windshield.

  “To … dinner?”

  “Yeah. Like on a real date. But if you don’t want to be seen with me … that finishes that.”

  She realized how very much she’d goofed. “Aiden, I didn’t mean…”

  But he cut her off. “No, no, it’s fine. It’s no less than I expected, really.”

  “Don’t do that. Oh, I’ve messed this up because I’m upset and embarrassed. I wish I didn’t care so much what people think.”

  “But you do. Because you’re tying yourself up in knots trying to figure out how to keep tonight’s details quiet.”

  “Because I was caught nearly naked on a blanket in public! Not because I was with you, you idiot!”

  There was a stunned pause, and she was glad she’d blurted it out. Aiden had been on her mind far too much lately.

  “Is that the truth?” he demanded.

  Was it? Did she really not care if it was Aiden? It was surprising to realize that she was telling the truth. “If I really didn’t want anyone to see us together, why would I have gone to your family’s thing today? Rory and Ethan won’t say much, but Hannah will. And the twins … they might or might not. But I knew that when I said yes.” She put her hand to her head. “Lord, Aiden. There’s a huge difference between showing up with someone at a picnic and being sprawled out on a blanket on the seventh tee.”

  He chuckled then, and his shoulders relaxed. “Good,” he said. “Good. Because I like you, Laurel.”

  “I could tell.” And she smiled a little bit.

  “Dinner, then? Where we may or may not be in public?”

  She nodded. “Dinner I can do, but we’ll have to find a night where you’re off and I can take some time off from the garden center.”

  “Leave that to me,” he said.

  “And Aiden?”

  “Yeah?”

  She turned on the seat so she was facing him. “Despite appearances to the contrary, I’m a slow mover. I’m not ready for … for something too heavy. Know what I’m saying? I just don’t want you to get expectations and then get frustrated and stuff.”

  “Why, Miss Stone. How very romantic of you.” He raised an eyebrow. “Okay, so let me know if I’ve got this straight. No moving too fast.” He ticked off a finger. “No to PDAs.” He ticked off another finger. “Any other rules I should be aware of?”

  “I’ll let you know if I think of any. Oh! No shellfish. I can’t stand it.”

  “Noted. Now I have one question.”

  “Okay.”

  “Can I kiss you good night?”

  She met his gaze. He was earnest, and on the verge of smiling though his lips weren’t quite curved up in what she could call a smile. “You actually want to kiss me after what happened? The world’s biggest cock block?”

  He did laugh then. “Technically, I’m thinking being caught by your mother would be the world’s biggest, but it was a good one, wasn’t it? And yes, I want to kiss you. I’d rather end tonight on a high note. If it doesn’t violate your PDA rule.”

  She looked around. The lights in the truck were off, and she didn’t see anyone around. “I think we’re safe. Even Mrs. Ford’s lights are off.” She grinned. “One good-night kiss. That’s all.”

  “That’s enough,” he replied, and he leaned over to kiss her, softly, sweetly.

  He pulled back first, and then hopped out of the truck to jog around and open her door.

  He left her at her door and went back to the truck, lifted a hand to wave at her as he backed out the driveway.

  She stood there watching him leave and touched her fingers to her lips. Aiden was wrong. It wasn’t enough.

  And she was starting to think it would never be enough. Not with him.

  * * *

  “Excuse me, Miss. I’d like to buy two of your geranium planters.”

  Laurel spun around and grinned as Willow stood before her, hands on hips, a teasing smile on her lips. She must have had her hair done recently, because the pink and purple streaks seemed more vivid today. “Of course, ma’am,” she replied, smiling back. “Just let me get those for you and ring you up at the register.”

  “Where’ve you been?” Willow asked. “Since the night we had dinner I haven’t seen you at all. You wouldn’t be avoiding me, would you?”

  Laurel knew the truth was “sort of,” but she wasn’t about to admit it. She’d been worried that she’d be tempted to tell Willow about Memorial Day and she was keeping that information close to her chest. She wasn’t quite sure why, except that things were still tenuous between her and Aiden. Better to keep things quiet for now.

  “I’ve just been busy. Crazy time of year, you know. It’ll settle down soon, once people have finished their spring plantings and stuff. Plus it’s prom and wedding season.”

  “You’re not a florist, Laurel. Prom and wedding can’t be that big for you.”

  “You’d be surprised at some of the reque
sts I get. Some people seem to think I’m a landscaper, too.” She leaned closer to her friend as she hefted a square planter. “One woman came in asking if I could install an arch with climbing roses for a June wedding. I assured her I could, but the roses wouldn’t have climbed all that far in two weeks.” She shook her head as if to say, some people.

  “Backyard events are getting to be a bigger thing,” Willow said. “I get catering requests, too. Enough that I seriously consider opening a catering side. But with the café taking up so much of my time…”

  “I know. Heck, the sheer number of graduation parties and baby or bridal showers … I don’t ever remember things being such a big deal when we graduated, do you?”

  Willow’s face fell, and Laurel wished she could take back the words. She’d forgotten how Willow’s home life had been different from her own. There’d never been a grad party or prom pictures.

  “It’s like people have a ‘my backyard is prettier than your backyard’ contest or something,” Willow agreed, and the look disappeared, replaced by her normal, cheerful self again.

  “That’s sixty-two-fifty,” Laurel said. “Anything else you need?”

  “Not right now. My thyme isn’t looking great, though. I might need a few next week if I can’t nurse them along.” She handed over a credit card. “And I thought those were forty dollars apiece.”

  Laurel smiled. “I gave you the best-friend discount.”

  “You’re not going to make a lot of money if you give everyone discounts.”

  “I’ll get by. Besides, you give me coffee for free.”

  Willow shrugged. “So. Any plans for, I don’t know, tonight or anything?”

  Laurel shook her head. “I’m planning on leaving at six and letting the staff close. It’ll give me a chance to do some laundry and maybe vacuum the floors.”

  “You’re sure? Nothing on the docket?”

  “Why? Do you know something I don’t?” Laurel stared at Willow, slightly confused. Did she suspect that Laurel had hung out with Aiden on the long weekend? Were people talking? She wasn’t about to ask, even though it was driving her a bit crazy.

  “No, no reason. Can you carry one of these to my car?”

  “Of course.”

  She was putting one of the planters on the floor of the backseat when Willow piped up, “Did you hear that the elementary school got vandalized last night?”

  “Again? I mean, not the school, but what is it with this stuff?”

  “It wasn’t just spray paint this time. They broke over a dozen windows, too, and lit a fire in the dumpster.”

  “I wish they’d figure out who was doing it,” Laurel said. “I sure don’t want to get hit again. And it’s costing a lot of money to fix the damages.”

  “Well, make sure you lock up. A lot of business owners on Main Street are talking about chipping in on corner cameras so we can keep an eye on our businesses. We took it to Brent, but the Mayor’s Office says there’s no room in the budget for it this year. If we do it, it’s on us.”

  Laurel shut the back door of the car. “Watch the turns so the pots don’t tip over, okay? We’ll have to catch up soon. Maybe I’ll sneak in to the Pig for a bite later. I miss you.”

  “When’s the big wedding?”

  Laurel sighed. “Just under three weeks. Actually, maybe you can help me out. You’ve always been artistic, and I can’t quite decide how I want the layout around the bridge to go, and I need to make sure I pick things that will suit their backyard, too.”

  “I’ll help you on one condition,” Willow said. “You come to my place some morning and do a yoga practice with me before work. You’re tense and stressed, sweetie. You need to stretch and breathe and let some of that go.”

  Laurel was afraid of what a yoga session with Willow would entail. She wasn’t really keen about turning herself into a pretzel, but she figured it was a good idea anyway. “Deal. I’ll call you and pick a morning when I don’t have a delivery coming in.”

  “Perfect. Have a good day, okay?” The little smile was back, and Laurel felt once again like perhaps Willow knew something she didn’t. But that was silly, so she gave her friend a quick hug and sent her on her way.

  It turned out it wasn’t so silly after all.

  CHAPTER 11

  At five minutes to six, Laurel looked up from the schedule and saw Aiden’s truck pulling into the yard. Her stomach did a quick flutter, which she knew she should ignore but secretly enjoyed. She honestly couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt the delicious sort of anticipation she was feeling right now, just from the mere appearance of someone. The fluttering intensified as he hopped out of his truck.

  “Someone to see you?” Jordan asked, a knowing tone in her voice. Laurel looked over. The college student was barely twenty and her pretty eyes twinkled at Laurel. “He’s pretty hot, you know.”

  “Shhh,” Laurel said, her face heating. “He’ll hear you.”

  Jordan laughed. “Like he doesn’t already know it. Dude’s got swagger.”

  He did indeed. As he got closer, Laurel knew he’d just showered because his hair was a few shades darker than normal. He wore clean jeans and a button-down shirt in a deep blue, which she knew would bring out the gray in his eyes. Their gazes caught and he smiled, a little sideways grin that she knew was just for her.

  I am in so much trouble, she thought. The fluttering was infused with a little bit of panic. I’m not ready for this.

  “Did I manage to get you at quitting time?” he asked.

  “Hmm. Just. What a coincidence.” She raised an eyebrow.

  “Isn’t it? Hello, Jordan. Mind if I steal your boss away?”

  “She’s all yours.” Jordan smiled sweetly. “Don’t worry, Laurel. Tim and I will lock up.”

  She was being ganged up on and she should mind, but somehow she didn’t. Even so, she couldn’t resist adding, “We’re getting low on Bone Meal and some of the fertilizers. If you could stock before you go home and add anything we need to the reorder list, that’d be great.”

  “No problem.”

  Laurel looked up at Aiden. “Say, you didn’t see Willow today, did you?”

  He made a silly face, as if he had to really think about the answer. “You know, I might have.”

  “I’m sure.” Laurel resisted a smile and reached under the counter for her handbag. “All right. What’s up?”

  “I’m here to collect on that dinner you promised me.”

  Oh Lord. She was in jeans and a golf shirt that she was sure must have a smudge of dirt on it somewhere. Her very basic “presentable for work” makeup had probably long since worn off, and her hair was shoved in that blunt ponytail she usually wore, topped with a ball cap. “Aiden, I can’t go to dinner. Not without going home and showering and … I wish you had asked me and we could have planned something.”

  “Not everything needs to be planned.” He was walking toward his truck and she was following like a silly lamb. “Besides, you’re fine just the way you are.”

  Either he was incredibly blind, or he was planning on taking her out of Darling and through the nearest McDonald’s drive-thru.

  “I’m gross.”

  He laughed. “Not for what I have planned. Come on. I’ll bring you back for your car later.”

  They drove out of Darling and to the highway. “Hey,” she said, frowning a little. “Where the heck are we going? Seriously, Aiden, I’m not dressed for going anywhere.”

  He grinned and just kept on driving. “We’re getting out of Darling. This way there’s no gossip, no speculation, no well-meaning people stopping by our table to make small talk. There’s just us.”

  The last time it was just them, they’d been caught making out on the golf course. Laurel wasn’t sure she trusted his version of “just us.”

  “Unless it’s fast food…” She looked down at her jeans. Sure enough, there was a dirty spot on her knee where she must have knelt down earlier. She brushed at it with her hand.

  Ai
den spared her a glance. “I promise it’s not fast food and I promise you’re not underdressed. Trust me, Laurel.”

  Trust him. She knew he meant about dinner but for some reason it felt deeper than that. Trust him … to do what? He was a good guy. She knew that now, and it hadn’t taken her that long to figure it out. But trust was a tricky thing. It wasn’t just about the other person; it was about her and far more complicated.

  She let out a breath and tried to relax as the minutes went by. Even when she realized they were close to Burlington, she still didn’t know their final destination. But when Aiden turned the truck on to Queen City Park Road, she knew, and a smile spread across her face.

  “The park. We’re going to the park.”

  He nodded. “I thought about the waterfront in Darling, but again … no privacy. And then I thought of coming here. There’s no parking inside the gates for another few weeks, but I don’t mind walking in if you don’t.”

  “Of course not. I haven’t been here in ages. I always thought it was the perfect place to walk a dog and just forget that I lived in a city.”

  He slowed as they neared the entrance gates. Other cars were parked along the side, and he pulled in behind a small SUV.

  “So what happened to the dog?”

  “What?”

  “You said it was the perfect place to walk the dog. Did it become a casualty of the divorce?”

  She shook her head and then sighed. “I said ‘a’ dog, not ‘the.’ We didn’t have a dog. Dan’s allergic. But I thought it would be nice just the same.”

  “Why don’t you get one now?” he asked, shutting off the engine.

  “With my hours? It’d hardly be fair to leave a dog at home for twelve or more hours a day. I’ve thought about a cat, but I’m thinking I’ll wait until later in the fall, when the business has slowed a bit and I have more time.”

  “That makes sense.”

  “How about you? Any dogs? Cats? Hamsters?”

  He laughed and got out of the truck. She hopped out, too, and brushed her hands down her jeans. It was only six thirty, and the sun was still warm and lazy. “It rotates at our place. With Rory working at the clinic downstairs, the apartment is generally pet-free. Unless he has one that needs watching through the night. Last night it was a pair of sick puppies in a basket in his room. How he sleeps through all those puppy noises beats me.”