“Maybe that’s good. Maybe I don’t want my face out there. It’s not that great getting recognized wherever I go, Dad.”
His father tilted his head, looking at Aidan like he was a stranger. “Being down and out is good?”
Aidan’s temperature climbed. “I’m never going to be broke, Dad. Not if I’m careful.”
“You’re going to be careful running that house? And taking private jets?”
Aidan shrugged. “Maybe I’ll sell the house.”
Rick’s jaw dropped. “And live where?”
“I don’t know. Someplace cheaper. In a smaller home.”
He hated to admit that he didn’t have everything figured out, but there was one thing Aidan knew: he didn’t want to be on TV. It didn’t matter what it meant for his image or his bank account.
“Where is this coming from?” Rick asked.
Aidan bit back a frustrated sigh. “I need a break, all right? Some time to figure things out.”
“You’ve had a year. If you wait any longer, no one will remember who you are.”
“Maybe I don’t want anyone to.”
“That’s enough. What’s with all these maybes, huh? You either want something or you don’t.” Rick pushed his chair back and stepped away from the table. Halfway to the living room, he turned back around and pointed angrily at Aidan. “You’re not making sense right now. Talk to me when you come back down to Earth.”
With that, he stormed away. Aidan stayed in his seat as the front door slammed.
“Man,” Mikey breathed. “I’m sorry.”
Aidan scowled. “Don’t be. It’s his problem.”
“Yeah, but he was harsh.”
“Again. It’s his problem.” Aidan avoided Mikey’s gaze, not wanting his pity.
“Okay,” Mikey said quietly.
“Let’s get out of here.” Tossing his napkin on the table, Aidan stood as well. His vision was blurring. He needed to get his feet moving, to clear his head.
“I knew I couldn’t talk to him about this,” he muttered a few minutes later as he and Mikey walked down the dark sidewalk, passing houses just like the one they were staying in.
“He wants the best for you.”
Aidan’s lips drew tight against his teeth. “Yeah, I know. But he doesn’t know what’s best for me. Not anymore, anyway.”
When Aidan had started playing tennis, way back in first grade, it had been the thing that drew him and his dad together. His two older brothers hadn’t had much of an interest in sports, which meant Aidan had been the one to pick up their ex-footballer dad’s torch.
Aidan could still remember what those early days felt like. His father shaking him awake early in the morning so they could rush to the tennis court and get thirty minutes worth of practice in before school. Aidan had loved the game, but he loved the look on his dad’s face even more. The admiration. The love.
His father loved him no matter what, he knew that. But before tennis, things had been…gray. That was the best way to put it.
Aidan couldn’t remember his mom. Cancer had taken her not long after he turned two. He did have a secondary source for information, though. Jake and Kyle, who’d been seven and nine when their family imploded, remembered life before.
According to Aidan’s brothers, their father used to be sunny. Nothing could get him down. Every weekend, almost without fail, he’d load the family into the van and take off on a road trip. Mom, dad, two little boys, and baby Aidan would soar away from their Pasadena, California home, finding adventure wherever the road took them.
And then things had changed. Life smacked the young family in the face. Or, more specifically, death smacked them in the face.
Jake and Kyle didn’t share much about those early days, but as a kid, Aidan relished any tidbits they did give him. He wanted that light-hearted, life-loving father his siblings talked about.
As it turned out, when Aidan played tennis, he got him. When he won games, he got him. When he made goals and stuck to them, he got him.
And what now? Now Aidan didn’t have any goals, had no concrete plans for the future. He knew that probably made him look awful in his father’s eyes, but what could he do about it?
“Are you really going to sell the house?” Mikey asked.
Aidan looked at him. They were leaving the residential area behind and entering the little downtown section. Street light pooled on his friend’s face.
“I don’t know,” he admitted. “I haven’t really thought about it.”
Mikey nodded. “It is kind of big.”
The house Mikey had grown up in, thanks to his movie producer parents, was even bigger. These days he lived in a studio apartment in Hollywood, worked random copy editing jobs to pay the rent, and came along whenever Aidan had a trip. He was the opposite of the other rich kids Aidan had met in Hollywood, wanting nothing more than space to do his own thing.
Aidan jammed his hands into his jeans’ pockets and twisted his lips around. He’d had a few parties at his place after buying it five years ago, but since then he hadn’t used most of it. The place had been relegated to being used for sleeping, eating, and swimming—something that had helped his knee a lot. It had especially been this way over the last year, during which Mikey and Aidan’s father had been the only regular visitors.
“Looks like a real throw down.” Mikey stopped walking and nodded at a restaurant down the street a bit. It sat with its back to the ocean. From the side, they could see the far patio, lit up with strings of white lights. A band played a lively tune, and even above the music, laughter could be heard. “Let’s check it out.”
Before Aidan could tell him he wasn’t in the mood to be around people, Mikey was walking for the patio. Aidan followed behind at a slower pace.
“I don’t know, man,” he called after Mikey.
“One drink,” Mikey tossed over his shoulder. “You need to blow off some steam, anyway.”
The patio brimmed with activity, people of all ages dancing to the music. Waitresses scurried between tables, dropping off seafood baskets and cocktails with umbrellas in them. It seemed that Aidan and Mikey had stumbled into the middle of Haven Sound’s nightlife.
“I’ll get drinks,” Mikey said.
Aidan stayed where he was, lingering at the top of the steps, as Mikey made a beeline for the bar in the middle of the patio. Despite the mood he’d climbed the steps with, it was now hard not to bob his head along to the music. Seeing all the people in a good mood had already made him feel a bit better.
Feeling a smile cresting on his face, he swept his gaze across the crowd. A flash of yellow caught his eye and he did a double take. A girl in a bright, sunflower-colored dress spun around, dancing to the music, her arms raised high above her head.
Nicole.
CHAPTER 7
NICOLE
The music beat in Nicole’s veins, the colors of the patio all blurring together. She twirled around, laughing to herself.
Abruptly, the song ended. Everyone burst into applause and Nicole stopped dancing. Pressing her hand to her chest, she worked on catching her breath. From the side, Amelia bumped her hip against Nicole’s and gave her a wink.
Nicole grinned. All day long, even after saying yes, she’d felt on the fence about coming out. Once they’d gotten to the restaurant, though, she found she wouldn’t have been able to have a bad time if she tried.
“I need water.” She turned and took a seat at their little table. It was in the perfect spot, nestled in the corner of the patio and with a candle flickering in the middle of it.
Nicole gulped some water as Amelia plopped down across from her.
“This band is awesome,” Amelia commented.
Nicole nodded and leaned back into her seat. Her head was still spinning a bit and her feet had begun aching from all the dancing.
“Hello,” a masculine voice said.
Nicole looked up—and gasped in surprise.
Aidan stood next to the table, wearing a smile
and looking down at her. “See? Destiny.”
Amelia chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand.
“Coincidence,” Nicole replied, doing her best to sound calm even though she could feel her hands trembling at Aidan’s sudden appearance. She hoped she wasn’t blushing.
Aidan’s wide grin turned into a sly smirk. “What does your friend think?”
Before anyone could answer, Aidan extended his hand to Amelia. “Aidan.”
“Amelia.” She shook his hand, quickly looking between Nicole and him while she did so. “I saw you today at the office. Although I’m going to assume you didn’t notice me, seeing your attention was elsewhere.”
The band was starting up another song. Aidan looked gorgeous. He was dressed casually and his hair was unstyled, but the man was just effortlessly elegant. There was something mesmerizing in his voice, in his attitude, in the way he moved. Nicole considered the idea of excusing herself to the restroom and then just not coming back.
Noticing her looking, Aidan turned back to her. She quickly jerked her face in the bar’s direction.
“Isn’t that your friend?” she asked, jutting her chin at Mikey, who leaned against the bar talking to an older man.
“Yeah. We walked down here from the place we’re renting. Amelia, I’m not sure if Nicole told you this, but we’re only in town for the week.” Despite his addressing the other woman, Aidan looked at Nicole as he talked.
“No,” Amelia answered, the amusement in her voice undeniable. “She didn’t.”
Abruptly, the band slowed down the tempo, segueing the upbeat song into a more languid one.
“You two should dance,” Amelia said, waggling her finger between Nicole and Aidan.
Nicole shook her head. “No, I—”
“Relax.” Amelia’s gaze pierced Nicole’s. “I’ll be right here.”
Even though she knew she shouldn’t, suddenly Nicole was standing and accepting Aidan’s extended hand. His palm was warm and though the touch was light there was strength behind it.
“One dance,” Aidan said as he pulled Nicole out to the floor. “Maybe,” he added with a grin.
Nicole bit back a retort. Perhaps Amelia was right and she did need to loosen up some. So what if Aidan was leaving in less than a week and they’d never see each other again? That could be a good thing. Nicole wasn’t looking for a boyfriend, anyway. Perhaps they could spend some time together as friends.
As he loosely clasped her hand and pressed his other palm against the small of her back, though, she knew she was lying to herself. A swirling sensation began in Nicole’s stomach and burst up through her chest. Aidan was trouble—not because of anything he’d done or said, but simply due to his existence. He’d distract Nicole. Get her off course. So then why didn’t she walk away?
One corner of Aidan’s mouth turned upward as he gazed down at her. “Three times,” he said, his voice warm.
A pleasurable shiver rolled over Nicole’s shoulders. “Why are you doing this?”
Aidan squinted, looking genuinely confused. “You haven’t felt what I have?”
She inhaled deeply. Spicy sweetness entered her nose and her stomach fluttered. Did he always smell this good?
“What?” she asked, knowing well what he was talking about.
“Okay.” Aidan’s face turned serious. “We can play that game. At least we get to enjoy a dance together.”
He twirled her around and she caught a quick sight of Amelia at the table before returning to Aidan’s arms. Without meaning to, she rested her palm against his chest. Dropping her hand like it was on fire, Nicole pursed her lips and looked down at their dancing feet. Aidan chuckled, but said nothing.
“Do you like your internship?” he asked.
The casual question took her by surprise. Before Nicole knew it, the song was ending and another one starting up. Still they kept dancing.
“I love it,” she answered slowly. “And what about you? Why are you in Haven Sound?”
“Ah…that’s kind of a long story.” Aidan’s gaze shifted sideways, away from her.
“That probably means it’s interesting.”
He took in a long breath and finally looked back at her. “It’s not, really. I’m shooting a commercial. To be more precise, three commercials.”
“You work in television? Didn’t you say you played tennis?”
“Exactly.”
“Okay.” Nicole nodded. She wanted to hear more, but she certainly wasn’t going to drag any answers out of him.
“I’m doing this campaign for a sports wear brand,” Aidan said so fast she barely caught all the words. “I’m…starring in it, I guess you could say.”
Nicole cocked her head. “So you’re an actor now?”
“No.” Without any warning, Aidan stopped dancing. “You don’t know who I am, right?”
“Should I?” Nicole pulled her hands away from his.
“Let’s sit down.” He nodded at the steps leading off the patio. “Just the steps,” Aidan added. “No further. Don’t worry. I won’t steal you away.”
Nicole couldn’t help but smile at that and with Aidan tugging on her hand once more, everything seemed decided. Amelia was right. She was too guarded. Letting down some of her walls couldn’t hurt. Maybe it would even be good. And so she allowed herself to be led to the edge of the patio, where the music wasn’t as loud and there were no other ears.
“Are you about to reveal some big secret?” Nicole joked, sitting down on the edge of a step halfway down. “Like you’re running from the mafia?”
Aidan smirked and sat down next to her, arms resting on his legs and fingers interlaced. “It seemed a little loud back there.”
“Yeah,” she agreed. Her mouth felt like it was full of sawdust and her heart was doing that thing it always did whenever Aidan was around: beating like a war drum.
“So what I wanted to tell you is that I used to play tennis, yes…and I was pretty successful at it. That’s why I’m doing this campaign thing now.”
“Oh.” Nicole blinked. Was he trying to tell her he was super famous or something? “What’s your last name?” she asked.
“Coleman.”
“Coleman,” she repeated. Aidan Coleman. It did sound familiar. “Wait…Didn’t you win some big competition when you were really young?”
“I won Wimbledon when I was fifteen.”
“That’s young, right? Sorry, I don’t know anything about sports.”
Aidan smiled wider. “The youngest to ever win it.” Abruptly, the smile fell from his face. “Not that that matters.”
“That seems pretty important. I mean, to sports people.”
“Yeah.” He nodded. “It is.”
Nicole sat in silence for a minute, listening to the party behind her and absorbing everything Aidan had shared. She’d known a few athletes growing up—famous golfers who her father was friends with. They’d all hung out together at a country club on Long Island.
As far as Nicole had been able to tell, they weren’t any different from her parents’ other friends with money. They drove flashy cars, rambled on about the stock market and where they were going to buy their third or fourth house, and bragged about how they’d worked tirelessly for everything they had—even when that wasn’t the full story.
“Nicole?” Aidan ducked his head, the action on the narrow steps bringing his face a couple inches closer to hers.
“I was thinking.” She forced a smile.
He nodded once, looking thoughtful, then spread his hands. “So that’s my story. I mean, most of it. My tennis career ended a year ago, and now I’m doing…this.”
“Commercials,” she inserted.
“For now.”
“Hey, guys,” a new voice said.
Nicole looked over her shoulder to see Amelia standing there, phone in hand and an apologetic look on her face.
“Sorry to interrupt, but I have to bounce.” Amelia blew out a heavy breath. “The sea turtle people weren’t able t
o make it today after all. Their car broke down on the highway and it looks like they won’t be here till tomorrow morning, so I need to go and check on the nest.”
Nicole stood. “Do you think it’s all right?”
“I’m sure it’s fine, but I really should go over and check on it just in case.”
“I can come with you.”
Aidan stood as well, but Nicole kept her eyes on Amelia.
“No,” Amelia answered swiftly. “Stay here. Have fun.”
“I really want to help you,” Nicole stressed.
Amelia cast an uncomfortable glance at Aidan. She looked like she might argue, but eventually she only shouldered her purse. “Okay. It’s up to you, Nic. I already paid the bill.”
“Great.” Nicole looked to Aidan. When she saw the disappointment in his eyes, her stomach dropped. Was she doing the right thing? Maybe she should stay instead. But, as fun as those couple of dances had been, it was time to go. She’d talked and hung out a bit, dipped her toe into the waters of romance as deep as she dared to go. As it turned out, Aidan belonged more to the world Nicole ran from than to the one she hid out in. “Sorry, Aidan. But I have to run.”
“Wait.” Aidan reached out and touched her arm—the slightest graze of his fingertips possible, but one that still made butterflies take flight in her core. “Give me your number.”
Nicole stared into his eyes, unsure what to say. While she remained silent for a moment, Amelia promptly pulled a little notepad and a pen from her bag and scrolled through her phone.
“Here it is,” Amelia said, scribbling Nicole’s number down. She ripped the paper out and handed it to Aidan. “Call her any time.”
Nicole heard herself gasp. But before she could react any further, Amelia had her by the arm and was leading her down the steps and into the parking lot.
“He wasn’t being creepy, was he?” Amelia asked in a low voice.
Winning Her Heart Page 4
