Nicole glanced back over her shoulder as they walked, catching sight of Aidan standing where they’d left him. He raised his hand in a goodbye and for a moment Nicole wanted nothing more than to turn around and run back to him. But then the moment passed and all her worries were back.
“No,” Nicole admitted, turning back around. “He wasn’t. Not at all.” Everything would be so much easier if he had been, though.
“Good.” Amelia pulled out her keys and unlocked her car. “Then I just did you a favor.”
CHAPTER 8
AIDAN
Aidan scrolled through his phone’s most recent playlist, tapping on the fifth or sixth song he’d started so far. The first few riffs of a guitar filled his trailer, thanks to the speakers he’d already hooked the phone up to, and then he changed the song again.
“Come on, man,” Mikey groaned from the couch. “Pick a song.”
“Here. You do it.” Aidan tossed Mikey his phone and went into the little bedroom area to get dressed in the morning’s costume.
“You don’t look like you slept much, by the way,” Mikey commented from the front end of the trailer.
“Wow, thanks,” Aidan called back dryly. He pulled off his T-shirt and put on the Fresh Wear one, looking out the window as he did so. They were at the beach that day and the crew milled around the parking lot right next to the shore, setting up.
Aidan’s father was nowhere in sight, but he couldn’t be far off. Their fight the night before might have led to Rick not saying more than four words to Aidan so far that morning, but nothing would stop him from taking his job seriously. Aidan had nearly forgotten about the reality show offer. He didn’t want to do it and that was final—no matter what his dad said.
He closed his eyes and remembered the dance he’d shared with Nicole. He could still feel the warmth of her hands in his and her breath against his neck. She’d been on his mind all night and all morning. He finally had her number. But that didn’t mean he could call her. Someone else had given the digits to him, not Nicole herself.
With only a few days to go before he left Florida, Aidan was running out of time to convince Nicole to give him a chance. He didn’t want to pressure her into anything, though. He wanted her to want him, not just go out with him because he wouldn’t leave her alone.
Sighing, he dropped down onto the bed and opened the box of fresh shoes wardrobe had given him. It was weird that the trailer had a full bed when he could have just relaxed on the couch, but at least it had gotten some use from Mikey, who took naps like it was his hobby.
There was a knock on the trailer door and Aidan caught a glimpse of Mikey as he went to open it.
“Aidan has five minutes,” someone said. Mikey closed the door and came down to the bedroom.
Leaning in the doorway that barely fit his frame, Mikey crossed his arms and looked at Aidan. “Still thinking about her, huh?”
Aidan didn’t say anything.
“Why does it feel like that girl is suddenly half of what we talk about?” Mikey asked.
“You’re the one who brought her up.”
“Only because I can practically see her in your eyes.”
When Aidan didn’t answer again, Mikey’s face softened. “You’re really into her,” he said.
Aidan looked down at his hands. “I told her last night about where I’m at in life and she finally realized who I am. She got my last name and connected the dots.”
“How did she take it?”
“She left. How’s that for an answer?”
Aidan looked up in time to see the pained expression cross his friend’s face.
“Ouch,” Mikey said. “Why are you doing this to yourself?”
“It doesn’t hurt,” Aidan answered honestly. “It feels like I was supposed to meet her. Like whatever is happening between us, even if it’s uncomfortable or I don’t like it—it’s supposed to be happening. Do you know what I mean?”
Mikey shook his head. “Sorry. I can’t say that I do.”
Aidan nodded. He couldn’t expect anyone else to understand when he didn’t himself. The feelings rising in him were ones he’d never experienced before. But it wasn’t only feelings he was talking about. It was also an intuition that couldn’t be explained. A deep knowing that this was the woman he’d been waiting for all his life.
Three days. That’s all he had before he left Haven Sound for good. Unless he did something about it.
Another knock came on the door. “Aidan,” the familiar voice of the second assistant director called. “We’re ready when you are.”
“Just a minute,” Aidan called back.
Mikey stepped away from the doorway, but the look on his face said he had something else to say.
“What?” Aidan asked.
Mikey studied him. “Are you going to do that reality show?”
Aidan balked. “You know I’m not.”
“Okay. What are you going to do after we leave here, then?”
“Does it matter?”
Mikey’s eyes squinted. “If you have nothing else going on, it might be easy to fall into doing something you don’t really want. Don’t let your dad bully you into that show. That’s all I’m saying.”
“He won’t. Trust me.” Aidan wasn’t sure what direction he wanted his life to take. But the idea of Nicole Carson being part of it made his heart expand in his chest.
CHAPTER 9
NICOLE
“Do you ever get used to all the sweating?” Lauren asked, pushing her giant sunglasses farther up her nose.
Nicole laughed. “I think it feels kind of good. By the way, your shoulders are getting red.”
Lauren stopped walking, inspecting an arm, and frowned. “I’m going to need more sunscreen.”
“Over here.” Nicole headed to a bench sitting in a shady spot. Settling down next to her, Lauren pulled her sunscreen from her purse and started lathering up.
“This town is pretty nice,” Lauren commented as she smoothed thick, white goop on her shoulder.
Nicole looked around, at the two men biking by with surfboards under their arms, at the ice cream parlor across the street, at the rows of coral-colored houses.
“I love it here,” she said.
“Does that mean you’re staying?”
“There’s no job for me here,” Nicole reminded her. “It’s only a summer internship.”
“There’s always one for you in Albany.”
“I know, and thank you. Your parents are the best.”
Lauren’s family ran a big cat sanctuary right outside of Albany. Nicole had visited it a few times and loved it, but, in her mind, you couldn’t compare upstate New York and Florida. She’d already experienced enough snow storms to last her the rest of her life.
“All right. Done.” Lauren dropped the sunscreen back in her purse. “Let’s get to that amazing taco stand. Where is it, again?”
“It’s usually right by the beach.”
Standing, Lauren looped her arm around Nicole’s. “So tell me the truth. You haven’t met any guys?”
“Um—”
Lauren frowned. “Really? Have you gone out at all?”
“The other day I found this nice little church that I can walk to. And last night I went to a restaurant.”
Nicole thought about Aidan—not that reaching for thoughts about him was a stretch, as he’d been constantly on her mind. She’d barely gotten any sleep the night before and probably looked a mess when Lauren’s taxi dropped her off bright and early that morning.
“What about you?” Nicole asked, eager for a distraction from her own life. She wished she hadn’t decided to chat Aidan up the night before, because now she was even more attracted to him and her plan to stay away from him was proving to be harder than she’d expected it to be.
“Nada.” Lauren sighed. “But, you know, there’s time and all—I guess.”
Nicole nodded, once again doing her best to not think about Aidan’s side grin or focused gaze. Did he lo
ok at everyone like they were the most important person in the world or was it only her?
“What’s that?” Lauren stopped walking and Nicole followed her gaze.
The largest beach parking lot in Haven Sound had been shut off with orange traffic cones. Half a dozen trailers were parked along the rows and people walked around carrying bags, lights, and various stands.
“Looks like a movie shoot or something,” Nicole murmured, right as she remembered that Aidan was in town for a commercial shoot. She reached for Lauren’s hand. “Come on. Let’s go around the block.”
“Hold on. Don’t you want to see what they’re doing? Haven Sound seems kind of small for a movie to film here.”
“Yeah, I don’t know.” Nicole turned her back to the trailers.
“Nicole!”
She froze on an inhale and slowly pivoted around. There he was: Aidan himself, checking for traffic before crossing the street and coming over to where she and Lauren stood on the sidewalk.
“Hey,” he said as he came to a stop.
Lauren’s mouth was hanging open and she looked from Nicole to Aidan, then repeated the whole act over again.
“I’m Aidan.” He offered Lauren his hand.
She weakly shook it, her eyes big. “Coleman. Yeah.”
He shrugged a little, like it was no big deal.
“What are you doing here?” Lauren asked, sounding dazed.
“Filming a commercial. Apparently Haven Sound has the right combination of nice beaches and affordable hotels for the crew.”
“Cool,” Lauren breathed. “Oh! I’m Lauren—and you know Nicole?” Her voice couldn’t have gone higher if she tried.
Nicole couldn’t believe it. A new cashier rung her up every time she went to the corner grocery store and yet she ran into Aidan every day.
“Yeah, I do.”
Nicole found the expected cocky grin on his face. This makes four run-ins, she thought.
Aidan didn’t have to say a word. His face was gloating.
“I didn’t know you knew Aidan Coleman.” Lauren gave Nicole a look like she’d gone insane.
Nicole shrugged. “We met a few days ago.”
“And she didn’t know who I was,” Aidan said hurriedly.
“Aidan!” someone called from across the street. “We’re delayed ten!”
Aidan lifted his hand in acknowledgment before turning back to Nicole and Lauren. “I keep trying to ask her out, but she keeps turning me down.”
Lauren’s eyes nearly bugged out of her face, and she swatted Nicole’s arm lightly. “You lied to me.”
“Not really,” Nicole hissed back, hoping Lauren wouldn’t press the subject in front of Aidan. “Look, let’s go. We need to get to the taco stand.”
“It’s not going anywhere,” Lauren argued.
“How about a tour of the set?” Aidan cut in.
Before Nicole could answer, Lauren shouted, “Yes!” and bounced up and down. She grabbed Nicole’s hand and hauled her across the street, following Aidan.
“These are the trailers,” Aidan said, stopping at the first one. “Right here is makeup and that one over there is wardrobe.”
“Where’s yours?” Lauren asked.
Nicole pulled her hand from Lauren’s and crossed her arms firmly.
“Down there, at the end. My friend is in there, but I don’t think he’ll mind if we stop by.”
Lauren started walking for the last trailer, the one closest to the beach. Aidan stayed where he was, waiting for Nicole to move.
“This isn’t destiny,” she said, at the same time as he asked, “How was the sea turtle nest?”
“Oh,” Nicole murmured. “Sorry. I, uh—”
She pushed her bangs out of her eyes and looked away, across the parking lot. There was an area set up with lights and big white and black screens. It hurt to stare through so much sunlight without any shades on, but it was still easier than looking at Aidan.
“Nicole,” he said softly.
He took a step closer to her and suddenly his gaze drew hers like a magnet. She was looking into his eyes, powerless to turn away.
“Why are you always running?” he whispered.
Nicole’s mouth went dry. “I’m not. I’m just doing my thing. I came here to help the rabbits, not to—to—” She gestured at him.
Aidan didn’t budge. The spicy scent she’d picked up on him the night before was back and Nicole had to fight to not savor it with a long inhale.
“Is this it?” Lauren called.
Aidan turned to look at her and Nicole took the opportunity to stalk around him and join her friend. Lauren stood at the last trailer, her foot on the bottom step.
“That’s it,” Aidan answered, reaching past her to open the door. “Knock, knock,” he called.
“Man!” a male voice answered. “I could have been—oh.”
At the sight of Lauren and Nicole, Mikey sat up from where he’d been lying on a couch with a laptop. Setting the computer down, he ran a hand over his hair. “Hey there.”
“You remember Nicole?” Aidan asked as he and Lauren went into the trailer. Arms crossed, Nicole grudgingly followed.
“How can I forget? And why am I not surprised she’s here?”
Nicole tilted her head and started to wonder what he meant by that—but then she remembered that caring about anything Aidan or his friend did was a dangerous idea. Mikey seemed like a nice guy and she regretted their first meeting, but getting to know him too well meant keeping a door open for Aidan through association.
“Sorry about the, ah, park thing,” Nicole told Mikey. “I was pretty wound up.”
Mikey waved his hand. “It happens.”
“Nicole and her friend Lauren happened to walk by,” Aidan explained.
“Coincidentally?” Mikey asked slowly, a skeptical look on his face.
“Do coincidences really exist?” Aidan smiled.
Suddenly, all eyes were on Nicole. Before anyone could say another word, though, someone knocked on the open door.
“Ready to go?” a man holding a walkie talkie asked Aidan.
Aidan shot Nicole a lingering look. “Stay around. We can hang out at lunch.”
She took Lauren’s hand. “We have plans.”
“With a taco stand?” Lauren scoffed.
The walkie talkie guy checked his watch. “Sorry, Aidan, but we really need to get this done before noon. We’re running way behind.”
“Be here when I get back,” Aidan said, his dark eyes still on Nicole.
Everyone was quiet and she felt goosebumps rise on her arms.
“Maybe,” she answered finally.
Aidan gave her a firm look. “Be here. Please.”
A tingling wave of heat went over Nicole’s shoulders, down her back, and into her toes.
Aidan stood feet away—they weren’t even touching—and yet it felt so intimate.
A second later, he was gone, leaving the door swinging open behind him.
“So.” Lauren clapped her hands together and looked to Mikey. “You’re working on the commercial?”
Mikey gestured at the laptop on the tiny coffee table. “No, I tagged along to work on my book.”
“How long till you think they break for lunch?” Lauren asked.
“It doesn’t matter,” Nicole quickly cut in. “We’re going.”
Lauren wrinkled her nose. “Huh?”
“Bye, Mikey,” Nicole said, not looking at him. She was too busy leaving the trailer and rushing across the parking lot.
“Nicole!” Lauren called from behind. “Hold on.”
Nicole stopped at the edge of the parking lot. Most of the crew had assembled around the black and white screens and she assumed Aidan was over there as well.
Lauren jogged over to join her. “Why are you acting so crazy? Why didn’t you tell me you met Aidan Coleman?” She pulled her glasses off so they could make eye contact. “And that he’s into you?”
Nicole shook her head and, before she r
ealized how silly it looked, stomped her foot. “He’s only in town this week. It would never work out.”
“You can’t know that, Nic. And you’ll never find out if you don’t give him a chance.”
Nicole raked her fingers through her hair, catching the pony tail holder she’d forgotten was there. “Perhaps I don’t want to know, Lauren.”
A quiet moment passed. “Sweetie, we both know that’s not true. You’re so loving and young. You can’t live your life like that.”
“He’s on TV,” Nicole pushed, her eyes flashing with frustration.
“In a commercial. It’s not the same as—” Lauren trailed off. Sighing, she put a hand on Nicole’s shoulder. “Not everyone in that world is like your parents, Nic. And what happened to them has nothing to do with you.”
“I really don’t want to talk about this anymore.”
Lauren twisted her lips. “Let’s—”
“Please, Lauren.”
“I was only going to say, let’s go get some tacos.”
Lauren wrapped her arm around Nicole’s shoulders as they strode off down the street. With each step, Nicole reminded herself not to look back.
CHAPTER 10
AIDAN
You left.
Aidan had managed to go the whole day before breaking his rule about bugging Nicole. The morning after she left the shoot without saying goodbye, though, he caved and sent the text.
Sitting in the lobby of the hotel the afternoon’s shoot was in, he stared at his phone. A few steps away, his dad spoke with the hotel’s manager.
Aidan’s phone buzzed in his lap and he snatched it up.
I had somewhere to be, Nicole’s text read.
Tacos are more important than me? he typed back.
She responded right away: You really want me to answer that?
Aidan grinned. At least she was talking to him. That was a good sign.
Looking up, he caught sight of one of the producers walking by. “Hey, Dominique. When do you think we’ll be done today?”
Dominique checked the shot list in his hand. “If all goes well, after the next few takes. Hey, you’re rocking it today.”
Winning Her Heart Page 5
