by Tawny Weber
Aiden’s smile didn’t shift. He didn’t acknowledge the tension that gripped his gut, nor did he even blink at the pain that pulsed in his temple. No point.
The other man was right.
About all of it.
Since Aiden wasn’t willing to discuss his feelings for Sage—even with himself—he simply smiled and moved his knight.
“You return to duty soon?” the Professor asked quietly, contemplating his next move.
“I’m due on base Monday,” Aiden confirmed quietly, not sure how he felt about that. Brow creased, he looked across the table at the Professor, trying to gauge how he was really doing. He looked good. He and Dr. Brooke felt his response to the experimental treatments was even better than they’d hoped.
Aiden wasn’t naive. He’d lost people in his life. Important people. So his goodbyes in the past had always included the simple knowledge that he might not see the other man again. More because of the very real hazards of his duty than because he thought the old guy was going to keel over while he was away.
But this time it was different.
“Are you comfortable with me leaving?” he asked quietly.
“Are you comfortable leaving?” the Professor shot back in his typical way. At Aiden’s arch look, he laughed and shrugged. “There’s no reason for you to ignore your duty. I’m in good shape and out of danger for now. There is a very real chance of remission. I’ve even told the dean that I’ll return to teaching this fall. So yes, I’m comfortable.”
Aiden nodded.
“Besides, Sage is here.”
Aiden’s nod turned into a jerk of his chin. He tried to disguise it by clearing his throat and gave the old guy a searching look.
“You don’t believe she’ll stick around?” the Professor asked with a knowing smile. “Here, in Villa Rosa, I mean.”
“Once you’ve recovered?” Aiden asked. Then he winced, vowing to pay as much attention to his words as he did the game from now on.
“Good point. And an interesting one coming from her fiancé.”
Maybe a little more attention to his words. He could win the game later.
“Isn’t knowing each other well an important requirement for an engaged couple?” he asked.
“I don’t think it’s ever possible to know everything about each other,” the Professor mused. “And as much as you think you know now, you’ll find there’s so much more to learn after the wedding.”
“That’s a part of the adventure, I’d imagine.”
“Indeed it is.” After a long pause, the older man moved his pawn. “But you don’t think Sage will stay in Villa Rosa after the doctor declares me in remission?”
“If you wanted her to, she would try,” Aiden said, opting for the safest response.
“But?”
“Sage isn’t a homebody. She loves seeing new things, exploring the world and meeting people,” Aiden pointed out. “Just because she’s engaged doesn’t mean she’s got anchors on her wings.”
“Marriage might make her reconsider.”
“I don’t think that’s a good argument for getting married then,” Aiden replied, laughing. “Since graduating high school, the longest she’s lived in one place is eight months. I don’t see that changing.”
“That’s been well and good so far, but it needs to change. She hasn’t been happy the last couple of years. Until now, until the two of you became engaged.” Misinterpreting Aiden’s look, the other man waved one hand. “No, no, don’t get me wrong. I’m not putting the burden of my daughter’s happiness on your shoulders. I’m just saying that with you, she seems to have finally found that something she’s always been looking for.”
Or she was faking it really well for her father’s peace of mind.
“Sage missed out on a lot, growing up without a mother. Because I was so involved in my studies, my work, I think she never quite felt grounded. To use one of her new-age terms,” the Professor added with a smile.
Aiden figured it was a credit to the guy’s fathering that he knew the terms, that he cared so much about his daughter that he’d bothered to learn her lingo, her interests. Since the older man didn’t seem to be waiting for a response, Aiden kept his observation quiet, though.
“She’s found that touchstone with you, I think. Which would make it much easier for her to find peace as well.”
“Do you think she’s really looking for peace?” Aiden asked, not wanting to argue but figuring that was the sort of thing Sage was saving for old age.
“I think she could be happy finding it. Happier still if she were settled. A home, a family. A husband who is around to enjoy those things with her.”
Fury hit him like a freight train named jealousy.
“You think she should marry someone else?”
“Oh, no,” the other man protested, leaning forward to give Aiden’s knee a reassuring pat. “Of course not. The two of you, you’re perfect for each other.”
Trying to tamp down the anger, Aiden frowned. What was the old man getting at then?
“But I think that marriage has challenges, any marriage. And those challenges are best dealt with if both parties are together, in one place.”
Aha. Finally caught up, Aiden puffed out a breath.
“Sage isn’t the type to live in base housing. All the buildings looking alike would drive her crazy before she even unpacked. But don’t worry, we’ll figure it out,” he said, making the fake promise sound as sincere as he could.
After all, if they really were engaged, they could easily work that out. Coronado had a lot to offer, but if Sage didn’t want to live there, San Diego was close enough. She loved warm weather and beaches, it was right up her alley.
“I was thinking more along the lines of the two of you settling here, in Villa Rosa.”
“I’m stationed in Southern California.”
Talk about stating the obvious.
But Aiden was pretty sure he wasn’t going to like where this conversation was going, so he figured obvious was the safest option available.
“You know, the dean would be happy to have you teach classes while you finish your degrees, get your master’s. You’re a few classes away from, what? Three separate degrees?”
“Four,” Aiden corrected with a shrug. Some people figured it was his time commitment with the navy that prevented him from finishing those degrees. But the reality was, a degree would mean choices.
Choices it looked like he might have to soon justify not making.
“That’s a nice offer, and I appreciate it. But I’ve got a career and I’m not looking for a change.” He absently moved his rook, then shrugged. “Not in careers, not even in bumping up from enlisted to officer, which that first degree would get me.”
“Don’t you think it’s telling that you’ve avoided taking that step all these years?”
More telling that somewhere in the back of his mind he’d always known that a degree would come along with this exact conversation. And, again, those damned choices.
“You’ve what? Another year in the service?”
“I’d planned on another twenty, to tell you the truth.”
“But you could get out in a year if you had a promising career that would make your new wife happy, don’t you think?”
Aiden stared at the older man over his steepled fingers. For the last dozen years, his mentor had stood in silent support of Aiden’s military career. Now, all of a sudden, the guy was encouraging him to get out? Because Aiden was engaged to his daughter? Or, just as likely knowing Professor Taylor, because he sensed Aiden’s discontent and figured it was time to ask those difficult questions that made his protégé have to think.
“And maybe I spend those next couple of years finishing up those degrees, get my master’s, so I could hit the university with a solid start?” Aiden guessed. Correctly, he saw when the other man nodded. “And while I do all of this, what will Sage be doing?”
He couldn’t imagine her doing anything that made her happy h
ere, in Villa Rosa. At least, not for more than a few months.
Then again, was there anywhere that would make her happy for more than a few months? Despite his earlier words, he was sure Coronado wouldn’t do it. He didn’t think the entire state of California, with all of its vast appeal, could keep her entertained for more than a year.
And while he had no doubt he could keep her happy, keep her entertained, he wasn’t around all the time. Hell, he wasn’t around most of the time.
Aiden glared at the chessboard, wondering if the old man was right. If this engagement between Sage and himself was real, the only way it’d work between them was if he left the military. If he was around, 24/7, to devote himself to keeping her happy.
It was a little terrifying just how appealing that image was. How easily he could see himself leaving the SEALs, giving up his current way of life and settling down here to work his way into being a stodgy old professor.
Then again, how long would Sage be content with a stodgy old professor?
“The two of you will have a wonderful future,” Lee said quietly. “You just have to decide what you want that future to be, then make it happen.”
Right. Because he had not one single viable option to choose from. But he just had to pick and make it happen.
“Just think about it,” the older man requested with an avuncular smile. Right before he checked Aiden’s queen.
Staring at the board, wondering when he’d lost control, Aiden could only grit his teeth.
It wasn’t that the Professor would ask that bothered Aiden. The guy was just looking out for what he thought was best for his daughter.
It was that the request held so much appeal.
And was as stupid as jumping out of a plane without a chute.
That’s what made Aiden want to put his fist through a wall.
* * *
FILLED WITH NERVES, Sage paced the doorstep in front of Aiden’s cottage a few times, trying to get a grip on herself. She had so much to tell him. It’d be a lot easier if she knew if she was happy, excited or just freaked before she did.
She’d made a commitment.
A big one.
Instead of trying the writing job on for size, a few articles here and there, she’d not only committed to a permanent position but had agreed to scary things. Like insurance and a 401k.
And now she was hoping to make yet another one. This one with ’til death do we part potential.
She had to force herself not to wring her hands and whimper. Instead, she sucked in a deep breath and gave a quick rat-a-tat-tat on Aiden’s front door.
“Knock, knock,” she echoed, opening the door and sticking her head inside.
Oh, my.
Aiden looked as if his day was in an ugly downward spiral, and hadn’t come close to finishing its descent.
Maybe she should leave.
Ensconced on the sofa, he was looking at something. And it wasn’t making him happy.
He gave her a look she couldn’t read. Which made it really hard to know if it’d be better to go in and seduce him into a smile or ask if she could borrow an egg and run.
“C’mon in,” he told her in a chilly tone.
Did she have to? Biting her lip, Sage lifted the basket she’d left on the porch, plastered a cheery smile on her face and went over seduction scenarios in her head.
“What’re you doing?” she asked, setting a basket on the coffee table before joining him on the couch. She tilted her head to look at what was in his lap. “Ooh, I haven’t seen that in a long time.”
Setting aside her worry over his mood, she melted at the images in his lap. He was so cute. She tapped her finger on the photo album, leaning close enough that her hair slid over his arm.
“You look so much like your mom,” she noted. “I don’t think I realized that. Of course, I don’t remember her well. Mostly the cookies she brought me to snack on while you were being tutored by my dad.”
“It was a long time ago,” Aiden said, closing the album and tossing it next to her basket.
“You must miss them a lot.” Her words were quiet, sympathetic. Since he didn’t look like he’d welcome it, she didn’t move. But she wanted so badly to reach out and wrap him in a tight hug.
“Yeah, well it’s been a long time.” As if sensing her hugging urges, he pushed away from the couch and strode over to the window to stare out. “I’ve got plenty to keep me busy, you know.”
What was up? She couldn’t figure out if he was sad, angry or what. He was definitely not himself, though. Trying to figure out the best tack to take to get him back to happy, Sage leaned forward, opening the basket she’d brought and digging inside.
“Are you thirsty?” she asked, pretending she wasn’t gauging every second of his mood. “I brought champagne. I have chocolate cake in here, too. Cheese and crackers, some grapes and strawberries, two containers of Mrs. Green’s macaroni salad, and more chocolate.”
That got his attention.
Aiden turned from contemplating the window to give her a baffled expression.
“Why?”
“Well, you can never have too much chocolate,” she said with a straight face.
“And the rest of the picnic?”
“I was hungry. And I wanted to celebrate.”
The feast spread over the table now, she held out a small plate. He eyed her stubbornly cheerful expression for a moment, then sighed and walked over. He didn’t take the plate, though. Just stared at the food.
“Aren’t you hungry?” she asked, hoping he’d correctly interpret that to mean what’s the matter and how can I make it better?
“I had lunch a couple of hours ago.”
So much for his interpretive skills. Sage bit her lip, giving the champagne more attention than it needed. This wasn’t quite going as easily as she’d hoped.
“What are you celebrating?”
Her. Not them.
What the heck was grumping him out? Sage clenched her teeth into a stiff smile and fished the flutes out of the basket. Clearly she was going to have to dig past his mood before they could get to the fun stuff.
“No thanks,” he said when she started to pour the second glass.
“You’d make me celebrate alone?” A chill danced down her spine. She was starting to get the feeling that she’d be doing a lot more than celebrating alone. “Would you rather have a soda? Scotch? A shot of tequila?”
“You have all of that in your basket there?”
“You’d be amazed at what I have in my basket here,” she teased. Then, hoping he’d change his mind, she poured the second glass and silently set it on the table.
“So?” he prompted impatiently. “You still haven’t said what you’re celebrating.”
She’d hoped to be celebrating a little togetherness. Possibly share a few whispered maybes and tentative possibilities?
Maybe after she shared her news and they sipped a little bubbly he’d share his grump and she could fix it. The only way she’d find out if it’d work was to get started.
“I’ve got a new job... No,” she corrected, taking a deep breath to try and calm the nerves bouncing in her belly. She lifted her glass. “A career.”
His eyes lit for a brief second, then the delight washed away, leaving that military stoicism she loved so much.
“You? A career?” He shook his head. “Next you’re going to tell me you want to go to work on Wall Street peddling fake stocks to bilk little old ladies out of their life savings.”
“Eww, yuck. But you’re right, that’s pretty close to my definition of a career. At least, it was before.”
Before she’d lost that always nagging urge to run that’d dogged her for so many years. Contentment wrapped around her, as comfortable as a warm, cozy blanket.
“I took a position with this great publisher who’s been trying to get me to write for them for years. Usually, I just send them an article or two when I needed money, but I figured with everything going on,” she waved her hand to
indicated that vague everything, “I’d like something a little more settled.”
“You mean you’re going to write a few articles for them?”
“No, I’ve actually agreed to be a monthly columnist for two of their publications, as well as write a series of articles. One about the climate, another on aging pets.”
“You signed a contract?”
She wrinkled her nose at the shock in his tone.
“Sure,” she said. Suddenly starving, she grabbed a handful of grapes from the table, popping a couple in her mouth. “I figured my dad has that surgery next week, so I’ll be here for at least the next month or two. That gives me time to get used to it, and it’ll keep my mind off things after you’re gone.”
“You’re serious?”
“I am. I’m really excited about it, too,” she told him, feeling that same content joy she had earlier when she’d got off the phone with the editor. “I think I’ve finally found my perfect focus, you know?”
“You think so?”
Brows creased at his tone, she inspected his face trying to see what was going on in there.
“I do think so,” she said, still looking. “It’s a mobile sort of job so I can do it from here while my dad’s still recovering, then from, you know, wherever I want later.”
Like, maybe down south on the naval base. Or in Coronado, in a cute little beachside place off base with a view and room for a garden.
“Handy benefit,” Aiden said quietly, his look still so distant she felt like he was already back in Coronado.
“I want to do a few articles, write my column for a month or so to get settled into the idea of a deadline. Then, in a month or so after my dad is stable, I was thinking it’d be cool to come to the navy base. I’d like to check out the military angle. You know, there are a lot of great programs out there, but some that don’t get any attention. I could help with that.”
“What? Military angles? Why?”
“Because they are important,” she said quietly. “I figured I’d do my usual thing. Talk to people, hang out, get an idea for what feels right. I was hoping I could run my list by you once I get rolling?” she said with a wide grin. She all but clapped her hands together, she was so excited. “Just to see what you think of them from an official military angle.”
