Don't Let Go (Hope Harbor Book 3)

by Ann B. Harrison

  The door behind her slid open and her aunt’s perfume wafted out and enveloped her. Aggie waited until she was beside her. “Gigi, a question. Would it be mean of me to let Liam get closer even if I can’t commit as much as he wants me to?”

  “That depends, darling, on what you tell him. If you’re honest upfront and he knows you’re not promising hearts and roses or forever, then no, I don’t believe so.” She leaned into Aggie. “But this is from the woman who hasn’t really been in love herself, so take any of my advice with a grain of salt.”

  “Don’t you love David?”

  Gigi sucked in a breath. “I don’t know. I have nothing to compare my feelings to. How do you know if it’s love or not?”

  Aggie shrugged.

  “How does Liam make you feel?”

  “Scared, hopeful, panicked, and loved all at the same time. I’m just worried I’ll let him down if I can’t give him what he wants.”

  “Give what you feel comfortable with and build from there. That’s the best advice I can share with you.” She kissed Aggie on the cheek. “I’d better go and clean up my paints before Atticus comes home and complains I’m leaving a mess everywhere. The sooner that man finishes my studio, the better it will be.”

  * * *

  Liam arrived at work early, keen to catch up with Drew before their patients arrived. He’d just put the coffee pot on when his newly married friend waltzed in, a spring in his step. Liam looked up and grinned. “Good morning.”

  They shared a quick and manly hug, slapping each other on the back.

  “How was the honeymoon?” Liam got two cups out and put them on the counter.

  “Fantastic. Neither of us wanted to come home. If it wasn’t for the kids being here, we would’ve stayed put.” He rubbed his chin and stared at Liam. “I got your emails. You okay?”

  Liam had sent off an email about the untimely death of his patient and then another one when the report came through clearing him. “Yeah. It was very sad but at least I can stop beating myself up over it. There was nothing I could’ve done.”

  “No, there wasn’t. It’s never easy losing a patient, especially in those circumstances.” He held out his hand as Liam poured a cup of coffee and handed it over. “So, I hear from a little bird that you and Aggie are getting cozy, and like, real cozy.”

  Liam bit his lip. Of course someone had to tell Drew. “Maybe.”

  Drew sipped his coffee and let out a satisfied sigh. “About time. What happened? I thought she was going to skin you at the wedding. Some of the looks you got when you belted out that love song had me worried. It was funny to watch her face, but I did have a moment of panic when she approached you on the dance floor afterwards. And when you pushed her into the line to catch April’s flowers, I had serious doubts about how you’d end up. I was half expecting Dad to call and tell me they’d found you dead in a gutter the next day.”

  “Same here. I don’t know what happened but we connected, and let’s say, it’s been a challenge. She isn’t one to wear her heart on her sleeve. I’m taking it one day at a time.”

  “But she stayed the night with you, from what I gather. You’d better want more than a quick roll in the hay, Liam. I don’t want to see her hurt any more than she already is.

  He put his cup down and faced Drew. “There’s nothing I want more than to have your sister look at me the way April looks at you. But the relationship’s not anywhere close to that yet. Maybe one day it will be, but for now, I’m happy if she gives me a smile and a hello. I’m working on breaking down her resistance.”

  “Good. That’s good to hear.” He patted Liam on the shoulder and headed out. “Better catch up on my patients. Pretty sure they’ve missed me.”

  Chapter 20

  Liam had been dogged in his pursuit of her, and as much as she tried to keep him at arm’s length, Aggie was starting to feel more at ease around him, as if things would work between them if she didn’t overthink them. As if it had never happened. She smiled to herself as she lay in bed late, her first day off this week. It felt good to relax.

  During the past week, Liam had sent her another bunch of flowers, a box of chocolates, and a written invitation to dinner at a quaint little seafood restaurant around the bay. He was treating her with kid gloves, being the same sweet person he was when they were growing up. If anything, he was being even more gentle with her since he’d found out about the assault.

  It was sweet, but unnecessary. It wouldn’t work. She couldn’t let it happen. But as more time passed, she was finding it harder to say no. He was getting under her defenses.

  Her father had commented on her newfound confidence, and when she explained how Ben had started a self-defense class, he’d looked at her strangely. Aggie had hurried in with an explanation she hoped would make him stop digging. “Liam talked me into it. Seems the women’s shelter wanted Ben to run one, and Liam said that if I signed up for it, it would encourage other women on the island to join in. It’s fun. I like it.”

  “Good. Never hurts to know how to protect yourself anyway. I never thought of that when you were younger. Maybe I should’ve.”

  “You were too focused on getting us through each day, Dad. Besides, I seriously doubt they had those classes back then.”

  “Maybe.”

  Aggie lay in bed now and wondered what to do. A whole day off and nothing planned. Now that was a novel way to start the morning.

  Her phone pinged and she reached for it. April.

  April: Meet me for lunch at our place?

  Aggie: You’re not working today?

  April: No. Took the rest of the week off.

  Aggie: Okay, sounds good. What can I bring?

  April: Surprise me.

  Aggie: Xoxo

  Aggie had missed her best friend while she’d been away. She threw back the blankets and headed to the bathroom. Time for a lazy shower and a walk down to the shop to choose a loaf of bread to take up to April’s.

  They sat out on the front deck, watching the ocean as April described her honeymoon. “It was divine. Three whole weeks on our own, but we did miss the children.”

  “Glad you enjoyed it. It’s nice to have you back. So much has happened since you’ve been gone.”

  “So I hear. Fill me in and don’t leave out any details.” April sat back with a twinkle in her eye as Aggie brought her up to speed on the island gossip.

  “So you’re finally giving in to your feelings for Liam.”

  Aggie shook her head. “I don’t know. One minute I think so and then I freak out and decide it’s not going to happen. I feel mean leading him on, but he won’t take no for an answer.”

  “Liam’s a big boy. He can look after himself.” April sat forward. “Do you ever think that maybe, you know, you should just give in and go along with it? That you deserve to be happy?”

  “Yeah and that’s what has me confused. I know I wasn’t to blame for what happened.”

  April smiled. “Well, that took you long enough. What do we owe this change of heart to?”

  It had been a long process, changing her train of thought from blaming herself to putting that injustice it where it rightly should be. “I believe I have Ben to thank for that.”

  “Really? You told him what happened?”

  Not a chance! “No. But Ben put together a self-defense class because the women’s shelter asked him to. Liam asked me to put some flyers up in the shop and then convinced me I should take the class too. Told me it would be a good enticement for other women to join in if I was there.”

  April shrugged. “I guess so. But how did that make you change your mind?”

  “Some of the things he says when he’s teaching us. Ben might be a man of few words on the street but in the martial arts room, it’s a whole new ball game. Seems he has a knack for making women believe in themselves. Besides, he’s teaching us some really cool moves and it’s making me feel better about myself.”

  April sniffed and Aggie looked at her closer. Were
those tears in her eyes? “What’s wrong?”

  “You. Finally someone has made you see sense, and it makes me want to cry so bad.” Tears trickled down April’s cheeks and she held her arms open for a hug.

  Aggie leaned in and wrapped her arms around her bestie. “I’m sorry. You were right all along. It wasn’t my fault but I had trouble convincing myself of that.” She moved back to her own chair and wiped her face. “Maybe it’s how Ben says it without the sympathy that did it for me. He’s blunt about men’s behavior and how it has to change, which I think is what I needed to hear.”

  “I don’t care who made you see the truth of the matter, but I’m glad you have. So very glad, Aggie. You deserve to be loved for who you are, not in spite of what happened.”

  “I never said I was in love. Merely that I understand it wasn’t my fault. I still think one day Liam will wonder why he didn’t go for someone without the kind of baggage I’ve been carrying around. Don’t go getting too far ahead of yourself or you’ll be in for a big dose of disappointment.”

  “So long as you give him a chance, I’ll keep my opinions to myself.”

  “Ha! As if. You never miss a chance to tell me what you think.” And I still haven’t said I’ll let myself fall for him.

  “I can’t help it; comes with the territory of being best friends.” April grinned. “I want you to be as happy as I am. Give him a chance and let him prove how much he loves you.”

  “It’s not him, April. It’s me. He couldn’t be sweeter, honestly. I just—I don’t know—I probably still think that one day he’ll look at me differently, and I’ll start to wonder if he’s thinking I did something to encourage that guy. That somehow it was all my fault.”

  “But you just said you don’t think you were to blame. I don’t understand.”

  “I don’t believe I was but that doesn’t mean everyone else will think the same way. Why do you think so many women never press charges? People automatically think their dress was too short or they were drunk or leading the guy on. It’s never the rapist who goes on trial; it’s always the woman because she has to prove she didn’t do anything wrong.”

  “Liam’s not like that.”

  “That’s what I keep telling myself. So far, ‘self’ is having trouble believing it.”

  * * *

  “I’ll pick you up at seven.”

  “I don’t know, Liam. I wouldn’t mind an early night.”

  He sighed. “But you used to love them, Aggie. Your bedroom wall was covered in their posters. How often do they come to the island to play? Hardly ever. You have to come with me, help me relive our childhood.”

  Silence met his words, but he wasn’t about to give in. She’d regret it if she didn’t go. He knew she would. The nights they’d both sung themselves hoarse while dancing along to the band were now far behind them, but the passion to rock out to those songs was still there. At least, it was for Liam.

  “Okay. But I don’t want to be out late. I need a good night’s sleep. I’m ready for bed.”

  “Don’t worry. I’ll have you home at a reasonable time. See you later.” He hung up and grinned like a fool. So far, things were working out well. He’d managed to take her out and spend more time with her in the last couple of weeks than he’d done in the previous years. Things were looking up. Miss Aggie Hope was making him dream big, but he wasn’t about to scare her off by telling her that just yet.

  When Liam pulled up at her house that evening, Aggie was sitting on the front deck waiting for him. He smiled to himself as she bounded down the stairs before he could get out of the car.

  She pulled open the car door and slid into the seat in a cloud of perfume. “Hey.”

  “Hey, yourself.” He leaned over and gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek. “Ready to rock the night away?”

  Aggie laughed. “You’re kidding, right? I’m an old lady now. The only rocking this one does is in the shower with nobody looking. We’re not all as brave as you are when it comes to putting ourselves out there in public.”

  He drove down toward the boat club, where any band worth going to see played. “You’ll always be young to me. Funny thing about growing older—not that we’re anywhere near old—our gray matter doesn’t know we’re aging. Our bodies might protest but our brains still feel the same as they did years ago. Not sure if that’s a good thing or not.”

  “Probably not. Makes you think you can do all sorts of weird and wonderful things, and that’s why accidents happen. I don’t have time to do my back in, not with the bakery depending on me.”

  “Me neither.” He pulled into the already full parking lot and found a spot near the back away from the door. “Busy night. Which makes me think it’s going to be a good one. We can’t be the only ones reliving our happy times growing up.”

  They showed their tickets at the door and Liam pulled her into the bar to get a drink. The music pumped through the building, and he found himself humming along. Once they had a glass of wine each, they pushed through the crowd to the next room to find a seat. After battling the mass of heaving bodies getting down and enjoying the band, they spied a couple of chairs against the back of the room.

  “There.” Liam claimed the seats. “So glad we came out. This is bringing back some great memories.” He tapped his feet to the music, saw a couple of people he knew, and waved a greeting, all the while keeping the beat with his foot and an eye on his girl. Aggie might not have realized it, but she was letting her defenses down where he was concerned. She was noticeably more relaxed around him. All those nights of hanging out in the bakery were paying off. The old familiar feeling of being around each other was working its magic.

  So long as she didn’t get frightened and remember to push him away again, he had a fighting chance of convincing her they were good together. It was up to Liam to keep things rolling along smoothly, and at the same time, it would smooth out his guilt for not being there before when she needed him.

  Tonight had been a great idea. Taking her to see her favorite band was one more positive step for their relationship. Nothing could stop him from winning her over.

  Chapter 21

  Aggie gave herself over to the music, unable to resist. It’d been ages since she’d felt remotely like dancing in public, and Liam was right to bring her. She was having a ball, letting her hair down for the first time since forever it seemed. Liam had gone to the bathroom but dancing alone didn’t bother her. She swayed in time with the music, happy in a world of her own.

  Minnie danced over and bumped hips with her, then gave a quick hug. “This band is so cool. Even after all these years, Aggie, they still have it.” Minnie laughed and did a spin, her hand linked with Aggie’s as they enjoyed the music. They laughed, carefree in the familiar environment, until a stranger pushed in between them and startled Aggie. He reached for her, his hand landing on her breast as he lurched forward. “Hey, baby. Let me show you how a man dances.” He leaned into her, his arm touching hers.

  Aggie stepped back out of his reach but he went with her and forced her against the wall. Her head banged into the plaster, leaving stars floating across her eyes. Panic set in and her throat closed up. The music faded as he pressed a knee between her thighs. He leaned in, and his breath rolled over her neck. “Unless you’re more into women than men?” He cackled and his hand moved up to her throat, stroking down to the collar of her dress. “I can deal with that too.”

  Minnie tried to pull him off Aggie but he brushed her off. It took a second but Aggie finally snapped to attention, ready to put her training into practice. She lifted her hand and brushed his arm down exactly as Ben had taught her, and pulled her other arm back to deliver a blow to his throat. Before she could let it fly, the man was knocked to the ground. Liam stood over him, chest heaving.

  “You filthy bastard. How dare you grope a woman?” Anger spilled off of him in waves. The guy on the floor crawled backwards to escape.

  “Liam.” Aggie grabbed his arm. She’d had it under contr
ol. Why did he have to take that away from her? “Leave it. Just leave it.”

  He turned on her, disbelief on his face. “Are you kidding me? I want to punch his lights out.”

  The bouncer pushed through the dancers and took in the situation. “What’s going on?”

  “This drunk groped my girlfriend.”

  “Did not.” The guy in question stumbled to his feet. “She wanted me to dance with her. Ask her.”

  “Ma’am?”

  “Not even a little bit, pal. I was dancing with a friend and you assaulted me.” She turned to Liam. “And I had it all under control, thank you.”

  The drunk piped up again. “She was killing time dancing with a chick. That screams out a pretty clear signal to me. Chicks always play hard to get by using other women. Every guy knows that.” He stumbled and fell into the bouncer, who grabbed him.

  “Do you want me to call the cops?” The bouncer held the guy’s arm tight.

  Liam nodded. “Yes. Call it in. Nobody gets to assault a lady and think she deserves it.”

  Aggie stared at him with an open mouth. “Really? You get to make those decisions for me?”

  Liam stared at her as if she was crazy. What the heck was wrong with him? “Of course I do. Someone has to look out for you, Aggie, and that person is me.”

  Aggie fought back more emotions than she could stand. The memory of her last assault bit hard, and now she was struggling with her newly won confidence being taken away because Liam was being too protective. “No, you don’t. I can make my own decisions. I can look after myself, thank you.”

  He shook his head. “No, you can’t.” As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Liam groaned. “Crap. Aggie, I didn’t mean that. I’m so sorry.”

  But she didn’t wait around to hear anymore. She grabbed her bag from under her chair and pushed her way out of the venue. Once she got outside, the cold air slapped her heated face. But it didn’t stop her. Aggie ran down the stairs and through the parking lot, past his car and onto the pavement.