Hold Me

by Alexa Verde

  Aileen took a deep breath. She didn’t like taking risks, avoided confrontations as much as she could. Except for opening her business, she’d played it safe.

  As safe as she could.

  Putting her business on the line, putting her heart on the line was a huge risk.

  Kristina elbowed her. “It’s about to start. Well, just look at my hermano!”

  Oh yes, Aileen looked all right.

  Stared, in fact.

  So did every woman here.

  Unlike other auctioned bachelors before him who’d been dressed in tuxedos, he opted for a black T-shirt, black jeans, and cowboy boots, an outfit accentuated by a tool belt. The T-shirt stretched over his muscular torso, chiseled by years of manual labor. He shifted from one foot to the other, as if uncomfortable, but he oozed masculinity.

  Who would think a man dressed so simply and wearing a tool belt could be this attractive?

  “Wow,” a few women in her row whispered, and Aileen agreed.

  Kristina leaned to her again. “Why are you not bidding? Oh, I see. You want low bids to get out of the way. You’re waiting until only a few bidders are left.”

  “No, I was just salivating,” Aileen admitted sheepishly.

  “That man can fix my plumbing any time.” The phrase came somewhere from the right, and Aileen’s head snapped in that direction.

  Huh?

  Apparently, a respectable gray-haired lady in a light-blue suit, matching hat and gloves, of about sixty years old, said it.

  Aileen didn’t even want to think what kind of plumbing the lady meant.

  Her neighbor of about the same age nodded enthusiastically. “You’ve got that right.”

  The rest of the women seemed to agree because bidding went high fast.

  Well, what was she to do?

  Her heart thundered in her ears.

  “One thousand!” somebody screamed two rows ahead of them.

  What? A thousand already for a day spent with Roman? Not that he wasn’t worth it. Because he totally was.

  Now or never. She raised her hand. “One thousand two hundred!”

  Heads turned in her direction. Did she say something wrong? Sure enough, whispers started, probably none of them good.

  Aileen shrank back.

  Kristina gave her an encouraging look. “Feel free to go up to twenty thousand.”

  “What?” Aileen nearly jumped in her seat.

  “First of all, my brother is priceless, and I see a few women here I wouldn’t want to sink their teeth into him. Second, it’s for the flood victims. We’re all happy to donate.” Kristina leaned into her husband, who nodded.

  When the bidding went up to fifteen thousand, already a record in the history of Chapel Cove, Aileen glanced at Kristina. “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. Offer twenty. Really, go for it.”

  Aileen’s heart nearly stopped as she raised her hand. “Twenty!”

  Roman’s jaw dropped.

  All heads turned to her. For a few moments, there was silence until murmurs started again.

  “Are you sure?” Mrs. MacPherson’s eyes went wide.

  “Positive.” Aileen echoed Kristina’s words.

  Of course, if her friend overestimated the amount they could come up with, there was no way Aileen could get even a fraction of this sum. Her stomach turned. What was she thinking?

  Kristina reached into her purse and handed her the check. “Here we go.”

  Aileen stared at it, hardly able to believe it. “I know it’s not enough to repay it, but I owe you a lifetime of cupcakes.”

  Her friend laughed. “Chelsea will be happy to hear it.”

  She agreed with Kristina that her brother was priceless. And the expression on Roman’s face when he looked at her was priceless, too.

  The issue was she didn’t want Roman just for a day.

  She wanted him for life.

  Chapter Twelve

  EVEN AFTER Aileen had explained to Roman yesterday that several people had pitched in to bid on him, he still couldn’t believe how high the bid ended up. Mrs. MacPherson said he’d set the record for years to come, if not for a century. The fundraiser overall turned out to be so successful the lady was already thinking about making it an annual event for different charities, hopefully, without the flood preceding it.

  Sunday afternoon, he tried the fifth outfit in a row.

  This was ridiculous. He never cared what he wore and usually put on the nearest clean T-shirt and jeans or sometimes shorts if the weather was warm.

  Now that didn’t seem enough. Standing before the mirror, dressed in a white polo shirt and sand-colored slacks, he stared at his reflection.

  Okay, he needed a woman’s perspective. He picked up his phone from the nightstand and speed-dialed his twin. “Hermanita, do you have a minute? Or more like ten?”

  “Sure. What’s going on?”

  “I need you to come over to help me choose an outfit for my date—ugh, I mean, lunch—with Aileen.” Anybody else would probably scoff at him for this, but he knew his sister.

  “I’ll drive to your place right now. I needed to bring you something anyway. See you soon.” She disconnected.

  Well, he didn’t expect anything less from Kristina, though he did have a slight pang for intruding on her time with her family.

  Minutes later, the bell rang, and he opened the door to a smiling Kristina with a dozen red roses, their brilliant hue offsetting the classy tones of her cream-colored dress and matching jacket. A pearl earring gleamed from one ear, the other ear still naked. She was probably dressing for church when he’d called.

  He waved her in, and so she stepped inside.

  “What are the roses for?” He stared at the bouquet before it sank in.

  The florist shop was closed for the weekend, and there wouldn’t be enough time to receive flowers if he ordered them online. And he’d badly wanted to give Aileen flowers.

  “Well, I was hoping Aileen would win the bid at the bachelor auction. I also figured it would be too late for you to get roses for your date—I mean, lunch—with her. Judging by your long history, you need all the help you can get.” She winked.

  He wouldn’t argue with that. “Gracias.” He retrieved a large vase from the shelf, hurried to the kitchen, filled the vase with water, and returned to the living room.

  Smiling, Kristina arranged the crimson-red roses in the water for now. “Okay, I only came to your rescue because I had the same what-to-wear-for-a-date emergency call for Nai.”

  “And?” He raised an eyebrow as he turned to her.

  “Oh, yeah, and because I love you. But really, stop stressing out. Aileen couldn’t care less about the way you dress. Remember, she saw you in clothes stained by paint, torn, old, and—”

  “Okay, I get your point. Still, what do you think? I’m picking her and Jonah up to go to church. Then Jonah asked to be dropped off at a friend’s place. Aileen and I will have lunch at Tía Irma’s. Then I hope to take her to the beach and a few other surprises.”

  She paused. “What you have on is fine.”

  He groaned. “I need to change.”

  His twin quirked an eyebrow. “I said this was fine.”

  “You paused.”

  “I paused?”

  “You paused.”

  “Okay.” She took the nearest chair. “It’s just you usually wear dressy black slacks and a white shirt when you go to church.”

  “But I didn’t want Aileen to think I’m trying too hard to impress her.”

  Kristina rolled her eyes. “You are trying too hard to impress her. Just be yourself. Be the person she fell in love with.”

  “And walked out on later.” He rushed back to the closet and came back dressed in black slacks and a white shirt, ironed and starched.

  His sibling gave him a thumbs-up. “That’s what I’m talking about.”

  He leaned against the wall. Usually, he was a confident man, was never nervous before any of his dates. But today his
heart was doing somersaults in his chest. “It’s just this all is too important to me to mess it up. I want to bring Aileen closer to the Lord again. And… sometime later, I want to stand in that very same church, waiting for her at the altar.”

  “Wow.” Kristina’s eyes widened. “You sure seem certain about this.”

  “I am. I love her. I never stopped loving her, even if I did my best to persuade myself otherwise for twenty-two years.”

  “Well…” His sister got up. “I need to rush back because Greg is braiding Chelsea’s hair to go to church, and, um, sometimes he needs some help with that. But I’ll say two things before I go.” The gaze of her dark eyes became thoughtful.

  “Two things?” He walked her to the door.

  “First, you need to tell her how you feel. While you know her better than I do, I have a feeling Aileen still worries about too many things. She needs to be confident about your love. Second, Aileen has some apprehensions about your relationship. Like her huge debt, the fact she’s already left you once, and so on. It might take you some time to persuade her you’re meant to be.”

  He opened the door for Kristina. “Then I’m the man for the job.”

  Her heart skipping a beat, Aileen settled into a pew. She hadn’t been in a church in years, and mixed emotions whirled inside her.

  Probably the biggest of those emotions was joy, though she had little prickles of doubt and worry. What would God think of her now? She wasn’t the naïve and innocent girl she’d once been.

  Roman, who flanked her on the right side, smiled at her. “God will accept you with open arms. I’m so glad you agreed to come to church today.”

  “Wow. It’s beautiful here. And so… solemn. I’ve never worshiped in a church.” Jonah, who was sitting to her left side, looked around. “Oh, and I see familiar faces. Shannon is over there with her parents.” He waved at the girl.

  No mistaking that blonde pink-streaked hair.

  While Aileen didn’t want that to be his motivation to come to church, she didn’t say anything. Jonah had told her Roman had talked to him about God. She stifled a sting. She should’ve talked to Jonah about God, read him the Bible, brought him to church so many years ago.

  Roman seemed to read her thoughts again. “Don’t start feeling guilty now. Just… talk to God.”

  She lifted her eyes up to the ceiling.

  Lord, please forgive me. Please guide me. Is this true love or nostalgia for the best times of my life? Will I bring Roman happiness or only hurt again? Does he still love me, or am I kidding myself? I don’t want a casual relationship. And I have Jonah to think about now. I know I worry about so many things, but I don’t know how to stop. Please show me the right path.

  The fog of confusion in her head didn’t dissipate, but she felt lighter—as if she could float through it.

  Mrs. MacPherson waved from a few pews ahead. Then they got up to let Kristina, her husband, and Chelsea into the pew. Chelsea looked adorable in a pink dress with a bow, and a matching bow decorated her braid.

  They gave each other greetings and hugs, and somehow Kristina looked at her differently when she slipped inside the pew.

  Huh? What was that about?

  Aileen didn’t have time to consider it as the service started.

  As she listened to the sermon, she had a strong feeling her life was about to change for the better.

  Could she grow closer to the Lord again? Could she help her son do the same?

  Jonah seemed to listen attentively, his eyes wide.

  This was the same church Roman and she had wanted to be married in. Maybe there was hope that dreams, once broken, could come true.

  She still didn’t have clarity.

  Lord, what should I do?

  That afternoon, Aileen took a deep breath of salty air, listening to seagulls’ greetings. She’d won that bid at the bachelor auction, so she’d decided to enjoy this day with Roman.

  Her heart squeezed.

  She didn’t want the day to end.

  While she missed spending the rest of Sunday with her son, having a romantic lunch at Tía Irma’s was wonderful. She stole a glance at Roman, walking beside her on the boardwalk. He’d traded his dressy black slacks and starched-white shirt for blue jeans, a steel-colored sweater, and a navy jacket. His hair, neatly combed this morning, was now ruffled slightly by the wind.

  Just like in her teen years, he made her breath catch in her throat.

  She couldn’t look away, as if needing to commit his image to memory. Not that she’d ever forget him. And she’d meet him again after tonight, of course. Chapel Cove was a small town. But never again like this, when possibilities floated fresh and new in the air.

  Or would she?

  He took her hand, and she didn’t pull it away. Warmth spread through her at his touch, and her pulse spiked.

  This place held so many memories. They’d gone fishing here many times, and then she’d cooked the fish later at Mrs. MacPherson’s.

  They’d run around here when they were teens, and when he’d catch her, he’d cover her face in kisses. Her skin heated at the memory, and anticipation tingled through her. She wanted him to kiss her.

  Desperately.

  Badly.

  And keep kissing her again and again.

  He drew her to him and for a few amazing moments stared in her eyes. She lost herself in his dark orbs. The world around them disappeared, and she couldn’t—wouldn’t—think about everything pulling them apart.

  Then he released her slowly. “I don’t want to push you too far.”

  She was about to say he wasn’t pushing her, on the contrary, but she held the words back. She’d never been the one to initiate a kiss, and she wouldn’t do it now.

  Despite the long list of women he’d dated, she could trust Roman wouldn’t hurt her. But could she trust herself to never hurt him again?

  Worry chilled her heating blood. Maybe she was kidding herself here, and he didn’t have strong feelings for her any longer. This was just reliving good times of their youth and their happiness.

  Everything she’d ruined by marrying a different man.

  He traced her jawline with his fingertips. “Have you any idea how much I missed you all these years?”

  His gentle touch tensed her every muscle. Where was this going? “Not as much as I missed you.”

  A few moments like this, and she’d hand him her heart on a silver platter again.

  He leaned into her, then seemed to force himself to pull away. He glanced toward the lighthouse. “Care to climb the stairs? The view there is spectacular.”

  She already had a spectacular view right in front of her, but she wouldn’t tell him so. “Sure. Let’s do it.”

  As they started climbing stairs, the lighthouse seemed to have way more stairs than she’d remembered. Or maybe she was slightly out of shape. She’d need to stop snacking on her own pastries. But the wonderful thing was, even if she’d gained a few extra pounds and a few wrinkles were lurking somewhere, she saw the same admiration in Roman’s eyes as when they’d been teens.

  With her heart beating fast for several reasons, she grew more breathless the further they climbed.

  Concern flashed in his eyes as he looked down at her. “We can go back if you’d like.”

  “No.” She huffed and puffed a little. “It’s fine.”

  “Are you sure?” He took her hand.

  “Oh yes.” Somebody needed to take up jogging in the morning. Maybe on this very beach. Right. She’d have to get up at three in the morning for that.

  The rest of the stairs he mostly pulled her up. If the narrow passage had more space, he’d probably have carried her. Just the thought made her heart flip flop.

  Once they made it to the top, she looked around. “Wow. It’s even more amazing than I remember.”

  Probably because the last time they’d visited the lighthouse she’d been so head over heels she’d stared mostly at him and not the ocean.

  A few fluffy
clouds drifted overhead. Azure waters spread in front of her as far as the eye could see, and the ships interrupting it looked so small from this height.

  “God creates such amazing beauty,” Roman said quietly.

  “Yes.” She’d never get tired of this view.

  Chapel Cove was built in such a beautiful place. But what made it even more beautiful was the caring, God-loving community.

  In the tiny space at the top of the stairs, she had to stand very close to him, but she wasn’t complaining. “Let’s stay here for a while, okay?”

  “Of course.”

  For some time, they gazed at the ocean and talked about their friends, relatives, and so many things that had happened during all the years they hadn’t seen each other. Talking to him was always so easy. While she’d been shy as a teen and never grew out of it—except when she had to talk to the customers—he’d been the heart and soul of many gatherings. With Roman, she’d always been at ease.

  Then the conversation switched to her son. “I was afraid at first for Jonah to wrestle.”

  “He told me. It took him some time to persuade you he’d be fine.”

  “I just remembered watching you doing it. Every time I thought you might get hurt, my heart would sink.”

  “That’s why you left one of my practices? I thought you didn’t care enough to stay.”

  “I cared too much for you to stay. It surprised and scared me when Jonah wanted to wrestle, too. He’s kind and caring, and he loves carpentry and the same classes you did in school. He’s so sociable. He makes friends easily, unlike me. He’s so much like you in character.” She kept quiet for a while, then blurted out, “It’s like… he’s more your son than his real father’s.”

  Something unreadable flashed in Roman’s eyes. “I’d love so much for Jonah to be my son.”

  “I have a feeling he thinks the same way. He can’t stop talking about you. Thank you for teaching him carpentry and inviting him fishing next week.” A deep sigh left her lungs. “I made such a mess out of things, didn’t I?”