He held her gaze and smiled. “You know it’s my job, but I want you safe.” He looked behind her to Aiden and lifted his brows in silent question.
She twisted her head around just in time to see Aiden nod. Unsure what that meant, her attention was snagged as Colt and Hunter also said their goodbyes. Colt promised that her street would be added to their rotation and that someone would be keeping an eye on her place. Thanking them all, she walked them to the door, shutting it behind them.
Turning back around, she stared at Aiden’s family. Katelyn offered, “I’m going to run upstairs and check on Mom and Emily. If they want to come down now, is that okay?”
Nodding, she said, “Yes, thank you.”
Ginny stepped over and took her hands. “You know I don’t have any jurisdiction in the county, but I’m here for you as a friend for anything that you need.” She hugged her and thanked her.
At the same time, Brogan moved to Aiden and clapped him on the shoulder. “We’re here for you. You, and Lia, and Emily. Anything you need, anytime.”
Aiden pulled his brother in for a hug and acknowledged, “I know that and thanks, bro. That means more than you can imagine.”
Just then, she heard Emily bounding down the stairs. Looking in that direction, she spotted her just as she was jumping down the final step, her smile wide. “Mama, Miss Corrine showed me how to cut out paper dolls. She said that’s what they used to play with when she was a little girl.”
Corrine’s eyes darted between the occupants of the room, but finally landed on her. “How can we help, sweetheart?”
Suddenly exhausted, she shook her head and whispered, “I appreciate that so much, but I have no idea. I can’t think straight right now.”
“Well, I think we should have some lunch. How about I get in the kitchen and rustle up something yummy?” Corrine looked down at Emily and smiled. “Would you like to help me?”
Emily threw her hands in the air and ran toward the kitchen screaming, “Yay!”
Corrine winked at her and with a smile followed Emily into the kitchen.
“Not that I don’t want to stay for lunch,” Gareth said, walking over. “But I’d rather get back to the office. I want to start doing some digging on a few of the people that you’ve mentioned today. Anything I find out I’ll make sure to get to Mitch and Colt.” He shook Aiden’s hand, kissed her cheek and, with a promise from Katelyn that she would be along to the office after lunch, he headed out the door.
Ginny and Katelyn walked into the kitchen to assist with lunch. With a chin lift, Brogan followed his wife. Alone for the moment, Aiden pulled Lia in for a hug. Wrapping his strong arms around her, she slumped against him.
“I know you’re exhausted and, to be honest, I want nothing more than to take you to bed, encircle my body around yours and sleep. But, I also know you missed some of Emily’s excitement and you probably want to spend as much time with her as possible.”
She leaned back and looked up into his face, and said, “Will it scare you if I tell you that I’m glad you’re here?”
He pressed his lips against her forehead and whispered against her furrowed brow, “No, babe. Not at all. And I can tell you that I’m right where I want to be as well.”
After lunch, everyone left, leaving Lia and Emily alone with Aiden. She was not surprised to see Emily was yawning, considering her daughter had most likely stayed up late at her sleepover. This was confirmed when Emily easily acquiesced to her suggestion of a nap.
While Emily was upstairs, she and Aiden sat together in the now quiet living room. Pulling her close, he said, “I’ve been thinking about this for the last couple of hours and I don’t know how you’re going to take it, but I don’t want you and Emily here by yourself.”
She leaned back and looked up at him, and asked, “So what’s your solution?”
He held her gaze, his hand drifting up to cup her jaw as his thumb caressed her pulse point on her neck. “My solution is that I stay here with the two of you.” She blinked, stunned, but before she had a chance to speak, he jumped in. “I know that when you’re in town working you have people around you. But I’m not willing for you and Emily to be out here by yourself at night.”
She sucked in her lips, thinking about his suggestion. “I know that you’re right, but I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to explain it to Emily.”
“I can sleep on the couch. I can get up early and leave before she goes to school. Maybe she wouldn’t even notice,” he suggested.
She bit her lip, her brow scrunching once more. She felt as though her world was spinning out of control and battled to regain some of it. But no matter what solution she came up with, she kept coming back to the idea that someone might hurt Emily to get at her. Lifting her gaze again, she stared into his blue eyes. “I want you here and can’t come up with a good reason why you shouldn’t be. I’m a little nervous about what others might say, and downright terrified of giving Emily the wrong idea, but she really likes you and at her age probably won’t think anything about it.”
He smiled, pulling her in for a light kiss. It was hard to believe that it was just last night that they spent the night making love, the past few hours having put a damper on those feelings. “Brogan is going in and working tonight,” he said. “I don’t have to work at all until tomorrow. We can have something simple for dinner and explain to Emily that I’m gonna spend some extra time here. How does that sound?”
“Except for the reason we’re having to move so fast, it sounds wonderful,” she said.
A little bit later, Emily woke from her nap and bounded down the steps, a smile on her face. Seeing Aiden still there, she excitedly climbed up on the sofa and the three of them watched a movie. Halfway through, Lia went to the kitchen and fixed peanut butter and banana sandwiches and put them on a tray with some potato chips, along with some iced tea for the adults and a glass of milk for Emily. She brought it in and set it on the coffee table.
“We get to eat in here?” Emily asked, her eyes wide.
She nodded, smiling at her daughter, and said, “I thought we’d do something different tonight. Perhaps a picnic in the living room can be our special treat.”
In typical six-year-old fashion, her explanation easily satisfied Emily, who dove into her dinner. She looked at Aiden and grinned. “I hope you like peanut butter and banana sandwiches.”
Chuckling, he said, “You might not believe this, but they’re one of my favorites.”
Later that evening, after Emily was bathed and toweled off, she helped her into her pajamas and they moved into Emily’s room. She and Aiden had decided not to say anything to Emily yet, just allowing him to leave early the next morning before she woke up.
“Can Aiden read me a story?”
“Um…”
Aiden popped his head around the corner and grinned. “I’d be honored to read the bedtime story.” His eyes dropped to her’s and he added, “If it’s okay with your mom.”
She met his smile and nodded. “Absolutely.” Turning back to Emily, she said, “You pick out the story and he’ll read.”
She moved to the other side of the bed and Aiden sat next to Emily as she placed a book in his hands. He began to read and she watched him in awe. His voice was strong and animated at just the right times. Emily beamed, thoroughly enjoying the story.
By the time he got to the end, Emily was yawning heavily. As she slid down in bed, she lifted her hands to him and he bent to give her a hug. Kissing the top of her head, he moved so she could see him and said, “Sweet dreams, Emily.” He stood and walked to the doorway, then looked over his shoulder at her as Lia kissed her good night.
Hugging her tightly, she said, “I love you.” After tucking Emily in, she met Aiden at the door and flipped off the light, allowing just the nightlight to illuminate the room.
Several hours later, with extra blankets and pillows, Aiden made his bed on the sofa in the living room. Lia had gone upstairs to get ready for bed and as he hea
rd a noise he turned around to see her standing at the bottom of the stairs. Her hair flowed down her back, her makeup-free face pale in the barely lit room. Her yellow, silky pajama bottoms matched her camisole top, and she had a short robe tied about her waist.
“Are you okay?” he asked, walking over to stand directly in front of her.
She lifted her palms and rested them on his chest, staring up into his face. “I know we’ve only spent one night together, but I find myself wishing you could be upstairs with me now.”
He hesitated, desperately wanting the same thing. The chance to wrap her in his arms during the night. The chance to wake up and make love to her at first light. The pull was strong, but as he stared into her beautiful face, he knew what his answer must be.
“I want you, so badly it hurts. But I want you and Emily safe even more than my physical desires. And right now, I want to make sure that I do this right. So, until we’re ready to tell Emily that we’re together, I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
He watched as moisture formed in her eyes and she blinked, allowing a few tears to roll down her cheeks. He slid his hands to either side of her face, capturing her tears with his thumbs.
“I know in the middle of everything that’s going on right now, I shouldn’t say this. I should guard my heart, but I don’t think I can keep this to myself.”
His brows lowered as he waited to hear what she was going to say.
“You are such a good man, Aiden McFarlane. And I know it’s terribly early in our relationship, and I’m terrified that what I’m going to say will scare you away. But I have to tell you that I’m falling for you.”
His arms spasmed and he crushed her to his chest. Words that he had never wanted to hear from a woman before now moved through him, warm and soothing. Not afraid of her emotion, he instead felt connected. Unsure what to say, for fear of not being able to put his heart into words, he kissed the top of her head. Her arms began to loosen from his waist but he did not want to let her go.
He looked down at her face and the doubt he saw in her eyes speared through him. No longer afraid of saying the wrong thing, he rushed, “That means the world to me, Lia. You gotta know, it means the world. I’ve never been in love before. I’ve never wanted to be in love before. But what I feel for you and what I feel for Emily, it’s stronger than anything I’ve ever felt in my life.”
Her lips curved in a slow smile and she held his gaze for a moment, then placed her face on his chest, her arms wrapping around his waist once again.
Together they stood in the dark, at the bottom of her stairs, holding tightly to each other, for a few minutes letting their problems fall away.
23
Sitting at her desk, Lia poured over the papers in front of her and carefully dissected the reports and financial information on her computer. She had risen early that morning to see Aiden out and then took Emily to school after breakfast. Corrine had volunteered to pick Emily up from school and watch her for a couple of hours until she got off work. Hoping to get out an hour earlier, she decided to skip lunch and keep investigating.
A knock on her door frame had her looking up, seeing Scott smiling as he walked into her office.
“How’s it going?” he asked.
“I’m getting there slowly. Nothing definitive yet, but I know I’ll find it.”
They chatted for just a few minutes, before he asked, “Have you ever thought about moving the office to a different location? Or maybe expanding this office?”
Curious why he asked, she responded, “I haven’t really been here long enough to think about that.”
“I know this old office was good enough for my grandfather,” he said. “But with both of us here now, we could use the conference room and probably a little bit bigger space.”
She observed him as he looked around the room as though sizing it up. He had occasionally called her partner but they actually were not. She bought the business from Thomas when he retired. Scott answered her search for another accountant, but until she was sure they would work out she had not offered to take him on as a partner.
“I’ll be honest, Scott,” she said. “Right now, we don’t have the revenue to expand. If you decide to stay, and want to buy in as a partner, then we might be able to check out a larger office space here in town. But as it stands right now, we have to make do with what we have.”
A flash of irritation moved through his face, but it was gone so quickly she was not sure it was there.
He smiled as he stood and nodded. “You’re right, I know you are. Just to let you know, I do plan on staying. I like Baytown and I like the people that I’ve met here.” Almost as an afterthought, he added, “And I like who I work for.”
She heard him leave out the front door after telling Mrs. Markham that he was going to lunch. Just then her stomach growled at the idea of eating and she wondered if Mrs. Markham would mind ordering. She considered the pub but dismissed that idea, not wanting Aiden to know that she was going to stay in her office during lunch.
She walked out to the reception area and, seeing Jillian walking across the street, changed her mind. “Mrs. Markham, I’m going to run to Jillian’s and grab a sandwich to bring back here. Is there anything that I can get for you?”
“No, thank you, Ms. Smith. I brought something from home.”
She hurried across the street and entered Jillian’s Coffee Shop. Not seeing Jillian around, she ordered a sandwich and sat at a small table in the corner while she waited for it to be delivered. Hearing a familiar voice from the back, she caught a glance of Scott sitting at a table with Celia. Surprised, not ever having seen them together before, she could not help but be curious. Their voices grew softer as they leaned their heads close together, deep in discussion.
She startled as the server brought her bag with her sandwich inside and she quickly paid. Walking back down the street to her office, she could not help but wonder about the possible threat from Celia and why she and Scott were so chummy.
Walking into her office, she plopped down into her seat and pulled her sandwich out of the bag. She rubbed her head, which now had a familiar headache, and grimaced. I need to get a hold of myself. I’m starting to see gremlins wherever I look. Taking a big bite of her sandwich, she washed it down with her iced tea, focusing back on the numbers and figures in front of her.
Several hours later, Aiden knocked on her door and she looked up. “My, my, Mrs. Markham doesn’t even announce you anymore,” she grinned.
“Well, knowing Mrs. Markham’s penchant for professionalism, I take that to mean she must approve of me as someone you don’t mind seeing.”
She laughed while she pushed her chair back to stand and greeted him with a kiss. “I should confess that I did tell Mrs. Markham we are seeing each other and that you can come to visit me anytime.”
He wrapped his arms tighter around her waist and kissed her again. Longer. Deeper. Pulling away regretfully, he glanced at her desk, which was covered in papers filled with numbers, and shook his head. “I don’t see how you do it, babe. I’m glad you love your job, because it would drive me crazy.”
She glanced over her shoulder at the amount of work scattered around and shrugged. “Numbers make sense to me, I guess. And doing this kind of investigation is like putting puzzle pieces together.”
He grew quiet at that, his body slightly rigid. She looked back up at him, tilting her head to the side. “Are you okay?”
He opened his mouth to speak, then hesitated, closing it again. She waited, deciding to let him speak when he felt ready.
Finally, he said, “There’s something I want to tell you. Something I’m ashamed of, but if we’re going to be together, you’re going to find out anyway.”
Curious, she remained quiet, hoping that he would feel at ease to tell her anything.
“I’m okay with math,” he began, “but numbers can really confuse me.”
Unsure what he meant, she tightened her arms around his waist slightly, hoping that he wou
ld feel her acceptance no matter what. It must have worked, because he began to explain.
“It’s almost like being dyslexic, only with numbers. There’s a term for people that don’t understand math concepts, but that’s not me. I understand the concepts of math just fine, but when I read numbers, I transpose them. If the number is forty-three, then I’ll read it is thirty-four. If I really stare at it, and say it out loud, then I get it right. It just takes me longer because I always have to double check the numbers to make sure I haven’t transpose them.”
“Oh.” She blushed and bit her lip, remembering something. “A few weeks ago, when I asked you to double check my work…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to put you on the spot.”
He shook his head, saying, “Babe, it’s okay. You didn’t know. But, yeah. That was…hard.”
“Aiden, I’m so glad you trusted me enough to tell me. It’s certainly nothing to be ashamed of, but I’m sure it’s made you feel weird sometimes.”
“Not just weird, but dumb. I always laughed it off but, deep down, it was hard not to feel like the dumb kid.”
She held his gaze and nodded slowly. “I worry about that with Emily sometimes. She is so smart, but often people with any type of disability are looked at differently…treated differently.”
“You’ve done a wonderful job with her,” he said, his blue eyes holding her captive. “I really mean that.”
She smiled. “Thank you. That means a lot to me.” Sighing, she added, “I know I can’t keep her from being hurt or made fun of, so I just try to make sure she feels good about herself.”
“You’re an amazing mom…an amazing woman.” He slid one hand up to cup the back of her head, tilting her face back so that he could kiss her. Cognizant of being in her office, Aiden kept the kiss light. Just like Lia’s declaration of love, he felt her acceptance, warm and soothing as it moved through him.
She sighed with contentment and he felt the loss of her warmth when he had to step back. He knew she had more work to do before going by his parents’ house to pick up Emily.
Hear My Heart: Baytown Boys Page 18