The Soldier's Unexpected Family

by Tanya Agler

  The thought of him suffering the same fate as Francisco brought a heavy weight to her limbs. Danny had her and her family always, but what if something happened to Aidan? Then Danny would lose his last living relative.

  And what about Aidan himself?

  His droll sense of humor, his honor, his willingness to commit where others said no? More reasons for her to step back from him. While she’d do anything for Danny, and she could easily wish upon the star for a chance with Aidan, relationships were built on compatibility, trust and more than moondust.

  Although there wasn’t anything wrong with a little moondust.

  “You look worried, but you shouldn’t be. It’s nothing,” said Aidan. “Just a flesh wound.”

  It figured he wouldn’t tell her. “Buzz off, it is.”

  “It happened nine years ago. A lifetime, really. A young kid, probably not old enough to shave yet, attacked me with a knife while I should have been more attentive. I don’t talk about it much.”

  “I think Shelby wanted to know everything that happened to you, the good and the bad. She talked about you, and how you and I never met before is sort of a mystery to me, but I came home to Hollydale for holidays, whereas you sent her a plane ticket to visit you at the base wherever you were stationed.” She stopped, her words fading into the night. Had she met him sooner, would she still have felt this pull toward him?

  They were already on Marigold Lane. In seconds, they reached her front door, and she opened it. Danny disappeared in a flash.

  “You don’t lock your door?”

  “We were gone less than an hour. I do lock it at night.”

  Aidan settled the duffel bag on her porch and folded his arms against his chest.

  She shifted her weight. “Okay, I’ll start locking it whenever I go somewhere.”

  “Security is important to me. Yours and Danny’s security is important to me.”

  He included me.

  She reached out and touched his arm. What felt like electricity zapped her, and she jumped back. “My security is important to you?”

  “Natalie.” He moved closer, and her world tilted on its axis. The smell of him, sweat mixed with something like citrus, filled her senses, already rocked with the revelation that he was concerned for her welfare.

  She didn’t break the connection between them. For some reason, this soldier, who shouldn’t be reigniting her love for moonbeams and stardust, something she thought was lost forever, stood on her front porch with the summer melodies of crickets and river frogs blending together for a sweet song.

  There were a thousand and one reasons for her to step inside her house and shut and lock the door. And yet she moved closer just as he stepped toward her, as if some magnet was drawing them together instead of pulling them apart. The lyric sounds faded until only his breathing, steady and consistent, roared in her ears, that same breath caressing her cheek.

  “One kiss might prove this is just summer magic,” she said. One that was casting a spell over them rather than a real connection that would bind them together.

  “Or it might complicate everything, especially if Danny came outside and saw us,” Aidan said.

  There was more stopping them than just Danny. Here was Aidan, a man who wore a watch and lived by a schedule, the last person she wanted any relationship with, and she was a kindergarten teacher who prided herself on leaping into whichever good idea came to mind. She needed people to like her, whereas, from everything she’d observed, he depended on himself, valuing his lone-wolf status.

  She couldn’t give in to a moment that would only lead to more heartache and pain, no matter how much she wanted to believe in moondust again.

  She cast her gaze to the concrete. At the same time that she stepped back, he did the same, as if he’d figured out this kiss wasn’t on his schedule. She blinked and dismissed that last part. There was more to Aidan than a day planner.

  “It’s just the front porch, it has this effect, you know. Summer and the smell of roses and an inviting porch,” she babbled, reaching for anything to lighten the tension between them.

  “I don’t buy that.” He stretched his arm until it made contact with the house, inches away from her. “I don’t think you do either.”

  “I like things uncomplicated and light.” And Aidan was the epitome of complicated. “I live for the moment, you know.” She inched closer to the door, gripping the knob, the warm metal reminding her of home and what had to be most important for her now.

  “So, which did you choose? Red velvet or lemon coconut or both?”

  Her breath caught in her chest, still racing from the mistake she’d almost made a second ago. “It’s too late for that much sugar.” She closed her eyes, aware of how that might sound, before opening them at the same time she opened the door. “I think the simplest solution is for you to go back to Eight Gables now. Good night.”

  He stared at her and nodded. “Security first. Check all your windows and doors. Make sure they’re locked before you go to bed.”

  He pulled his shirtsleeves down, hiding the scar. She watched until his figure had retreated down the street and faded away.

  She slipped inside the house, too aware Belinda and Hyacinth had given him, and not her, the cakes. She didn’t care much that she was poaching what belonged to him. She’d made the shot, and she deserved a slice of red velvet and a slice of lemon coconut. Everything else could wait until tomorrow.

  CHAPTER NINE

  AIDAN SCANNED THE area until he spotted the water fountain near the gazebo. He jogged toward it and refilled his reusable bottle. After a long swig, he stood back and wiped the sweat off his brow with his terry cloth wristband. Pink and purple ribbons streaked against the soft gray sky, a sure sign sunrise was on the horizon.

  The rounded mountaintops didn’t quite touch the clouds but still stood regal and proud. There was something about the stillness of this early time of day that touched him, the fruition of the previous day’s work, the promise of new plans, new challenges.

  The biggest challenge in his current path had to be Natalie. He’d avoided her yesterday. Instead, he had met with Woodley and Sheriff Harrison and updated them on some needed measures for the parade route and future steps to fix the problems he’d already identified. They’d scheduled a follow-up meeting for next Wednesday. The work had helped keep his mind off Natalie as he’d come close to doing something spontaneous when his cheek was mere centimeters from hers the other night. Good thing he’d backed away at the same moment she had. Getting involved with the spirited beauty wasn’t in his plans.

  Aidan stretched his leg muscles on the gazebo steps, almost ready to resume his run. He was about to reinsert his earbuds when he heard someone call his name. He turned and found Hyacinth jogging on the path or, more accurately, being pulled along by two boxers that ran ahead of her.

  Hyacinth was a mass of color with a tie-dyed shirt and starburst leggings. “Good morning, Major M.! You don’t mind my calling you that, do you? Which do you like better, peaches or plums?”

  “Peaches, I guess.” The women in this town flustered him like no other, and the jury was still out on whether that was a good thing.

  “Good to know. Enjoy this glorious Saturday morning. I’d stay and chat, but Athena and Artemis prefer a nice, long run to start the weekend. Toodle-oo.” She raised her arm in a jaunty wave without breaking her stride.

  He blinked and tried a few more stretches before hitting the pavement again. This time, more early birds dotted the sidewalks, some running, others jogging. To his surprise, many shouted out greetings that involved calling him by his first name. In a town this size, he must be the story of the week after accepting the least popular job around, that of pie contest judge.

  He logged another couple of miles before he veered into the Eight Gables’ driveway. Only two more days until the gas and water were turned on a
t Shelby’s house so he could move in for the duration of his stay.

  Ginny bustled in the dining room, a large area that reminded him of his grandmother’s in that it was fussy with knickknacks but not ostentatious. An antique mahogany table seated fourteen, with the matching cabinet displaying bone china with little pink flowers. A gleaming silver tea service was the centerpiece of the sideboard, where Ginny arranged baskets of muffins—apple cinnamon if his nose was correct.

  He announced himself, and she turned around, her hands crossed against her chest. “Major Murphy! Did you have a nice run? Did you enjoy the sunrise? It’s so beautiful with the backdrop of the Great Smoky Mountains.”

  He nodded and waved, intending to get an early start to the rest of his day. Then he stopped, unsure of what that comprised. Until the rest of the utilities were turned on, sorting through Shelby’s belongings would have to wait. And he’d left Natalie’s house before making plans to do something with Danny on this Saturday.

  For the first time since, well, middle school, he didn’t have his entire day mapped out. While Natalie would approve, his fingers itched at the very thought.

  “Major Murphy?” Ginny came over and laid her hand on his arm. “Are you alright? You’re almost pale.”

  The owner, who was around the age his mother would have been if she were still alive now, seemed genuinely concerned about him.

  “Thank you. I’m fine.” Although his smile was a little rusty, he’d used it around Natalie enough for it not to be broken. Come to think of it, he’d smiled more around Natalie in these few days than he had since his last stateside visit.

  Ginny frowned as if he wasn’t convincing, but she tucked the empty silver tray under her arm. “Once you shower and change, there’s a continental breakfast available.” She hustled toward the door leading to the kitchen and called out, “Feel free to bring that nice nephew of yours to tea this afternoon.”

  Aidan breathed out a sigh of relief as he strode up the stairs, taking them two at a time. Something to do, and someone to do it with.

  * * *

  NATALIE TAPPED HER foot against the concrete slab of the picnic pavilion, a slight breeze ruffling through the piles of cut tissue paper next to her on the wooden bench. She adjusted the rocks so none of the paper would scatter and get ruined.

  “Earth to Natalie, come in Natalie.” Her sister-in-law’s voice broke through her reverie as Georgie waved her hand in front of Natalie’s face.

  “How do you know something’s a mistake or if it’s right?” Natalie reached back for her water and sipped it before adjusting the chicken wire alongside her legs.

  Georgie frowned and stopped sanding the two-by-four. “If this is about Danny...”

  “Never.” Why did everyone assume she was talking about Danny when she asked questions about the future? Her mother gave every impression Natalie was biting off more than she could chew, and now Georgie seemed to jump to the same conclusion. “I love Danny, and I’ll always treat him as my own.” Because he was hers. Shelby entrusted him to her, and she’d take care of him and love him always.

  “That’s a relief.” Georgie glanced at her watch and then wrinkled her nose. “Are you sure you’re asking the right friend? Wouldn’t Lucie be better with this emotional stuff? Now, if you have a question on which oil viscosity suits your car’s engine the best, definitely come to me and not Lucie.”

  Girl talk had always been a mainstay of Natalie’s life. She’d grown up with an identical twin, Becks, who was anything but identical in her approach to life. It was more like they were mirror twins than anything else. Then she’d roomed with Shelby at the University of North Carolina, and they’d formed a fast friendship that had endured through Francisco’s death and Shelby’s pregnancy.

  When she had returned to Hollydale without Becks or Shelby, Natalie had latched onto Georgie and Lucie, and the three of them formed a tight new bond. Natalie knew exactly who she was talking to and why, even if Georgie doubted herself. There was always a method to Natalie’s actions.

  “Although I sometimes question your choices when it comes to men, after you married my brother,” Natalie joked and giggled. “You’re the exact person for my question. I was there when Mike arrested you, remember?”

  Georgie groaned and placed the sandpaper and wood on the picnic table. “That’s the last time I help you on my lunch hour, even if it is after two, especially when a ’63 Lincoln Continental arrived in the shop this morning.” Her green eyes twinkled enough so Natalie knew she was in on her joke. “You had to bring that up, though. Mike’s acknowledged he made a mistake, and we’ve moved on.”

  Maybe she should be talking to Lucie after all, she thought, grinning. “So, is it better to acknowledge something was a mistake and move on, or is it better to ignore it altogether?”

  She threaded more tissue paper through the holes in the chicken wire, alternating the colors so the initials for Hollydale Elementary School would appear on the other side in red and blue with a white backdrop.

  Georgie stood and dusted off her baggy shirt and jeans, her standard attire for days when she was working at Max’s Auto Garage and even days when she wasn’t. “Unlike my teenage self, who should’ve admitted to Mike how much I liked him, I now prefer to get something out into the open. Better for all concerned. Honesty gets you further than keeping something back.”

  “Thanks, I think.” Natalie rose and stretched, wiggling out her stiff fingers from inserting so many strips of tissue through those tiny holes. “These last two-by-fours will finish up the apron brace so I can start unrolling the chicken wire and puffing out the tissue paper on the other side. Then we can attach this and get ready to build the rest of the structure next weekend.”

  “That’s all you’re going to tell me?” Georgie neared and poked Natalie’s ribs with her elbow. “If you think I’m letting you off the hook that easily, I’ll have to hide the chocolate chip cookies the next time you guys visit Rachel. What’s the scoop?”

  The student turned the tables on the teacher, and Natalie wasn’t sure if she’d created a monster. Threatening to cut Natalie off from her cookie supply was serious business for Georgie. Natalie started unrolling the chicken wire. “For that type of discussion, I’ll have to have your help puffing out the paper, so it looks like flowers.”

  Georgie tilted her head one way, then the other. “Who’s SEH?”

  “HES stands for Hollydale Elementary School.” Natalie laughed before she walked around the float. Her laughter died in the breeze. The blood drained away from her face. “Son of a sea biscuit, that spells SEH.”

  “I know.” Georgie patted Natalie’s shoulder and glanced at her watch. “The advantage of being the co-owner of my shop is being able to take a longer lunch when there’s an emergency. I’ll call Heidi and have her tell Travis and Max I’ll be back a little late.”

  The other employees at Max’s Auto Repair always had Georgie’s back, same as Natalie would always be there for her students. She looked at the ruined display and threw it on the ground, a whole morning’s work wasted. At least Danny wasn’t here. Instead, Aidan had picked him up and, of all things, the two of them were having tea at the Eight Gables bed-and-breakfast. Natalie swallowed her pride and thought of that boulder. “Don’t be silly, Georgie. You have that Lincoln Thing-a-ma-bob to work on. I’ll be fine.”

  “Continental. I’ll have it purring before I’m through. You sure?”

  The anticipation on Georgie’s face was priceless. “Go on with you. I have letters to correct.”

  “Only you would answer your own question. See, this is a mistake. Now you can figure it out all by yourself whether the other thing was right or a mistake or not.” Georgie grinned before her eyes narrowed. “Am I being totally oblivious? Is this about Danny’s uncle?”

  Natalie shifted her weight, today’s cowboy boots being her favorite summer footwear with light blue flow
ers etched into the brown leather. “Lincoln Continental. Lincoln Continental.”

  Georgie laughed and reached for her small purse. “Next time you want to talk, make sure Lucie’s around. I’ll provide the cookies, and she’ll provide the advice.”

  Natalie waved as her friend drove away. She unlocked the utility shed and found a box for the tissue paper she could salvage and reuse. Plucking out each strand of tissue paper from the ten-foot roll of chicken wire kept her mind off the handsome and infuriating soldier. Her fingers cramped, and she stopped for a minute.

  Kissing Aidan the other night would have been a mistake. No doubt about it. Getting involved with anyone else in the military was out of the question, let alone the one man who held Danny’s future, and her promise to Shelby, in his hands.

  Footsteps heralded a new arrival. Glancing up, she found Danny, plus Aidan, standing there.

  Danny threw his arms around her. “Aunt Natalie, I don’t like cucumber sandwiches,” he told her and stepped back. He wrinkled his nose. “But they were a lot better than salmon. Yuck!”

  “You tried new food. You can’t like something until you’ve tried it. I’m so proud of you.” Natalie wrapped her arm around Danny’s waist, keeping him close enough for the smells of tea and sugar to surround her. She might also be using him as a buffer from Aidan, so she let go of him.

  “He wanted to try every one of the desserts as well, but I limited him to two.” Aidan reached for the chicken wire and glanced around. “Busy morning, I see. Did you store the first roll in the utility shed? I’ll go ahead and start attaching that to the apron brace.”

  Natalie winced and rummaged through her tote bag for her car keys. “Danny, can you get my extra bottle of water out of the cooler in the back seat? Thanks.”

  Danny ran off, and she turned toward Aidan. “I messed up, okay? I have plenty of time to start over and get it done right.”

  She reached up for a quick pat of her necklace and gasped as her hand touched bare skin. Her necklace was gone. She clenched her hands.