The Soldier's Unexpected Family

by Tanya Agler

  Aidan stepped toward her. “You don’t have to be that upset about the other night.”

  “That’s not why I’m upset.” She patted the sides of her dress in case she hadn’t clasped it correctly this morning and it had fallen there. Nope. She started scanning the area around her feet. “I lost my necklace.”

  The grass crunched under her ankle boots as she scoured the ground for any sign of the golden chain with Francisco’s medallion. Where is it? It had to be here somewhere. She approached the truck and the chassis and circled the area, her steps getting quicker, her heart beating faster.

  Danny returned with her bottle of water and handed it to her. “What’cha looking for, Aunt Natalie? I can help.”

  Her eyes burned, but she wouldn’t cry. “My necklace.” She choked out the words while grasping the cool, wet bottle, thankful for something to hold.

  “Is it the one you always wear? Are you sure you wore it today?” Aidan asked.

  “I don’t leave home without it. I remember making sure it was fastened securely in the bathroom this morning.” Her voice quivered, and she tightened her grip in an effort to stay calm. This necklace couldn’t be replaced.

  “Then it’s here, and we’ll find it.” He shifted his weight. After a moment’s hesitation, he reached out and rubbed her arm. The brief touch calmed her, his composure helping to settle her own nerves.

  Danny rattled her keys. “I’ll look in the car. I’m good at finding things. My teacher said so.”

  He trotted off. She and Aidan watched him make his way to her SUV before she turned her attention back to the grass. She wouldn’t even think about what creepy crawlies or, worse yet, snakes might make their home in this area.

  “Did you go anywhere else before you came here?”

  Collecting her thoughts was harder than her emotions. She glanced in his direction, a methodical plan written all over his face. She retraced her steps. “Home, then here.”

  “If we can’t find it at the park, I’m sure it will turn up at your house.”

  They kept searching, but nothing. Her phone played a familiar ringtone, and she considered letting her mother go to voice mail, but answered it instead. She scooped up her phone. “Hi, Mom. What’s going on?”

  “What’s wrong? You’re not your chipper self.”

  Her loss impacted her more than expected if her mother picked up on it that quickly. She wouldn’t lie, but she didn’t want her mom thinking she was freaking out over something seemingly simple. “Just a couple of things happening all at once. They should be resolved shortly.” She’d fix the tissue paper debacle after she found her necklace. “Danny’s looking forward to the picnic tomorrow.”

  “It’s not on the truck platform. I’ll keep looking.” Aidan’s voice carried over to her and she waved in return.

  “Did you invite Aidan? You should invite him.” Her mother’s insistence came through loud and clear. “We always have two to three weeks of leftovers. Make sure he has our address. See you tomorrow.”

  Natalie was grateful for her mom’s unusual brevity. Aidan kept his nose to the ground until he arrived at her side. “No luck so far. We’ll keep looking. It’s gold, right?”

  “Gold chain with a St. Michael pendant.”

  “That’s the air force good luck symbol. Did you serve in the military?”

  She shook her head as Francisco’s image, blurrier now, came into focus. “My fiancé was in the air force.”

  “Fiancé? Was?”

  Her chest constricted for a second before peace settled over her. “Francisco died in combat in Afghanistan seven years ago.” A lifetime ago, but she’d never forget. “His abuelita gave the necklace to him when he enlisted. On his last birthday, he gave it to me. He asked me to marry him before he left for what would be his final mission. We were to be married after my graduation.”

  “I’m very sorry.”

  “Thank you.” His sincerity meant the world to her.

  Danny ran their way. He panted for breath before shaking his head. “Sorry, Aunt Natalie. It wasn’t in your car. I found thirty-eight cents.” He held out his hand, and she sent him a wobbly smile.

  “It’s yours. You did a good job.”

  “What about me? I found a bottle cap but I threw it away.” Aidan leaned against a wooden post while he continued to scan the ground.

  “You’re in luck. I have something better than that as a thank-you for helping me look for my necklace.” Natalie tried to inject her voice with its usual buoyancy. “My mother called. She wants you to come to the Harrison Family Barbecue tomorrow. It’s extra special this year because it’s their fortieth anniversary. What do you say? I can text her and let her know you’re coming.”

  Danny pulled at his uncle’s arm. “My new cousin, Rachel, told me it’s the most fun ever.”

  Aidan stopped scouring the ground and looked her way. She ignored the ripples of attraction as much as she ignored the faint trace of stubble on his jaw, which added another level of handsome to his features.

  “What about you? Do you want me there?” he asked.

  “The more the merrier.” The challenge was clear in his eyes and she shifted her weight, too aware her answer was evasive. She nodded. “Yes, I’d like you to come.”

  “Count me in. What can I bring?”

  “Yourself. There’s enough food to feed all of Hollydale. My mom goes overboard, and it’s really more of a community barbecue. There’ll be at least fifty people there.”

  The prospect of Aidan coming to a family event had her feeling conflicted. On the one hand, she liked having him around and, on that account, his presence boosted her spirits. On the other hand, he affected her like no one had in years.

  Normally, she grew on people the more she was around them. One look at Aidan’s profile proved she didn’t know where she stood in his estimation. That bothered her. Not as much, though, as losing her necklace forever. She headed for the shed, eager to lose herself in work, looking at the grass the whole way.

  CHAPTER TEN

  HOLLYDALE RESIDENTS OF every age congregated on this Sunday afternoon around Diane and Carl Harrison’s house and backyard. They had greeted Aidan like they would a long-lost relative.

  This was new to him, and he’d escaped inside while others chose teams for a volleyball game. In the living room, he took a deep breath. Diane reminded him of Cathy, and the inside of the Harrison house had the same floor plan as his father’s house in Cincinnati.

  Until his father had met Cathy, he and his father were settled in a comfortable routine that centered around the two of them. Cathy had gone out of her way to do everything she could to make seven-year-old Aidan like her. Unbending and inflexible, he’d pushed her away for a good year until his stepmother gave up and concentrated her sunny optimism on his father and their new daughter.

  He brought himself back to the present. Pictures of the three Harrison children lined the fireplace mantel and the top two shelves of the built-in bookcases. In every picture, he could tell Natalie apart from her identical twin as their different hairstyles and shape of their eyes gave them away. There was even a recent picture of Natalie and Danny.

  It must be nice to know someone somewhere had pictures of you and welcomed your return. With Shelby gone, he didn’t have those roots anymore. Shelby had been his last living relative, other than Danny, ever since the plane crash that had taken his father’s and Cathy’s lives.

  He needed fresh air, the beige walls were closing in around him.

  Wandering back outside, Aidan admired the crisp, clean lines of the classic Thunderbird parked in the driveway.

  “Overwhelmed a little?” Natalie’s father, Carl, if he remembered correctly, headed his way, a mason jar of lemonade in hand. “Even I’m surprised at how many people showed up.”

  From the man’s handshake earlier, Carl promised to be a st
raight shooter.

  Aidan kept from reaching out and running his hand over the shiny metal fins of the convertible. “Someone’s taken good care of this Thunderbird. She’s a beauty.”

  “Good eye.” Carl sipped his lemonade. “Georgie cares about each car she renovates, but I think she poured her heart into my dad’s Thunderbird, which Mike inherited. It saw some hard times. Though TLC and a lot of elbow grease on Georgie’s part went a long way to change that.”

  Those words penetrated deep but not in regards to the car. Years of isolating himself from family activities might have taken a toll on his and Shelby’s relationship. Unlike this car, there was no second chance with his sister.

  More now than ever, he had to be the uncle Danny deserved. The boy needed a lot of TLC, and Aidan was prepared for the long haul of parenthood. He’d never shirked from hard work and wasn’t about to start doing so now.

  “And Georgie’s married to your son, the sheriff?” Polite conversation was one skill he hadn’t had much opportunity to refine as of late. Coming to Hollydale might be the best preparation of all for his return to the private sector next year.

  Pride shone on Carl’s face. “Best decision of my son’s life.” Carl walked over and inspected the other side of the Thunderbird, keeping his gaze away from Aidan’s. “Tricky business, this parenthood gig. You have to know when to accept what’s best for your family, even if it means you can’t step in and interfere.” He met Aidan’s gaze and smiled. “When they’re adults, that is.”

  Aidan nodded, unsure of what to say or do next. “Thanks for the advice. By the way, happy anniversary.” Searching for Danny was a safe bet.

  Carl laughed as two kids zipped past him and headed for the backyard. “Maybe it’s because I have three children, but you’re easier to read than you think. Natalie’s an adult, and I’m not going to interfere with whatever’s going on between the two of you. I’ll be here for her regardless of the outcome, but it’s a little like this barbecue. I’m just the hamburger flipper. My wife’s the organizer and the caretaker. In the meantime, my grill awaits. By the way, last time I saw them, they were almost done with their volleyball game.”

  Carl walked on, leaving Aidan to ponder the man’s words. What did he mean about there being something between him and Natalie? Was the chemistry between them obvious to everyone else? Or had Natalie confided in her parents about Aidan’s desire to take Danny to Fort Lewis and assume permanent custody? Judging from the looks of this barbecue, Natalie would have support after he left. She’d be able to get through Danny moving away a sight better than he would.

  But what would it be like for Danny to grow up knowing there were so many houses with people who loved him, folks he could always turn to? Homes that would have Danny’s picture on the mantel?

  No, Aidan wouldn’t go there. His nephew needed discipline and consistency, two qualities he could supply. He navigated the path toward the backyard, where shouts of victory arose. That volleyball game must be over. He walked through the fence opening and found a girl with braids whooping for joy, while Danny hung out on the other side of the net, his shoulders drooping with dejection. Aidan increased his pace.

  Before he reached Danny’s side, Natalie pulled Danny in for a hug. “You were great. I loved how you dove for that last ball. You gave it your best. That’s what matters. Keep that up, and you’ll always be a winner, I promise.”

  Promises from other people were feathers as far as Aidan was concerned, light in the air and easy to blow away. He always tried to deliver on his own but held back from assuming everyone else would, too, except for his fellow troops. Aidan could count on them. He clapped his hands. “How about another game?”

  Natalie eyed him with some trepidation. “If you say that with any more enthusiasm, we’ll have to restrain you.”

  Shouts of welcome greeted new arrivals, and Aidan turned to find two bundles of pure energy flying toward Danny. “Hi, Danny. Want to go inside and play video games?”

  Natalie moved toward him and grazed his ear. “Remember Ethan and Mattie, Lucie’s twins? Well, Caleb’s in the process of adopting them.”

  The softness of her breath tickled his ear, and her strawberry scent reminded him of the best parts of summer.

  She stepped away and clapped her hands. “No one’s going inside on this glorious afternoon. This is a day made for outdoor games so we can eat all the food. I am the Harrison Family Barbecue Horseshoes Champion. Do I have any takers to try to dethrone me?” She looked at the three kids. “Do any of you know how to play?”

  Three heads shook, answering no, and Aidan found himself mimicking their response. Athletic and fit, he’d played a variety of games before, but never horseshoes. If they were pairing up for basketball, however, he’d have chosen Natalie in a heartbeat.

  Natalie gathered a group of adults and kids together and headed to the other side of the yard, where a dirt circle contained a large metal stake rising out of it. Natalie led them to a grassy area with horseshoes resting on the ground near a white spray-painted line. Aidan noticed another one ten feet closer to the dirt circles. She explained the rules and asked each child to pair up with an adult. Several kids scattered toward a parent, grandparent or other adult. Danny glanced at him, then at Natalie. Aidan’s heart wrenched at the indecision on his nephew’s face, although he was making some headway if Danny didn’t beeline straight for the beautiful redhead.

  “Danny, go ahead and team up with your uncle. He needs some Murphy power to help him combat this fabulous Harrison package.” She tossed a horseshoe inches in the air before catching it. She sent a smile in Lucie’s direction as the twins argued with their mother about who to pick for her team. “Besides, we girls need to stick together, right, Mattie?”

  Natalie reached for Mattie as he did the same for Danny, who tugged at Aidan’s T-shirt. “Have you ever played before?”

  Aidan wished he could lie and say he was good at this, but he shook his head. “Nope.”

  “Aunt Natalie’s been giving me lessons. I’ll cover you, Uncle Aidan.”

  * * *

  UNTIL AIDAN CAME to town, Natalie had never been in touch with her competitive side, which was rather surprising, considering Becks’s intense drive. Then again, Becks had enough of an edge in that regard for both of them, so Natalie had always been content to let her sunny side shine all the more.

  She stood back and disconnected that wire Aidan sparked in her. Life was meant to be savored and enjoyed; it wasn’t a game where winners took all.

  And life on an afternoon like this? With friends nearby, yummy aromas coming from the grill, a breeze keeping the summer temperatures relatively cool? Priceless. Summer was for the living.

  In spite of herself, she felt compelled to look in Aidan’s direction, waiting on the sidelines of the horseshoes playing area. If only he could see the positive effect Hollydale had had on him even in such a short time. Already his face was lighter than when he arrived, his shoulders no longer carrying the weight of the world.

  Her niece Rachel hooked a sinker, and Natalie cheered. “Way to go.” Extending her hand, she gave her niece a high-five. “Great job.”

  Diane also delivered a high-five to her granddaughter and another to Danny before clutching her clipboard under her arm. “Proud of you, Rachel! Same to you, Danny!” She then cleared her throat. “The two pairs that are moving on to the final round are Danny and Aidan, and Mattie and Natalie. It starts in ten minutes.”

  Natalie side-hugged Mattie, her kind of girl in those tie-dyed leggings paired with a hot-pink top. “Who knew you had such a good arm? I’ll have to talk to Lucie and Caleb about softball lessons.” She extended her other arm. “And there’s my boy. Way to go, Danny. You’ve done great with all those horseshoes so close to the stake. Those points really add up.”

  Danny’s eyes lit up like the fireworks that were only eight days away. Aidan stayed on th
e periphery of the action. Her father yelled out a new round of burgers were hot off the grill, and the crowd dispersed. She stepped toward the food table, hoping enough of the potato salad was left for her.

  Aidan blocked her path. “Finals? What did your mom mean about finals?”

  “Bragging rights, that’s all. Food first. It wouldn’t do for your competitor to drop of hunger, would it?” She pressed her arm to her forehead and pretended to swoon before his hand reached around and cupped the small of her back.

  Awareness of him flooded her, the same as his scent, that citrusy smell she now associated with him. Her mother had warned her not to bite off more than she could chew. A relationship with Aidan, worrying about whether he’d be hurt again or worse, would be a gargantuan bite that could consume her whole.

  For Danny’s sake, and her own, she had to keep her feelings to herself.

  Aidan made a noncommittal sound, and his brusqueness was the right reminder of how they saw the world with two different sets of sunglasses, his opaque and hers rosy. Danny joined them in line for the food. Natalie grabbed two plates.

  “Two plates? You weren’t kidding about how hungry you are.” Aidan reached for plastic utensils, glanced at Danny and picked up another handful of napkins. “Must be shooting all those dead ringers.”

  “Is it wrong to root for you to miss one, Aunt Natalie?” Danny looked at her with his big brown eyes.

  Aidan shook his head. “We don’t root against the other team. We have to rise up and perform better if we want to win.”

  “For the record, I worked up an appetite threading all that tissue paper through two rolls of chicken wire earlier this morning, one for each side of the float.” Then she laughed and held up the second plate. “This one’s not for me, though. It’s for Danny.”

  They piled their plates high with food and found a place to sit on the lawn. Appreciating the creamy taste of the potato salad, she couldn’t help but notice the strong family resemblance as Aidan and Danny bent their heads together, discussing strategy for the finals. Someday in the future, if Aidan’s high cheekbones were any indication, Danny’s chubby cheeks would fade away and become more prominent. He’d be a heartbreaker for sure.