by Jill Sanders
“Are you about done?” he asked as he ran a hand down her arm.
“Yeah, I’m just finishing up.” She smiled for the first time and he felt his heart jump and his breath hitch like hers had a few moments ago when he’d startled her. “Want to do lunch?”
“I can’t. Something’s come up.” He watched her green eyes turn dark. “I’ve got an errand to run and was kind of hoping you’d tag along.”
She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest. “What kind of errand?”
“My father had a stroke last night.” Just the words on his lips caused his heart to sink and feel heavy.
“Oh.” She leaned up and took his hands. “I’m so sorry.”
“He’s at the hospital in Vail, and I was hoping you’d go with me to visit him.” He needed her there; for some reason he doubted he would be able to deal with his father if she wasn’t by his side.
“Me?” She blinked a few times.
“Well, it’s close to a two-hour drive up there. I figured you could keep me company.” He knew it was starting to sound like he was begging, but he didn’t care. Not if it got her to agree to go.
He could tell she was thinking about it, but she still had a slight frown on her lips.
“I’ve arranged for a hotel room so we won’t have to drive back in the dark.”
She looked at him and tilted her head, and he wished he knew what she was thinking.
“Honest, I’m not an ax murderer. You can call my mother and stepfather to confirm.” He held out his cell phone for her.
She looked at it and sighed. “I know you’re not a murderer. It’s just . . .”
“I know.” He took her hands in his. “If you want your own room, I’ll understand.”
“It’s not that.” She bit her bottom lip, then asked, “How is your driving?”
He almost laughed. “I’m a very safe driver. No speeding tickets, no accidents. Well, none that I’ve caused. A mother of four backed her minivan into me in the shopping mall’s parking lot once when I was twenty.”
“I’ll need to stop by my place first. Plus, I need to finish this up.” She glanced back at her computer screen.
“We can get some lunch on the road after we swing by your place,” he suggested.
“Sounds like a plan. Give me fifteen minutes to finish up here.”
“I’ll be in my office.” He leaned down and kissed her solidly on the lips. “Thanks.”
“Tell me I’m not crazy,” she whispered into her phone.
“No, not crazy. A little spontaneous, but not crazy,” Amy whispered back.
“Why are you whispering?” She giggled and then glanced toward Aiden’s office. “You’re at home.” Amy laughed. “I don’t know. After what you told me happened last night—and let me tell you again how jealous I am about it—I can see why you’d be hyped to go. Just keep your phone on you and charged and text me every once in a while.”
“Yes, Mother. I’ve got to go. I have to finish my work. He’s waiting.”
“Kris?” Amy broke in before she could hang up. She knew her friend only used her nickname when she wanted her attention.
“Yeah?”
“I know the trip is about his father, but try and have a good time too.”
“I will.” She finished up her work, smiling the entire time.
When they walked out of the building less than half an hour later, she felt nervous until he reached over and took her hand in his. They rode the bus back to his place and she sat on the edge of his bed as he packed a small bag for himself.
She groaned, remembering that she no longer had an overnight bag of her own.
“What’s wrong?” He glanced at her.
“Um, maybe we can stop off at the store so I can get a bag.” She tucked her hands into her pockets. “I haven’t had time to replace a lot of my stuff that was stolen.”
“He took everything?” he asked, and she could see concern in his eyes.
“Everything, except a few things hanging in my closet and some items in my kitchen.”
He sat next to her. “I have another bag.” He reached under his bed and pulled out a bag identical to his. “Here, you’re welcome to it.”
She smiled. “Thanks. Are you all packed?”
He nodded and then leaned closer and kissed her until she felt out of breath and her skin was heated.
“We’d better get going if we want to make it up there before dark.” He helped her up off the bed.
She was a little surprised to see the shiny black BMW he stowed his bag in. When he opened the passenger door for her, she had to blink a few times to make sure she wasn’t hallucinating.
What was an architect of his age doing driving a car like this? The leather seats were warm and felt like heaven as she watched him walk around the front.
“I like your car,” she said when he started the engine up.
“Thanks, I just got it last year.” He clicked on his seat belt and waited until she did the same. “Do you have a car?” he asked as he backed out of his spot in the parking garage.
“I had one a couple months ago.” She remembered the disaster.
“Accident?” he asked.
“No, I got carjacked and they drove my new Mustang into a river.”
He frowned and glanced at her as he pulled out of the building. “How terrible. You weren’t hurt, were you?”
“Just my pride.” She looked out the window as they headed toward her apartment.
Fifteen minutes later, they walked through her front door. She was so busy thinking about what she’d need to take that she hadn’t thought about what her place looked like.
“You live here?” He took her hand and stopped her from walking back to her room.
“Um, yeah.” She chuckled. “Okay, so I haven’t had time to replace much of anything.” She groaned. “Do you know how hard it is to find the right furniture?” She crossed her arms over her chest and sulked as she looked down at the two beanbags.
“At least tell me you have a bed,” he said as he started walking toward her room.
“Of sorts,” she said, catching up with him.
He stopped short just inside her room. “That?” He glanced at her. “You’re sleeping on that?”
She frowned at the air mattress. “It’s not as bad as it looks.”
He turned to her. “Tell me the bastard is at least locked up.”
She shook her head. His dark eyes had turned a deeper color and she could tell he was pissed. But he took her shoulders and tugged until she was in his arms.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry the jerk did this to you,” he said into her hair as she held on to him.
“It’s not as bad—” she started, but stopped when she felt his head shaking no.
“First thing this week, I’m taking you to get furniture.” He pulled back. “I know you’re a designer, but I have a few connections that might help.” He smiled down at her. “Besides, I love shopping for stuff.”
“Right. And I suppose you love to cook and do laundry too.”
“Cook, yes. Laundry, no.” He tugged her farther into the room. “Now, pack.” He handed her the bag and she got to work as he leaned against her wall and watched. She was a little self-conscious when she had to push aside her cotton panties to get to the fancy ones she wanted to take for him, but when she glanced at him, he was busy looking down at his phone.
When they finally drove out of Denver after eating a quick drive-through meal, she couldn’t contain her excitement for heading into the Rockies.
“It’s been almost a year since I’ve gone into the mountains.” She watched the scenery whiz by. She’d really missed being engulfed in the hills. Surrounded by trees and rocks. The beauty of it all almost made her eyes water.
“A year?” He glanced at her. “You
didn’t go skiing this year?”
“With my luck?” She laughed.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Aiden loved driving, but he especially loved driving in the mountains. The freedom of flying up the road as the trees zipped by gave him pure pleasure.
Kristen sat next to him, quietly watching the scenery. When he thought about her empty apartment, he felt like hunting down that ex of hers. He couldn’t imagine anyone living with as little as she had. But what really got him was imagining her sleeping on the small air mattress every night.
“How often do you ski?” she asked.
“I snowboard.” He looked over at her. “Not as often as I want to. This winter I went around a dozen or so times.”
“Where do you go?”
“Breckenridge. I have some land near there and a cabin that I share with my family.”
“I like Breckenridge. I spent a week up there a couple summers ago with Amy. I’ve never been to Vail before, though.”
“You’ll like it. You should really go in early fall when all the aspen leaves are turning.” Some of his best memories were in the Colorado Rockies.
“I’ve seen pictures, and I’ve seen the trees in other mountain towns.”
“It’s not the same as spending a warm autumn night sitting out on a blanket somewhere watching the leaves fall.” He glanced out the window and could just imagine how it would look this fall. “We’ll come up this fall and spend some time.”
She looked over at him and he could see a little apprehension in her eyes, so he asked, “Does it scare you thinking about still being with me this fall?” He smiled when she blushed. “I know you’re the kind that loves ’em and leaves ’em,” he joked.
She laughed. “It’s just strange listening to a man talk about commitment to a relationship. I haven’t had that before.”
He reached over and took her hand. “I think I’ve gotten a real sense for what you’ve experienced in relationships before. Especially after seeing your apartment.”
“Yeah, well.” She sighed and glanced out the window again. “So I haven’t had any luck finding the right man. There are a lot of people out there like me. Amy has only been in one long-term relationship.”
“I’m going to have to meet Amy one day soon.” He wondered if she was anything like Kristen, or the complete opposite.
“She’s telling me the same thing about you.” She squeezed his hand. “You know, Amy wasn’t all that impressed with my exes.”
“I bet.” That answered some of his questions about her best friend.
“What about your exes?” she asked.
He shrugged. “Well, you could sum up my relationships with only a few words.” He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her knuckles. “Dull, boring, repetitive.” He kissed her hand again. “Maybe that’s why I’ve found myself interested in someone who is completely different from what I’m used to.”
The rest of the drive was peaceful. The clouds blocked out the sun outside of Vail, and by the time they drove up to the hospital, light rain was falling.
When they walked into the hospital, he felt nerves pounding through him. The last time he’d seen his father, the man had pointed a shotgun at him. Of course, he couldn’t blame the man for not recognizing him. He hadn’t seen him since he’d been a young teen.
“Are you all right?” Kristen asked, taking his hand in hers.
He looked down at their joined fingers and nodded. “Yeah. Just getting prepared.”
“Do you know what room he’s in?”
“Three twenty.”
“There are the elevators.” She motioned to the left. “Would you like me to go with you?”
He squeezed her hand. He couldn’t imagine walking in to see his father without her. “If that’s okay.”
They walked over together, and she punched the button herself.
He stopped just outside of his father’s room, dropped her hand, and took a couple deep breaths. Kristen stood beside him and waited.
When he reached for the door handle, it flew open quickly and a small blonde woman rushed out.
“Oh!” she said, taking a step back as she wiped her eyes dry.
“Hello, Shannon,” he said to his father’s second wife, who had been his babysitter for most of his childhood.
“Aiden.” She gasped and glanced back with a frown. Then she stepped forward and shut the door behind her. “Does your father know you’re here?”
“Not yet.” His eyebrows shot up in question.
“Well, he’s resting right now.” She frowned again and looked down at her hands. “I . . . I don’t think it’s a good time.”
“You’ve kept us apart for too long.” He took her shoulders and gently nudged her aside.
“It’s just . . .” She tried to stop him by putting her hand around his bicep. “He’s in a mood.”
Memories of his father flooded his mind. “Dad was always in a mood.” He opened the door, took Kristen’s hand again, and walked into the room.
“Damn it! I said get out!” He watched his father’s face pale when he saw him. “Who the hell are you?”
“Is that any way to greet your long-lost son?” He walked over and stopped next to his father’s bed.
Kristen looked down at the older man in the bed and almost did a double take. Aiden had never mentioned that his real father was Gordon Harvey, the former Colorado senator. The man was a legend to most people who had lived in Colorado. The man had not only helped clean up Denver and clear out a lot of the gangs but had been singly responsible for keeping most of the big ski resorts open.
She stood next to Aiden and could feel his tension through his hand in hers.
“Aiden?” His father blinked a few times, and then irritation crossed the man’s face. He looked thin and frail, and she guessed that he was paler than normal.
“Dad, how are you doing?” Aiden held her hand tighter.
The older man looked up at him. “I’ll live. If they ever stop poking me.” He waved his hand a little, exposing the tubes sticking out of them. “Damn doctors.”
“This is Kristen Collins.” He brought her a step closer to his father. “My father, Gordon Harvey.”
“Mr. Harvey.” She felt her heart kick a little.
“I didn’t expect to see you here.” He shifted in the bed, looking at his son.
“I had breakfast with Mom and Eric. They told me what happened.”
“Shannon called them.” The old man rolled his eyes, looking somewhat aggravated.
“Shannon?” Aiden asked, sounding a little confused.
“Woman never listens to me. I told her not to bother you.” His father settled a little more on the bed.
“Shannon has been the one keeping me away from you. Why would she call?” Aiden asked.
“Shannon has been sheltering you,” he answered and closed his eyes. “I haven’t been myself lately. Actually, the last few years. They tell me it’s Alzheimer’s. Damn if I can remember most days. The drugs they have me on here make me even crazier.”
Aiden shook his head, looking like he was unsure exactly what he was hearing. “Then, the last time I was in Vail?”
“Shannon told me I pointed the Remington at you.” He opened his eyes and glanced at Aiden. “Sorry.”
Aiden looked rooted to the floor. He turned to Kristen. “If you want, you can wait outside for a while.”
She looked up at him, then nodded. Dropping his hand, she turned and walked out of the room. She knew Aiden needed some time alone with his father, especially since it appeared he was lucid. She could only imagine the pain of having to deal with someone slowly losing their mind.
When she stepped out, she noticed the small blonde woman from before was sitting across the hall. She could see the woman’s eyes were red and that she’d been crying.
&
nbsp; “Did he kick you out too?” she asked in between breaths.
“No, Aiden wanted some time alone with his father.”
The woman patted the spot next to her. “You can sit if you want.”
She smiled and walked over to sit next to her.
“I’m Kristen Collins.”
“Shannon Harvey.” She shook her hand. “I married Gordon shortly after Aiden’s parents divorced.”
Kristen wished she knew more about what had happened to Aiden’s family but doubted it was nice to ask any questions.
“You two look real good together,” Shannon said, wiping her nose on her tissue. “How long have you been together?”
“Well, we’ve actually worked together for a while.”
“Oh.” Shannon looked down at her hands.
“But recently started seeing each other,” she added.
“That’s nice,” she said absentmindedly as she watched the nurses walk into her husband’s room. “Excuse me.”
Kristen watched the small woman follow the nurses inside. Less than a minute later, Aiden walked out of his father’s room.
“Ready?” He took her hand and they started walking back toward the elevators. They rushed through the rain to his car. He opened her door and waited for her before running around and getting behind the wheel. “Sorry, I just had to get out of there.” He turned toward her. “He started talking to me like I was five again.”
“I’m sorry.” She reached over and took his hand. He looked down at their joined fingers.
“I always thought it was Shannon keeping me from seeing him.” He shook his head and she could see the pain in his eyes. “But all along it was him.”
“Did he say why?”
“At first, he was busy with his career and making a life with Shannon, but then, when his health turned, he didn’t want me to see him like that.” He sighed and closed his eyes.
“Sometimes people do things to shelter the ones they love.” She waited until he looked at her to finish. “Amy’s parents have done some pretty stupid stuff in the last few years since their divorce.”
She could see he was tired from the whole ordeal.