by Rena Manse
The moment she stepped through the door she knew she was in trouble. One look at the set lines of Aaron’s scowl, and blood drained before she even knew what was wrong. He strode over from a window before the door closed.
“Shopping?” His low tone hitched when he locked in on the designer bag dangling in her hand.
“Is something wrong?”
“Wrong?” he repeated equally as low.
Oxygen suctioned out of the foyer into the vortex of Aaron’s eyes. To her relief, he’d stopped several feet away, because she didn’t want to be anywhere within arm’s reach. Jade Beverly floated behind him, a slight quirk creasing her otherwise bored face.
“My grandmother sat alone upstairs wheezing as if the devil himself was ready to take her down. And you’re out shopping?”
Ashley’s heart stuttered at the news. “I’m—I’m sorry.” How ridiculously feeble that sounded. She rushed to the stairs.
“She’s all right now!” he barked.
She stopped and looked back at him.
“You’re here to work Miss McKenny. I doubt you’ll accomplish that wearing Jimmy Choos.”
Behind him, Jade smirked. Hoping the look she shot him relayed she didn’t need childish insults topping his news, Ashley iced her gaze before continuing up the stairs. Leave it to chance for something like this to happen the minute she stepped out the door.
“I had a cough.” Val, propped up in bed, laid a magazine aside.
“Not the way your grandson explained it.” She dropped her bags and rushed across the room to feel Val’s forehead. “Any pain? Heart palps?”
“Oh, he loves to exaggerate. What did he say? That doesn’t come from my side of the family.” Ashley raised no-nonsense eyebrows to get a straight answer, and Val sighed. “I did have shortness of breath. Did you get your shoes?”
“Shortness of—Val. What do I need new shoes for?” She checked Val’s eyes.
“I don’t want you thinking that way. This would have happened whether or not you were here.”
“I could have done something before it got this point. Aaron looks like he’s ready to fire me.”
Val laughed. “You don’t work for him, you work for me. I won’t run the business, don’t want to put my nose in there anymore, but I do have the power over who works in our private affairs, and he can’t touch you.”
“That’s little comfort when the fact is I wasn’t in the house when I should’ve been.”
“Neither was I. We went to the stables, I sat in the sun, clapped and cheered as my guests rode the horses and ponies. We have the animals for only a short time during the summer, and I enjoyed watching my friends have fun with them. I didn’t take any water, you know how it goes.”
“So my real crime is I should be your babysitter. Valerie. It’s my fault. You exerted yourself these last few days, and I should have prepared for it.”
“I wanted to have fun and you would have stopped me. Now that I’ve gotten my fancies out of my system I’m all yours. Honest. My allergies were the only real problem, but I didn’t want you ordering me to bed until I had my fun.”
Ashley squinted. “I should let you keep talking. You’re digging a deeper hole. You can’t be stubborn when it comes to your health, Val.”
She pointed a boney finger at her chest. “No spring chicken, I’m a…”
“Tough old bird,” Ashley finished with her. “And I’m fixing to pluck feathers, so stay put until I tell you otherwise.” She squeezed Val’s hand. At least Val’s pulse was regular, her breathing normal, speech clear, eyes reactive. Calming her own erratic heartbeat, Ashley sighed. “I’ll talk to your doctor again. See if we can change your allergy prescriptions to better compliment your new medications. You shouldn’t still feel the effects so strongly.”
“Fine, but I order you to go for a walk or something. No, no objections. Go. Relax. And don’t be put off by Aaron.”
Hearing his name put a nail-on-chalkboard screech on her mind. “Me taking off on my own is what started this mess.”
“No, my not being honest about my symptoms did. I didn’t want to hinder everyone’s day. Now go.”
After helping Valerie to lie down, Ashley watched her for a few minutes before shutting the door. She went to her room and flung down the shopping bag. Covering her face, and breathing deeply, she decided to take Val’s advice.
Outside she took a path to the right of the house, walking slowly for some time before coming across the stables. Ah, the scene of the crime. A small carriage and harness looked hastily put to the side. Val’s visit to the stable cut short. She spotted a cover for the carriage, but apparently Val hadn’t requested it put on.
Ashley eyed the long brick and wood structure. She’d pictured stables to be more…old fashioned. Horse expert that she was, perhaps she should make friends with these animals as well. Not a smell she wanted to get accustomed to, she didn’t let it deter her from admiring the whole atmosphere.
The Gilyards had six horses and ponies. According to the schedule on the door, they were all back from running the field and getting brushed down. She took a moment to study the white one, the gray one, three sorrels, and one so brown it looked black. Gingerly, she plucked her way to the dark one at the back, close to the office. A white feather-shape streaked behind one ear.
“You must look like the wind when you run,” she whispered trying not to spook it.
Summoning extra courage, she reached out to stroke first its nose, then the feather behind its right ear. The huge animal abruptly turned its head to size her up with its left eye.
“Behave. I’ve only been on a horse once. If you let me, I’ll give you a try. Is that all right with you?”
A noise responded. Not the horse. But a soft hushed rustle, then the mellow baritone of something different altogether. It couldn’t be. Ugh. Aaron and Jade—in the stables? She shivered with the heebie-jeebies. A creak from above, followed by a woman’s laugh set Ashley to flight.
She hurried to the house. Aaron. Stables. Untamed ferocity. Pecs…
She shivered. “Eegh!” Not an image she wanted to have.
No wonder he had a girlfriend like Jade, they probably competed in acts of rudeness. Those two suited each other, but God help any person who crossed their path.
CHAPTER TEN
Val’s condition remained the same over the next seven days. Ashley limited her allergy medication, but ended up praying for her frequently, having to watch her struggle for breath at times. At least it rained often, allowing the odd afternoon on the balcony where Val could enjoy the clean air.
Val’s cherished guests left days ago, making the house and the old woman quiet. She’d become withdrawn, looked lonely and vulnerable. Things Ashley never wanted to be.
When Val began talking of her deceased nephew, it was apparent she still grieved the loss. And then with Aaron scheduled to leave for Toronto for a few days, Ashley worried how it would affect her patient.
Another loved one far away during a vulnerable time. But Ashley would be glad to see him go. He acted as though he was the one suffering from a dust allergy, spring cold, fluid on the chest, arthritis, and side effects of medications. He’d made it obvious he didn’t trust her with his oldest living relative.
“What’s become of you and Jonathan,” Val asked the following weekend.
Ashley frowned, realizing she’d been thinking about Aaron again, and paused in turning down the covers so Val could slip back into bed. Jonathan. That’s who she should have on her mind. Val had sounded almost upbeat and inquisitive, and Ashley wanted to take advantage of the mood while it lasted.
“I don’t know. He’s a great friend, but not my brand of relationship material.”
“Is that why you haven’t seen him?” Val slipped her feet off the wheelchair footrests, then Ashley bent to raise her and move her onto the waiting bed. “You’ve been out once, but that was almost two weeks ago.”
“I’m testing the theory of absence making the heart g
row fonder.” Ashley laughed, moving to pick up the lunch tray and took it to the cart by the door. “I haven’t had a chance to get to know him. Really know him.” She shrugged. “We talk on the phone. We’ll go out again sooner or later.”
“You’re waiting for lightning to crack?”
“No.”
“Goose pimples?”
“No.”
“Heart-stopping romance?” Val sighed like a Southern belle and Ashley chuckled as she plopped into a chair.
“Stop it.” He did have some great attributes. “He believes God exists, but that’s the extent of it. If I could get him to attend church with us, maybe then I’d see him as something more than an activity partner for the summer.”
“Jonathan’s a good man, but if you’re not going to grow and support one another the way God intended, you shouldn’t press for more.”
“He’s perfect otherwise. But what are the chances of a man that perfect falling for me?”
“You’d be surprised. I can’t say it was easy when I met my Henry.” Val winked. “Especially if he’s not willing to share God with you, it’s hard putting feelings aside when the package is nice.”
Aaron came to mind. His unnerving presence in the pews at church shook her even now. Ashley replaced him with an image of Jonathan.
“It doesn’t get much better when you’re older. There’ve been some gentlemen callers in the six years since my husband died. People of all ages crave closeness.”
Sighing, Ashley quirked her lips. “It would be great to get to know him. But it won’t be nice being ripped from a relationship at the end of summer.”
Val rested her head back on her pillow. “Ah, you’re homesick.”
“It’s not homesickness.”
“You’ve been away from the familiar for a while, and will be for some time to come. Something’s gone wrong—probably my grandson—and my health has been a challenge.”
Three for three. Aaron claimed his grandmother got worse under private care, and Ashley had begun to doubt her talent. She couldn’t tell that to Val, but it seemed the alert woman had picked up on some aspects of her struggle.
“You were in awe when you first arrived, but novelty wears away. I think you need home. Even if it’s to make this place your home for the time being, and not just a house where you’re doing your job for a few months.”
She couldn’t feel at home if Aaron continued to act as he did. But she didn’t want Val picking up on that. It would be so much easier if his masculinity wasn’t the first thing she thought of every waking moment thanks to his near-kiss, his barnyard scene, and her active imagination. You wanna know what he’ll do.
“I think I’ve settled in as much as I’m going to. I can survive a few months out of my comfort zone,” Ashley spoke louder than normal to override the internal chatter.
“When we first moved north, oh...” Val threw her hands up, dropping them heavily on the bed. “One child on my hip, the other in my belly, no friends, no family nearby, and the husband who promised to love and cherish me spent his days and nights starting up a business.”
Ashley laughed at Val’s sarcastic expression before it turned softer.
“I see so much of Henry in Aaron.”
“I’m like my father. I look like him, too.” Ashley raised her chin. “He had shares in a computer business he worked for, but they went under. I see him aging from the stress of trying to find a new job. It hurts to see him need help and not be able to do anything because he wants to manage by himself. Be the man of the house.”
“That’s probably why you’re in need of a man’s security.” Val grinned and pointed when Ashley shook her head. “A woman like you needs a man and a family. And you want to succeed for him.”
She peered closely at Val. “Are you saying I want a man like my father? Think you have me pegged, huh?”
“I’m old. I’ve seen a lot of pegs.”
“Hmm.” She scrunched her nose. “Does that make me old fashioned?”
“Old fashioned’s not so bad, you know. I valued Henry’s security. He made me feel successful as a mother when I started working long hours at the company. He encouraged me to keep going, even when I felt as if I’d abandoned our children. It’s amazing when you have the support of a husband, and a happy home. Nothing replaces that, no matter what type of a good career you have.” Val glowed. “You work even harder to give them everything. Make sure they lack nothing. My husband made me shine. My children are the polish.”
Enjoying Val’s sentiment, Ashley smiled. “You’d give up everything to see your children happy.”
“Everything. And for the grandbabies and great-grandbabies.” A thoughtful look common to Aaron flitted across her face. “Do you know why Aaron calls me by my given name?”
To feel in charge.
“I insisted on it. Soon after my husband died.” Val’s faint smile shone less bright. “Intimacy is more than a romantic coupling. Sometimes you crave for someone who loves you to call you by name. No titles, just you. Reaching into you. You long to hear that voice say it with affection. I speak with my siblings often, but Aaron comes from me.” She tapped her bosom. “He loves me unconditionally. He’ll always address me in love.
“I have everything, Ashley, but it’s not worth it if I can’t have someone love me for me, or worth my family’s happiness. It’s like that for you too, isn’t it? Material things aren’t important as long as those you love are safe and happy.”
“Let’s wait until I have children before discussing that.” She shifted in her seat, digesting that she’d been wrong about Aaron. She let her eyes roam the many framed photographs and painted portraits on Val’s chest of drawers and far wall. “I love that you have so many generations to talk about.”
“They’re a treasure. I’d love to have more great-grandchildren. Specifically, through Aaron, but he claims he’s too busy to look for a wife. Thirty-two years old and can’t make up his mind. Henry left him assurance if he marries because my husband never intended Revealing to be the focus of our children’s lives. I fear he’s not interested in settling down.”
“It’s hard to meet people when you’re busy.”
White curls shook. “If you haven’t noticed, Aaron doesn’t have trouble meeting lady friends. It’s a change from the wonderful, God-fearing man he used to be before Jade came into his life. Jade is his fallback. I think that’s what he called her—excuse my vulgarity. She doesn’t want his money, but hasn’t added anything of importance to his life. That’s what friends should do. Exchange matters of enhancing significance.”
Enhancing significance? Then she and Aaron would never be friends. The man didn’t enhance her anything. The history lesson was interesting, though. Aaron, a church boy.
She stifled a laugh, remembering how much she admired a Bible-full of thieves, cheats, and murderers. Why think it farfetched for God to save a womanizer like Aaron? Searching Val’s face, this seemed to be the only thing which could cause the older woman permanent heartache, her grandson denying his faith.
With these solid roots, why the vendetta against her mother? Resourceful as Mom was, she’d never find work again this far in her career.
“Val, is it more economic for a company to cut senior executives, or employees without seniority?”
The pale blue eyes took a moment to consider the shift in subject. “I’d have to know the circumstances, whether the root of the problem be finances, poor business management or inept forecasts. Not every situation requires letting employees go. Why do you ask? Is this what happened to your father?”
“Grandmother?” The knock on the door may as well have been a bullet by Ashley’s ear.
She jumped to her feet and answered it.
Val beamed. “Aaron. Come in.”
A fresh, low-fade hair cut piqued Ashley’s awareness of the good looking man in the room. He took the chair she’d occupied so she sank into the one on the far side of the bed. After his eyes evaluated his grandmother, t
hey slid a quick shot in Ashley’s direction.
“How are you feeling this afternoon, Grandmother?”
“Fine. Ashley’s lifting the strict bed-rest regimen in a few days.”
“Ashley is?” An eyebrow rose before he smiled. “Dr. Raab told me.”
He may have teased his grandmother, but Ashley heard him belittle her medical judgment. Probably didn’t know the first thing about patching a boo-boo and thought he could dictate how she should do her job.
“Once I’m out you won’t be able to get me back in so easily.”
“I hope I never have to.” He touched her hand. “Earlier this week I arranged a dinner party for tonight. I know you’re unable to attend, but hope you’ll at least come down and say hello before we start. Bruce Marshall and Loni Khole will be there.”
Val turned to Ashley. “They’re business associates and old friends of the family. Aaron, Ashley is free tonight.”
He sat up straighter. “She’ll enjoy her day off. She’ll think of something. Besides, a group of us will be talking business, she may want to find something outside the house. Val, if I can’t have my proper hostess at my side, Jade is happy to fill in for you.”
Oops. Ashley didn’t think Jade would step anywhere near this home tonight.
“Not necessary, Ashley can fill in.”
Ashley’s inner gloat lost itself somewhere in her churning gut.
“Grandmother, I hardly—”
“Ashley knows what to do. Goodness, Aaron, how difficult can it be?”
Ashley couldn’t look away when Aaron’s eyes locked on her.
“She held her own at my party, and she does work in a private medical facility. I’m sure more than one celebrity and official conversation has passed under her nose.”