Dogwood Hill

by Sherryl Woods

  “How come we’re here, Coach?” Henry asked. “And why’d you tell us not to bring pads or helmets?”

  Aidan called the boys together before answering.

  “Okay, guys, here’s the scoop. We’re going to be doing some unofficial drills and there are some pretty strict regulations on what we’re permitted to do. We can focus on training and getting in shape, but we can’t be doing full-contact tackling. We can use the field when it’s available, but it’s in use by a summer camp right now and for the next few weeks. I know you all are anxious to get started, so we’ll work out here for a couple of days a week.” He gave them each a hard look. “Try not to mow down any little kids who might be around, okay?”

  “Got it,” Taylor said. “The green is plenty big enough for me and Hector to practice passing.”

  Henry’s eyes lit up. “Actually it’ll be kind of cool to be right here in the middle of town. People can see for themselves how good we’re getting.”

  “They’ll see us make fools of ourselves from time to time, too,” Taylor said. “I’m probably still dropping more passes than I’m catching.”

  “That’s about timing,” Aidan told him. “You and Hector will work out a rhythm.” He glanced around. “Now, I have some permission slips you’ll need your folks to sign saying the school’s not liable for any injuries and I’m going to do my best to make sure we don’t have any injuries to worry about.” He looked from one boy to the next. “Understood? The first one of you who tackles another player is heading home. Is that also understood?”

  “Yes, Coach!”

  The loud chorus was led by Henry. Aidan smiled, once again impressed by his impulsive choice of what had turned out to be exactly the right kid to be team captain.

  He divided the team into groups and assigned them various running and passing drills, then stood back and watched them approach their assignments with enthusiasm and real determination. When he timed a few of the drills, he noted that they were running faster than they had when he’d first done the same drills before the end of the school year. Pleased, he called them back over.

  “You guys have been practicing without me, haven’t you?” he said. He tapped the stopwatch. “Excellent times today. I’m proud of you. On Thursday I expect you to do even better.”

  “Not till Thursday?” Henry asked, clearly disappointed.

  Aidan noted the same reaction on all of their faces. “I truly appreciate the enthusiasm, but this is summer vacation. You need to have some fun. I know some of you might even have part-time jobs. Two practices a week are two more than we were originally going to have. Do some running and weights on your own in between. Once August rolls around, we’ll kick it up a notch and we’ll be back on the field in full gear. By then you’ll be begging me to let up on you. Enjoy this pace for now.”

  Once more it was Henry who stepped in. “What did we say we were going to do this year?”

  “Whatever it takes!” the team members shouted.

  “And who’s going to lead us to the state championship?”

  “Coach Mitchell!”

  “And what are we going to do when we get there?” Henry demanded.

  “We’re going to win!”

  A shout went up that could probably be heard all the way around on Shore Road. Aidan smiled and gave Henry a well-deserved pat on the back.

  “How’d I wind up with a team captain, a head cheerleader and an assistant coach all wrapped up in one?” he asked the boy, whose cheeks immediately flushed.

  Henry had replaced the contacts he’d been wearing for practice with the glasses he preferred. He shoved them up the bridge of his nose and grinned back at Aidan. “Just lucky, I guess.”

  Definitely lucky, Aidan thought as he dismissed the team and watched them head straight to Sally’s. Anticipating that, he’d told Sally to put whatever they ordered on his tab and he’d be by to pay her later. It wasn’t something he intended to do all the time, but he wanted them to know just how much he appreciated their commitment.

  As he headed back to his apartment, Shanna stepped out of the bookstore.

  “That boy of yours is remarkable,” Aidan told her.

  “I’ve always believed that,” she said, then held his gaze. “But you’ve brought out something new in him.”

  “What’s that?”

  “Honest-to-goodness self-confidence.” She blinked back tears. “Thanks for that.”

  Aidan felt his own eyes sting at her comment. This, he decided, was what coaching was all about, turning boys into confident young men. When he’d walked off a professional football field for the last time, he’d chosen his next career really wisely. And, he was increasingly convinced that, despite all of the upheaval that might come when the truth about his relationship to Thomas came out, he’d found the best possible place to practice it.

  21

  Once again Liz tried really hard to beat the usual crowd to Sally’s on the morning after her dinner with Aidan. She knew perfectly well that Susie would have spread the sighting of her sipping wine on Aidan’s balcony far and wide.

  Sally gave her a knowing look. “You’re entirely too predictable. You know that, don’t you?”

  Liz regarded her with surprise. “How so?”

  “You’re only in here at the crack of dawn when you don’t want your friends in your business.”

  Liz winced. “It’s obvious?”

  “Hon, I’ve had this place a long time. You’re not the first to think if you can get out of here without a cross-examination by an O’Brien, you’ll be home free. I’m here to tell you, it never works. They’ll hunt you down.”

  Liz laughed. “Maybe so, but I’ll have caffeine by then, and a head start.”

  Sally handed over her coffee in an extra-large to-go cup along with a raspberry croissant. “Good luck with that,” she said as she took Liz’s money.

  Before Liz could turn and make her escape, the door of the café opened and Bree came in.

  “Sneaking off?” Bree asked, amusement glinting in her eyes. “I don’t think so.”

  “Good morning,” Liz said with forced cheer. “I have a big shipment coming in today. I need to get started early.”

  “I’m sure that’s it,” Bree said, nodding sagely. “I’m sure you wouldn’t skip out on your friends just to avoid a few questions.”

  “Absolutely not,” Liz said. “I have nothing to hide. My life’s an open book.”

  Bree grinned and tucked her arm through Liz’s. “Great, then let’s sit down and read a few pages of that book together.”

  Liz laughed. What else was she supposed to do? Just last night she’d acknowledged that this fascination with other people’s lives was part of the Chesapeake Shores and O’Brien charm. Of course, she’d also said she wasn’t crazy about it, but right this second it seemed she didn’t have a choice, not without offending a friend. She noticed that Sally gave her a commiserating look.

  “Ten minutes,” she conceded, following Bree to a booth. “That’s all you get.”

  “Then I guess you’ll need to talk fast. How’d you wind up at Aidan’s last night? Are you two finally...?” She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively.

  “We are not,” Liz said emphatically, then probably ruined the flat denial by adding, “And I wouldn’t tell you that if we were.”

  “Which means I can’t actually trust a word you say on the subject,” Bree said thoughtfully. “That’s quite a quandary. What to do? What to do?”

  “We can take turns spying,” Susie suggested, arriving just in time to pick up on the gist of the conversation.

  Bree looked almost as indignant as Liz. “We do not spy on our friends,” Bree scolded.

  “Okay, we ply them with wine till they spill the details,” Susie suggested. “That works for me, too. Let’s go
to the pub after work tonight. We haven’t had book club or a real girls’ night in a while now.”

  Bree studied Liz with a serious expression. “How about it? You up for a girls’ night?”

  “Sure,” Liz said at once, then grinned. “But I’ll be drinking diet soda. Now, I really do need to get to the store.” She stood up. “Feel free to continue your plotting. I’ve got your number. I intend to have my guard up.”

  Bree and Susie exchanged a look, then burst out laughing.

  “Oh, you sweet innocent,” Bree said. “We have tactics you’ve never even dreamed of. The military could probably use them.”

  “I’ll look forward to watching you try,” Liz said lightly.

  Only after she was in her own shop, with the door securely locked behind her, did she draw in a deep breath. For a woman intent on keeping a huge chunk of her life private, she had a hunch she was in knee-deep trouble.

  * * *

  After ending the unofficial practice with the team, Aidan changed into his running clothes and headed back out, hoping to get in a good workout before it got too hot. Unfortunately as he followed a route along the bay up to The Inn at Eagle Point, he realized the only things saving him from the surprising late-morning heat were the old shade trees and a faint breeze off the water.

  Making a last-minute decision, he turned off the road and decided to throw himself on Jess’s mercy at the inn and beg for water. She’d been friendly enough when he stayed there and she was an O’Brien, after all. They had a reputation to uphold for being kind to strays.

  He tapped on the side door into the kitchen and waited for Jess’s chef to answer. Gail took one look at him and shook her head.

  “You look like something the cat dragged in, then spent some time chewing on,” she said, grinning. “I wonder what all the girls who’ve been swooning over you would say if they could see you now?”

  Aidan tried for his most appealing smile. “I hope at least one of them would be sweet enough to offer me a bottled water.”

  “Ah, so that’s what brought you to the kitchen door, rather than traipsing through the lobby. You think I’m a soft touch.”

  “I hope so.”

  Jess walked in just then and shook her head at the sight of him. “Don’t you know no good comes of trying to run on a hot summer day around here?”

  “It’s great exercise,” Aidan said, defending himself. “And I thought I’d be back home before the temperature skyrocketed.”

  Both women exchanged one of those female what-do-you-expect looks that drove men nuts. Sadly, right this second, he deserved it.

  Gail retrieved two bottles of water, one from a case in the pantry, one from the massive refrigerator. “This one now,” she said, handing him the lukewarm water.

  “Yes, ma’am.” He turned to Jess. “Does she boss you around, too?”

  Jess laughed. “Only in here. At most other times, she wisely remembers that I write the checks. Now, come on outside and sit on the porch with me. There’s a nice breeze. You can cool down a bit before you head back into town.” She gave him a surprisingly stern look. “Walking, if you have an ounce of sense.”

  “How does Will put up with you?” Aidan teased, then thanked Gail before following Jess outside.

  Jess smiled at the question. “I wondered the same thing myself for a very long time. He claims to love me. I guess love really does make people stop using their brains. Gram’s always telling us to listen with our heart, not our head.”

  Aidan settled into a rocker and set it in motion, closing his eyes for a moment to enjoy the cooling effect of the breeze from the bay.

  “May I ask you something?” he ventured after several minutes of silence.

  “Sure,” Jess said.

  “Most everyone I’ve met in your family seems to believe love can overcome anything, is that right?”

  She laughed. “Personally I think it’s a character flaw, but yes. And since it’s worked in my favor with Will, I’m really in no position to express my doubts.” She gave him a penetrating look. “Is this about Liz? I’ve seen you together and I’ve heard all the speculation. Are you two an item?”

  “Not exactly,” Aidan admitted.

  “Why not?”

  “She needs someone in her life she can trust,” he began.

  Jess frowned. “And you can’t be trusted?” she demanded indignantly.

  “Settle down,” he urged, smiling. “Of course I can be, but there are things about me she needs to know and I’m not yet at liberty to discuss them.”

  “Bad things?” Jess asked, “The kind that might be a deal breaker?”

  “I honestly don’t think so,” Aidan replied. “The real issue is that I’ve kept them a secret. A lot of people would understand that kind of obligation, but it’s especially hard for Liz.”

  “Because someone in her life lied to her about something important?” Jess concluded.

  Aidan nodded. “But that’s another of those things I’m not at liberty to discuss.”

  She nodded, her expression turning thoughtful. “That makes sense. She clams up when anybody tries to get too personal. We’ve all wondered about that, because she’s generally so upbeat and open.” She regarded him curiously. “So what are you asking?”

  “Do you think we can get past this? Can love really conquer all that distrust and lack of openness?”

  Jess smiled. “My husband and certainly my family would say yes, but that it might take patience and determination.”

  “I have those things,” Aidan said. “I’ll hang in as long as I need to. I may not know much and I have zero experience with the kind of love we’re talking about, but I’m smart enough to recognize that Liz is worth waiting for.”

  “Good answer,” Jess said approvingly. “I’m not in the advice business. That’s my husband’s territory. I will say this, though. Whatever this secret is, make sure she’s the first to know when you can talk about it. She needs to hear it from you, not from the Chesapeake Shores grapevine.”

  “Thanks,” Aidan said, meaning it. He now knew exactly what he needed to do. He needed to get Thomas’s assurance that no one would find out the results of that DNA test before he could fill Liz in. Fortunately he had a little time to put that plan into place.

  * * *

  Back in town, Aidan showered, changed, grabbed a late lunch, then started making calls to try to locate Thomas. He missed him at the office in Annapolis, and Connie reported that he hadn’t yet arrived home.

  “Want me to have him call you when he gets in?” she asked. “Or do you want to try his cell phone, not that he ever pays a bit of attention to it when he’s on the road. He usually gets my messages as he’s walking up the driveway, too late to stop for the milk or whatever else I might need from the store.”

  Aidan laughed. “Sounds as if that could be deliberate.”

  “Don’t I know it?” she said, laughing with him. “We’ve discussed it a time or twenty. Still, you could try. He might take your call.”

  Since Aidan wasn’t a big fan of cell phones on the road, he refused. “Just ask him to call me when he gets in.”

  “Will do.” She hesitated, then said, “Aidan, I know you must be on pins and needles about that test, but I don’t have a single doubt that you’re a part of this family.”

  Aidan was surprised to discover that his eyes were stinging at her reassurance. “Thank you. I don’t want to disrupt anyone’s life. I came here because I needed to meet my father, not to get anything from him, just to know more about who I am.”

  “Good heavens, no one is going to judge you for trying to get to know your father. Don’t you know that our hearts will be open to you once the truth comes out? I realize it may not have seemed that way when you first told Thomas, but he was in shock. Now that he’s had time to get used to th
e idea that he’s had a son all these years, he’ll accept whatever role you want him to play in your life. You’re a grown man now, so it’s between the two of you to decide what comes next. I hope you’ll want to spend time not just with him, but with all of us.”

  His voice thick, Aidan said, “I see now why Thomas fell in love with you. You’re pretty amazing.”

  “Not so amazing,” she said. “I just love my husband and his family. And he’s done the same with my daughter. It’ll all work out, Aidan. I know it will.”

  Aidan replayed her words several times in his mind as he sat on the balcony and awaited a call back from Thomas. But rather than the phone ringing, an hour later there was a knock on his door. He found Thomas standing there, an envelope in hand. Aidan couldn’t seem to take his eyes off that envelope.

  “That’s it?”

  Thomas nodded. “You should have a report in today’s mail, too.”

  “I never even thought to check,” he admitted. “Have you read it?”

  Thomas shook his head. “Connie thought maybe it was something you and I ought to do together. She told me you’d called. She said it didn’t sound as if you’d seen the report.” Thomas looked oddly hesitant. “What do you think? Shall we read this together?”

  Aidan nodded and led the way inside. “I could use a beer. How about you?”

  Thomas nodded. “I wouldn’t say no.”

  Aidan came back into the living room with two bottles of beer and handed one to Thomas, then sat down across the room. They each took a long sip of beer, exchanged a look and then Thomas set his bottle aside and glanced at Aidan.

  “You ready?”

  Even though he was convinced of what they’d find, Aidan’s stomach filled with butterflies. “Sure.”

  Thomas unsealed the envelope and removed two pieces of paper, one apparently a letter, the other a copy of the detailed results. He scanned the letter, then the paper, then regarded Aidan with tears in his eyes.

  “You’re my son,” he said softly.