She would rather charm Aidan. Which brought her to the point of her visit.
“I brought you two thank-you presents for the work you’ve been doing with Brandon,” she said.
His smile seemed to freeze, and she wasn’t sure why. “Well,” she said lightly. “First, I brought baseball tickets for next Saturday.” She slid her purse off her shoulder and pulled out the envelope on top. “I know you can get them from your grandmother, but these are special. They’re for the seats over the dugout, right above where Brandon works as ball boy.”
“Those are good seats,” he agreed.
She held the tickets out to him, and he made a move as if to take them, but stopped. She had no choice but to wait, holding out the tickets.
“Will you be there?” he asked her.
“Well...no. I have to work Saturday.”
“That’s too bad.” He shook his head and still didn’t take the tickets.
She lowered her hand, feeling rejected. “Well...it was an idea.” She smiled at him, determined to smooth over the awkward moment. She was still figuring this man out. “Honestly, Aidan, I appreciate how you’ve been working with Brandon. I’m seeing changes in him already. He’s more serious, and he’s actually focusing.”
“That’s good to hear. We’ll know better if it’s working in a week or so.”
She bit her lip. He’d said something about finding another tutor soon...she hoped that wasn’t still what he had in mind.
“Come on in.” He turned and led her toward the living room.
The place was stripped bare. The pile of furniture and belongings that had been in the center of the floor the last time she was here was gone. Most of the other furniture was gone, too.
“I’d offer you something to drink,” Aidan said, “but I’m out of groceries. I haven’t been here much, but I did have an appointment with a real estate agent.”
“Oh. Yes, I saw her when I was coming out of the elevator.”
“I didn’t hire her,” he explained.
Ashley nodded. She was curious and wondered why, but she was determined not to snoop. Her goal had been simply to discuss extending Aidan’s mentorship longer than the two weeks he’d committed to.
There was another awkward moment while she hesitated, wondering how to ask him.
“Well?” he teased. “What’s my second present?”
“Oh.” She blushed. “Well, I worked with my sister to get some names for the memorial service. For Flo to invite. I knew you needed help with the task, but that you weren’t likely to ask. So... I hope it helps you.”
His brow furrowed.
She opened her purse again and took out the handwritten list. He accepted it and scanned it without comment. He seemed to study each name intently.
Finally, he lifted his head. “Your sister gathered this? Why would she help me?”
Ashley took a breath. Because she loves me, and I asked her to do it. But she couldn’t explain it that way to Aidan, because he obviously wouldn’t understand.
Instead she said, “Because you really do need the help, and it’s the kind thing to do. If it were for my child, I’d appreciate the gesture. As a parent.”
“You only met her parents that one time,” Aidan remarked.
“Yes. And I’ve met you eight times, five times at my house. It’s still the right thing to do.”
He smiled at her. “You’re counting.”
She sighed, exasperated. “May I ask why you’re so suspicious? I’m thankful to you, and I’m doing you a favor back.”
“Okay. Duly noted.” He walked toward the door.
“Are you seeing me out?” she asked, incredulous again.
He turned to her. “Is there more, Ashley?” he asked calmly.
She blew out a breath and stood. Aidan could be the most maddening man imaginable. “Never mind.”
He gave her a slight smile. “Am I being rude again?”
“Well...you could say ‘thank you’. Lisbeth even offered to contact the people on the list, if you’d rather that she did it than Flo.”
“Thanks.” He stared at her. “But I really did think your sister hated me.”
She gave him a look. “But she likes me,” she told him plainly. “And I asked her to do it.”
“Because of Brandon?”
She was starting to lose her patience. Must he always fight with the world, questioning every motivation?
She crossed her arms and glared.
He sat down again. “Sorry. You just caught me in a bad...”
She looked expectantly at him, waiting for him to finish.
He sighed. “You’re right—I’ll tell you. That real estate agent out there? She just used the entrée to my home not to help put my house on the market, but to proposition me.”
“She...?”
“Yeah.”
“How dare she?” Ashley said, angry for him. “Why do you think she did that?”
“I don’t know. Maybe she supposes my trust fund is worth more than this condo?”
“Oh!” Ashley said. “Oh.” Her eyes were probably popped wide-open. Aidan no doubt thought she was naive.
“I’ve dealt with things like that for most of my adult life,” he said matter-of-factly.
“That’s terrible.” It made Ashley uncomfortable to think of him going through that.
And then, in a horrible thought, she wondered if he ever thought that of her? Did he think she was an opportunist, as well?
While she stood in his living room with her mouth opened in horror, he looked at her questioningly.
She had come to seen him with ulterior motives in mind. She had considered that if she’d flattered him with gratitude, if she’d encouraged him to become more involved with the memorial service, then hopefully he would stay in town longer than the short two weeks he’d promised. It was undeniable that she’d schemed for it.
But...she hadn’t wanted to use him. Certainly not for his money. And she really did want him to stay.
Not for what he could do—his skills or his family connections.
But for him—for all of him.
She licked her lips and gazed at him at the same time she caught him gazing at her.
She glanced away. But looked back again.
“Do you want to get something to eat with me?” His voice was low.
It was an invitation. An entrée—as he’d put it—to something more...
Heartfelt?
Possibly even romantic?
Oh, yes! Ashley’s heart cried.
Without thinking things through, she said it aloud. “Yes. I do.”
Aidan gifted her with a smile, one that showed his dimples. She felt an ache come over her all of a sudden. A feeling that she hadn’t felt in years. An urge to press her body close to a man’s, to tilt her head upward for a kiss, to feel his hands move up her back, caress her skin...
She pressed her lips together. He stared at her mouth. She wondered if he could read minds.
Abruptly, he stood. “I’ll get dressed and walk down to street level with you.”
“You—”
“I’m out of food, Ashley,” he said.
She nodded and ducked her head. He got up and put on a pair of socks, and then his sneakers. Patted his back pocket to make sure he had his wallet. Grabbed a phone and his house keys.
“Let’s go.” He held the door for her. Outside, he locked up behind him. They both waited for the elevator.
“Will you...be over tonight at seven?” she asked him.
He smiled and nodded. “Of course.”
“We look forward to seeing you.” A stupid thing to say, awkward, and she glanced away, embarrassed. She’d been nervous all of a sudden.
The elevator arrived, and he politely waited until she walked in ahead of him. “Good morning again,” Ashley said to Bill.
“Good morning, Ashley.” Bill nodded to Aidan. “Dr. Lowe.”
The ride down to the lobby was quick. On the one hand, she was disappointed with herself that she’d chickened out of asking Aidan to stay longer. But...in light of what he’d told her, she just couldn’t do it.
She cared about him. She really did. And that shocked her.
Her heart pumping, she watched him scan the lobby before stepping out. A shadow seemed to cross his face. Perhaps he expected more journalists. Or gawkers. She really didn’t know much about what his life was like, beyond what she saw with him and Brandon.
He glanced back at her because she’d fallen behind. “Are you all right?” he asked.
She caught up to him. “Aidan,” she asked, “where will you go next, once you leave Boston?”
The question seemed to startle him. He looked into her eyes, as if searching them.
Then he looked toward the sandwich shop across the lobby. “Come have lunch with me.”
“Will you tell me then?”
He gave a slight smile. “It’s not the usual thing, Ashley.”
“You’re not the usual person,” she said honestly.
He liked that response. He laughed so that his eyes crinkled.
She itched to reach up and wipe a lock of hair from his brow.
“If I tell you what I’m planning,” he said, “you’ll laugh.”
“I promise I won’t!”
“Hmm.” He turned and scanned the other end of the lobby. “Do you want to go to a sandwich place or pizza place?”
She put her hands on her hips. “Why do I always feel like you’re distracting me from what you don’t want to talk about? Honestly, Aidan, I’d like to hear about it.”
“So you can talk me out of it?”
“No!” She rolled her eyes. “So I can understand you.”
“Let’s get a sandwich,” he insisted.
“After you tell me your plans.”
He smiled at her. “I’m hiking the Appalachian Trail.”
“The...?”
“The Appalachian Trail. It’s a hiking path two thousand miles long. It runs north to south, Maine to Georgia, along the East Coast. I’d like to hike it alone. It’s something that’s always been on my life list, and I’ve decided I want to do it now.”
She struggled to understand. “So...where do you sleep at night?”
“There are shelters—camps—along the way. Every day you hike to a new shelter. Ten, fifteen miles of hiking through the most beautiful, remote scenery. Lots of time to think.”
“To heal,” she whispered.
He glanced at her shyly. “Maybe.”
“Is it safe?” she asked.
He grinned. “Maybe not.”
“And you’ll be by yourself!” She gaped at him.
“That’s the point, Ashley. It’ll just be me, the wilderness, the stars at night. Maybe I’ll get a dog,” he mused.
“Aidan! I’ll worry about you! You’ll have to call me now and then to let me know you’re okay.”
He threw back his head and laughed. “You’ve known me a little over a week. I’m sure you’ll get over it,” he chided. “Come on inside. Let’s eat.”
This time she did follow him inside the sandwich shop. His favorite one, he said. A server took them to a booth near a window in the back overlooking a park. She couldn’t even look at the menu; all she could do was watch him. His shy expressions, as he glanced from her to the menu and back again. The cute dimple that formed in the corner of his cheek. The unruly hair that she was just itching to sift in her fingers again.
After the waitress brought their grilled cheese sandwiches, she just had to ask him.
“How long have you wanted to hike the Appalachian Trail?”
“Since I was a kid,” he admitted.
“But are you sure now is the right time?”
“It’s the perfect time,” he said between bites. “There’s never been a better time.”
She felt like weeping. Just when he’d met her and Brandon? Just when her son needed him?
He caught her expression and put his hand on hers. “I mean...it’s the perfect time now—or next week when I’m finished with Brandon’s sessions—because if I wait longer, then I’ll have to break up my pace into a shorter section, and stop when the winter weather kicks in. If I leave sooner rather than later, I’ll still have a couple of good months of autumn hiking.”
“Oh.” She gazed down at the bowl of tomato soup she’d ordered but wasn’t eating.
The whole thing just made her feel...lonely. Lonelier than she’d been. She’d been missing something—the sweet feeling of a new partnership—that she hadn’t even realized. Maybe something like the male role model she’d hoped for for her son.
Aidan’s hand was still on top of hers. Warm and comforting. He clasped her hand and turned it over, as if pondering her palm. With a light caress, he drew his thumb gently across the lines in her palm.
His touch on her skin felt...nice. It gave her tingles across her breasts, but he didn’t appear to notice that. He seemed to be thinking.
Finally he gazed at her, a lock of dark hair over his brow, and the look in his eyes took her breath away.
“You’re right,” he said finally. “I’ve been teaching Brandon to be responsible, and yet here I am neglecting my responsibilities.”
Was she a responsibility? She didn’t want to be that to him.
“I’ll stay until Brandon’s test,” he decided. “That’s in three and a half more weeks. That will also give me the opportunity to go to the memorial service. Then I’ll be free to hike the Appalachian Trail for at least a month.” He smiled at her. “My staying for Brandon’s test—that’s what you’re most concerned about, isn’t it?”
She nodded. It had been, but...
He must have felt her mood, because he gazed at her hand in his. Stroking it absently. Making those shivers run through her...
“It’s been almost a year,” he said softly. “I’m ready to sell my place and move on now. I don’t want to be caught in the past.”
He glanced up at her, and she swallowed. “I’m glad to hear that,” she whispered. It helped, hearing what he was saying. Getting a deeper insight into who he was. She didn’t often talk with men one-on-one, because she couldn’t afford to indulge in romantic relationships. She had a son. Usually she didn’t want to be tempted—she’d made a mistake in judgment once, with Brandon’s father. Ever since then she supposed that she’d convinced herself that she wasn’t any good at dating. That she had bad instincts when it came to men.
Like her mom.
“You should eat your sandwich,” he said, smiling at her.
She kept her right hand in his. With her left hand, she took a big bite of the warm, gooey cheese. He laughed at her, and she felt warm all over.
Aidan ate his sandwich the same way. She watched his left hand go to his mouth, his tanned skin smooth. The secret smile he gave her lit up his soft brown eyes.
No, I’m not tempted, she told herself. A lie, of course.
Swallowing her bite of sandwich, she asked him a question. “What kind of doctor are you, anyway?”
“Orthopedics,” he said, then lowered his gaze and took another bite.
She felt like a dummy, but she had to ask to be sure. “That’s broken bones, right?”
He nodded. “Right. Broken bones. Sprains.”
“Wow. You’re accomplished.” And then she thought for a moment. “Thank you for your service,” she said.
Aidan tilted his head as if he didn’t understand.
She laughed self-consciously. “Wh
en I meet a veteran or an active-duty soldier, that’s what I say. But you put yourself in harm’s way, too.”
“Oh, Ashley. I am no hero.” He laughed at the thought.
To her, he was. She just smiled and drank her iced tea.
And then she noticed someone staring at them from two booths down. A woman, with long brown hair and a tight blue shirt. She looked a lot like the woman who’d been at his condo earlier.
“What is it?” he asked her, immediately noticing her expression.
“Don’t turn around,” she said in a low voice, looking away from the woman.
“Who’s there?” They were doing a good job at communicating without saying too much. He was a good reader of her body language, and that made her feel more comfortable.
“The woman from your apartment.” She took another sip of iced tea. “The real estate agent.”
He frowned. “My cousin Jamison sent her over.” He paused. “Is she gone yet?” he asked, as Ashley took another covert glance.
“Nope. She’s approaching. Twelve o’ clock.”
“In that case...” He leaned forward, took her hand in his, and pressed her knuckles to his lips.
She jumped. She couldn’t help gasping.
And then he smiled and winked at her. “Do we look like we’re in love?” he whispered.
“I’m...not the best one to ask,” she admitted, as the woman stalked past them and left. “Though we did chase her away, it seems.”
“Why aren’t you the best one to ask? You mean you don’t date?”
She shook her head, her cheeks warm.
“Ah, because you have a twelve-year-old son?” He stirred his drink thoughtfully. “Then what do you do for fun?”
“Well, I go on outings with my son.” Every weekend since Brandon was little, they’d had a habit of doing something special together, usually an outing or an activity. They called it “family fun day.” Since their new life in Boston had started, however, their fun days had been few and far between. “Or at least, I did,” she clarified. “The intensity of St. Bart’s seems to be getting in the way of that old life.”
“Hmm,” Aidan said. “Do you still have those two tickets to the Captains game this weekend?”
The Good Mom Page 12