by Carrie Elks
So many questions. But how often did she introduce Nick to a stranger – and to a strange man, at that? He was at the age where he was fascinated by men in general, and in the concept of fathers. He knew he didn’t have one, but he didn’t know why. And she knew that sometimes he felt left out.
“He’s really tall. When he was a kid he used to climb the big old tree by the wall. It used to drive his mom crazy.” And now it drove her crazy.
“He sounds like fun.” He blinked, a smile curling at his lips.
She put the car into park and released her belt. “Well there’s only one way to find out if he’s any fun or not, right?” She got out of the car and Nick pulled his door open, unbuckling himself before he jumped down to the gravel. “Let’s go say hi.”
Aiden was sitting at a table on the deck, next to wooden steps leading down to the beach. The Sunday lunchtime crowd were out in full force – on the sand, as well as in the restaurant above. The air around him buzzed with conversation, as the smell of ozone mingled with the Italian food the harried waiters were carrying out, their huge silver trays balanced in the palms of their hands.
“This one’s your table. Mr. Black is already here.”
He looked up to see Brooke and Nick standing in front of him, along with the waiter. Instinctively, he got up and walked around the table, shaking first Brooke’s hand, before looking down at her son.
She was dressed casually, a pair of slim jeans and a silk tank, her hair tied up, revealing her slender neck. The same neck he used to kiss, tease, and press his nose against to inhale her, as if she was all he needed to breathe.
Breathe. Yeah, that would be a good idea.
“Nick, this is Aiden.” Brooke smiled down at her son. “I told you he was tall,” she said in a mock whisper. She looked back at him and it felt like the sun had come out all over again.
The boy took Aiden’s proffered hand. “It’s good to meet you again, sir.”
Aiden tried not to laugh at the boy’s serious expression. “My name’s Aiden, no need for sirs.”
Nick smiled, although he still looked wary. As though he was afraid of making the wrong move. Aiden found himself wanting to reassure him, to tell him it was okay. How many times had he been in Nick’s position – afraid of saying the wrong thing?
“I asked for a table by the beach,” he said, nodding his head at their seats. “In case you get bored of sitting with us for too long.”
“He’s used to it, aren’t you, Nick?” Brooke gave him a small smile, before looking back at Aiden. “No grandson of Martin Newton would be allowed to run around the tables.”
True story. Aiden remembered Martin Newton’s iron rules all too well.
“Anyway, Delmonicos is our favourite,” Brooke carried on, helping Nick scoot in his chair. As soon as she was done, Aiden pulled her chair out for her. She looked up at him in surprise. What was she expecting? That he would leave her to it?
“Why’s that?”
“They’re really great with Nick’s food allergy. It can be a pain sometimes, eating out. But they’re really flexible here. They know even a sniff of a peanut brings him out in hives.”
“You have a peanut allergy?” Aiden felt his chest tighten. He should have asked her about allergies. He’d heard horror stories of kids not being able to breathe from reactions to peanuts.
“Yes, si— I mean Aiden.” Nick nodded. “But it’s okay. I don’t have to go to the hospital too much.”
He turned his head back to Brooke, who was sliding the children’s menu in front of Nick. She looked so calm, so composed. When she looked up, catching his eye, she smiled at him, and it made his heart stutter.
“I’m glad to hear it.” His voice was gruff. “Hospitals are no fun.” He could still smell the one where his mother died. The sharp stab of bleach lingered in his nostrils long after he last walked through the sliding doors.
“It’s pretty much under control,” Brooke said, opening her own menu. “He’s great – he knows what to look out for, and what to avoid. But sometimes those nuts can be sneaky little things. You’ll find them in the strangest places, that’s when we end up in the ER.”
“At least they have a Playstation there,” Nick said. “And Mom’s allowed to stay with me if I have to sleep there.”
It sounded awful. And expensive, even if her parents covered those costs. A flash of guilt hit him, as he realized how he could have helped them all these years. If she wasn’t already high enough up there, Brooke rose a few rungs higher in his estimation. Her ears had to be popping by now.
“What job do you do, Aiden?” Nick asked, bored of talking about his allergy.
“I build hotels.”
Nick’s eyes got wider. “Like in Monopoly?”
Aiden laughed, shaking his head. “Kind of. Except I do it in real life. I work for a company that owns them all. It’s my job to find new areas to build in. We’re working on the Silver Sands Resort at the moment.”
Nick looked impressed. “Do you use diggers?”
“Not personally, though it would be really cool. But we have a lot on our site.”
“I love diggers. And tractors.”
“Well maybe you can come and take a look at the site some time.” He slid his gaze back to Brooke. “If your mom’s okay with it.”
Her eyes looked like mirrors. The sunlight was shining directly in them, and he could see himself reflected in their depths. “I’d be fine with it,” she said, her voice thick.
The waiter slid a plate of garlic bread into the middle of the table, taking their order. For the next few minutes the air was filled with discussions about pasta, about drinks, and whether the arrabiata was better than the carbonara. Finally, the waiter went away, leaving Nick busy with the garlic bread, munching merrily at a slice.
“He’s a good kid,” Aiden said, leaning his head toward Brooke. “You should be proud.”
“I’m very lucky to have him. He’s my life.”
It was strange, seeing how the girl he knew – the one he’d loved – had turned out as a woman. As a teenager she’d been kind, loving, and of course, she’d been pretty. But this woman – because that’s what she was now – her beauty could take his breath away if he let it.
But he couldn’t let it. Look what happened the last time he gave into his feelings. And anyway, she wouldn’t have him even if he wanted her. Not after the way he’d treated her when she’d told him the truth about Nick.
“Brooke?”
Somebody called from the sand. Aiden turned to see a man leaning on the wooden handrail separating the deck from the beach. A man, with perfect blond hair, and teeth too straight to be real.
The guy from last night. Great.
“Oh God.” Brooke visibly paled. “What’s he doing here?”
“Who is it, Mom?” Nick looked up from his garlic bread, turning his head to follow her gaze. There was no look of recognition in his eyes. Thank God. He wasn’t Brooke’s boyfriend, or at least if he was, he hadn’t been introduced to her son.
He wasn’t going to think about why that should bother him. Not yet.
“I’m so sorry, let me go say hi. I’ll be right back.” She lifted the paper napkin from her lap and placed it on the table, before walking over to the man who was still leaning on the rail. She was smiling at him, and that fact alone made Aiden frown.
“Who is that?” Nick asked again, this time directing his question at Aiden.
“I’ve no idea.” Aiden shrugged. “Maybe one of your mom’s friends?”
“Nuh uh. I know all of Mom’s friends.” Nick shook his head, helping himself to another slice of garlic bread. “Apart from you, that is.”
“Does she have a lot of friends?” His throat felt tight. He swallowed a mouthful of water, but it didn’t help. How old was Nick? Eight? It would be crazy to think Brooke hadn’t had a boyfriend in that time. Crazy to think she didn’t attract admirers like a flame attracted moths. He’d flown too close to the fire himself.
> “Nope. She’s too busy. She has Aunt Ally and Aunt Ember, plus Max and Ellie – he’s the vet. He helps out at the shelter.”
“But she knows everybody in town, right?” Aiden tried to keep his voice light. Nick was a kid, after all. He shouldn’t be grilling him. It wasn’t right.
“Yeah, Grandma and Grandpa have a lot of friends. They all know us.”
And wasn’t that the truth? Back in the day Brooke couldn’t walk more than thirty yards without bumping into somebody her parents knew. God only knew how they’d kept their relationship secret for as long as they did. A mixture of clandestine meetings, and not being seen in public together. Maybe that was something he should have thought of before inviting her and Nick out for lunch at the busiest restaurant in town.
Brooke returned to the table a couple of minutes later. Her cheeks were flushed, although it was impossible to tell whether it was from the sun, or something else altogether.
“Sorry about that.” She pulled her chair out and sat down, reaching across to wipe a crumb of garlic bread from Nick’s chin. “Now, where were we?”
From the corner of his eye, Aiden could see the blond guy still watching them, even if he’d taken a few steps back from the railing. He gave her a smile – making it extra wide for their audience of one. “We were right here waiting for you.”
11
“So let me get this straight, you’ve gone from having no guys interested in you, to having two guys vying for your attention at Delmonicos? Damn, girl, I didn’t know you had it in you.” Ally sat back on the sofa, lifting up her glass of wine in salute.
“She’s a dark horse.” Ember grinned at them both. “What were you doing with Aiden, anyway? Last I heard he hated your guts.”
“He wanted to meet Nick,” Brooke told them, carrying a bowl of chips into her living room. “It wasn’t about me at all.”
“That’s bull.” Ally never was one to mince her words. “He took you guys out to lunch, that wasn’t only about Nick. And what’s the odds on Alex happening to pass at the exact same time? I’ve never had two guys fighting over me. You’re so lucky, Brooke.” She faked a swoon, making them giggle.
“They weren’t exactly fighting,” Brooke pointed out. “Aiden stayed at the table with Nick, and Alex left after a quick conversation. The two of them never even met.”
“Because if they did, they’d end up fighting,” Ally said. There was no persuading her otherwise.
“What did Alex want?” Ember asked. She was painting her toenails with Brooke’s Plum Princess polish. It wasn’t often the three of them got together – thanks to their work schedules, Brooke’s school work, and Nick. But when they did, it felt as though all the years had melted away, and they were back to being three best friends from school. Something about it warmed Brooke’s heart.
“He claims he was passing by. Said something about taking a walk on a beautiful day.” Brooke wrinkled her nose. The whole thing was weird. It made her spine feel all fizzy. As though somebody was shooting forty volts through it.
“He claims?” Ember repeated, grabbing Brooke’s clear top coat. “You don’t believe it?” She shook the bottle, making the tiny metal ball inside clink against the glass. “So why do you think he was there?”
“I think my mom must have told him where I was.”
Ally grabbed a handful of chips. “She told him you were out with Aiden? Did she think he was going to hurt you or something?”
“I didn’t tell her I was with Aiden. I told her I was going to lunch with some friends. She must have put two and two together and made seven. She probably thought I was with you two and it’d be cute for him to drop by.”
“So all that stuff about him not pushing you for a date was a lie?”
Brooke grimaced. “I’ve got no idea. The whole thing was weird. And I was so embarrassed. I told Aiden there was nothing going on, and then he sees the guy twice in two days.”
“Whoa, you’re going to need to back up a minute.” Ally lifted her hand up, waving a chip in the air. “You told Aiden about Alex?”
“He saw Alex walk me home on Saturday night.”
Ember’s mouth dropped open. “Aiden was here on Saturday night?” She looked around as though there was some evidence of his visit to Brooke’s bungalow.
Brooke frowned. “Yeah, that’s what I was telling you.”
“This is all out of sync. Let’s start from the beginning. Last I heard, you told Aiden about Nick and he pretty much told you to screw off. What’s happened since?”
For the next ten minutes, Brooke filled them in on the happenings of the previous weekend, stopping to answer their questions whenever they interrupted. Ember finished her toenails, screwing the cap back on the bottle, and sliding it onto the table.
“You reconnected with Aiden Black,” Ally said, when Brooke had finished talking. There was a sigh in her voice. “Who would have thought it after all these years?”
“It wasn’t about reconnecting,” Brooke protested. “I was there to keep an eye on things.”
“Whatever you want to believe.” Ally took another handful of chips. “Man, these are good. I really shouldn’t be eating them.”
“So he wants to get to know Nick,” Ember said, always the one who thought deeper about things. “How does that make you feel?”
Brooke leaned her head against the chair cushion. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “I’m pleased, of course I am. Nick deserves to know his family, and now that Joan’s gone and Jamie is wherever he is, Aiden’s all there is left. But it’s like this part of my life I’ve managed to keep buried for so long has come back up. Everything was under control, and now it feels…” She trailed off, trying to think of the right words. “It’s like when you have a bottle filled with three different colored liquids. They’re all pretty and separated. Then somebody shakes it up, and they all swirl together into a brown mess, and you’ve got no idea if they’re ever going to settle down again.” It had taken years for her to get her life back, and she wasn’t quite there yet – not until she finished her degree and got a full-time job. The future had seemed so clear, but now? It was as murky as that imaginary bottle.
Ember grabbed the wine, topping up their glasses and passing them to Brooke and Ally. “Did you ask your mom if she sent Alex over?”
Brooke shook her head. “I haven’t seen my parents all week.” She’d been avoiding them, not wanting to answer any questions about Alex – or, God forbid, Aiden. Who knew what Alex had told her mom and dad.
“And Aiden, what about him?” Ember asked, as though she could read her mind. “Did the two of you talk about his relationship with Nick? Where he sees it going?” Have you decided when you’re going to tell Nick he’s his uncle?”
“We haven’t discussed it properly.” Brooke glanced over at the closed living room door. There was no way she wanted Nick to hear this conversation. Not yet. If or when she told him about his father and the Black family, it wasn’t going to be like this. Thankfully, he’d been asleep for hours, long before Ally and Ember had arrived, and he always slept like a log. “Nick was with us at lunch on Sunday, and he’ll be there when we visit the resort tomorrow.”
“You’re seeing him again?” Ally’s eyes widened. “Doesn’t that make it two weekends in a row?”
“He promised to show Nick the diggers on the construction site. He can only do it on the weekend – when there’s no building work going on. It’s too dangerous otherwise.”
Ember smirked but said nothing.
“What’s that expression for?”
Ember shook her head, the smile still curling her lips.
“You think there’s something more going on?” Brooke asked. “Because there isn’t. I know we had a thing years ago, but that’s old news.”
“Yep, sure. You keep telling yourself that. And if you believe it, you’re more gullible than I thought. You guys were in love. It was the romance of the century. He disappeared and you could hardly drag yourself out of bed for
weeks. We were so concerned about you, weren’t we, Ally? We used to call each other every night, and discuss our concerns for you. About how you hadn’t eaten anything and were fading away to nothing. So don’t tell me this is old news, because some things are way too huge to die.”
Brooke’s mouth fell open. “You guys used to call each other and talk about me?” Tears stung at her eyes. “You’re so lovely.”
“You’re our friend,” Ember said, taking her hand. “Jeez, how long has it been now? More than twenty years since we first met.”
“And because we’re friends, we can tell you when you’re lying to yourself,” Ally pointed out. “Even if it makes you hate us a bit.”
“I don’t hate you,” Brooke said. “I think you’re seeing something that’s not there. And even if it is there, I need to ignore it. My life is complicated enough as it is. I don’t need anything else to worry about right now.”
“Be careful,” Ally warned. “The last time you said something like that, you ended up pregnant with Nick.
A curve ball like that was exactly what Brooke was afraid of.
“This is wonderful,” Brooke said, as she watched Nick climbing into the cab. “Thank you so much for organizing this. When you said you’d show him the diggers I thought he’d be looking at them. I had no idea he’d be able to drive one.”
Aiden shrugged. “When I told Paul about Nick and his fascination for the machines, he offered to demonstrate. He’s fully trained and a good guy. He won’t let Nick do anything to put him in danger.”
“I know that.” Brooke nodded. “He’s so excited. I’ll never hear the end of it. You’re fast becoming his favorite person.” She turned her head to look at him. He was smiling back at her, the skin around his eyes crinkled up. And that’s when it hit her like a sandstorm in a desert.
They were standing close. Too close. And it was firing up all the nerve endings beneath her skin, making her flesh tingle. Even that night on her deck they hadn’t been this close to each other. Their arms hadn’t been touching, his hand hadn’t brushed against hers. But now they were and it was as though all the years were melting away. He only had to smile at her and she was a sixteen-year-old girl again, giddy and high on the first flush of love.