His to Cherish (16 page)

Which was fantastic.

I shook my head and went to grab my purse in the kitchen. When I got there I stopped and blinked twice as I saw what was on the counter.

Next to my purse was a familiar pink paper bag.

I could smell coffee wafting from my coffeepot, but there was a better scent coming from the paper bag.

I knew that beautiful aroma from a mile away.

Cupcakes.

My lips pulled into a small smile.

Aidan had snuck out of my house early in the morning only to return with my favorite breakfast treat and left again.

My heart gave a little flutter.

I grabbed the bag and my purse and quickly poured a travel mug of coffee before rushing to my car to make it to school on time.

I didn't have time to open my treat from Kate's Kakes until I was at my desk in the library with the first morning bell ringing through the school.

When I did, I reached inside without looking and my fingers brushed against a piece of paper.

I pulled it out, opened it, and immediately felt my cheeks turn the same shade of pink as the bag.

Sorry to leave. Have something to take care of.

You're beautiful…in every way.

See you later.

A.

The paper shook in my trembling fingers. Somehow, with a quickly scribbled note, Aidan had managed to quiet my earlier fears and concerns, and he wasn't even in my presence.

He was an incredible man.

And for some reason, I felt as if he was becoming mine.

Mine.

I smiled, liking the way the word sounded rolling off my tongue as I repeated it quietly to myself.

Upon grabbing my phone, I unlocked the screen and typed out a quick text.

Thank you for the cupcake. I think you're pretty great, too.

After setting the phone down, I grabbed my breakfast—a double-chocolate fudge cupcake with light green frosting on top that swirled high.

I ate the frosting first, licking it off my fingertips and the edges of my lips, and by the time kids began to enter the library, I was high on delicious sugar and chocolate, lost to the duties of the day, all my doubts forgotten.

Hope took its place.

Hope that I'd be okay.

Hope that Aidan and Shane would find their way.

Hope that Aidan and I would have a future.

Because I wanted one with him—more than I'd ever wanted anything.

I was sweating from my run and gasping for breath as I hit my front porch in the setting sun. Running with Camden was always fun, but there was something about the pavement pounding beneath my feet as I ran mile after mile alone in the fresh late spring weather. It gave me the freedom to clear my mind and was much better than being cooped up in my musty basement, using my treadmill during the harsh Michigan winters.

I loved the burn of air in my overworked lungs and the way my muscles ached after pushing myself to run a road with hills instead of the flatness and help of a machine beneath my feet.

I got lost in running. It was my place, where my mind could drift as I listened to music and processed everything going on in my world.

Today my mind was spinning faster than a hamster's exercise wheel.

During my lunch break at school, I had called Beth to check on Shane in the hospital, only to hear that Aidan had stopped by and spoken with him earlier. I had been so surprised to learn that Aidan had left my house to go see him that I hadn't even thought to ask what they'd talked about, although I was burning with curiosity.

Regardless, after their conversation, Shane had agreed with his mom's proposal to have him checked in for a thirty-day program in order to help him with his “issues,” as Beth described it. Apparently there was a lot more going on his life than just the loss of Derrick and his feelings of guilt.

But I did hang up the phone smiling. Shane was getting help and I was thankful for it.

A sense of tranquility overcame me as I stepped inside my house, still thinking of the conversation with Beth, the note and cupcake from Aidan this morning, and the events of last night.

Aidan went to see Shane.

I grinned and grabbed a bottle of water from my fridge, twisting off the top and guzzling half of it, my body screaming at me for hydration.

He might not have gone to see Shane because of anything I said. It was more likely because Aidan was just a great a man—a kind and tender man—and he wanted to do the right thing for Shane.

I took it as a sign that he was beginning to realize that there were other people hurting over Derrick's death and he could lean on more people, as well as be there to help others through their mutual loss.

But things were beginning to feel better for me than they had in a long time.

My life felt good.

So when my phone buzzed and I saw a text from Paige light up my phone, I didn't have to debate my response.

I'm at Fireside. Come eat with me.

Me: Checking out the taken owner again? You know you're friends with Trina, right?

Paige: Don't judge. She doesn't care, and Lucas likes it when I ogle Declan. Always ends up good for Lucas in the end.

Ew. TMI.

I supposed I brought that one on myself, though, despite not really needing to think about what Paige and her husband did.

Laughing, I typed out my response that I'd meet her there soon.

Then I hurried to my bedroom to shower.

Every time I visited Fireside Grill, I felt like I'd stepped into a piece of Latham Hills's history. The atmosphere was always warm and inviting, decorated with firefighting memorabilia that had been collected ever since this Detroit suburb had been established. The bonus to us women was the male firefighter photo spreads that lined the walls and decorated the tables. What woman didn't love the fantasy of being saved from death by a sexy, ripped man in uniform?

Women swooned over characters like that in romance novels all the time, and yet as I met Paige at the bar, the calendars and photos Trina had added last year to bring attention to Declan's struggling restaurant didn't grab my attention like they usually did.

Perhaps it was because I'd had my own muscular, swoon-worthy man in my bed and in my arms the past few nights.

By the time I met Paige at the restaurant, I still hadn't heard from Aidan. Not even a reply to my text from this morning thanking him for the sweet treat. I was getting worried about him, not because he hadn't talked to me, but because based on the short conversation with Beth, I knew he'd had a hard day.

It had to have been emotional for him, and while I wanted to find him to comfort him, I was trying to give him the space he needed.

I figured he'd tell me when and if he needed me.

“Hey, sweetie,” I said, and kissed Paige's cheek in greeting when I slid onto the barstool next to her.

David was behind the bar with his back to us, mixing drinks for other customers, and while I found him attractive only in a purely appreciative sense, I still noticed how well his butt filled out the dark denim jeans he was wearing.

Very nice, as a matter of fact.

“Hey!” Paige wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me toward her. “How are you?”

“Good.” I smiled, my mind drifting to last night and this morning before I could stop it. My cheeks heated as my smile spread. “Great, actually.”

Paige's eyes went wide with happy surprise at my quick response.

“And does that have anything to do with a sexy man who's been seen parking his truck in your driveway as of late?”

I laughed, but kept my voice low, not wanting David to hear. “The gossip in this town is unreal.”

“You should hear the gossip at the hair salon I go to. Apparently you are currently numero uno on every single woman's hate list.”

“Fantastic,” I murmured, but despite the fact that single women all over town hated me, I couldn't quench my smile.

Two water glasses appeared in front of us, and I looked up to see David grinning at me. “Please, don't talk about him here.”

He was joking, it was clear in the mischievous glimmer in his eyes, but I was feeling lighter than I had in months and I couldn't help but prod him after Paige and I ordered margaritas.

“Why, David? Don't you want to know what he's like in bed?”

Next to me, Paige made a choking sound and cold water hit my shoulder.

“Ew!” My head snapped in her direction. “You just spit water on me.”

Her eyebrows shot up her forehead. “You're having sex with him?”

“Please,” David said, raising a hand to stop me. “I really don't need to hear this.”

“Then maybe you should go to the other end of the bar so you don't have to.” I wiggled my eyebrows, teasing him.

I wouldn't spill specifics about Aidan in bed, and I wouldn't even confirm to Paige whether or not I was in fact sleeping with Aidan. In my opinion, that was private information, and I wasn't one to boast about my sexual exploits.

Although with Aidan, there was plenty to boast about.

The thought heated my cheeks and I took a sip of my water, thankful for the icy drink that cooled my warming skin.

“So tell me,” Paige said once David gave up and moved down to the end of the bar to serve a group of men dressed in business suits. “Tell me what he's like.”

“I'm neither confirming nor denying anything.” I flashed a wink in her direction and we laughed.

“You're no fun,” she pouted.

“That's not what Aidan says.”

She faked another pout when David came back. After sliding menus and our drinks in front of us, he covered his ears and left.

It only made us laugh more, but Paige dropped the sex talk while we decided what to order.

“It's good to see you smiling again,” she said once we'd given David our orders. Mine, a huge pile of nachos with extra jalapeños. Paige got a double cheeseburger like she always did. I envied the metabolism she had. The girl ate like a man and somehow stayed a size two.

“It's been a rough couple of months,” I admitted. “And there's so much more I haven't talked about regarding Derrick and Shane and Aidan…” I didn't want to finish it.

Not because I was worried David might hear, but because I felt something shift in the atmosphere, as if the fog that had been weighing me down lately was beginning to lift, and in its wake, there were pale rays of sun beginning to peek through.

“I'm happy for you. You haven't always had it easy and you deserve some good times.”

I made a face and groaned. “Let's not talk about Cory tonight, please.” Hell, he was the last person I ever wanted to talk about.

She raised her hand and stopped me, taking a drink of her margarita. “Nope. Not tonight, I never want you to have to think about that twerp again.”

“He's not five, Paige.”

She stuck her tongue out. “Sue me. I'm around kindergartners all day long.”

I smiled. She loved her job. Besides her beauty-pageant-winner looks, she was also one of the sweetest and kindest people I'd ever met in my life.

She also knew how to have fun. The girl had been able to party way more than the rest of us in college and still show up for class at eight in the morning.

Her fairy-tale fantasies were sometimes over the top and unreal, but as Aidan and I began to grow closer, I envied her ability to believe life was always full of cupcakes and sprinkles.

I wished I had that superpower.

I shook the thought away, refusing to allow myself to worry, when Paige nudged my shoulder.

“What?” I asked, but I already felt him.

It was magnetic, and my entire body began to come alive as I sensed Aidan walking up behind us.

I didn't have time to turn around before his hands were on my shoulders.

“Hey,” he whispered huskily into my ear.

I shivered from the contact and the way the one word vibrated against my skin.

In front of me, Paige bit her bottom lip, her eyes wide with happy surprise.

I turned my head, looking up at him. When I saw his eyes, I faltered. They were bright and happy, and I almost teared up. But I couldn't. Not now. This felt really good. “Hey, you.”

His eyes sparkled, as if he knew what he was doing to me before he broke our gaze and turned to Paige. “Paige,” he said, reaching out to shake her hand. “Good to see you again.”

“Oh, trust me.” She grinned. “The pleasure is all mine.”

“How was your day?” I asked him quietly. He was still standing behind me, one hand on my shoulder.

“Okay. Tough, but good, I think. I went and saw Shane.”

“I know, Beth told me.” I wanted to tell him I was proud of him, but didn't. This wasn't exactly a conversation for public, so I showed him my silent support by leaning into him.

Aidan squeezed my shoulder and then removed his hand as David greeted him at the bar.

I watched as David threw a towel over his shoulder and the two clasped hands in some complicated handshake–fist bump thing.

“Hey,” Paige whispered next to me. “You know who we should set him up with?”

She wiggled her eyebrows with excitement. I shook my head, already knowing where her thought was going. There was no way Camden would go for David.

“No,” I warned her, narrowing my eyes.

“Yes,” she hissed back, her eyes dancing with glee. “Seriously, he's way hot.”

David was, definitely. They'd at least look super cute together, but Camden had a serious list of qualifications of what she wanted in a man and I was certain being a bartender wasn't on it.

“He's not white collar enough,” I told Paige, even though I cringed at the words. Camden wasn't shallow, but her life hadn't been easy, and because of that, she craved financial security.

Paige waved her hand dismissively in the air. “Details.” Then she leaned forward. “Hey, David. Are you single?”

He grinned. “Why? You interested?”

She snorted and lifted her left hand, showing off one hell of a large diamond ring. “Married. But I have this friend—”

“Who is also not interested,” I interrupted, skewering Paige with a glare before turning to David. “Don't mind her.”

David frowned at the odd conversation before sliding a Goose Island beer across the bar and into Aidan's waiting hand.

When he walked away to help a customer at the far end of the bar, Paige and I both checked out his backside.

He really was so attractive that it was unavoidable.

Nice.

“Should I be worried you're checking out his ass?” Aidan said next to me. His bottle rested on his bottom lip as if he'd frozen in midmotion when he caught me checking out his friend, but his lips were tilted into a grin.

“No harm in looking,” Paige chirped, waggling her eyebrows playfully.

“I just think his ass is nice.” I shrugged and then smiled wide when Aidan's eyes cut to mine and narrowed. “But yours is way better.”

He made a choking sound and set down his beer. “Thanks, I think.”

“No probs.”

“How much have you had to drink?” Aidan asked.

“Not a drop, actually.” I leaned into his side again. Paige watched me with a silly, happy grin on her face like I'd just told her unicorns
were
real. “I just have this feeling.”

He arched an eyebrow. “Yeah?”

“Yeah,” I said, letting the word hang in the air.

“You going to tell me what it is?”

I thought about it, unsure I wanted to, but then I decided to go for it. I really didn't have anything to lose.

I smiled wistfully. “I just think things are looking up.”

A flash of sadness occurred in eyes and he looked down at his beer. His fingers tightened around the bottle before he loosened his grip and splayed his hands flat on the bar.

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “Maybe they are.”

He nodded once, as if he believed himself, and then took another drink from his bottle.

By the time Paige and I were done with our dinner, Aidan had also eaten a burger and a full plate of fries. David stopped by to talk to us whenever he had a few minutes.

I left Fireside Grill after saying good night to Paige with a genuine, large smile on my face, and Aidan's arm wrapped around my shoulders as he walked me to my car. A feeling of peacefulness replaced the thick haze of sadness that had been clinging to me for months.