Her face softened. “You’re still saying you want this marriage?”
Of course, I want it.
He shrugged. “Would it make a difference if I did?”
“Maybe. I don’t know, Aidan.”
“We exchanged wedding vows. Are you sure you have no memory of it?”
She squeezed her eyes shut, and he imagined that she was trying to recall the night. But finally she sighed, a sound that made it seem as if she was carrying the weight of the world in her heart, and shook her head.
“That’s why I don’t drink,” she said. “I’ve never had a problem with blackouts, but my dad was an alcoholic. Did you know that? That’s why I’m not real big on imbibing. Maybe this kind of thing—this alcohol intolerance—is a gradual affliction?”
The silence hung between them like a guillotine.
“I just don’t understand why it had to get its claws in me on that night, of all nights.”
He wasn’t going to say it, but what he didn’t understand was why she had been so eager to marry him one moment, and now the thought of being his wife repelled her.
A week later, on the Monday evening of Gigi and Charles’s homecoming party, Kate and Aidan were still in marriage limbo, and it appeared they might be in that holding pattern for a while.
They had hired an attorney who had helped them fill out the paperwork. He had said it could take a few weeks before he had word on whether the state would grant an annulment. Since they had been in a romantic relationship before the impromptu marriage, the attorney said it might be a difficult sell.
Since they had done all they could for now, Kate kept herself busy with her clients at the salon and threw herself into helping Elle and their mother plan Gigi and Charles’s surprise party. Because of that, she and Aidan had not had much time to dwell on the fate of their relationship.
Stuck in this impasse, Kate had decided to find the silver lining. Because wasn’t it just as well that they hadn’t heard any news either way about their marriage? This way it would not cast a shadow over the happy occasion of the other newlyweds’ homecoming.
Of course, Aidan would be attending the party. Her family would not dream of having a get-together without inviting him. They loved him.
When Kate walked into the Forsyth Galloway Inn, Aidan was right there, endearing himself to Zelda and Elle, helping them hang the Welcome Home banner Kate had had made especially for the occasion. He had probably blown up balloons that were bobbing next to the helium machine. He would probably go back and group them into bunches and do all the other tasks he was asked to do with a smile on his face.
For all intents and purposes, as the guests arrived for the party, Aidan and Kate would be carrying on as they always had. They had never been ones for public displays of affection in front of the family, mostly for Chloe’s sake.
Ugh, but the family—what was life going to be like after the annulment? Since Aidan’s brother was married to Elle, which made Chloe her sister’s niece, Aidan wasn’t going away. He would be around long after the two of them were finished and their marriage mistake was a cautionary footnote in their personal annals.
The reality was a sobering thought.
And it caused a strange pang in Kate’s heart.
For a moment, she found herself thinking about what it would be like to just go with it. To let herself love Aidan.
Because what the hell was wrong with her?
Yeah. What the hell was wrong with her? Why was she being so wishy-washy? Of course, it would be so much easier if the two of them could make a clean break, if they could go their separate ways and never see each other again. But that wasn’t possible. Their lives would forever be inextricably intertwined.
Someday, Aidan would find a woman deserving of him and all he had to offer. Would he bring her to these family gatherings?
Kate knew her family probably would toss her out and keep Aidan and his perfect new wife. Kate laughed to herself, but there was nothing humorous in the silent chuckle. Her rational mind knew her strange need for independence would ultimately be her downfall. She would die alone, but by God, she would have her freedom.
Even Kate could see how ludicrous her own mindset was, but it didn’t change how she felt. She simply hated being hemmed in by anything or anyone—work or relationships. Being tied down made her feel like a caged animal.
She felt Aidan’s gaze on her from across the room, and when their eyes met, he smiled.
After all they had been through, after everything she’d said, he could still spare a smile for her.
What was wrong with her? Why couldn’t she be so generous? He really was the perfect man. He was kind and patient. What he lacked in swagger, he made up for in likable appeal and dependability. His was more of a quiet, bookish charm. Aidan Quindlin was never going to be the kind of guy who rolled up on his Harley and whisked you off to parts unknown. Nope, he had sold his motorcycle after the accident that had put him in a coma and nearly cost him his life. Not that she blamed him for ditching the bike. The bike had been out of character for him anyway.
And he had almost died.
When she had heard about the accident, she hadn’t been able to bear the thought of losing him. At the time, they hadn’t been seeing each other, but when she had heard that he had been hurt, she could not rest until she had made amends for the way they had parted when they had broken up all those years ago.
Where had that feeling that had driven her back to him
