“Who said I did anyway? You assumed that because I came home early.”
“Well, did you?” He watched her with one eyebrow raised. That look he gave that she couldn’t lie to.
“Maybe.” She threw the newspaper she was pretending to read onto the floor and crossed her arms. “It’s complicated.”
“Ain’t that the honest truth.” Gigi rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen, checking out the coffee pot.
Aggie jumped on the opportunity to change the direction of the conversation. “It doesn’t have to be, Gigi. You don’t have to hide your boyfriend from us. You’re allowed a life you know.”
Gigi stopped, swiveled around, and stared at Aggie with her mouth open. “I…what are you talking about?”
Her father watched with a grin on his face. “Told you it wasn’t working, sis.”
“I think the whole island knows you have a boyfriend and you’re allowed. Just because you raised us doesn’t mean you can’t have a life of your own.” She shared a grin with her father, happy now that the spotlight was on someone else.
“That’s ridiculous. We were talking about you, not me.”
“Gigi, we love you. You know that, but I think it’s time you and David stopped sneaking around thinking nobody knows about the two of you. We all do.” Her father walked over and put his arm around his sister’s shoulders. “We like him. As far as lawyers go, he’s pretty good and if it makes you happy, then it makes us happy.” He kissed the top of her snow white head while she tried to act offended. “But we weren’t talking about you even though it kind of went that way. We were talking about Aggie and Liam.”
“Dad, don’t. Please just don’t.” Aggie didn’t want to have this conversation with anyone, let alone her father.
He wasn’t going to let her get away with it and she shouldn’t have been surprised. Her dad was all about being fair. “I’m going to have my say, Agnes, and it’s none too soon either. You haven’t been the same since you came back from Seattle and last night it was good to see some of your old spark showing again. If Liam is the one to bring that out in you, then I’m all for it. I like him; he’s a good guy. I think he deserves a chance and that means treating him well. Now, I’ve said my piece, and I think I’ll cook us up some breakfast.”
Aggie stared at her aunt and shook her head. “Don’t even bother adding to that. I’m not talking to either of you about my love life or lack thereof.”
“Same.” Gigi poured herself a cup of coffee and walked out to the front deck to drink it.
Aggie watched for a while, chewing over her options. Should she talk to someone other than Bradley, or should she go with her original game plan of not getting involved with anyone? Or should she wait until April came home from her honeymoon and talk it over with her? She knew the whole story, unlike everyone else on the island. They all assumed Aggie had changed and she wasn’t about to disagree with them nor give them a reason why.
Her dad’s voice broke her out of her internal debate. “You look like you’re getting ready to go to war, Aggie. Why don’t you tell your dear old father what’s on your mind?” He cracked eggs into a bowl. “Time used to be when we talked a lot and about everything. I hate that’s changed.”
“I grew up, Dad. Learned to make decisions for myself.” She unwound herself from the chair and stood, leaning towards asking him for advice but arguing with herself over how much she could safely tell him. He’d go ballistic if he ever found out what really happened.
“And I’m proud of the way you grew up too. But that doesn’t mean you still can’t ask for advice or help. I was hoping the day never comes when my kids don’t need me.” He stared at her from under his bushy gray eyebrows, a twinkle of a smile in his gray eyes.
Her father could pull on the heartstrings like no other and most of the time she couldn’t resist, but this was different. She’d never been assaulted before and knew his opinion on the lowlives who attacked women. If he found out his only daughter had been assaulted and he hadn’t been there to protect her, it would kill him.
“Dad, you know you’ll always be my go-to guy for help but I think I need to work this one out myself. I’m not sure if I’m ready for a relationship, and Liam has been wearing his heart on his sleeve for as long as I’ve known him.”
“And I can see why. You’re a great lady and I don’t say that just because you’re my girl. You’re a go-getter, a great friend, and a hard worker. What’s not to love about you?”
The fact that I’m soiled goods.
The words stuck in her throat. She couldn’t say them, no matter how much they rang loud in her mind. “You’re biased, but I love you anyway.” She walked over and leaned on the kitchen counter watching as he poured the eggs into the pan. A good meal might make her feel better, and improve her current mood. Might even go some way to ditch the headache from hell. “Let me deal with my own relationships, okay? I don’t meddle in your love life, so please leave mine alone.”
He held the spatula in his hand and stared at her, a smile on his face. “I don’t have a love life.”
“Well, maybe it’s time you did. We’re all grown up now. We don’t expect you to be sitting here waiting for us to need you.” Aggie picked at a nail, chipping the pink polish she really must remove before
