“I had a talk with Thomas at work the other day. He was telling me you’re taking over with the school club that’s been working with us on bay preservation.”
Aidan nodded. “I’ve spoken to him about it, yes.”
“He got the sense that you might have reservations.”
Aidan frowned. “I’m sure I told him I was eager to help out, that I recognized how worthwhile the cause is,” he said, wishing he’d delivered that message with more conviction than he apparently had. Just being polite clearly hadn’t covered his misgivings.
“He said you said all the right words, but when he wanted to schedule some time to brainstorm plans for next fall, you seemed evasive,” Kevin reported.
Aidan sighed. “I probably did,” he admitted. “Right now, my focus is on football and trying to shape up the team. I only have a couple more weeks before school’s out. I won’t get these kids back on the field till late summer. You know as well as I do that’s not a lot of time to get them fully prepared for next season.”
“Understandable, but you have to see where my uncle is coming from,” Kevin replied. “Preserving the bay is an all-consuming obsession for him. He wants to work with someone who’s equally committed.”
Aidan’s temper stirred. “So he’s decided I’m not committed after a single conversation?”
“It’s not that,” Kevin said hurriedly. “I don’t want to put words in his mouth. I guess I just wanted to hear for myself that you’re interested in working with us. Otherwise, maybe you should speak to Rob about assigning another teacher to the club.”
Kevin couldn’t possibly know how badly Aidan wanted to do just that, but his annoyance with Thomas for leaping to such a conclusion kept him from admitting it. Pride and his upbringing insisted that he stick with the commitment he’d made.
“You can tell your uncle that when fall rolls around, I will give this obligation my all, just the way I intend to do my best for the football team.”
Kevin looked taken aback by his sharp tone. “Hey, man, I’m sorry. I just wanted to give you an out if you wanted one. We’ll be glad to have the support. You just need to understand how Thomas is.”
“Believe me, I’ve heard a lot about his dedication and idealism,” Aidan said, fighting to keep any hint of bitterness from his voice. “I can respect that. As for those get-togethers he wants to have, there will be plenty of time once school’s out. I’ll give him a call and schedule something. Let him know that.”
Kevin regarded him with a guilty expression. “I didn’t just create an awkward situation for you, did I? All I really meant to do was clear the air and give you a chance to opt out if you weren’t interested in the project.”
“Got it,” Aidan said. “No harm, no foul. Honestly.”
Kevin didn’t look entirely convinced, but clearly he decided he’d done enough damage. “I probably should get over to Dad’s, too. You sure you don’t want to come along? I understand Gram’s made pot roast. It’s not to be missed.”
“Another time,” Aidan told him. “Enjoy the rest of your day. I’ve got the Times crossword to do and all those game videos to watch.”
He didn’t add that those would be enough frustration without trying to evade Thomas and his uncomfortable insightfulness. He was going to have to do a whole lot better at covering his emotions if he wanted to get to know the man without inadvertently revealing what he knew about their connection.
7
Though she hardly had five minutes to think the rest of the holiday weekend, Liz was forced to admit that when she did have a second, her thoughts kept straying to Aidan. She hadn’t caught so much as a glimpse of him since they’d had pizza on Saturday night. It had been a comfortable couple of hours, though trying to ignore those sparks between them had taken a lot of willpower, more than she’d imagined ever needing again.
It was one thing to be attracted to the man, she told herself sternly. That just proved she was alive. Acting on it, however, was something else, something she wasn’t prepared to do, because allowing her defenses to come down opened her up to a load of potential hurt. She’d already been through more than enough heartache to last a lifetime.
Even with all of those very stern lectures she’d delivered to herself mentally, more than once her gaze had gone to the slip of paper she’d tucked into her pocket with Aidan’s cell phone number written on it. She’d been sorely tempted to call and plead for his help, but that fierce independent streak of hers had convinced her that was more about wanting to see him than it was about needing help in the shop.
By the time she closed on Monday after the holiday crowds had left for home, she was glad she’d done those last two days on her own. She’d proven something to herself. And totaling the receipts in her kitchen on Monday night gave her an amazing sense of satisfaction. She was going to pull this off. She could honestly say now that she believed that Pet Style had been the right decision for her future and not just some crazy escape from the past, as her family thought of it.
How had they not been able to see that her entire life had been leading up to something just like this venture? Not only had she started taking in strays as a child, but she’d volunteered at a vet clinic as soon as the family vet thought she was old enough. She’d volunteered to help with a shelter’s pet adoption Saturdays, too. Rescuing animals in distress was every bit the passion that teaching had been, and while going to veterinary school hadn’t been a realistic option after her husband died, a shop like this had been.
When her phone rang, a tiny
