“There it is again,” Bree said. “Happily married women don’t swear off men when they’re widowed. They grieve, to be sure, but eventually they usually open their hearts to someone else.”
“Says who?” Liz retorted. “There are plenty of women who don’t think any man could possibly live up to the one they lost.”
“And you’re one of those?” Bree asked, her skepticism plain. “That’s not how it sounded.”
Susie frowned. “I agree. I heard the same thing. Liz, you certainly don’t have to tell us anything you don’t want to, but we are your friends. If there’s ever anything you need to talk about, we’ll listen. No judgments and no advice.”
Liz lifted a brow in disbelief. “As if you could pull that off.”
“We can just listen,” Heather insisted. “We’ve had some practice.”
“Oh, who are you guys kidding?” Shanna said, siding with Liz. “The O’Briens have rubbed off on all of us. We couldn’t shut up if we wanted to.”
“But we will try,” Bree said, belatedly regarding Liz with genuine concern. “Remember that, okay?”
For just an instant, Liz was tempted to open up and reveal the secret she’d been keeping to herself ever since the night she’d lost her husband, but when it came right down to it, she couldn’t. She knew it would change the way they looked at her. That night and everything that had led up to the accident had certainly changed the way she’d looked at herself.
She was very much afraid, in fact, that no amount of time passing would ever diminish the pain of that night, not just the accident itself and losing her husband, but every awful revelation that had come before it. How could she possibly think of moving on when she’d failed so terribly as a wife the first time?
* * *
Aidan wasn’t entirely shocked by the discovery that the O’Brien men and their friends were a very competitive group. They took to the basketball court as if they were the Miami Heat and LeBron James going up against San Antonio in the NBA finals. Not that a one of them possessed the same skill level, of course.
Despite the intensity of the game, however, they still found plenty of time to taunt each other as only friends of long standing and family could. They knew each other’s weak spots and exploited them. It was only a matter of time before their attention turned to Aidan.
Maybe it had something to do with the fact that his gaze kept straying toward the dog park, but Connor was the first to pull him into their sights.
“Something interesting going on in the dog park, Aidan?” Connor teased. “Your attention seems to be wandering.”
“I noticed the same thing,” Mack chimed in. “That wouldn’t have anything to do with Liz, would it? You hoping to catch a glimpse of her? Or maybe it’s that dog I understand you’re about to adopt, though it would be a pity if you found that to be more interesting than a beautiful woman.”
“I am not watching for Liz or Archie,” Aidan claimed. “It’s just that this game is moving so slow, my mind’s had plenty of time to wander.”
Kevin regarded him incredulously. “Men, did you hear that? He just accused us of being sluggish and boring on the court.”
“I heard the same thing,” Connor said.
Aidan grinned as he dribbled the ball and watched for an opening. “Truth hurts, doesn’t it?” He dodged Connor’s attempt to block him and drove past him to make the basket. “So does losing. Not that I would know about that, since last time I checked my team was winning.”
Will Lincoln, a shrink who was married to Jess O’Brien, the owner of the inn, winced at the comment. “Would you mind a little advice from a mental health professional?” he said to Aidan. “Do not take pokes at a sleeping lion. We might have these guys on the ropes right now because they’re distracted by all the trash talk, but I guarantee they can pick up the intensity in a heartbeat.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Kevin said, grabbing a rebound and charging past Aidan for a quick dunk shot that brought them within six points of Aidan’s team.
Aidan didn’t much care if his comments cost his team the game, as long as it changed the direction of their thoughts from his love life.
For a full ten minutes, the two teams were silent except for their panting and the sound of their sneakers slapping against asphalt as the battle on the court escalated. As the buzzer on their kitchen timer ticked down, Aidan stole a ball from Connor, took it down the court and sank the shot, just as the timer went off.
“And that,” he said with a triumphant grin, “is how it’s done.”
Kevin and Connor exchanged a look.
“Bet I can wipe that smug look off his face,” Connor taunted.
Kevin grinned. “You mean by mentioning that Liz just hit the dog park wearing short shorts and a very tight tank top?”
Recalling precisely how hot she’d looked the other night in just such an outfit, Aidan’s head whipped around, but there was no such vision in sight.
“You dog,” he said to Kevin.
Kevin and Connor gave each other satisfied high fives.
“Knew you’d look,” Kevin said.
“And why is that?” Connor teased, his expression innocent.
“Because he’s in l-o-v-e,” Bree’s husband, Jake, said.
“Hey,” Aidan protested. “You were on my team. Aren’t you supposed to be on my side here?”
Jake chuckled. “Not when it comes to this. It’s too much fun watching you squirm. All of us have paid our dues. We’ve taken the heat, made it to the altar and are now living happily ever after. We want everyone to share in our joy.”
Aidan shook his head. “What you really mean is that misery loves company. You’re jealous that I can date any woman I happen to find attractive.”
Will winced for the second
