He laughed. “Not in my immediate future,” he said.
“The time will come,” she said with confidence. “Tuck the advice away till you need it. So, what’s on your mind, or do I need to ask?”
“It’s about Liz.”
“Of course it is. You’re worried she’s avoiding you.”
“I know she’s avoiding me,” he corrected. “And now I have some idea about why.”
“Were you getting too close?” Shanna asked gently. “We’ve all noticed she seems a little gun-shy about the idea of forming a new relationship.”
“Has she mentioned why?”
“Not a word,” Shanna said, then frowned. “Did she tell you?”
“Not the whole story,” he conceded, “but enough to know that something bad went down in her past.”
Concern settled on Shanna’s face. “How did you get that much out of her? The only picture she’s ever painted of her past for us was pretty rosy.”
“I’m not surprised. That’s what she seems to want everyone to think.” He sighed. “But I pressed too hard and she snapped. I don’t think she meant to tell me anything, but the words came out before she could stop them. Then she ran into the house and slammed the door.”
“And you left?” she demanded, regarding him incredulously.
“I know it sounds cowardly, and it probably was, but I honestly think I’m the last person who can help her right now. I thought maybe you or Bree could check on her. Whatever happened, she may need to talk about it.”
Shanna stood up at once. “On my way,” she said. “She’ll probably be here soon to open the store, but it would be better if I caught her at home. I’ll call Kevin and ask him to come in and cover for me till I get back.”
She hesitated. “I don’t know what to do about Pet Style, though. She’s going to use opening up as an excuse not to talk to me.”
“Do you have a key?” Aidan asked.
She nodded. “She gave me one for emergencies.”
“I helped her out Memorial Day weekend. I know the system. I can cover. Just give me a heads-up when you’re on your way and I’ll figure out a way to make myself scarce in case she doesn’t want to cross paths with me.”
Shanna finally gave him a more approving look. “I take back all those mean thoughts I was having about you five minutes ago. You’re a very considerate man. You didn’t just run screaming for the hills when she had a meltdown, you had the good sense to come for me.”
Aidan shrugged, not sure he deserved the praise. “I care about her, Shanna. I know she doesn’t want me to, but I do, even if it never develops into something more.”
“Give me your cell number,” Shanna said. “I’ll call when we’re leaving the house or to let you know that she’s not coming in at all, if she decides she wants her part-time employee to finish out the day.”
Aidan wrote it down for her. “Thanks, Shanna.”
“Don’t thank me. I’m her friend. So are most of the women around here. We’ve got her back.” She handed Aidan the key to Pet Style. “I’ll let her know that you do, too.”
He stood in the doorway to Liz’s shop and watched Shanna hurry off to her car, talking on her cell phone as she went. She might have been calling Kevin or rallying the troops. Either way, he knew Liz was going to be in good hands, with a much better support system than he might have provided in his own bumbling, if concerned, way.
* * *
The doorbell rang again and again, sending the dogs into a frenzy. Liz pulled a pillow over her head, but she couldn’t seem to block out the commotion.
“Oh, for heaven’s sake,” she finally muttered, dragging herself off the bed and going to the door. Enough time had passed since she’d abandoned Aidan on the porch that she doubted it was him.
She threw open the door, startled to see both Shanna and Bree there. She frowned at them.
“Why are you here?” she asked as they marched determinedly right past her as if fearful she’d shut them out. Truthfully she’d been tempted to do just that.
“Where else would we be in a crisis?” Bree asked.
“What crisis?” Liz replied, though she was very much afraid she already knew. Aidan had gone for help, which, if she thought about it, was very sweet of him, but totally unnecessary. Her crisis was over.
“Aidan told me he upset you. He thought you could use a friend,” Shanna told her. “From the looks of those puffy, red eyes, the least you could use is some help with makeup.”
Liz was startled when a chuckle erupted. It was the first time since she’d found Aidan on her front steps that she’d felt at all like laughing.
“Thanks for pointing out that I’m a wreck,” she said to her friend.
Shanna grinned. “Always glad to help.”
“Now, talk to us,” Bree commanded. “What did that slimebag do to upset you?”
“Aidan is not a slimebag,” Liz said, rushing to his defense.
Bree looked smug. “I wasn’t actually referring to Aidan, but it’s telling that you’re so very quick to defend him.”
“This has something to do with what happened to you that sent you fleeing from North Carolina,” Shanna said, regarding her with a worried expression. “You didn’t leave just because your husband died in an accident, did you?”
Liz closed her eyes. She really, really didn’t want to talk about this. “Not entirely, no,” she said eventually.
“Sweetie, don’t you want to talk about it?” Bree asked. “It might be easier to move on if you got it off your chest. Who better to share this with than two people who care about you?”
“What did Aidan tell you?”
“Not a blessed thing,” Shanna said with unmistakable frustration. “Just that you were upset
