Thomas looked shocked by the angry words Aidan was hurling at him. “Of course not. She wasn’t that kind of woman. But maybe, for your peace of mind and mine, we should be sure about this before we go broadcasting the news to everyone else.”
“You want a DNA test?” Aidan said, his voice empty of emotion. “Sure, whatever. I suppose I even get why you’d doubt me, though I can tell you here and now that I don’t want or expect anything from you. I’m not here to make any claims on you or your family.”
“It’s not about doubting you,” Thomas insisted. “But this was what, twenty-eight years ago, right? It’s too important to leave something this huge to chance.”
“And then? When the test proves what I already know, what will you do about it? It’s not as if I need a father at this stage of my life. And you obviously don’t need another son.”
Thomas’s expression softened for just a minute. “But I would very much like to know the one I had with Anna, if that’s how this turns out. For whatever reasons she thought she had, your mother denied me that chance. I’m not condemning her for that, but I’m not the one who created this situation, Aidan. Based on what you said, you’ve known since last summer about me. Give me some time to catch up. Then together we can figure out what happens next.”
The request was too blasted reasonable and Aidan was in no mood to be reasonable. He sighed, knowing Thomas was right. “And until we know, nothing changes. No one knows,” he agreed.
“To be honest, when I saw your mother’s name, I told Connie that I knew your mother a long time ago, but this?” He shook his head. “I won’t mention that you’re my son until we have the test results. Not a word to anyone else, either.” He regarded Aidan intently. “You’ll do the same?”
“Of course. Liz suspects there’s some connection, but she has no idea what it might be. She certainly doesn’t suspect this. I’m sure of that.”
“Would you mind if we went to Johns Hopkins for the tests?” Thomas asked. “We could probably have the samples taken right here, but even as discreet as I know the doctor and his staff to be, word can get around.”
Aidan nodded. He didn’t want to risk any leaks, either, not until they had the proof that his claim was valid and had decided how they—both of them together—wanted to handle it. Maybe it could remain their secret, but he couldn’t envision the likelihood of that in Chesapeake Shores, where private business seemed to be fair game, especially among O’Briens.
A thought suddenly occurred to him. “What does Mick know? I imagine he’s the one who showed you the résumé with my mother’s name on it.”
“I acknowledged to him that I knew your mother, but that’s all. The possibility that you were my son hadn’t even crossed my mind then,” Thomas said, then smiled. “I can see why Mick knowing would worry you. He’ll be determined that we forge a bond whether it’s what we want or not. That’s his way. My mother, Nell, she’ll feel the same way. If there’s any doubt in your mind, she’ll welcome you as another grandson. I’m the one who’ll be answering her questions and listening to her lectures for days on end.”
“Something to look forward to, then,” Aidan said, amused by the image of Nell scolding this grown man for his past mistakes.
“Then we’ll move forward with the tests. I’ll make the arrangements,” Thomas said. “Tomorrow, if possible. There’s no reason to drag this out and leave us both wondering. I imagine you’re exhausted enough by keeping this inside.”
“You’ll be wondering,” Aidan told him. “I already know, but yes, it will be a relief to end the secrecy.”
A faint smile tugged at Thomas’s lips. “You have the O’Brien stubborn streak, that’s for sure. I guess we’ll see if that’s only coincidence.”
Aidan could have reassured him on that point, but Thomas clearly didn’t want to leave something this momentous to chance. After spending time with his happy family, Aidan could understand why.
* * *
Liz sat in her usual booth at Sally’s stirring sugar into her coffee, her mind wandering.
“I’m pretty sure that sugar dissolved at least five minutes ago,” Bree commented, watching her.
Liz’s head snapped up. “What?”
Bree gestured toward the coffee. “It’s probably cold by now. Do you want Sally to warm it up?”
Liz sighed and pushed it away. “I don’t really want coffee.”
“Seems to me what you could really use is a stiff drink.”
Liz blinked at that. “Excuse me? At eight-thirty in the morning?”
“You’re upset about something,” Bree said. “Of course, it probably is a little early to start in on martinis.”
“I’ve never had a martini in my life. Nor do I rely on alcohol to solve my problems,” she said indignantly.
“There,” Bree said with satisfaction. “Taking me to task put some color back into your cheeks. So what’s going on, Liz? Everything okay with you and Aidan?”
“There is no me and Aidan,” she said, the response automatic.
“I know that’s what you keep telling yourself,” Bree said mildly. “You may even believe it, but the rest of us aren’t so easily convinced. Maybe it would help if I told you that you seem to have him twisted into knots, too.”
“Hardly likely,” Liz said, dismissing the possibility. “Aidan has too much going on right now to be worrying about me. There’s a lot of pressure for him to get the high school team to perform well this year.”
“And to hear Henry tell it, they’re going to be awesome,” Bree said, chuckling. “I swear that kid could do PR for the Baltimore Ravens. He knows football and his enthusiasm is contagious, especially with his friend
