* * *
When Aidan arrived at Mick’s pier, Thomas was sitting on what was apparently his usual spot on a bench. Sean was dancing around impatiently in front of him as Thomas slathered on suntan lotion.
“Mom already did this,” Sean protested.
“So you’ve said. A little extra won’t hurt,” Thomas told him. “And wear your baseball cap.”
“It’s too hot.”
As Aidan stood by, Thomas gave him a wink, then turned to Sean with a serious expression. “Maybe it’s too hot to be out here at all,” he suggested.
Sean’s eyes widened with unmistakable panic. “No, it’s not. It’s perfect.” He settled the baseball cap on his head, then even added yet another coating of suntan lotion to his nose. “I’ll be fine.”
He spotted Aidan. “Hi. I didn’t know you were coming.”
“Your dad mentioned you all would be here and that maybe I could get a fishing lesson.”
“You’ve never been fishing before?” Sean asked, his expression incredulous.
“Never,” Aidan confirmed, then amended, “Well, once, but it probably doesn’t count since I didn’t catch anything.”
“That happens,” Sean said wisely. “Don’t feel bad. I’ll bet we’re going to catch at least a dozen fish today.”
“And how many do we keep?” Thomas asked.
“Just enough to eat,” Sean said dutifully, then grinned. “I can eat a lot.” He looked up at Aidan. “Want me to show you how to bait the hook? You’re not scared of worms, are you?”
Aidan looked at the box of slimy bait and resisted the strong desire to gag. “Nope. Not a bit.”
“That’s good,” Sean said approvingly. “But I could have done it for you, if you were.”
Aidan glanced toward Thomas, who was watching them with an odd expression. Maybe it was just a trick of the light, but it almost looked to Aidan as if he might have tears in his eyes.
* * *
Liz heard the plaintive woofs coming from upstairs and recognized the sound. Archie had tired of being cooped up. She was sure that just like with a baby whose cries should sometimes be ignored so they learned to fall asleep, ignoring Archie’s barks was the sensible thing to do. If he’d been at her house, she’d never have heard them, after all.
But he wasn’t at her house with the companionship of two other dogs and a cat. He didn’t even have his person around. At least she hadn’t seen any sign of Aidan returning.
When she couldn’t stand it another minute, she put a closed sign on the shop door, ran down the street to the management office and asked Susie if she could let her into Aidan’s apartment.
Susie regarded her with immediate curiosity. “Planning a surprise? A wicked little welcome-home surprise, perhaps?”
“Not the kind you’re imagining,” Liz scolded. “It’s Archie. He’s barking like crazy.”
Susie stood up at once and grabbed a key off the rack in the back of the management office. “Do you think it’s a burglar or that something’s happened to Aidan?”
Liz flushed a little at having caused her to worry. “Actually I just think he’s lonely.”
“You want to rescue the dog because you think he might be lonely?” Susie repeated, her expression torn between amusement and incredulity.
“Okay, I’m a soft touch. Sue me,” Liz said. “Are you going to help me out or not?”
Susie shook her head, but she did close up the office and follow Liz outside. “If this were anyone but you or anyone’s dog but Aidan’s, I would not be doing this,” she muttered. “And if he blows a gasket, I swear I’ll tell him you broke into the office and stole the key or held me down and took it, something so that I don’t come off as being unprofessional.”
“Just a liar,” Liz said, amused by her righteous indignation and choice of alternatives.
“Better that, than having my father fire me.”
“As if that’s likely,” Liz said. “Everyone knows what a fantastic job you do running that office. And O’Briens don’t fire family.”
“Worse, they’d just look extremely disappointed in us,” Susie said as they climbed the stairs to Aidan’s apartment.
Apparently Archie knew that a friendly human was on the way, because his barking grew even more frenzied. When Susie unlocked the door, he made a dash straight past both of them and down the stairs to a nearby patch of grass.
Liz and Susie exchanged a look, then burst out laughing.
“He needed a potty break?” Susie said. “That’s what all the commotion was about?”
Liz regarded her with a chagrined expression. “Think of it this way—we just saved the wood floor from an untimely accident.”
Relieved, Archie now stood at the bottom of the steps, tail wagging enthusiastically.
“Back inside,” Liz commanded.
The dog just ran in a circle, yipping happily.
Liz sighed. She’d started this. She might as well finish it and kidnap the dog and take him with her.
“I’ll get your leash.” She grabbed it off the back of a chair, waited for Susie to lock up and followed her down the steps.
“Thanks for doing this. I guess I’m going to have a helper for the afternoon.”
“No more than you deserve,” Susie said, grinning. “I sure do hope I’m around when Aidan discovers his dog has escaped and sought refuge with you.”
Liz shivered at the reminder that she was now going to be forced to see the very man she’d all but banned from her life. Maybe she hadn’t been half as serious about that demand as she’d meant to be since she’d just seized an excuse to break the rules herself. Of course the biggest broken rule of all was the one meant to protect her heart. Despite every best intention in the world and enough warning flags to stop a NASCAR race, she’d gone and fallen in love again.
20
Aidan was lost in thought as he walked home from Mick’s carrying a bucket of seawater with a very nice rockfish in it. He had no idea how to go about cleaning it, but Thomas had promised to stop by in a half hour to give him a quick lesson.
It had
