Aidan smiled at the image of Nell defying the two men to work on a cause dear to Thomas’s heart. It suddenly dawned on him that that petite dynamo was his grandmother. Of course, he’d known that intellectually, but the implication hadn’t really registered until now. He’d seen for himself how wise and caring she was and suddenly found himself yearning for that to be directed his way. Since he’d been in town and met the O’Briens, he was realizing how much he missed those deep family connections he’d lost when first his maternal grandparents and then his mom had died.
Liz regarded him with an odd expression. “What was that look about?” she asked. “Something seems to have shaken you.”
Aidan scrambled for a plausible answer. “I just remembered the fish. I need to get it on the grill before the vegetables burn.”
“Need any help?”
“I’ve got it. Just give me a minute to run downstairs to the barbecue area. I’ll be back with everything, hopefully cooked to perfection.”
“Are you sure you don’t want me to come along to carry anything?”
What he really wanted was a minute to gather his composure. “I’ve got it covered. Sit out on the balcony and relax. You’ve been on your feet all day.”
“To be honest, that does sound heavenly,” she admitted.
“Then do it.”
And maybe by the time he got back upstairs, she’d have forgotten all about the questions he’d managed to stir up.
* * *
Liz was puzzled by Aidan’s eagerness to get away from her all of a sudden, but the prospect of sitting outside on the warm night with a glass of wine in hand was too tempting to pass up. What she hadn’t considered was the fact that Aidan’s balcony was in full view of any passerby on Main Street. While it had been a fairly quiet day in town, tonight the street was bustling with locals and tourists out for an evening stroll before or after dinner at one of the nearby restaurants.
“Well, well, well, look who’s making herself right at home on Aidan’s balcony,” Susie taunted from below. “Has he taken you prisoner after your earlier break-in?”
“I did not break in,” Liz reminded her, then glanced pointedly at Jeff, who was standing right there with his nosy daughter. “Do you really want to go down that road?”
“Oh, Dad knows,” Susie said. “Unfortunately he came in while we were gone. I had to explain where I’d been when I got back to the office. I’m still employed.”
“There is a big black mark on her employment history, though,” Jeff said sternly. Even from upstairs Liz could see the twinkle in his eyes.
“Right next to all the others,” Susie said unrepentantly. “So, how come you’re at Aidan’s?”
Jeff gave her another disapproving parental glance. “How is that any of your business?”
“Inquiring O’Brien minds want to know,” Susie said. “Do you really want to walk into the pub without knowing the full scoop? Uncle Mick will be all over us.”
“And that is my brother’s flaw,” Jeff said. He glanced up at Liz. “Watch out for this crew. They may be my family, but there are times I’d like to disown them.”
Susie kissed her dad’s cheek. “Oh, you would not. Come on. It’s obvious we’re not going to get anything out of her now. Maybe I’ll send Bree around. Or Shanna.”
“Please don’t,” Liz called down. But, just in case her plea didn’t register, the minute they’d gone she decided maybe it would be wise if she waited for Aidan inside, after all.
When he came in, he looked startled to find her curled up on his sofa. “Too warm outside?”
She shook her head. “Too crowded.”
“On my balcony?”
“On Main Street,” she said. “Susie had questions. When I declined to answer, she vowed to send others.”
Aidan laughed. “I have noticed that they’re a chatty group, and they all seem to wander past this time of night, either going home from their businesses, or heading around the corner to Luke’s pub. Not a one of them has chased me inside, though.”
“Because this is your apartment. My presence here raises questions.” She sighed. “And speculation.”
“And pressure,” Aidan guessed.
“Pretty much.”
“Then I suppose we should eat inside.”
“It might be better,” Liz said. “Though it’s probably a little late for discretion. I imagine there are a whole slew of bets being placed at O’Brien’s right this minute.”
“Bets?”
“About whether I’ll still be here in the morning.”
She noticed that Aidan looked as if he was about to laugh, but then he clearly recognized that she was serious.
“You’re not kidding?” he asked.
She shrugged. “Not so much. I gather it’s considered a family sport.”
Aidan shook his head. “This is a very odd family.”
“Very,” she agreed, then smiled. “But kind of wonderful, too. I love my mom and my sisters, even when they’re making me crazy, but there’s something different about the O’Briens. Maybe it’s all those generations right here in the same town. They might butt into each other’s lives too much, but it’s obvious how much they love and respect each other.”
“It’s only wonderful until you’re on the receiving end of all that well-meant speculation,” Aidan reminded her.
“Yes, well, this is the first time I’ve actually experienced that part.” She regarded him with regret, then conceded, “I could probably live without it.”
Unfortunately it seemed it came with living in Chesapeake Shores, and up till now, it was the only downside she’d discovered.
* * *
Aidan couldn’t help wondering if he dared to ask Thomas to request that the O’Brien troops back off by explaining that their well-meant efforts might be counterproductive. Instead, as his evening with Liz went on with no real tension, he realized that she seemed accepting of this community oddity. Maybe, if circumstances between them had been less awkward, she’d even have welcomed it. That gave him a renewed sense of hope that they could work through their issues once those DNA test results were in.
Dinner the night
