“Aidan’s a little old to need a father interfering in his life,” he reminded her.
“No one’s ever too old to need family,” Nell scolded, then added confidently, “You’ll be there in whatever way the two of you work out.” Her expression turned sad. “I wish I had more time to get to know this new grandson of mine.”
Thomas frowned. “You’ll have years to get to know him, Ma. We’re both counting on that.”
A smile chased away that fleeting hint of sorrow he thought he’d seen in her eyes.
“Then I’ll do my best to hang around for a good long time.”
Thomas reached for his mother’s hand. Despite her age and some hints of frailty, her hands were strong from all the gardening she still insisted on doing herself. That core strength and determination would keep her with them.
“I love you, Ma. Aidan will be at Sunday dinner at Mick’s for an official O’Brien welcome. I’m counting on you to make our favorite dishes.”
She gave him a questioning look. “Are you sure he’s ready for all of us?”
“Is anyone ever ready for that? The fact that he’s willing to show up proves he’s got tough O’Brien genes.”
“It does, doesn’t it?” She squeezed his hand. “Congratulations, Thomas. He’s lucky to have you as his father.”
“I’m not sure he understands it just yet, but he’s lucky to be a part of this family,” Thomas said. “I thank God every day for it myself.”
“As do I,” she said, her words heartfelt. “As do I.”
* * *
More than once over the next several days, Liz tried to catch up with Aidan, but for the first time since he’d arrived in town, he was surprisingly elusive. It was entirely possible that he was deliberately avoiding her. She could hardly blame him after the harsh, unreasonable words they’d exchanged.
On Thursday, she spotted him on the town green at one of the football team’s unofficial practices. She stood by the shop door and watched him work with the boys, smiling at the way Henry, Hector and Taylor hung on his every word.
As she observed the interaction and saw how good he was at motivating the team, her heart seemed to open just a little more. This was a man who was meant to be a father, unlike Josh, who’d never shown the least bit of interest in being a parent. All those dreams about having babies had been hers alone. She saw that much more clearly now.
Steeling herself to confront Aidan and offer her apology the minute practice ended, she was thoroughly frustrated when three tourists walked into the shop just as practice was ending on the green. By the time the women left, her receipts for the day were considerably higher, but so was her level of frustration.
She scrolled down the contact list on her cell phone to Aidan’s number, but when it came time to press the call button, she couldn’t make herself do it. Arranging a meeting made it seem too stiff and formal. She thought a casual encounter would make it easier to get the words out despite her nerves, but at this rate the first time she saw him might be Sunday dinner at Mick’s, and there wouldn’t be a second of privacy there for the conversation they needed to have.
Bree walked into the shop as she was staring at her phone. “You okay?”
Liz sighed. “Not really. I’ve been trying to work up the courage to talk to Aidan.”
Bree’s expression immediately brightened. “He’s right upstairs. I can cover the shop if you want to run up there and get things straightened out.”
Liz shook her head. “That doesn’t feel right, either.”
Bree frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I have this idea in my head that we’ll bump into each other, I’ll be able to say my piece, and everything will be okay again. If I call or go up there, it will feel like some big deal.”
Her friend didn’t even try to hide her amusement. “It is a big deal, sweetie. It’s the first step toward your future. This was your first huge fight. How you end it will set the tone for the rest of your lives.”
“Oh, don’t be so dramatic, Ms. Playwright.”
“Mock me, if you will, but as a moderately successful playwright, I’m telling you it’s the pivotal scene when the audience finally knows with certainty that the couple will live happily-ever-after.”
“Gee, now there’s the kind of moral support I need before I risk doing something completely out of my comfort zone,” Liz responded. “It’s an apology, Bree. If I turn it into something more, I’ll freeze and never get the first word out.”
Just then, loud, persistent barking echoed from upstairs. Liz frowned. “I thought you said Aidan was in his apartment.”
“I thought he was.”
“Then why isn’t he quieting Archie down?” Liz asked. “This sounds as if something’s wrong.”
Bree gave her a sly look. “Don’t you have a key for emergencies?”
Liz started to reach in the cash drawer for the key, then hesitated. “You have to be right about Aidan being there. He just finished practice. He must be home.”
“Well, you’re the expert, but Archie sounds pretty frantic to me,” Bree said, tilting her head as if to listen more intently.
Liz couldn’t deny that he sounded that way to her, too. It was definitely Archie’s version of an emergency alarm. Or maybe that’s just what she needed it to be to get her past her reticence to head upstairs.
“You go,” Bree said. “I’ll stay here.”
“Why don’t you go? I’ll wait here,” Liz immediately countered, then quickly added, “In case a customer comes in.”
“You should go,” Bree insisted. “Aidan gave you the key and you’re better equipped to deal with Archie than I would be.”
Liz sighed. She had no argument for that. “I’ll be right back. If you hear me yell, it means we’re dealing with something more than a typical Archie crisis. Call
