Forever Yours, page 6
When he joined her in the living room, she sat up and accepted the pills.
“Come on,” he said as soon as she swallowed them down. “Let me put you to bed.”
He followed as she led the way to her bedroom. The same framed image of “The Great Wave of Kanagawa” hung above her bed. The print had been given to her by her grandmother years ago and had meant the world to Meg. In all the time that he lived in New York City, he’d only made one trip to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. He’d stood in front of the display of that image, thinking of Meg. He’d been mesmerized by the big blue and white wave, but not because of the beauty of the image. Because it reminded him of how foolish he’d been to leave the woman he had loved to chase a dream that had turned into a nightmare.
Standing there looking at the same print that he used to see every night before bed brought a strange sense of comfort to him. The same peace that being with Meg brought. The same comfort and familiarity he felt being with her.
“I can’t believe how perfect the baby is,” Meg said, falling onto her bed. “The most beautiful little boy ever.”
Aiden covered her with blankets and smiled as he ran his fingertip down her nose before tapping the tip—something he hadn’t done in four years yet was as familiar to him as breathing. She opened her eyes, wide with surprise, before he realized he shouldn’t have done that. Their gazes locked, and his heart rolled in her chest. He hadn’t meant to close the emotional distance between them, but the familiarity got the better of him. Pulling back, remembering that they were barely even friends now, he fisted his hand and shoved it in his pocket.
“I’m so sorry I broke your head,” he said.
She stared, clearly surprised by his tender touch. “Yeah, me too.”
“I’ll be on the sofa if you need anything.”
She grabbed his hand when he turned to walk away, startling him. He looked down at her, not sure what to expect. His heart swelled with a strange twisting of desire and dread. He couldn’t deny that he still yearned for her or that his heart ached with the memories of a love he still couldn’t let go.
“There are blankets and an extra pillow in the closet by the bathroom.”
Aiden smiled his thanks and then left her to sleep. Grabbing the spare pillow and blanket, he stretched out on her couch and stared at the ceiling, telling himself that he’d blown his chance with Meg. No way was she going to give him a second chance, no matter how much he may have wanted it.
Chapter Six
This wasn’t the first time Meg popped into Mallory’s place after her exercise class, but this was the first time she felt weird about it. She parked next to Aiden’s SUV, the front end still dented from their accident, and then looked at the black spandex pants she had worn. She had never been self-conscious about her dress before and wasn’t at all above running into the store in sweatpants and a messy bun, but for some reason, having Aiden see her so unkempt didn’t feel right.
“You used to live with the man,” she reminded herself as she grabbed her purse and stomped up the sidewalk. He’d seen her in worse. Hell, he’d held her hair while she barfed after a few too many shots more than once. Spandex and a fitted T-shirt were nothing new.
Knocking, she bounced a little. The tight pants did little to ward off the chill of the December morning. She smiled at Phil when he opened the door. His dark hair stood in a dozen different directions, and his eyes were bloodshot.
“Oh, no. Was the baby up all night?”
He shook his head. “Not all night. I just couldn’t get back to sleep. I haven’t gotten back in the habit of sleeping when I can yet. Once I’m awake, I have a hard time drifting off again.”
“How’s Mallory?” she asked, slipping off her tennis shoes.
“I’m good,” Mal said, coming out of the kitchen. She pouted and tilted her head as she watched Meg take her coat off. “I can’t wait to go back to class with you.”
“Soon,” Meg said. “It’s only been a week since you dropped a baby. Give it time.” She tried to be casual about it, but she couldn’t help glancing around and wondering where Aiden might be.
Mallory caught her scanning the room and smirked. “Aiden’s gathering the trash to take out.”
Meg forced a dismissive look to her face. “I was looking for Jess.”
“She’s at Mom’s,” Phil said.
“I want to hold this squishy little thing.” Meg headed for Mallory and the little bundle she was holding. They had named their son Harrison Marcus after Phil’s father and Mal’s stepfather, but as of yet, they hadn’t settled on what to actually call him. She snatched the bundle and cuddled the baby against her before kissing his little head. “You guys made such a cute human.”
Mallory smiled. “We’re going to call him Harris. We considered Squishy Little Thing and Cute Human, but they both seemed like a mouthful.”
“Harris,” Meg whispered, and even though she didn’t think it was possible, she grew to love the little guy more. “I’m gonna be the best auntie you could ever ask for.” Sitting in the rocking chair, she was stroking her finger over his cheek as he slept when Aiden came in.
“Got anything else…”
She smiled up at him. He was obviously surprised to see her, but she couldn’t tell if this was a good or bad surprise. His mouth hung open as he stared before he blinked and snapped it shut.
“Uh, hey, Meg. I didn’t hear you come in.”
She smiled at him. “I’m stealthy like that.”
He cleared his throat and continued on his mission. “Is that everything that needs to go out?”
“I think so,” Phil answered. “Thanks so much.”
“No problem.” Aiden disappeared, and Meg returned her focus to the baby.
Within minutes Aiden had washed his hands and was closing in on her. “Were you out running?”
“I went to exercise class.”
He leaned down and looked at the bruise and stitches on her head. “How did you feel during class?”
“Fine.”
“Any headache or dizziness?”
“No, Dr. Howard.”
“I wish you had consulted me first.”
She flashed him an exaggerate scowl. “You’re not my doctor.”
Standing up, done looking at her head, he returned her scowl. “Did you consult your doctor first?”
Turning her face down to Harris, she whispered, “This is what is called overbearing and pushy. Don’t ever put up with this.”
“It’s called being concerned,” he countered. “I told Phil I’d make a grocery store run. Want to go?”
She was tempted to say no, but that was the exact reason she’d stopped by. She suspected if she left it up to Aiden, he’d get the wrong brands or flavors and Mallory would end up sending Phil anyway. The poor guy didn’t look like he was going to make it through the day, let alone get to the store.
“This is where we part ways, little human nugget,” she said to Harris. She kissed his head and started to stand. Aiden was quick to take her arm and help her up as if she couldn’t manage it on her own.
She hated to admit it, but it was nice. And if they were a couple, she would have taken that as an indication of what a good husband and father would be someday in the future. But they weren’t a couple. They’d tried that once and it had sucked. The relationship hadn’t sucked. The ending had, and that had sucked bad enough that she wasn’t going to go through it again.
“Thanks.” She tried to say it casually, but it came out a little breathless. Mallory opened her arms, and the light that filled her eyes made a strange ache start in Meg’s chest. She’d been adamant for the last few months that babies and husbands were not in her future plans, but something in her mind shifted in that moment. Okay. Maybe. Someday. Eventually… It might be nice to have this.
Easing Harris back into Mallory’s arms, Meg couldn’t resist putting a kiss on her best friend’s head. “You’re an amazing mama,” she whispered. “Jessica and Harris are the luckiest kids in the world.”
Mallory smiled up at her. “Thanks.”
“Want me to start laundry or anything?”
“Nope. Mom and Marcus are coming over with dinner. She said she’d do a few loads then. Thank you for offering, though. I appreciate the help.”
“Did you give Aiden a shopping list?”
“I did. Make sure he gets exactly what’s on it. Please.”
Meg winked. “I’m on it. You just sit there and be beautiful. We got this.” She was slipping her feet back into her shoes when Aiden grabbed her coat and opened it for her. Damn it. He needed to stop being so nice and considerate. He was melting the sheet of ice she’d put around her heart, and that was making her feel vulnerable. She couldn’t be vulnerable where he was concerned.
As she zipped her coat, he put his on and dug his keys out of the pocket.
“Oh, no.” She held her keys up. “The last time you drove, I got stitches.”
Aiden rolled his eyes, but he grinned and dropped his keys back into his pocket. She giggled as she opened the door.
Aiden held up a box of cereal. “This?”
Meg shook her head and continued skimming the shelf. “This.” She showed him the front, pointing to the little label that touted the box didn’t contain any genetically modified ingredients. “Phil may try to snub his mother’s hippie lifestyle, but she got to him more than he knows. GMOs are a big no-no in the Martinson-Canton diet.”
Aiden grinned. “I guess there are worse things that someone could eliminate from their diet.”
“Remember that guy in your chem class who ate so much garlic the scent literally seeped from his pores?”
Aiden pushed the cart as they moved down the snack aisle. He didn’t want to think about how right this felt. Grocery shopping shouldn’t make a calm wash over him, but he suspected it wasn’t just the shopping. It was the normalcy of the morning. Seeing Meg nuzzling Harris. The way she’d whispered and smiled as she’d touched his face and kissed his head had sent an arrow right through his heart.
For a few seconds, he’d felt like he’d been dropped in an alternate world—a world where he hadn’t been a chickenshit bastard who ran out on the life he should have had. Every time he thought he’d reconciled with his bad choices, something kicked him in the shins and he remembered.
If he hadn’t left, he suspected that he and Meg wouldn’t have lasted anyway. She clearly hadn’t wanted the life she was setting herself up to have and wouldn’t have changed course if Aiden had stayed. Had he stayed, he wouldn’t have been broken down in the ways his residency in New York had humbled him. Things had unfolded like this for a reason. He accepted that. But then something as simple as seeing Meg smile would remind him that the only reason she wasn’t with him was because he was a damned fool.
“Earth to Aiden,” Meg sang.
He blinked a few times and shook his head. “Sorry. My mind wandered.”
“You don’t say.” She stopped walking and narrowed her eyes a little. “Are you okay?”
“Yeah. You?”
“I’m good.” She grinned. “What’s going through your head?”
He couldn’t tell her that he’d, once again, been thinking of how things could have been. Instead, he said, “We should stop and pick up that gift certificate we talked about getting for Mal and Phil. I don’t want to forget.”
She looked at the almond milk and non-dairy yogurt in the cart. “Probably should have done that first.”
“Well, we can drop this off and then go back out.” He liked that idea. A perfectly valid excuse to spend more time with her.
“Yeah, we could do that.” She sounded doubtful.
“Unless you have somewhere else you need to be.”
She thought for a moment before shaking her head. “No, that will work. I’m supposed to take Jessica to a movie today, and I haven’t showered yet.”
“Well. After we pick up the gift certificate, you can run home and shower while I go to Kara’s to get Jessica. We’ll swing by to pick you up, and then we can take her to the movie.”
Meg stared at him. He’d probably just pushed a bit too hard. But then she smiled. “That’ll work. Nice thinking, Doc.”
Aiden smiled so wide his cheeks ached. “Of course, I guess that really depends on what movie you’re seeing…”
Meg snorted. “Too late. You’ve already committed.”
He let out a dramatic groan, but he didn’t care what movie they saw. He didn’t care if she and Jess picked out the cheesiest romantic comedy they could find playing in a theater. He was spending the day with Meg. That was all that mattered.
Chapter Seven
Aiden was glad to be back in Stonehill for Christmas, but he had to admit he felt a bit disappointed by the holiday. When he was a kid, he waited all damn year to open presents. As an adult, it just wasn’t the same. Stevie disappeared upstairs to play video games. His father was watching a football game, and his mother was flipping through a magazine.
“Phil and Mallory invited me over today. I bought a present for Jessica. Want to go with me?”
Becca looked at him and her eyes seemed excited for a moment, but then she shook her head. “No, thank you.”
“Mom. Come with me.”
“Kara wouldn’t want me there.”
“How do you know?”
She returned her attention to an ad that was apparently for jeans but more like soft pornography. “She didn’t invite me.”
“It’s not her house. It’s Phil’s. Besides, I don’t even know if Kara and Harry will be there.”
“Well, Phil didn’t invite me.”
“He’s got his hands full of dirty diapers and bottles at the moment.”
“He invited you.”
Aiden realized then how frustrating he must have been as a teenager. “Okay, Mom. Suit yourself.” He started for the door but then stopped and faced her. “They’re our family. Kara is our family. And it’s Christmas Day. Maybe you could stop being mad at her for one day.”
“I’m not mad at her,” she snapped.
“If you say so.”
“Aiden,” she called. Slamming her magazine shut, she stood. “Wait.”
She left him standing there for several minutes before returning with two gift bags. One had a baby on the front, and the other was clearly geared toward a teen. She grabbed one of the ever-ready tin of holiday cookies that she handed out to neighbors and surprise visitors during the holidays. “Okay,” she said. “Let’s go.”
He decided to keep his sarcastic approval to himself. He guessed she had probably done that a hundred times or more as he grew up. He drove them to Phil’s house, but as they got closer, she fidgeted, appearing more and more nervous.
Finally, he put his hand on hers to stop her from picking at her nails. “Mom. She’s not going to body-slam you.”
“I just don’t want a fight. All we do is fight.”
“Do you remember how Stevie and I used to get into it? We’d just pick and pick at each other until one of us blew up. Remember?”
“Yes. It was so foolish.”
“You and Kara are grown-up versions of Stevie and me.”
She opened her mouth as she looked at him but then snapped her jaw shut.
“You intentionally try to set each other off like it’s a contest. So don’t. Don’t start with her, and if she starts with you, ignore it. Walk away. Don’t engage.” He parked on the street behind Harry’s car.
“She’s here,” his mom said flatly.
“Don’t. Engage.”
After rolling her eyes at him, she climbed from his car and gathered the gifts. She waited for him to lead the way. She muttered something about this being a big mistake as the door opened. But as soon as she spotted the little bundle in Mallory’s arms, she gasped and cooed.
Babies had that effect on his mother.
Mallory blinked with obvious surprise as Aiden stepped aside and let his mother go in first.
He lifted his hands. “Act casual,” he whispered.
She chuckled and pulled back the blanket so Becca could get a better look at Harris.
“Oh, honey, he’s perfect.”
“Thanks, Becca.”
Aiden led his mother into the house and put on a bright smile when Phil gave him the same “oh crap” look he’d gotten from Mallory. Kara stopped reading to her little girl to greet Aiden, and her eyes widened just a bit when she noticed Becca at his side.
“Hi, guys,” Kara said, almost managing to cover her shock. She glanced toward the door. “Where’s the rest of the crew?”
“Stevie’s playing games, and Dad was watching football.” Aiden put his arm around his mom’s shoulders. “We’re going to have to do.”
Harry subtly nudged his wife, and she asked, “Did you have a good Christmas, Bec?”
“It’s not over yet, Kare.”
Kara opened her mouth, obviously ready to say something snarky, but Aiden gave her a pathetic look and she forced a smile. “Very true.” Returning her attention to Mira, Kara started reading again.
Harry cleared his throat as he stood. “Here, Becca. Have a seat.”
The tension between the cousins was obvious, apparently even to Mira, because she curled up closer to her mother.
“Nice,” Phil whispered to Aiden.
“Let’s just hope it takes.”
“One step at a time.”
“Hey, Aiden,” Jessica said, running up to him. “Look at this!”
He skimmed the paper she showed him, but before he could fully grasp what it meant, she pulled it back.
“Mallory adopted me,” Jessica announced proudly. “She’s my mom now. Not just my stepmom but my real mom. Isn’t that cool?”
He glanced at Mallory rocking the baby and smiling widely.
“We kept it under wraps because we thought Jessica should be the first to know,” Phil explained.
