He turned to go and she called, “Aiden?” He looked at her over his shoulder. “I had a good time,” she said. “Thank you.”
“We’ll do it again,” he said. “I’ll always let you win.” Then he winked.
It was barely after sunrise when she heard the toot of the horn and when she sat up in bed, her entire body revolted. She flopped back down. She couldn’t move.
She heard the knocking at the door and she tried rolling over. Agony everywhere. She lay there, still. Soon, he was right in her bedroom, standing over her. “That’s what I thought. Stiff?”
“How in the world did you get in?” she asked.
“Well, the key was under the flowerpot and I think the bureau you pushed up against the door is empty. It slid like it was on glass. I’m pretty sure I’m smarter than a bear, but if I’m not…So, sore? Stiff?”
“Stiff doesn’t touch it,” she said. “That was very irresponsible of you. You have some medical training and should know better than to take me on an hours-long bike ride like that without making sure I’m up to it. Every muscle in my body is on fire. Even my neck hurts. Why does my neck hurt?”
“Leaning over the handlebars, straining your neck muscles forward in a desperate move to win a race. Want me to take off all my clothes and come in there, give you a nice rubdown?”
“If you touch me, I’ll kill you. Go away—I can’t move.”
He sat down on the edge of her bed. “You took off like a shot on that bike because you’re competitive, that’s what. I’ll put a bottle of over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicine on the counter. Do yourself a favor—warm up your muscles in the shower and move around a little. The biggest mistake you can make is sitting around all day. I’ll make you a pot of coffee before I go.”
“Go?” she asked, half rising. Then she fell back onto the bed with a moan.
“I came over to make sure your muscles were all right. I have something I have to do today. I was going to take you for a hike through a redwood grove, but maybe it’s for the best something came up. How about if I come back later? For dinner?”
“Can’t,” she said. “I’m terrified to cook up good smells because of that bear.”
“Okay, fair enough. I’ll bring groceries when I come and we’ll make it together. It’ll be fun.” He stood up from the edge of the bed. “Listen, move around a little today or you’ll lock up. I’ll see you later.”
“I thought we decided you were going to ask me,” she said.
He grinned at her. “Stop telling me what to do. I’m going to write down my brother’s phone number for you—you should call if you have a problem with the bear. Luke will come over and shoot him for you and he’d like that. Take the anti-inflammatory medicine every four hours whether you think you need it or not, and stretch your muscles gently.” He leaned down and kissed her forehead. “Tomorrow we’ll take it easy.” He turned to go and looked over his shoulder. “Water my tomatoes,” he said with a smile.
“Now they’re your tomatoes? Not much of a gift…”
“I’ll see you later.”
And he was gone. Before long she heard the door close and the sound of his car leaving. Then she smelled coffee.
I’m going to have to start hiding that key better,
she thought. But then she smiled. Maybe not. This was getting interesting….
“Tomorrow?” she said to herself. “He’s already planning tomorrow?”
When Aiden had started this ex-navy adventure, he wasn’t sure what he wanted or where he wanted to settle, which allowed the headhunter to throw a really wide net. He thought he could be just as happy in a big city as a smaller one, as long as he was relatively close to Luke and Shelby, the only family that was no longer moving around.
The two doctors he met with in Redding, a man and a woman, impressed him on both personal and professional levels. They were looking for help because their practice was in high demand. In addition to OB-GYN they also offered a couple of hard-to-find subspecialties—fertility and perinatology or high-risk pregnancy, both of which interested Aiden. If things worked out, they could be offering him an associate’s position that could lead to a partnership.
But now his thoughts were darting off in other directions; he was beginning to wonder what Chico had to offer. Or, failing Chico, perhaps Davis, Sacramento or even San Francisco, anything closer to Chico than Redding happened to be. Yes, the long-legged strawberry blonde was creeping under his skin, and when he thought about her it brought a nice warm rush to his blood flow and a tightening to his groin.
Yet another reason not to make a final decision right away—he’d like to see where this attraction to Erin was going. And for that he needed more time.
It surprised Aiden to realize that feeling this kind of optimism about a relationship with a woman was a rarity for him. He thought he’d been open to the possibility, but he suddenly realized he probably hadn’t allowed himself to feel something like this in years. Oh, he’d experienced attraction and desire, but it hadn’t seemed to blossom into anything strong enough to last. Now he wondered if that had been about not meeting the right woman, or more about him being reluctant to trust and unwilling to allow himself to be vulnerable. But he was tired of being alone, tired of keeping a safe distance. And something about Erin made him willing to take a chance.
A lot of his reluctance had undoubtedly been because of that one bad experience. But hell, it had been really, really bad. He’d like to think it was the recent attempt of the ex, Annalee, to reach him that had caused him to reexamine his extreme caution, but the truth was that even if Annalee’s name hadn’t come up at all, being careful where women were concerned had become a habit for Aiden. His experience with her, though long ago and short-lived, had been the darkest, craziest time in his adult life. Nothing had prepared him for the kind of insanity Annalee brought. From the day he met her, she was a series of lies and manipulations and even violent behavior. He had given her money to fly home to Georgia to visit her mother and five days later he’d been called by the credit-card company asking if his wife had his approval using his credit card to pay for her ten-thousand-dollar spa week in Acapulco. The only smart thing he’d ever done was not put her name on his accounts. Expensive new clothes appeared in her closet, yet he didn’t know where she got the money; he wondered if she had shoplifted, but when he questioned her behavior or actions, it was either instant fireworks to include trashing their apartment or a complete collapse into a pathetic, vulnerable, needy child. It had been an unbelievable roller-coaster ride punctuated by wild, ravenous sex. He’d wondered if he was losing his mind.
The thing he could never quite reconcile was that there were periods of time Annalee seemed so
normal
. Cute, sweet, accommodating, precious. And God, was she beautiful. Not in a girl-next-door way, but in a classically gorgeous way—natural white-blond hair, dark eyes, slightly tanned skin, red lips and a body that could stop a train. She was only five foot two, tiny waist, round hips, large breasts.
After the first two weeks of marriage, he’d look at her and see the devil. He wasn’t sure if she was mentally ill or the meanest, most conniving bitch on earth. He was still trying to figure her out long after he should have been divorcing her. But then he came home from the hospital early—on purpose—and found her in bed with a young sailor from the base. When Aiden yanked him out of the bed and slammed him up against the wall, the kid cried. He had no idea the girl was
married!
He’d met her in a bar at 10:00 a.m. He ran for his life.
It had been a wide-awake nightmare that lasted four months from the second he laid eyes on her till the divorce was over.
One of the residents in the hospital had just effected a divorce in a matter of days; Aiden got the lawyer’s name and went to him at once. He took the papers to Annalee himself and after that she’d disappeared into thin air. He really thought he was done with her. And until hearing her name a couple of weeks ago, it had appeared to have been so.
Aiden had not met another woman in eight years who bore any resemblance to that she-devil who’d briefly messed up his life. And he knew beyond a doubt that Erin was nothing like that. In fact, he thought Erin was strangely like him. She’d obviously concentrated on her family obligations and her work, just like Aiden. She’d had some relationships, but nothing that tempted her into a long-term commitment, just like Aiden. She was serious and cautious, and she was very smart.
He was definitely wanting her. And it had been too long since he’d met a woman who made him feel that way.
Driving back to the Virgin River area from Redding, he began to plot his approach. He’d buy something nice for dinner and get her to tell him all about what made her decide on law school and then, for God’s sake,
tax and estate
law. She didn’t look nearly as nerdy as her specialty. Then he’d kiss her and fondle her for a while, gently, sweetly, and he’d leave her reluctantly. Next, he’d show up to take her for a walk through a redwood grove and sneak her behind the occasional wide and tall tree. And before very long, he was going to take her to bed. He knew it was probably just crazy man-thinking, but he believed that after he’d taken her to bed, he’d know if he should tell that headhunter to toss the net a little closer to the Chico area.
He stopped at a grocery store and while he had cell reception, called Luke. “Hey,” he said. “I have plans tonight, but thought I’d check in. Everyone okay?”
“Fine here, but I wish you were going to come home. Mom and George are coming over for dinner and I thought we’d talk to them. About…you know…this idea of driving all over the country in an RV.”
“Ah,” Aiden said. “You thought we’d gang up on them.”
“Well, I have my concerns. They’re kind of old for this.”
“They’re both very healthy and alert. Neither one of them even needs glasses. You don’t want me there—I think I’m on their side. Now, if Mom was heading out alone, that would be another story.”
“He’s seventy! She might as well be alone!” Luke said.
“Does this mean you’re no longer concerned that your mother is having wild, sinful monkey sex with some guy in an RV?” Aiden asked. “Because any seventy-year-old guy who’s capable of that can read a map and stop at a stop sign.”
“Funny,” Luke said. “Go. Have fun with your squeeze. Leave all the family issues to me. See if I care.”
Aiden chuckled silently. A couple of years ago—before Shelby and the baby and Art and all these domestic tethers—Luke might not even have
noticed
where his mother was sleeping. Now he was up to his neck in
issues.
“When I get where I’m going, I’ll give you a call and make sure you have a phone number so you can reach me if there’s a brawl.”
“Thanks for nothing,” Luke said, hanging up on him.
The real magic of Maureen’s life happened in or around the RV with George. Things she didn’t realize she’d been missing now fulfilled her—simple things like sitting on the sofa with her needlework while he sat not far away talking to the televised baseball games. George
loved
baseball and had a comment about every play! The difference between him being highly entertained or simply passing the time had everything to do with how much he talked to the TV. Baseball got lots of commentary; movies she selected for them got none until his eventual snore. She’d had no idea how much she missed the sound of a man’s snore.
Maureen sat on their small patio, the canopy extended over her, enjoying a cool morning breeze, while inside, George washed up the breakfast dishes. She couldn’t remember when she’d had someone to trade off kitchen chores with, and that brought her amazing happiness. And speak of the devil, he came out of the RV, the newspaper tucked under his arm and carrying two cups of coffee. He handed her the mug with one Stevia sweetener and a tiny bit of skim milk. Then he settled into the chair next to her with his black coffee and perused the headlines.
This was another thing she’d had no idea she’d longed for—a person to be quiet with. Someone to sit beside her, present, available but not invasive. For twelve years she’d been entirely alone and not lonely, and never realizing there was an alternative that could feed a need in her. Then George casually reached for her hand, holding it, and she was reminded of that other thing. She felt a zing of sweet affection balanced beautifully somewhere between passion and comfort.
Maureen had thought these feelings were so far behind her, she was surprised that a woman in her sixties could enjoy the same aspect of life that a bride in her twenties might. No, make that
more
, not the same. As a young woman she’d had inhibitions; she’d been self-conscious and difficult to arouse. Now, when her body was so much less appealing, she felt freer and more sure of herself. She gave a lot of credit to George, who helped her slowly build trust; George, who made her feel so beautiful and desirable. Maureen was the kind of woman who had pulled the sheet over her face during pelvic exams, even after birthing five children. Now, she showered with George sometimes. They laughed at how ridiculous they must look, their flesh so loose, the hair in private places all graying and thin. They laughed about how
well
those aging bodies seemed to work with a little unhurried coaxing.
She gave his hand a squeeze. “I’ve been thinking, George.”
“Scary,” he said.
“I’ve been awfully critical of my boys for avoiding love and commitment, for not settling down. I can’t count the number of times I asked them what in the world their father and I did to put them off marriage and family. I didn’t realize until recently, maybe they were aping
my
behavior. I thought I had no interest in a relationship. Or more honestly, that no man would have any interest in me. I had no idea what I was really doing was avoiding any possibility of that—the very thing my sons were doing until recently. For entirely different reasons, maybe. But the result was the same.”
“Different reasons?”
“I always thought that a couple of them, Luke and Aiden for certain, shied away from serious relationships because of their terrible marriages. But how do I know? I just didn’t want the complications in my life. I stayed completely away from social situations in which I might meet a man. Really, George—I had no idea I was avoiding it like I was. And I was so critical of women friends who were looking for love. I honestly thought they were acting like old fools.”
He leaned toward her and kissed her cheek. “You’ve made this old fool very happy.”
“Do you know what I find myself wondering lately? If Patrick and I would ever have achieved this kind of life. He died almost the moment the last of five sons was out the door. And you know what else I realized? Our marriage was strong and there was a lot of love between us, but it was all business. We worked so hard to keep the family going. Not only didn’t we have a lot of leisure—we didn’t talk much.”
“I’ve been told I talk too much,” George said.
“
Pah!
That’s almost the best part of our relationship!”
He grinned. “I’m glad you said almost.”
“You are very pushy,” she said with a smile. “If you weren’t, I never would have had lunch with you, much less moved into your motor home. If you’d bet me a year ago I’d be doing this, I would have put my life savings against it.”
“We have a dinner date with your sons tonight,” George reminded her. “Luke isn’t very cagey—it’s always obvious when he has something serious on his mind. They’re going to give us a talking-to. Want to guess what it’s about?”
“Living in sin?” she asked with a wink.
“Do you think so?” he wondered.
“It’s just what I deserve. I would have been hell on wheels if any of them had informed me they were cohabiting with a woman without vows. George, why didn’t I start minding my own business years ago? No wonder they couldn’t stand to visit me for more than three days at a time.”
“Easy does it, sweetheart. If they wanted to live with a woman without the benefit of marriage, I’m sure they did as they pleased, even if they moved her out when you made that rare visit. Didn’t you say they usually came to you?”
“Usually.”
“And Sean stayed with Francine and Rosie for weeks, once he learned they were a family, though they weren’t married.”
“They did. And didn’t I just give them trouble about it for a while. Though Sean told me to get over it.” Her mouth formed a slight smile. “I was proud of him for staking his claim like that. Mothers shouldn’t be telling children over thirty how to live.”
“There you have it. Now, do you want to make this easy on them? We can always get married.”
“Yes, I think we should. But not for a year. This is a good idea—making sure we’re right for each other. We’re both too old to take ridiculous chances. Besides, I think God’s too busy with other things to worry about this much.”
He kissed her cheek. “As you wish. You can make sure I don’t have an alter ego who’s difficult and annoying.”
She put a hand on his bristly cheek. “I’m the one with the alter ego—she’s bossy and judgmental.”
“She’s been very well behaved lately,” George replied sweetly.
Much later that day, they went to Luke’s and had an extremely nice dinner with Luke, Shelby, Sean, Franci, Rosie and Art. After dinner, with the coffee and pie, Luke brought up the subject weighing on his mind. “So, Mom. George. We have some concerns about this plan you have to travel the world in an RV….”
George and Maureen looked at each other in sudden surprise.
“
You
have concerns, Luke,” Shelby said. “It isn’t necessarily unanimous.”
“
I’m
a little concerned,” Sean said.
“I’m not,” Franci weighed in.
Suddenly George and Maureen, eyes still locked, burst into laughter. When they finally quieted, Luke asked, “Is that funny?”
George pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket and wiped his eyes. “Well,” he said. “Sounds like a hung jury.”
“Listen, I mean this in a very respectful way, but you’re seventy, and that’s a big rig you got there,” Luke said, leaning forward earnestly.
“It is,” George said. “I took a training course. It’s not something you can jump in and parallel park, you know. And I wanted a house on wheels. Your mother and I—we’re really not much for roughing it. And by God, we’ve earned some good times, I think.”
“I’m going to take a similar course on driving it, in case George is ever indisposed…” Maureen said. Then she chuckled.
“What about this is so goddamn funny?” Luke asked with irritation.
“Oh, it’s just that we thought you were going to hound us about not being married and living together,” she said.
“No one at this table would have the b—” Shelby cleared her throat. “No one should hound you about anything,” she said. “Especially a man who flew Blackhawks and rode motorcycles for over twenty years.”
“Shelby, if you don’t mind,” Luke said.
“I do mind,” she said, straightening and rubbing her hands over her huge middle. “I’m so happy about Maureen and George and their wonderful plans. It sounds like fantastic fun! And there’s no reason to worry. Now, if either of them were in the least infirm, we could talk about it, but…”
“I’ll drive slowly and only make right turns,” George put in. Then he grinned largely. He was clearly not taking the boys seriously.
Luke took a drink of his coffee and leaned toward them both. “You’re worse than having a couple of teenagers. I just want you to be safe. I don’t want to worry about you sliding off some mountain in that monster or ending up at the bottom of the Grand Canyon because your reflexes are a little rusty and you took a turn too wide.”
Maureen tilted her head and smiled at her son. “Well, then, Luke, if you don’t want to worry, don’t. George and I are very cautious and plan ahead.”
“Mom,” Sean attempted.
Franci stood. “Stop. You flew jets that go over five hundred miles an hour and are just back from Iraq—you aren’t allowed to take the temperature of anyone’s life choices. The way I see it, if you and I decide to spend our retirement in an RV, I just hope to God it’s as fancy as theirs. Now, this meeting is over. Who wants a drop of Courvoisier with their coffee?”
“I do,” Shelby said hopefully.
“Who besides Shelby?” Franci asked.