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Fuck, he’s just gorgeous. The temptation is almost too much. I want to lean closer and kiss his lips. So I purposefully lean back to not succumb.
“I see you soon, Sunshine,” he whispers. “Call me if you need anything.”
For a little while, no one speaks as Gary drives us along the winding road with military precision. He exudes such an air of confidence, making me wonder if there are any situations he finds challenging. The radio is playing classical music; it’s not my kind of music but it fits Gary.
Helen eventually breaks the silence. “You and Aiden seem to get on very well,” she says. I don’t answer right away, debating how to respond to that comment. “You know he’s one of the best men I know,” she continues. “And he’s single.”
Gary throws his wife a look that screams,Stop meddling.
I cross and recross my legs. “I figured,” I reply. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have spent so much time with me. He’s a man of honor, that much I learned about him tonight. Though, really, I could already tell by the way he talks and acts.
He would never cheat on someone, or flirt with other women, if he was in a relationship. Fuck, he’s turning out more and more perfect with each passing day. Surely, he has to have some flaws. Please, God, let him have some hideous faults that will kill my attraction to him.
Or let him discover some of mine that he could not live with, because his interest in me is as clear as day. He’s not even trying to hide it.
Gary’s eyes meet mine in the rear-view mirror. “You go at your own pace, Riley. Don’t let any of the girls talk you into something you’re not ready for. You have been through a lot and need to get settled after all the upheaval.”
“But there is so much chemistry between Riley and Aiden; anyone can see it,” Helen interjects.
“I’m not disputing that, darling. But it’s still going to be there down the track. What’s meant to be, will be. Riley needs to focus on herself,” Gary replies.
Their banter makes me smile. Knowing Gary has my back… it makes me feel cared for. Helen doesn’t know my background, so I can’t fault her for pushing what seems obvious to most people. What Gary said was rather fatherly advice. In fact, Da said to me a few times, “What’s meant to be, will be.”
I miss you so much, Da!
What would Ma and Da think of Aiden? What would they think of the mess I made of my life?
For the first time ever, I’m glad they’re not around to see this. If this had happened while they were still alive, I don’t think I could have left my life in Ireland behind. It’s hard enough having Rhia still there, but my family? Living away from them? But these are what-ifs I really don’t need to contemplate.
The rest of the drive we talk about work and Gary tells me about the people in the canine unit I’ll be working with. I’m grateful for the heads up; it makes me more comfortable about my new job. Though, by the sounds of it, I won’t be starting there right away. I’ll get a tour on Monday, but the first couple of weeks will be taken up with my training and a three-day camp I now won’t be able to get out of. Dammit.
I lie in bed and stare up at the ceiling. Sleep just won’t come.
Aiden is on my mind and what I’ve learned about him tonight. He’s been through so much. Even before the cave explosion.
Gary told me a little about the training Aiden had to undergo to join the Green Berets, and to me, it sounded horrendous. Why anybody would want to go through this voluntarily is beyond me, but I’m glad that there are people who do because they make our world a safer place.
I’m still confused that my reactions to Aiden are so similar to the ones I have with Tiero. There are some similarities between the two men, yet they couldn’t be more different.
In both cases, they followed in their father’s footsteps. Just that one worked on the side of good and the other on the side of evil. The age-old question of nature versus nurture arises.
If Aiden had been born into the De Marco family and had been raised with crime being the norm, would he have turned away from it? Probably not. Still, I can’t imagine Aiden as a mobster. He’s too principled for that.
Both men also lost one of their parents at an impressionable age while I was blessed with both my parents around until I reached adulthood. Then they both were gone in one fateful swoop.
Tiero lost his mother at age eight. And nobody taught him compassion and empathy. Both traits, I imagine, would have been frowned upon in his world anyway.
Aiden, on the other hand, lost his father. Arguably, for a boy to lose his role model at an age when fathers are particularly important could have been detrimental. Would Aiden still have gone into service if he hadn’t tried to be like his father? Who knows?
My phone rings.
I frown, checking the time. Nearly two in the morning. There’s only one person who it could be. Rhia.
Sure enough, her name flashes on the display when I pick up my phone from the nightstand. “Hey, sweets. How are you?” I greet her, putting her on speaker.
“I’m good. What are you up to?”
“Well. I was trying to go to sleep…”
