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7
AARON
Aaron walked out of The Stardust Café with one less thing on his to-do list for the wedding that was now less than two weeks away. It was time for the one task he’d put off until as late as possible. He sat on one of the benches on the sidewalk and switched the bouquet of flowers from his right hand to his left before pulling out his phone. He scrolled to his parents’ contact information and pressed the call button, sliding the cell up to his ear. It rang three times before his mother picked up.
“Hello? Aaron, is that really you?” His mother’s voice lilted with cautious hope.
“Yeah, Mom, it’s me.”
“It’s so good to hear from you. How are you doing?” she asked, her voice gaining confidence.
Things had been strained between them after they’d kicked Emmanuel out, but since his death, their communication had turned to birthdays and Christmas calls. If his mother found out he’d gotten married without inviting her, she’d be heartbroken. And he couldn’t explain to his parents this wasn’t real, not with the way those two worshipped the sanctity of marriage.
“I’m good, Mom. I’m actually calling because I’m getting married two Saturdays from now, and I wanted to know if I should include you and Dad in the guest list?”
The other end of the line was silent a moment. “My baby is getting married?” His mother’s voice broke as if she was starting to cry.
Aaron’s stomach churned uncomfortably. “Her name is Brynn, and she has a daughter.”
“I’m getting a grandbaby too?” His mother almost sounded excited, her Southern twang more evident now.
“Well, she’s fourteen, so not much of a baby anymore.”
“We’ll be there. What time? Oh, it doesn’t matter. We’ll come into town on Friday. Maybe we could meet for dinner? Never mind that, you’ll probably be having your bachelor party then. We’ll figure something out.”
“I’ll send you an invitation and include The Lighthouse Inn’s information for you and Dad. Jasmine’s already put a room on hold for you. I guess I’ll see you then.” Aaron got to his feet.
“Thank you, sweetheart. I can’t wait to see you.”
“Bye, Mom.” He pulled the phone away and ended the call before sliding it into his pocket and releasing a long exhale. That had been a little easier than he’d expected.
Aaron lifted the bouquet of wildflowers to his nose, inhaling the mix of sweet scents blending with the crisp fall air. He straightened his shoulders as he walked down the street to the diner where a little birdie had told him Brynn was getting off work shortly.
He reached for the handle as a few leather-clad men approached from the inside—the members of The Pirates Motorcycle Club. Aaron held the door open for them as they exited, giving him a nod.
He walked into the diner, the smell of greasy food and warm fruit pies melded together with fresh coffee, making his stomach rumble. His gaze met Brynn’s across the room. Her eyes widened, flicking to the flowers in his hand, then back to his face before her cheeks reddened. Her attention darted around the room, as if she was looking for an escape before they landed on her daughter, hunched over a textbook at a booth. Brynn’s expression softened before determination lit her emerald gaze. Her chin lifted and she met his eyes once again when he stopped in front of her.
He held out the flowers and offered her what he hoped was a friendly smile.
“Good afternoon, beautiful. These are for you.”
Brynn slid her dainty hand around the long stems, staring at the colorful flowers with wonderment before she lifted them to her nose. The corners of her mouth tipped into the briefest smile as her eyes drooped closed for a second. The evident, though muted, joy on her face brought a spark of happiness zinging through him. God, I like doing things to make her smile.
He leaned a little closer and whispered, “May I kiss your cheek for our audience?”
Brynn’s gaze shot to the few people around the diner whose attention was now on them. She swallowed audibly, lowering the flowers, and gave him the tiniest nod. He moved slow, so as not to spook her, gently pressing his lips to her flushed cheek. She trembled at his touch. Do I scare her that much?
Aaron backed a step away, giving her space as he turned to Dani. “Hey, sweetheart, how are you?”
Dani beamed up at him. “Hey, Mr. Ridley. I’m just working on school stuff.”
“I think you can call me Aaron now.” He winked.
Dani’s smile grew. “Cool.”
“What are you doing here?” Brynn asked, still seeming a bit stunned as she eyed the flowers in her hand like they were a bomb.
“I heard you might be getting off work, and I thought I’d give you both a ride home.” He didn’t want them having to take the bus, and he wanted to know where they lived.
