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Aiden reached for his truck keys and then laced his fingers in mine. “Let’s go before my mother thinks we stayed behind to fool around.”
I chewed on my lip, not ready to admit to him that I wanted to do just that. I knew Aiden was too much of a gentleman, but a big part of me wanted more than one ravaging kiss. The need to have his hands on my body threatened to drive me mad. The intensity was surprising to me. I’d thought I wanted nothing to do with men, at least not for a long while. For so many years, the idea of Ben touching me had made me sick to my stomach. Everything with Aiden was so completely different.
Aiden silently guided us out of the house and to his truck. I had a feeling he wanted more than a kiss as well, but we both knew we needed to move slowly. I wanted this to work between us, and it would take time for both of us to trust what we were feeling.
Once we reached the church, we’d both relaxed a bit more. It was obvious we were both struggling with our pasts and the intense feelings we felt for one another. Aiden was feeling guilty for moving on, for feeling things for me that he’d never felt with Lisa. And I was scared to death that my past would make Aiden rethink a relationship with me. Would he want a woman in his daughter’s life who’d stayed with a monster for ten years?
I knew it was ridiculous to think that way, but old fears were hard to get over.
As we walked into the church, an older woman I’d never seen before stepped into our path. “Good morning, Aiden.”
I instantly felt Aiden stiffen next to me. “Good morning, Meg.”
Her eyes moved to me. “The two of you arrived together, so I’m assuming the rumors are true.”
“Rumors?” I asked, looking at Aiden then back to the woman. “I’m sorry, have we met before?” I asked, extending my hand to the stranger.
“No, you haven’t,” Aiden said, in a voice that was distant and cold. He placed his hand on the small of my back and started to walk around the woman, but she stepped closer to me.
“I’ve heard nothing but nice things about you…Emma, is it?”
“Yes. I’m sorry, you are?”
“Meg Walker.”
“Meg here was just leaving, weren’t you?” Aiden said. This time he leveled a look at the woman that made my body tremble. Whoever Meg was, Aiden wasn’t fond of her.
Her face turned cold and devoid of all emotion. “I want to see my granddaughter, Aiden.”
My eyes widened and I snapped my gaze back to the woman as her words made her identity clear. Meg was Lisa’s mother.
“Do not do this here, Meg. You made your choice long ago, and you’ve lost the privilege of seeing Hadley. I suggest you leave now before I call someone to have you removed.”
Her chin lifted, and she attempted to look unaffected by Aiden’s threat. Then she focused back on me. “He’ll get bored with you too, just like he did my poor daughter. He’s not the man you think he is.”
An instinct to defend Aiden hit me hard in the chest, and I started to respond, but Aiden spoke first.
“Meg,” he said, taking a step closer to her. “Leave, right now.”
She shot him a dirty look then rolled her eyes. “Fine, I’m going.”
With one more quick look in my direction, she flashed me a nasty smile and then turned and walked out of the church.
Aiden sighed. “I’m so sorry, Emma. I can’tbelieveshe actually showed up at church and tried to make a scene. If we hadn’t come in late, a lot more people would have seen that.”
I took his hand in mine. “It’s fine. Please don’t let her ruin what has started out to be an amazing day.”
With a smile that made my stomach flip, Aiden stared at me. “You’re truly a breath of fresh air, Emma.”
I shrugged. “I try. We better get in before the service starts.”
When Aiden kept a tight grip on my hand and crossed the nave, I tried not to let it show how shocked I was. He was about to make a statement—one I wasn’t sure he was ready to make. I hesitated for a moment, my feet halting, and he looked back at me and winked.
“Aiden, I’m not sure we should…”
My voice faded when he turned back to me and took a step closer. His gaze pierced mine, and I was suddenly filled with something I hadn’t felt since my dad left me all those years ago.
Trust.
