No Regrets Page 12

  “I had wanted to tell you but…” Aidan eyed his son. “Perhaps we can discuss it later?”

  Jamie nodded. “Of course.”

  “Can they stay for dinner, huh Daddy? Please, please, please?”

  “I’m not much of a cook to be truthful,” Aidan said sheepishly, turning toward the kitchen.

  From the odor that permeated the house, Jamie had to agree. Dinner was already burned. She followed him into the kitchen more on instinct than anything. Thorn and Ross romped in the adjoining family room.

  She'd just had the surprise of her life. Aidan was a father. He had a son, a family. Inexplicably, this revelation made her affection for him greater. And her anger toward him more intense. Why hadn’t he told her? Why would he want to keep his son a secret from her?

  “Looks like a night for pizza,” Aidan said, emptying the charred food into the garbage.

  “Pizza, yay!” Ross shouted. “You hear that Thorn? We’re having pizza!”

  There was a joyous fullness to Aidan’s house filled with the laughter of a child, a barking puppy, toys scattered about and the clanging pots and pans. There was no quiet stillness, no chance of emptiness. This was a home full of life, and that was something no designer, no matter how talented, could ever create.

  Suddenly, Jamie could not control the emotions that the sight of Aidan, his son, and her puppy all happily together in his kitchen stirred in her. Discretely wiping away a tear, she excused herself to the bathroom before Aidan could witness her emotional reaction.

  She had about made a clean break when she felt the familiar hand tugging at her arm. She kept her face downcast, ashamed to let Aidan see her tears. How could she explain them to him when she didn’t understand herself?

  “What do you like on your pizza?” he asked in a sunny voice.

  “Oh, we can’t stay. I’m sorry” she said, thankful for the diffused light the setting sun provided.

  Aidan cupped her chin in his fingers and tilted her face toward his own. “You can’t disappoint Ross. He wanted to keep Thorn when he wandered here before. At least let him have a visit, all right?”

  She nodded in agreement, as a tear fell down her cheek and wet Aidan’s fingers.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “I don’t know,” she said as she stepped out of Aidan’s reach.

  “Are you angry with me?” he asked.

  “It’s just a shock to me. Why did you keep him from me? Why didn’t you tell me about your son?” she whispered, watching to make sure Ross was out of earshot.

  “Does it make a difference to you?”

  “Of course it does. You should have told me the truth. Why wouldn’t you want me to know? ”

  “We’ll have to discuss this later, in private.”

  She didn’t understand what she was feeling. Her life seemed to be changing dramatically from one second to the next. Falling in love with any man was a big deal to her, but falling in love with a man who was a father was more than she could fathom. Even if it was Aidan. Not that she was anywhere close to falling in love.

  She peered at Aidan across the falling darkness of the room, into his grey eyes. She had always thought of his eyes as having a tragic sadness to them but now she saw gentleness and warmth she hadn’t noticed before.

  Aidan pulled her close and held her loosely by her hands. “Stay for dinner” he said softly.

  She wanted to kiss his lips, which were so very close, and something in her warmed to him in a way she had never felt before. He looked beautiful, strong, and gentle all at the same time.

  “Everyone likes pizza,” he said.

  How could she refuse that deep, husky voice, and those persuasive caresses?

  “I like mushrooms on my pizza” she said.

  “Okay, mushrooms it is. I thought you would want caviar or something. Mushrooms we can do.”

  She looked at him, puzzled. “Caviar?”

  “Ross wouldn’t like caviar on his pizza.”

  “I wouldn’t think so,” she agreed. “Do you have any more secrets you are hiding from me? A wife in the attic perhaps?”

  Aidan stared at her, his grey eyes expressionless in the dusky light. “No, Jamie. My wife is dead.”

  The words stung the air, solemn and grim.

  It was everything she wanted to him to share and everything she didn’t want to know. Now was not the time for finding out about Aidan’s past. Innocent Ross was an earshot away. She had enough surprises for one day.

  “I’m sorry” she was all she said.

  “It’s been over five years. I’m past it now,” he whispered in her ear.

  He brushed his lips gently against her cheek then walked away.

  She shivered in the falling darkness.

  Chapter Nine

  The evening turned out to be a pleasant surprise, at least once the pizza arrived. Ross, who was delighted with the pizza but not the mushrooms, fed them inconspicuously to Thorn who had hidden himself underneath the kitchen table.

  Aidan and Jamie cleared away the kitchen table while the Ross and Thorn played outside together on the back patio; dogs and kids were a match made in heaven. Too bad the creator hadn’t done as well when she matched men and women together. She caught Aidan happily watching his son through the kitchen window as he washed dishes at the sink. She loved the way his face took on the expression of a proud parent.

  “Ross has wanted a dog for the longest time. I kept saying no because I thought the responsibility might be too much at his age,” Aidan said out of the blue. “But I think that I might have to give into this one. He must get lonely sometimes with no brothers and sisters around.”

  “I’m sure he does,” Jamie said, remembering her own childhood devoid of siblings or pets. “Do you have any brothers or sisters?” she asked.

  Aidan was quiet. Jamie recalled Kerrie talking about his brother being killed sometime after high school. “I’m sorry. Do you want to talk about it? I don’t really know the details about what happened.”

  Aidan's face hardened. “He was in a boating accident. The engine malfunctioned. He got stranded in a severe storm when he was out fishing one day. The boat capsized. His body was never found.”

  “I’m so sorry” Jamie said.

  “We tried to inform the manufacturer about the problem but they got some high priced lawyer and that put it to rest,” he said with cynicism. “We didn’t want to sue them. It wouldn’t bring Danni back. We wanted them to change the design of the engines so no one else would get hurt. As it is, they still make them exactly the same way, and people are still getting killed.”

  “That’s awful.” Jamie felt the deep sorrow in his voice. She wished she could wrap her arms around him and comfort him, but she knew that would be a mistake. He would mistake her compassion as pity, and a proud man like Aidan Brice wouldn’t want pity from anyone. Especially from Jamie

  Ross and Thorn came thundering through the door and Jamie felt relieved. Their very presence uplifted her and filled the room with a glorious happiness that chased away the gloomy topic.

  It was after nine when Thorn and Ross finally exhausted themselves and fell sound asleep on the couch.

  “I better put Ross to bed” Aidan said. He picked up his son and started up the stairs. Thorn stirred, barely opening his drooping eyelids before dropping them shut again. A slight wag of his tail was his goodnight gesture.

  Jamie followed Aidan upstairs, enthralled by this ritual. She had never put a child to bed, never really been around many children in her life. Ross was angelic. Sweet, joyful, and beautiful, he was a cherubic perfection.

  She watched as Aidan laid him in his airplane bed and slipped his tiny sneakers off his child-size feet. She looked around the room at the toys scattered around the floor. Stuffed animals sat aside warrior-like figures. Miniature cars, trucks, and fire engines lined the windowsill and an airplane hung from a string attached to the ceiling. It was a men’s club in the making. It lacked the feminine comfort of a mother’s t
ouch.

  Ross, who had barely stirred as he was carried up the stairs, was now tucked warmly into bed. Jamie bent down and kissed Ross’s forehead.

  “Good night, sweet child” she whispered as she smoothed back his unruly blond locks.

  She and Aidan stepped quietly down the stairs.

  “I’d better be going,” she said as she glanced over at Thorn who was sprawled out lazily on the couch. “Thorn is exhausted and so am I,” she said, barely able to stifle a yawn. “I had a wonderful evening. Thanks for the pizza.”

  “Pizza’s not exactly a gourmet dinner. Next time I’ll cook,” Aidan said.

  Jamie scrunched her nose. “I think I’ll pass on your cooking,” she said with a laugh. “Perhaps if I ever get a new kitchen in my house, I’ll cook for you.”

  Aidan could barely contain his surprise. “You cook?”

  “I love to cook. It’s a matter of finding the time and a reason to cook.”

  “A reason? Isn’t a growling stomach reason enough?”

  “Take-out can fill a growling stomach. It’s not fun cooking a gourmet meal and having no one to share it with.”

  “I suppose not,” he agreed.

  Jamie picked up Thorn’s leash near the front door and called softly for him. He rose, stretched and let out an enormous, languid yawn then slid lazily from the couch and strolled toward Jamie. They both laughed at Thorn’s nonchalant attitude.

  “It’s a dog's life,” Aidan mused as Jamie fastened the leash to Thorn’s collar. “I sure am envious.”

  Jamie smiled as Thorn relaxed on his stomach. She and Aidan stood quietly for a moment. Was it only last night that they had laid in each other's arms, warm and spent after hours of lovemaking? Now they seemed like strangers again. In fact, they were strangers. She hadn’t even known Aidan was a father. There was so much she didn’t know about him. So much she wanted to know. She looked up to see him watching her.

  “I know what you must be thinking” Aidan said wistfully, “Everything happened so fast. Please understand, I‘m careful about who my son meets.”

  That was the last thing she expected him to say. “I’m not sure what you mean?”

  “I don’t want Ross forming any attachments to someone who may not be around for long.”

  “I see.” She felt indignant. He thought she wanted a fling, after all, he had heard her say just those words exactly. Apparently, he wanted nothing more than a fling either.

  “Very well, it’s late. I’d better go.” She tugged on Thorn’s leash to wake him. The puppy rose to his feet and stretched. He looked up at his beloved Aidan, nudging his leg for attention. Jamie gritted her teeth at the dog’s affection for Aidan and turned toward the door.

  “If you had kids, you’d understand” Aidan said.

  She twirled around to face him, angry. “I do understand. You seem to think because I have a successful career, that disqualifies me from having any maternal…”

  “Any…?”

  “Any… maternal understanding!” She moved her hand with an angry gesture. “Wake up, Aidan! It’s’ not the dark ages anymore. Women head companies, are wives and mothers all at once. We do it all!” She threw the infuriating man a haughty nod.

  He smiled in a small, stiff movement. “But do you do it well?”

  “Men have done it for centuries, why wouldn’t a woman be able to? You own a business and are a single father? How do you manage that?” she said with sarcasm.

  She backed away from him, containing her frustration as she studied the ruggedly handsome, gray-eyed Neanderthal. He was boorishly behind the times. She wondered briefly if her attraction to him had been purely physical, if some demented form of pheromones had tricked her into believing lust was something else, and that an urban career woman and a small town, single father could live happily ever after.

  “I think this conversation could get out of hand,” he said with a rueful twist of his mouth. “I’m not interested in arguing the battle of the sexes. The fact remains, I have a son, and my responsibility to him is paramount in my life.”

  “I am sorry if you feel that I am imposing on your responsibilities to your son. I shall keep a solid distance from you in the future. Good bye!” She stormed out the door and into the night.

  She strode home with Thorn in tow, refusing to give in to the piercing pain that tore at her heart. She enjoyed the evening so much, adored beautiful Ross and then Aidan pretty much told her to get lost. Her eyes stung and she blinked to keep the angry tears back as she walked to her front door. She opened the door, unleashed Thorn, and let out a grunt of frustration.

  “Jamie, my dear.”

  A smooth, round voice drifted through the darkness, familiar yet all but forgotten. Thorn let out a low growl.

  “Conrad?”

  In the dim light of her shabby, storm-worn cottage the impeccably dressed Conrad Malcolm stepped forward. His icy green eyes shone like an alley cat’s in the dark of the night. A chilling shudder ran through Jamie as Conrad gave her a frigid stare that left her shivering despite the warmth of the night.

  “I’ve missed you, my dear,” Conrad said, as he took Jamie’s hands in his and kissed them with cold affection.

  Jamie drew away from Conrad with cool remoteness. “I’ve gathered as much,” she said, watching Thorn sniff distrustfully at the unwelcome visitor. "I went by your office."

  Conrad’s black hair was slicked back to perfection. He was dressed in a dark suit, a flawlessly starched white shirt, and black shoes, which shined like chrome. He stood stiffly with his manicured hands clasped in front of him, and it amazed Jamie how small and unimportant he looked in her empty living room.

  He sniffed, drawing a handkerchief from his trouser pocket. “Yes, I know. Elsie told me you came by. My schedule has been a bear with the upcoming campaign.” He wiped his brow. “But you should have had Elsie call me. Don’t you have my cell number?” he asked as he stuffed the cloth back into his pocket.

  “I wanted to speak with you in person.”

  “Sounds serious,” he said with mock interest.

  “It is serious. Have you seen the Palm Beach Herald today?”

  “I believe I skimmed through it this morning.”

  “I called them about our so-called engagement announcement. The editor told me your publicity people leaked it. I have asked them for a retraction, of course.”

  He reached over and pressed his skinny fingers against her cheeks. Jamie jerked away, frowning at his pompous smile.

  “Why, my dear?”

  “Because I am not going to marry you. Can't you get that through your head?”

  He walked away from her and pulled the handkerchief out once again. He patted it all over his face. “Don’t you have air conditioning in this godforsaken place?”

  Her smile was immediate. “No.”

  “Why wouldn’t you want to marry me? Most women would be flattered I’d even considered them.”

  She groaned inwardly. “I told you, I don’t love you. We barely know each other. Why you want to marry me is beyond my understanding.”

  “Love?” His laugh was mocking. “Love is a romantic illusion, Jamie. People like you and I know better than to believe in such nonsense. Marriage, to be successful should be like a contract, a business deal if you will.”

  “A business deal? Are you kidding?”

  “Our marriage will help both of us. Your business will boom. Think of the clients you will gain. Everyone will want the prestige of a Senator’s wife to design their home.”

  Jamie's curiosity was peaked. This was no one way street.

  “My business is already successful. What’s in it for you? If this is indeed a business deal then you must be benefiting.”

  “I admit that,” Conrad said peevishly. “I come from a wealthy family, attended Ivy League schools and was basically born with a silver spoon in my mouth, as they say.” He chuckled. “Lucky, yes but today’s voters are envious, even suspicious of men of such good breeding. Yo
u were abandoned by your father, raised by a single mother, who died and left you on your own before you had even graduated high school. Yet despite all that,” he sniffed again, “that tragedy, you finished high school early, won a scholarship to a prestigious University and have become a successful, outstanding citizen of the community. Your charity work alone will win me votes.”

  Jamie stared contemptuously at the man who stood in front of her, so meticulously dressed, so hollow of heart. He had as much depth to him, as much emotion and concern for other human beings as a crocodile.

  “You make me ill." Her soft tone hid the fury stirring within her. “I wouldn’t marry you if you were the last man on earth.”

  “Jamie-”

  There was no mistaking the cool undertone of a warning; a threat lingered in his tone.

  "And furthermore, you are deranged. I am going to seek a restraining order against you for all the crazy things you have done."

  To hell and be damned. She was losing control. She wasn’t sure how he knew so much about her childhood. Wanting to use her suffering as a means of gaining votes appalled her.

  “You need to leave. Now!”

  “Temper,” he chided her. “I always get what I want, my dear Jamie. I always have.” He grabbed her by the chin harshly. “That’s the nice thing about being rich and powerful, almost everyone has a price. I know yours,” he hissed. “Mark my words, you will be my wife.”

  She pushed him away with an inelegant shove, and looked him squarely in the eyes. “Never.”

  Conrad chuckled humorlessly and strode slowly toward the door. He turned around as he reached for the handle.

  “And about your new lover… yes I know all about that… ridiculous really. You know, he and I go back a long way. He’s not all he seems to be. Oh, he seems to attract the ladies, but he has a difficult time holding on to them,” Conrad smirked.

  “When you are done with your country lover boy, when you have come to your senses, I’ll be waiting for you.” He opened the door.

  “And don’t forget Jamie, I play to win.” His tone was harsh, cold. “Always.”

  Thorn, who was suspiciously observing Conrad, snapped at his heels as the lanky man slipped out the door. Jamie heard him curse at the pup, but she managed to grab Thorn in time to avoid a swift kick from him. Conrad snorted unapologetically and wiped his nose before slinking into his flashy car and driving off.