Flirting With Destiny(55)

Although our night together had been special to me, and had been filled with crazy wild sex, I was afraid I’d been a fool for her all over again. At least I was happy to have the memory of holding her in my arms and having my dream come true, if even only for a while.

Aunt Melissa smirked. “What would be the point of that? You won’t come back often enough to use the place.”

I raised an eyebrow in reply. “Oh ye of little faith. What’s with all the disbelieving looks?”

She responded with a big smile. “It’s a miracle you’re even here again this soon. It’s usually years between visits for you. What happened? Why the change of mind?”

“I don’t kiss and tell.” I said with a sheepish grin.

“Aedyn Dell Cumberland, you are a devil. You’re up to something. Remember Mister, I know you better than you know yourself.”

“I just want to be happy for once in my life. Am I wrong to want that?”

“I know, dear. I see the look on your face. The heart wants what the heart wants.”

It was unbelievable, the way my aunt could read between the lines. I swear she knew I was referring to Lauren. Hell, she was spot on. Or maybe my aunt knew about Lauren. Information traveled fast down the gossip channels in this small town.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Lauren. My plan had backfired on me. Big time. Instead of getting closure and shoving Lauren out of my mind, thoughts of her still reigned supreme.

“Give it time, dear.”

I smiled and shook my head, trying to shake away my doubts. “Well… at least I can dream.” I moved an empty packing box from a chair for her to have a seat. “Can you stay awhile?”

“No, dear. I just dropped by to see how tall the weeds had grown in the front yard. When I saw a car in the driveway, I figured it was you.” She patted a plastic bag from the hardware store that she’d dropped on the coffee table when she came in. “I was going to plant these geraniums out front, but I’ll let you do that now. I’ve got to be going.”

“Okay. I’ll try to get them in the ground before I leave. I’m not sure how long I can stay, my work has been suffering with me gone. Besides, you know me, I don’t have much of a green thumb.”

I gave her a hug and watched as my aunt’s faded Oldsmobile backed out of the driveway. My thoughts turned back to the house as I shut the screen door. If I was going to fix up the house, I needed to get busy so I could get back to Chicago where the pile of work I’d ignored was growing to critical mass.

I fell into the worn cushions of the couch, exasperated. If I truly wanted to keep this house, I should be making a list of supplies to start the many repair projects, but instead, thoughts of Lauren intervened. I leaned back and closed my eyes, going over in my head the miserable plane ride back from Chicago and the significance of her wearing the ring again.

I was probably grasping at straws, but I knew how she felt when we were making love in my bedroom. That wasn’t just the effects of the alcohol or the thrill of someone different. The way she looked up at me when I held her in my arms, there was nothing false about that. So when I saw she’d put the ring back on, I hoped what she had told me was true. She said she put it on so, when Chip saw her, she wouldn’t have to tell him right away that she wanted to break up.

“I’m scared,” she had said, twisting the ring round and round. “I know that sounds pathetic, but it will be better if I let him down easy.”

“What are you afraid of?” I asked, although I already knew. What she told me next, proved my instincts to be true.

She was practically in tears when she talked about it, how controlling he was and how easily he could fly off the handle over little things. She spoke of how he undermined the things she said, leaving her to feel stupid and uncertain.

“If you leave, he can’t hurt you anymore.” My argument sounded reasonable in my own ears. But I’d never been a woman, had never been terrified of another person. I was a long way from walking in her shoes.

I changed my plans for her and brought her back on my private plane myself, not wanting our night together to be tainted as a quick, wham bam, thank you ma’am. Spending any more time in Granger, away from my work was putting a tremendous strain on my company, but I did it for her. I didn’t tell her that though. I tried to give her an out. I went into asshole mode, told her I’d over-stepped my boundaries and that I hadn’t meant to tempt her away from Chip, or get her all turned around. Then, I called my driver to take us to the plane.

Yes, I realized this could be a repeat of high school all over again. Hell, it probably would be, and end the same way… me with a broken heart and Lauren skipping off with the brass ring she’d always wanted. But at least this time, I hadn’t kept my feelings secret.