The Proposal(14)

“Congratulations on it being a boy.”

“Thank you.”

Jenny turned her attention to the hostess. “Why don’t you take Aidan on back to a booth? I want to hear more about the baby.”

With a nod, the hostess grabbed two menus and motioned for Aidan. He reluctantly followed her. He even threw a few cautious glances over his shoulder at Emma.

Jenny took Emma’s hands in hers. Her once jovial expression faded into one of concern. “I just want you to know how worried we’ve been about Aidan. That first week my dad had to drive him home a few nights.” Shimmering tears pooled in her eyes. “We were afraid we were going to lose him.”

Emma sucked in a breath. Before she could respond, Jenny shook her head. “Look, I know he screwed up. I tried to warn him when he had the audacity to bring that skank in here.”

“H-He brought her…”

Jenny bobbed her head. “Sometimes I wish I hadn’t refused him a table. I think maybe if he had thought about it a little longer he would have never taken her home.”

Over Jenny’s shoulder, Emma saw Aidan staring expectantly at her. “I have to go.” She started to pull her hands away, but Jenny squeezed them tight.

“I don’t know what I would do in your shoes. I hope and pray I never have to. But I do know I’ve never seen a man more miserable over screwing up in my entire life. He’s been so eaten with guilt and remorse that we’ve been afraid it would consume him.”

Emma didn’t know what to say, so she merely jerked her head in acknowledgement. On wobbly legs, she made her way over to Aidan. Thankfully, the waitress hadn’t put them in the same section where they had been before.

Aidan had already ordered their drinks. Since she hadn’t had any caffeine so far, she didn’t ask for something different than the Coke that was already on the table. After taking a sip, she started scouring the menu. Glancing up, she asked, “What sounds good?”

Aidan shrugged. She could tell from the way he twisted his bottom lip back and forth between his teeth that he was struggling with something. She opened her mouth to question him when their waitress returned. “What can I get for you?”

Emma peered at the menu. “Hmm, I’m having a hard time deciding.” When she looked up, she met Aidan’s haunted eyes. She knew she needed to do something to ease the tension a bit. “Are you paying?”

His brows furrowed. “I can. Why?”

She grinned. “Good. I was torn between ordering something less expensive and then something more expensive. But if you’re paying, I’ll treat myself.”

When she winked at him, a slow smile tugged at his lips. “Order the whole damn menu. I don’t mind.”

“I think I’ll have the Ribeye, well-done, with the steamed vegetables. And I’d like a salad too with honey mustard on the side.”

Nodding, the waitress scribbled down the order. She then turned to Aidan. “And what about you?”

“Just the beer is fine for me,” Aidan replied.

The waitress started to leave for the kitchen, but Emma banged her fist on the table. “Oh no, you don’t! You’re not just going to sit there and drink like a fish. You better order something and do it right now! That was part of the deal, remember?”

“Em, I don’t want—”

She swung her hostile gaze from him over to the waitress who had paled a little at the growing tension. “He’ll have the Porterhouse steak, medium rare, with a loaded baked potato. You can also bring him a side of the garlic mashed potatoes because he’s is addicted to carbs and potatoes. He’ll also have a salad, but make his Caesar. And can you please bring a loaf of bread with lots of butter as soon as you can?” She cocked her head at Aidan. “He loves your bread so much he could make his meal just eating that.”

He stared at her in shock. The waitress’s pen hovered over the pad until Aidan bobbed his head in agreement. “Okay then. I’ll put your order in and bring the bread.”

“Thank you,” Emma replied, handing her the menus. After taking a sip of Coke, she found Aidan staring at her. “What?”

“You remembered what I like,” he murmured.

She slammed her glass down harder than she meant to. “Of course I do. The only thing predicable besides your outrageous libido is your stomach. You ordered the same thing each and every time we came here.”

A ghost of a flirtatious smile played at Aidan’s lips. “If I don’t clean my plate, are you going to spank me, Mommy?”

Emma crossed her arms over her chest. “No, but I will force feed you myself like the damn petulant toddler you insist on acting like!”