The Ten-Day Baby Takeover(58)
But what was he supposed to do? They were operating at different speeds. She was comfortable with bold strides. He needed to ease into it. He knew no other way.
His phone rang from the kitchen counter. His pulse picked up. Was it Sarah? He steered Oliver over and consulted the screen. Anna. Not the call he wanted, but maybe she could tell him to stop being such a wimp.
“Hey,” Aiden said. “This is a surprise. It’s a little early isn’t it?”
“I figured you were already up with Oliver and I wanted to check in on you after the other night with Mom. How are you holding up?”
Aiden dragged a barstool around the kitchen island so he had a good view of Oliver, and sat down. “I’m doing fine. I’ve had years to stew over it. It’s more of a relief than anything. And at least we can all get together now without it being hopelessly uncomfortable.”
Anna blew out a breath. “Good. I’m glad you feel that way because I have something else I need to talk to you about. Jacob told me I should probably just butt out, and we kind of had a big argument about it, but I don’t want to butt out. I can’t not say something.”
“What in the world are you talking about?”
“Sarah, Aiden. Don’t you dare let her go back to Boston today without you two making a plan to keep seeing each other. I know how you are and I’m telling you right now that she’s not like other women. She’s a keeper, Aiden. I don’t want you to blow it just because you’ve convinced yourself it’s easier to play the field.”
Aiden could only imagine what his face looked like right now—pure shock. Astonishment. “First off, why don’t you tell me how you really feel? And second, how do you know there was anything going on between us?”
Anna huffed at what she apparently saw as Aiden’s absurdity. “I saw the way you two were looking at each other the other night. And the minute that all of that stuff went down with Mom, she was the one you turned to. Right away. You didn’t even hesitate. It’s so obvious to me that you two are in love.”
“How can you tell that from a look?”
“Am I wrong? There are feelings between you two, aren’t there?”
“Well, yes, there are feelings between us. But that doesn’t mean it’s love. And besides, it’s too late. She’s already gone.”
“What?” Anna shouted so loudly, she nearly blew out Aiden’s eardrum.
“Careful or you’ll go into labor.”
“You let her leave? Why did you do that? Why would you be so stupid?”
Because she said she loved me and I couldn’t say it back. The realization hit him, and the repercussions came at him just as hard. “It was moving too fast for me.”
“The man who jumps out of airplanes thought it was moving too fast? Sounds to me like you’re confused.”
“Yeah. I guess I am. I just don’t want to make a mistake. She means a lot to me. But I can’t tell her I love her if I’m not sure. I don’t even know how I’m supposed to know if it’s really love. People always say that you’ll know when it happens. Well, I don’t know.”
“Let me ask you this. How do you feel now that she’s gone?”
“Horrible. Like somebody ripped my heart out of my chest.”
“And what’s the house like without her there?”
“Terrible. I’m thinking Oliver and I might need to move.”
“And if you could do anything at all right now, what would you do?”
“Go see her. Apologize.” Oh God. I love her. Aiden cast his sights down at Oliver, who was hitting the floor with a wooden spoon. I really am an idiot. I’m a complete jerk. He’d said to himself many times over the past ten days that he would never let Oliver go without. But in letting Sarah leave, he was not only depriving Oliver of the perfect mother, he was keeping himself from the one person who understood him and loved him despite his faults. Oliver had shown him unconditional love. But so had Sarah.
“Do you enjoy feeling like this?” Anna asked. “Because you know you can fix it.”
“I can’t fix it. I ruined it. She told me she loved me and I didn’t say it back.”
Anna gasped on the other end of the line.
“That’s pretty much the end, isn’t it?” His conscience was impossibly heavy. He’d trampled all over the heart of the woman he loved. “I mean, how do I come back from that?”
“Groveling.”
“Groveling?”
“It’s the only thing that works. Flowers help. Jewelry. Chocolate. A gift certificate for a massage. But mostly groveling. You need to get your butt up to Boston and beg for her forgiveness. You need to tell her how you feel.”