Luke heard a sound and looked over his shoulder to see his wife come out on the front porch of the house, her belly preceding her. Her long hair was messy from sleep and she wore a pair of his boxers with the waistband rolled down under her belly and one of his T-shirts pulled over the top. How, he asked himself, can she look so pregnant and so sexy at the same time? He just shook his head and went to her. With one hand holding his mug, he slipped the other arm around her and pulled her against him. He kissed her forehead and his son kicked him.
“You get any sleep?” he asked her.
“Uh-huh. I feel pretty good. I feel huge, but good.” She looked down. “I have ankles.”
He looked down. “I see that. Nice.” He backed up a step and sat on one on the chairs, pulling her onto his lap. “Come here. Sit on my lap and if you’re sweet, you can have a little sip of my coffee.”
“Mmm,” she hummed, grabbing his mug. “What was all that noise? I heard you laughing.”
“Aiden’s got himself a summer girl,” Luke said.
“A what?”
“A summer girl. He found himself a woman. He’s got bikes in his car and—” Luke stopped as the door to the cabin opened and Aiden emerged with his basket. He balanced it on a hip and gave Shelby a wave. Then he got in his car and backed out of the cabin compound.
“What?” Shelby asked again, once Aiden’s car was gone.
“Aiden’s chasing tail,” Luke said.
Shelby shook her head and sighed. “You are so delicate,” she said, running her fingernails through the short hair at his temple. “Remind me, you are not allowed to train our son in the manly pursuits. I’ll take care of that. You’re crude, rude and socially unacceptable.”
“What? Aiden’s chasing a woman! How mysterious is that? I hope he gets lucky, that’s all. But knowing Aiden…”
“Knowing Aiden, what?”
Luke shrugged. “He’s kind of, I don’t know, not exactly after it. You know?”
She laughed at Luke. “My dear husband, Aiden is totally hot!”
“Aiden?”
“Oh, yes. If I weren’t married and seventeen months pregnant, I would so be after him!”
“Aiden?”
“Luke, you really have no idea.”
“Baby, he’s got bicycles in his car! I told him he could have the Harley, but he’s got bicycles! How hot is that?”
“He is completely and totally sexy.”
Luke was quiet for a minute. “I don’t want to hear this.”
She laughed at him, kissed his neck, and his baby kicked.
“Bet he can’t do that,” Luke said, rubbing a hand over her big belly. “Bet he can’t make one like this. This kid is going to come out half-grown.”
Shelby just shook her head and moaned. “Oh, Luke, you are such a comfort to me. I don’t know how I resisted you as long as I did.”
Seven
Aiden drove up the road to Erin’s mountaintop and was relieved to note her SUV was still there—she hadn’t run. He got out of his own SUV, leaned against it in the opened door and hit the horn. He had to hit it again and again before she appeared, standing in the cabin door, a plush robe wrapped around her. Her feet were bare; she rubbed the top of one foot with the toes of the other. Her hair was mussed and he got a little turned on. She was without makeup; she’d been asleep and she woke up pretty and sexy. He counted that as a very good sign. “Oh, good,” he said. “You actually got some sleep and the bear didn’t eat you.”
She squinted at him. “Aiden?” she asked. “Aiden?”
“I shaved and got a haircut. You can never tell when I might have an interview for a job or something.”
“I meant to mention when you turned up with Art, I’m impressed you actually have a car. One that’s under ten years old. Wow.”
“Get dressed—I’m going to take you out and show you how to have fun.” He wore shorts, tennis shoes without socks, a light jacket over a T-shirt, ready for a casual day.
“Huh? I was asleep!”
“It’s time to get up, Erin,” he said patiently. “Put on some shorts and tennis shoes. I have sunscreen…. You have that weak redhead’s skin and we have to keep you from getting burned. I don’t suppose you have a ball cap?”
“No,” she said irritably.
“Well, I brought you a helmet, you’ll be okay. I have bikes and a picnic lunch in the car.”
“But I haven’t had a shower! Or breakfast!”
“I can wait a little while, but let’s not burn daylight. I’ll buy you breakfast. Or grab one of those candy-ass yogurts for the road.”
She crossed her arms over her chest. “What makes you think I want to go on a bike ride?”
“Total and absolute boredom, that’s what,” he said. He grinned at her. “Isn’t that what drove you to bake for the bear? Come on, I shaved! How much effort do you want from me?”
“You could ask,” she instructed.
He slammed the car door and walked toward her. When he was right in front of her he said, “Don’t stand on ceremony. You don’t have anything better to do. Now how about you get dressed and let’s head for the coast. I’ll show you how to vacation. Then I’ll bring you home and water your tomatoes.” He grinned lasciviously.
She thought about this for a moment and decided to ignore the double entendre of his comment. Instead, she asked, “Bicycles?”
“Yup. With helmets and a picnic lunch.”
“Well, all right. But after this, you have to ask in advance.”
He lifted a brow. “Should I ask your secretary to put me on your calendar?” He grabbed her upper arms, turned her away from him and gave her a slap on the rump. “Move it—I don’t want to wait all day for you!”
One of the realities of being a well-known, successful attorney—Erin couldn’t remember anyone ever slapping her on the rump to get her going. Ever. Not even those few men she’d dated more than twice. She was conflicted—there was a part of her indignant that he’d take such liberties, part of her delighted.
It hadn’t escaped her that under those smelly hiking clothes and the coarse red beard was an unbelievably handsome, good-smelling man. Almost knee-shakingly handsome. He had high cheekbones, glittering green eyes, pitch-black hair, a strong chin, expressive brows. And maybe if he hadn’t had that bushy red beard before, she might have noticed he also had a fantastic physique—broad, muscled shoulders, a flat belly, a cute masculine butt, straight, powerful legs.
But he was a little arrogant, assuming that if he showed up, she would spend the day with him. Of course, he had saved her from the bear. Sort of. And he was right—she didn’t have anything to do. Still, she didn’t omit even a minute of her ritual grooming, though she knew the effects would be lost once she was biking—something she hadn’t done in years! She was a little pouty in the car en route to the coast, but then when they were driving along a winding road on the high cliffs above the ocean, the beauty stunned her, dazzled her. “Ohhhh,” she said, letting out her breath.
“Bout time,” he said. “What’s not to like about a day riding along the ocean? You’ll love it and you’ll sleep like the dead tonight. Guaranteed.”
Aiden parked his car at an outlook point and asked for her help getting the bikes out of the back. He had an open basket that he attached to the handlebars of his bike and put a plaid blanket in it. On the back he attached the picnic basket to the seat and fender. Their lunch, she presumed. He pulled a backpack over his shoulders; he was taking the whole load. Then he squirted sunscreen in her palm, and when she was done smearing it on her arms and legs, he fit the helmet onto her head. “I’ll follow you,” he said. “It’s safer.”
As he pulled back his hand to give her a whack on the butt, she skittered out of his way. He chuckled.
“Which way?” she asked.
“Any direction you like.”
She looked north and south; south looked flatter. She mounted the bike and took off. And pedaled like mad, while behind her, traveling at a
nice clip, Aiden was whistling.
Like every other aspect of her life, from her diet to her morning exercise program, Erin had a strict routine. She did some yoga and weights; she walked on the treadmill and StairMaster now and then. Forty-five minutes every morning. But endurance training like biking or running? She never had the interest or time. Within five minutes she was panting and sweating and behind her—that infernal whistling. But damn him, she kept going and refused to feel guilty that she wasn’t any faster or stronger. After all, his days were probably spent working, and then working out right before a night of chasing women. She worked at least twelve-hour days in an office or courtroom. But she pushed herself on that bike for an hour, by which time she wanted to die.
When she was almost ready to throw in the towel, the air was pierced by a whistle and Aiden yelled, “Pull over!” She was so grateful she could have kissed him. He dismounted and was walking his bike down the beach on the hard-packed sand and she followed. Finally he stopped and pulled a couple of sports drinks out of the backpack, handing her one.
“What’s the matter?” she asked a little breathlessly. “Tired?” She sank onto the sand with an oomph, making him laugh. She sucked down half her drink with a lot of glugs.
Aiden fell to his knees. “Little bit competitive, Erin?”
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand. “Possibly.” Then she smiled. “Okay, I admit it—I’m not in the best shape.”
“Your shape looks pretty good to me.”
“Well, now,” she said. “I wondered if you were flirting with me. I mean, getting rid of my bear was one thing, but shaving?” She laughed. “I think when you shave and talk about my figure, that’s definitely flirting. So, what is it you hope to get out of this flirting? Huh?”
“I don’t know,” he said. “What kind of law do you practice?”
“Estate and tax law.” She lifted a brow. “How’s your relationship with the IRS?”
“I’ve been in the navy. Not a lot to worry about hiding. And I’m a single man—my mother’s in my will. She gets the life insurance.”
“God forbid,” Erin said.
“Is that what makes a girl so tough and competitive? Law school and a legal practice?”
“I think being a girl in law school and in legal practice is what makes me tough and competitive,” she said with a smile. “Plus, there was a lot of pressure at the time. My parents died too young. I’m the oldest and had to look out for my younger brother and sister.”
“The sister’s pregnant, right?”
“Right. Due the end of summer. Ninety percent chance she’ll have a C-section—the baby’s breech. Marcie’s hoping he turns, but right now she’s scheduled for August 20, a couple of weeks before she’s due.”
“So that’s when you leave?”
“A few days before that at the latest. Really, I’m not sure I can coexist with that bear….”
“Damn bear,” he muttered. “Just when you were baking for me…”
“I was baking for Marcie and Ian—they’re coming up next weekend. And I was going to let you have some cookies for Art.”
Aiden grinned at her. “Want to ride a little more before I feed you lunch?”
“Okay,” she said tiredly, stretching out her back.
“This time let’s go at a more leisurely pace. I promise, I’ll let you win.”
The second hour of riding was much more pleasant than the first; Aiden hung back so she wouldn’t go too fast. Because she wasn’t bent over the handlebars pedaling like mad, Erin was able to appreciate the ocean, the cool breeze, the vastness of a blue sky with so many powder-puff clouds. And all the while oblivious to the fact that Aiden was enjoying the shape of her butt and the length of her legs.
When Aiden whistled for her to stop the second time, Erin was almost disappointed. He rode down a length of hard-packed sand amidst a lot of huge, protruding rocks. The northern Pacific beach was very rocky. Aiden stood the bike on its kickstand and unfurled the blanket from the basket, spreading it on the sand. He detached the picnic basket from the rear of his bike, put it on the blanket and sat down.
“Not fancy,” he said. “But besides chocolate-chip cookies, I don’t really know what you like.”
She sat on the other side of the basket. “At this point, I like everything. You’ve had me pumping a bike for a couple of hours.” She helped herself first to a bottled water and took a long drink. Then she discovered a couple of sandwiches, apples and brownies. While they ate lunch, she asked him about his family and learned about the five military sons. He told her about growing up in the Midwest, the middle of the five boys. “We lived in a small three-bedroom house—three boys in one room and two in another. Our father was an electrician who had to take as much overtime as he could get to feed us all, which left our mother responsible for the raising and discipline, something she was very good at. We called her the Enforcer. She’s an amazing woman. Very strong, and until recently, she was very narrow-minded.”
“What happened recently?”
“She got herself a boyfriend. And she’s living with him in an RV. They plan to drive around the country, visiting friends and children and seeing the sights.”
“That actually sounds like fun,” Erin said, biting into a ham sandwich.
“It does,” he agreed. “Some of my brothers are disgruntled about it. I don’t blame them—she was always so critical of the way we all seemed to be playing the field, dating a lot of different women…Until a couple of months ago, she was still twisting the ear of any son over thirty years old just at the suggestion he’d had sex with a woman he wasn’t married to. Now my sixty-three-year-old mother is living with a guy.”
“Just how many different women?” she asked cautiously. “I mean, when you say playing the field…”
He bit into his sandwich. “Not to worry, Erin. Of all of them, I was always the most careful. I haven’t dated anyone in months. Well, that’s not true—I’ve had dates—a couple of dinners out, met friends for drinks, that sort of thing. I haven’t had sex with a woman in quite a while. And I always use protection.”
Her cheeks actually glowed. “I didn’t mean—”
“You should mean that, and you should ask, it’s reasonable. Don’t look now, but this is a date. The bear doesn’t count, but this counts.”
She looked down. When she raised her eyes, she said, “Is this when you ask me about my dating history?”
He shrugged. “Only if you feel like talking about it.”
“I don’t date much,” she said. At all. Ever. “I’ve only been on a few dates the past year—all of them first dates.”
“Hard to please?” he asked.
“I think so, yes.”
“And you’re busy,” he said.
“Does that sound like an excuse? Because really, a lot of people depend on me and I take that very seriously.”
“The little brother and sister?” he asked.
“Oh, they’re all grown-up and doing great. But I have clients with serious tax issues. I also have clients with delicate family relationships who need help with their estate planning and trusts. There are other lawyers and paralegals and a legion of legal secretaries to help, but I’m the partner who manages that for the firm. I haven’t taken a vacation in a long time.” At all. Ever. “I had to plan this time off from the firm for a year.”
“Why no vacations?” he asked.
“You know. The same reason as everything else. Busy. People depending on me.”
“And you’re here because it’s close enough to get to your sister if she needs you?”
“Of course,” she said. “It’s my first nephew. The first baby in the family. And Marcie and I are very close. Plus, I thought it would be so relaxing up here. I hadn’t accounted for the bear.”
“Hopefully he doesn’t bother you again,” Aiden said, and lay down on his back on the blanket.
“Hopefully,” she said, lying down also, on the other side of the picnic basket.
“Aiden, did you grow up kind of poor?”
“Depends on your definition of poor. It’s probably more accurate to say we grew up on a tight budget. My mother really knew how to stretch a dollar. We ate a lot of mac and cheese. We had a big summer garden and she canned. What she didn’t grow she bought at the farmers’ market. And the woman was a genius with soup. We ate so much soup that now I don’t even like soup.” She giggled. “Colin was the only one in the family to get all new clothes all the time because even though he was second born, he outsized Luke. The rest of us got new jeans when the hand-me-downs got handed down too much, but everything in our family was stretched as far as it would go. I got screwed—I was third. Stuff lasted just about long enough for me, but by the time it got to Sean or Patrick, it was too worn-out and had to be replaced. I guess that’s why everyone enlisted—there was no hope of college being paid for. Although…”
“Although what?”
“There were some scholarships and financial aid. My brothers Sean and Patrick went to military academies—one air force, one navy. I had a partial scholarship….”
“And worked as an EMT,” she filled in for him. “What’s the most important thing you learn as an EMT?”
He thought for a second. “Load ’em and go, go, go!” She laughed and he turned on his side, facing her. “Really, getting someone to the hospital is what that job is all about. Although I did learn some good emergency procedures—resuscitation, how to stop bleeding, that kind of thing.” He smiled. “What to do with a head wound. But an EMT is not usually as highly trained as a paramedic, depending on where you work.” He flopped on his back. “How about you?” he asked.
“I don’t know how to stop bleeding…” She yawned.
“Did you grow up poor?”
“Nah, middle class. My dad had even saved a little for college. We had…I mean we have a four-bedroom house—everyone had a bedroom. I still live in that house. It’s not a new house, but it’s been fixed up regularly. Modernized and redecorated. It’s a very nice house.” She yawned again. “Big kitchen.”