A Summer Romance (8 page)

His gaze flitted to hers and she smiled at
him encouragingly. He returned her smile, but it didn’t reach his
eyes. They walked from the tables hand in hand, and she was aware
of the stares and whispers from the crowd around them. She held her
head high and gripped his hand tighter. The sight of Andi
approaching was like a ray of sunshine in the middle of a storm.
Maggie smiled happily and released Aaron’s hand to hug her
friend.

“I’m so glad you made it!” Andi exclaimed.
“Both of you,” she added, smiling kindly at Aaron. Maggie wanted to
hug her again. “I’m Andi,” she introduced herself, extending her
hand to him. “I don’t think we’ve officially met.”

“Aaron,” He smiled shyly as he shook her
hand.

“Nice to meet you, Aaron,” Andi said
cheerfully. “Hey, I could really use some help hanging this banner.
Would ya’ll mind?”

“Of course not!” Maggie agreed, smiling
first at Aaron and then back at Andi. She wanted so badly for Aaron
to feel the warm acceptance that she’d felt on her last trip to
Sweetwater, and even more so she wanted to show the people of this
town that they’d judged him too harshly.

Andi led them to a make-shift stage set up
in the middle of the park and showed them the large banner that
she’d been attempting to hang above the stage. Without hesitation
Aaron scaled the ladder and busied himself with the task. Maggie
and Andi hovered below handing him tools as needed and chatting
happily about the fireworks show that was to be put on later that
evening.

“Is there anything else I can help with?”
Aaron offered once the chore was done.

“I think that’s it for me,” Andi replied.
“My job is done. The stage is decorated and now I can turn it over
to the band.”

As if on cue a teenage boy popped up and
asked Andi if they could begin setting up their equipment on the
stage.

“It’s all yours,” Andi replied.

“Do you need any help?” Aaron offered.

“Sure! We’ve got a whole truckload of
equipment to set up,” the boy replied gratefully. Aaron seemed
relieved that he could continue to keep himself busy. He glanced to
Maggie and she smiled back at him.

“Don’t worry about me,” she assured him.
“I’m sure I’ve got a ton of gossip to catch up on.” She nudged Andi
and both women giggled. Aaron smiled and happily followed the boy
to his truck.

Maggie and Andi took a walk around the park
arm in arm. The evening air was humid. Maggie took in the scene
before her and absorbed the utter peacefulness of it. Children were
running and playing while their parents stood clustered in groups
that were constantly expanding as new families arrived. People were
greeting each other with hugs and cheerful exclamations. As the
women walked Andi pointed out various people, telling Maggie their
names and random bits of information about them. Maggie listened to
her friend’s chatter but continually looked back towards Aaron,
never quite losing sight of him. She saw him laughing and smiling
with the group of boys as he helped them unload and set up their
equipment. Everything was exactly how she hoped it would be.

“He really does seem like a nice guy.”
Andi’s comment drew Maggie’s attention from Aaron and she realized
she’d been staring.

“Yes he is,” she agreed, looking back at her
friend. The women had circled the park and were coming back toward
the stage.

“And what a hottie!” Andi exclaimed. At that
moment Aaron was lifting some large speakers onto the stage, his
biceps flexed against his t-shirt.

“Yes he is,” Maggie agreed emphatically.

“A man like that could even make old Mrs.
Bouchard blush.” Both women laughed at the ridiculous
statement.

“Speak of the devil,” Maggie said as she
spotted Mrs. Bouchard crossing the lawn. “Looks like we’re about to
find out.” She picked up her pace to reach Aaron’s side about the
same time as the old woman.

“What exactly do you think you’re doing
here, criminal?” the old woman bit out at Aaron. He seemed startled
by the harsh demand and simply stared at her, unsure of how to
respond. Maggie stepped up to his side.

“He’s here with me,” she declared, staring
the old woman down.

“That doesn’t surprise me one little bit.
Filth gathers.” Mrs. Bouchard made no attempt to sugar coat her
opinion. “Well, just because Agnes Devereaux has decided to bring a
whore and a convict to our town does not mean I’m just going to sit
by and let them influence my poor, innocent grandson.”

“Grandmother, please.” One of the boys from
the band looked completely embarrassed by the scene that she was
causing. Several people nearby had stopped to stare. Maggie and
Aaron were still speechless, not sure how to handle the old
woman.

“It’s lovely to see you too, Mrs. Bouchard!”
Andi practically shouted at the woman as she stepped between her
and Maggie. “Wonderful night for a barbeque isn’t it?” She spoke to
her as if she was very hard of hearing, and Maggie suspected that
the woman’s hearing was just fine. She’d seen Andi use this tactic
before to thwart the old woman’s venomous ranting. It seemed to
work, if only for a minute. Mrs. Bouchard sputtered as Andi led her
away from the group, continuing to talk very loudly about the food
and fireworks and acting as if the woman hadn’t said anything
unpleasant.

“I should go,” Aaron said quietly.

“Please stay,” Maggie said. “I was hoping we
could watch the fireworks together.”

Aaron met Maggie’s gaze. She could see the
longing in his eyes and the sadness. “I was too,” he practically
whispered. Then he turned and walked away.

“I’m sorry about tonight,” Andi said as they
pulled into the driveway. “Mrs. Bouchard is just a crazy old witch.
You can’t pay her any mind.”

“It wasn’t just her,” Maggie admitted. “I
saw the way people looked at him. It’s not fair, they don’t even
know him.”

“It’s a small town,” Andi replied as if that
was explanation enough. Maggie was beginning to think that this
“small town” wasn’t for her after all, but that thought just led to
the question that had been hanging over her head since she started
this journey. What next? She was too overwhelmed to tackle that
question right now, so she once again just pushed it to the
side.

“I wish you would’ve stayed for the
fireworks,” Andi added after a few minutes of silence.

“I just wasn’t in the mood anymore,” Maggie
replied. Andi nodded her understanding. They pulled up to the house
and saw Aaron’s truck parked in the driveway. Maggie’s spirits
immediately lifted.

“Is that his truck?” Andi asked.

“Yes.” Maggie was smiling as she reached for
the car door handle.

“Do you want me to stay?” Andi asked,
sounding concerned.

“No, thanks for the ride.” Maggie said as
she jumped out of the car and closed the door before her friend
could respond. She walked up to the porch with a racing heart.

As Andi pulled away the headlights flashed
across the front of the house and for a brief moment Maggie could
see Aaron’s silhouette sitting in a rocking chair, but then the
lights were gone and he was once again shrouded in darkness. Maggie
climbed the steps slowly. Her heart was racing and she wanted to
run to him in her nervous excitement but she wasn’t sure which
Aaron she would find, the playful flirt, or the sad man who had
come to once again warn her away. She stopped when she reached the
top of the steps and waited.

“I just wanted to make sure you made it home
safe.” His tone was somber. Her heart fell a little. She heard the
porch creak as he took a few steps in her direction. The night was
dark; there was no moon. She felt him approach and saw when he was
close. She reached out and grasped his wrist.

“Please stay.” The whispered plea was the
same one she’d made at the barbeque, but the implication this time
was so much more. She heard his rapid intake of breath. She held
her own waiting for his response.

“The fireworks will be starting soon,” she
added. “We should be able to see them from my balcony.” She let her
hand slip from his wrist to his palm and wove her fingers through
his. “Stay,” she whispered again, stepping closer so that her chest
pressed against his.

“For the fireworks?” his voice was
strained.

“For me.” She could feel his heart pounding
in his chest. He leaned his forehead down against hers.

“I should go,” he said reluctantly.

“But do you want to?” she challenged.

“No,” he conceded. “I keep telling myself I
need to stay away from you. But it doesn’t seem I can.”

She smiled and turned from him, pulling him
by the hand into the house.

They crossed through the first floor without
turning on a single light. She led him up the stairs to her room.
Neither of them said a word. She passed the bed without looking at
it, but was overwhelmingly aware of its presence. They stepped out
onto the balcony as the first firework exploded in the
distance.

“Perfect timing.” She smiled up at him to
see that he was staring at her intently.

“Is it?” he asked, and she had a feeling he
was not referring to the fireworks. Nonetheless she stepped up to
the banister to watch the show, unwilling to lose this moment with
him.

He stood close behind her; she could feel
his proximity. She leaned her back against his chest as she watched
the fireworks on the horizon. Tentatively he brought his hands to
her waist. She could feel his breath on her nape so she cocked her
head slightly to the side to expose the length of her neck to him.
He skimmed the tip of his nose along the curve of her neck. His
hands gripped her hips firmly. She held onto the banister as she
pressed back against him.

The fireworks in the distance began to
increase in tempo and frequency as the grand finale signaled the
end of the show. Maggie’s heart raced with anticipation as she
thought about what would come next. She could feel Aaron’s breath
coming faster, his heart pounding in rhythm with hers. As the last
firework erupted on the skyline he gripped her arms and spun her
around to face him, claiming her mouth in one fierce move. She
surrendered to him completely, molding her body to his as she went
limp in his arms. He held her to him as his tongue explored her
mouth, the fireworks continued to erupt inside her.

Abruptly he broke the kiss, simultaneously
holding her up yet pushing her away.

“I shouldn’t have done that,” he said with
his head bowed away from her, his hands still gripped her arms to
hold her up.

“Yes you should have,” she disagreed,
finding her voice.

“There are things you need to know about
me,” he said, looking back to her and meeting her eyes.

“Then tell me,” she said as the strength
came back into her legs and she tried to take a step closer. He
released his hold on her arms and stepped away. She wasn’t
deterred. She walked back into the bedroom, knowing he would
follow. She took a seat on the settee by the French doors and
waited for him to join her. He sat beside her on the small couch,
but didn’t meet her eyes.

“I don’t know where to start,” he said with
his head bowed. The room was still dark, but they were close enough
that she could see his face. She reached over and placed her hand
on his leg.

“Start at the beginning,” she suggested
softly.

“I was twelve when my father died,” Aaron
began, his voice monotone. “My sister Katelyn was eight. People
always said how much I looked like him. I guess that’s why my
mother couldn’t stand to look at me anymore after he was gone. She
began drinking all the time to deal with the depression. I’m not
sure if she had a problem before that, if she did I never knew
about it. But after Dad was gone she was lost in a bottle.

“I stayed away as much as I could. I thought
it was better for everyone if I just wasn’t around. My mother sure
didn’t seem to mind. But I never even considered what I’d left
Katelyn to deal with.” His voice cracked and Maggie wanted to tell
him that he didn’t have to relive these painful memories. Not for
her. But she realized that maybe he needed to do it for himself.
She sat quietly by his side as he sorted through his emotions.

“She remarried when I was fourteen, and for
just a minute I’d hoped Bill would be good for her.” He laughed
without humor. “He wasn’t.”

His eyes clouded over with painful memories.
Maggie could see it on his face and wanted to stop him, wanted to
tell him that he didn’t have to go on.

“I never should have left Katelyn alone in
that house,” he continued angrily.

“You were just a boy yourself.” Maggie spoke
softly trying to console him. He shook his head vehemently.

“I was the only one left to protect her and
I just left her there!” he argued as he jumped up from the couch
and began pacing in front of her. His sadness had turned to rage,
she could feel it radiating off of him.

“She was only ten years old,” he said as he
held his head in his hands. His anger slowly shifted to back
sorrow. He walked over to the window and stared into the dark
night.

“I hadn’t been home for about a week. It was
the longest I’d stayed away.” His voice was quiet as he continued.
“Katelyn came to me the first night I’d returned home and asked if
she could sleep in my room. I could tell something was wrong. She
wouldn’t tell me what it was but I saw that she was scared.

“I came home every day after that, straight
from school. I’d always find her in the front yard waiting for me.
She pretended she was just playing outside, but I could see the
relief on her face every time I came home. She was like my shadow,
sticking by my side everywhere I went, sleeping in my room every
night.

“As the week wore on I saw her become a bit
more relaxed, a little less jumpy than she had been before. But
Bill was becoming increasingly agitated. He didn’t like me being
around.” Aaron grew silent for a few minutes and Maggie wasn’t sure
if he was going to continue. She stood from the couch and stepped
up beside him at the window. She placed her hand tenderly on his
arm.