Finding Faith (Love's Compass Book 4) (9 page)

Had Serenity heard that right? Aaron thought she had a beautiful voice? Compared to his, she found that hard to believe. A vague recollection of Mom and Grams complimenting her on it surfaced from the recesses of her mind. In the end, it didn’t matter. As long as her voice helped Gideon relax like it had since he was a baby, it was all that mattered.

Until now. She suddenly wanted to know what else Aaron thought about her. Then again, if the intensity in his blue eyes was any indication, maybe it was better if she didn’t. How was it possible that his presence made her calmer as she stood by her son’s side, yet kicked her pulse into high gear at the same time?

As the nurse used five stitches to close the gash in her son’s head, Serenity continued to sing to him. By the time it was finished, Gideon’s eyelids were getting heavy and she could see sleep creeping in.

“I’ll let them know you’re taking the day off when I get back.” Aaron looked at his watch. “I’ve got time. Let me help you get him back to your house. Do you need any supplies?”

“No, I have a fully stocked first aid kit. Between Tuck and Lexi, they weren’t going to leave me here without one.” The stubborn part of her wanted to tell him she could get her son home all on her own. The practical side knew she would have accepted help from anyone of her family and it was silly to turn the offer down. She gave him what she hoped was a relieved smile. “I appreciate the help getting back. Something tells me he’s going to be asleep by the time we get there.”

“Of course.”

The nurse came back with a care sheet and went over the instructions with Serenity. By the time they were given the go ahead to leave, she was more than ready to get out of there. She’d never liked hospitals, and even less when it was her son who was in one.

“Come on, big guy. Let’s go.” She scooped him into her arms and he snuggled his head under her chin. He was getting big and thinking about that made her sad. The idea that one day she wouldn’t be able to carry him — or that he would be big enough to carry
her
— was something she refused to consider.

Aaron got to the door and then placed a hand on her back as she passed by. Thankful for his presence and help, she continued through the maze of hallways and out into the hot sun.

Once she was back behind the wheel of her car, she led the way to their duplex. Aaron held a hand out and she gave him her keys so he could unlock the door and open it for them. Before anyone could enter, Kia tried to dash out. Aaron picked up and held the kitten in his arms until he closed the door again.

Serenity set Gideon on the couch and retrieved his pillow and favorite blanket from his bedroom. He seemed happy to lie down and was asleep in moments. It didn’t take long for Kia to settle at his feet

Serenity used her fingers to gather her hair together and held it at the base of her neck. A forceful breath of air whooshed from her lungs and she leaned against the wall.

Aaron chuckled. “Are you going to be all right?”

“Yeah. It was my first ER visit with Gideon.” She released the hair again and it cascaded down around her shoulders. “I suppose almost six years is pretty good, right?”

“I’d say so. And I never would have thought that — you handled it like a pro.”

Serenity chuckled. She was glad to hear that. At least she didn’t look like an insane mom. All she could do was her best. In the end, Gideon was home and sleeping peacefully. Her gaze rested on his bandage and she had to resist going over and kissing it. Feeling jittery, she shook her hands out.

Aaron must have noticed. “Why don’t you get something to eat and drink? You haven’t had lunch. You’re probably starving.”

Wow, she’d completely forgotten. “You’re right.” She led the way into the kitchen and opened the fridge. After getting the carton of orange juice, she poured herself a glass. “Would you like some?”

He shook his head. “I’m good, thanks. I need to get back to work here in a minute. I’ll grab something on the way.” The fridge was still open and he was studying the meager contents with a raised eyebrow. “I think you need to go grocery shopping.”

Serenity put the glass of orange juice down without taking a drink and nudged the fridge closed with a foot. “We’re on a tight budget.” She had no doubt any member of her family would have given her the same look if they saw the fridge, too. At the hospital, she hadn’t given much thought to the medical bill that would inevitably come in the mail. Realizing it now made her want to curl up on the couch next to Gideon and pretend they didn’t need anything from the real world. Not today. Her palms pressed against the surface of the table and she leaned forward.

“Hey, you.” Aaron’s strong hands grasped her arms and gently turned her to face him. “What is it?”

She made sure Gideon was still asleep and lowered her voice. “I have no idea how I’m going to pay the deductible from today.” What was it about this man that seemed to coax the truth out of her? She was going to handle this. She had to. But the way he held her arms, looked at her with compassion, made her want to lean into him. Share the burden. But it wasn’t his responsibility.

~

Aaron could see the war waging inside Serenity. Her gaze flitted from his face to something behind him. She was fighting it — battling against letting him into her life.

“Things’ll come together. Your family will…”

“No.” She shook her head. “I’ve let people bail me out of situations all my life. I can’t let them do it again.” She looked desperate.

“You couldn’t be more wrong.” His hands slid up her arms to frame her face. “You could have bailed out of motherhood, but you didn’t. You chose to raise Gideon and love him no matter what. When you moved here, you weren’t bailing. You were doing the exact opposite. You left behind your support system to start a new life. You didn’t bail today when your son needed you most. In fact, you held it together for him when I bet you felt like you were falling apart inside.”
God, please let her see the truth in this.

Tears filled her eyes and she tried to blink them away. The warmth from her cheeks sent sensations skittering across his skin. A lone tear escaped and slid down the side of her face. Aaron used the pad of his thumb to wipe it away.

“You, Serenity Chandler, are a strong woman who is doing what she needs to for her family. You can handle anything on your own. But it doesn’t mean you should.”

She took in a deep breath and released it. The vulnerability on her face hit him right in the gut, but it was the trust in her eyes that pierced his heart. There were many reasons why he should take a step back and leave. But all of them — including his job — shrank in comparison to the possibilities that could exist with the woman standing in front of him. If he left now, he knew he’d regret not giving this a chance.

Against his better judgement, he threaded his fingers through the silky strands of her hair. His fingertips brushed the skin on the back of her neck.

Completely lost in the depth of her chocolate eyes, he heard her inhale sharply when she lifted a hand and lightly stroked the hair that was curling over his ears. Her fingers were soft and cool against his skin. They were close enough now that her warm breath touched his chin. 

Aaron moved, his lips lightly brushing hers. She leaned into him and he put an arm around her waist, bringing her closer. He dipped his head and explored her lips in a gentle caress. He hoped it expressed not only his interest in her but his need to be there for her — to be the person she could count on.

When she clasped her hands behind his neck and murmured his name, his heart leapt in his chest. He wanted to continue kissing her, to hold her forever. If only that were possible.

He rested his forehead against hers and took a fortifying breath. “I’ve got to get back to work. I’m sorry.” Leaving was the last thing he wanted to do. In a matter of minutes, everything in his life had changed. He was going to talk to Cynthia, go to the board. There had to be something he could do about the guidelines and he wasn’t going to give up until he found a way around them. 

Serenity lifted her chin. “I know. I understand. Thank you for coming with us to the hospital.”

“You’re welcome. Can I call later and see how you’re both doing?” She nodded, pulling her bottom lip in between her teeth. Aaron groaned and captured that lip in a brief kiss. Heaven help him, it was going to take a train to drag him away from her if he didn’t move now. He took a step backwards but kept holding her hands in his. “I’ll call you tonight. Try to get some rest while Gideon’s sleeping. Tell him I’m thinking about him, okay?”

“I will.”

They stared at each other until Aaron chuckled and kissed her cheek. “Okay. I’m leaving now.”

She giggled. “Bye, Aaron.”

“Bye, Serenity.”

He heard the door click closed behind him and took the stairs two at a time. His mind was already going over options and plans for how he could pursue a relationship with Serenity and still keep his job. There had to be a way because walking away from the beautiful woman and her son was no longer an option.

~

Serenity’s hand lingered on the doorknob. She softly touched a finger to her lips and smiled. The scent of Aaron’s woodsy aftershave lingered in the air. She took in a deep breath as the memory of being in his arms enveloped her.

Gideon shifted on the couch and she turned to check on him. His eyes remained closed, his mouth open slightly as he slept. She brushed some hair away from his face before going back to the kitchen and sitting down.

Her phone buzzed and she picked it up to see who the text was from. Aaron’s name flashed on the screen.

“Let me know if you guys need me to bring anything by tonight. I miss you already.”

She grinned and texted him back.

“Thanks. I think we’ll be fine. I miss you, too.”

Nervous energy collided with a giddiness that drove Serenity from her chair to the sink. She might as well wash the dishes because she wasn’t going to be able to concentrate on much else for a long while.

~

Aaron arrived back at the school. He whistled as he made his way down the hall and ran into Zane.

His friend raised an eyebrow and grinned. “You’d better not let Cynthia catch you this happy after spending time with Serenity.”

“What are you even talking about?”

“You’re whistling and all dreamy-eyed. You remind me of a love-sick teenager.”

Aaron shifted his weight under Zane’s scrutiny as heat climbed the back of his neck. He shrugged, admitting defeat on this one. They continued down the hallway to Aaron’s classroom.

“I’m not saying you did anything wrong. But Cynthia heard about the injury and someone mentioned you’d gone to check on them. Word is, she didn’t look too thrilled.”

Yeah, because that was unusual. Aaron wasn’t sure he’d ever seen her look anything but unhappy. Even still, if she so much as suspected he had feelings for Serenity, his job could be on the line. Serenity’s, too, if Cynthia decided to get nasty. They were going to have to keep it behind the scenes at work until he could arrange a meeting with the board. 

Aaron moved to close the door to his classroom. “She’s been in a bad mood all day.”

Zane crossed his arms and sat on the corner of a table. “How’s Gideon doing? Letty’s texted me twice asking if I’d heard from you.”

“He’s okay. Serenity took him home. He ended up with five stitches and was a real champ the whole time. I imagine Serenity will wait and see how he is tomorrow to decide whether he’ll be coming back to school then or needs a day.”

Zane withdrew his cell phone and typed out a text message. Aaron assumed he was filling Letty in. “I’m glad he’s okay. She was shaken up about it. She hates it when a student gets hurt on her watch.”

Aaron smiled. “That’s because she’s one of the best teachers I’ve known. These kids are lucky to have her. I’m planning on calling Serenity this evening. I’ll be sure to text you when I get an update on Gideon.”

“Thanks.” Zane studied him for a moment and grinned. “You’re falling for Serenity, aren’t you?”

“Am I that obvious?”

Zane shrugged. “Maybe just to those who know you well. What are you going to do, man?”

Aaron groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. “I’m working on a plan to approach the board and officially request that the guideline be dropped.” He wished he felt certain about the plan actually working. “Serenity’s never mentioned the guidelines. I’m not sure she even knows about them. It’s only fair that I talk to her about it — give her a heads-up.” Thinking about the conversation filled him with dread. What if she thought it was enough of a reason to put an end to their relationship before it had a chance to start? “Especially if there’s a chance Cynthia could get nasty about it and fire us both. I’m pretty sure losing her job would mean Gideon leaving the school. I can’t be responsible for that.”

Zane shook his head. “You’re getting way ahead of yourself.”

“I don’t think I am.”

Zane nodded. “You know you have our support. If there’s anything we can do to help, let us know.”