The Proposal (15 page)

“I’m sorry, but I can’t help worrying about you,
Em.”

Her chest clenched at the earnest expression on her
face. She didn’t know why she had to fight him so much. She should just stop
and enjoy the fact he was being so attentive and caring. So instead of arguing,
she threw up her hands in defeat. “All right, all right. Becky can come
baby-sit me.”

He grinned. “Good considering you didn’t have a
choice.”

“Aidan,” she warned.

He leaned over to kiss her cheek. After he pulled
away, his lips hovered close to hers. When she looked into his eyes, she saw
the longing burning bright. Part of her wanted to reach out and kiss him, but
the other part knew what an explosive land mine that was. Putting her hand on
his chest, she gently pushed him back. “You better go get a shower. Grammy will
be standing on her head and blazing the phone lines if you’re not there right
at twelve.”

Hurt momentarily flashed in his eyes before he
bobbed his head. “Okay then.”

Emma’s heart clenched as she watched him march
defeated into the bathroom.

CHAPTER TEN

Aidan made the trek out of the city up to the
mountains. It was just after noon when he pulled to a stop in front of Earl and
Virginia’s house. He drew in a breath of trepidation as he started up the front
walk. He had just started up the porch steps when Virginia threw open the front
door. “Well hello there handsome! Good to see you again.”

Relief flooded him that at least one of Emma’s
grandparents didn’t hold a grudge. Of course of the two, he had worried the
least about Grammy. The worst she could do was frail him with a frying pan—Earl
was the one of the knives and shotguns.

He smiled. “Hello Virginia. It’s good to see too.”

Just like he expected, she wrapped her arms around
him and squeezed him tight. “How’s my sweet girl holding up?”

“Right now she’s mad as hell that you’re cooking for
her and not taking it easy,” he replied as he pulled away.

Virginia cocked her silver head at him, and he
grunted. “Even though she wants me to tell you she’s fine, I can’t lie.”

“I figured as much.”

“Physically, she’s doing fine, but it’s the emotions
that are killing her…and me.” Shoving his hands in his pockets, Aidan rocked
back on his heels. “I wish I knew what to say or do to make her feel better. I
hate to see her cry, and it kills me to see her scared like she has been.”

Virginia rubbed his arm. “Aw, honey, I’m sure you’re
doing a fine job taking care of her. Being pregnant is hard enough without
throwing in pre-labor and bed-rest into the mix.”

“What does it matter how well I’m taking care of her
when it’s my fault she’s where she is?”

“Now you can’t think like that.”

“It’s the truth, isn’t it?”

Virginia shook her head. “I’m not here to judge you
or chastise you about what happened, Aidan. That’s between you, the good Lord,
and Emma. And if I know my baby girl like I do, the greatest stress on her came
with what happened to your daddy. Riding in that ambulance, hearing those
sirens, I know it brought back everything that happened with Emma’s daddy.” She
cupped Aidan’s chin. “So don’t run yourself down so much, okay? If you’re in
the pits, no one is going to be there to bring Emma up.”

A hesitant smile played at his lips. “I guess so.”

“Well, I know so.” She waved him towards the house.
“Come on in and let’s get the food. I don’t want to keep you away from Emma too
long.”

“Not that she would care,” he muttered under his
breath.

Virginia cast a knowing glance over her shoulder at
him. “She cares a lot more than you think she does.”

That sentiment made Aidan’s heartbeat accelerate and
gave him a little more hope. As he stepped into the living room, he locked eyes
with Earl who was lounging in the recliner. He gulped and steadied himself in
anticipation for a showdown. “Hello, Earl.”

“Howdy Aidan,” Earl said, muting the television.

“How are you feeling?”

Earl shrugged. “I’m getting around a little better.”

Virginia huffed out a frustrated breath. “He’s
trying to do too much, and he’s going to land himself back in the hospital.”

He shot her an exasperated look. “I hate sitting on
my ass all day and being waited on hand and foot,” Earl lamented.

“You sound like Emma,” Aidan mused.

“Bless Emmie Lou’s heart,” Earl said.

As Virginia swept by Earl, she kissed his cheek.
“Trust me, darlin’, no one wants you up and about more than I do.”

Earl grinned up at her. “You’re an angel, Ginny.”

An almost girlish giggle escaped her lips before she
turned to Aidan. “Sugar, you just have a seat, and I’ll go pack up everything.”

Aidan glanced uneasily between her and Earl. “Are
you sure I can’t help you?”

She shook her head. “Nope. I need to take out one
last casserole from the oven.”

After she headed into the kitchen, Aidan reluctantly
eased down onto the couch. He swallowed hard when he eyed the gun cabinet only
a few feet away.

The sound of Earl’s voice caused him to jump.
“What’s wrong with you?”

“N-Nothing.” When Earl’s brows shot up
questioningly, Aidan sighed. “I was actually contemplating how much of a
jumpstart I could get on you if you went for the gun case.”

Amusement twinkled in Earl’s eyes. “Son, I’m not
going to shoot you for what you did to Emmie Lou.”

“You aren’t?”

He shook his head. “First off, I want my
great-grandson to have a daddy, and if you were maimed or six feet under, that
wouldn’t do him much good.”

Aidan gave a shaky chuckle. “No, I suppose not.”

Earl glanced past Aidan to the kitchen before
turning his attention back to him. “Second off, I’m a lot of things, but a
hypocrite ain’t one of them.”

“Excuse me?”

With a deep sigh, Earl said, “Let’s just say when I
was young and stupid, I made a mistake much like you did.”

Aidan couldn’t keep his mouth from dropping open in
shock. “So you, um…”

Earl rolled his eyes. “How plain you want me to make
it for you? I was a cocky twenty-five year old bastard who just because Ginny
couldn’t give me all her attention anymore because of our two sons, I let some
cheap floozie almost ruin my marriage.”

“Yeah, that’s pretty plain.”

“Thankfully for me, Virginia gave me a second
chance, and I’ve spent the last fifty years making it up to her.”

Leaning forward, Aidan asked, “How long did it take
her to forgive you?”

“A long, long time.”

Aidan exhaled in frustration. “I just hope Em will
be that forgiving.”

“Depends on how much work and effort you put into
it.”

“Seriously? I swear that I’m working my ass off.”

Earl harrumphed. “Trust me, until you’ve dug ditches
in ninety degree heat to earn the money to buy your wife the pearls she’s
always wanted, you ain’t got no room to talk.”

With a wince, Aidan said, “I guess not.”

Virginia’s voice echoed from the kitchen. “Okay,
honey, it’s ready.”

When Aidan stood up, Earl held up his hand. “Listen,
son, you just gotta keep tryin’. Emmie Lou comes from a long line of stubborn,
hard-headed women. But I do know that she’s crazy bout’ you, so if you really
want her, then you just keep on tryin’ to win her back.”

Earl’s comforting words sent a smile stretching
across Aidan’s face. “I sure as hell will.”

***

Once he got back into Atlanta, Aidan made a grocery
stop and finished up a few errands before heading home. When he swung the car
in the driveway, his heart shuddered to a stop. Becky’s car was gone. His mind
whirled with out-of-control thoughts. What if Emma had started having
contractions again, and Becky had rushed her to the hospital? Tumbling out of
the car, he didn’t bother closing the door. Instead, he rushed through the
garage door and skidded into the kitchen. “EMMA!” he cried.

The sound of gunfire and explosions assaulted his
ears. Craning his neck, he saw John and Percy sitting on the couch each with a
game console in their hands. “Where’s Emma? Where’s your mother?” he demanded
without even a hello.

John glanced up and rolled his eyes before looking
back down at his game. “Dude, hold your ball-sack. Mom got called to some
emergency department meeting at the university, so we’re babysitting Emma until
she gets back. Georgie’s back in the bedroom with her now watching
Finding
Nemo
or some shit.”

Aidan’s relieved emotions were too jumbled to call
John out for his mouth. “Oh, well, good.” He jerked his thumb towards the
garage. “Can you guys come and help me get in all the groceries and stuff from
Em’s Grammy’s?”

“Seriously?” John asked.

Aidan grunted. “Yeah, I’m serious. Call it payback
for mooching off my pool all summer.”

“I thought you let us use your pool because we’re
your favorite nephews?” Percy questioned, rising obediently off the couch.

Aidan chuckled and ruffled his hair. “I guess that’s
true.” When John still hadn’t budged, Aidan reached over and took his game
away.

“Hey!” John started to protest.

“Move your ass and you might live to play it again.”

Huffing, John got off the couch and stalked through
the kitchen. Aidan and Percy followed behind him. Aidan popped the trunk and
leaned in to start handing some of the bags to the boys.

“Uncle Aidan?” Percy began.

“Yeah?”

“Don’t you think you ought to marry Emma?”

Aidan jerked his head up, slamming it against the
trunk lid. “FUCK!” he shouted as he saw stars before his eyes. A few more
expletives escaped his lips as pain raged through his skull.

“Nice mouth you got there,” John chided.

Gritting his teeth, Aidan rubbed his aching head.
“You mention that one to your mom, and I’ll tell her about your ball-sack
comment.”

John’s eyes widened. “Dude, that is
so
not
cool!”

“Yeah, well, deal with it.” Aidan started to resume
gathering up the bags when he noticed Percy staring expectantly at him for an
answer. Aidan sighed. “Perce—”

His blonde brows knitted together. “Don’t you love
her?”

“Oh Christ,” Aidan muttered, raking his hand through
his hair. He winced as pain once again shot through his head. “Did your mom put
you up to this or something?”

“No. When I asked her the same question, she just
said that you were a cad.” Percy shrugged. “I don’t even know what that means.”

“I’m pretty sure it’s a dude who acts like a
douchebag to women,” John said.

Aidan glared over at John. “I am not a cad!”

John held his hands up. “I didn’t say it. Mom did.”

Leave it to his sister the English professor to
resort to name calling him something from the nineteenth century. He handed
Percy one of the box’s from Earl and Virginia’s. “Perce, it’s complicated
because—“”

“You’re a cad?” John asked.

Ignoring him, Aidan said, “I was stupid and did
something that hurt Emma’s feelings pretty bad. It’s going to take her some
time to forgive me and let me back into her heart.”

Percy shifted the box he was carrying to one hip.
“You’re having a baby with Emma, so the responsible thing to do would be to
marry her,” he said sensibly.

Aidan blinked a few times at Percy. “Did I hit my
head harder than I thought, or did you actually just sound like a mature adult,
rather than a kid?”

Percy shrugged. “Maybe. Dad always says I’m an old
soul.”

Aidan laughed. “I think he called that one right.”
He glanced over to John who wore an amused smirk. “Of course, anything you say
has to sound light years above this one,” he said, jerking his thumb at John.

“Whatever,” he grumbled.

Aidan picked up a light bag and handed it to John.
“What’s this?” he asked, peering inside.

Aidan quickly snatched it back. “Erm, that’s for
Emma.”

“Doesn’t quite look like her size,” he mused with a
wicked gleam in his eyes.

“That’s because it’s for Noah, smart ass.” He
motioned to the trunk. “Go on and bring those in. I’m going to go check on
Emma.”

John grabbed a few more bags while Aidan and Percy
started in the house. He left the boys in the kitchen and started down the
hallway. The sound of Emma’s laugher warmed his heart. Then in a sing-song
voice, he heard Georgie call, “Noah…Noah! Kick for me Noah!”

Standing in the bedroom doorway, Aidan surveyed the
scene with a smile. Emma held a flashlight to her baby bump. Hovering close to
her, Georgie stared expectantly at Emma’s stomach as if waiting for something
earth shattering to happen.