Jackie laughed. “Andrea’s a superb cook and baker.”
“Unlike her fiancé,” Aidan replied with a smile. “I had dinner with David last night. When I told him I’d been to The Fairy Forest, he showed me some pictures of what they’re doing for their wedding. He said you’re one of Andrea’s bridesmaids.”
Jackie took another sip of her hot chocolate. “I am. Andrea was one of the first people I met when I moved to Sapphire Bay. We’ve become great friends. I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t met her.”
“It’s amazing the difference a good friend can make. It’s nice to see Andrea and David so happy.”
Jackie nodded and smiled at the thought of Andrea in her wedding gown, standing beside her future husband. “While we’re talking about Andrea and David’s wedding, can you help me with something?”
“I’ll try. What do you need?”
Jackie wiped her mouth on a paper napkin. Talking about the statement piece David wanted might look less professional if she had a chocolate mustache. “David wants something amazing behind the bridal table, but no one knows what he wants. I’m hoping you can give me an insight into what he likes and what he doesn’t.”
Aidan’s eyebrows rose. “We don’t spend a lot of time talking about his wedding reception.”
“It doesn’t have to be specifically about the reception, more about the colors and shapes of furniture and art that he prefers.”
Now Aidan looked confused. “We don’t talk about interior decorating, either.”
“What about during the design phase of the new research facility? Was there anything he was particularly proud of? I’m desperate for any insight into what he thinks will make an incredible statement piece at his wedding.”
Aidan ran his hand along his jaw.
Jackie’s gaze followed his fingers. There was no early morning stubble, no shadow from yesterday’s beard growth covering his jaw. He must have woken up early to shave before leaving for his run.
Aidan’s eyebrows rose, and she bit her bottom lip.
“Sorry,” she muttered. “Your…watch distracted me.” Crossing her fingers, she hoped he hadn’t noticed the note of desperation in her voice. It’d been a long time since she’d been attracted to anyone, and she wasn’t altogether comfortable with the feeling. Or what it might mean.
Aidan looked at his watch and frowned.
A stillness settled around him like a heavy, dark cloak. Jackie didn’t understand what was wrong. “Are you all right?”
The smile he sent her was so forced she knew something was terribly wrong. “My watch belonged to my brother. He died when he was twenty-two.”
“I’m sorry. It isn’t easy losing someone you love.”
“It took a long time to come to terms with what happened.”
Jackie pushed her hot chocolate to one side and waited silently for Aidan to decide how much he wanted to tell her.
He looked at the watch and placed his hand over the old-fashioned face. “I was sixteen when he died. He was my superhero. Before he had a car accident, we did everything together.”
“Is that how he died?” Jackie asked softly.
Aidan shook his head. “No, but it was the beginning of the end. James lost his leg in the accident and he never came to terms with what happened. Two years later, he took his own life.”
Jackie’s eyes widened. “Oh, Aidan. That must have been so hard.”
“Mom couldn’t talk about James without bursting into tears. Dad didn’t say anything about him, and that made it worse for everyone.”
“How were you after your brother died?”
Aidan sighed. “I missed him so much I could hardly breathe. It took a long time to learn how to live without him.”
When he lifted his gaze to Jackie’s, her eyes filled with tears. Even after all this time, she could see that the grief and trauma of what had happened was still there. “Is that why you design prosthetics?”
“I wanted to make artificial limbs that were so lifelike, no one would know the difference. Compared to what we offer people today, James’ prosthetic was archaic. If he’d had something that made him feel better about himself, he might not have become so depressed.”
