He laughed. “Why would that bother me?”
There were so many things about Preston she’d have to unlearn. Things in her relationship that no longer caused the same kind of angst she’d put up with for decades. Preston would’ve blamed her for the allergies and insisted she stay away from him until she was feeling better.
“Okay, what do you suggest?”
“Come to my place. I can close everything up and put my air purifier on. You can take an antihistamine. The rest is a surprise. Wear comfy clothes and be prepared to be pampered.” His eyes sparkled as he reached for her hand. “I’ve been waiting all week to see you. I’m not going to miss out because of some pollen.”
By the time Aidan had closed up his house, turned on the air purifier and settled with Bea on the couch in his living room, her sinuses were already feeling better. The medicine helped too. He flicked on the television and handed her a bowl of popcorn. Nelly, his golden retriever, lay at Bea’s feet, her tail thumping in satisfaction against the floorboards every now and then when Bea spoke.
“Movie marathon,” he said.
She smiled, took a handful of popcorn and passed the bowl back to him. “That’s perfect. I’ve been so busy with work, it’s nice to have some time off my feet.”
They watched a rom-com, after which she lay on the couch, her stomach full of popcorn and soda water, and sighed at the ceiling.
“I love a good rom-com, but right now, all it’s doing is reminding me of Dani’s situation.”
“What’s going on with Dani?” Aidan asked.
“It’s her new boyfriend. They’re still dating. I’d hoped it would end quickly, but she seems even more smitten than she was before.”
He quirked an eyebrow. “Ah, yes, that’s right. The architecture lecturer who uses cushions for furniture. Do you want to talk about it?”
“No, not really. But he’s so much older than her. He’s a lecturer at the university, and I have to say, the feminist in me isn’t happy about the power dynamic there. He’s taking advantage of her.”
Aidan took her hand and wound his fingers through hers. “But it’s her life. She’s an adult, and she seems to like him.”
“But she doesn’t know what’s best. She’s still so young.”
“I know you’re worried about her making the same mistakes you did, but perhaps you’ll just have to trust her.”
“I trusther…”
“I know you do. But maybe you should have a conversation with her. Be honest — tell her how you feel, what you’re concerned about.”
“She’ll be so angry,” Bea objected, her cheeks warming as anxiety filled her gut.
“You either have to let it go and accept him into her life for now, or you have to speak up and risk her being angry with you.”
“Like you said, she’s an adult. What if I push her away and she doesn’t want to see me anymore? Look at Betsy and her son—they’ve spent years apart. I stayed away from Coral Island for so long because I didn’t want to be around my father and Bradford. She might do the same.”
He sighed and kissed Bea on the tip of her nose. “Then maybe you shouldn’t say anything.”
“But she might marry him.”
He laughed. “It seems to me you’re in between a rock and a hard place.”
She groaned. “I know—that’s the problem. I don’t know what to do. Either direction I take, I could make a huge mistake.”
“Life’s a conundrum,” he said. “Should we order some lunch and watch the next movie? Maybe we can solve all the world’s problems while we wait.”
She sighed. “Yes, that’s a good idea. I can’t think straight on an empty stomach. “
“How about Thai food?”
They ordered the food and talked about life and their hopes and dreams while they waited for it to be delivered. Bea pushed thoughts of Dani and her situation aside and focused on their conversation instead. When it arrived, the delicious scent of the Thai cuisine made Bea’s stomach clench with hunger. They set it all out on the coffee table, on a plain white tablecloth, and sat to eat. Bea’s hip was feeling better after she’d taken pain relief and used a heat pack on the affected area the previous day.
She was so hungry, the food tasted better than anything she’d eaten in as long as she could remember. Or maybe it was the company. It was so nice to sit and talk with Aidan as though they were teenagers all over again, but without the hang-ups, insecurities or the pain of loss she’d experienced back then. All those things were behind them now. They were free to be themselves and to love each other with their whole hearts.
