He seems to sense it, wrapping an arm around my shoulders to pull me into a hug. It’s completely unnecessary given the others are in the fitting rooms, but I take the chance to rest my head against his chest, just for a second, and breathe. His warm, spicy cologne fills my nostrils, that hint of pencil shavings even though we’re miles away from his drafting table, and it’s all I can do not to push up onto my toes and steal another kiss.
But we part, and I have to pull myself together. There’s a bowl of mints on the counter, and Aidan reaches for one, his eyes straying to my pile of clothes. He’s notactuallygoing to pay for anything, is he?
I grab a mint too, contemplating what to purchase. My head is still swirling after what happened when the bell on the door trills again, distracting me, and an older woman steps into the store. I’m about to tell the shop assistant I’ll just take the first blouse, but Savannah’s voice drifts from the fitting room.
“Can you believe she’s with that guy?” she says to Kendall through the curtain. “He’s like twice her age.”
I freeze. For a second I’m so shocked I just stand there, mouth agape like an idiot. They must have heard the bell ring on the door and assumed we’d left.
My eyes dart to Aidan. A muscle jumps in his jaw, and I shrivel, mortified. She was insulting me, yes, but it feels like a blow to him, too. A comment about his age.
Which, quite frankly, Ilove. Is it weird that I’m into a man so much older than me? Maybe. But he’s hot as hell, with those threads of silver in his hair, the little smile creases beside his eyes. More than that, he’s kind and sweet. Isn’t that what actually matters? I think of Daisy and her friends, knowing I’m not alone in liking an older guy. I’m not ashamed of it in the least.
I glance at the fitting room curtains, anger burning hot in my chest. They can say what they like about me, but not about Aidan, and with blinding clarity, I realize that I don’t have to take this. I put up with their shit for years, but I’m not in high school anymore. Aidan’s kiss has emboldened me. Made me realize I can stand up to them, I can show them I’m unaffected by their petty bullshit.
I wait by the counter, fists tight at my side, until Savannah steps out of the fitting room. Her gaze collides with mine, and she draws up short, lips forming a silent O. But instead of apologizing, she smirks.
And I snap.
“You know what?” I grit out, stepping forward. “You haven’t changed either, Savannah. You’re the same nasty girl you were in high school.”
She huffs, jaw opening in disbelief. Kendall steps out of the fitting room, eyes wide as she looks between the two of us.
“And just so you know,” I add, “Ilikethat he’s older. It’s fucking hot.He’sfucking hot. I call him Daddy, and he loves it.”
Aidan chokes on his mint. When I glance at him, the dynamite in his gaze could set me alight.
Holy shit. Hewouldlove it, wouldn’t he?
A thrill pulses through me, and I focus back on Savannah.
“Have a nice life,” I mutter, then walk from the store with my chin held high.
The cold air hits me the moment I’m outside. Snow falls in soft, fluttery flakes, and I suck in a cleansing breath, surprised to find I don’t feel as shaky as before. If anything, I feel stronger. I should have stood up to Savannah a long time ago.
Aidan appears beside me a moment later, a large bag in his hand with the wordsThe Mariner’s Daughteremblazoned on the side. I glance at it, frowning. Maybe Savannah isn’t the only person I’ll need to stand up to today.
But then he says, “You were amazing in there,” and everything in me softens. I half expect him to add “baby” like he did earlier, then catch myself.
This is the problem with pretending. My heart wants it to be real.
“Thanks,” I say, voice coming out a little husky.
His eyes roam my face, intense and dark, full of all the words he’s not saying. I wait for him to explain the kiss, to tell me it didn’t mean anything, that it can never mean anything, but instead, he releases a deep, steady breath.
“Come on,” he murmurs, swinging the bag over his arm. “Let’s go eat.”
23
IRIS
Aidan doesn’t mention the kiss at dinner. He doesn’t bring up that word I used—Daddy—or the way he looked at me like he’d burn the world down to hear me call him that.
Instead, he asks for my thoughts about the lighthouse. It’s not hard to talk about that, not with the way my brain lit up with possibility when we stepped into the unusual space. Over a pepperoni pizza at The Salty Slice, I talk him through my ideas for how to best utilize the lighthouse; how it could become a visitor center containing a history of the area and the best views in town, or how freaking amazing it would be as a private residence. I know it needs insulating and other services, but once complete, it would be a unique place to live, full of character. A place I can imagine an artist living, surrounded by natural beauty and inspiration.
Time passes quickly as we talk. It’s fun to imagine how the lighthouse could be re-purposed, but more than that, I’m touched by the way Aidan listens, really listens, as I speak. Like my ideas actually matter to him.
After dinner, we’re off to our second meeting, which takes place in the town hall. There are far more people thanI’d expected, including a handful of locals with very strong opinions, and apparently nothing better to do on a Saturday night. It drags on for two and a half hours, and by the time we’re finally stepping out into the pitch-black night, I’m exhausted.
