Dogwood Hill. Sherryl Woods

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      Liz didn’t entirely believe his declaration of open-mindedness, but she had no idea why. Nor did she think these nerves she sensed were about his capability as a coach or whether the town was a good fit for him. Still, she let the subject drop.

      “Have you met the whole family?” she asked instead.

      He relaxed a little and laughed. “I have no idea. I met what seemed like a hundred people in there. Is that all of them?”

      “I think most of Mick’s immediate family was there, but his brother Jeff and his family were just coming up the walk when we came outside. Come to think of it, I didn’t see Jo—that’s Jeff’s wife—with them. I don’t think I saw Thomas inside, but he could have been in the kitchen with Nell or somewhere in the yard playing catch with his son and some of the other kids.”

      An odd expression passed over Aidan’s face, just as it had the other day. This time she knew she wasn’t wrong about what she was seeing. She hesitated, then asked, “Do you already know some of the family?”

      “No, why?”

      “Because you reacted just now when I mentioned Thomas. You did the same thing the other day when the O’Brien name came up. What am I missing?”

      “You’re imagining things,” Aidan said, though his tone wasn’t the least bit convincing.

      “Aidan, if there’s something you’re not saying, if there’s some history here or bad blood or something, maybe it is the wrong place for you. The town is overrun with O’Briens and they stick together. You need to understand that and be sure of your decision.”

      He gave her a long, inscrutable look before answering. “I’m not sure of anything,” he said quietly.

      And, just like before, he turned and walked away, leaving her with a whole slew of troubling questions.

      * * *

      Though she sat next to Aidan at dinner, Liz was all too aware that he carefully avoided making conversation with her. In fact, he was fairly quiet, responding only when asked a direct question. He seemed content to let the nonstop chatter and laughter swirl around him.

      She also thought she caught his gaze straying more than once toward Thomas O’Brien, but maybe that was because her imagination had gone into overdrive following their talk outside.

      As soon as the meal ended, she went in search of Nell to thank her for another incredible meal, then to say her goodbyes to Megan and Mick. She thought she’d be home free and able to make a quick escape after that, but Mick drew her aside.

      “So?” he asked. “How’s Aidan leaning? Is he going to take the job or not?”

      Liz regarded him with amusement. “What makes you think I have any inside knowledge?”

      “The two of you were outside for a while. Looked to me as if you were talking pretty seriously about something.”

      “You were spying on us?” she asked with a scowl, though she wasn’t the least bit surprised. Of course Mick had been keeping a close eye on them. That was who he was, a man who paid close attention to the things that mattered to him.

      “I don’t spy,” he objected, then sighed. “You know how much the school needs him, Liz. Did he give you any hint about which way he’s leaning?”

      “Not really,” she said, though her gut was telling her Aidan was going to walk away. She didn’t want to be the one to break that news to Mick, not when she wasn’t certain of it. Who knew what sort of pressure he might decide to pour on the poor unsuspecting man?

      “Can I give you a bit of advice?” she asked Mick.

      “Why not? You’re practically part of the family, and heaven knows, not a one of them keeps a single opinion to themselves.”

      Liz laughed, knowing it was a genetic predisposition of the O’Briens to share advice whether it was wanted or not.

      “Give the man some space,” she suggested to Mick. “He seems to be weighing this decision. Too much pressure might have the opposite effect of what you’re hoping for.”

      “He’ll never find a better opportunity,” Mick said. “He needs to understand that.”

      “That may be,” Liz conceded. “And I’m hardly an expert on Aidan Mitchell, but I think overselling the job could backfire.”

      She glanced across the room to where Aidan was talking to Mack Franklin. Whatever the conversation, his expression was animated and he looked more relaxed than she’d ever seen him. She had a hunch that while Mack might be talking football, he wasn’t pushing the coaching job. In fact, whatever he was saying had Aidan laughing. That sound made her feel surprisingly good.

      Mick followed the direction of her gaze, his own gaze narrowing. “You think Mack’s approach, whatever it is, is the right one, don’t you?”

      “Looks that way to me,” she said.

      Mick’s focus returned to her. “You seem awfully concerned for a man you barely know. Any particular reason for that?”

      Liz scrambled for an answer that wouldn’t give away this odd connection she felt to a man she’d barely met. “I just know how much you want him to stay and what it would mean to the town to have a winning team.”

      Mick didn’t look as if he bought the reply, but he didn’t pursue it. Liz thought she was off the hook, until he added, “I imagine it won’t break your heart, though, if he decides to stick around.”

      No, she thought with a sigh. It wouldn’t break her heart at all, even if she wasn’t quite sure why.

       3

      In the end, despite a boatload of reservations, Aidan surprised himself and decided to take the job if he could win one big concession. He wanted a one-year deal, not five. He figured that would be long enough for him to prove himself as a coach and short enough for him to escape if it got too difficult being around Thomas. He’d take an option for another four years, but that was the best he could do.

      He’d made the decision during dinner, after he’d had a chance to observe Thomas O’Brien from a distance at the crowded table. He’d concluded that despite his own simmering resentment, the man didn’t seem to be the devil incarnate he’d imagined. He was just a man who seemed crazy about his wife and who adored his little boy. In fact, watching Thomas with Sean had set off a flurry of mixed emotions with envy beating out resentment. He’d had a great life, thanks to his mom, but he couldn’t help wondering how much better it might have been if his dad had been in the picture.

      Despite Mick’s suggestion that he speak to Thomas about preserving the Chesapeake Bay, Aidan deliberately steered clear of him. He never exchanged a single word with him beyond a polite hello when introduced. Truthfully, he wasn’t sure what he might say when they inevitably met again.

      By taking the job, he knew he’d have to face Thomas eventually. Perhaps getting to know him through his work would pave the way for a different kind of bond. Maybe he’d even come СКАЧАТЬ