Finding Faith (Love's Compass Book 4) (7 page)

A reminder of Cynthia’s stupid memo punched a hole in his thoughts. He exhaled, his breath moving the napkin on the table. The professional boundaries were probably a good thing. It’d keep them both from getting hurt. Serenity needed a friend here, not more heartache to add to what she’d already endured.

He glanced up at her. Her eyes were a window to the sadness that remained inside her. If he could make things better for her, he would. “I’m sorry Jay hurt you. He walked away from a good thing.”

She nodded slowly. “Gideon’s a great kid. I doubt Jay will ever realize how much he’s missing out on.”

“Agreed. Though I wasn’t just talking about Gideon.”

Aaron focused his attention on the food arriving at their table, but he could see Serenity’s head turn in his direction. There was no missing the flush of color that crept into her face while his own pulse was pounding in his ears. He’d meant to comfort her, and instead he’d made things worse. This was exactly why he needed to keep his distance.

Thankful for the distraction that distributing the food allowed, Aaron slid a basket of fries and a burger in front of each of them. Serenity called Gideon over and he happily climbed into his seat. He promptly opened his burger, handed the meat to his mom, and proceeded to pile French fries in its place. Aaron chuckled when Gideon put the top bun on and took a large bite of his new sandwich.

Serenity rubbed her son’s hair affectionately. “He’s done that for a couple of years now. I can’t get him to eat hamburger for anything. I, on the other hand, have no problem with it.” She took an exaggerated bite of her own burger.

Aaron laughed loudly then. “A healthy appetite — there’s nothing wrong with that.” She licked a bit of ketchup off her lip, completely distracting him from his own meal. He had to bring his train of thought and the conversation to a much safer topic.

“Your brother’s older than you? Is he married?”

“Yes, he’s five years older than I am. He and Laurie have been married a year. He’s a police officer with the force in Kitner. Tuck’s ex-partner, Lance, married my sister, Lexi, this March. Lance runs his dad’s carpentry business now.”

He’d have to remember to never make her family mad. Aaron tried to imagine what his relationship with his brother might be like now if they’d been given the chance. It was nearly impossible to do. He envied Serenity her siblings.

“What about you?” Serenity asked. Some melted cheese stuck to a finger and she wiped it off on a napkin. “Do you have family nearby?”

He always dreaded that question. How did one explain that, no matter how close he was in proximity to his family, they were always worlds apart?  

Serenity saw Aaron’s hesitation about his family. It’d seemed like a natural thing to ask when they’d been talking about her own. She watched as Aaron finished his burger and worked to polish off the last of his fries. He was dipping them, two at a time, into ketchup. She hid a grin when she realized Gideon ate his own fries in the exact same way. She suppressed the urge to pull her cell phone out and snap a picture.

Aaron brushed the salt off his hands and cleared his throat. “No, I don’t have family around here. My parents divorced when I was twelve. Now my mom lives in New York and my dad in California. I see each of them maybe once a year, and never together.”

The words were said matter-of-factly with little emotion. Her surprise must have shone on her face because he held up a hand as though it would halt her train of thought.

“Trust me, it’s better that way. I had a younger brother who passed away and neither of them were able to move past it. Things were rough until they split and they’re still volatile when we all get together, even now. It’s not worth it.”

Serenity hadn’t expected that and worked to digest his words. Should she ask him about his brother? Avoid the subject completely? The strangely emotion-free expression on his face wasn’t giving her much of a clue.

Gideon motioned to the arcade, interrupting the awkward haze that had descended over the table. Serenity nodded. “If you’re done, you can go play. Let’s wipe the grease off your hands first.” She did that and smiled as he ran back to the car game. The insistent beeping from a fryer in the back of the restaurant joined the sound of the bell as the front door swung open. “I’m sorry it’s like that with your parents. And I’m really sorry about your brother. I can’t even imagine.” She didn’t know what else to say.

He must have taken pity on her — or maybe he took advantage of the moment to change topics — and turned the conversation back to her. “What about your parents? Do they get along?”

“Yes, they were best friends. My parents always got along great and when my dad died a few years ago, it was devastating for Mom.”

“I’m sorry.” A flash of pain appeared in his blue eyes, gone a mere moment later. It was replaced with the kind of understanding only someone else who’d lost a close loved one could express. “What happened?”

“He passed after a long battle with pancreatic cancer.” Even years later, thinking about Dad made her heart hurt. When Lexi was diagnosed with ovarian cancer, it was like reliving those moments. Praise God He was able to use surgery, chemotherapy, and some natural remedies to help her beat it. The image of Aaron wavered and morphed as tears filled her eyes.

“That had to be rough. I’m sorry your family had to go through it.” When he cupped his hand over hers, they both froze in place.

A surge of adrenaline began where he touched her and flowed through her body, leaving her head buzzing from the jolt. They stared at their joined hands for several breaths before Aaron pulled his back.

She shifted in her chair. “I appreciate it. We were all able to be with him at the end and I’m thankful for that.” Somehow, she’d managed to keep her voice from shaking.

“I’m glad.” He reached for his drink but stalled, moving to crumple his napkin into a tiny ball and dropping it into the basket the food had come in. “Saying goodbye is never easy.”

The air felt heavy as crackles of awkwardness and uncertainty arched between them. Serenity could still feel Aaron’s hand on hers as though the contact had seared her skin. She rubbed her palms together several times and leaned in her chair towards Gideon.

“Hey, big guy. Five more minutes and then it’s time to go.” He shook his head, never taking his attention off the game he was watching. “Yes, five minutes. We need to go get a fan. We’re going to set it up in your room and Mommy’s going to camp out there tonight. Remember?” She made a note of the time on her watch.

Ugh, she wasn’t looking forward to getting back to their house and the sweltering heat she knew was waiting for them. It’d be worth going into work tomorrow for the air conditioning alone.

Aaron asked if she’d like a refill of her drink. She told him she would. He gathered the trash and disposed of it before taking her cup to the dispenser. Serenity watched as he chose the cola and realized she’d never told him what she’d been drinking. It was such a small thing and yet Serenity found his attention to detail nestled itself in her heart. She took the cup from him, their fingers touching momentarily.

She fought to keep from reacting to the connection, moving quickly to tell Gideon it was time to go. She took her son by the hand and led the way back out to the parking lot, Aaron close behind them.

Serenity turned the car and air conditioner on, got Gideon buckled in, and faced Aaron. “I’m glad you could join us. Don’t tell Letty, but I think you’re Gideon’s favorite teacher. You made his day.” And hers, too, but she wasn’t about to tell him that. Especially when simply thinking it made her face warm.

Aaron grinned at Gideon and gave him a wave. “He’s a great kid. I’m glad he’s in my class, he’s a lot of fun to teach.” His eyes moved from the window to her face, concern flashing across his features. He pinched the skin above his Adam’s apple. “I hate the idea of you guys going back to your house without the A/C. I can come and check it if you want. I’m no mechanic, but if it’s something simple, maybe I can help.”

He was offering to come to her house and attempt to fix her air conditioner? If there was even a possibility he would be successful, she wanted to jump at the opportunity. But with his hands now buried deep in his pockets and the way he kept looking at everything but her, he acted like he was waiting to be sent behind enemy lines. She didn’t need his help if he had some misguided sense of responsibility.

“I appreciate the offer. But I’m sure you have other things to do on a Sunday afternoon.” His presence alone was making her jittery. She prayed he couldn’t tell. “We should let you get back to your plans.”  

  Aaron adopted a wide stance and met her gaze head-on. “It’ll only take a moment. If it’s something easy to fix, you won’t have to deal with the heat for the next forty-eight hours or more.” His jaw clenched, the muscles flexing.

His eyes held hers until she finally nodded her agreement. “Do you want to follow us over there?”

“Sure. Lead the way.”

Serenity whirled and pulled the car door open and got inside. Once she was safe within the confines of her vehicle, she released a shaky breath and rolled her eyes. How did one handsome man manage to throw her entire world off kilter with a single look? She adjusted the nearest vent so the cold air blew directly onto her face before putting the car in drive. 

~

Aaron kept Serenity’s Kia in sight as they followed traffic several streets over and into a neighborhood consisting mostly of apartment buildings. He parked behind her and got out, taking in details of the duplex. It wasn’t bad, but it could use a new coat of paint in the near future. What little grass there was in the front was going to need to be mowed soon. Since it was only Serenity and Gideon living there, he assumed she must go out and do that herself. While he had no doubt she was more than capable, he hated the idea of her pushing the mower in the summer sun.

Serenity turned the key in the lock. “Watch out for Kia. She likes to try and dart out if we’re not careful.” She pushed the door open, moving a leg to block the narrow gap. As if on cue, Kia stumbled against it. Serenity scooped the kitten up in one arm. “Where do you think you’re going? No, Ma’am.”

Aaron stepped over the threshold and shut the door behind him. The stuffy heat of the house closed in. He had no doubt that he’d made the right decision offering to try and fix the air conditioning unit. He wouldn’t have been able to knowingly leave anyone like this without trying to help first.

Gideon kicked his shoes off and ran into another room. Serenity led Aaron to a door in the hallway. “Here’s the A/C and the thermostat is on the wall over there. I’ll be right back. I’m going to make sure Kia still has enough water after being stuck in here like this.”

He observed her as she buried her face in the kitten’s fur before walking towards the kitchen. Unable to take his eyes off her retreating form until she disappeared, he took a deep breath and focused on the problem he might actually have a shot at fixing.

There were no obvious issues that he could detect. When Serenity returned, she stood against a wall and observed, her arms crossed in front of her.

Aaron messed with the thermostat and finally decided to check on the condenser outside. She showed him to the back door. When he approached the unit, he had a good idea what the problem was. He headed back inside ten minutes later.

Serenity met him in the hallway. “Did you find anything?” She bit her lip as hope shined in her eyes.

“I might have. Let me test something real quick.” He strode to the thermostat, turned it back on, and grinned with satisfaction when cool air flowed from the vents.

“You actually fixed it!”

Aaron’s heart stuttered as she flashed him a smile bright enough to rival the sun. Heat that had nothing to do with the temperature of the room climbed the back of his neck. He laughed nervously. “You don’t have to sound so surprised.”

She considered him for a moment. He sensed she wanted to say something. She’d moved to stand under one of the A/C vents and the current of air blew stray strands of hair around her face. Several caught on her cheek and he resisted the urge to sweep them away. Maybe even let his hand linger on her face to see if the skin there was as soft as it appeared…

Aaron forced his gaze away from her and focus on the number of pictures that hung on the wall. His eyes were drawn to one photo in particular. Serenity was sitting in a rocking chair with Gideon curled up on her lap. She was reading to him and both seemed content — as if there were nowhere else in the world either of them would rather be. “This is a sweet image.”

Serenity grinned. “Thank you. My sister-in-law, Laurie, took it. It’s my favorite picture of us.” Gideon ran into the room, all smiles, and pointed to the vent. Serenity picked him up. “Isn’t it great? The Music Man fixed it for us. I’m starting to wonder if there’s anything he can’t do.”

Her words lodged themselves in his heart. As mother and son danced in the cool air, the boy’s laughter filled the room. Aaron’s chest grew tight. The need to be a part of this scene as more than a bystander was beyond what he could take. He had to get out of there.

“It really was nothing. There’s a small leak in the hose leading to the condenser. The grass was growing a lot faster in that area thanks to the extra moisture and it was blocking the air intake. When your landlord does send someone on Tuesday, mention that hole. I cleared away the grass for you, so you should be good to go after that.” He took several steps towards the front door and his escape.

Serenity slid Gideon to the floor again and put her hands on her son’s shoulders. “What you did wasn’t nothing, Aaron. Thank you for being our hero today.”

He swallowed hard, nodded in what he hoped was an acceptable response, and reached for the doorknob. “With any luck, the house will cool down quickly. I’d better get going. See you guys tomorrow.”

He gave them a quick wave and darted outside. He got settled in his car and groaned. There were no regrets about coming and fixing her A/C. But he was going to have to be real careful about how much time he spent around Serenity and her son.

The sound of her sweet voice calling him a hero kept replaying in his head and every time, his chest constricted in response.

Right now, he’d do almost anything to be the kind of man she needed. The realization hit him like a punch to the gut. He pulled away from their house, knowing it was a risk he shouldn’t take. For their sakes as much as his own.