Chapter Eighteen

Magnolia

HEALING IS A BITCH. Recovery is slow moving and my desire to get up and go implodes on me most days. Aidan set up a bed for me in the downstairs living room and I usually sit down on it at the end of the day wincing in pain. Two compound fractures in each leg at different points. Three surgeries, and about twelve red jagged scars later, I’m able to walk without the use of crutches or a walker. I still use a cane as one side needs a little more help than the other. Kendall decorated it in her school colors, all glitter and strips of cloth and deemed it a “swaggy cane.” I’m ready to return back to my life before. I miss the auctions and spending all day working on refinishing a piece without having to take a break.

The pain is something I can deal with because it only affects me. I can grin and bear anything life throws my way. The emotions that barrage when I think of the night of the fire are something else altogether. That breed of pain is inescapable, and no matter how many times I’m told that Andrea died in honor, doing what she was called to do, the guilt doesn’t ease. It’s a miracle I’m alive—that Kendall and Aidan made it out. It sure puts life in perspective when you almost bite the big one. It’s something I work at every day. Forgiving myself. Moving on. Being appreciative of the gift of life she gave while still honoring her sacrifice.

Kendall’s eighteenth birthday passed and I bought her a car. Well, Aidan and Jenny helped locate something reliable and I footed the bill. Now she’s driving all of the time. If a parenting manual did exist, I’m sure there would be a whole chapter devoted to the fear you feel watching your child drive away into the big, bad world surrounded by people who haven’t been vetted. Her independence is something she’s longed for—craved. No longer a child with a woman’s mind. She was forced to grow up and realize life’s hard truths before most of her peers. Initially I thought it wasn’t a good thing. Who wants their child to grow up too fast? But maybe this hiccup in our life will provide a solid foundation, something to learn from.

The front door slams as she runs into the living room, backpack slung over one shoulder. “Hey, Mom. Today’s the day, right? You’re moving upstairs to your room again? Are you sure you’re ready?”

“Yes,” I nearly shout. Laughing, I clear my throat. “I’m sorry. That was loud and obnoxious. I want my life back. This house is great and all, but I haven’t been out of our yard except for doctor’s appointments for weeks. Moving to my room is another step toward freedom. Upstairs today and the sky is the limit next week.”

“It’s not that bad,” Kendall replies, redistributing the weight of her pack to the other shoulder. “You could be at Dad’s house recovering.” She laughs. It’s a little bit awful that she jokes like that, but I’m loosening my fists, letting her find her own self and she’s doing a damn fine job. “Is Aidan coming for dinner?” she asks. He’s over almost every day after work. When he’s not, Jenny is here annoying me with Bronze Bay gossip and asking me if I’m finished being a princess because she’s bored and doesn’t have anyone to go out with.

“Did you call your father back?” I ask. “Aidan texted a bit ago and he was running behind. Not sure if he’ll make it home for dinner.”

She rolls her eyes. “I did call him. He asked if I wanted to spend a couple weeks with him this summer. I told him I’d think about it. I have cheer camp and stuff with Juliet.” Progress.

I dip my head. “I think it’s a good idea. He’s trying. He’s lonely, too.”

My daughter shakes a finger at me. “Don’t feel bad for him. He dug his lonely grave, Mom. I shouldn’t have to remind you. Oh, did he say anything about dessert then? If he wasn’t going to be on time for dinner?” Kendall asks, her blue eyes sliding to the window behind me.

“Who? Aidan? Why would he say anything about dessert? Why are you acting weird?” We’re finally to a point when I don’t have to defend myself against Paul or the memories. They don’t get trapped in my mind anymore. The chapter of that book is closed. I’ve started something brand new. Or I’m trying to if my legs would cooperate. I snap in front of Kendall’s face to draw her attention. “Earth to Kendall.” I open my eyes wide and find her gaze.

“Sorry. Sorry. Thought I saw something outside for a second. Just a bird or squirrel, never mind. I have homework to do.” Juliet bustles in the door on the phone with someone, talking far louder than she needs to. Kendall sighs, and says, “She was outside fighting with her boyfriend. I had to listen to that all the way home from school.” She scoffs and calls out to her friend, “Hang up, Juliet. We have homework! You’re fighting in circles. Wasting everyone’s time!”

Juliet hangs up the call and the girls tromp upstairs, Kendall inciting a single girl’s mantra as she lectures her friend. I grin. She’ll never take crap from a man. Not even a little. Grabbing the pile of sheets from this god forsaken bed, I head toward the laundry room, doing my best walk-hobble with the cane. A buzzer sounds in the kitchen and I make my way to check on the chicken. Being relinquished to the house has made me a better chef over the past few months. I turn off the oven and move to the freezer to see if we have any ice cream for dessert.

My phone chimes with a text in my back pocket. It’s from Aidan. Tell Kendall dinner is ready and come outside.

I stare at the message, then look out the window. I can’t see the driveway in the front, and I’m not fast enough at the moment to check. I tap back, Okay. Everything okay?

Perfect his reply bubbles back.

I tilt my head to the side and shake it. “Why are they being so weird?” I whisper to myself. I don’t have to tell Kendall dinner is ready. Her and Juliet are coming downstairs and are in the kitchen in the next second. Kendall grabs the pot holders and pulls the chicken out of the oven.

“Aidan is outside, Mom. We can serve ourselves. Lots of homework anyway.” Juliet waves a thick textbook to make her point. “I’ll leave a plate for you.” Kendall smiles so wide, it makes me smile.

“Are you guys okay?” I shake my head.

She nods, a wistful look in her eye. “Go, Mom.”

Aidan calls out from the mudroom, his head appearing from above the swinging doors. “It was sort of an asshole move to ask you to come outside. Let me help you,” he says, hazel gaze shifting between me and Kendall. Aidan is in his uniform. Full whites, his cover clutched in his hand. I lose my breath.

He walks over, winks at Kendall and links his arm in mine. “You feeling okay today? Okay enough to get out of here for a little while?”

“Of course I’m okay to get out of here. You are all acting like madmen! Where are we going? Why can’t we eat dinner with the girls? You’re so fancy and I’m wearing jeans and a sweatshirt.” I lift the slouchy pink material and let it fall. “Do I have time to change?”

Aidan turns to face me. “You look beautiful Magnolia. Perfect.” Leaning forward he takes a section of hair and winds it around his fingers. He presses a soft kiss against my mouth and pulls away too soon.

The girls catcall from behind us. My stomach flips. Every single time he touches me. The anticipation is wild after months of being separated by injury. We both decided it would be best to wait until my recovery in a more stable place before we attacked each other with our clothes off. Me moving up to my room today means more than just switching beds. “Let’s go,” Aidan says, smiling.

“Stay home. Do your homework,” I say, unable to hide my red cheeks from Kendall.

Kendall smirks. “I’m spending the night at Juliet’s tonight. We came here to eat dinner because you cook better than Ms. Jenny. Hope that’s okay.”

I’m about to argue, it’s a school night, but then I remember Aidan’s lips against mine. “Jenny knows?”

Juliet grins. “She knows.”

“Okay then. Drive safe and text me when you get there.”

Aidan wraps an arm around my waist and waves his free hand at them. “Be good,” he says.

“Be good?” I say once we’re out of earshot. “That’s like telling them to open a meth lab and get pregnant with twins. You have so much to learn,” I say, shaking my head.

“Next time should I say ‘be bad and do whatever you want?’” Aidan asks, helping me into the car, and arranging my cane in the back seat.

“Probably,” I say, sighing. “Are you going to tell me what’s going on? Where are we going?”

Turning out of the drive, he heads for the main road that leads to downtown. His smile is palpable. “There’s something I want to show you, that’s all.”

“You’re so excited. I hope when I see this, I offer the proper amount of excitement,” I tease, laying a hand on his leg. He flinches a little. We’ve avoided physical contact for too long. “Can we make plans for later on tonight?”

“Magnolia, you’re killing me. We start talking about tonight and I’ll pull the car over right now. We both know your cripple status isn’t conducive to back seat fucking.” A wave of desire hits me as the crude images come to mind.

“You’re right,” I agree.

Aidan laughs. “Glad we’re on the same page. I’m going to need you to put this on,” he says, handing me a black blindfold he pulled from under his leg.

“You just said we weren’t having car sex. Why are you throwing sex toys in my lap?” I say, stretching the mask over my face.

He growls. “Okay, one track mind. I need you blind, so I can surprise you.”

“Fine. But if you wanted to touch me, I’d be okay with that as well.”

“You will be the death of me, woman.”

“Don’t die. I need your dick tonight,” I counter, smiling so wide my cheeks hurt.

“You’re relentless,” he replies, making a turn. I can feel when he puts the car into park.

“And it’s been a really long time since you’ve touched me,” I say, knowing his hands aren’t busy now that the vehicle isn’t moving.

His hands touch my face. My whole body prickles. Aidan runs his fingers across my jaw and turns my face to the side. When my lips meet his, the electricity kicks into overdrive. It’s the first kiss we’ve shared in months that has the passion to tell me we’ll move past second base. His tongue is languid as he relishes the connection. Just as my hands reach out for him, he ends the kiss.

I lick my lips, tasting him. “More,” I say, making a move to remove the blindfold. “I want to see you.”
“Keep it on just a little while longer. And as for more, I’ll give you all that you want later tonight. Stay put, I’m going to open the door for you.” I hear him tap out a text and send it. I’m hyperaware being blinded. The car door opening and closing seems loud, and my own breaths resemble a gusting wind I can’t control. The passenger side door opens, and his hands are helping me up.

“Blinding a cripple is probably not legal, can you please let me take off this mask before you make me walk?”

Aidan helps just enough to let me walk on my own without my cane. “Ten more seconds,” he says, forcing us forward a few more steps. “I want to see your face.” His tone is low. If I could confirm by sight, I’d say he was nervous.

He removes the blindfold and like I suspected we are in the downtown area of Bronze Bay. Maybe it’s because I haven’t been here for a while, but more than likely this building has had so much work done, it takes me a full five seconds to realize what I’m looking at. This house has always been decrepit, and old. The realtors said whoever bought the land would tear down the structure and build something new.

I tear my gaze from the beautiful, completely remodeled Victorian style house, to meet Aidan’s gaze. He’s staring at me, biting his lip, a bead of sweat sliding down the side of his face. “Do you like it? I know it’s not the same as Magnolia’s Steals but I matched the shade of paint and it looks amazing inside,” he explains, gesturing with his free hand, the one that isn’t wrapped around me for support. “It’s pretty much empty because as you know, everything was a loss at the old store, but I went to a couple of auctions and bought a few things. You know, I thought maybe I could pick some stuff out that you’d like to sell. Things I saw in the store before or packaged for shipping. It’s probably all wrong, I know. I wanted you to have something to come back to. I worked with the insurance adjusters and handled everything for you. There’s nothing to worry about, Magnolia. This is yours and if you hate it and you’re mad that I didn’t consult with you, I understand completely.” He’s shaking. Aidan’s whole body is vibrating—waiting for my assessment.

Tears spring to my eyes as my gaze lands on the store front window. He draws my attention back to his face. “This is the nicest thing anyone has ever done for me. It’s perfect, Aidan. I can’t believe you went through all this trouble. It’s stunning.” I laugh a short burst. “I love it more than I loved the old store. How is that possible? This is too much.” Suddenly I’m struck with how large of a gesture this is, and my heart aches.

His hazel gaze is wide. “Magnolia,” he says, choking up. “It will never be enough. I’ll never be able to do enough for you. Not in one lifetime.”

I sniffle, and he guides me closer to the window, the one that he definitely had put in because the old house didn’t have a window this big and this beautiful. There is a display set up, I now realize. It resembles the scene I set up for Christmas, and my stomach sinks. The fire. The reminder. I close my eyes and blink away several tears. It’s different, though. It has little houses lining a street that resembles the downtown in Bronze Bay. In front of the purple house is figurines of a man on his knee extending a ring box, and the woman is standing, both hands clasped against her chest. My breathing quickens when I recognize what’s happening in the display. I’m so intent on focusing on every other detail that I lean forward to put both hands on the window.

Slowly, I turn my head and find Aidan kneeling on the sidewalk, ring box extending up to me. “Hi, I’m Aidan Mixx,” he says, words shaky, hand trembling.

I know this game. Through tears, I say, “Hi, I’m Magnolia Sager. It’s nice to meet you.” He grins.

“Reset button?” Aidan asks, his questioning eyes full of hope. He removes the sparkling diamond from the box and turns his palm up, requesting my left hand. I give it to him.

“Reset,” I reply as he slides the ring on my finger. He looks so dashing and handsome. The picture of love and respect. He stands, taking me in his arms. Seeking out his lips, I kiss him deeply.

Clapping starts mid-kiss. I turn in his arms to see a crowd of people smiling wide and cheering. Jenny is in there and so are Kendall and Juliet. Andrea’s family looks tearful as they witness Aidan’s act of selfless love and the proposal. Everyone who means something to us is here for this moment. All of Aidan’s cohorts are in uniform, fists in the air. An older woman breaks off from the crowd and walks toward us.

Aidan squeezes me once. Then I realize who it is. It’s his mother. She visited me once in the hospital, but it was when I first arrived, so the meeting was very foggy. Her smile reminds me of Aidan’s and I feel the sharp pang of sympathy for Aidan. “Mrs. Mixx,” I say, slipping from Aidan’s tight hold. “It’s so nice to see you.”

She shakes her head. “No, seeing you two is nice. Thank you for letting me be here to see this, son.”

Aidan swallows hard, running a hand through his hair. “I moved my mom here,” he says, meeting my gaze. “It wasn’t permanent when I first brought her over, but she’s happy here and I think it will be a good thing.”

I open my eyes, shocked. “A good thing? It’s a great thing. An amazing thing. I’m so happy for you,” I say, locking eyes with Mrs. Mixx. “For both of you.” Aidan told me he visited her and that things were choppy but improving. I didn’t push the boundaries by asking for details, but I’m so proud of him. For overcoming. For being the man I always knew he could be, and by doing the world’s hardest act: forgiving.

“Sometimes all we need is the grace of a reset button,” she says, squeezing her son’s arm, then meeting my gaze. “It’s the greatest gift of my life.”

Aidan’s tearful gaze is soft as he leans over to hug her, and my heart swells. Mrs. Mixx pushes away. “You two enjoy this moment. I love you. The both of you.”

When she returns to the crowd, I’m visibly shaken with emotion. Aidan brushes the tears from under my eyes. “That was a yes, right?”

I nod. “A forever yes,” I confirm. “This was so beautiful, Aidan. All of it. Thank you so much for this.”

He brushes his lips softly against mine. “Thank you for giving me a life.”

Wiping my nose and hiccupping, I laugh. “You’re welcome. Now, I think there’s something else you’re supposed to give me tonight.”

He pulls away, a glimmer of feral desire spiking. “Only one thing?”