7. Aiden
It’s a good thing I set the ten-minute timer for my ice bath because I was deeply entrenched in thoughts about Anna. A slow smile formed when I remembered how her hips swayed to the music and the sweet sound of her voice as she sang with my daughter. It disappeared quickly as my mind wandered, and I reflected on how I inadvertently insulted Anna. It wasn’t my intention, but looking back, I could see how my question might have been misconstrued. The first thing I had to do was apologize before my mouth got me into more trouble.
Dinner was going great at first, but then my father welcomed Anna into the family in front of God and Penny, throwing me off my game. Neither of us had expected that if I read Anna’s expression correctly. Instead of accomplishing what my dad had intended, it did the complete opposite. I knew I had to push Anna away so that my parents would back off their ploy to get us together.
I was blown away when Anna said she had an MCAT score of 517, which is exceptional and, as Penny had said, surpassed my score. I knew what it took for me to get a 511, and I studied night and day for almost a year to achieve that number. It boggled my mind that Anna would decide to be a nanny when she could have gone to any medical school of her choosing, but then again, she was right when she said, “Money isn’t everything.” Like her, I quit to follow my dreams. I just happened to have been blessed that my alternative career path actually paid something.
As honest and truthful as Anna had been, I got the feeling that she was hiding something. I planned to figure out what it was. I’ve had enough women after my bank account to know when ulterior motives are at play. I tossed and turned in bed all night, finding ways to extract the information. I ultimately decided that my best course of action would be to play nice, get her to trust me, and spill her secrets.
I wake up this morning with a grin on my face because “I’m a man with a plan,” and it’s time for me to set it in motion. I take a few extra minutes to get ready this morning, making sure that I go downstairs dressed and prepared for the day rather than wearing my fuzzy slippers and robe. I almost change my mind as I begin to imagine what Anna’s response would be like if she saw my eight-pack abs and broad shoulders exposed while eating breakfast. I chuckle to myself. I’ll leave that as a last-resort option.
My mouth salivates as the smell of bacon wafts up the stairwell, accompanied by the sound of laughter and eggs sizzling in a pan. It warms my heart to know that Penny is happy with Anna, even though it’s been a mere 24 hours since they met. Penny never acclimated to Angela, but then again, Angela paid more attention to Swank and me than my daughter.
Hoping to surprise the ladies in the house, I boom out in a deep and rumbling voice, “Good morning!” Startled, Penny and my mom both jump, but Anna keeps swaying her hips and humming a tune while flipping the eggs. I watch as she sets down the spatula and grabs the bread from the toaster, spreading it with a light layer of jam. She ignores me as she grabs two pans of bacon from the oven and sets them both on hot pads that are lying on the counter.
I pick up my daughter and hug her. “Hey, Pumpkin! Did you sleep well?”
“I did!” Penny squirms until I set her down, running over to get the silverware from the drawer. She grabs eight sets of forks, then returns for the knives and spoons. She keeps zipping back and forth across the kitchen until the table is set with everything but the plates, which I assume Anna will be filling.
Penny struggles with the pitcher of orange juice, so I rush over to help her. “I can do it, Dad! Anna didn’t fill it so that it was too heavy for me to carry.”
Penny has occasionally helped my mom or me set the table, but never by herself and never without a sigh to punctuate her disdain for doing it. “That was nice of her. Who asked you to set the table and why for so many?”
My mom laughs as she blots the grease from the bacon to help Anna, who has at least a dozen eggs on the griddle and a pan of cheesy hashbrown casserole cooling on the stove. “There are eight settings because Penny and Anna thought it would be a nice gesture to feed their bodyguards and you a hearty breakfast. The other question, I’ll let Penny answer.”
“Anna said that helping someone because you want to builds better character than having to be asked! And if someone asks you for help, you should do it with a gracious and open heart, never expecting anything in return!”
Anna has already created a fissure in the ice around my heart without even trying. I’ll have to be extra careful with my plan if I don’t want to lose it in the process. “That’s excellent advice. What can I do to help?”
Anna finally turns around to speak to me, but her lips are turned up, and her beautiful green eyes are sparkling with an impish playfulness. “You can set the bowl of fruit salad on the table.”
The fruit in question is just to her left, and I decide to use that to my advantage. I come up behind her and brush my body lightly against hers as I reach for the bowl. “It would be my pleasure.” Her body shivers slightly at the soft sound of my voice against her ear.
She swallows hard and avoids looking at me, her voice cracking a little when she says, “Thank you.”
I wink at my mom, whose mouth hangs wide open, stunned by my apparent change of heart. There’s no way I can let her know my intentions because she would give me an ear full. She would tell me that I “should never play with a woman’s heart” or “love hath no fury like a woman scorned.” I don’t intend to hurt Anna, but if she’s up to no good, that’s the least of my concerns.
I’ve just set the bowl on the table when Anna pulls out her phone and then pockets it. She informs me that Jack, Jeremy, David, and Scott have arrived and should be here shortly.
None of those names ring a bell for me. “Who?”
Anna raises both eyebrows, clearly flabbergasted that I have no idea who they are. “Uh, your bodyguards? The ones you hired to protect you and Penny? Are you seriously telling me that you don’t know the names of the men you have entrusted the lives of your family to?”
When she puts it like that, I feel like a heel. “I thought their names were John, Harry, Derrick, and Steve. They don’t protect me, only Penny. I can take care of myself.”
Penny and my mom go to let the men in while Anna stares at me in disbelief. “Your mom briefed me on the threats you’ve been receiving lately, and you should always have at least one bodyguard with you. You may be able to take care of yourself, but having an extra set of eyes or two wouldn’t hurt. It’s what they get paid to do.”
I don’t know what to say. Anna sounds just like my mother, but her use of the word “briefed” isn’t typical verbiage. I would have expected her to say something like, ‘Your mom told me all about the threats.’
“Were you in the military or something?”
She shakes her head and squares off with me, taking a defensive posture, “I can honestly say I’ve never spent a day in the military. I have worked for others who have, though. Why do you ask?”
“Oh, no reason, just curious is all.”
One corner of her lip quirks up, “Hmmm. I don’t think you’re being forthright with me, Mr. Shaw.” She turns off the griddle and comes to stand before me. As she runs the tip of her finger down the lapel of my suit, I swear I can feel the heat from her touch through my fabric. “I haven’t lied to you once, Aiden. I never will. Can you say the same?”
She turned the tables on me, using a sultry tone that causes my body to shudder slightly. I don’t get the opportunity to respond because Penny returns with my mom and four large men in tow who are wearing Savannah Rockets jerseys.
“Look, Dad! They aren’t wearing those stuffy suits!” This is the first time Penny seems excited rather than despondent about having these guys around.
I raise a quizzical eyebrow because nothing about these guys screams “bodyguard” to me. What’s to stop someone from getting too close to Penny if they think she’s unprotected?
The one with brown hair pulled back into a ponytail points toward my mom, “It was her idea.”
Turning my questioning gaze to her, I wait patiently for her to explain.
“Aiden, I’ll explain my actions after breakfast. But for now, why don’t we just see how this works out for everyone? Penny seems happy, and what a person wears doesn’t affect their capabilities to protect someone. Just think of them as undercover bodyguards.”
I narrow my eyes at my mom and nod once. I intend to get to the root of this, and I have a feeling it has everything to do with the blond hair and green-eyed beauty staring at me with an innocent, doe-eyed expression.
Anna dishes up breakfast for everyone, and I have to admit, the woman can cook. It’s by far one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had, but I keep that to myself. As I reach for a second helping of the hashbrowns, my mother chortles.
“Why do you never go for a second helping of my hashbrowns?” She palms her heart as if I hurt her feelings, which is the last thing I ever want to do. I’m not a “mama’s boy,” but I love and respect her dearly. We have a great relationship, even if we don’t always see eye-to-eye.
She doesn’t wait for me to answer and instead focuses on Anna. “Where did you get the recipe? They are quite tasty. I might even go for seconds despite the protest from my thighs.”
Penny nods her head vigorously in agreement and is about to add something, but I stop her since her mouth is full. “Wait until you’re done chewing, Missy.”
Anna fiddles with her napkin. “It’s from the mother of a dear friend. I recently stayed on their ranch for a few weeks, and she gave it to me. This is my first time making it, and I’m glad you like it.” I’m not fond of how she said, “dear friend,” and I try to keep the scowl from my face. Is she seeing someone? I’m not the type of guy to make a move on a taken woman, even if it would serve a purpose. Unfortunately, I never get the chance to ask.
Penny swallows her food and jumps into the conversation. “I love it! These are waaay better than Angela’s pancakes. Did you know that pancakes were invented by the Romans?”
Anna smiles adoringly at Penny. “I didn’t, but I do now! Did you know that the Guinness Book of World Records claims that the largest pancake ever made was more than 49 feet wide and weighed over three tons?”
“No way!”
The older man with graying hair chuckles. “I remember watching that on television when I was a kid. They had to flip it over with a crane! At the time, my parents were stationed at Mildenhall, England, and I begged them to take me. Sadly, they did not.”
“Were you in the military, Mr. Scott?” When Penny says his name like that, an image of a Scottish Star Trek engineer comes to mind. I almost laugh when I see an uncanny resemblance between the Scott in front of me and the man from the show.
“I was. I was a pararescueman in the Air Force.”
“That’s cool!” Penny wipes her mouth and then clears her empty dish from the table. Since she can’t reach the faucet to rinse her plate, she does the next best thing and sets it on the counter. “Does Anna get to come to the game today, Dad?”
“I don’t see why not. She’ll need a Jersey and a beanie, though. Can you make sure that you take Anna to the gift shop and pick those up?”
Anna smiles, but there’s a mischievous glint that I’m not sure is a good or bad thing. “Don’t worry, Aiden. I have that under control. When I found out who I would be working for, I came prepared.”
“Oh. That’s great! I have seats reserved in the family section. I’ll just make sure that I add your name to the list.” A warm feeling washes through me at the thought of Anna rooting for me alongside my family. It’s a feeling I’m not entirely comfortable with, so I open my big mouth and add, “I should warn you. You might encounter my ex-wife.”