Chapter Nineteen
EMMA
DADDY IS HERE
Lance and I sat in the ER waiting room for what felt like forever before they called us back. Now we were sitting in a room waiting to hear from the doctor what the X-rays said.
“Emma?” Hadley asked, looking up at me from where she had her head on my lap.
“Yes, pumpkin?”
“Will you stay in my room with me tonight?”
I tried to swallow the lump in my throat before I answered. I wasn’t sure what to say. How would Aiden feel about that?
“Hey.”
His voice sent a shiver down my spine. Looking up, I saw Aiden standing there, dressed in his uniform, his hair a mess from where he must have been running his fingers through it because he was worried.
“Daddy!” Hadley cried out, sitting up and reaching for him.
“I’m so sorry, baby girl,” he said, kissing her on the forehead and hugging her. When his eyes met mine, I lost my breath.
He looked mad.
Lance stood up and stretched. “We’re waiting on the X-rays, but the doctor is almost positive it’s just a sprain.”
Aiden glanced at his father and nodded. Then he turned to me. “I’d like to speak with you in the waiting room, please, Emma.” Aiden’s voice was filled with more anger than his expression.
After he handed Hadley to his father, he turned and walked out of the room. I rubbed my hands together in a nervous manner. Following him, I remained quiet.
The second we were standing in a quiet corner, Aiden went off.
“What in the hell happened? How could you let her get hurt?”
My mouth fell open, and I struggled to find my voice.
“When she isn’t with me, she’s in your care. You were responsible for her. What if she’d broken her arm?”
I stared at him, my own anger building now. “You don’t even know what happened, Aiden. Yet you instantly assume it was my fault?”
He started to talk, but I put my hand up to stop him. My days of letting men get in the last word were over.
“We were at the church; she was standing behind someone who was climbing off a ladder. He didn’t see her, backed into her, and she fell over the wagon display. She caught herself with both hands, but most of the fall was caught on her left hand. It was an accident, you jackass!”
His eyes widened, and he took a step back.
“If you don’t think I’m capable of taking care of your daughter, then tell me now. I’ll leave effective immediately and you can explain to Hadley why you had to find someone else to deal with you.”
Aiden just stood there with a stunned expression on his face.
“I don’t need this. I don’t need someone blaming me for something I didn’t do. Something I had zero control over. For an accident. I dealt with that for enough of my life, thank you very much.” My voice cracked, and I could see Aiden’s throat bob.
“I didn’t mean—”
“He didn’t mean to either, Aiden. But he did it anyway.” I fought to keep my tears at bay. “Over and over again. I will not stand here and be yelled at or belittled or accused of being neglectful. There was nothing I could have done, even if I’d been standing right next to her.”
Aiden dropped his head and closed his eyes. I took the opportunity to discreetly wipe the tear from my cheek as I looked around, hoping no one had overheard me.
“When Mom told me Hadley had gotten hurt, and you and Dad took her to the ER, I…I hung up. I didn’t even give her a chance to tell me what happened. I panicked.” His head lifted and our gazes caught. “She’s all I have. I can’t lose her.”
My arms folded across my chest. “I understand that, but that doesn’t give you the right to treat me like this. Accidents are going to happen, Aiden. She’s going to get hurt both physically and mentally at different times in her life. If you’re going to use me as a punching bag—”
My words were cut off when Aiden rushed forward and covered my mouth with his.
Instantly, my entire body melted against his. The kiss was soft yet urgent, like he was trying desperately to tell me something but wasn’t sure how. My mouth opened to him, and our kiss deepened.
Then his words from that awful night and the following morning came flooding back.
This kiss meant nothing. He was just upset and clearly not thinking right. He felt guilty for accusing me of not watching Hadley.
Lifting my hands, I placed them on his chest and pushed ever so slightly, causing him to pull his mouth away. Aiden leaned his forehead against mine and fought for breath.
“I would never hurt you, Emma. Ever.”
His words settled into my chest and felt like a warm blanket on a cold winter night. “I know.”
“No, you don’t, because you just said—”
“I didn’t mean it like that.”
His eyes closed as he whispered, “Did he hit you?”
Keeping my voice as steady as I could, I replied, “You should get back to Hadley.”
Aiden let his hands fall to his sides as he took a step back. He stared at me for the longest time before he finally spoke. “I’m sorry I did that. It…it was the only thing I could think of to keep you from inferring I’d ever use you as a punching bag. I would never lay a hand on you, Emma. Never.”
I nodded and wrapped my arms around my body. I should have known that was why he’d kissed me.
“Emma, I’m not sure I’m able to…I mean…my head is so mixed up.”
“Don’t,” I whispered, my eyes filled with tears. “Please don’t do this to me again. Just go to your daughter and let’s move on.”
He took a step closer, and I backed away, causing him to instantly stop.
“I understand you loved your wife, and you’re not ready. I honestly wasn’t looking to get involved with anyone. I truly wasn’t. I’m not trying to replace Lisa in any way, for you or for Hadley. I’ll talk to Rose about looking for another nanny to replace me.”
“What?”
Any additional words I wanted to say seemed to be stuck in my throat.
Aiden ran his hand over his face and sighed before speaking. “I don’t want another person to take your place. You’ve brought a new light into our world, Emma. I just…I need to focus on Hadley right now and figure a few things out.”
“You don’t want me to leave after what happened to Hadley?”
“No! It would break Hadley’s heart if you left.”
An instant pain hit me in the chest. The fact that he didn’t say his heart would be broken felt like a knife had been thrust into my body.
Stop it, Emma. Stop it now.
“Aiden? Emma? The doctor is back,” Lance said from the other side of the waiting room.
Quickly turning and walking in the direction of his father, Aiden disappeared around the corner.
I took a few moments to settle my erratic heartbeat.
Aiden and I were clearly going to have to sit down and talk about things.
Maybe the best thing for everyone concerned would be for me to move, find an apartment or a small house to rent.
At least that way, I had no reason to be at Aiden’s house so much.
Once he was home from work each night, I could leave and give him the space he wanted.
“You certainly are taking your role as nanny very seriously.”
The voice was impossible not to recognize. Nancy. Again.
Facing her, I smiled. “Is there something you needed?”
She tilted her head and looked me up and down. “What in the world does he see in you? You’re the total opposite of Lisa.”
I slowly took a deep breath and tried to fight my urge to run—or worse yet, call her a bunch of names. Instead, I just raised a brow.
“I’m here to check on Aiden.”
My other brow joined the first. “On Aiden? Or Hadley?”
“Both,” she replied with a smirk.
I shook my head and started to walk away when her next words stopped me in my tracks.
“Don’t look so surprised that I’m here, Emma. I care about him. After all, we share a common bond in Lisa. And we’ve also shared a bed.”
A wave of sickness swept through my entire body and a hand went to my stomach.
Aiden had slept with Nancy? When? My head instantly felt like I was in a thick fog.
Nancy walked closer and leaning in, whispered in my ear. “He didn’t tell you about us?” She shifted to stand directly in front of me. “You’ll never win his heart. I couldn’t, after all, and he slept with me.”
Quickly recovering, I took another deep breath before replying. “That’s none of my business. If you’ll excuse me, Nancy, I was on my way out.”
She stepped out of my way as I headed toward the elevator. It wasn’t lost on me the snarky way she laughed when she called out after me.
“Don’t worry, Emma. I’ll take real good care of him and Hadley tonight.”
Clenching my teeth together, I pushed the button harder than I should have as I waited for the doors to open. When they did, I pressed the lobby floor and didn’t turn around until the doors had completely shut.
Backing against the elevator wall, I covered my mouth and held back the urge to cry.
A feeling of hopelessness washed over me. I couldn’t lie to myself any longer. I was in love with Aiden…but he didn’t feel the same. And there was nothing I could do about it. Yet again, it seemed like happiness was something I’d never be able to have.
Ever.
* * *
Slipping out of the car, I turned back and said, “Thank you, Earl. Dinner was fabulous.”
“Anytime, Emma. It was good seeing you again.”
Earl was the owner of a local flower shop I’d gone into a number of times. He’d seen me walking away from the hospital and had pulled over to ask if I needed a ride. It must have been obvious how lost I’d looked, because he instantly invited me to his home to have dinner with his family.
Turning to walk to my door, I stopped when I saw Aiden.
“Hadley’s been asking where you were.”
I forced a smile. “I figured once you got there, she’d be fine.”
“You promised her you’d sleep with her tonight. She’s been waiting for you.”
“I ran into Earl, and he invited me over to his house for dinner with his wife and daughter.”
“You didn’t even think to let me know you’d left the hospital? You didn’t even say goodbye to Hadley.”
I walked around him and made my way up the steps to my front door. “I’ll get changed and then come over, if she still wants me to stay the night. Unless Nancy’s here.”
“What? Why would she be here?”