CHAPTER NINETEEN
An hour later, Emma buckled herself in while Aidan let the top down on his convertible. “What sounds good?” he asked as he pulled out of the driveway.
“Hmm, IHOP? I keep craving pancakes.”
“Then IHOP it is.”
While flipping through the radio stations, Aidan’s phone rang. He glanced at the caller ID and grimaced. “It’s my dad.”
“Haven’t you talked to him since you got back?”
“No.”
Emma shook her head. “I can’t believe you didn’t let him know you’re home safe and sound. I bet he’s worried out of his mind.”
“Thanks for the guilt trip,” Aidan mused.
She stuck her tongue out at him playfully as he answered the phone. “Hey Pop…yeah, I got in last night. Sorry I didn’t call you. I was a little tired.”
Emma snorted at his lie. He hadn’t been too tired to go a round with her. When she met Aidan’s gaze, he stuck his tongue out at her, and she giggled.
“I’m planning on coming by to see you.” He paused. “I know you’ve really been working hard on your rose garden, but now isn’t actually the best time.”
Emma cleared her throat, and Aidan glanced over at her. “Take me back home and go see your dad,” she murmured.
He shook his head.
“Yes, he misses you and –”
“Dad, I’ll be happy to come over as long as you don’t mind I have a friend with me.”
Wait, what? He was actually going to take her to meet his father? That was a whole level of commitment she never imagined from him.
Aidan must’ve registered her surprise because he whispered, “You don’t mind?”
She shook her head, and he smiled. “All right. We’ll be over in ten minutes.” After he hung up the phone, he turned to Emma. “Are you sure you’re all right with this?”
“Why would I mind?”
Aidan shrugged. “I don’t know. My dad is…well, he’s a blue collar, Irish Catholic ex-Marine who loves puttering around his rose garden and playing with his grandkids.”
Emma grinned at his summation. “Considering most of my mom’s family is blue-collar, I think I’ll be fine. Besides, he’s my child’s grandfather.”
“I just didn’t want to waste your Saturday listening to my dad drone on and on about his different species of roses or his war stories.”
“I think it sounds like fun.”
“You need to get out more, babe.”
Emma experienced the familiar tightening in her chest at his flippant attitude. Her smile faded. “I think deep down you really don’t want to introduce me to him.”
Aidan glanced away from the road to stare at her. “What? Why?”
“You don’t want to have to explain anything to him about what we are or what we aren’t. Not to mention you don’t want to have to pretend I’m your girlfriend.”
“Well, I hadn’t actually planned on introducing you as my girlfriend. I was going to lie and say we were working on a project together for work.”
“Oh,” Emma murmured.
“You didn’t think I was going to waltz in there and drop the bomb on him about the baby, did you? I think that would freak him out a little.”
“Are you ever planning on telling him?”
“And what would I say? ‘Hey dad, this is the girl who asked me to knock her up because her biological clock was ticking. Maybe once and awhile, she’ll let you see the kid if you want, but I signed a contract where I don’t have to have any parental or financial obligations.’”
Emma shook her head. “You know I had that part of the contract edited. Besides I would never keep the baby away from its grandfather...or its father.”
Aidan glanced over at her in surprise. “You mean you wouldn’t object to me having a bigger part in the baby’s life?”
Emma’s heart thumped so loudly in her chest she was sure Aidan could hear it. She fought to find her voice. “Of course, I wouldn’t mind. I want you to do whatever you feel comfortable with.”
Aidan remained quiet for a few seconds. Then he sighed. “I want to make one thing clear. Having a bigger part doesn’t mean I’m going to be a typical father and help you raise it. And I’m sure as hell not changing diapers or getting up in the middle of the night to feed it or anything.”
Emma bit her lip to keep from grinning. She continued chipping away at his hardened veneer little by little. It was a small step, but she would take what she could get.
“That’s okay. I didn’t expect you to do any of that. I just wanted him or her to at least know who their father was.”
“Then we’re good to go.”
Aidan pulled into the driveway of a modest brick home. Just like at his house, the yard was breathtaking. “You weren’t kidding when you said your dad had a green thumb,” she mused as they got out of the car.
Aidan grinned. “Wait until he shows you his rose garden.”
“He has an entire rose garden?”
“Yes, with several different breeds.”
“That’s amazing. Maybe he would be willing to give me some gardening tips. I’d love to have more flowers growing around the window of the baby’s room.”
“I’m sure he would be more than happy to help.”
As Emma made her way up the driveway, she stumbled. Aidan snaked an arm around her waist to steady her. “Are you all right?”
“I’ve just been a little dizzy lately. Another wonderful side effect of early pregnancy.”
“Glad to hear it wasn’t our exertions last night making you lightheaded,” he replied with a smirk.
She smacked his arm playfully. “You’re terrible.”
“Well, hello, there!” a silver headed man called from the side of the house.
Surprise flooded Emma when Aidan didn’t drop his arm from her waist. “Hey, Pop.”
“Good to see you, son,” Aidan’s father replied with a smile. He shielded his eyes from the sun and gazed at Emma. “And who is this pretty lady?”
“This is Emma Harrison. She and I work together.”
Emma extended her hand and smiled. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Mr. Fitzgerald.”
“Please call me Patrick,” he replied, shaking her hand. “Do you like roses, Emma?”
“Yes, I do. I was just admiring all your beautiful flowers.”
“Come then. Let me show you my rose garden.” He held out his arm like a gentleman of the past, and Emma slipped hers through it. They strolled across the front yard with Aidan trailing behind them.
When they turned the corner, Emma gasped at the rainbow of colors. “Oh it’s breathtaking!”
“Thank you. I’ve just worked on integrating several new breeds.”
Aidan’s phone rang. After he grabbed it out of his pocket, he groaned. Patrick and Emma glanced over at him. “It’s work. I better take this.”
“Go ahead, son. The roses will still be here when you finish,” Patrick replied, good-naturedly.
Aidan walked around to the corner of the house. Emma delicately fingered a red rose before bending over to smell it. The intoxicating fragrance perfumed her senses, and she sighed with pleasure. “These are so beautiful.”
Patrick beamed with pride. “Those are Don Juan’s or Sweetheart Roses. They’re also known as climbing roses because they grow well on arbors and sides of buildings. The nice thing about them is they’re so resilient they don’t need a lot of pruning to come back year after year.” Patrick traced his finger over one of the thorns. “My late wife actually planted these.”
Emma’s heart ached at his sad expression. She reached over and rubbed Patrick’s arm tenderly. “Aidan told me about her passing away. I’m very sorry for your loss. In a way, I know what it feels like to lose someone who is your whole world.”
“You do?” Patrick asked softly.
“My mother died of cancer two years ago. She was everything to me, especially after my father was killed when I was six.” She gave him a sad smile. “Sometimes it feels like I’ll never get over it—like I’ll just have this gaping hole in my heart for the rest of my life.”
Patrick nodded. “Yes, that’s exactly how it feels.” He took her hand in his and squeezed it tight. “Thank you for sharing that with me.”
“You’re welcome.”
Silence hung around them as Emma kept admiring Patrick’s garden. She had just inhaled what she imagined was a Yellow Rose of Texas when Patrick’s voice startled her. “So you and my son work together?”
“We’re both at the same company, but he actually works a few floors above me.”
“I see.”
Emma glanced up from the rose she was admiring to find Patrick giving her a knowing look. “And you two expect me to believe there’s nothing between you but that you work together?” he asked, with a smile.
Emma flushed. “Well, no, I mean, it’s complicated.”
“Isn’t love always complicated?”
“I-I guess so. But we’ve only known each other for a couple of months, so he’s not in love—I mean, we’re not in love.”
Patrick pinched his lips together. “Do you see this rose?”
Emma nodded.
“It doesn’t look like it’s going to bloom, does it?”
Tilting her head, Emma eyed the closed bud. “No, it doesn’t.”
“Ah, but that’s where appearances are deceiving. Sometimes the ones that bloom fastest fade quickly. It’s these that are the toughest to coax out that make some of the most gorgeous flowers.” He snipped a long stemmed Don Juan and handed it to Emma. “You can tell me that you and Aidan aren’t in love, but looks can be deceiving.”
She gasped and almost dropped the rose. She opened her mouth to argue with Patrick, but Aidan came strolling up. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s all right, son. I was enjoying getting to know Emma better,” Patrick replied. Emma ducked her head to avoid his intense stare. “Won’t you two join me for lunch?
“I was actually in the process of taking Em out to brunch when you called.”
“Psh, who wants brunch when you can have a home cooked meal? It’s your mother’s Shepherd’s Pie.”
Emma watched as Aidan’s eyes lit up, and she knew she could forgo her craving for pancakes. “That sounds delicious,” she said.
Aidan raised his eyebrows questioningly, and she nodded. “Okay, then, we’ll stay.”
“Wonderful!” Patrick exclaimed, motioning them to the backdoor.
Emma smiled. “I have to admit I’m very impressed with the culinary skills of the Fitzgerald men.”
Patrick glanced at Aidan over his shoulder. “Oh, you’ve cooked for Emma?”
She fought the urge to giggle at what looked like a red flush creeping across Aidan’s tanned cheeks. “Yeah, just some scampi. Nothing exciting.”
“He’s just being modest. It was delicious.”
Patrick held the door open for them. “I guess us Fitzgerald men have become forced into learning to cook—mine because of being a widower and Aidan for being a confirmed bachelor.”
“I’m sure whatever you have prepared will be delicious,” Emma said.
Patrick picked up an oven mitt. “Aidan, why don’t you take Emma on to the dining room and set another plate at the table while I get the food together?”
“Why don’t you let me help?” Emma offered.
He smiled. “That would be wonderful.”
Once everything was finished, they all sat down. Patrick reached out his hands. “Aidan, would you return grace?”
Emma’s mouth gaped open in shock. Never in a million years would she have pegged Aidan anything remotely close to religious, least of all being entrusted with saying the blessing.
As he reached out for her hand, Aidan winked. “Close your mouth, Em. You’ll catch a fly like that.”
She pinched her lips together and shot him a murderous glance. But when he took his hand in hers and grazed his fingers tenderly over her knuckles, her anger evaporated. “Dear Lord for what we are about to receive make us truly thankful. Amen.”
As they lifted their heads, Patrick repeated, “Amen.” Emma gave Aidan a coy smile and murmured, “Short and sweet.” He merely chuckled and put his napkin in his lap.
The moment Patrick took the lid off the pot Emma’s stomach clenched. Oh no, not now. Please not now! she silently begged. As the meaty aroma invaded her nostrils, nausea overtook her. The bile rose in her throat, and she clamped her hand over her mouth. “Sorry!” she murmured before leaping from the table, knocking her chair over in the process.