Best of My Love (Fool's Gold, #20)

“He’s sweet, like Sophie.”


Aidan thought that Sophie was a bit more of a mischief maker than Charlie, but didn’t say anything.

“Your father is sorry about what happened at the hospital.”

“No, he’s not.”

His mother sighed. “Aidan, you’re too hard on him.”

“Am I? I’m happy to see you, Mom, but you don’t have to apologize for him. He’s no different now than he’s ever been.”

He remembered what Shelby had realized. That her fear, her anger, was as much toward her mother as her father. Was it the same for him? Ceallach had been difficult for years, but his mother was the one who didn’t demand better for herself and her children.

“He loves you,” she insisted. “He’ll never say it, but I know he feels it.”

“If you say so.”

Which was more polite than what he was thinking. As far as he was concerned, his father barely knew who he was. Without having the ability to create art, Aidan couldn’t possibly matter. The statement had no moral value. It simply was. His father would never change. Neither would his mother.

Aidan had never thought about that before. That his parents simply were. He struggled to understand what Elaine saw in her husband, but maybe that wasn’t his job. Instead of trying to make sense of it, he could accept the facts as they were.

Charlie trotted back to check on them. Aidan gave him a quick pat, then picked up a small stick and threw it. The little dog raced after it.

“I wish you and your brothers could see things from his perspective,” she said with a sigh.

“There’s a scary thought.”

“Why?”

“I’m not ready to peek into the mind of an artist.”

“It’s so interesting that three of you have his gift and you and Del don’t.”

Interesting wasn’t exactly the word he would have used.

“Are you ever sorry?” she asked.

“I can’t miss what I’ve never had. I don’t know what it’s like to create in the way Nick and the twins do.” He paused as he realized what he’d said. “Sorry, Mom. I still think of them as the twins.”

“I do, too,” she admitted. “They’ll always be that to me.”

“And Ronan will always be your favorite?”

She stopped. “He was never that.”

Aidan waited.

Elaine made a tsking sound. “It wasn’t like that.” She linked arms with him and they started walking again.

“When your father told me what he’d done, I was devastated. I had to forgive him, of course. Because if I didn’t, I couldn’t stay.”

“You wanted to be with him always.” Not a question. How could it be when he knew the answer?

“Of course. He told me about the baby and that she wanted to give it up. I knew what he was asking. What he expected. I couldn’t agree, but I did say I would go see the baby. That’s how I thought of him then. As the baby.”

Her expression turned wistful. “I knew I’d hate him on sight. That I’d have to refuse. Then I held him and in that moment my heart told me the truth. That I could love him as if he’d been one of my own. We took him home that day.”

“What happened to his birth mother?”

“She died a few years later. We were notified through a lawyer. I’d already adopted Ronan legally, so that wasn’t an issue. He’s your brother, Aidan. As much as if I’d given birth to him.”

He couldn’t imagine that level of love. To take in your partner’s bastard child and raise it as your own. Joyfully. He would bet his mother never once regretted what she’d done. Never had a moment’s doubt. He might not agree with her feelings about his father, but he couldn’t question the size of her heart.

He put his arm around her and drew her close. “You’re an extraordinary woman, Elaine Mitchell.”

“Don’t be silly. I’m just like everyone else.”

He knew that wasn’t true on so many levels. He supposed the character that kept her stuck with his father had been the reason she could love Ronan so deeply. The good with the bad.

Maybe there weren’t answers, he thought as they continued walking along the trail. Maybe there was only acceptance and the knowledge that most people did the best they could with what they had.

*

ONE OF THE things Shelby liked best about living in Fool’s Gold was the rhythm of the seasons. Festivals, banners, decorative flags and window art marked the passage of time in a charming and engaging way. There was a sense of community. Of belonging. Which meant when the call went out that help was needed to plant flower baskets, everyone volunteered.

So she wasn’t surprised when she showed up at the Plants for the Planet parking lot and found over a dozen people already there. She waved at several friends, then smiled when she saw Aidan had taken charge of things. He’d divided them into groups of three. Baskets and soil were being distributed, as were flowers. Shelby walked over to join him.

“Look at you, all in charge.”