AIDAN TALKED HER in to going out into “the field” with him and the boys one sunny Sunday afternoon. After church, they’d gone to brunch at her mom’s house. Most of the family had departed when Aidan asked her if she’d like to join him and the boys for a bee excursion.
Janie probably would have declined, but her mom’s encouragement coupled with a longing to enjoy some of the glorious weather had her wanting to accept the invitation.
Claire sealed it by offering to watch the twins and asking, “How can you write this article about Aidan if you don’t see him in action?”
Her deadline was only days away and even though the article was pretty much finished, Janie’s curiosity got the better of her.
They’d taken off with a meadow of wildflowers up near the Faraway Inn as their destination. After they reached the spot, Gareth and Reagan gathered their day packs, which were filled with supplies. Gareth attached something around his waist and they took off like they knew exactly what they were doing, which she supposed they did.
Grass and low brush dotted the rock-strewn area. The air felt balmy for late spring and Janie peeled off her fleece jacket and tied it around her waist. The smell of flowers tickled her nose and her eyes darted around trying to identify the species.
“So,” Aidan said after he’d captured a fluffy bumblebee in a clear plastic capsule about the size of a quart jar. “Do you want to try taking a sample?”
He held up the container and Janie was surprised at how calm the bee seemed. She commented on it and Aidan informed her that bumblebees were docile by nature and so single-minded that as long as they had nectar to focus on they didn’t really pay much attention to the fact that they were temporarily trapped.
“That’s what this little dropper contains right here. It seems fair to give them a free meal in exchange for a DNA sample.”
She peered at it closely. “That’s pretty neat. Where do you get something like this? Do you just do an internet search for bee-catcher capsule-container thingy?”
He grinned. “Well, sure, now you can.”
His gray eyes were dancing with something—pride, maybe? She’d learned over the last few weeks that Aidan wasn’t one to brag about himself. He was honest if you asked the right questions, but he didn’t offer a lot of extraneous, or personal, information.
“Aidan, did you design this contraption?”
“I did.”
“And now you can order them online?”
“Yep.”
“No offense, but who would want one?”
He tipped back his head and laughed. “Well, believe it or not, entomologists. You can get these without the nectar dispenser and in various shapes and sizes. You can use them for other insects.”
“Awesome,” she said dryly. “I’ll place my order tonight.”
He chuckled again. “So, what do you think? You want to try taking a sample?”
“Um, no, thank you.”
“Why not?” He ambled toward her with that slow grin on his face that Janie had come to know wasn’t quite as lazy and careless as it appeared. In reality there was a-scary-lot going on inside that pretty head of his.
“I don’t want to hurt it.”
“Oh, now you don’t want to hurt the bee?”
Janie felt truly happy for the first time in a long time. She realized that she seemed to always have fun with Aidan, except maybe when he was nosing excessively into her life...
“This is different. The bee isn’t doing anything to earn my wrath.”
Aidan grinned. “This doesn’t hurt them.”
Janie eyed him skeptically. “How could you possibly know that?”
“Do you really want to me to answer that?”
“No, never mind.” She’d made the mistake of asking similar types of questions in the last few weeks. The explanations she received sometimes made her eyes glaze over. And she’d thought her eleven-year-old genius could be difficult to follow.
“All we do is snip a microscopic sample from the middle leg. The bee goes on to live a long, happy, nectar-filled life—by bumblebee standards, that is. The boys are getting really good at it.”
Janie smiled, managing to tamp down the surge of nerves at the thought of Gareth handling bees. “What are bumblebee standards?”
“A few weeks, a month, a season if they’re lucky. Queens are the only ones who hibernate over the winter, while the males and the female workers die off.”
“That’s a lot of living to do in a very short period of time. Reagan said you are checking for diseases, too, and not just taking DNA samples?”
“Indeed. And yes—we’re looking for mites, viruses, anything out of the ordinary. We’re trying to assess the general health of the native bee population. Bumblebees are the focus, but we’re gathering information on whatever native species we find.”
“The boys are really enjoying this, Aidan, thank you again. I never thought I’d see Gareth voluntarily within a hundred feet of a bee, much less taking a DNA sample.”
Aidan took a step closer—too close, she knew, because her pulse started racing whenever he came within a certain radius. Like a Geiger counter or something. Radius measurements and Geiger counters? Clearly science had invaded her life—and a certain scientist in particular had managed to worm his way right into the middle.
“It’s good to step outside our comfort zones, though, don’t you think? Take risks? Attempt to face our fears?”
“Um, I don’t know... I suppose.”
“It is. Trust me. That’s how we really learn.” He set the bee inside of its temporary trap on top of a large rock. The bee was foraging around in the tiny nectar pot and that thought made her smile, because they really did seem like busy little creatures.
Aidan was staring at her, apparently waiting for a response. She looked at him skeptically. “Learn what?”
He moved again and Janie froze as his lips nearly brushed her ear. Hot zone, she thought, as her pulse shifted into overdrive. She worried he could hear the drumbeat of her heart.
“What we like,” he whispered. “It’s how we learn exactly what we like. You know what I like?”
“Bees? Plants? Basketball?” she queried and then swallowed nervously. “Boxing...” Good grief, she sounded like her kids playing charades.
He was grinning like he knew he made her nervous. How annoying...
“Yes, I do. I like all of those things. I also like you, Janie.”
“You...what?”
“I tried this once before, but I didn’t think you were quite ready. But now...” He took her by the shoulders and leaned his head toward hers. One hand traveled up and slipped around the back of her neck. He paused for a few tension-filled seconds with his lips hovering over hers and she wondered if he was giving her an opportunity to back away. And there was no possible way that was happening. She inched closer so that they were chest-to-chest. Her hands reached up and grasped the collar of his rumpled shirt.
When his lips covered hers Janie knew she was in serious trouble, even as the fact occurred to her that this shouldn’t be happening for so many reasons. She was too...simple, in direct opposition to her life, which was too complicated. But then again he wasn’t the man for her, either. He was too complicated while his life was too...simple. And yet it felt so...right.
So for once in her life she quit thinking and instead poured every bit of her scared, lonely, damaged, single-mom self into that kiss. And oh, my...could he kiss. His lips were warm and soft and he made a noise deep in his throat that made her think he felt things for her, too. She probably would never have come to her senses if Aidan hadn’t stopped.
“Your boys,” he said, but kept an arm looped around her waist. He looked around, making sure they were nowhere in sight. Then his lips found her neck.
She inhaled a breath through her teeth as his lips kissed their way back to her mouth. He groaned softly and nibbled on her lips.
This was... She felt like a teenager on a date. And that was the thought that brought her to her senses. She was about as far from a carefree teenager as a woman could be.
She brought her hands up and rested them on his shoulders. “Aidan, we—”
“I know.”
He grinned and took a step away, but he kept looking at her with his gray eyes all soft and smoky. “You are so beautiful and so... I’ve never felt more comfortable with another human being in my life.” He muttered something else under his breath, then quickly leaned in and kissed her one more time, harder and hungrier this time, like he couldn’t quite get enough of her. Like she was the most desirable woman on the planet and that this was a real first kiss—a romantic start to something special and full of hope and not...this complicated situation that couldn’t possibly go anywhere.
A rush of panic flashed through her; she had to stop this before it went any further.
“Aidan—”
Aidan backpedaled a few steps and ran a hand through his hair. He stepped to his left and bent over a patch of wildflowers. He plucked a flower and Janie felt her chest flood with warm anticipation.
If he gave her a flower she would be a goner...
He started toward her.
“Aidan—”
“Shh.” He dropped the flower and paused like he was contemplating something. He stepped toward her.
“Remember what happened at the beach when you—” She started to playfully remind him about the last time he’d shushed her. “What are you doing?”
He grimaced like he was in pain. “Janie, I need you to listen to me very carefully. I have to ask you...something very important.”
“What...?” she whispered.
“Have you ever given Gareth a shot with his EpiPen?”
Not the question she’d been expecting. “No, I’ve never had to—Tag has been there both times he’s been stung.”
“In my backpack, there’s an EpiPen.”
Janie nodded her head eagerly. “That’s good to know. I can’t tell you what a relief that is. Gareth says you always have them and I really appreciate—”
“You’re terrible at listening sometimes, do you know that?”
“Yes. I do. It happens when I’m nervous. Sorry. I have a difficult time shutting my brain off and it comes out of my mouth...”
He traced a finger over her bottom lip. “I love your mouth, but you need to get an EpiPen out of my backpack. Take the black cap off, then the gray cap.” He demonstrated by holding one fist aloft, thumb up. “Hold it like this and—”
“Aidan, I know how to use them. I just haven’t had to do it yet.”
“Oh, that’s good.”
He brought a hand up slowly and placed it on his chest. He stood still for a few seconds and then inhaled a raspy breath, like he was struggling to breathe...
Janie felt her stomach do the broken-elevator plummet as the circumstances finally dawned on her.
“Aidan?”
He looked down at his arm. Janie followed his gaze to where she could see a red patch that was already swelling up high on his biceps.
“It wasn’t a bee. It was awfully aggressive. Maybe a wasp? I wasn’t paying attention because you...and I’m—”
“Allergic,” she said, finishing for him. “Where’s your EpiPen?”
He leaned over and placed his hands on the large rock beside them. He picked up the bumblebee still encapsulated in plastic, flipped the latch on the container and released it. What kind of man would think about a bee at a time like this? He turned his back to the rock and lowered himself to the ground. He draped his arm across his knee and she could see it already turning an angrier, deeper shade of red.
She tried to quell the panic creeping over her.
“You need to go get the EpiPen and give me the shot... In a few minutes I won’t be able to do it...myself.” He swallowed and Janie wondered if it was her imagination that the action seemed difficult.
Her voice was sharp. “Aidan, where? Where is it?”
“In the pickup. Inside my backpack. Gareth has—”
Janie didn’t stick around to listen to the rest. She took off running toward the vehicle. She felt a wave of heat rush through her followed by a bout of nausea, but somehow she reached the vehicle, tore open the back door, where she remembered Aidan leaving his pack.
It was there—the faded, green-and-brown camo-printed canvas pack. She snatched it up and ran back toward him. Why hadn’t he had the pack with him? Why didn’t he carry the epinephrine with him at all times? How long did she have? What if she was too late? By the time she returned Aidan’s breathing was labored and his arm seemed to be about five hundred times more swollen than before she’d left. The redness and swelling appeared to be creeping up his neck as well.
Gareth and Reagan suddenly appeared by her side.
“Aidan?” Gareth asked calmly. “Did you get stung?”
Reagan’s voice took on a harried tone. “Mom, has Aidan been stung? He’s allergic, too.”
“Yes, I’m looking for an EpiPen.” She rummaged through the pack but felt as if she was sifting through a thick pot of oatmeal. “Where is it? I don’t see it.”
“I got it, Mom.” Gareth was already calmly reaching under his own shirt. He peeled off a black neoprene belt. Where had he gotten that? She heard the tear of Velcro and suddenly he was holding a plastic tube. He removed a vial from inside that she recognized as an EpiPen. He pulled the black cap off of one end, the gray cap from the other and then efficiently injected the life-saving epinephrine into Aidan’s outer thigh.
Janie and the boys managed to assist Aidan to the pickup. Later, she would take the time to be amazed at how strong her boys had become, but in the moment all she could think about was getting Aidan to the hospital.
Somehow both of the boys knew to lay Aidan in the backseat and to elevate his legs. Gareth sat with him and placed Aidan’s legs across his lap. He informed her that this would help prevent Aidan from going into shock. Knowing Aidan he’d probably had a conversation about this very action in case it was ever necessary for him or Gareth.
As she passed the Faraway Inn, where she knew she had a cell signal, she handed her phone to Reagan and told him to call Emily and have her meet them at the hospital.
* * *
“HOLY COW, AIDAN. You look like... I’m not going to sugarcoat this, buddy, you’re hideous. Whatever you do—don’t look in the mirror.”
Janie gaped at her cousin. “Tag, stop. That’s not funny.”
He let out a loud belly laugh and pointed. “Yes, it is. Look at him.”
“How old are you? I swear my eleven-year-old is more mature than you. Get out of here.” She pointed at the door.
Aidan smiled. “Janie, it’s fine. I’m fine. This is nothing. You should have seen me when I got stung by fire ants.”
Janie stared at his swollen arm, chest, neck—his skin was red and mottled. He looked... She didn’t even want to think about it.
“Barely.”
“Barely what?”
“You’re barely fine.” She felt an aftershock of fear wash over her as the incident replayed in her mind. She squelched the feeling by reassuring herself that he was going to be fine. Yet she had to stop herself from crawling onto the bed with him and wrapping her arms around him... What was the matter with her? What had happened between them? Why was she thinking about that while he was lying in a hospital bed?
“Please, stop worrying. You guys got me here in plenty of time. Reagan told me he’s never seen you drive so fast. They were really impressed.”
Impressed? “Aidan, you were practically unconscious when we got here and now you look like...”
“Like?”
She frowned. “I can’t think of anything that doesn’t sound really bad.”
Tag laughed again. Janie glared. Bering and Emily walked into the hospital room.
Bering’s eyes went wide. He said, “Wow, Aidan—are you sure you’re all right? You look miserable.”
Tag busted out another round of guffaws. Bering and Aidan joined in. When Tag finally caught his breath, he wiped his eyes and said, “I gotta get to work. But I hope you’re feeling better for playing basketball on Wednesday.”
Aidan raised his hand and Tag grabbed it.
“Thanks for stopping by, Tag.”
“Bering, I was just lecturing Tag about not making Aidan feel worse than he already does.”
Bering blew out a loud breath as his eyes passed over Aidan’s swollen body. “I doubt that’s possible.”
Emily scowled at her husband and then at Tag. “You guys are awful.”
“Oh, honey, insults are our way of showing affection.”
Emily gave him the requisite fake-irritated yet full-of-love glare. “Yeah, well, don’t try that on me—ever.”
Bering chuckled. “Never.” He turned to Aidan. “Seriously, you scared us there, dude. We’re really glad you’re okay.”
“Thanks to your sister and your nephews, I’m fine.”
They talked about what had happened and then chatted for a while. Bering announced that he needed to get back to his shop because he had to repair a boat. He patted Aidan on his good shoulder, gave Janie a peck on the cheek and Emily left to walk him out.
Janie peered at Aidan and asked the question that had been foremost on her mind since she realized he was going to be well. “Why didn’t you tell me you were allergic?”
One side of his mouth tugged up into a smile. “It didn’t seem relevant.”
“Really? It wasn’t because you were afraid I wouldn’t let the boys work with you if I knew? Kind of like the boxing? Where you thought it would work better for you to ask for forgiveness rather than for permission?”
His brows dipped down like she’d asked him a really tough question. “No, I did consider that it would distract you from the bigger picture, but I didn’t... I don’t think it matters. The chances of me getting stung were remote. The rewards outweigh the risks.”
Janie scoffed. “Clearly we have different methods of assessing risk.”
He looked troubled by her statement. “You can’t really live if you don’t ever take risks, Janie.”
“Yeah? Well, you won’t live to take any risks if you don’t think about your safety, Aidan.”
He grinned and she couldn’t help but smile in return. Why wasn’t she more upset about this? Probably because she was too relieved and so incredibly grateful that he was going to be okay. What kind of man studies something that could so easily take his life? A brave one was the answer that immediately popped into her head, but... Brave or reckless? She didn’t know—she wasn’t even sure of the difference.
She sighed, and grudgingly acknowledged, “You seem to have taught the boys how to stay calm in case of an emergency. They were more levelheaded than I was. So, thanks for that.”
“They are wonderful kids. And yes, we reviewed several times what to do in case of an emergency. But for the record I’d like it noted that I got stung because I wasn’t paying attention—not because of the work I’m doing.”
“What do you mean you weren’t paying attention?”
“I was distracted with trying to pick you a flower. I was distracted by you. I wanted to...”
Her heart seemed to stop as she waited for him to finish his thought.
Janie’s eyes were still on Aidan when someone walked through the door. His smiling mouth tightened to form a thin line and his warm gray gaze seemed to ice over. Janie noted the stunning raven-haired woman give Aidan a searching look.
She stepped around Janie, leaned over and kissed Aidan on the cheek.
“Aidan, I’m so glad you’re going to be okay.” Her tone was part relief and part affection, and Janie knew immediately that the two of them were something more than friends. She felt a knot form in her chest as the woman reached out a hand and trailed it affectionately over Aidan’s swollen arm.
Aidan seemed utterly nonplussed. “Meredith, what are you doing here?”