"If you don't take time to get to know the person, how do you know if you really like them?"
"You listen to your heart. It's as simple as that." He walks over to the printer to get my receipt. "You ever feel your heart going crazy, pay attention. The person you're with might just be the one for you." He hands me the receipt. "And it's not always what you're expecting."
"I don't understand."
"When you meet the person, you may mistake love for hate. Either one can get your heart going."
I laugh. "How do you know this?"
"Lois. When we first met, the woman hated me. Said I was immature. Lazy. Couldn't pay attention. All true, by the way, but hey, I was seventeen. I was just a kid."
"So how'd you win her over?"
"By being persistent. I knew there was something between us. She did too. We both felt it. Our hearts went crazy whenever we were around each other. She assumed it was anger. She kept telling me to get lost and I kept showing up, which angered her even more."
"But she married you."
"Because she figured out she couldn't live without me. When I quit working here at the inn to help my dad on the farm, Lois realized she missed me. She went out with some other boys and her heart did nothing. Didn't even skip a beat. She came and found me on the farm, gave me a basket of her homemade rolls and strawberry jam, and told me she couldn't stand me."
"What? I'm confused."
He laughs. "That was her way of saying she loved me. After she said it, she kissed me like no girl ever had." He blows out a breath. "Let me tell you, it was a scorcher. And the rest is history."
"I'm not sure it works that way anymore."
"Sure it does." He lowers his voice. "You seemed pretty ornery when a certain young man showed up here yesterday."
"Because his carelessness almost caused a huge accident. And now I have to appear in court."
"But you admit it was an accident."
"Yes, but I was still furious. If he had just rolled up his window we wouldn't be having to go to court." I feel my pulse quicken just thinking about it, seeing Aiden getting out of his car, acting all cool and collected like it was no big deal.
Tom's smiling at me.
"What?" I say. "It doesn't mean anything. Anyone would be mad if someone did that."
"Just think about it." He winks at me. "Have a good trip back."
"Thanks." I walk off.
"See you again soon," he calls after me.
What does he mean? I'm not coming back here.
As I'm walking out I realize I am coming back. I have to come back for court and this is the only place to stay, unless I want to drive twenty miles to the next town.
Now I'm getting angry again. In a few weeks I have to rent a car and drive here again and I'll probably have to spend the night, which means spending even more money I don't have.
Damn Aiden and his carelessness. I like the guy but I don't like the situation he's put me in. As I walk to the car my heart beats faster, and it's not because of Aiden. He's just some guy I met who is going to end up costing me a fortune and making me miss another day of work.
On the drive back to New York I try to forget about him and this whole disaster of a weekend. But no matter how hard I try, I can't get that man out of my head.
Chapter Six
Aiden
It's been two weeks since I saw Sophie. She took off the next morning so I never got a chance to tell her goodbye. I've called her and sent her a few texts but haven't heard back from her. I wish she'd at least tell me she made it home okay.
"Hey, man." Pete sits next to me at the bar. "Sorry I'm late."
"Don't worry about it. I haven't been here long."
Pete's one of my friends from back home in Boston. He moved here last year for a job at a biking magazine. He shares my love of the outdoors. We've gone on several weekend bike trips in and around New England, including one that took us through Vermont and the town with The Maple Farm Inn. Pete and I stopped for lunch in the tiny downtown and I overheard some of the locals saying the