Paris Is Always a Good Idea - Jenn McKinlay Page 0,28

me.”

“Thank you.” Aidan let out an undisguised sigh of relief. He grinned at me through the phone and then at Jason. “And hey, who knows, maybe you two will learn to enjoy working together.”

I glanced at Jason. The look of doubt on his face mirrored mine. Oh, we’d do this for Aidan and it’d be amazing, because I would make damn sure it was, but there was no way either of us was going to enjoy it.

“I received the Severin files from Julia,” Jason said. “I’ll review them tonight, and we can talk tomorrow. I have some questions about how you’re quantifying the return on investment to Severin.”

I opened my mouth to ask what questions, since it was meticulously accounted for in my documentation, but I didn’t. Instead, I nodded and said, “Great. I’ll talk to you tomorrow . . . Huckleberry.”

To Knightley’s credit, he laughed. It was a good laugh, deep and resonant. Then he winked at me and, with his usual swagger, rose from his seat. He shook Aidan’s hand before he left the office, telling him to let him know if he needed anything. Aidan waited until the door closed after him before turning the monitor so that it was just him and me.

“Jason will be a good fit for this,” he said. “You’ll see.”

I doubted it, but I wasn’t going to say anything, not now that I knew Aidan was ill. That was the most important thing, taking any worries off Aidan’s desk that didn’t need to be there.

“I’m sure we’ll be fine,” I said. “We’ve got this—don’t you worry.”

“Thanks, Chelsea. I knew I could count on you,” he said. “So, cow pajamas, huh?”

“Don’t start,” I said. “They were a gag gift from my sister, but they’re really comfy.”

He laughed, and the sound made my chest ache. “Aidan, you’d tell me if I needed to come home right away, wouldn’t you?”

He gave me a sweet smile. “Of course I would.”

I stared at him. Hard.

“I promise. Now go have a pint at a pub—or even better, a shot of whiskey—get into some trouble, and find your laughter again. I miss you.”

“I’ve only been gone from the office for a few days,” I said.

“Yes, well, it’s not the same without you here,” he said. He sounded grumpy. “So find yourself and then come home, okay?”

I smiled. “Okay.”

I ended the call and tossed my phone onto the bed. I put my hand over my face, trying to take in the news of Aidan’s illness. I felt my throat get tight and my eyes water up, but I refused to cry. I pushed my feelings down deep. He was going to be okay. It was early stages. And Aidan wasn’t an idiot. He’d get the very best of care, and he’d fight this with everything he had.

I crossed the small cottage to the windows facing away from the village. I pushed back the thick white cotton curtain with the decorative cutouts and noted that the heavy rain had stopped, but there was a thick fog hanging down from the sky. The hills rolled all the way to the horizon like a sea of green, and somewhere out there was the woman I used to be. I just had to find her—quickly.

At the moment, it felt impossible. Aidan’s news had rocked me, and I started to fret and worry. What if Aidan was actually sicker than he’d said? What if his treatments didn’t work? What if I didn’t get back to him in time? What if I was off gallivanting around Europe when he needed me? What if he died on me, just like my mother had?

The thought made me gasp. It was all hitting a bit too close to home.

A sob choked me. I was an idiot to come here. I needed to get back to Boston and help Aidan through the next few months. I could always return afterward. Of course that meant that I would have to embrace my father’s hasty marriage without the benefit of reconnecting to my old happy self. Could I do it? Maybe. Was it the right choice? I didn’t know.

My phone chimed, and I almost ignored it. I wasn’t in any shape to talk to anyone. But maybe Aidan had forgotten something. I hurried across the cottage and scooped my phone off the bed. I hit the green button, opening the video call, expecting Aidan and not noticing that it was an unknown number until Jason Knightley’s annoyingly handsome face filled my screen.