on edge again.
Stella Hartley made a man feel many things, but calm was definitely not one of them.
Aidan sighed. So much for a relaxing break. He’d escaped to Sweetbriar Cove to figure out how to fix the unholy mess he’d made of his life. Peace and quiet, and room to regroup, that was what he needed. But he’d lasted all of a week before chaos had found him – all five-feet-six of flyaway brown curls and challenging stares. Now, he had a sinking feeling that he could kiss goodbye to any hopes of a quiet life, especially with Stella just around the bend – and out for his blood, if that blue-eyed scowl of hers was anything to go by.
She could get in line. Aidan scooped up his shirt from the rocky shoreline and reluctantly headed for home. The painful truth was that he had a whole Rolodex of people cursing his name right now, and Stella’s annoyance wouldn’t even get her close to the top of the list.
Because she was right: He wasn’t supposed to be there. Up until a couple of weeks ago, Sweetbriar Cove was the last place he’d thought about staying. It was too small, too quaint, too far from the buzz of the city and all of his high-powered dealings. He’d built a life far away from places like this, a world of penthouses, not back-porch swings; exclusive five-star restaurants, not the local seafood shack.
But when everything fell apart and that high-flying life of his came crashing down, it was the first place on his mind: a safe haven, away from all the noise and blame. He’d been happy there once, all those summers he spent with his family. Looking back now, it might have been the closest thing to carefree Aidan had ever felt. So, he wound up calling the local realtor, and taking the first winter rental on her list.
What had Stella called it again? The Death Star. Aidan gave a rueful smile as he punched in the key-code and stepped into the cavernous front hall. She wasn’t wrong about that. The place was built like a fortress, all echoing concrete flooring and steel beams. On paper, it had seemed perfect: sleek and modern, with all the luxury conveniences of home. But standing in the pristine living room, all Aidan could see was an uneasy echo of the life he’d just left behind: the penthouse he’d left empty; the designer furniture identical to the ones he currently had sitting back in the city. And wherever he went, his phone kept ringing. An inbox full of messages, and none of them good news.
“Hey man, sorry I didn’t get back to you before. I asked around, but I don’t have any leads for you right now, what with… You know, your situation. But hey, you’ll bounce back.”
Beep.
“Aidan, sorry to hear about what happened. Of course, I’ll make inquiries, but maybe you should lay low a while. You know, give it some time.”
Beep.
“Dude, tough break, but I’ve got to hand it to you, when you crash and burn, you do it full throttle. Hang in there, let’s connect soon.”
Beep.
Aidan didn’t need to listen to the rest, they were all the same. Funny how the buddies who always had time for a drink or the game were suddenly all too busy to talk. Like if they got too close, they’d be the next to crash and burn.
Like his failure would be catching.
But bad news travelled fast, especially in the finance world, where the numbers were everything. They all kept score of everyone’s business, watching who was on top with the latest billion-dollar deal – or next to hit the rocks and flame out in spectacular fashion. Aidan was no exception. You didn’t get to the top without a fiercely competitive streak, and he carried that same list around in the back of his mind as the rest of them, measuring the size of his bonus, the percentage points growth on his investment fund, the proof of his success versus everybody else’s. His sister, Cassie, always teased that Sigmund Freud would have a field day with him, but it was just the way things worked in Aidan’s world. How else was he going to prove that he’d made it?
He looked around, suddenly restless. He’d been holed up in the house all week, and he was running low on supplies. Besides, the damn AC had been out since he arrived, and with the massive wall of windows facing west,