was impeccably clean on the inside. Not a
crumb or spec of dust could be found while in her car a small
village could have been fed by leftover food of grabbing breakfast
or dinner on the run.
“Mind if I put the top down?”
“No, please do. It’s beautiful out
today.”
Aidan hit a button on the console, and the
roof started to retract. As they exited the parking deck, Emma dug
in her purse for a clip. After sweeping her long hair back, she
closed her eyes and let breeze wash over her.
“Don’t tell me I’m so boring you’re going to
sleep on me?”
Emma giggled. “I’m sorry. I was just resting
my eyes for a minute.”
They weren’t on the interstate long before
Aidan got off on an exit. When he pulled into an older, established
neighborhood, Emma turned to him in surprise. “You live here?”
He chuckled. “What’s that supposed to
mean?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I saw
you living in a sleek and trendy apartment building with a swinging
bachelor pad.”
“Well, if you want the truth, I used to live
in, as you say, a sleek and trendy apartment building, downtown.
But then my sister, Angie, who is a real estate agent, convinced me
that I needed to stop throwing money away renting and make an
investment in some property. Somehow she smooth talked me into to
buying in our other sister, Becky’s, neighborhood.” He glanced over
at her and grinned. “I think it was more on the pretense of them
being able to keep tabs on me, but it evens out because I get a lot
of free meals.” He pointed to the left at an enormous two-story
colonial with a wrap around front porch. “That’s Becky’s.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Thanks,” Aidan replied, making another turn.
“She needs a big house to keep the monsters in.”
“Monsters?”
“My three nephews.”
Emma giggled. “I see.”
Aidan eased into the driveway of a two-story
brick house with white columns. Emma’s jaw dropped at how typically
un-Aidan the house appeared. All that was lacking was a white
picket fence with toys strewn about, and he would look like a
regular suburban husband and father.
After Emma got out of the car, she walked out
of the garage and widened her eyes at the emerald green grass and
multicolored flowers. “Wow, did you do all this?” she asked,
motioning to the immaculately kept lawn.
Aidan snorted. “Oh God no. I can’t grow
anything but a little mold in my refrigerator. My dad is the one
with the green thumb. Not only that, but he’s retired, so it’s his
mission in life to do yard-work for his kids.”
“That’s really sweet of him.” She followed
Aidan up the front porch steps and into the house. He punched in
the code for the alarm when it started beeping. She tried not to
show her surprise as she took in the wide-open floor plan of the
living room. Floor to ceiling windows bathed the room in light, and
high wooden beams crisscrossed over the ceiling. Considering what
she had first thought of him, she expected furniture that was
functional, modern, yet cold. Nothing like the warm overstuffed
chair and love seat or the antique quilt swept over a couch. “Did
you have a decorator?” she asked as she trailed behind him into the
kitchen.
“No, I did it all myself. Well, my sisters
helped of course. They take it upon themselves to spoil me in all
domestic areas.” He turned around and surveyed her expression. “So
you like it?”
“Like it? I love it. You’ve gone above
and beyond just investing in some property. This is a home anyone
would be proud of.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “Thank
you. Coming from someone like you, that means a lot.”
“Someone like me?”
He raked his fingers through his hair,
stopping to tug at the strands at the nape of his neck. “Oh you
know, someone who is real—someone who appreciates a home over a
house.”
Emma opened her mouth to respond, but a loud
thump interrupted them.
Aidan rolled his eyes. “I should probably
warn you
crumb or spec of dust could be found while in her car a small
village could have been fed by leftover food of grabbing breakfast
or dinner on the run.
“Mind if I put the top down?”
“No, please do. It’s beautiful out
today.”
Aidan hit a button on the console, and the
roof started to retract. As they exited the parking deck, Emma dug
in her purse for a clip. After sweeping her long hair back, she
closed her eyes and let breeze wash over her.
“Don’t tell me I’m so boring you’re going to
sleep on me?”
Emma giggled. “I’m sorry. I was just resting
my eyes for a minute.”
They weren’t on the interstate long before
Aidan got off on an exit. When he pulled into an older, established
neighborhood, Emma turned to him in surprise. “You live here?”
He chuckled. “What’s that supposed to
mean?”
She shrugged. “I don’t know. I guess I saw
you living in a sleek and trendy apartment building with a swinging
bachelor pad.”
“Well, if you want the truth, I used to live
in, as you say, a sleek and trendy apartment building, downtown.
But then my sister, Angie, who is a real estate agent, convinced me
that I needed to stop throwing money away renting and make an
investment in some property. Somehow she smooth talked me into to
buying in our other sister, Becky’s, neighborhood.” He glanced over
at her and grinned. “I think it was more on the pretense of them
being able to keep tabs on me, but it evens out because I get a lot
of free meals.” He pointed to the left at an enormous two-story
colonial with a wrap around front porch. “That’s Becky’s.”
“It’s beautiful.”
“Thanks,” Aidan replied, making another turn.
“She needs a big house to keep the monsters in.”
“Monsters?”
“My three nephews.”
Emma giggled. “I see.”
Aidan eased into the driveway of a two-story
brick house with white columns. Emma’s jaw dropped at how typically
un-Aidan the house appeared. All that was lacking was a white
picket fence with toys strewn about, and he would look like a
regular suburban husband and father.
After Emma got out of the car, she walked out
of the garage and widened her eyes at the emerald green grass and
multicolored flowers. “Wow, did you do all this?” she asked,
motioning to the immaculately kept lawn.
Aidan snorted. “Oh God no. I can’t grow
anything but a little mold in my refrigerator. My dad is the one
with the green thumb. Not only that, but he’s retired, so it’s his
mission in life to do yard-work for his kids.”
“That’s really sweet of him.” She followed
Aidan up the front porch steps and into the house. He punched in
the code for the alarm when it started beeping. She tried not to
show her surprise as she took in the wide-open floor plan of the
living room. Floor to ceiling windows bathed the room in light, and
high wooden beams crisscrossed over the ceiling. Considering what
she had first thought of him, she expected furniture that was
functional, modern, yet cold. Nothing like the warm overstuffed
chair and love seat or the antique quilt swept over a couch. “Did
you have a decorator?” she asked as she trailed behind him into the
kitchen.
“No, I did it all myself. Well, my sisters
helped of course. They take it upon themselves to spoil me in all
domestic areas.” He turned around and surveyed her expression. “So
you like it?”
“Like it? I love it. You’ve gone above
and beyond just investing in some property. This is a home anyone
would be proud of.”
A slow smile spread across his face. “Thank
you. Coming from someone like you, that means a lot.”
“Someone like me?”
He raked his fingers through his hair,
stopping to tug at the strands at the nape of his neck. “Oh you
know, someone who is real—someone who appreciates a home over a
house.”
Emma opened her mouth to respond, but a loud
thump interrupted them.
Aidan rolled his eyes. “I should probably
warn you
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