Made For Us (22 page)

He was thinking of a retort when Zoe, Anna, and Darcy walked back into the room, all talking excitedly about decorating something. Sitting back, Aidan watched the interaction and felt a trickle of unease. The dynamics were changing—Darcy was getting older, obviously everyone had a problem with his role in the family, and now there was Zoe. Maybe bringing her here tonight was a mistake. Maybe he wasn’t ready for it. Maybe…

“Zoe’s going to make me some new curtains for my room,” Darcy said as she sat down. “She has the fabric already and we took measurements. Is that okay, Dad? Can we do it?”

Ian smiled at his only daughter. “As long as you didn’t badger her into doing it, Darce, and she lets us pay her at her usual rates for her services. I’m sure Zoe has plenty to do with her job already.”

“Oh, I don’t mind, Mr. Shaughnessy. I’ll tell you what, for Darcy’s room, I’m going to give you the family rate—if you’ll cover the materials, the labor’s free. Making curtains is a breeze. We’ve got a great machine at the office that I can use. Martha won’t mind me using it. I lost mine in the storm.”

“Aidan told us about that, Zoe. I sure am sorry for your loss. That must have been hard.”

She nodded. “It was more of a shock than anything. In my wildest dreams, I never thought I’d experience anything like that. But I’m very fortunate because Aidan convinced me to leave when I had planned on staying. If I had been home,” she said and her voice cracked with emotion, “well, let’s just say I’m glad he didn’t let me be stubborn. And then my boss found me a great place to live. So really, I’m very lucky.” Reaching down low, she grabbed Aidan’s hand under the table and squeezed it so that no one else could see.

“Not many people could go through what you did and call themselves lucky,” Ian said. “But I think that just speaks for the kind of woman you are. And if you’re sure you don’t mind helping Darcy…”

“It’s my pleasure. Sometimes it’s nice to just do a project for fun rather than for work.”

“Don’t forget about me!” Anna said excitedly. “I’m completely ready for a makeover, and I hired you first!”

“What’s the matter with you?” Quinn demanded, looking angrily at Anna. “There’s not a damn thing wrong with you! Why do you need a makeover?”

Anna blushed furiously. “My
house
, Quinn. I’m looking to do some kind of face-lift on the house. Everything in it is just so…bland. I looked at some of the rooms Zoe’s done and asked if she could help me do something like that at my house.”

“Oh,” Quinn said quietly.

“Anyway,” Anna said cheerily, although the smile didn’t reach her eyes. “I’m looking forward to it. Who doesn’t enjoy being surrounded by pretty things?” She looked at Zoe. “Like I told you, when I bought the house, my brother Bobby was living with me. So I used that as an excuse to keep things less girly. But now I want candles and maybe a nice sound system built into the wall.” Her eyes were big and hopeful.

Zoe smiled at her encouragingly. “You do too have good ideas. I love the idea of making it a romantic retreat.” Then she stopped for a minute and thought about what Anna had said. “Have I met your brother? He’s not by chance a police officer?”

Anna nodded. “Bobby Hannigan is indeed my brother. He mentioned that he met you so I was thrilled when I finally got to do the same.” She turned and grinned at Aidan. “Anyway, now that he’s got a place of his own, I want things to be more…feminine and romantic, you know?”

“Why does it need to be romantic?” Quinn interrupted. “What’s gotten into you, Anna?”

Anna looked at him blandly and then turned to Zoe. “The Shaughnessys aren’t the most romantic bunch, are they?”

Zoe almost agreed, but one look at Aidan and she knew that she couldn’t. “I’m not so sure about that,” she responded simply.

Beside her, Aidan stood. “Well, this has been fun,” he said, forcing a smile. “But all this talk about romance and dating has reminded me that it’s time for us to go.” Gently, he tugged Zoe to her feet.

She looked at the people sitting around the table. “Thank you for sharing your Friday night with me,” she said to everyone. “This was wonderful.”

“And you’re going to come back, right?” Darcy asked anxiously. “You’re going to work on my curtains, right? And maybe help me with the rest of my room?”

Zoe smiled at the girl. “Absolutely. As a matter of fact, I’m going to try to have the curtains done for you next week, and I’m going to look around for some accessories that will match. Maybe some pillows or a lamp or something. How does that sound?” Darcy didn’t answer. Instead she jumped up and hugged Zoe. Zoe looked at Darcy and then to Aidan and smiled before wrapping her arms around her. “Don’t get too excited just yet. I may make terrible curtains.”

Darcy pulled back and smiled. “That’s not even possible.” Then she turned serious. “Thank you, Zoe. Thank you for taking the time to hang out with me and help me with my room. I really appreciate it.” She hugged Zoe again fiercely before running from the room.

Everyone was stunned silent for a minute until Aidan spoke. “Okay, then.” He walked over and hugged his father and shook Quinn’s hand. Then he hugged Anna and walked over to Owen. “Knock ’em dead at the conference, Bro,” he said before hugging him. Owen pulled back and looked at him oddly. “It means good luck.”

“Oh,” Owen said and then turned shyly to Zoe, not meeting her eyes. “It was very nice to meet you, Zoe.”

“You too, Owen. I hope to see you again.”

After Zoe had said her good-byes to everyone, she and Aidan left the house and walked out to their cars. They stopped next to Zoe’s car and Aidan turned her to face him. “Thank you for not running screaming from the house.”

She swatted at him playfully. “Oh stop. It wasn’t that bad. They’re all very sweet.”

He rolled his eyes. “Were we at the same table?”

“You’re very lucky to have them. I think it was a wonderful night.”

“Oh yeah?” he asked with a sexy grin. “I think I can do better than that.”

Now it was her turn to grin. “Really? Better than wonderful?” She shook her head. “I don’t know if that’s possible.”

“That sounds like a challenge,” he said, closing the small gap between them until his forehead rested against hers and he could feel her from chest to toes.

“What did you have in mind? Candlelight? Soft music?”

He pulled back and chuckled. “What is it with you women and the music and candlelight? What is the big deal?”

“Ugh…Anna was right. You Shaughnessys are hopeless!” she said with a laugh.

“So just because I don’t understand the big deal about a bunch of candles and music, I’m hopeless?” Zoe nodded. “Tell you what…let’s go back to my place and I’ll show you how romantic I can be without those things.”

“Hmm…” she said softly, gently pulling him back to her. “I think I’m willing to take that chance.”

“I was hoping you’d say that,” he murmured against her lips, loving the feel of her under his hands and the taste of her against his lips. She was quickly becoming an addiction. And he wasn’t sure what to make of it, but he knew he wasn’t ready—might never be ready—to let her go. He’d think about that later.

“Do you have any plans for tomorrow?” he asked, still holding back from kissing her and taking what he wanted.

“That depends,” she said, angling her head in encouragement.

“On?”

“On how well you sweep me off my feet tonight.” Her eyes met his and her tone was light and teasing.

“Sweetheart, I’m tempted to leave one of our cars here and sweep you up right now,” he said gruffly. “Hell, if I could, I wouldn’t wait to get you back to my place. I’d have my way with you right here, right now.” He sighed roughly. “But I’m not big into audiences.”

“That’s good because…neither am I.”

“How about this…we each get into our cars and drive to my place, and then I promise to pick this right up again and sweep you up in my arms and not let you out of them.”

“Oh…I really like that plan. But I’m gonna need something to hold me over until we get there. That ten-minute drive is going to seem like an eternity.”

And Aidan knew it to be true. He cupped her nape in his hand and hauled her up against him and kissed her as he’d been wanting to for what seemed like forever. Her lips opened under his and his tongue plundered. His entire body tightened as she clutched his shirt and matched his passion. It was heady, erotic, and if he didn’t put an end to it right now, they’d be giving the entire neighborhood a show.

Reluctantly he pulled back. “Ten minutes,” he said breathlessly.

“I’ll race you,” she said and ran for her car, laughing the entire way.

Aidan could only stand there and smile. It was a good feeling.

Zoe couldn’t quite put her finger on it, but something had been bothering Aidan since the night she’d gone to dinner with his family.

For several weeks they’d been moving along, seemingly happy. She thought about that night after they’d raced back to his apartment, and the memory of the things they’d done to each other still made her blush. Physically, they were fine. But every time Zoe interacted with his family, she could tell it made him uncomfortable.

As promised, she had made the curtains for Darcy, and that next Friday night, Aidan brought her to dinner with him and she and Darcy spent a good portion of the night working on her room.

“You’re spoiling her,” he had said when he saw all the packages Zoe had with her that night.

“Oh, hush. She’s outgrown her room and all she’s asking for are a couple of things to bring it up-to-date.”

“Seems like a waste of money to me,” he had grumbled.

Then she’d had lunch with Anna at the pub that she worked at and didn’t mention it to him. Of course when he and Quinn showed up, thanks to Anna telling Quinn of their plans, Aidan had seemed annoyed that she was there.

She’d confronted him on it later that night when he’d come over for dinner. “Was there something wrong with me having lunch with Anna today?”

“No. Why?”

“Your attitude during lunch said otherwise.”

“What are you talking about? What attitude?”

Zoe rolled her eyes. “Aidan, you pretty much growled through every conversation that we all had and you barely said two words to me.”

“I just don’t understand why you didn’t mention you were having lunch with her, that’s all.”

Hands on hips, she turned to him. “Oh, and you tell me about every little thing that you do when we’re not together?”

“That’s not the same,” he said dismissively. “Most of the time we’re not together, I’m working. I’m not off having lunch with
your
friends or family.”

That comment was like a smack in the face. She held it together and was tempted to remind him that she had no family for him to dine with, but decided that it was not a fight worth having. “Is that what you want me to do? Tell you what I’m doing every minute of the day and maybe get your permission before I do anything?”

“That’s not what I’m saying, Zoe. It just…it took me by surprise, that’s all. I’ll admit that I handled it badly. What more do you want from me?”

That was the million-dollar question. Zoe loved spending time with Aidan, loved talking with him and working with him, and their nights together were just about perfect; but for all of that, she could tell he was still holding a part of himself back and she didn’t know why. She was smart enough to know that Aidan truly cared about her. But there was this invisible line in the sand that was tripping them up, and Zoe just wished she knew what it was.

She and Anna had been spending more and more time together, and Zoe was really coming to trust her. As she pulled up in front of Anna’s house, Zoe decided she had to put it all out there and ask Anna what she thought was wrong.

Aidan was aware that Zoe was going to Anna’s today to help her with her house. While he wasn’t overjoyed about it, he told her to have fun.

Progress.

Anna was bouncing on her toes outside her house when Zoe pulled up. “I am so excited about this! You have no idea how much I have been dreaming of doing this and just never put the effort in! You’re a lifesaver!”

“Let me get my red cape out of the way and then we can get started!” Zoe teased as she climbed out of the car and popped the trunk. Inside she had fabrics and paint samples and her trusty toolbox to take measurements. Anna walked over and helped her with everything and then they headed toward the house. “I know you’re going to want it all done today, but remember that these things take time.”

“I know, I know…it’s my own fault for waiting so long. I never should have let Bobby’s living here affect the way I did anything, but—”

“Nothing wrong with that. Luckily you don’t have to keep it that way.” Zoe put her things down once they were inside Anna’s house, and she began to look around. It was a two-bedroom bungalow with an open floor plan but it definitely lacked any imagination.

“You hate it,” Anna said from beside her. “It’s okay. You can say it.”

“I don’t hate it, but there is so much we can do here.” She turned to Anna with a big grin. “I’m kind of excited! And it won’t even take a lot of work.”

“Seriously? I was imagining we were going to have to rip everything apart and start from scratch.”

Zoe shook her head. “If you’re up for it, we’ll paint all the walls to freshen and brighten it up in here and we’ll do new window treatments. You’ll be amazed what we can do with some slipcovers and pillows and accessories. You won’t need to buy new furniture or anything—unless you want to.”

“Whew! That’s a relief. I know I said I want a makeover, but my budget isn’t quite on board yet.”

“No worries. We can take our time with it and this way you can let me know when you want to move forward.”

Anna relaxed beside her. “See? Lifesaver.”

They sat down and started going through colors for the walls and options for slipcovers when Zoe finally felt she could broach the subject of Aidan. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” Anna said with a nod.

“I kind of get the feeling that Aidan isn’t thrilled about me being around his family.”

“Did he say that?”

Zoe shook her head. “No, it’s nothing he’s come right out and said. It’s more like…”

“Like the day he and Quinn joined us for lunch?”

“Exactly! It’s like he tolerates it, but he’s not happy about it and I don’t know why. I don’t think I’ve been overbearing or that I’m someone who shouldn’t be allowed around other people, but he is clearly uncomfortable with the whole thing. I know you’ve known him for a long time and I hate to bring it up, but…I’m kind of floundering here and don’t know what to do.”

Anna sat back and thought about it for a minute. “Okay, if I had to venture a guess, I would say that Aidan is having a hard time with the change in the dynamics.”

“How?”

“Aidan’s the oldest and he takes that role seriously. They all know they can count on him for everything. I kind of feel bad for him sometimes because it’s like no one lets him have a life of his own. They turn to him the same way they turn to Ian.” She shifted to get more comfortable. “Don’t get me wrong, Aidan’s never complained, but I think he got comfortable being the guy everyone turns to.”

“How has that changed?”

Anna grinned. “His brothers are all sort of ribbing him because he has a girlfriend. I told Quinn to knock it off because it’s not like they’re kids. They all think that it’s great, but Aidan’s never been serious with anyone. And he’s
never
brought anyone home with him. So really, this is new territory for all of them.”

“I didn’t ask to come home with him,” Zoe said with a hint of exasperation. “He invited me!”

“Oh, I didn’t mean for you to get upset,” Anna said quickly, placing her hand on Zoe’s. “Okay, here’s something that you need to know about the Shaughnessys—they don’t do well with change.”

“How is that even possible? I mean, from what I’ve heard, one brother is a rock star, another has a string of five-star resorts… How do they do those things if they don’t handle change?”

Anna frowned. “It’s not so much change like you’re thinking in regard to Hugh and Riley. They may travel a lot, but believe me when I tell you they micromanage the things around them so that some things
don’t
change.” She laughed. “Riley makes sure all of his dressing rooms look the same by sending a decorator in before each show to set everything up.”

“Seriously?” Anna nodded. “Okay, wow. That’s…different. And kinda diva-ish.”

“And Hugh makes sure that every suite he claims for himself at each resort is done exactly the same. It doesn’t matter what the theme is of the resort, his suites are all the same.”

“Wow.”

“Exactly. I know you’re new to the area and to the family but…the house? Ian’s house? They haven’t redecorated it, like, ever.” Zoe’s eyes went wide. “It’s true. That house looks almost identical to the way it did the day Mrs. Shaughnessy died.”

“That’s…” Zoe had no words.

“It’s weird. You can say it. I mean, there have been small changes over the years—a new couch when the old one wore out, some paint to freshen up, but for the most part? It’s the same. I don’t see how any of them can move on when their home base, so to speak, is stuck in a time warp.”

“I have some of my mom’s things in storage,” Zoe said after a minute. “I like having it and eventually I’ll find a place for it, but when she died, I couldn’t stay in the house that we lived in. It made me too sad.”

“I think it would have been a good thing for them to move, but poor Ian was struggling with dealing with six kids, including a baby. So many people rallied around them and lent a hand where they could, but I think it would have been too hard to move that many kids after all they had lost. At the time, there was comfort in staying in that house. But now? I think it would be a good thing for them to either rehab the place or move. It’s too big for Ian to live in alone.”

“Darcy’s still home,” Zoe said.

“For now. They’re pushing her to go to a local college, but she’s dying to branch out and be someplace where everyone doesn’t know her, her family, and the fact that she lost her mom. It’s been hard on her.”

“Okay, so all that being said, what do I do, Anna? How do I try to get Aidan to relax?”

A sad smile crossed Anna’s face. “I don’t know that you can. Besides not being romantics or very open to change, the Shaughnessys are as stubborn as mules.”

“Great.” Zoe sighed. “How can I make something work if it seems to be impossible?”

“I don’t think it’s impossible, Zoe. I just think that it’s going to take a lot of time and patience. Are you willing to stick it out for the long haul?”

Was she? While everything else between her and Aidan had been going smoothly, they didn’t talk about the future or about where they saw themselves, say, six months from now. Zoe wasn’t one to push and she wasn’t the clingy type, but now that Anna brought it up, where did she see the two of them going? Was Aidan
the
one
? Did she want to stick around to see him overcome whatever this issue was?

“You’re thinking pretty hard over there,” Anna said softly. “I hope I didn’t scare you off.”

Zoe shook her head. “No, but you did give me a lot to think about.”

“I guess it’s my turn to ask if I can ask you something.”

“Of course.”

“Do you love him?”

Anna’s tone was so serious, as was the expression on her face, and for a moment, Zoe felt herself panic.

“I don’t know,” she finally said honestly. “I mean, I’ve never really been in love before. I know what I feel for Aidan is strong, and when I’m not with him, I miss him.” Even just thinking about him now had her heart lurching. “When we’re together, I don’t want to think about being apart. I don’t mind the nights when I’m alone, but that’s only because we spend most nights together, so it’s good to have a little break from time to time. And even when he’s being an ass when we’re around his family, I still would rather be there with him than by myself. And…”

“I hate to tell you this, Zoe, but it sounds like you’re in love.”

“No.”

“Uh…yeah.”

“
No
,” she said more forcibly.

“’Fraid so, my friend,” Anna said as a smile spread across her face.

Zoe jumped to her feet. “But…but…” She looked down to where Anna was still sitting. “How did this happen?” Now the panic began to set in.

“I really can’t answer that for you, but I’d like to think that it was a ‘first sight’ kind of thing. Aidan’s pretty decisive, and I can’t imagine him ever being around you and not being in love with you. I just can’t,” she said giddily.

“Wait…whoa…we just said that I’m the one in love with him. No one said Aidan was in love with me. The man pretty much shuts down every time I’m around his family. Does that sound like someone who’s in love?”

“Normally, no,” Anna said as she stood up and walked into the kitchen to grab them something to drink. “But we’re not dealing with your average person. We’re dealing with a Shaughnessy.”

Zoe took the glass from Anna’s hand. “And what does that mean exactly?”

“It means they’re not used to having anyone else there. Sure, there have been people who have helped out after Mrs. Shaughnessy’s death, but…they don’t let people in. Not really.”

“You’re in,” Zoe reminded.

A shadow crossed Anna’s face. “Yeah, well, that’s only because I was there…before. Quinn and I? We’ve always been friends. My parents live next door to Ian and because Quinn and I are the same age, we just gravitated toward one another when we were younger.”

“And now?” Zoe asked, suddenly remembering Darcy’s words about Anna and Quinn.

Anna sighed. “Now…it’s habit. We’ve always been friends. We’re always going to be…friends.”

“Is that what you want?”

“It doesn’t really matter,” she said sadly. “It’s what we are.” She paused and then shook herself out of her funk. “But we’re not talking about me or Quinn. We’re talking about you and Aidan.”

Zoe let it drop. “So what do I do?”

“Maybe you need to talk to him about it. You know, sort of bring it up before the next family get-together so you can make him aware of the fact that you’re noticing the problem.”

“Hmm…maybe. Knowing Aidan, he’ll tell me that I’m imagining things or that I’m crazy.”

“That does sound like him,” Anna said with a wink. “Honestly, Zoe, I wish I knew what to tell you. In all the years I’ve known them, you’re the first one any of them has brought home.”

“You can’t be serious. There are five men in that family—five
attractive
men. I’m sure they’ve had girlfriends before me!” she said, filled with disbelief.

“Always casual, never serious. I’m telling you, the girls in town used to go crazy trying to figure out ways to get invited into the Shaughnessy home. It was almost like a rite of passage, only none of us passed.”