Best of My Love (Fool's Gold, #20)(82)

“I’m going to take that as a compliment,” Taryn told her. “What do I need to be direct about?”

“Aidan.”

“Ah.” Taryn relaxed. “You’re thinking about the intervention.”

She hadn’t been, but as soon as the other woman said the words, Shelby remembered that uncomfortable conversation.

“I’m not seeing him anymore.”

Taryn sighed. “I’m sorry to hear that.”

“I told him it was over. Our friendship or whatever you want to call it. I’m done with him. The whole idea was stupid. A complete waste of time. I don’t want to see him anymore.”

She spoke defiantly, then braced herself for the scolding sure to follow. After all, Taryn believed Shelby was in love with Aidan. She would see Shelby’s actions as self-destructive.

But instead of speaking, Taryn walked around the coffee table to Shelby’s sofa and sat next to her. She put her arms around Shelby and held her tight.

“I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “I’m sorry the fear is still winning.”

Shelby struggled to get free. She scooted back a few feet. “I’m not afraid.”

Taryn’s expression was kind. “I don’t know much about your past. Not the specifics, at least. I’ve heard a few things.” She drew in a breath. “My father hit me, too. He was a cruel man. The details aren’t important except to tell you that I had no intention of ever trusting a man enough to fall in love with him. And that when I met Angel, I nearly lost him because I wasn’t willing to trust.”

She tucked her dark hair behind her ears. “Learning to trust him was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Because the fear’s so big.”

Shelby didn’t know what to say. “I had no idea,” she admitted. “I can’t believe it. You’re so confident and powerful.”

“Well,” Taryn murmured, “it took me a long time to get here. I put up a lot of walls. No one got in. Not even the boys.”

Shelby knew “the boys” were the three men she’d worked with. Her family, before Angel. Taryn and Jack had even briefly been married.

“There’s a price to be paid for everything in life,” Taryn told her. “Nothing is free. If you stay safe, the price is never knowing love. Because to receive love, you have to give love. And to give love is to be vulnerable. You can build walls and be lonely or you can tear them down and hand over your heart.”

“What if I don’t like either solution?”

“Then you’re unhappy,” Taryn told her. “Like I said, there’s always a price.”

“I don’t accept that.”

“You don’t have to accept gravity, either, but you’re still going to fall if you step off the top of a building.” Taryn leaned toward her. “You love him. We can all see it, and while it would be great for all of us to be wrong and you to be right, the odds are seriously against you. From everything I hear, he’s a good guy. If you were ever going to take a chance, why not take a chance on him?”

“Because if I do, I’ll die.”

Shelby hadn’t meant to say that, but the words came out before she could stop them.

“I didn’t mean that,” she said quickly.

“Yes, you did. It’s not bad that you said it,” Taryn told her. “At least you know your starting point. Where you go from here is up to you.”

*

CHARLIE LED THE way back to the house, careful to sniff every plant. Aidan wasn’t sure what the dog was expecting to find, but it sure seemed important. His tail wagged as he walked and every few steps he glanced over his shoulder, as if making sure Aidan was keeping up.

The last couple of days had been hard. He missed Shelby more than he would have thought possible. He was used to seeing her, talking to her, touching her. There wasn’t a part of him that didn’t miss her. He dreamed about her in his sleep. There was no escape from her and his love for her.

Worse than that was not knowing what to do. His gut said to give her time. That she needed to think about whatever was bothering her. His heart wanted to go to her and hold her. Help her. Even if he was the problem, he could still help. Which sounded stupid. So he did nothing except wait.

Charlie raised his head and barked, then ran toward the house. Aidan followed and was surprised to find the front door was open. The little dog had already disappeared inside.

Aidan hurried after him. He found his living room filled with women. Lots of women.

Jo from Jo’s Bar manned a blender set up in the kitchen. Taryn and Larissa were putting out platters of cookies and brownies. Patience saw him and walked over.

“We’re so sorry,” she said, giving him a hug. “We’re here to help.”

Amber waved from the kitchen. Even Destiny was there, holding her sleeping daughter in her arms.

“How are you going to help?” he asked.

Patience wrinkled her nose. “I have no idea.” She turned toward the other women. “Aidan wants to know how we’re going to help.”

Madeline walked out of the kitchen and handed him a beer. “We generally do margaritas at times like this, but you strike me as a beer guy.”

“Thanks. Don’t take this wrong, but what’s going on?”