Wild Chance (Wild Irish Universe)(7)

“Thank you.”

“Not a problem at all,” Aedan said. “I hope you don’t mind. I figure we should talk while we have this drink.”

“I don’t mind.”

“If you feel uncomfortable at all…”

Mona shook her head. She leaned close to stare into his stunning eyes. “I’m fine, Aedan, really.”

Keira brought their drinks over. “I’m heading out for the night to spend some time with the husband, but Tristan is due in. I’ll let him know to have someone check in on the two of you from time to time.”

“Thanks, Kiki.”

She winked at him and Mona smiled. When they were finally alone, she cleared her throat while playing with the straw in her glass.

“Go ahead, ask.” Aedan’s voice was soft, playful.

“What do I want to ask?”

“If Kiera and I were ever a thing.”

Mona laughed and nodded. “Were you?”

“No. Her and her family kind of, unofficially, adopted me ever since I was a teen.” Aedan took a swallow from his beer. “They have my back and the feeling is mutual.”

“That’s nice to have people like that in your life. Friendship isn’t what it used to be, that’s for sure.”

“Oh?”

“I moved here—starting over. Everyone I thought were my friends turned out not to be and I just—it’s a hard lesson to learn, that’s all.”

Aedan reached over and squeezed her hand. “You have that woman you were here with last night.”

“Esme? Yeah. She’s all kinds of dope.”

Aedan laughed and released her hand. “Tell me something happy about your life.”

Mona tilted her head. “I’m a teacher.”

“Really? What do you teach?”

“Art and Art History. I love History, painting and kids—best of all three worlds, right?”

“Right.”

“What about you?”

Aedan’s shoulders rose and fell. She took that moment to drink from her straw before setting the glass back on the table. He seemed hesitant but when he lifted his eyes at her again, they were serious, heated.

“I know you’ve noticed my limp.”

She nodded. “I did. I just assumed you’d gotten hurt. Last night I was going to offer to be your personal nurse until you were healed. Then, I thought better of it because I didn’t want to be too forward”

“Really?” His voice dipped an octave as he leaned in. “Would that come with the little outfit?”

Mona’s cheeks heated. “Maybe.”

He grinned. “Well, you would have been my nurse for quite a long time, Mona. There’s no healing from what I have.”

“What do you have?”

“I was a soldier. There was an incident on my last deployment. When I woke up, I was told they had to amputate a part of my left leg—just below the knee.”

“I’m sorry.”

Aedan said nothing for a while. He dragged a large hand across his lips, the edges of a tattoo peeking out from beneath the sleeve of his black shirt. “I don’t know whether that’s pity or not.”

“Not pity, trust me. Pity is for the dead but you’re still here. You’re alive.”

“And the way you look at me—has that changed?”

“Should it?”

“I don’t know. Look, can we have a great night? Legs and bad friends are just putting a damper on things. I wanted us to have fun tonight, but I figured we should get the whole, missing leg deal out of the way.”

“Would you like to go for a walk with me?” Mona asked.

“Um—now?”

She nodded. To stress her point, Mona rose and extended a hand to him. For a breath, Aedan hesitated but finally accepted her offer. He braced a palm to the table to stand then the two of them slipped out a side door into the warm, summer air.

Mona looped her arm with his and they headed away from Pat’s in silence.

The stars were out, and the moon was high in the sky for that time of night. She couldn’t remember another time when the world around her looked so beautiful. Aedan’s limp wasn’t that pronounced. Sure, he rocked a little when he stepped but she didn’t mind. To her, it gave him a kind of character no other man had.

“I never imagined I’d be doing this tonight—or any other night.” Aedan finally broke the silence.

“This?”

“A date.” Aedan said. “I mean, you’re gorgeous, Mona. I’m sorry if it seemed as if I was staring last night. I couldn’t help myself.”

“Well, Esme and I were giggling about you. So, let’s call it a tie.”

He chuckled. “Really? Is that why when you got up, you had to adjust your—breasts?”

She stopped walking to playfully punch his arm. “You saw that?”

“Of course.”

“You know, a gentleman would never have admitted that.”

“I’ve been called a lot of things in my life, Mona. But a gentleman was never one.”

She trembled against his side.

“Are you cold?”

“No. I’m fine, really. When did you come back?”