Page 77 of Arse Over Irish Teacup
But Beth’s little accident provided just the opportunity Lauren needed to take Aidan aside and set him straight. She didn’t have much time so she shoved him outside the door, closed it and spoke quickly and directly.
“What are your intentions?” Lauren demanded.
“What?” Lauren really was terrifying.
“Never mind, just listen. Beth is the kind of friend who will sew a quilt by hand for your newborn even though she stabs herself constantly and has to keep washing out the blood stains. But she sews it anyway because she knows how much you want a Winnie the Pooh-themed nursery and wants to do something extra special.”
“She did that?”
“Yes. I didn’t know that many bandages could fit on one hand. Bless her. My point is, Aidan, if you let her, she will pour more love on you than you probably deserve because that’s Beth. She loves and forgives easily. Too easily sometimes. But she won’t wait around for you. I won’t let her. So, piss or get off the pot!”
Aidan stammered, and blinked, then stammered and blinked again. Just as he was about to reply, Beth opened the door. “There you are, Lauren. Are you sure you don’t want to come?”
“Yes, I was just thanking Aidan for inviting me.” Lauren raised her eyebrows at Aidan. “You two crazy kids have fun.”
Aidan placed his hand on the small of Beth’s back as she passed by and walked her to the car.
“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” Beth asked once they were in the car and on their way. Aidan had practically torn out of the driveway.
He didn’t tell her where they were going. He only smiled.
Thirty minutes later he parked the car in the middle of a very dark nowhere and told her to close her eyes. He came around and guided her out of the car with his hand over her eyes. When he had her right where he wanted her, he dropped his hand to reveal the ink black sky lit with a billion bright stars.
“Aidan! I’ve never seen so many stars in all my life!”
“This is a dark sky reserve because there is so little artificial light. On a clear night like this, I swear you can see to infinity. It’s one of my favorite places.”
And he had brought her. Beth gazed as shooting stars flew across the sky, one after another. It was the most magical place she’d ever seen.
“It’s so quiet. It’s like I can hear the stars twinkling.” She couldn’t stop looking up at the vast splendor. Then again, every place Aidan had shown her was splendid. It was all like a dream. A dream she didn’t ever want to forget.
A million stars reflected in her eyes as she gazed at the diamond-lit sky. Dammit if he wasn’t head over heels in love with Beth. He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. No matter how hard he’d tried she filled his brain and his heart with her delightful laugh, her kindness, the look in her eyes when she got angry. She didn’t know it but it was that look that drove him wild.
Well, there were worse things. No matter what happened, he wouldn’t ever forget the smile on her face right now. “You know, Beth, I, I …”
“What is it?” she asked, not taking her eyes off the sky.
“Beth, do you remember your list of regrets?”
“My what?”
“On the plane you told me the things you regret.”
Beth looked at him and nodded thoughtfully.
“You’ve never seen the Grand Canyon. You’ve never had a one?—”
Okay! We all know what she’d never had. “I would like to point out that I didn’t think I would ever see you again and I was drunk.”
“Point taken. Well, one of them was that you’ve never seen a meteor shower.” The starlight reflected in his eyes and something changed, shifted, and grew as a meteor shot across the sky.
“Aidan, this is more than incredible. It’s more than words can say. Thank you for bringing me here. There’s nothing to describe this beauty.”
Beth was staring at the stars, Aidan was staring at Beth. “I can think of one word.”
“What’s that?”
“Bethany.”
