Page 84 of The Weekend Crashers
“I’m actually short one key,” Aidan says.
“It happens. Do you know if you lost it here inside or somewhere off-site?” Max asks.
“I didn’t lose it. Maggie left with it.”
Belinda’s ears perk up. This is news to her! Even more reason to wish Maggie hadn’t left so abruptly.
“Is that so?” Barclay says, letting out a low whistle. Aidan ignores him.
“Thank you for the wonderful stay,” he says, his voice tight and his tone stiffly formal. Then the bachelor party clears out, and Belinda is left alone with her husband.
“I’m really surprised Maggie left without saying goodbye,” she says.
“Bee, I hope you can take this in the spirit in which it’s intended,” he says. “She was just a guest. These are customers—not your life. The two of us—that’s real life. So let’s move on and see where that life goes next.”
“The inn has been ourlifefor the past thirty years,” she says. “You can’t deny that just because you want a change.”
Max puts his arm around her. “I’m not denying anything.But nothing stays the same forever. And part of being happy is not resisting change.”
As much as she hates to admit it, maybe he’s right.
“Okay, Max. You win.”
Their eyes meet. “I’m not trying to win, Bee. This is a good thing. You’ll see.”
He steps forward and kisses her on the forehead.
The knitters are clustered near the front door, exchanging patterns and final hugs and promises to keep in touch. She doesn’t want them to leave. She’s not ready to move on.
As Max said, she has no idea where life would take her. All she knows is that she doesn’t want to go.
Aidan hangs back while Barclay hands out cigars in the inn parking. Ritchie suggests he save it for when Scott becomes a father.
“Well, getting married is the first step so consider this a prefatherhood celebration,” Barclay says. He’s just trying to keep the party going, the freedom of the weekend before getting home to his wife. Mary is a sweetheart but she runs a tight ship.
Barclay claps Aidan on the back, offering him a light.
“Nah, thanks, I still don’t smoke,” Aidan says.
“Where’s Cole?”
“He’s saying goodbye to Kalli.” He checks his phone. Cole should have been outside ten minutes ago. Ritchie’s not the only one prolonging the weekend, reluctant to get back to reality.
“I hear he’s not the only one who had a little action this weekend,” Barclay says.
“Oh, no?” Aidan says, pretending he doesn’t know what’s coming.
“So Maggie forgot to return your room key, eh?”
Aidan shakes his head. “It’s not like that.” Even though it is—was. But the night at the campfire was a fluke. He should have left it at that. There was a reason he was still single after fourteen years of being a widower, and a reason she’d never married. They liked it that way.
“Sureit’s not,” Barclay says with a wink. Aidan feels a flash of annoyance, and Barclay must sense it, because he stops with the innuendo and claps Aidan on the back. “Aidan, I’m just busting your chops. And I feel like I can do that, because we’re family. Now, you know that Nancy was the apple of my eye—I loved that girl more than anything. And I like to think I knew her pretty damn well. And from what I know of my girl, she’d want Cole to have a good relationship example to model after, and she’d want you to be happy.”
Aidan nods. There’s some truth to what he’s saying.
“Barclay, I appreciate that. And I’ll think about it.”
Maybe Aidan should start taking dating more seriously. But that doesn’t mean he should be more serious about Maggie Hodges: What happens during bachelor party weekend stays in bachelor party weekend.
