Page 44 of My Montana Valentine

“So Vivian knows about them?”

“I’ve told her, but she doesn’t believe it. Look, I’m not sure if you have any feelings for my sister. If you do, it may be a good idea if you attend tomorrow night’s ball. But if you don’t, please don’t contact her again. She’s been hurt enough. Anyway, I’ve wanted to thank you for what you’ve done for her.”

“There is one more thing we could try,” he said.

Annie snorted. “I don’t think she wants to be convinced, but what do you have in mind?”

“The reason I was sent to Marietta in the first place was to find a feel-good story. At the time, I didn’t believe such stories could be found, but your town has proved me wrong. It’ll be on the front page of tomorrow’s newspaper. It’s a Portland newspaper, of course, but you’ll be able to find it online. Try and get her to read it.”

“Okay, I’ll try, but I can’t promise anything.”

“That’s all I ask. Thanks, Annie. You’re a nice human being; I hope you know that?”

“Thanks, Aiden.” Annie chuckled. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

After Annie had ended the call, Aiden walked to the big windows of his apartment. He would always be grateful to his parents. The inheritance he and Riley and their cousin Craig had received from them had made it possible for him to afford this place.

Tonight, though, he would gladly have moved into a dingy apartment if it meant he could talk to his mom. She’d always known exactly what to say to help him make a decision.

As if on cue, his phone rang. It was Riley.

“Hi, sis. Everything okay?”

“I’m fine. It’s you we’re worried about at the moment. Have you decided what you’re going to do?”

“Well, what I want to do is to fly to Bozeman, attend the Valentine’s ball in Marietta, and tell Vivian exactly how crazy I am about her. But…” He grimaced. “I never did like the damn but.”

“So why is there a but? Why don’t you take the chance and just go? See what happens when you tell her how you feel.”

“My interference in her life has hurt her already—the very last thing I wanted to do. And I would probably mess up again and again. She deserves someone so much better than a cynical reporter to share her life with. Besides, at this point, she’s not listening to what anyone has to say.”

“You’re selling yourself short. Any woman would be lucky to have you in her life. You’re a sweet and caring person, probably too much so, but you’re one of the good guys. Trust me, I know.”

Aiden chuckled. “Ted set the bar really low, you know? I don’t know if he counts.”

“You know what I mean. Go for it, you’ll always be sorry if you haven’t at least tried.”

“There wouldn’t really be any point, though. I could never tell her how I feel about her. I’ve learned the hard way not to become involved in someone else’s life, not to try and fix things for other people. Because of me, Samantha Taylor ended up in the hospital. And because of me, Vivian has been hurt. It’s better to stay as far away from her as possible.”

“You love this woman. Go tell her. Don’t make it more difficult than it is. We are not guaranteed a tomorrow.”

Aiden rubbed his face. Where his heart was supposed to be was a big hole. Time to change the subject. “How’s my nephew?”

While Riley told him about her little boy, Aiden rubbed his chest where a dull ache had settled. Not ever have the chance to see Vivian again? Never talk to her, never kiss her again? And never have the chance to make love to her?

Damn it, he wasn’t that brave. He had to see her again. He had to make sure she was all right.

When Riley ended the call, he hurried to the dining room table where he’d left his laptop.

*

Saturday morning, Vivianwoke up with a start, her heart beating frantically in her chest. Shaking, she moved up against the pillows. She’d had such a crazy dream. Aiden was in her new house with the German shepherd and the little boy, but she couldn’t get to them. They were waving and calling out to her. She had to cross a river to get to them, but the current was so strong, she was afraid it would sweep her away if she tried to step into the rushing water.

Swinging her legs from the bed, she picked up her phone to check the time. She was probably so late for work already. The next moment, she sighed in relief. No rush, she was on leave until Monday. Hopefully by that time, there’d be another juicy story, and the attention of the ER staff would have moved away from her.

Her thoughts turned back to her dream. The images of the house, the man, the boy, and the dog had been so vivid she could see the lines on Aiden’s face. He looked anxious, worried.

Groaning, she rubbed her face. She was hallucinating while wide awake. Seriously, this had to stop.

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