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Brian turns and notices me. Mina actually pinches him, and he puts on a charming smile that does nothing to hide his killer’s eyes. “Oh, uh, yes. The cucumber slices with cream cheese and dill were amazing.”
I’m not sure if he’s being sarcastic right now.
They actually are amazing, so he might be telling the truth on that one. The two are dressed in black like normal. I’m not sure they know how to blend, or maybe they do but choose not to.
Some unspoken communication passes between the two of them and then Brian excuses himself. When he’s gone, Mina loops her arm in mine and grabs a fresh flute of champagne off a passing tray.
“So, Aidan tells me you’re going to be helping him with his business.”
She says this as though Aidan’s business is something normal like dry cleaning. Also, it’s not exactly accurate, not really. I’m not going to be his secretary or anything. I’m not going to be doing some nine to five. Nor am I going to be out there on jobs or whatever.
He just put me into the power structure of his organization, which is an unusual move, but I think it’s a gesture that he’s working on being my partner instead of my jailer. Plus it allows me to know things so he doesn’t have to keep secrets.
And after the night when I shot some of his men, I don’t think he really had any other choice. If he didn’t want to lose respect, his options were to punish me or promote me, and he wasn’t dumb enough to do the first thing.
“We’re going to have to get together so I can train you on weapons. Although, I hear you hold your own in that department.”
“I’m not going to be shooting people,” I say.
She laughs. “Maybe ideally, but Aidan wants to be sure you can handle yourself if something goes south near you.”
“Maddie!”
I look up to find Aidan waving from the front porch where the gift table is. I excuse myself from Mina and cross the lawn to the front of the house.
“Your mom got us both something… for my birthday,” he says, but I can tell he finds it amusing.
We open the card together and find two tickets to Rome and an all-expenses-paid romantic vacation package. She must have been saving for this instead of paying him back for help with the flower shop/
The card reads, I noticed you two didn’t get a honeymoon. And what else can you get for the couple who has everything? Go soak up some sun. Love, Mom.
Aidan and I exchange a glance, and I wonder if my mother is hoping we produce little baby Strykers in the sun-drenched Mediterranean, or if she just wanted to give us a trip. We’ve obviously got the money to travel, but we never actually got around to going on a honeymoon. I don’t think either one of us would have known how to broach that subject without feeling weird about it, but my mother had no such limitations.
We thank her, and I’m about to go back to mingling, when Aidan grabs my arm.
“I got you something,” he says. He looks excited about it, and hopeful.
“On your birthday?”
“I mean, we had an audience and I wanted to show off what a catch I am, so...”
At least he’s honest. I hope it isn’t something embarrassingly extravagant like a car.
He reaches for a medium-sized box that has holes drilled in it and is making scuffling noises. I open it and an adorable little King Charles Spaniel pops out.
“You got me a puppy?!?”
The puppy jumps into my arms and starts to lick my face like he was trying his very best to stay quiet in the box so he would be a surprise but now he simply can’t contain himself.
“Do you like him?”
I look up to Aidan and for a moment, that shy but hopeful six year old is looking back at me. The one who made that first homemade valentine and made sure the cupcakes were perfect.
“I love him! I’m going to call him Brayden,” I say with a peel of hysterical laughter that probably makes our guests concerned for me.
“You better not!”
“Jealous of the six year old who stole my heart?”