He was coming back to life, too. With each day he spent with Clare, he could feel it happening a little more. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d hoped for anything, but his relationship with her had helped him see he’d been just getting by since he lost Sarah, not really living. Now he wanted more again—he wanted a life with Clare and her girls but not with secrets between them. Even though he understood her reasons better than most people would, he was frustrated by her refusal to level with him. He knew she trusted him—but apparently not enough to tell him her story.

Banging his fist on the workbench in aggravation, he remembered all of a sudden that Maggie had called for her when she was in the shower. He walked into the house through the kitchen, and came up short when he heard her talking to Bea in the den.

“I want to tell him,” Clare was saying. “I do. But am I wrong to want this time with him without making that part of it?”

“No, sweetie, you’re not wrong. It’s a terrible thing, an ugly thing, and I can see why you wouldn’t want to pollute something beautiful with something ugly. But you can’t keep it from him forever. It’s part of who you are now, whether you want it to be or not. What if he heard it from someone else before you could tell him?”

Aidan almost stopped breathing when he realized Clare had already told Bea. Hurt radiated through him.

“Who would tell him?” Clare asked. “The girls would never mention it. They hate talking about it almost as much as I do.”

“You’re sure of that?”

“Positive.”

Aidan moved around a bit so they’d know he was in the house and then poked his head into the den. “Hey, I forgot to tell you Maggie called when you were in the shower.”

Her smile warmed his heart. It told him everything she felt for him, and it was a balm on the hurt.

“Thanks, I’ll give her a call in a bit.”

Bea got up. “I need to get back to the store. I left my niece in charge for an hour, but we’ve been busy this week, so she’s probably ready for some relief.”

“I’m glad you came, Bea. I should feel good enough to work if you need me during the Winter Festival. Kate and Maggie are supposed to be up that weekend.”

“Don’t worry about working. Just come by to visit with the girls.” She kissed Clare’s cheek.

Aidan walked Bea out and then came back to check on Clare. “Need anything?”

She held out her hand to him. “Just one thing.”

He took her hand and sat down next to her. “What’s that?”

“You,” she said, leaning in to kiss him.