The original suspect, Mr. Aiden O’Connell, the son of the owner, was set free after being falsely accused and imprisoned for the crime.
This is Rhonda Chimes reporting for Fox News.
I decide not to say anything as I rest my head back on the cushions, enjoying being pampered. There’s no way I want to interrupt this, but I’m completely and utterly relieved that Aiden’s here with me and not rotting away in some jail cell.
“Time to cook dinner,” Aiden announces out of the blue, disturbing me from my relaxed state. His avoidance of the issue at hand has me wondering if he’s doing okay, but I’ll play along for now.
“What do you feel like?” I take my tired feet off his lap to get up.
“No, you lie there and relax. I’ll cook for us tonight.”
Maybe he needs the distraction?
“Sounds good to me.” I sprawl out on the sofa as he makes his way to the kitchen. I close my eyes trying not to let the weight of our situation topple me. Instead, I relax back, letting my mind drift off.
Next thing I know, Aiden is gently kissing me on the lips. “Dinner’s ready.”
Opening and closing my eyes a few times, I slowly sit up on the sofa as he heads back toward the kitchen. Yawning, I stand, then walk into the dining area where I see a vase of flowers on the table. I must have been really out of it for him to prepare all this while I was napping!
“And, what are these for?” I ask as he brings in our plates of food.
“When I was… away, I missed a few deliveries, so you get a make-up bunch.”
I can’t help but smile. “They’re beautiful, thank you. The food smells great, and this looks amazing.”
He smiles as he pours us both a glass of wine, and we eat together in a comfortable ease. Maybe life can get back to some version of normal between us.
“That was delicious,” I admit. I never knew he was such a good cook.
He smiles. “Thanks.”
“You should cook every night.”
“I can if you want me to. Honestly, I don’t mind.”
“Are you saying that because my cooking sucks?” I cock my head to the side.
“Ahh, no. Maybe… well, yeah,” he murmurs with a grin. “You do use the smoke detector as a guide when you’re cooking steak.”
“Shut up! It’s not that bad.” I laugh.
“Isn’t it, though?” he mocks, and we both laugh.
We finish our wine and head to the living room. I sink into the sofa, and he starts to massage my feet again while he’s channel surfing.
Suddenly, my phone rings, startling me. I jump up and race to the bedroom. Ruffling through my bag, I eventually find my cell and without checking, I answer, “Hello?”
“Hey, Jeni. Just checking in. How are things?” Sarah chimes down the line.
“Hey, Sez. Good. Real good. Went back to work today.”
“How did that go?”
“Aiden was promoted to vice president.”
“That’s great news.” She rushes it out like she’s almost dismissive as she continues, “Sooo, Chris is practically living here, and I was wondering…” she pauses like she’s not sure what to say next, “… would it be okay with you if I asked him to move into the house?”
My eyes gleam with a smile. “Sarah, it’s your house and your partner. If you want him to move in, you don’t have to ask me.”