Chapter 9

Chapter

Nine

C art full of groceries, not to mention a couple of bags of cat food and kitty treats, Mary stood in line waiting to checkout at the Ocracoke Variety Store. The store was busier than usual, filled with locals and out-of-towners. She shifted from foot to foot, impatient to get back to the bookstore and to check on her guest.

Thoughts of Aiden made her pause. When had she started looking forward to seeing him? It was dangerous. He didn't belong in this time, and sooner or later, they'd have to find a way to send him back, though he didn't seem to have a clue on how to do so, and she certainly didn't know. Getting attached to him would only lead to heartbreak.

"Mary. There you are."

She turned to see Cathy, owner of the Ocracoke Coffee Company, waving enthusiastically from the line at the next register. She forced a smile, bracing herself for the inevitable onslaught of enthusiasm.

"How have you been?" Mary tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. This morning she'd put it up in a ponytail, but the elastic was old, losing its stretch, making her hair fall, until instead of being high on her head, the ponytail was at the nape of her neck.

"Oh, you know, busy as always," Cathy gushed. "I've come up with some new pirate-themed drinks this year. You'll have to stop by and try them."

She nodded, trying to muster up some excitement as she glanced down at her faded jeans, rips in both knees, and a black long-sleeved T-shirt with gold lettering and a floral design that proclaimed

Do Not Let the Behavior of Others Destroy Your Inner Peace, Jane Austen, Sense and Sensibility , somehow, and without meaning to, Cathy always made her feel dowdy.

"Sounds great," she said, her tone flat.

Cathy's smile faltered slightly. "You okay, hon? You seem a bit... off."

"I'm fine," Mary assured her. "Just tired. It's been a busy week at the shop."

"I bet," Cathy said, eyes twinkling. "What with that handsome pirate staying with you and all."

"He's not... I mean, we're not..." Mary felt her cheeks grow warm.

The line moved forward as Cathy laughed, the scent of coffee that always clung to her wafting through the air. "Relax, sweetie. I'm just teasing. But you have to admit, he sure is easy on the eyes."

Before she could respond, Mary overheard two older women, backs turned to her, gossiping in the next line.

"You didn't hear?" one of them was saying. "Jake Thompson is back, and word is he's hoping to mend things with Mary. Bless the girl, but it's about time she gave him another chance, don't you think?"

No matter how much Mary tried to dismiss the gossip, she couldn't shake the feeling of dread that settled in her stomach every time she heard his name.

"Earth to Mary," Cathy said, waving a hand in front of Mary's face, groceries already bagged and in her cart. "You sure you're okay?"

Blowing out a breath, she nodded, forcing a smile. "Yeah, sorry. Just... lost in thought."

As she paid for her groceries and headed out of the store, Mary wondered if the latest woman had already left him. That was one of Jake's issues. He couldn't be alone, going from girlfriend to girlfriend, making sure to have the next one lined up before he broke things off with the current one. Why didn't he go build hotels somewhere else? Like Florida. Or even better, California.

By the time she reached Read Between the Tides, her head was pounding. Once the golf cart was parked under the portico and plugged in, she gathered up an armful of bags and made her way around back, ready to take the back stairs and retreat to the quiet sanctuary of the apartment, when she stopped short.

A tree limb had come down last night, and Aiden was outside, helping her neighbor, Mr. Johnson.

Wow, talk about a six-pack. He was shirtless, muscles gleaming with sweat as he split the wood with an axe. Unable to look away, Mary stood there like a statue, mouth open.

As if sensing her presence, Aiden looked up. Their eyes met, and he winked, a roguish grin spreading across his face.

"Leave the bags, lass. I'll bring up the provisions," he called out.

Heat burned up her chest, neck, and bloomed across her face as she turned and fled up the stairs to the apartment, nearly dropping the groceries in her haste.

Once inside, she leaned against the door, trying to catch her breath. This was ridiculous. She was acting like a lovesick teenager, not a grown woman.

Get a grip .

After putting away the groceries and apologizing to Inky for leaving his food for Aiden to bring up, she gave him fresh water and a few crunchy cat treats, which he carried under the table to enjoy his snack. When she went downstairs, she found Aiden inside the store, the rest of the groceries and Inky's cat food on the counter in the back room as he regaled a group of customers with tales of his adventures on the high seas.

"...and there I was, surrounded by the Royal Navy, with nothing but me wits and me trusty cutlass," he was saying, his Scottish brogue thicker than usual. The small crowd hung on his every word, their eyes wide with excitement.

How did he do it? It was so easy for him to interact with people. Jealousy and admiration filled her as she leaned against a bookcase, listening, the accent and cadence of his low gravelly voice grating on her last nerve. She cleared her throat, interrupting the story.

"Well, if you're done charming the socks off my customers, maybe you could unpack the boxes from that estate sale?"

Aiden grinned, not missing a beat. "But they're much more interesting than dusty tomes, lass."

The customers laughed as her irritation spiked. Before she said something she'd regret, she went to the back and carried up the rest of the groceries while Mr. Charming held court.

As the afternoon wore on in the shop, Mary found herself growing more and more frustrated. Aiden charmed everyone who came into the shop, from wide-eyed children to blushing grandmothers. And while part of her admired his easy charisma, another part of her felt... left out.

It was nearing closing time when the bell above the door chimed once more. Mary looked up, ready to tell the newcomer they were about to close, when the words died in her throat.

Jake stood in the doorway, looking as handsome and confident as ever. When he caught sight of her, a lazy grin crossed his face. Arrogant jerk.

"Well, well," he said, sauntering towards the table where she was arranging a new display of reading lights.

"If it isn't my favorite bookworm. Still stuck in the past with your dusty old books, I see."

Tension radiated across her shoulders and into her neck. "I've always thought of myself as a book dragon, not a bookworm," she said, her voice cool. "What are you doing here? Come to build some monstrosity?"

"Can't a guy stop by to see an old friend?" he asked, leaning against a blue gingham chair.

"I heard you were still trying to make a go of this place. Thought I'd stop by to say hello." He looked her up and down, from head to toe and back again. "You look good."

He gave her what Mary called ‘the smolder', but much to her surprise, that look that once made her go weak in the knees no longer worked on her. Now, she found she preferred substance over flash.

From the corner of her eye, Mary saw Aiden step out from the stockroom and stride over to her, his presence solid and reassuring.

Jake's eyes flicked to Aiden, narrowing slightly. "And who might this be?"

"Aiden Cameron," he said, his voice low and even.

Jake's eyebrows rose. "A friend , huh? That's... interesting."

The tension in the air was palpable. Caught between the two men, unsure of what to say or do, Mary instead organized the reading lights by color.

With a snort, Jake ignored Aiden and turned back to her. "You going to the jamboree this year? I thought we could go together."

Mary shrugged, trying to appear nonchalant. "I haven't decided yet."

"You should," he pressed. "It could be fun. Like old times."

"Old times are best left in the past," Aiden interjected, his tone light but with an undercurrent of steel. "Don't ye think?" Even standing there dressed in a pair of jeans and a gray T-shirt, no one in their right mind would mistake Aiden for an ordinary guy.

"Nice accent." Jake's smile turned cold. "And what would you know about it? You're not even from here."

The air crackled with tension as Aiden simply crossed his arms over his chest and glared at Jake, making him take a step back.

"Well," Jake said, turning. "I should get going. It was really good to see you. Think about what I said, okay?"

As he left the shop, Mary let out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. She turned to Aiden, expecting to see anger or jealousy on his face. Instead, she found only concern.

"Are ye alright, lass?" he asked softly.

Not trusting herself to speak, she nodded, then busied herself with closing up the shop. Jake wanted something. Her ex never did anything without a reason.

Later, as she stood in the back room sorting through the last box from the estate sale, Mary found herself lost in thought. She absentmindedly placed a cookbook in the fiction section, her mind far away.

Why was it so difficult to choose between the comfort of the familiar and the thrill of the unknown? Jake represented everything she had once wanted. Stability, a connection to her hometown, a future she could easily envision. But Aiden... Aiden was like a storm, sweeping into her life and turning everything upside down.

She thought about the way he had stood up for her, the protective stance he had taken. It made her feel... cherished. But was that enough? Could she really build a future with someone who didn't even belong in this time?

"Ye look like you've been fighting with the tides," Aiden's voice broke through her reverie. She turned to find him leaning against the doorframe, his face carefully blank. "What's weighing ye down?"

The book still in her hand, Mary sighed. "Just the usual," she said, attempting a smile. "You know, the tidal waves of gossip and old flames with hidden agendas."

As she stood there, emotion coursing through her, he pushed off the wall, swaggering over to her, his eyes searching her face as if it were a map only he could read. But that was just silly... wasn't it?

"That man. He means something to ye?"

Unsure of how to answer, she hesitated. "He... we have history," she said finally. "We dated for a while. But it didn't work out. I realized he wanted me to change who I am, my values... and I wasn't willing to do that." She met his gaze. "Not for anyone."

One more step and there he was, mere inches from her. So close she could see flecks of gray and gold in his blue eyes.

"You are flawless, exactly as ye are," Aiden said, his voice rough. "Never change."

Words everyone wanted to hear, but Mary shook her head. "I know I can be... difficult... cranky."

She huffed out a breath. "It's not that I have feelings for him anymore... it's more like seeing him makes me think I'll always be alone."

Heart pounding, she looked up at Aiden. "I ended things with him because I felt trapped. Like my whole life was already planned out for me and I would be whatever he wanted. That I would lose myself. But every once in a while I wonder if I made the right choice. If it would have been easier to just go along with what he wanted, to be nicer."

"Nay, lass. Ye wouldna be happy with a man like that." Then he was quiet for a moment, expression thoughtful. He reached into his pocket and pulled out something small and smooth. "I found this while I was chopping wood earlier," he said, holding out his hand.

In his palm lay a piece of sea glass, worn smooth by the ocean. It was a pale blue, the color of a fall sky, almost translucent.

"In my time," he said softly, "finding sea glass was a good omen. A sign that the sea was watching over ye."

Mary took the piece, turning it over in her hand. It was cool to the touch, its surface worn smooth by the waves. "It's beautiful," she murmured.

"Aye," Aiden agreed. "And rare. Just like you, lass."

When she looked up at him, her heart skipped a beat at the intensity in his gaze.

"I can't tell ye what to do about him," he said softly. "That's for you to decide. And his loss for not seeing what's in front of him."

Mary nodded, unable to speak past the lump in her throat. She clutched the sea glass tightly.

As the day wound down, Aiden suggested they take a walk to clear their heads. Mary hesitated, but the thought of staying cooped up in the shop on such a perfect fall day made her restless.

"Okay," she said, grabbing her jacket. "A walk sounds good."

Of course, as they stepped outside, a crack of thunder split the air. She looked up to see dark clouds gathering on the horizon as the wind picked up, pulling her hair loose as it whipped around her face.

"Maybe we should stay in," she said, eyeing the approaching storm warily.

But Aiden just grinned, his eyes alight with excitement. "Where's your sense of adventure, lass? A little rain never hurt anyone."

With a shrug, she twisted her hair up in a bun, and walked down the nearly deserted street, everyone inside until the weather passed. As they walked, she pointed out a few of her favorite shops while she wondered why Jake had really come back? It was as if the tides under her feet were shifting in more ways than one. And she was about to be swept away.

The wind whipped around them as they made their way to the harbor, the boats bobbing on the water. Mary hugged her jacket tighter around herself, watching the lightning light up the skies.

"We should head back," she called over the wind. "This storm looks like it's going to be a bad one."

But Aiden threw back his head, exhilarated by the storm. He stood at the edge of the dock, his hair whipping around his face, feet planted wide, a grin spreading across his face.

"Isn't it magnificent?" he shouted back to her.

Despite her unease, she couldn't help but smile at the joy on his face. She could easily picture him at the helm of a ship, taking merchant ships and traveling wherever he wanted to go.

A flash of lightning illuminated the sky, followed almost immediately by a deafening crack of thunder. Mary jumped, instinctively moving closer to Aiden as the scent of rain filled the air.

"Come, lass," he said, holding out his hand. "Let's return and I'll make ye a cup of that coffee you like."

They hurried down the streets as the wind howled around them. Rain began to fall, fat droplets that quickly soaked through their clothes. By the time they reached the shop, they were both drenched.

"Well," Aiden said, shaking water from his hair like a dog in the entryway, "that was invigorating!"

The sound bubbled up from deep inside her. "You're crazy," she said, but there was fondness in her voice.

They stood there for a moment, catching their breath and watching the storm rage around them through the front windows of the shop. Mary was acutely aware of how close Aiden was standing, of the warmth radiating from his body despite his wet clothes, the scent of petrichor, cotton, and pine in the air.

"Mary," Aiden said softly, turning to face her. "About earlier, with Jake..."

Her heart skipped a beat. "What about it?"

Aiden reached out, gently tucking a strand of wet hair that had escaped the bun behind her ear.

"I want ye to know that whatever ye decide, I'll respect your choice. Even though I'd like to toss him in the harbor," he muttered, making her blush.

When she looked up at him, her breath caught in her throat. In that moment, with the storm raging around them, and Aiden looking at her like she was the only woman in all the world, all her doubts and fears seemed to melt away. She hadn't thought about Jake in months. It was only because he'd shown up dredging up old feelings that she was thinking about all the ‘what ifs'. Aiden was amazing... other than the whole from another time thing. What was wrong with her?

"Aiden, I?—"

But before she could finish her thought, a blinding flash of lightning struck nearby, followed by a thunderous boom that shook the shop, the lights flickering, then going out. Mary yelped, instinctively throwing herself into Aiden's arms.

He held her tightly, one hand stroking her hair soothingly. "It's alright, lass," he murmured. "I've got ye."

As the initial shock wore off, she was acutely aware of their position, pressed against his chest, his arms wrapped securely around her. She could feel the steady beat of his heart, smell the clean scent of the ocean that always seemed to cling to him.

Slowly, she lifted her head to look at him. Their faces were inches apart, and Mary felt as though all the air had been sucked out of the shop. Aiden's eyes dropped to her lips, then back to her eyes, a silent question in his gaze.

This was dangerous territory. She should take a step back. But in that moment, with the storm raging around them, and her heart pounding in her chest, she couldn't bring herself to care.

She leaned in, her eyes fluttering closed...

"Mary? I need a flashlight. The power's out at my dad's place."

The sound of Jake's voice cut through the moment like a knife. Mary jerked back, cheeks burning as she realized how close they'd come to kissing.

Aiden's expression was unreadable as he stepped away from her, his hands falling to his sides. "Aye, we're here," he called out, his voice gruff.

A moment later, Jake appeared through the back door, concern etched on his face. "Thank goodness," he said, relief evident in his voice. "I saw you two coming back from the harbor and got worried when the storm hit."

Since when had Jake cared about anyone other than himself? Mary forced a smile, trying to ignore the awkwardness that now hung in the air. "We're fine," she said.

Jake nodded, his eyes darting between Mary and Aiden. "Well, it looks like it's letting up a bit. I should head back before it picks up again."

"What about the flashlight?" She rummaged in a drawer, coming up with a compact black flashlight.

He made a show of looking at his phone. "It looks like the power's back on."

Without even looking, somehow Mary knew Aiden had a smirk on his face.

Her ex left and a moment later, the lights flickered on. The magic of the moment passed, almost like a dream you couldn't quite hold on to when you woke as it slipped away. She glanced at Aiden, standing silently beside her, watching the taillights of Jake's car disappear around the corner, and wondered if he felt it too.

As she locked up, making a mental note to be more careful about keeping the doors locked, Mary put a hand on the counter in the back of the shop, suddenly exhausted. She turned to find him watching her, his expression unreadable.

"I should turn in," he said quietly. "Goodnight."

Before she could respond, he was gone, disappearing up the stairs to the guest room. Mary stood there for a long moment, conflicting emotions coursing through her.

Later, as she crawled into bed, pulling the covers up to her chin and listening to the rain outside, sleep eluded her, despite her exhaustion, as she replayed the moment of their almost kiss over and over.

The sea glass Aiden had given her sat on her nightstand, seeming to glow in the dark. Mary reached out and picked it up, running her thumb over its smooth surface.

As she finally drifted off to sleep, the sea glass clutched in her hand, Mary's last thought was of Aiden's words. "Whatever ye choose, I'll respect your decision."

But what if she didn't know what she wanted?