For an instant Aidan couldn’t find his voice. This man was his uncle! He had absolutely no experience with extended family beyond his maternal grandparents, and no experience at all when it came to his paternal family. Obviously his decision to get out of town without crossing paths with any O’Briens hadn’t taken into account Mick O’Brien’s determination to court him for this job. Aidan wasn’t sure what his real role had been in the search for a new coach, but he’d been aggressive once Aidan had submitted his application.
When Aidan had called the school yesterday to confirm the appointment with the principal for this morning, he’d been told yet again how eager everyone—especially the town’s founder—was to close the deal. The enthusiasm had been rewarding, but disconcerting given his determination to leave without signing on for the job.
Mick glanced around for a waiter, then stood up and grabbed a cup from a neighboring table and poured himself some coffee from the pot the waiter had left earlier. As he stirred in some sugar, Aidan surreptitiously studied him, wondering how much Mick might resemble his brother and trying to decide if he saw anything of himself in the man.
After years of wondering and getting only evasive answers from his mother when it came to his father’s identity, Aidan had finally found the O’Brien name when he’d come across his birth certificate while cleaning out his mother’s dresser after her death last summer. There were a couple of clippings about Chesapeake Shores and the bay preservation foundation, as well.
Over the years he’d been told that his father had been a good man who had important things to accomplish. His mother had never mentioned what those things might be. Those clippings she’d tucked away were the first clues he’d had.
Nor had she ever hinted that they’d parted as anything other than friends. To Aidan’s knowledge his father had never contributed a dime to his support. In fact, given his mother’s independent streak and a few indiscreet comments from his grandparents about her pride, he’d concluded that she’d never even told him about the pregnancy. Surely, though, if he’d been such a paragon, Thomas O’Brien must have suspected. Then again, Aidan had known his share of men who were capable of being oblivious to anything that didn’t fit conveniently into their plans.
So even though Anna Mitchell had tried to impart an image of a mysterious but kindly individual, resentments had simmered inside Aidan. He’d grown up wondering why he and his mom hadn’t been more important than some idealistic goal in his dad’s life. And, since his mother had never had another serious relationship to his knowledge, he had to wonder about the man who’d meant so much to her that she’d never moved on.
“You okay?” Mick asked, regarding him with concern. “You look a little pale. You’re not coming down with something, are you? We have a real good doctor here in town. I can take you by his office if you want to be checked out.”
Aidan quickly shook his head. “No, sorry. I’m fine. You just caught me by surprise. I spent yesterday getting to know the town. I gave the principal at the school a call late in the day to confirm our appointment for this morning. He must have told you I was here.”
Mick grinned. “Not necessary. There aren’t a lot of secrets in Chesapeake Shores and you’re big news. I knew five minutes after you drove into town.” He shrugged. “Besides, my daughter Jess owns this place. She gave me a call right after you checked in. I would have popped in right then, but she told me you seemed a little distracted and to give you time to relax. For once, I listened to her—and my wife—and didn’t come barging right over. To tell you the truth, Megan—that’s my wife—is usually right about these things, though if you tell her I said that, I’ll deny it.”
Aidan recalled the friendly woman at the desk. So, that had to be Jess, another O’Brien, a cousin apparently.
Before Aidan could respond, Mick glanced pointedly at his empty plate. “If you’re ready to go now, I’ll drive you over to the high school. We’re all anxious to get the ball rolling, get a contract nailed down. Then I can show you a couple of places around town that are for sale. There’s not much to rent. Buying makes more sense, anyway.”
Aidan couldn’t help wondering if Mick was such a successful architect and developer because he was part bulldozer. “There’s no offer on the table, and I haven’t agreed to anything yet,” he reminded Mick, thinking that saying no was going to prove a lot trickier than he’d anticipated.
“I think you’ll like the terms,” Mick said confidently. “It’s a great little town. The school has resources to pay you decently and get you whatever you need. The stadium’s first-rate. I did my homework and brought in a top-notch designer, since it’s beyond my area of expertise. I put my best contractors to work on it a few years back, but if there’s anything we missed, you just let me know. I’ve got some grandkids who’re going to want to play ball and I want the best for them and that includes a coach who can turn this team around. I know it’s politically correct to say that winning’s not everything, but these lopsided losses are discouraging.”
Aidan imagined that was a serious understatement. He’d studied the team’s record, not a win in the past five years. He decided to focus on the stadium, which was a real positive.
“To be honest, I’ve seen a few college and even pro stadiums that weren’t that impressive,” Aidan told him. “You did a great job.”
In fact, if it hadn’t been for all the peripheral angst attached to this particular job, it would have been a dream, no question about it. Aidan couldn’t imagine anyplace else where he’d be given carte blanche to invigorate a high school football program with whatever it took to make it successful. Those resources usually came at the college level.
Still he said, “One step at a time. Let’s have that meeting and see how it goes. You know I don’t have a track record coaching high school football. You may decide I’m not right for the job.”
“Not a chance,” Mick said. “I’ve done my homework. I know you were a leader in the locker room and not just on the field. That, along with the recommendations from your coaches, speaks highly of you.”
Aidan couldn’t help feeling flattered, but he couldn’t let himself be swayed. “Okay, let’s say I do say yes, I have one question for you in the meantime.” He was hoping the answer would solidify his resolve. The last thing any coach needed was too many bosses micromanaging his decisions.
“What’s that?” Mick asked as they walked outside into the warm spring sunshine and headed toward a large and surprisingly muddy truck that had obviously seen some time on a work site recently.
“If I take this job, exactly who do I answer to? The principal, the school board or you?”
Mick’s booming laugh filled the air. “I won’t be the person signing your checks,” he replied candidly. “That doesn’t mean that folks in town don’t tend to listen to what I have to say.”
Aidan nodded. “Good to know. Any other tips for getting along in Chesapeake Shores?”
Mick gave him a long look. “You stick around. Come to Sunday dinner at my place. All the O’Briens will be there. We’ll be happy to fill you in on everything you need to know. If you’re not already convinced, we ought to be able to seal the deal.”
Aidan’s pulse began to race. Could it possibly be that easy? A few days in town and he’d come face-to-face with his father? Could he sit at Mick O’Brien’s table and keep what he knew to himself, at least as long as it took to decide if he wanted to reveal the truth? Would he be able to look into Thomas O’Brien’s face without unleashing all the vitriol he’d stored up? A meltdown over a roast and mashed potatoes would certainly put an end to his coaching career in this obviously close-knit town.
He drew in a deep breath and made yet another of those quick decisions, this one fraught with all sorts of disturbing potential consequences. Fate had brought him here. Until he gave the