Chapter Twenty One

Within fifty minutes, Aaron had a bag packed, had booked a hotel in Providence, and had the dogs ready. This trip up country happened every few months, and usually it was boring, but today he had company. And Providence was a great City, he'd spent time there on many occasions on his own, he was actually looking forward to seeing the place through fresh eyes. Julia had an enthusiasm that he was beginning to enjoy more than was healthy. The dogs seemed to sense that a road trip was on the horizon, and circled his heels as he found their car carrier.

When Julia emerged with a very small bag, he led her to the door; the dogs had already climbed into their carrier, wriggling around struggling to contain their excitement.

"You set?"

She was frozen staring at the dogs, "what is that?"

He chuckled, "you'll see. Ready?"

When she nodded, he led her out to the lift, and headed straight of the basement garage.

Julia watched the Connecticut landscape whizz past the window as Aaron powered his sleek black SUV along the highway. She was suddenly realising that he had several cars, and none of them were of the same calibre as her banger back home. Every time she glanced in the back seat to see the dogs sat in a cross between a kid's seat and a crate, she chuckled. They were both peeping over the top of the carrier, peering out of the window, as enthralled as her with everything they could see.

She'd barely spoken to Aaron since the journey started, initially the traffic was busy as they passed JFK, and he'd tuned into an Indie radio station, so one or both of them seemed to be singing all the way.

"So where are we going?" She asked as they miles passed.

He was tapping the steering wheel as he singing along to Steal my Sunshine by Len, and he saw out the whole chorus before he turned to her in reply.

"Providence, Rhode Island. It's a three and a half hour journey if that traffic god's shine on us." Then he groaned, "plus piss stops."

When she punched his arm indignantly, he added rather rapidly, "for the dogs! Of course."

She rolled her eyes, then sighed, "if you say so."

"Get some sleep..."

Julia shook her head, "I've never been here, may never again. So I'm making the most of it. Don't make me sleep!"

His warm chuckle soothed the atmosphere...until Cliffy started snoring. Julia turned around, and laughed at the indignant face of Coco.

"Coco's not appreciating that!"

It was his turn to roll his eyes, "they are as bad as each other, I promise you."

"So...Kitty?" Julia couldn't contain her anger and intrigue about the mysterious woman any longer. Her anger at him dropping everything for some woman's whim had faded. Getting out of the city seemed like a great idea.

Aaron sighed, "so the dogs were hers...now she just sees them a few times a year."

"At the drop of a hat?" She snapped, far quicker than was necessary, and it was back, her anger and annoyance.

He shrugged, "they love spending time with her, so it's cool. And I get a trip out of the chaos of the Big Apple."

She swallowed the immediate responses to that, wanting to quote the motto of the National Canine Defence League, that A Dog Is For Life, Not Just For Christmas...but she bit her tongue, instead, she nodded as the journey progressed. Rathering silence to her anger and resentment.

Jealousy? Her inner voice questioned. But she shook that away immediately. Singing, snacks, and soft drinks...that was all that was coming or going via her buccal cavity.

By the time Aaron drove into the car park for Chalford and Messing, Julia was fast asleep. He would never tell her that she was dribbling, or that she snored...albeit softly, quite cutely. He didn't need to wake her, because as soon as the dogs spotted where they were, they barked in recognition.

Julia opened her eyes sleepily, "shit, I fell asleep?"

He half smiled, half grimaced, "adorably?"

She rolled her eyes, "good answer. We're here?"

He nodded, "Chalford and Messing. This is it."

Gazing out the window for a long moment, she turned to him, "it doesn't look like a lawyer's office."

It didn't, it was a large, very large old home, 'stately' it'd be called back in Britain. Regal looking pillars flanked the imposing doorway, and the gardens were well groomed around the gravel car parks.

Spinning his head around, he stared at her, "lawyer? What are you talking about?"

"Chal-something and What-not. Lawyers?"

He laughed, a real belly laugh, "no. They're not lawyers. Come on!"

By the time she'd climbed out of the car, Aaron had both dogs on leads and was approaching the door to the large, rather ornate reception. She had barely reached his side, when the door in front of them swung open.

"Mr Harding..." She recognised the pompous and unforgiving voice from the earlier phone call, and the sombre face, the suit and tie...all fitted in. "Cliffy and Coco...you came," on seeing the dogs, his brusqueness faded and he became putty in Aaron's hand. Before stooping to make a fuss of the dogs.

"Stanley! Great to see you, sorry I missed your call. These two can't resist a trip when they get spoiled like this. How's Kitty?"

He returned to his full height and grimaced, then led Aaron inside, leaving Julia to follow in their wake, and with each step, she started to doubt all that she knew. As she followed them along corridors, she picked up on snippets of conversation, all the while she tried to glance in any of the dozens of doors they passed. She ascertained there was a lot of TV's playing different shows, and that Kitty, whoever she was, was ill, more stable than she had been, but still slipping downhill. The conversation seemed to devastate both men. Up one flight of stairs, along another corridor, she traipsed behind them until they finally stopped at a door.

"I'll leave you to it, Mr Harding."

Aaron nodded, patting the other man on the shoulder, before taking Cliffy from him, as they'd carried a dog each since climbing the stairs "thanks, Stanley."

As he left, Aaron tapped the door, then stretched out a hand to her. Normally she wouldn't have taken it, but suddenly she felt so insecure. This was all so confusing. She ignored the tingle that his hand caused, not that there was much time to analyse it, before the door opened, and Aaron dragged her in behind him.

The dogs flew from his arms, fortunately he stooped in anticipation, and she followed them with her eyes as they crossed the darkened room to a woman, tucked into an armchair in front of an open fire, despite the heat of summer. The brightness from the corridor diminished as the door closed behind them.

Julia could barely make her out, and hung back, but Aaron marched across the room to her.

"Cliffy! Coco!" she scooped them to her lips as they flew into her lap, smothering them with kisses. She had almost violet hair, trendy on those under fifty, but she was way past that. Deep wrinkles around her eyes and mouth pointed her in the direction of her age, easily seventy, more like eighty.

The dogs were yelping with excitement, and Kitty looked up at Aaron with such fondness, that Julia felt her heart melt. "Oh, thank you darling boy. This means the world to me."

Smiling he moved to perch beside her, "it's no worry Kitty; I just wish I could do more."

Suddenly, Kitty's eyes came to rest on Julia, and she found herself blushing. Partly and witnessing such an intimate moment, but mostly because of the conclusions she'd been more than happy to jump to prior to the trip.

The wrinkled, warm eyes studied her, "Aaron...you've brought someone with you?"

Aaron grinned, turning to smile at Julia, "Kitty, this is my current housemate, and a...friend...Julia Curtis."

Kitty clapped her hands, careful not to dislodge the dogs who stood in her lap, licking and nuzzling at her neck, "oh Aaron, she is beautiful. I am so pleased for you." Then tapping his thigh she moved him, encouraging Julia to sit in his place beside her.

"Julia. Lovely name."

Julia smiled, "thank you, it's lovely to meet you."

Kitty looked suspiciously at Aaron, "you haven't told her about me...she's confused." With a tut, she took Julia's hands in her won, "I used to live across the hall from Aaron. Originally there were two apartments on the top floor. We were amicable neighbours." Aaron nodded at that, then she continued. "When my illness came...'cancer'," she added in a whisper. "Well I had to move closer to my family..." that made her laugh out loud. "Like they're here a few times a week! I should never have done it. Ah, that's my bad, or rather my shitty family's." She paused to kiss each dog, affectionately. Then smiled at Julia once again, "so this wonderful man, he bought my apartment... for above market rate...thought he denies that, he took in my dogs...let them stay home, the only home they've ever known...once he'd knocked both apartments into one."

Kitty sighed, "he's my angel, aren't you Aaron."

Aaron scoffed, "illness is making you sentimental, old girl. We had our fair share of arguments, and let's not beat around the bush; I'd never have had a roof garden if I hadn't had your place too. So quit making me into some sort of philanthropist. I'm a business man."

As Kitty chuckled, staring up at him in adoration, Julia knew that she was seeing a special relationship, whatever he had to say about it. As she was digesting this, getting her head around this new side of Aaron, she realised that Kitty's attention was on her.

"It's so nice to see him bringing someone here." When Julia smiled awkwardly, Kitty's eyes flitted to Aaron, "usually he's a lone wolf. Though he hates that really."

He rolled his eyes, "woman, you are full of it today. Are we going to leave these animals with you then?"

She smiled up at him, "thank you."

The dogs seemed to yap in agreement.

He stood, "ok, we're going to leave. We're staying in town. Call when you've had enough?"

They were silent until they got back to the car. As Aaron pulled his door closed behind him, Julia turned in her seat to face him, "so I'm not the only waif and stray that you take in?"

He paused with his hand at the ignition, then slowly turned to her, "there's nothing stray about you. Waif-like? More than is healthy, but other than that there's no comparison."

He was playing it down again, all that he did for her, all that he did for Kitty. She placed a hand on his forearm and she heard his sharp intake of breath. "You ARE a good man, Aaron Harding. You just never accept that."

Shrugging, he turned his eyes back to the road, "I just do what helps me, don't flower this up."

Julia laughed, "ok, well when you tell me what benefits you get from putting me up...for NOTHING, then I'll believe you."

He turned slowly, his eyes running up the length of her slowly, when they finally met her eyes, he lifted a knowing eyebrow, and she melted. The whole of her insides turned to mush.

How the hell was she going to resist him when he turned on his charm?