Several days had passed. Aiden and Jas had stayed in Room 208 getting much needed rest from the dreadful day and finally recovered from the flu. During those days, Nanna had been gradually increasing their food intake from broth, to vegetable and rice soup, until they were at regular food. Aiden and Jas both looked forward to being out of bed and sinking their teeth into a solid breakfast.

The smell of scrambled eggs and bacon coming through the vents quickly got them out of bed and downstairs to the cafeteria. Aiden pulled Jas's seat back and slipped her chair under the table.

"Real food," she said excitedly. Jas had piled her plate with everything that was on the steam table.

"Don't overdo it, Jas. You know this is our first full meal that we've had in two weeks."

"You're kidding, right. I'm going to eat whatever I want." She grinned. "Did you remember to ask Nanna and Major to join us?"

"I did, they'll be here shortly."

Aiden slipped into his seat across from Jas. He couldn't help noticing how much better she looked. Jas was no longer frail, but back to her most beautiful self. The last scare that they'd had made him treasure her even more. Aiden couldn't wait for the few months to pass by so that he could marry her.

"I like him," Jas said taking a sip of her orange juice.

"Who, Major?"

"Yeah. I've still been waking up crying at night, but I know this is what needs to be."

"It's going to take a while for you to get through it. I'll be here to help you."

Jas leaned across the table and kissed Aiden on the forehead. "You're so sweet."

Just then Major and Nanna walked up to the table carrying their breakfast on trays. They quickly got seated. Nanna sat next to Jas and pinched her on the cheek. "It's good to see the color back in your face, dear."

Major nodded. "You both look great. That first day I saw both of you, I was worried. I'm glad that you both are feeling better."

They all had so much to catch up on. Nanna shared with them about the house that Major had built. She also shared that they planned to have a small wedding. Jas watched joy dance across Nanna's face. She was like a school girl. Hearing Nanna speak about where her life was headed was wonderful but so surreal. All Jas ever knew was Nanna and the inn. The shifts both of their lives was going to be dramatic.

Major joined in and told them all about life on his ranch in Dallas. He shared about his family and how much he appreciated Nanna healing his broken heart after Judith died. As Jas listened to these new-found tales of love and laughter, how could she possibly cry anymore? This was a time for celebration. This was a time to thank God for how fortunate Nanna was to find true love in her sunset years. Jas decided at that moment that she wasn't going to cry again.

Nanna reached in her pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. She slid it across the table to Jas. "Take a look at my guest list. We're trying to keep it small and private but do you see anybody else you think I should add to the list?"

Jas read the list. Nanna invited many people from Ellijay. "This is good Nanna. These are the people that have been with you since the inn started. They'll appreciate the invitation.

Major chimed in. "You know what, Arabella. I think that we should add that nice couple that we met here. I've really taken a liking to those two."

Nanna nodded, "That's a good idea."

"What couple is that?" Jas asked.

"It's a doctor and his wife. They've been here a few weeks. Just the loveliest people that you'd ever want to meet," said Nanna. "The wife reminds me of someone but I can't put my finger on it."

"Yeah," Major said, "We've spent quite a bit of time with them. Matter of fact they even helped us out at the Apple Festival."

Jas bit into a slice of bacon. "Really?"

Nanna chuckled, "Even Flannery likes them."

"Now, that means that they really must be special," Aiden said laughing. "Flannery doesn't like anyone."

"Sunshine, why don't we invite them to dinner one night in your quarters."

Jas raised her eyebrow and grinned. "Sunshine?"

Nanna blushed. "I'm entitled to a pet name." Then she glanced over at Aiden, knowing what he called Jas. "Babe." She said loudly.

They all laughed. Then Aiden spoke up. "Plan a dinner, Nanna. I'd like to meet anyone that Flannery has taken a liking too."

***

Deanna and Troy took a ride out to the property that Troy had purchased. Deanna instantly fell in love with the place. She walked through the cabin amazed at the breath-taking views of every room. It wasn't a big place, only about 2000 square feet, but the land it was sitting on was a show stopper. It had beautiful trees, a small lake and a barn at the far end of the property.

"We're going to all be together, Troy, right here," she said pointing to the dining room area. "Our three sons, their wives and the grandbabies. I can just see it."

Troy beamed, thinking of how happy he was to see his wife with visions of the future instead of the past. He took her hand and kissed it.

"I know we won't be visiting here often, but when we do these walls are going to be filled with laughter."

"I've dreamed of the day to see your happiness again, darling."

Deanna reached out and hugged Troy. "It's so close that I can feel it. When we get back to Chicago I'm going to find a rent management company to rent the place when we're not here."

"That's a good idea."

Deanna took Troy's hand and led him back outside. They took a walk down one of the walking trails on the property. It was a beautiful, crisp day. The leaves crunched under their feet as they walked deeper into the woods surrounding the property. They were surprised to find a two-seater swing at the end of one of the roads. Across from it was an old flower garden that hadn't been maintained since the old owners moved away. They sat on the swing.

"I'm going to restore that garden. Just like I'm restoring my life."

"That's good, Deanna.

"I'm ready, Troy."

"For what, darling."

"I'm ready to talk to Billy Bob. I'm going to handle this once and for all. I won't be looking back again."

Troy tucked Deanna under his arm. He recalled the terror on Billy Bob's face as he cleared the path for that conversation. Troy knew that all would be well. "All right, but let me arrange it, please."

Deanna gave a quizzical look. "But why? Do you think that I can't handle this?"

"No, darling," Troy said, "I will always be a buffer for you. That is what a loving husband does."

"But..."

"Deanna, let me do my duty as your husband."

She leaned her head back on his shoulder. "All right, Troy."

***

Laughter rang out around Ella's dining room table. She'd invited Bruce and Michelle over to have dinner with Jas and Aiden. Jordy and Samantha were in the basement playing video games. Ella wanted to smooth things out between the friends because Michelle was feeling really bad that she'd called Jas home.

Ella didn't tell Bruce and Michelle that she'd invited Jas and Aiden. Michelle cried when she walked in the door and saw Jas. Once the waterworks were over and Michelle confessed that she would never tell anything again (which they all knew would not be the case) they sat down to a good southern meal.

After the meal, Bruce and Aiden left Ella, Jas and Michelle at the table making wedding plans. He and Bruce drove into town to pick up some ice cream for dessert. They drove to Moo Bears, a quaint ice cream shop in Ellijay.

"I know I shouldn't be giving the children sugar this time of night. They're going to be bouncing off the walls." Bruce said as he watched the server pile high the Strawberry Sundae's for Jordy and Samantha. She'd already made milkshakes for Bruce and Michelle.

"It's the weekend. Let them stay up all night in the basement and burn it off. Ella's got plenty of toys and games for them to play."

"You're right. We don't have to watch all that energy, do we?"

"No."

The server started on Aiden's order of two banana splits. "Extra whipped cream, please."

The server piled it high upon his request then capped them with a big plastic top.

"That will be eight dollars and forty-five cents."

Aiden slip his card across and paid for the ice cream. He and Bruce gathered their bags and headed back to the truck. They placed the goods on the floor of the back seat and then got in the truck. Bruce pulled onto the main road, headed back to Ella's house.

"Aiden, don't get mad when I ask you this, but are you going to invite your mother to the wedding."

Aiden shot an angry glare at Bruce. "Why are you asking me that?"

"A wedding is a one-time affair. I wouldn't want you to regret something down the road. Just might be a good time for healing."

Aiden turned and looked blankly out the window. He didn't say anything for a long time. "I haven't communicated with my mother in seven years and have no intentions of speaking with her or my father, now."

"Seven years?"

No one knew about Aiden vanishing from the face of the map. He'd kept that a secret up until now. Aiden inwardly chided himself for even speaking to Bruce about it now.

"Aiden, how could you not talk to your parents in seven years. From what you've told me about living with the Sparkman's you had the good life. Didn't Troy Sparkman even set you up in business?"

Aiden sighed and shook his head. "You're as bad as Jas. What's a good life, Bruce? You think money and things replace living without the love of your parents? She didn't even want me, my biological father made her take me in."

"Have you ever asked her why?"

Aiden's face contorted. His temples began to throb. "I don't want to talk about this. My mother is living her life. I am living mine."

"You need to talk about it, Aiden. You owe it to yourself to find out what happened in these woods."

"Some things are better left in the past."

"Perhaps, but not in your case. You're still hurt."

Aiden folded his arms across his chest and glared out the window. Why couldn't anyone understand how he felt? The natural order of things is for parents to be in your life to provide for you and to give you love and security.

He'd been provided for - Billy Bob had taken care of that, and so had Deanna. But he'd also been deprived of love and security. It wasn't until he was five years old after he'd run down his driveway to return a red ball to a little girl that he began to feel love and security. His mind slipped back to the first day he'd laid his little eyes on Jas.

"Is this your ball?"

"Yes, do you want to play with me?"

Aiden got chills just thinking about it. No one had ever asked him to play. No one had ever asked him to do anything kind. Billy Bob and Myrna always had chores for him to do. Even at five years old he was making the beds and taking out the trash. A smile flittered across his face thinking about how he and Jas had played with that ball for what seemed like eternity that day. He was so happy. Then he'd met Nanna.

"And who are you, little fella?"

"Aiden."

"Where do you live?" She said, patting him on the head. Aiden pointed down the road. "Nice to meet you Aiden, I'm Nanna. Do you think your parents would mind if I got you and Jasmine some ice cream?"

"No, ma'am."

That's how it all started. Nanna and Jas gave his life stability, love and security. It was Nanna that read him stories, never forgot a birthday and showered him with gifts during his little life. It was Jas that made him laugh, gave him a reason for wanting to get up each day and the one that he'd come to love more than anything in the whole world.

Aiden turned to Bruce. "I don't know if you or Jas can ever understand the hole that I have in my life. It's my life and neither of you have a right to tell me how to feel."

"I'm not trying to tell you how to feel, Aiden. I'm suggesting that if you got the full story it might heal that hole."

"Nanna and Jas are all the healing that I need," Aiden said firmly.

Bruce sighed, "So what's going to happen when Jas wants to visit Ellijay? She's going to feel your resistance and come to regret it. You can't even look at that path in the road without getting angry. Are you going to do that to Jas?"

Aiden knew he was right. He didn't even want to be in Ellijay now. Bruce said he was angry when he looked at the path to Billy Bob's road. He wasn't angry, he was infuriated. Every time he even glanced at it, his stomach felt like hot burning acid.

"I was an accident, Bruce. That's why I wasn't wanted, because I wasn't planned. Just an unfortunate chain of events."

Bruce glanced over at Aiden. He could feel his pain and it broke his heart. Bruce stretched his mind trying to think of something comforting to say. He couldn't watch his best friend drown. Part of him wished he hadn't started the conversation down this path. "All right, let's suppose that everything you are saying is true. You are a result of a one night stand and that all of your pain is justified. That still doesn't make you an accident."

Aiden quirked his brow. Then he said in a condescending tone, "Now you're a psychologist? We just need to leave this topic alone."

"No. You've got to stop running. Even Jesus Christ was born out of wedlock. Imagine that, to find out that your fiancé was pregnant."

Those words startled Aiden. He swung around, having never even considered that thought. His eyes bulged. "What?"

"Yeah, what do you think Joseph thought about that? What kind of ridicule do you think Mary took? Jesus wasn't born in a perfect circumstance, but his life had purpose to save the world."

Aiden gasped. His mouth hung open. He didn't know what to say. He stared at Bruce in astonishment.

"You don't have to be born in a perfect circumstance to have purpose, Aiden. You don't have to have a perfect family to have purpose either. Your mother loved you enough not to abort you. Maybe that's all the love that she had."

Aiden sank his face in his hands. His body was shaking. Bruce drove the truck into Ella's driveway. They sat quietly for a few moments. Bruce reached over and patted Aiden on the back. "You might have been an accident for your parents. But you were not an accident in God's eyes. He made your life for Nanna and Jas, if nothing more."

"Oh God, Bruce. I'm so dangerously angry."

"I know."

***

Aiden couldn't sleep that night. What Bruce had said really got to him. He didn't want to wake Jas. Aiden slipped from the bed and sat in a chair across the room. Flannery followed him and hopped up in his lap. Aiden stroked her back and whispered, "Want to trade lives for a day, Flannery?"

His life would be so simple as a cat. He wouldn't have to deal with emotions being plucked as they had been tonight. Nor would he have to do anything more than sleep and eat. Flannery purred under the warmth of his hand. It was as if she understood.

He despaired at the thought of talking to his parents. Yet the fiery dart that Bruce sank in his soul was still there – how would all this impact Jas? If Jas wanted to visit Chicago where his mother lived, would he have a problem with that too? If she wanted to discuss the happy memories that the two of them had growing up together under Nanna's sweet care would memories of Billy Bob and Myrna over shadow it?

Aiden could hear Jas stirring. He glanced up to find her watching him. "Is everything okay, Aiden?"

How should he answer that question? If he told her how miserable he was at the moment she'd want to know why. That would mean he'd have to give an honest answer. That in turn, would mean that he would have to talk about what he didn't want to talk about. But part of him did want to talk to Jas. Aiden pondered the question for a moment.

"I got hot."

That was partially true. Jas pretty much had him at fever pitch every time they slipped between the sheets. Since they'd recovered from the flu they'd made up from weeks without contact. She was killing him, but he was determined to make it to the altar.

Jas stepped out of the bed. She went to the window and opened it slightly. "Why didn't you open the window?" Then she walked over to him. "Move, Flannery."

The cat hissed and then pounced off his lap. She sauntered across the floor and slinked into a corner. Flannery's reflective green eyes look agitated in the moon light. Jas triumphantly sat on Aiden's lap. "Why don't I believe that is what has you up?

Maybe because it isn't true. Maybe because I don't want to talk to you about it. "I was hot." Just not in the way that you interpreted it by opening the window. He slipped his hand under Jas's night clothes and stroked her back. Aiden softly nipped Jas's shoulder. Aiden felt the warm embers of being so close to Jas begin to burn again. He kissed her softly on the lips. "Let's just go back to bed."

"I know you too well, Aiden. What's the matter?"

He laid his head against her breast. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Well, we can't go to bed until you do."

Aiden sighed, then threaded his hands through hers. "I'm really struggling. You and Bruce are making me think about inviting my parents to the wedding."

"That's good, precious," Jas said.

"Bruce said that if God only sent me here for you and Nanna wouldn't that be enough for me to feel that I wasn't an accident."

"That's beautiful, Aiden. When my parents died, you kept me happy. When I grew up you were my world. I love you dearly. Bruce is right, there are no accidents with God."

"I just don't know how I would react if I saw them, babe. I'm still so very angry."

Jas lifted his face and kissed him. "I'm proud of you. We'll deal with that whenever that day comes."

"I still might not invite them to the wedding."

"I know, but at least you're beginning to open to the possibility of seeing them. That's progress."

"I love you, Jas."

He lifted her and carried her back to bed. They started again, where they'd left off – awakening each other's blistering passion. Their bodies raged together. Aiden pulled away, breathlessly. His dark eyes spelled out what he desperately wanted, and what he desperately didn't want. The battle in his flesh was driving him insane. Jas wrapped her arms around him and pulled him back down. "I promised to keep you safe," she whispered.

Aiden groaned. God, have mercy. Then feverously sank his mouth over hers.