CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Aiden slid behind the wheel, then turned to Skylar. “Want to grab some dinner? Or is there some at home?”
“I think Mom and Dad were going out to dinner with some friends, so we should probably stop somewhere unless we want to cook a meal after we get home.”
“Dinner out it is,” he said with a laugh. “Up for some Italian?”
“Sure. Sounds good.”
There was a restaurant that he’d found about a year ago, and he and his mom really enjoyed it. Even Willow liked to go there and order off their children’s menu.
“I’m glad to see Shiloh so improved,” Aiden said. “I’m not sure I’ll ever get used to seeing her sick.”
“Me, either. I suppose it’s exacerbated by the fact that when she gets sick, she gets sick. ”
“Yeah. No simple colds for her.”
They continued to chat about Shiloh, which then segued into a conversation about Charli and Blake’s other kids, until he pulled to a stop in the small parking lot next to the restaurant. The lot was nearly full, so he wasn’t surprised when there was a bit of a wait for a table.
“Must be a good place,” Skylar murmured as they stepped into the small corner by the hostess stand, out of the way of other diners. “Smells delicious.”
“Tastes delicious too,” Aiden said.
When he noticed a few glances in their direction, he wasn’t surprised. Given that he stood taller than most men and Skylar was beautiful, it was to be expected. Most people probably assumed they were a couple, out on a date, and he wasn’t in the mood to do or say anything that would dissuade them from that assumption.
Skylar stood with her arms crossed, her shoulder touching the wall they stood next to. Her gaze was on the activity around them, and Aiden didn’t pursue a conversation while they waited for their table.
Several groups left, so they ended up only waiting around fifteen minutes, which wasn’t really that bad. The hostess led the way through the dining room to a small table set for two.
The next several minutes were spent looking over the menu and deciding what they wanted. It was easy for Aiden to decide. After eating there several times already, he had a few favorites. Knowing what he did of Skylar’s taste, he was able to give her some recommendations. Apparently, her tastes hadn’t changed much over the years as she took him up on his suggestion for lasagna.
While waiting for their main course to come out, they spent the time eating salad and fresh bread and talking about the people from his and Cole’s class that he was still in contact with. Skylar hadn’t stayed in touch with any of her classmates, but maybe that would change now that she was back in the area.
Aiden wanted to broach the subject of their relationship, but he held his tongue. He’d learned to be more patient over the past few years, but this situation with Skylar was testing him.
He was grateful that things were at least comfortable between them. She no longer looked at him with anger or distrust. But at the same time, she also didn’t look at him the way she had when they were dating as teens.
He’d definitely cared for her then, too. However, looking back, he could see that her commitment to their relationship had been more than his was. She’d deserved to be loved and adored as much as she’d loved and adored him.
He might not have been willing or able to do that for her before, but he wanted a chance to do it now.
When their main course came, they were quiet for a couple of minutes as they dug into their meals.
“So, are you going with your parents to Serenity tomorrow?” Aiden asked. “I figure they’ll be going home once Shiloh is released.”
“I’m thinking about going back to Vegas, actually.”
Aiden lowered his fork as he frowned at her. “I thought you were going to stay in the area.”
“I am,” she said. “But I need to go back and close everything up. I have an apartment there full of stuff, so I have to pack it up.”
Aiden gave a huff of relieved laughter. “Oh. Of course.”
She lifted her brows at him. “Did you think I’d changed my mind?”
“Uh. Maybe?” He shrugged. “I just thought that perhaps since Shiloh was doing so much better, you’d reconsidered your decision.”
She shook her head. “I’ve already made up my mind.”
“Your parents are sure thrilled at the news,” Aiden said. “And the rest of your family will be too.”
“Mom and Dad just want all their kids close.” Skylar agreed.
“Are you going to need help with the move?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I’m still trying to decide the best way to get everything here.”
“Do you have a lot of stuff?”
“The usual amount, I think. Plus, my car.”
“Can you rent a truck and tow your car?”
She gave him an exasperated look. “I’m not sure that I’m qualified to do that. Or that I’d want to.”
“How far of a drive is it?”
“I checked last night, and it’s around a sixteen and a half hour trip, with stops.”
“You could do it one day,” Aiden said.
“One looooong day.”
“If you want, I could fly in, then drive the truck while you drive the car,” Aiden offered.
Skylar sat back in her chair. “Really?”
“I wouldn’t mind doing it,” Aiden said. “But you might need more than me if we’re packing up the truck, too. Maybe we should see if Cole wants to join us for a road trip.”
Before she could say anything, Aiden pulled out his phone and sent a message to Cole. “Let’s see what he says.”
In the past, Aiden might have thought that Cole wouldn’t make the time. But after his last visit to Serenity, he thought perhaps he might. And the idea seemed fun.
Aiden’s phone rang with a video call, and after he answered it, he propped it up on a glass so that they could both see Cole.
“Am I interrupting a date?” Cole asked.
“Nope,” Skylar replied. “We stopped for dinner after visiting Shiloh at the hospital.
“So you’re moving to Serenity?” Cole asked, shifting in the phone’s screen to look in her direction.
“I am,” she said. “Or more likely, Coeur d’Alene.”
“Why there and not Serenity?”
“There are more job options, so I think it will be better for me to be here.”
“And it’s closer to Aiden,” Cole said with a wink.
Skylar sighed, but she didn’t deny it.
“Could you spare some time for a road trip?” Aiden asked, saving Skylar from having to respond to Cole’s remark.
“Depends on when we’re talking about.”
They spent the next half hour planning out when the trip would work for each of them. In the end, Cole and Aiden decided to fly into Vegas on Friday so they’d have Saturday to load the truck. Then they’d set out early Sunday for the long drive back to Coeur d’Alene.
Skylar was going to head to Vegas as soon as she could book a flight, so she’d have a few days to pack before the guys arrived.
While Aiden continued to chat with Cole, Skylar pulled out her phone. Her brow furrowed as she focused on the screen, tapping and swiping.
“Okay. My flight to Vegas leaves early Wednesday morning,” she said, setting her phone down on the table. “So I’m going to be packing like a maniac until you guys arrive.”
“Is that enough time?” Aiden asked.
“Yep. It will be fine. Since I won’t be working, I’ll have plenty of time to pack.”
“Can’t believe you succumbed,” Cole said.
“Hey.” Skylar directed a frown at her brother. “I have good reason for moving back. Maybe you should consider it yourself.”
“Last I checked, they don’t have a pro team in Serenity.”
“You could take over for Jay coaching at the high school.”
“Not yet.”
Skylar smiled slyly at him. “Well, that’s not a flat out no.”
“I think we’re all learning that the future isn’t set in stone.”
“That sounds amazingly philosophical coming from you,” Skylar said.
“I’m not just a jock, you know,” Cole retorted.
“No. You’re a rich jock.”
“Let’s see,” Cole said. “Canceling trip to Vegas.”
Skylar laughed. “Fine. You’re a philosopher and a pro ballplayer.”
“You bet I am.”
Aiden smiled as the siblings interacted in such a familiar way. He had missed this, and he was glad that while other things had changed, the way the three of them could be together apparently hadn’t.
He couldn’t wait for Friday to come. Helping Skylar move back was something he was definitely on board with.
~*~
The next day, Skylar headed to Serenity with her parents, hoping that she could spend a little time with Shiloh that evening. Blake had come in to pick up Shiloh and Charli, and they were on their way out to Serenity as well.
She’d brought her suitcases with her, though she’d eventually need them back in Coeur d’Alene. Since she didn’t yet have an apartment there, she would have to stay in Serenity for the time being.
Aiden had apologized for not inviting her to stay at his place, but Skylar hadn’t been upset by that. She understood why he wouldn’t do it, and she respected him for it.
During their last conversation about getting back together, she’d asked for another day. But with her decision to return to Vegas to pack up, it would have to wait. And she was glad for the extra time.
Something was holding Skylar back, and she wasn’t sure what it was. She’d forgiven Aiden. Or at least she was pretty sure she had.
There was no doubt that she loved him. But was that enough?
He had become the man she’d always hoped to spend her life with, and she was confident that this version of Aiden wouldn’t abandon her. That he’d be a rock in her life. Strong and unmovable. That kind of strength was appealing because there was a lot of uncertainty in their future, particularly when it came to Shiloh.
So why wasn’t she jumping at the chance of getting back with him?
Even though she spent the trip to Serenity mulling that over, she still had no answer by the time her dad turned the car into their driveway.
She put her contemplations aside for the time being. There was still time for her to work through it, and maybe she and Aiden could have a talk on the drive back from Vegas.
Once in the house, she took her things up to her room, then returned to the kitchen to help her mom get them some lunch. It didn’t take long, and soon they were seated at the table together.
Skylar felt a sense of calm that she hadn’t the last time she was there. There had been a lot going on then. Uncertainty and worry. Not to mention her injured ankle.
But that was in the past now. Even the concern over Shiloh which had caused her to quit her job had eased—for the time being. And if there was a next time, she wouldn’t have to make a mad dash from Vegas.
She was at peace with her decision to quit her job and return to Coeur d’Alene. It wasn’t that she’d been unhappy in Vegas, but now that her future was headed in a new direction, she was glad to leave it behind.
As they were cleaning up after the meal, Skylar got a call from Charli.
“I was wondering if you wanted to come over for a bit this afternoon to see Shiloh.”
“Oh, I’d really like that.”
“Check if you can borrow Mom’s car,” Charli said. “If not, I’ll come pick you up.”
“Hang on, let me ask.” She lowered the phone and looked at her mom. “Can I use your car to go to Charli’s for a little while this afternoon?”
“Certainly, darling,” her mom said. “Your dad and I are going to the store, so we’ll be using his car.”
When Skylar said she had a ride, Charli told her to come soon since it was likely that Shiloh would take a nap at some point that afternoon.
Her mom and dad waved off her offer to help clean up from lunch.
“You just go on,” her mom said.
Skylar hugged her parents, then went up to her room to get her purse. When she came down, her mom gave her the keys to her car. “Have a good visit, darling.”
“I’ll be back in time to help you with supper,” she said as she headed for the front door.
It wasn’t long before she pulled up in front of a two-storey house. It wasn’t super big, but it was on some acreage on the outskirts of town, which gave the kids lots of room to run and play.
“Hi, Auntie Sky!” The boys both greeted her enthusiastically as they gave her quick hugs.
She ran her fingers through their dark, wavy hair. “Hey, you two. How’s it going?”
“They need haircuts,” Charli said. “So I think that while you’re here with Shiloh, I’m going to take them for that.”
At Charli’s instruction, Skylar walked through the house to the door that led to the large screened-in porch at the back of the house. It looked out over a yard that wasn’t as manicured as her parents’ or Aiden’s, but it was large and held everything a kid could want, from a swing set with a slide to a treehouse.
At the far end of the porch, Shiloh sat cross-legged on the bench swing, a book in her lap. She looked up, and a smile lit her face when she saw Skylar. “Auntie Sky! I didn’t know you were coming.”
Skylar walked over to the cluster of rattan furniture that included the porch swing where Shiloh sat and bent to give her a hug and kiss. As she sank down onto the swing next to Shiloh, she said, “How are you feeling?”
“Better,” Shiloh said as she put a bookmark into the book and set it on the chair beside her. “I don’t like feeling sick.”
“Oh, I understand that, sweetie,” Skylar said. “Hopefully it won’t happen again. But if you start to feel even a little sick, you need to tell someone. Once they know, they can give you medicine to keep you from getting worse.”
“Yeah. That’s what Momma said.” Shiloh’s shoulders slumped. “I just didn’t want to bother anyone.”
Shiloh’s whispered words broke Skylar’s heart. She shifted close enough to slip her arms around Shiloh. “You’re absolutely never a bother to anyone, especially your mom and dad. We all love you and want you to be healthy, so we’ll do whatever we need to in order to make that happen. We would do that for any of you kids.”
“Even Willow?” she asked.
“Yes, definitely. Willow too.”
The sadness slipped from Shiloh’s face at Skylar’s words, and she smiled at her again. It was a smile Skylar was so happy to see.
Skylar was glad for the opportunity to have this time with Shiloh. It was nice to be outside, in the screened in porch where bugs couldn’t get to them, instead of in the hospital.
As they chatted, Skylar let Shiloh lead the direction of their conversation. They touched on a variety of different things, starting with the book she’d been reading. From there, they moved on to one of the nurses she’d had during her latest hospital stay. Then she told Skylar that she wished she could go skating with Lexi and Amelia.
After about an hour, Charli was back with the boys, and she sent them out into the yard to play in the sprinkler. Shiloh asked to go lay down for a nap, so Charli took her to her room, then returned to the porch with some water and a plate of chocolate chip cookies.
“I need chocolate,” Charli said. “Desperately.”
Now that she didn’t have to worry about fitting into a uniform, Skylar didn’t feel like she had to restrict her diet quite as much. “I wouldn’t mind some myself.”
They sat eating their cookies for a few minutes, listening as the boys yelled at the top of their lungs while chasing each other through the water.
“How are things with you and Aiden?” Charli asked as she picked up her glass, slanting a look Skylar’s way before focusing on her sons again.
“We’re getting along better,” Skylar told her. “Certainly better than we did when we first saw each other.”
“So you’re friends?”
Skylar considered her sister’s question. “Yes. I would say we’re friends.”
“That’s good,” Charli said. “And the prospect of more than friendship? Has anything more developed since we last talked about things between you and Aiden?”
“Not really.” Skylar looked down at her hands. “We did talk some more, and I think I want to give him a second chance, but… I’m confused.”
“How do you feel about him?”
“I… really, really like him,” Skylar said, not wanting the first time she talked about her love for him to be with anyone but Aiden.
When he’d said he’d loved her in that previous conversation, her heart had about stopped. She hadn’t been sure if he’d realized he’d said it, so she hadn’t reacted at the time. At least outwardly. Inwardly, well, she’d been jumping for joy.
But yet she still hesitated to commit.
“When I see him now, I see the type of man I’d always imagined he’d become. Strong. Reliable. Added on to that, I see a gentleness in him I don’t remember from before. Shiloh and Willow really bring it out of him.”
“You do too,” Charli said. “Though I’m not sure you see it.”
Skylar nodded. “I do see it.”
“Have you forgiven him for what happened?”
“I think I have. I can be around him without being angry at him.”
“That’s good,” Charli said. “And have you considered your part in everything?”
Skylar shifted to look more fully at her sister. “What?”
Charli stared at her for a long moment before she said, “I understand that Aiden bears a lot of the weight of responsibility for what happened before. However, you also bear some of it.”
Skylar narrowed her eyes at Charli.
“Just hear me out, okay? I’ve been thinking a lot about this since we talked, and I want to share my thoughts with you. What you do with them is up to you.” Charli let her gaze drift to the boys. “I think that if you hope to make things work with Aiden, you need to shoulder some of the responsibility for your own hurt. Aiden shouldn’t have to bear all of it.”
“I need you to explain.”
“I know you struggled with the fact that you got pregnant,” Charli said. “And that giving Shiloh up hurt you a lot.”
“Yes. That’s true.”
“But unless Aiden raped you, you were as responsible as he was for what you did that resulted in your pregnancy.”
Charli’s words shocked Skylar, not because they weren’t true, but because they were. And she wasn’t done yet.
“I believe you also need to acknowledge that the decision to give Shiloh up was entirely yours. You know that if you’d wanted to keep her, you could have. You would have had lots of support.”
Skylar felt the truth of those words pierce her heart.
“I’m not saying that I wish that things had worked out differently, because I don’t feel that way at all. I believe things worked out the way they were supposed to.”
“So, what am I supposed to do?”
“I think you need to accept that you made decisions that would benefit you,” Charli said, not pulling any punches. She lifted her hand when Skylar started to say something, feeling the need to defend herself. “You were entitled to make those decisions, and clearly, we have also benefited in a way we hadn’t known was possible. I’m not getting after you for any of those decisions.”
“Then what are you saying?” Skylar wasn’t sure how she should feel at that moment. There was a mix of anger and sadness, along with some other feelings, bubbling inside her. One of them was going to spill out, and she wanted to make sure it was the right one.
“I’m saying that I think it’s important that you free Aiden from some of the weight he carries for your unhappiness during that time, because it shouldn’t all be his. Yes, he broke up with you in a way that was really hurtful, and his response to your pregnancy was bad, but you also made some decisions that have added to your unhappiness.”
Skylar had never thought of it that way. Charli’s words peeled back a curtain in her mind, and her heart hurt once again. Except, it didn’t hurt for herself, this time it hurt for Aiden.
In her mind all these years, it was his fault that she’d had to give Shiloh up, and when they’d reconnected, she’d made sure he knew that. She’d thought she was too young—a couple of years younger than Charli had been—and not strong enough to be a good mom.
But Charli was right. The family would have supported her. She could have kept Shiloh.
“I don’t want to upset you,” Charli said. “But I think it’s important that you talk to Aiden about this before you move forward. Don’t try to build a relationship on the shaky past the two of you have. Sweep away all the regret and hurt and build your relationship on truth. And that truth should start with a very frank conversation about what happened nine years ago.”
“You’re right,” Skylar said, then swallowed against the emotion that threatened to choke her. “I’ll talk to him.”
Charli reached out and laid her hand on Skylar’s arm. “I would like nothing better than to see you and Aiden together, but I want it to be a lasting thing. And not just for your and Aiden’s sake. I don’t want Shiloh to watch her birth parents get together, only for them to fall apart at some point in the future.”
Skylar shook her head. “I don’t want her to see that either, and I don’t want to live through that for a second time.”
“So give yourselves the best shot by being honest about everything.”
Skylar hadn’t enjoyed hearing those truths from her sister. But now that she had, she knew that it had been necessary. That Charli had only been looking out for her best interests.
“I might have the opportunity to talk to him this weekend when we’re on the way back from Vegas.”
“Tell me about your plans,” Charli said.
As she told Charli about what she was hoping would happen, Skylar had a confidence about the future that she hadn’t had prior to their conversation. Because now she knew what she had to do. What had held her back from being able to fully commit to Aiden.
Unfortunately, the next few days were going to be busy, and she wouldn’t see Aiden again until he arrived in Vegas. Suddenly those few days they’d be far apart loomed large.
Now that she was fully on board for a new relationship with him, she wanted it to happen right away.