Chapter 9
AIDEN
Aiden’s hands twitched in his lap as he sat across from the two men he really hadn’t been prepared on seeing this afternoon. He blamed it on his brother.
Parker knew there were issues. And he’d insisted on a guys’ outing. He’d wanted to see the cattle dogs that Jason’s wife worked with at her family’s ranch. Said he was interested in adopting one when he found a place of his own.
Aiden was all too aware that this was just a ploy to get everyone together. Inviting Jason had led to inviting his brother Mathew, which had led to including Reese. And now the five of them were seated at a table together.
The restaurant located within the country club was busy for a Saturday afternoon. The moderate hum of conversation might have been comforting if not for the fact that Mathew looked about ready to spit nails.
Did he know?
They’d only just sat down. They hadn’t even gotten their drinks yet. Aiden could feel Parker’s eyes on him, and he wanted to tell him to stop being so obvious.
It seemed as though Mathew had figured something out. He found out and now he knew Aiden was actively chasing the forbidden. Shoot. Mathew was going to out him in front of Reese.
Then what?
Aiden wasn’t going to stop seeing her. He knew that much, and the realization only made his stomach twist harder. Maybe it would be easier if everything was out in the open so he didn’t have to sneak around.
He held his breath, waiting for the inevitable. Bracing himself for the onslaught.
“You… seem tense…” Parker noted. “I know we don’t know each other very well, but…”
The waitress arrived, cutting Parker off. She smiled. “I’ll give you guys a few more minutes.”
Aiden nodded gratefully, then immediately reached for his water. His throat was dry and tight. This was it. Parker had knocked over the first domino.
Jason grunted. He wasn’t exactly the picture of ease, but at least he didn’t seem angry. “He’s just mad because he found out our sister is pregnant.”
Water spewed from Aiden’s mouth, and he rounded on Mathew with wide eyes. “What?”
Mathew scowled at his brother. “Yeah. Apparently, she eloped several weeks ago without telling any of us.”
Jason chuckled dryly. “That’s not even the worst of it.”
“What could be worse than that?” Reese snickered. “I’d say that’s a pretty big deal.”
Mathew’s jaw remained clenched tight. Jason, on the other hand, settled back in his chair and sighed.
“It’s ridiculous, honestly. She married a guy my uncle hates.
It’s a whole big thing.” He gave his brother a look.
“It’s none of Uncle George’s business who Penny wants to marry.
She’s not his daughter. Now, if Rose or Lily or one of the other girls ended up married to a Meyer, then he could throw a fit all he wants. ”
Aiden flinched at Lily’s name. It had to be a miracle that he’d never heard the names of Mathew’s cousins until now. Then again, maybe he had and he hadn’t been paying attention.
“The drama is out of control,” Mathew grumbled. “The wedding shouldn’t have happened, and now with a baby…”
“Hey, at least they’re happy.” Jason turned to the rest of the group.
“Penny stood up for herself. Told everyone to mind their business, and then she went on to threaten everyone within an inch of their lives. Only the people willing to be cordial will be allowed to see the baby and be in its life.”
Parker chuckled. “Good for her. I think I’d like your sister.”
Aiden shot his brother a hard look. One he hoped reminded Parker that said sister was taken.
His brother merely smirked.
“Think about it,” Jason said, giving his brother a playful shrug. “The girls should just worry about finding good men and starting their families before they give their father a heart attack or something.”
Aiden’s eyes shot to Mathew.
By the look on Mathew’s face, he knew they were thinking the same thing.
It was too soon for comments like that.
Mathew’s father had passed away from a heart attack, and recently at that. Jason seemed to realize it a beat late. His smile faded, and he rubbed a hand over the back of his neck.
Mathew looked down at his glass and said nothing.
“Wait a minute,” Reese interjected. “Did you say Lily? And Rose?” His eyes volleyed from Jason to Mathew. “As in Lily Taylor?”
Mathew nodded, taking a drink of his own. “She’s our cousin. You know her?”
A smile spread across Reese’s face, and he settled back against his seat. “Know her? I dated her. You know that girl I was talking about?”
Realization dawned around the table, and inwardly, Aiden groaned.
He’d put the pieces together long before now. With Mathew and Reese discovering the same, this could turn out even worse if the truth came out.
For the first time since Mathew had sat down, a smile tugged at his lips. “Small world. I didn’t know she’d been dating.”
Reese shrugged. “It wasn’t something we wanted a lot of people to know about. Mostly because I think she wanted it to stay just us. Probably had something to do with her family. She mentioned they’re a bunch of gossips.” His smile turned fond. “But she’s just as bad.”
Jason and Mathew chuckled. Then Jason shook his head with amusement. “Yeah, we don’t partake, but that doesn’t mean we don’t get wind of stuff when they decide to share.”
“Too bad it didn’t work out with you two,” Mathew mused, picking up his menu.
Aiden gaped at Mathew. His shock morphed into irritation. “What?”
All eyes turned to him. The only one not confused by Aiden’s outburst was his brother, who managed to cover his mouth with his hand in a way that made it difficult to see his reaction.
This was all just a big game to him, wasn’t it?
Aiden fought the urge to glower at Parker as his focus remained on Mathew. “You said no one could date a member of your family. Over and over. Like, I lost track of how many times you told me—”
“Incorrect,” Mathew said, understanding dawning.
Jason smirked, but it wasn’t as bad as Parker’s reaction. Reese still seemed confused.
Mathew had been fiddling with his straw, and now he pointed it at Aiden. “I said that you couldn’t date my family.”
Those words stung far more than Aiden had expected. Even Parker seemed to sober up at his side. The conversation they’d had was likely weighing him down.
At least Reese seemed to be on Aiden’s side, if not verbally, then by the way he glanced from Mathew over to Aiden with a sort of pity.
If only he knew.
Reese wouldn’t be so quick to show sympathy if he realized why Aiden was so upset. They both had interest in the same girl.
To his credit, Mathew seemed to realize he’d put himself on the spot and not in a good way. He cleared his throat and offered Aiden a beseeching look. “It doesn’t have anything to do with you specifically. It’s more… it’s that you’re my friend.”
Aiden gestured to Reese. “So is he.”
Now Mathew’s irritation matched his own.
“Yeah, well, Reese isn’t the kind of guy to date his way through all of Colorado.
” He grimaced almost immediately, like he knew the words had come out sharper than he’d intended.
Still, he kept going. “He wants to settle down. I don’t have to worry that he’ll treat the girl he wants like a fling.
And when it falls apart, I won’t have to hear about it from my cousin and my best friend day in and day out. ”
Aiden opened his mouth to argue, but no words came. Because that was what everyone thought of him. Maybe that was what he’d taught them to think.
Parker placed a hand on the table. “You know what? I think we need a change of topic. This is a guys’ outing. No more gossip and no more talk of women. Heaven knows I don’t need that sort of trouble in my life.”
He chuckled, but he was the only one.
Jason was shooting his brother a hard look, making it clear he thought Mathew had gone too far. Reese seemed like he wanted to be anywhere but at their table.
Mathew, on the other hand, looked tired now. Not unrepentant exactly, but too frustrated to take it back.
Aiden knew Mathew didn’t think there was anything wrong with asking his best friend not to date a member of his family. And even though he hadn’t meant to say it quite like that, it had everything to do with what he thought of Aiden as a person.
Head buzzing, Aiden pushed out from the table and got to his feet. “Thanks for the chat, guys. I’m not hungry. I think I’m just going to head out.”
“Aiden—” Parker started.
Aiden shook his head. “You stay. You wanted to touch base with these guys because you’re going to move here permanently. I’m just going to head home.”
His brother didn’t try to follow him out. Neither did any of the others.
Aiden spent the remainder of his day wallowing in the reality that was his life. The one person he looked up to didn’t think of him as highly as he’d thought. Mathew liked him as a friend, but he didn’t respect him enough to trust him with his cousin.
And maybe that hurt so badly because Aiden knew Mathew had every reason to feel that way. He was sneaking around. Hiding things from Reese. Letting Lily call him Christopher and pretending that everything was okay.
If Mathew knew everything, it would only prove him right.
He found himself pulling up to Lily’s property after dark. He crossed the lawn and pulled out his phone. In a few short minutes, the front door opened and Lily stepped out in a pair of pajama pants and a t-shirt.
She immediately closed the distance between them, worry marring her features. “What’s wrong?”
Aiden didn’t waste a single second. He pulled her against his chest, his arms wrapped around her tight like she was his only lifeline. She stiffened at first, but then relaxed into his hold.
“Christopher?”
He squeezed his eyes shut. He needed to tell her who he was. He needed her to know that he was keeping something from his best friend because he was selfish. He needed to admit that every time she trusted him, he felt like he was stealing something he hadn’t earned.
But he couldn’t bring himself to do so. Not tonight.
“Just… let me hold you,” he murmured into her hair. “Just for a minute.”
She didn’t answer right away. Then her hand moved carefully over his back. “Okay.”
The kindness in that single word nearly undid him.
“I don’t know how to be the kind of man everyone thinks I should be,” he admitted, the words rough and low. “And I hate that I care so much.”
She jerked up her head so she could look him in the eye. “What do you mean?”
He shook his head, unable to give her the full truth. “I just… I want to be the kind of man that’s worthy of you.”
Her expression softened, and she placed a hand to his cheek. “I might not know you as well as I plan to, but I know this much, you are plenty worthy.”
“How do you know?” His whisper was carried off in the summer breeze.
Lily pressed her fingers to his chest right above his heart. “Because I feel it here. You just need to believe it, too.”
Aiden closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers, relishing in the affections of this beautiful woman. She was everything he needed, now if only he could be the same for her.