Chapter 18
LILY
“Hey, Lils, can you bring me that box of carpenter nails?”
Lily glanced down at her feet and lifted a small carton. “This one?”
Parker nodded. “Yep. That’s it.”
She carried it over to where he stood beside Aiden as they set to work on reinforcing the framing for the church. Since Parker’s crew was off for the day, she, Aiden, and Jasmine had offered to come out on Sunday and help with the project.
Lily glanced over at Aiden and breathed a quiet sigh of relief. Ever since he’d shown up to tell her Mathew knew about them, he’d seemed lighter. She could practically see how much the secret had weighed on him, and not only emotionally. The physical difference was like night and day.
He must have felt her watching because he glanced her way and winked.
Warmth spread through her chest.
This was what she’d wanted. A chance to enjoy their relationship out in the open. To spend time with him without hiding. To look at him across a room, or a half-built church, and not worry about who might notice.
Reese was out of town again for a few weeks, which was disappointing, but she’d promised him they would all get together the moment he returned.
His schedule had made a real phone conversation nearly impossible, so they’d only exchanged short messages. Nothing long enough for her to explain everything that had happened between her and Aiden.
That was fine, though. They’d have plenty of time later.
It was funny that Reese still knew Aiden by his middle name. She’d kept that detail to herself because of the confusion with Mathew, and because she didn’t want to explain everything through a string of rushed messages. Lily could already imagine the conversation that would follow.
Reese was protective, and he would probably have an opinion about the way Aiden had handled things in the beginning.
But Lily wasn’t going to walk away from the man she loved simply because her best friend had concerns.
Once Reese saw how much Aiden cared for her, she believed he would understand.
Eventually, maybe the awkwardness would fade. Maybe they could all become friends.
When she looked toward Aiden again, his smile faded for the briefest moment before he turned back to his work. Lily frowned, but Parker asked him something about the framing, and the moment passed before she could decide whether she had imagined it.
Jasmine nudged her and released a heavy sigh. “Man, why couldn’t Parker be my type?”
Lily startled, then followed her sister’s gaze. Parker stood with his nail gun at the ready, the muscles showing in his tanned arms and a light sheen of sweat on his forehead.
Lily laughed, drawing Aiden’s attention, which only made her blush. Turning away from the men, she lightly whacked Jasmine with the back of her hand. “He is so your type. Seriously. I can’t believe you still haven’t agreed to go on a date with him.”
Jasmine made a face. “Nah. He’s not interested in the romance stuff.”
“Neither are you.”
“But I want to be.” Jasmine lowered her voice.
“That’s the difference. If you’ll recall, he wants to skip the whole falling-in-love part and start a family.
What do you think Dad would say if he found out I was considering being with a guy who didn’t plan on falling in love with me? He’d blow a gasket, that’s what.”
She wasn’t wrong. Their father might be protective, but he still wanted each of his daughters to find love with a man worthy of her.
Jasmine’s expression softened. “Things seem to be going well with you and Aiden, though. You look happy.”
Lily pressed her fingers to her cheeks, but there was no hiding her smile.
Jasmine giggled. “That’s what I thought. Seems like everything is finally coming together. I’m so happy for you.”
“Yeah, it’s working out better than I could have planned.” Lily turned her attention to Aiden. He seemed to be getting along better with his brother lately, too. All in all, the man she loved was more at ease, and that brought her more joy than she could explain.
The guys made their way over, and Parker rubbed his stomach. “Aiden just told me you two packed one heck of a lunch for us. How about we take a break and get something to eat?”
“Sounds good to me.” Aiden slipped an arm around Lily’s waist and pressed a kiss to her temple. “I’d love nothing more than sitting in the shade with my girl.”
“Oh, please. Get a room,” Jasmine called, cupping her hands around her mouth.
She exchanged an amused glance with Parker, but that didn’t stop Aiden from pulling Lily closer. He looked at her for a moment, giving her time to pull away, before lowering his head.
He pressed his lips against hers firmly, kissing her like she was the only person in the world he wanted.
Lily melted into his embrace, reveling in the rightness of it all.
She didn’t care that her sister was teasing her or that Aiden’s brother had a front row seat to the connection she shared with the man of her dreams.
Right here, right now, she allowed herself to enjoy every last second of being in Aiden’s arms. When she pulled back, both she and Aiden were grinning like two lovebirds. And five minutes later, they were seated beneath a large tree on a picnic blanket with the food Jasmine had helped Lily prepare.
They had sandwiches, chips with dip, and a variety of fruit. Parker opened his sandwich and put a few potato chips between the slices of bread much to Jasmine’s disgust. She wrinkled her nose, and when Parker caught sight of her reaction, he offered his sandwich to her. “Want a bite?”
“Not in a million years.”
“Wow,” Aiden said with mock astonishment. “Mr. Perfect isn’t quite so perfect after all.”
Lily gave him a small shove. “Oh, be quiet. No one thinks your brother is Mr. Perfect but you.”
She shot a look in Parker’s direction and was relieved to see he didn’t appear bothered by the statement. Then again, Parker seemed to be good at hiding his emotions. Lily wasn’t sure that was a good thing, which was why she’d wanted Aiden to be more careful with him.
“So, Aiden,” Jasmine said, drawing their attention, “how are things going with Mathew?”
Aiden’s shoulders tightened.
Nearly two weeks had passed since he’d told Mathew the truth. Two weeks since Mathew had walked out of the break room without another word. Two weeks of avoiding Aiden whenever they crossed paths at work.
Lily had insisted Mathew was busy. They worked in a hospital, for heaven’s sake. But even she knew that excuse only stretched so far. They’d never had trouble finding time to speak before.
She glanced at Aiden, then gave Jasmine a warning look. If he didn’t want to talk about it, they weren’t going to push him.
“He’s still avoiding me,” Aiden admitted.
“That’s ridiculous,” Jasmine muttered. “He doesn’t know you very well if he thinks you’re not good for Lily. Anyone can see how much you care about each other.”
Lily reached for Aiden’s hand and squeezed it. She hated that Mathew’s silence had stirred up every old doubt Aiden carried about himself. She wanted to remind him that one person’s anger didn’t decide his worth.
But she also knew she couldn’t fix that wound for him. She could only stand beside him while he learned not to believe every cruel thing fear whispered.
“Well, Penny and Jason don’t seem to care,” Jasmine continued. “I saw them at the café the other day. They were surprised, but they seemed happy for both of you.”
“You told them?” Lily asked, leaning forward.
Jasmine frowned. “I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it was still a secret. Since Mathew knew, I assumed everyone else would hear soon enough.”
Lily glanced at Aiden. He didn’t seem bothered by it, though his thumb moved restlessly across the back of her hand.
“I just hadn’t gotten around to telling them myself,” Lily said. “But it’s all right. I suppose you saved me a couple of conversations.”
Aiden slipped his arm around her and rested his chin lightly on top of her head. His nearness had become such a comfort that the thought of losing it made her chest tighten. She turned her head and looked up at him.
His smile was soft, but something troubled still lingered behind it. When his lips brushed the crown of her head, she let herself breathe a little easier.
“Well, clearly Mathew is being dumb,” Jasmine declared. “If he decides he wants to ruin a friendship he’s had since moving here, that’s his loss.” She leaned forward and patted Aiden’s knee. “I’ve got your back. You can count on me if it comes to a fight.”
Aiden laughed, the movement vibrating through Lily in the best of ways. “Thanks for your support, Jazz. I appreciate it.”
“Of course! I’ve always believed people should live the life that makes the most sense for them. If being with Lily makes you happy, then Mathew will have to adjust.” Jasmine’s expression softened. “Love is worth fighting for, as long as both people are fighting for the same thing.”
Lily exchanged a look with Aiden. Staring into his eyes made her believe this could be it for her. They could truly have a future together, and nothing could have made her happier.
Aiden turned his attention to his brother. “I guess you’re next, huh?”
Parker frowned. “Next for what? Making your friends mad?” He chuckled at his own joke, but no one else joined in. His smile dropped. “Come on. That was at least a little funny.”
“No,” Aiden drawled. “You’re next to find someone. You moved here for the job, but you decided to stay.”
“Not for a woman,” Parker scoffed. He glanced at Lily, then Jasmine. “No offense.”
Jasmine waved a hand through the air. “None taken.”
Parker started to fidget, and Lily narrowed her eyes.
“But you are staying for something,” she said. “Right?”
He shifted again, his ears turning pink. Gripping the back of his neck, he looked away. “I’ve been talking to my lawyer about something. It turns out it would be better if I had a stable home.”
Jasmine snorted. “A stable home? Are you thinking about adopting a dog?”
“Or something,” Parker muttered.
Lily watched him, her curiosity building, but she knew better than to press. She’d kept enough secrets of her own to understand that some things couldn’t be shared before a person was ready. When Parker wanted them to know, he would tell them.
“I think you should get a shih tzu,” Jasmine announced before popping a grape into her mouth.
All three of them turned to stare at her.
“What?” she asked. “Don’t you think Parker would look adorable walking through town with one of those fluffy little dogs? He could even put a pink bow in her hair.”
Parker shook his head. “Not happening, Jasmine. I’d rather get a cat.”
Jasmine placed a hand over her chest. “I don’t think there’s a cat alive that would tolerate you for more than a day.”
“Hey, that’s not true.” Parker tossed a chip in her direction. It bounced off her shoulder and landed on the blanket.
Jasmine plucked it from the fabric and made a show of crunching it between her teeth. “Thanks for the chip.”
He shook his head, but his smile remained. For a moment, the two of them simply looked at each other, Parker’s expression quieter than his teasing had been.
Not for the first time, Lily glanced around their small group and imagined a future where afternoons like this were normal—a picnic in the summer shade, children running through the grass, and the people she loved gathered close.
Maybe there would even be a dog running around.
Or, if Parker had any say in it, a cat.