Chapter 20
LILY
“My birthday is coming up,” Lily admitted, swaying as the horse beneath her plodded along the trail.
“I’m well aware.”
She glanced at Aiden in surprise. “You are?”
“Jasmine can’t keep a secret to save her life, if that’s what you’re wondering.”
Lily snorted. “She kept our secret, didn’t she?”
He grimaced. “Touché.”
At that, she laughed. The morning sun warmed the foothills around them, catching on the pale grass and the scattered wildflowers along the trail. Farther up, the mountains rose sharply against the blue sky.
“Anyway, I’m pretty sure Jasmine is planning something,” she said. “She does that.”
“But isn’t it her birthday, too?”
“Yep.” Lily snickered. “And what better way to plan her own birthday than under the guise of planning one for her twin?”
He laughed with her. “I guess that’s a good point. At least that way she gets everything she wants. The right food. The right music. The right…” He narrowed his eyes at her. “Theme?”
Lily nodded. “Now you’re getting it.”
“What about you?”
She shrugged. “What about me?”
“Don’t you care?”
His question caught her off guard. Of course she cared, just not in the way he probably meant.
“I care that Jasmine is happy on our birthday,” she began.
“I care that when she looks back on all the parties we’ve shared, she feels special.
It’s hard sharing everything with someone—even a sister.
We shared clothes, a bedroom, and almost every milestone growing up.
I know I’ll still be celebrated, but I want Jasmine to get what she wants, too. ”
She could feel Aiden’s eyes on her and turned to study his expression.
He looked thoughtful. Not as though he were judging her or turning her into some kind of hero. If anything, he seemed to be enjoying learning something new about her.
And when he looked at her like that, she felt seen.
“I’ve been thinking about what you said the other day,” she said, changing the subject. “About going into animal medicine.”
“Oh yeah?”
She scrunched her nose and glanced toward the sky. “Yeah. I think you were right.”
“About what?”
She rolled her eyes and gave him a pointed look. “You know what. It’s time for me to step outside my comfort zone. I love working for my family, and helping around the farm is fine, but sometimes I don’t feel like it’s where I belong. Most of the time, I’m not even sure they need me.”
Aiden stayed quiet, letting her continue.
“Rose is Dad’s second, and one day she’ll be running the whole place.
Emerson helps her with the things she struggles with—like brute strength.
” Lily laughed. “That sounds terrible, but you know what I mean. There are just some jobs that take more muscle than what I have to offer. And the rest of us mostly do what we’re told.
If I were interested in mechanics, I could ask River to teach me, but that sounds so… ” She made a face. “Boring.”
“And going back to school feels more like you,” Aiden said.
“Yeah.” Her smile returned. “Not only would I enjoy it, but it would be fulfilling. I could make a difference around here.” She tightened her grip on the reins and gave him a sidelong glance. “Do you think it’s too late to go to school for something like that? I’m already twenty-two.”
Aiden stared at her. “Twenty-two is not old.”
“I know, but most people start college right after high school.”
“It’s never too late. Believe me, plenty of people change majors two or three times before they figure out what they actually want. You already know what interests you. That puts you ahead of a lot of them.”
She considered that. He made a good point.
“So,” he said, “are you going to do it? Take the plunge?”
“Yeah. I think I am.”
He let out a whoop so loud that she startled, and both horses tossed their heads in protest. Aiden hunched his shoulders and gave them an apologetic look, making Lily laugh.
“I think you’re going to love it,” he said.
“Yeah. Me too.”
She nudged her horse closer to his and reached out her hand. Aiden took it and gave it a gentle squeeze.
“And when I get my license,” she said, “we’ll both be healers.”
“I suppose we will.”
He lifted her knuckles to his lips and kissed the back of her hand. Warmth rushed up her arm and settled in her chest.
“I love you, Aiden.”
His eyes widened.
It was the third time she had told him without hearing the words in return. He’d admitted he was falling for her, but he still hadn’t said those exact words. Somehow, she didn’t need him to say them before he was ready.
“It’s okay if you can’t say it yet,” she said. “I understand.” Heat rose in her cheeks, but she kept going. “I just don’t want you to question how I feel. Not even for a second.”
Aiden looked at her as though there were a dozen things he wanted to say and couldn’t quite manage any of them.
Lily gave his hand another squeeze.
She wasn’t in a rush. Aiden had spent a long time believing he was easier to leave than to love. Maybe one day he would be able to meet her halfway.
When that day came, she would be ready.
Lily stepped inside the house after kissing Aiden goodbye on the front porch.
Her father had seen him coming and going from the house, but they had yet to be formally introduced.
She wasn’t quite ready for that, especially since she still didn’t know whether Mathew had said anything about her choice of boyfriend.
She entered the kitchen, and as if she’d conjured him by thinking about him, her father stood at the stove. He lifted a pot from the burner and set it on an oven mitt on the counter.
“You still seeing that boy?”
Lily snickered. “That boy is a nurse at the hospital. And yes, we’re still seeing each other.”
“Is it getting serious?”
There was no hiding her smile, even if she’d wanted to. “Yeah. I suppose you could say that.”
She crossed the room, pulled a cup from the cupboard, and filled it with water. After taking a long drink, she leaned her hip against the counter.
“Don’t worry, Daddy. He’s not a Meyers, so you don’t have to prepare for any more strange family gatherings.”
Her father rolled his eyes. “I don’t think your sister would let me stand in the way of any of you dating those boys. But thanks for the confirmation.”
He stood in thought for a moment before meeting her gaze. “He a good man?”
“Yeah, Daddy. He is.”
“And he makes you happy?”
Lily nodded. “Very much so. In fact, he’s helped me realize something about myself.”
Her father tilted his head, curiosity flickering in his eyes.
She twisted her glass around in her hands and stared down at the water. Then she took a breath and pushed forward.
“I want to study animal medicine. I’m still figuring out whether that means becoming a veterinarian or starting as a vet technician, but I want to look at programs. If we can make it work, I’d like to begin taking classes in the fall.”
His bushy brows lifted. “You want to go to college?”
“There are trade programs that specialize in just animal care, too. But yes. I want to go back to school.”
Her father nodded slowly, more to himself than to her. “Okay.”
Her heart leaped. “Okay?”
He raked a hand through his hair, then succumbed to her request. “Yeah, darlin’. If this is what you want, we’ll make it happen.”
Lily squealed and threw her arms around his neck. “Thank you, Daddy. Thank you so much.” When she pulled back, he was smiling too.
Her phone began buzzing in her pocket. She held up a finger as she pulled it out. When she saw the name on the screen, she said, “I’ll be back to help set the table for supper.” Then she hurried from the room.
“Reese!” The excitement from her conversation with her father still filled her voice. “I wasn’t expecting to hear from you until you got back. Is your schedule easing up at all?”
“Not as much as I’d like,” he said. “But I got a long enough break today, and guess who I chose to grace with my amazing personality?”
She snickered as she headed for her room. “Ever so humble.”
“I have a surprise for you.”
“Really?” Lily closed her bedroom door behind her. “What is it?”
“I’ll be back in time for your birthday party.”
She squealed. “That’s the second-best news I’ve gotten today.”
“Second best?” he muttered. “What happened? Please don’t tell me that boyfriend of yours proposed.”
“What? Of course not. We’re not that far yet.”
“But he exists?” Reese asked, laughter beneath the words. “You’re not just pretending to date someone so I’ll finally move on?”
“He exists.”
“And will he be at your party so I can meet him?”
“Absolutely.”
“Really?” Reese sounded genuinely surprised. “Wow. So things have moved forward, then.”
“Yep. Everything is changing for the better.” She worried her lower lip as she paced beside her bed. “But he is a private person. I don’t think he likes having attention on him.”
“I’m not going to make a scene, Lils,” Reese said with a chuckle. “If you care about him, I’m sure he’s a good man. Someone you deserve.”
Her smile softened. “I’m lucky to have you as a friend.”
He groaned dramatically. “You have no idea how much that word can hurt sometimes.”
They both laughed.
“It’s for the best, though,” she said. “Right? It just…”
“Wasn’t the right time,” Reese finished. “As much as I wish that hadn’t been true, we were in different places in our lives. But really, I think we make much better friends.”
She nodded even though he couldn’t see her. “Yeah. But for what it’s worth, I think you’ll find someone who suits you just as well as Christopher suits me.”
“Maybe you can set me up with someone?”
Lily laughed. “I didn’t think you believed in blind dates.”
Their banter continued, and the tension in her chest slowly eased. Now she was looking forward to her birthday even more.
All of her favorite people would finally be in the same place.
What could possibly go wrong?