Above and Beyond (Twist of Fate 4)

I looked up and spied my uncle Aiden walking toward me. He was swatting at the air around him.

“Fuckers are as big as the cabs back home,” he muttered. “Oh, damn, sorry,” he said as he spied me. “Trying to find a place that has decent reception.” He held his phone up in the air as if that would somehow give him more bars.

I chuckled and said, “Didn’t Ash make a rule that you guys need to unplug when you come out for a visit?”

Aiden grunted. “He had the staff take the landline out,” he explained. “Only reason I got this back”—he held up the cell phone— “was my unique skills of persuasion.” Aiden winked at me. I laughed because I knew exactly what Aiden was good at when he needed to persuade his hubby to give in on something.

“Tender ears here, Uncle Aiden,” I reminded him.

“Pffft, you’re old enough to know all about the birds and the bees. Or bees and bees in our case. Or maybe it’s birds and birds.” Aiden waved his hand dismissively.

“I meant these ears,” I clarified as I pointed at the stroller.

“Oh right,” Aiden said, then he was looking around, probably for one or both of my fathers. I stood when he reached me and happily went when he pulled me into his arms.

“If it isn’t my favorite fake Trekkie. How are you?”

“Good,” I murmured against his shoulder. “I’ve missed you,” I admitted. Of all my uncles, I’d always felt a certain closeness to Aiden. Maybe because he’d known me as long as Bennett had, but it probably had more to do with Aiden being that one person who always made me feel like it was okay to be me. He knew about what my life had been like growing up with my mom and even though he’d come from a completely different world, I felt like he’d somehow gotten it anyway. Like he knew what it was like to always be in search of that missing piece of yourself. Of course, he’d found that piece and more with Ash, but he still understood that despite the amazing life I’d had, my pieces hadn’t all fallen into place yet.

“Missed you too, buddy,” Aiden said. He held me for several beats, then released me enough so he could look me over. I couldn’t help but squirm a little. I’d made sure that none of the marks Zach’s stubble had left on me over the past several days could be seen, but at that moment I could practically feel them all over me. God, the man’s mouth was so damn talented—

“So you finally cashed in the V card, huh? Good for you,” Aiden said as he gave me a hearty slap on my back before stepping past me to pretend to coo over the babies.

“There’s no way you could know that!” I exclaimed as I turned around.

Aiden glanced over his shoulder and winked. “Oh little one, I have so many things to teach you,” he said. “First lesson, when you’re going to deny something, actually deny it. Lesson two, don’t get distracted by whatever lovely thoughts your man has put into your head because you’re like my Ash… you light up like a Christmas tree.” Aiden pointed at my cheeks and I made the mistake of reaching up to feel them. Aiden laughed at me, and I realized I’d failed lesson one all over again.

“Jerk,” I bit out before I flopped down on the picnic table bench.

Aiden sat next to me instead of across from me. He bumped my shoulder playfully. “So spill,” he said. “Who was the lucky guy? Get it? Lucky.”

I rolled my eyes at him. “How does Ash put up with you?”

Aiden glanced at the lodge, and I couldn't help but smile at the far-off, wistful look he got. Okay, so maybe I did have a tell. Seemed like all the men around me had them when it came to their partners.

Except Zach wasn’t my partner.

I dropped my eyes and checked my phone again.

“So it’s like that,” Aiden said softly, gently. I glanced at him and saw that all the humor had fled his expression. I didn’t bother trying to deny it. Instead, I leaned into him when he put his arm around me.

“He doesn’t want me,” I admitted. “I mean, he does, but he doesn’t.”

Aiden sighed. “Yeah,” he murmured. Like Zach, Aiden had been the kind of guy who’d favored hookups over real relationships. But I’d seen Aiden around Ash when they’d first met. From day one, he’d wanted more with Ash. It wasn’t that way with me and Zach. If anything, he’d been trying to escape me from day one.

“He’s an amazing man, Uncle Aiden. I don’t want you to think that he isn’t. I’m the one who pursued him. Sometimes I think maybe I pushed him too hard—”