Sweet Little Lies (Angel Sands 3)

They were welcome to come over. It didn’t mean she’d forgiven them, but she knew in her heart she’d get there. And until she did, she’d get through it for her son’s sake.

What mother wouldn’t do that?

29

It had been a long week. Aiden lifted his head from the computer screen in front of him, finally admitting to himself the numbers on the screen meant nothing. They were floating there, little dots of ink among the white, and he was sick of looking at the damn things.

For the hundredth time he picked up his phone and checked his messages. One from his boss, a couple from some contractors, but nothing from the person he wanted to hear from the most.

And it stung like a bitch.

The door to the office opened, and Brecken Miller walked in, taking his hard hat off and smoothing his hair with the palm of his hand. “The crew have finished for the night. No overtime needed this weekend – we’re back on track.” There was a grin on his face, and no wonder. He and his team had worked like Trojans to catch up after all the delays they had. Normally, Aiden would have been the first to celebrate their achievement – keeping to the schedule had a big effect on the bottom line, after all. This was a prestigious project – the success or failure of which would be laid firmly at his door.

And in his business life he’d been nothing but successful.

His personal life was the complete opposite. He’d made such a goddamn hash of it all. The thought of it made him sick. He’d lost her and it was all his fault.

Breck said something. Aiden frowned and looked up at him. “Sorry, Breck, I missed that.”

“You okay?” Breck asked, sitting down in the chair on the other side of Aiden’s desk.

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“You still not heard from her?” Breck inclined his head at the phone laying in Aiden’s upturned palm. It came as no surprise to him that Breck knew exactly what was going on. Not because Angel Sands was a small town, either. But he was also best friends with Lucas Russell, who happened to be engaged to one of Brooke’s best friends.

This place was way too connected.

“No, I haven’t heard from her.” For a moment he considered asking Breck if he knew anything, but shrugged the thought off. Partly because he didn’t want to make himself vulnerable, but mostly because he didn’t want to know. Not if it was bad, and let’s face it, it would be. Why else would his phone be silent?

“You heard from your brother?”

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News really did travel fast. “No. But the PI I hired says he’s back in Sacramento. I don’t think he’ll be coming back down here for a while.”

Breck didn’t blink at the mention of a private investigator. “That’s good to hear. I remember Jamie from when we were kids. He was bad news even then.”

“Yeah, well he’s worse now.” Aiden’s mouth dried at the thought of his brother, and the claim he tried to stake on Nick and Brooke. The claim he could still pursue if he had the energy or motivation, and thank God he didn’t right now.

“You’ve had a crazy few weeks. I bet you’re glad it’s all calmed down now. If things keep going like this we might even finish ahead of plan.” Breck grinned at him. “Wouldn’t that be good?”

“It would for you.” Aiden raised an eyebrow. As project manager and head of the construction team, Breck’s contract had a nice little bonus written into it on completion. Finishing ahead of the agreed date would lead to it being doubled.

“It’s a win-win, right?”

“Yeah. It sure is.”

“Man, she’s really messed you up, hasn’t she?” Breck said. “You want to talk about it?”

“Not really.”

“I didn’t think so.”

“What’s there to say? I made decisions without her, I hid things from her, and now she doesn’t want to know me. Who can blame her?”

“Nobody.”

Aiden rubbed his jaw with his fingertips. “Maybe I should call her. Do you think I should?”