Hard to Handle (Love in the Balance 2)

Crickitt palmed Sadie’s shoulder. “Of course he loves you, Sadie,” she said matter-of-factly, her voice terribly calm. Sadie blinked away the tears blurring her vision in time to see her best friend smile. “Aiden would never have proposed if he didn’t love you with all he is.”

Sadie shook her head. “Which is why he left when I asked him if we could see each other l-less.” Oh goody, the hiccup-cry. Because this wasn’t humiliating enough as it was.

“He left?”

Sadie nodded, and—what the hell—cried some more. “Have you heard from him this w-week?” She mopped her face and wiped her hands on her skirt. “When he left my apartment, it was raining and he was on the bike and he was s-so angry.”

She’d been sick with worry but refused to call. Aiden was safe. He was always safe. Except for the one time he wasn’t. And what were the odds of him getting into two wrecks?

Crickitt bit her lip. She looked worried. Which made Sadie panic. “Has Shane seen him this week, Crickitt?”

“If he did, he didn’t mention it.” She was quick to add, “But Shane doesn’t see him every week.”

Sadie slid off the stool, holding onto the counter to keep her legs under her. “What if…”

“No, honey.” Crickitt stood, too, putting her hand on Sadie’s back. “Don’t even think it. We would have heard from Mike. Or from Landon. Or from Angel or Evan. We would know by now.”

Okay. Okay, that made sense.

Crickitt rubbed circles on Sadie’s back as Sadie’s world sharpened to a very finite point. Where her world’s edges had blurred earlier, now she saw them. Crystal clear.

“I love him, Crickitt.” Sadie waited for the overwhelming feeling of dread to wash over her, to tie her into knots and cause her life to tailspin out of control. The dread didn’t come. She felt light, not heavy. Full, not empty. “I want to marry him,” she said, trying out the words on her tongue. Again, the heaviness didn’t come. She smiled, laughing through her tears.

Crickitt was crying. “Oh my gosh, I’m so glad,” she sobbed, waving her free hand to dry her tears on her cheeks. “I always pictured Aunt Sadie and Uncle Aiden, and now—” Her eyes widened, her face blanked. “I mean…” She shook her head, even as her hand strayed to her stomach.

Sadie’s mouth dropped open. “You’re pregnant?”

Crickitt nodded and Sadie looped her arms around her best friend’s neck. “We’re not supposed to tell,” Crickitt said, her voice muffled by Sadie’s hair. “Not yet.”

Sadie pulled back. “I won’t tell.” She thought of her sister’s baby, and how poorly she’d behaved when she heard the news. She had some making up to do in that department. But first, she had to go and find the man she loved. Which scared her to death.

Sadie held on to Crickitt’s shoulders, hoping to extract some of Crickitt’s strength for herself. “Do you think he’ll forgive me?”

“Only one way to find out.” Crickitt smiled.

The front door opened and closed and Sadie turned to find Shane home from work. He dropped his jacket over the chaise lounge in the front room and strode over to where they stood.

“Hi, honey,” Crickitt said.

He flicked a look from Crickitt to Sadie. “You told her. I win.” He held out a hand. “Five bucks. Aiden was in my office yesterday and I didn’t—”

“Aiden?” Sadie’s heart dropped. “You saw him? How is he?” She balled her hands into fists.

“He loves you,” Shane said simply. He lifted his eyebrows at Crickitt. “I’m going to change.” He kissed Crickitt’s lips, then paused in front of Sadie, bending over so she was forced to meet his amber-colored eyes. “Go to him, Sadie. One way or the other, you have to put the bastard out of his misery.” Then he kissed her forehead and squeezed her arm. Shane headed to the other side of the house, calling over his shoulder, “Five bucks, Crickitt. Pay up!”

“He’s right,” Crickitt said. “You have to go to him.”

Sadie swallowed. And she’d thought admitting to herself she loved Aiden was hard. Telling him would be even harder.

Chapter 17

He’s out,” Aiden said, hoisting his thumb over his shoulder. Lyon had made him read Green Eggs and Ham three times, but finally, he’d fallen asleep.

“Thanks, man,” Evan said. “He’s had a big day.”

Evan had come into town for the weekend. And for some reason had been in a really good mood. Maybe he wasn’t interested in maintaining their ongoing feud. Whatever epiphany he’d come to since the party, when they’d seen each other last, must’ve been a good one.