“I’m just tired of missing out.”
“That’s what this is about?” Aiden asked, disappointed. “Experimental?”
Sadie shrugged. “What else?”
How about because she was precious? Because she was loved? Because she was worth waiting for?
“This is exactly why I didn’t tell you!” Sadie dropped her arms against her legs with a slap. “You’re looking at me like I’m some rare, legendary creature.”
You are, he thought but was smart enough not to say.
“It’s not a big deal,” Sadie insisted.
Maybe the best thing to do here was downplay his shock. “I know.”
Some of the steam went out of Sadie’s voice. “Oh. Well. Good,” She leaned on the door, hands behind her back. “I guess I just think it’s silly to save it. To wait.”
Aiden wasn’t sure which of them she was trying to convince at this point. He reached up and brushed her cheek with the back of his hand. God, she was beautiful. Everything he ever wanted—could ever want.
She stared at her shoes. “It’s just sex.”
He tilted her face and pressed his lips to hers for a slow, soft kiss that drew an answering moan from the back of her throat.
Cradling her face in his hands, Aiden bent to meet her eyes. “Not with me, it wouldn’t be.”
* * *
Aiden hung his motorcycle keys on the metal hooks that spelled KEYS hanging beside the back door. “Hey, Pop,” he called, alerting his possibly snoozing father that he was home.
Instead of hearing a rattling snore followed by the sound of the recliner returning to its upright position, his father hollered back, “In here!”
“Uncle A!” Lyon burst through the kitchen before Aiden could make his way into the den.
“Hey, buddy, what are you still doing here?” Aiden said. Evan usually didn’t stay this late, especially since Aiden had moved in. Evan avoided him as much as possible. It’s why Aiden had asked to have lunch with Lyon. Otherwise, he might never see him.
“Me and Dad are staying the night,” Lyon said, running off again. “I have new jammies! Wanna see?” He took off for the staircase without waiting for Aiden’s answer.
Aiden walked into the den. Evan sat on the couch looking none too glad to see him. Of course, Evan never looked happy to see him.
“Hey, brother,” Aiden said.
“My son said you were kissing a girl in the park.”
And this chafed Evan for some reason?
“Sadie somebody, Dad says.”
Aiden shot his father a look. Mike shrugged. “Didn’t know it was a state secret.”
“K-I-S-S-I-N—”
“And Lyon says you make out with the neighbor.” Aiden interrupted Evan’s chants. “So why don’t you lay off?”
Dad rolled his eyes. “You two sound like a couple of idgits.”
“Evan started it.”
“You started it,” Evan barked. “When you refused to bring Mom back from Oregon. When you lied to Dad about how much of your own money you were putting up to keep her there.”
“Enough!” Mike’s booming voice garnered both sons’ full attention. “We are not going to assign blame for your mother’s sickness.”
“Death, Dad,” Evan corrected.
Aiden scowled at him. Mike’s eyes sank closed at the word.
“You’re right, Ev,” Dad admitted softly. “Death.”
The room grew eerily quiet for a moment. Until Lyon burst back onto the scene. “Jammies!” He was wearing only his underwear and waving the pieces of clothing around his head like a helicopter.
Aiden caught a pant leg before he lost an eye, and helped his nephew dress. Lyon chattered about a superhero movie, growing more animated when he described the “’splosions and battles”.
When he was dressed for bed, Lyon clambered away from his uncle. The kid’s darker skin and mass of coffee-colored curls were his late mother’s, but his light eyes and build were his father’s. “I’m gonna get the football!”
“Not now, Lyon,” Evan told his son. When Lyon whined, Evan gave him his sternest dad look. “I’m talking to Grampa and Uncle Aiden. Go watch your DVD and I’ll tuck you into bed in a few.”
“A few what?” Lyon asked with a frown.
“Child,” Evan said, lifting an arm to point. “Go.” Lyon groaned and lurched into the kitchen. Eventually they heard him stomping up the stairs, followed by the rumble of the television.