“Aiden, darling?” my mother called out from the end of the table. I looked to see Ben trying with all his might to get out of her arms. “I think he wants you.”
“Him?” Hunter asked in a hurt voice. “No, he wants Uncle Hunter.”
Hunter got up and went over to Ben, taking him out of my mother’s arms. When he got back to his seat, Ben immediately reached across the table for Aiden.
My heart simultaneously broke and swooned.
Aiden grinned like a fool as he quickly stood, walked around the table, and took Ben from his uncle without so much as giving Hunter a second look.
Hunter gaped at Aiden. “I’ll be goddam—”
“Hunter!” I said, punching him in the stomach to stop him from swearing.
I was mesmerized by the sight of Ben in Aiden’s arms. He settled right down and sat in Aiden’s lap as he played with a dinosaur toy my mother had given him.
My father leaned over and whispered, “I think Ben is as much in love with Aiden as you are, sweetheart.”
I nearly choked. “Excuse me, Dad?”
He rolled his eyes and said in a voice that only I could hear, “Please, Willa. It doesn’t take a genius to see how the two of you look at each other. And the fact that he adores my grandson like he does, well…you have my blessing. Not that you need it.”
As I turned and looked at Aiden and Ben once again, Ben looked across the table at me and smiled so big. I knew he had missed Aiden as much as I had. Ben adored having Aiden’s undivided attention, or maybe he simply liked being near him. I knew how that felt.
I smiled at Ben as I silently pleaded to God above. Please don’t let him break both of our hearts.
Aiden
“Have a beer, you look like you need one,” Hunter said as he handed me a bottle and sat down next to me.
I took a long drink, still pretending that I hadn’t been following Willa’s every move since we got to Brew’s Place. She, her sister, and Bree had already danced a number of times. Willa danced with her brother, then Connor, and now she was with some dickhead who’d come up to her while she was sitting here at the table. She appeared to know him, and it took everything I had not to ask everyone who he was.
When the song ended, Bree grabbed Willa and then headed off to the restroom.
“Haven’t seen you in a while, Aiden. Where have you been?” Kyle asked, taking the empty seat next to me.
“Been busy trying to gauge what it’s like to run a construction company.”
Bishop leaned over and said, “I heard you’re starting a security company as well.”
I nodded. “Something like that. I’m designing alarm systems. I’ve also done some consulting work for a few businesses in Boston and Concord, helping them determine what type of system would work best for their needs.”
“Nice. Well, if anyone knows how to protect people, it’s got to be a Navy SEAL, right?” Kyle said with a laugh.
I smiled as I started searching the bar for Willa again. What in the hell was taking them so long in the bathroom?
It didn’t take me long to find her. She was standing at the bar with Lacy on one side of her and Bree on the other.
“If you stare at her any harder, she’s going to catch on fire, dude,” Kyle said, leaning in closer so Hunter couldn’t hear him.
I quickly looked away and ignored Kyle. It didn’t work, because he went on.
“Just ask her to dance, for Christ’s sake. It’s starting to get embarrassing, watching you fawn all over her.”
“Fuck off, Kyle,” I said as I shot him a warning look.
He shrugged. “If you won’t ask her to dance, I will.”
Before I had time to even say anything, he was up and on his way over to the bar.
“Motherfucker,” I mumbled, feeling my entire body tighten with anger.
Hunter stood and slapped me on the back. “You should have known. You waited too long. It was either going to be Kyle or Bishop who asked her to dance next. I’m just glad it wasn’t Bishop.”
Kyle leaned down to say something in Willa’s ear when she suddenly looked directly at me. She smiled, and it felt like my damn heart jumped up to my throat. I couldn’t have pulled my eyes off of her if I tried. She looked so damn sexy in that dress, even though it covered more of her than the other one she’d worn last time we were here. Something about it—the little hints of skin through the lace, the way her body looked in it. Fuck. It was sexy as hell.
No. She was sexy as hell.
Couples danced by me every few seconds, blocking my view of the bar. A man and woman stopped in front of me and shared a kiss, blocking my line of sight to Willa and Kyle completely. When they finally moved, Kyle was still there, but now he was talking to a blonde. Willa was gone.