Second Chance Summer(27)

“Wait a minute,” Aidan said. “Marcus?” He couldn’t think of anyone less likely to go dancing than the resort’s equipment manager.

“Yep,” Penny said. “He asked her out. She thinks he’s cute. She said that since she hasn’t gotten any action in a few decades, she wants to get back into the game before her womanly parts wither up and die from misuse.”

Both Aidan and Gray winced.

“Your turn,” Gray whispered covertly to Aidan.

“Fine,” he said. “I’ll handle it.”

“Good,” Gray said, and disconnected.

Shit. Aidan jammed his feet into shoes, grabbed his keys, and headed out into the rain to drive to The Slippery Slope.

He checked the bar first and damn. Yep, there was his mom at the far end, hair done, siren-red lipstick on, and laughing at something Marcus had just said to her.

Aidan snarled and headed over, stopping short when Jonathan stood from a barstool and offered a hand. “Hey, man, heard that last fire was a bitch. Join us? Drinks on me.”

Aidan turned to Jonathan’s companion and froze.

So did the companion.

Lily was sitting there in a little black dress, looking like a million bucks, even if her eyes were telling him to just keep walking.

And of course his mom took that exact moment to lift her head, and with the uncanny instinct that could only come from a mother, leveled her eyes right on her son.





Chapter 10


Aidan spared the brief thought that he’d rather be back on Mt. Rose trapped by the fire than sandwiched between his mother and Lily. One was the only woman on earth whose wrath scared him, and the other was the sexiest pain in the ass—er, blast from his past. While he stood at the bar in rare indecision, he felt someone at his back.

Gray.

“Sneaked out of the house,” his brother whispered. “Penny’s engrossed in a Supernatural marathon and a tub of popcorn. It’ll be hours before she surfaces.”

Aidan broke eye contact with his mom only to have his eyes lock in on Lily like she was a homing beacon. “I said I’d handle it,” he whispered back.

“Yeah,” Gray said. “And it looks like you’re doing a bang-up job of it just standing here too. You going to make a move or keep pretending you’re invisible?”

One of the bartenders came up to them, smiling sweetly at Gray and completely ignoring Aidan.

Shelly.

Ah, so the night could get worse.

“What can I get for you?” she asked Gray.

He ordered a beer and then looked at Aidan. “The same for you?”

“Yeah, thanks.”

“Oh, I’m not serving him,” Shelly said to Gray.

Gray grinned at her.

Shelly winked at him and sauntered off.

“A real fan of yours, I see,” Lily noted dryly.

Gray laughed, fully enjoying the show, the ass. “Don’t worry, man, she’ll bring you a beer. She likes her tips too much not to.”

Aidan could only hope that was true.

“But she’ll probably spit in it first.”

Aidan sighed. “Yeah. Thanks.”

At the other end of the bar, Char stood up. She pointed two fingers at her own eyes and then at her boys before heading down the back hall toward the restrooms.

Her date, Marcus Dolby, was looking both relaxed and amused as he sipped his beer.

“Go,” Gray said. “Make our move.”

Aidan slid his brother an incredulous look. “Are you crazy? She just let us know she’s onto us.”

“Just do it,” Gray said in his annoying big brother voice.

“Do what?” Jonathan wanted to know.

“It’s about her date,” Gray said. “He’s gotta go.”

“You’re going to try to scare him off?” Jonathan asked. “I know Marcus. He’s not scared of much.”

“Not scare exactly,” Gray said, and paused. “Maybe intimidate. Just a little bit.”

“That’s … horrible,” Lily said.

“She’s not in a dating place,” Aidan said. “She’s … healing.”

“She’s fine,” Lily said, and when Aidan and Gray just stared at her she said, “She is! I did her hair for tonight and she’s great, actually.”

Shelly snorted as she walked by on the other side of the bar. “You gotta keep in mind that these two geniuses think their dear mama’s too old and feeble to do the nasty. A bad hip is a setback not a deterrent.”

Aidan shuddered.

Gray looked … well, gray. He gave Aidan a little push. “Get on with it. I gotta get back before Penny runs out of popcorn.”

Aidan walked the length of the bar and sat down on the empty barstool next to Marcus.

Marcus nodded at him.

Aidan nodded back.

“What happened?” Marcus asked. “You lose at rockpaper-scissors?”

Aidan’s gaze slid to Gray. “Uh—”

Gray jerked his chin as if to say, Go on, do it.

Lily rolled her eyes.

Marcus grinned and leaned back. “Well, let’s hear it already.”

“Hear what?”

“All the reasons why you think I shouldn’t date your mom. Does it have anything to do with the fact that I work for you?”