Second Chance Summer(61)

“Shit.” Aidan stared up at the sky and then dropped his head, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. “Just let it go, all right?”

Hudson’s eyes darkened with temper. “So you trust Gray but not me, is that it?”

“This has nothing to do with trust—”

“Yeah, right,” Hudson said. “Thanks for the reminder that you only do the things that suit you, Aidan.” And this time when he stalked off, he kept going.

Aidan swore and went back to work, but the fight with his brother remained forefront in his mind. It was an unfortunate two whole days later before they got the fire contained. Finally released from duty, Aidan and Mitch drove back into town. Mitch drove while Aidan checked his phone.

“Problem?” Mitch asked when Aidan swore.

Aidan thumbed through his bazillion messages. Gray checking on him. Penny checking on him. His mom checking on him. Kenna checking on him.

Nothing from Hud. Which really fried his ass, because hell no, he wasn’t a damn hypocrite. Family meant everything to him, and Hud damn well knew it. “No,” he said a little too tightly. “No problem.”

“Uh-huh. And you’re full of shit. Is it Kenna?”

Aidan slid him a look. “Kenna?”

“Yeah, you know, your sister?”

“I’m aware of how we’re related, thanks. What I’m unaware of is why my sister would pop into your brain, seeing as the two of you don’t like each other.”

“Who said that?” Mitch asked. “I like her plenty.”

“You do?” Aidan asked.

“Yeah.” And when Aidan slid him a look, Mitch squirmed. “Well, maybe not plenty,” he said. “And some parts more than others.”

Again Aidan looked at him.

And again Mitch squirmed. “Never mind,” he muttered.

Good idea. Because Aidan didn’t have the brainpower for whatever was going on in Mitch’s head at the moment. Whatever it was, it’d have to get in line. He brought up an empty text, typed Hudson’s number in, and … stared at the blank screen. He hit cancel. Shit.

They drove in silence a few minutes, for which Aidan was grateful. He got the feeling Mitch was just as grateful.

“I’m glad I don’t have a wife,” Mitch eventually said, seemingly out of the blue. Aidan followed his logic.

“You mean because we just fought a four-day fire started by a pissed-off wife?” he asked.

“Man, she burned her husband’s ranch to the ground.” Mitch shook his head. “He had to evacuate his hundred horses and nearly killed himself doing it.”

“She was his ex-wife,” Aidan pointed out. “And she was pissed because he dumped her for a woman half her age and then had more kids while ignoring the ones he’d had with her.”

Mitch slid him a look. “And now she’s going to jail without passing Go. And you of all people know how that sucks.”

Yeah, Aidan knew. Hell, he’d been there the night his mom had been arrested as well.

Protecting him.

“So tonight at The Slippery Slope?” Mitch asked when he pulled up in front of Aidan’s place. “Ladies’ night, two for one.” Mitch waggled his brow. “I’m up for a two-for-one. How about you? And just to be clear, you’ll have to get your own two-for-one. I don’t plan on sharing.”

“Good to know,” Aidan said dryly.

“Meet you there?”

“Maybe. I’ve got some work to do at the office, Gray’s been there twenty-four seven. This summer season has been our busiest yet. I need to give him a break so he can go spend time with Penny.” Plus, Aidan needed to try to track down Hudson and … shit. That was another fight just waiting to happen.

“And you?” Mitch asked. “Don’t you want company?”

“I’ll be fine by myself.”

“You know you can go blind from doing that,” Mitch said.

Aidan rolled his eyes but as he opened the car door, they both saw the woman waiting there, watching their approach. Lily.

“Seems like you’ve got your company after all,” Mitch said, smiling. “You two make sense.”

“I have no idea what we’re doing,” Aidan admitted.

Mitch laughed ruefully. “Isn’t that always the case with us? All in control and on the ready for whatever our job brings. But when it comes to our personal lives and the women in it, we’re the ones who need rescuing.”

“Fuck you. I don’t need rescuing.”

Mitch laughed.

Aidan got out and shut the door.

Lily rose to her feet and stared at him uncertainly.

He felt no such uncertainty. Not a single lick. He dropped his pack, took the bag she was holding and set it on top of his pack, and then he backed her to the front door and kissed her.

Lily moaned against his mouth, hot and sweet, and he curled his hand around the back of her neck and took what he’d been thinking of for four-plus straight days. He kissed her until they both ran out of air and then as he pulled back, he tugged her lower lip between his teeth for a beat, unable to let go.

She let out another soft sound of arousal in her throat and if he hadn’t already been hard at just the sight of her, and then the taste, that would have done it.