Summer's End (Wildflowers #5) - Jill Sanders Page 0,34
Brett.
“Do you think it’s wise including him?” Aubrey asked. “I mean, he seemed nice and all when he dealt with the whole Ryan fiasco, but…”
He shut off the truck engine and turned to her. “He’s been my best friend since grade school,” he informed her.
“He has?”
He chuckled. “Yeah, something you might have learned if we’d agreed to be… more.” His eyes moved to her lips and he sighed. “Not that I didn’t like our arrangement, but…”
He watched her eyes turn weary and knew that he’d pushed his luck.
“Come on, I skipped lunch. I’m starved.” He rushed out in the light rain and reached her door just as she opened it. He helped her out of the truck and pulled her close as they walked through the front door of Bubba’s. The place had been around long before Aiden had been eating solid food. The old building had at one point been remodeled to be filled with decorations from the fifties. Walking inside the double doors was like stepping into the past.
“This place is why we have fifties nights at the camp.” Aubrey smiled as she glanced around. “Come on, there’s a booth near the back.” She started to tug him towards the dark corner, but he pulled her to the bright booth right out front.
“Let’s sit here,” he suggested, challenging her as he motioned to the table. “We are, after all, done hiding.”
He almost chuckled, seeing the spark of fire behind her eyes, but then she sighed and nodded. She tried to sit opposite him, but he easily glided into the booth next to her instead.
“Isn’t this cozy?” he asked as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.
She may be preoccupied with her mother’s death and the new information she’d come across, but he had plans for that night and wasn’t going to be detoured.
He’d invited her out in hopes of getting her comfortable being seen with him. He wanted to prove to her that there was a huge difference between what they’d been over the past three years and what they could be. Being seen together, eating dinner together, going out in public wasn’t the big step, but it was at least forward motion.
“Comfortable?” she asked, glaring over at him.
“Yes.” He smiled and pulled her into the crook of his arm as Carrie, a girl he’d gone to school with, strolled up to the booth with a smile on.
“Hey, Aiden.” Carrie’s eyes moved to Aubrey and her smile grew. “Hi, Aubrey. Gosh, I didn’t know you two were an item.”
“We aren’t,” Aubrey said as Aiden answered, “Going on three years now.” He chuckled when Aubrey’s elbow connected with his ribs. “How about you grab us a bottle of wine?” he said easily to Carrie.
“Sure thing.” She turned to Aubrey. “Your favorite?”
“Yes, thanks,” Aubrey answered with a smile.
When Carrie had disappeared, Aubrey turned to him. “You did this on purpose,” she hissed.
His eyebrows shot up and his smile grew. “I tend to do everything on purpose.”
He chuckled when she elbowed him again.
“You know what I mean.” She sighed. “I was hoping for a quiet evening.”
“And we’ll have one,” he assured her. He leaned over and used his fingertips to pull her face towards his. “Together,” he said softly just before he kissed her.
He kept the kiss light but didn’t pull away until he felt her entire body relax against his.
“I hate you,” she said with a sigh as she rested her head against his shoulder.
He chuckled. “That’s the opposite of what I’d hope to hear from you, but I’ll take it. Just as long as you let me continue holding you like this.”
“I don’t think I could pull away at this point,” she admitted. “You’ve sunk me with my friends.”
He frowned as he held onto her. “What does that mean?”
She glanced up at him. “It’s like I feared. Now that my sisters know about us, they’re constantly asking about us.”
“And that’s a bad thing?”
She shrugged and watched as Carrie delivered their wine and poured them each a glass.
“Have you two decided what you want to order?” she asked them.
He’d felt Aubrey tense when he wouldn’t release her, but then she reached for her wine and took a drink.
“Burgers.” He glanced at Aubrey and when she nodded, he held up his fingers. “Two of them, both with fries. Medium well done.” He added, “Oh, mine with cheese, hers without, and no onions.”
“Okay,” Aubrey said with a sigh. “I suppose we’ve eaten together enough that you know how I like things.”