little thing?”
He shrugged. “Jade wanted me to sing and play her wedding song, ‘All of Me.’ She used to love it when I sang to her when she was a kid.”
I was stunned. “I had no idea you could sing. What do you play? Guitar?”
“Piano. We had a rec center when I was younger. They had an old piano there, and some people who offered free lessons. Seth plays guitar. He still has the beat-up one he’s owned since we were kids.”
“But you don’t own a piano now,” I observed, still shocked to learn that Aiden had musical talent.
“I’m rectifying that since Maya loves to play. It’s being delivered on Monday.”
“You’re buying her a piano?”
“I’m buying myself a piano,” he corrected. “But of course, she’s free to use it whenever she wants.”
I shot him a skeptical look. “That’s just a tricky way of saying that you’re buying her one, and you know it.”
After the waiter gave us our drinks, Aiden asked, “Is the trick working?”
I let out an exaggerated sigh. “How can I tell you what you can or can’t put in your house? Do you really play?”
“You’ll see for yourself shortly. I’m not going to rival John Legend, but I can hold my own.”
“I love that song,” I shared right before I took a sip of my cocktail.
“Then I’ll sing it for you,” he answered in a low, sexy baritone.
My heart skipped a beat. “It’s Jade’s wedding song,” I protested.
“She’s going to get her song of choice.”
“I can’t wait to hear you sing. I can’t believe I never knew you loved music so much.”
He shrugged and tossed down half his drink, which looked like some kind of whiskey. “I always meant to buy a piano. Seriously. I just hadn’t gotten around to it. The rec center closed a few years ago, so I had to find a friend with a piano so I could practice the song. It’s been a while since I’ve actually played. And I don’t generally do it in front of a crowd. But when your little sister asks you to sing a song for her special day, you do it.”
“I’ve actually never seen Xander perform in person, either,” I mused.
“He sucks,” Aiden said drily. “I never understood why he packed houses around the world.”
I rolled my eyes. “You don’t mean that.”
“Of course I don’t,” he confessed. “He’s a music genius.”
I slapped his arm playfully. “Jealous?”
“Naw. I just like to give him hell when his head gets too big.”
I laughed. “I guess you like most of your newfound family?”
“Most of the time.” He swallowed the rest of his drink and set the empty glass on a nearby table. “I guess I better get moving.”
I slurped down the last of my own drink and set the glass next to his as he took my hand. I followed him as he tugged me through the crowd and outside.
I immediately noticed that the stage that had been set up last night was totally lit.
The dance floor might be sand, but the stage looked like it was hosting somebody pretty important.
“Wait for me?” Aiden asked. “I want to dance with you as soon as I’m done.”
I stopped near the stage. People were already crowded around it. “I’ll be here,” I told him breathlessly.
I watched as Jade and Eli stepped up to the mic.
The two of them did the usual thanking of everyone for sharing their special day.
My mind wandered as I looked around the stage for Maya, and then found her sitting on her uncle Noah’s shoulders.
It was the first time I’d seen the ever-serious Noah smile.
Seth was standing next to his older brother, talking to Maya, and I could see that she was having a good time with both of her uncles.
I was glad that Seth and Aiden were back on speaking terms and were working out exactly how the ownership of the businesses would go. I’d felt bad that I’d driven any kind of wedge between them.
But I knew that Aiden was happier since he’d started planning out how he was going to execute the plans for Sinclair Seafood.
I put my attention back on the stage as I heard the beautiful chords of the piano start, and I noticed Eli and Jade leaving the microphone to take the dance floor.
I was captured by the piano intro, but I was completely mesmerized when Aiden started to sing the emotional song, every note pronounced and stunningly poignant.
Aiden put himself into performing the music, portraying everything that the song was meant