Time After Time (Sweetbriar Cove #14) - Melody Grace Page 0,14
the speed. “God help Wes,” he swore, and Cassie laughed.
“More like God blessed him, you mean.”
They found the rest of the family at the diner, already sprawled across the corner booth: Jackson and Chase devouring a mountain of food, as Luke gulped coffee, and Grandpa Earl sat reading his newspaper, ignoring them all.
“There he is!” Jackson greeted him with a slap on the back. “I thought Alice was kidding when she said you’d taken the Stanley house.”
“Which one is that?” Chase interrupted, between massive forkfuls of pancake.
“The Death Star,” Luke and Cassie replied at the same time.
“Oh, right.” Chase gave a chuckle. “Seems about right.”
Aidan slid into the booth and politely gestured the waitress over. “We’ll need another stack of pancakes, thanks.”
“And extra bacon,” Cassie piped up.
“Make that two,” Aidan added, with an apologetic smile. The waitress whisked away, so he busied himself pouring coffee from the pot on the table, and stirring in sugar and cream. When he finally looked up, he found his family staring back at him, expectant.
“Well?” Jackson asked, raising an eyebrow. “You want to tell us what’s up with this incredibly uncharacteristic visit of yours?”
“Not that we aren’t happy to see you.” Cassie flashed a smile – and then promptly stole a strip of bacon from Chase’s plate.
“Hey!” he protested. “Get your own.”
“You mean, the way you got your own pizza at dinner the other night?”
Aidan met Earl’s eyes across the table, and shared a familiar smile as the others bickered. His siblings may have been full-grown adults, but they had a way of acting like a bunch of unruly kids whenever they got together without their better halves around.
“It’s no big deal,” he finally said, interrupting the argument. “I’m just taking some vacation time, that’s all.”
“How much time?” Jackson asked.
Aidan looked away. “I don’t know. A few months, maybe. I’m moving on from my job,” he added casually, “so I figured it was a good chance to reset. Relax a little.”
He took a gulp of coffee, and when he looked up, five incredulous faces stared back at him. “Who are you, and what have you done with my workaholic brother?” Cassie finally demanded.
“Very funny.” He tried to laugh it off.
“I mean it. Are you feeling alright?” she asked, reaching to check his forehead.
Aidan batted her hand away. “Come on! Is it so crazy for me to take a break?”
“Yes!” They all chorused together.
“If you’re sick—” Luke started, looking concerned, but Aidan shook his head.
“I’m fine!” he insisted. “I mean, maybe my blood pressure’s a little high from five minutes with you all, but I’m good. Great,” he lied. “End of story.”
His siblings didn’t look convinced, and he braced himself for another onslaught of questions, but finally, their grandpa spoke up. “Give the man a break.” Earl said. “Anyone would think you’re not happy to see him.” He gave Aidan a gruff nod.
“Of course we are.” Cassie grinned. “We can be happy and suspicious at the same time.”
Aidan shook his head wryly. They really were incorrigible. “So, how long did Letitia make it in the RV without running water?” he asked Chase, changing the subject. Their brother had just got back from a cross country road trip with his new love – and his hulking Airstream trailer.
“I have running water!” Chase protested, and then he grinned. “We got as far as Albuquerque before she insisted checking into a fancy spa hotel for the night,” he admitted.
“I knew it!” Luke laughed. “Pay up, suckers.”
There was a chorus of groans, as the others pulled out their wallets, and traded handfuls of crumpled bills. Aidan looked around, confused.
“We had a bet going,” Jackson explained. “I said she wouldn’t make it past Connecticut.”
“Tennessee,” Cassie offered.
“Oh, ye of little faith.” Chase gave a smirk. “Letitia’s made of sterner stuff.”
“So, it’s going well?” Aidan asked, taking another gulp of coffee. He’d only met Letitia briefly over the summer, but he’d heard the stories from the others: She was smart, ambitious, elegant – and totally out of Chase’s league. But that had never stopped his brother, and it looked like his roguish charm was paying off.
“Well enough,” Chase replied, casual, but his smitten look gave the game away. “She’s got a new job, so she’s spending half the week up in Boston. It’s working out great, we both have our space.”
“Liar.” Cassie smirked. “I bet you call her every night, missing her.”
“Do not,” Chase shot back, but his cheeks colored, bashful.
Aidan smiled. Chase Kinsella, head over heels in love. Who would have