Time After Time (Sweetbriar Cove #14) - Melody Grace Page 0,78
week. We all agreed, it’s time to take a shower and face the world.”
Of course they did.
“Let me guess, you took a vote?” Aidan said, rubbing his eyes.
“Yup. Chase said we should leave you be, but he was overruled.” Cassie gave his foot another nudge. “C’mon, you’ll feel better with some carbs to soak up all that booze and self-loathing.”
He sighed. “I don’t suppose anything I say will make you leave me alone?”
“Nope.” His sister beamed, smug. “So, you may as well save us both the trouble. There’ll be coffee…” she added, tempting, and Aidan knew when he was beat.
“Give me five minutes,” he grumbled, getting out of bed.
“Make it ten, and shower first,” she advised. “You smell like a distillery.”
Showered, shaved, and wearing the cable-knit sweater, Aidan made it to the diner to find the birthday breakfast in full swing. He wouldn’t stay long, he told himself, stepping through the doors. He’d last a short burst of this mayhem, and then head back home – maybe with a detour to the liquor store on his way, since he was running low.
“Aidan!” His family was crowded in their usual booth in the back, which was now adorned with balloons and flowers, as Alice blew out the candles on a stack of pancakes.
“You made it!” she greeted Aidan with a smile. “Good to see you.”
He managed a nod, and a kiss on her cheek. “Happy birthday,” he mumbled, his head still pounding.
Jackson regarded him with amusement. “Here,” he said, pushing his coffee mug over. “You clearly need this way more than me.”
Aidan took a gulp, as Luke piled in to the booth next to him.
“So, Cassie dragged you out, huh?” Luke asked, reaching over to grab some bacon from the massive platter in the middle of the table. “I had ten bucks on you telling her to go to hell.”
“I did.” Aidan grumbled. “Didn’t seem to make an impression.”
“It never does.”
“Where’s the birthday girl?” Earl arrived, bearing a beautifully gift-wrapped box. “For you,” he said, giving Alice a hug.
“You shouldn’t have!” she beamed. “But I’m glad you did.” She tore into the box, which it turned out, held a framed photograph of Alice, laughing with her friends. Alice gasped happily. “When did you take this?” she asked, showing it to Jackson.
“Not me,” he said. “Grandpa?”
Earl looked pleased. “This old dog has a few tricks left up his sleeve. You’re not the only one who can take a picture.”
“I love it, thank you!”
Aidan watched as she opened more gifts: a scarf from Cassie, a beautifully-carved jewelry box from Luke, and a gorgeous diamond pendant from Jackson. Aidan waited until she was out of earshot, and then gave his brother a nudge. “Diamonds, huh? You should be careful, before she gets the wrong idea.”
“Who said it would be wrong?” Jackson leaned back, looking perfectly at ease. “This is all part of my plan, to throw her off the scent. Who would expect a ring for Christmas when they just got a necklace?”
Aidan blinked. “You’re planning to propose? Isn’t that kind of fast?”
“Says who?” Jackson shrugged. “I knew the first night we met that she was the one for me. It’s about time we made it official.”
“Me too,” Luke added.
Aidan’s head snapped around. “What?”
“Proposing.” Luke grinned through a forkful of pancakes. “He gets Christmas, I’m taking New Year’s. We flipped for it.”
“Jesus,” Aidan looked back and forth between them. His bachelor brothers, ready to walk down the aisle. He rubbed his aching head. “Next thing you’re telling me, Cassie will elope for Valentine’s Day.”
Jackson smirked. “I wouldn’t put it past her.” He went back to join Alice, leaving Aidan to look around the room. Cassie had her arms around Wes, laughing over something he’d said, while Chase and Letitia had just arrived, radiating happiness and love.
The ache in his chest sliced deeper.
He was happy for them, he was, but seeing them all so relaxed and wrapped up in love… It cut him to the core.
He wanted that kind of love for himself, and for the first time in his life, he’d come close. It was easy to imagine Stella with them there today: sharing a laugh with Alice and his brothers, joking around with Earl. She would slide into the booth opposite and steal a muffin right off his plate, giving him that irresistible smile—
His phone buzzed in his pocket, jolting him out of the daydream. It was too loud to hear himself think, so Aidan got out of the booth and headed for