His eyes twinkled down at her. “Have you ever fallen for someone like that? Love at first sight or whatever?”
“Not—not that suddenly.”
“Me neither.”
But she was remembering the way Aiden had appeared out of nowhere her junior year of high school. She’d been trying to get a pack of jelly beans from the school vending machine, but it was stuck. He strode right up to her in that black leather jacket, tipped the machine, and freed her snack. Once he retrieved the package, he held it out, his eyes pinning her with a smoldering look she felt to the tips of her toes. Even then there was a connection. He flirted with her for weeks before he finally asked her out.
Across the deck Aiden and Dana turned in a slow circle. The woman was pressed against his chest, her head resting on his shoulder.
Sophie’s heart squeezed. He was only dancing with Dana out of obligation. Word was, he was dating someone back home. With Sophie’s sister dating—and now married to—Aiden’s best friend, she sometimes got wind of information she hadn’t asked for and didn’t want. Apparently Aiden was quite the heartbreaker these days.
Dana looked up at Aiden, saying something, and he smiled down at her.
Erik shifted them around, causing Sophie to lose sight of Aiden and Dana. “You can’t seem to stop staring at your ex.”
“What? No, I’m not—I’m keeping my eyes on everyone. Grandpa Edward and my dad and Seth . . . I’m making sure nothing gets out of hand.”
His eyes twinkled. “If you say so. You are a very diligent sister. Grant told me how you took care of your mom when she was ill. That’s admirable.”
“It was a labor of love. My mom was an amazing woman.”
“I’m sure she was. I’m sorry for your loss.”
“Thank you, Erik.”
“Jenna said you got into Duke?”
Turning down that scholarship had been one of the most difficult things she’d ever done. She lifted her shoulder. “I don’t need a college degree to get where I want to go.”
“Ah, that’s right. The bookshop. How’d that come about?”
“I’ve always been an avid reader, and I worked at a library in Raleigh. I love how books can transport you to another place. You get caught up in the characters’ lives, and they become your friends. I guess I want to share my love of reading with others.”
When she’d been caring for her mom, reading had been a necessary part of her mental health—and a pastime she shared with her mother. She spent many afternoons those last months reading all their favorites aloud to her mom. They spent hours planning out every detail of her bookshop all the way up until Mom’s last days. But Sophie didn’t want to think about that today, not on Jenna’s happy day.
“I thought bookstores weren’t doing too good these days, what with e-books and everything.”
“Independent stores are actually experiencing growth right now. And there’s not a bookshop around for fifty miles, so I’ll have no competition.”
The song ended, but the band moved into another slow ballad.
“What about you? Jenna said you have one more year of school. Business administration?”
“Business management. I plan to take over my dad’s restaurant when I graduate. The degree was his requirement.”
“Sounds reasonable.”
Aiden appeared at their side. “May I cut in?”
Before she could put him off, Erik stepped away. He hiked an amused brow at her. “To be continued.”
Aiden slid smoothly into Erik’s place, but that was the only thing that was the same about this dance. She was suddenly conscious of the warmth of his hands at her waist, of the taut stretch of muscles beneath her palms. Of the graze of his lips at her temple.
* * *
Ever since he’d spotted Sophie in Erik’s arms, Aiden had been counting the seconds before he could ditch Dana and take the man’s place. Aiden drew Sophie close until his arms stretched around her.
And yes, he was making a point of dancing closer to her than Erik had. It filled some primal need he couldn’t quite figure out. He couldn’t seem to help himself. That she didn’t resist his efforts made him a little heady.
He wanted to ask if she was interested in Erik, but he didn’t want to waste precious time talking about some other guy. Aiden needed to make things right with Sophie, if he could. That had been his solitary goal since last night when he’d realized she still held him in contempt.
“You’ve been avoiding me,” he said softly into her ear.
“I’ve been attending to my duties.”
It was more than that, and he couldn’t blame her. “I really am sorry for how I left. You deserved better.”
He waited for her response while their feet shuffled, while their thighs brushed. He grazed his palms across the low arch of her back, still remembering the curves he’d mapped out years ago.
“Forget it,” she said finally. “Water under the bridge.”
“I didn’t mean to hurt you, Sophie.”
She stiffened.
He leaned back until their eyes met.
“I counted on you, Aiden. That was a big deal for me.”
Guilt pricked him hard. Sophie’d had precious few people in her life she could lean on. She’d spilled all her secrets to him, and he’d thanked her by running off.
“I called you after I left.”
“I remember.”
“You never called me back. But even so I picked up my phone so many times, wanting to tell you things, wanting to know how your day was going.”
“Why didn’t you?”
He gazed into her solemn brown eyes, wanting to give her an answer that would somehow heal the wound. It was a question he’d asked himself a million times. But he never arrived at a reasonable explanation.
“I don’t know,” he said finally. It was the most honest answer he could give her.
But not the one she’d been hoping for apparently. Her lips pursed as she broke eye contact to stare over his shoulder.
“That’s God’s honest truth, Sophie. I loved you. And I left you. Both of those things are true.”
At the hurt and confusion in her eyes, he wished he could call back the words. He didn’t want to cause her more pain. “Maybe I’m just not cut out for all that stuff.” She’d been the first girl he’d broken up with, but heaven knew she hadn’t been the last.
As far as healthy relationships went, he hadn’t had much of an example. His mom left when he was so young he barely remembered her. And after the divorce his dad seemed to have no interest in finding another wife. Aiden wasn’t even sure he believed in happily ever after. At least, not for himself.
“Or maybe you just took the easy way out,” Sophie said.
Only leaving her hadn’t been easy at all. “I was young and stupid. What can I say?”
Probably not that, because his reply made Sophie bristle.
Ross Givens had offered him part ownership in Extreme Adventures in exchange for sweat equity. And for a guy with little money to his name and no college opportunity, it seemed like a dream come true.
It paid off too. Aiden was now doing quite well financially.
But you lost Sophie, his stubborn heart reminded him.