Page 38 of Aiden & Lily

Amusement was the main reaction on Parker’s face. He glanced around as well, then murmured, “Sorry, man. You’re right. I didn’t realize just how chatty nails and hammers can be.”

“Shut up,” Aiden snapped. “I’m serious. You’ve been here long enough. I’m sure you’ve overheard a few conversations.”

Parker shrugged and tossed a few more materials into the cart before heading down the aisle. “I may have heard a thing or two about Mathew’s cousins and the extent to which they’ve feuded with that other family. What was the name?” Parker paused for a moment, then snapped his fingers. “Meyers. That’s right.” He grinned. “There’s a whole lot of drama there. You know the story, right?”

Aiden rolled his eyes. “Leave them out of it. That’s Lily’s family.”

“Heard there are a lot of eligible women in that household, too. You think Mathew would get riled up if I wanted to meet a few of them?”

Scowling, Aiden muttered, “He’d probably hand one of them over on a silver platter. Nothing but the best for Mr. Perfect.”

Parker paused, glancing at him for a moment, but he didn’t speak. That somehow made Aiden feel worse.

They finished their shopping and headed for the front of the store. Parker paid for everything, then turned to Aiden. “I’m going to pull the truck up to the front so we can load the heavier stuff.”

Aiden nodded as he gathered the shopping bags and placed them inside the cart. By the time he made it to the exit, he stopped cold.

Right outside was his biggest nightmare come to life.

Parker was speaking to Lily.

They were both smiling.

His stomach dropped.

Flirting. So many emotions attacked him at once.

Fear.

Jealousy.

Panic.

Everything was about to crumble right before his eyes.

He had no other option but to head through the large glass doors and face the music. If there was one reason he should have given in to Lily’s request to meet his brother, this was it. At least then he would have had some control over how the introductions happened.

Aiden’s hand tightened around the cart handle.

He should have told Parker that Lily knew him by his middle name. He should have told Lily his first name long before now. He should have explained that Christopher wasn’t a lie, but it also wasn’t the whole truth.

And now the choice had been taken from him because he hadn’t had the courage to make it himself. Aiden raked a hand through his hair, then another realization hit him square in the chest.

He was still dressed for work.

Sneakers. Scrubs. None of it gave the impression that he was a rancher, which was what Lily believed.

It was over.

This little slice of forever he’d found with her would be no more. He could feel it in his bones.

Clearly, she wasn’t going anywhere. Not with the way Parker could carry on a conversation. Aiden just knew they were discussing the new church coming in. That was Parker’s passion, after all. He’d talk anyone’s ear off about his latest project.

And Lily was the kind of girl to listen.

Well, shoot.

He was about to become a forever bachelor once again. With a new kind of heaviness weighing on his shoulders, Aiden trudged through the doors and toward his doom.