Page 80 of Aiden & Lily

Something in her expression caught Lily's attention. It was gone almost as quickly as it appeared, but it left Lily with the unmistakable feeling that more was going on.

Before she could ask, Rose jumped in.

“Aiden is a good guy,” she said. “He has some confidence issues, but who doesn’t? One day, he’ll wake up and realize he’s lucky to have you and that you chose him fair and square. I wouldn’t worry too much about it.” She winked. “Especially if you can see yourself getting married to him.”

Lily nodded. “I can. I think we make a good team. We bring out good things in each other.” Her smile returned. “He helped me realize I want to get certified as a vet technician.”

Penny’s soft smile said more than Lily could read. It was almost as though she knew something Lily didn’t, but then that probably came with being a therapist.

Penny shifted in her chair and rubbed her oversized belly.

“So, are you excited about the birthday party?” Rose asked, pointing her chip first at Lily and then at Jasmine.

“Well, I planned the whole thing, so…” Jasmine boasted.

Lily laughed. “Yeah, we’re both excited.”

“Even if you have to share it with someone new?” Penny asked.

Everyone glanced down at her baby bump with wide grins.

Jasmine and Lily answered together. “Absolutely.”

Their matching response made everyone at the table laugh.

Then Penny groaned. “Too bad this one still has two weeks left to cook.”

“You never know,” Rose said. “That little guy might decide to come early just to meet all his cool aunts.”

“Technically, we’re not his aunts,” Violet murmured.

“Technically, I don’t care. I’m ready to be Auntie Rose.” Rose reached over and placed a hand on Penny’s stomach. A second later, she squealed. “He kicked.”

The rest of the sisters crowded around Penny so they could feel the baby move, and Lily’s concerns slipped into the background.

Thank goodness.

She wasn’t sure she wanted to voice every worry she carried about Aiden. What if he sabotaged what they had because he believed she deserved someone better? Maybe Parker could shed some light on the situation. He might know how to reach Aiden when those doubts crept in.

But Lily didn’t want to think about that right now, and she definitely didn’t want to discuss it in front of all her sisters. Aiden trusted her with the parts of himself he didn’t show everyone else. She wasn’t going to turn those vulnerabilities into family conversation.

She turned toward Jasmine. “Speaking of relationships, how are things going with you and Parker?”

Jasmine turned beet red. Her eyes flared, and the death glare she launched in Lily’s direction was exactly what Lily needed to take her mind off her own concerns.

“Nothing is going on with Parker.”

She spoke at the same moment Penny asked, “Parker? Are you talking about Aiden’s brother?”

Penny’s voice rose several octaves, and her grin made the whole situation even more worthwhile.

“Lily doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” Jasmine insisted. “We’ve been spending time with Aiden and Parker since she started dating…”

“Wait. You knew?” Violet asked. Hurt crept into her voice. “From the beginning?”

Zinnia was the only one who hadn’t contributed to the conversation, but she looked just as wounded by the revelation.

Iris rolled her eyes. “Of course Jazz knew. They’re twins. She probably figured it out through osmosis or something.”