Page 8 of Aiden & Lily

Maybe his hug lasted a little too long, because Penny pulled back and swatted at him with a laugh. “You look good. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you in anything but scrubs.”

He flashed her his most charming smile, well aware he was showing off his dimples. “Careful, sweetheart. You’re going to make me blush.”

She snorted. “You’re such a flirt, you know that?”

He draped an arm around her shoulders. “Don’t tell your brother. He might get on my case about it.”

Mathew would definitely get on his case if Penny made even an offhanded comment about Aiden flirting with her. They both knew it.

Penny laughed. “I think he knows.”

Suddenly, she stilled and glanced over his shoulder.

He looked in the direction she did but couldn’t see anything.

Turning back to her, he murmured, “Yeah, you’re right. That’s why he told me to stay away from his sister.”

She glanced up at him. “Huh?”

Aiden tapped her lightly on the nose. “What do you say, sweetheart? Want to make your brother angry?”

He was teasing. There was no way he’d ever cross Mathew that way. But if Penny was game for something fake just to rile Mathew up, maybe he could be convinced.

Penny scoffed, but there was amusement in her voice once again. “I’m not the one who’ll end up with a broken nose.”

“Eh.” He shrugged. “Mathew’s a decent doctor. He can set it right, and if I get a kiss out of the deal, then it might be worth it.”

He winked at her. This was how things were between them. He pushed Mathew’s buttons, and Penny got exasperated but played along when she was feeling up for it.

As if to prove him right, she laughed again and pressed her palm against his chest. “Nice try, lover boy.” She shook her head and took a step back. “I’m sure you have your eye on someone here. Go woo them for a while. If I get bored, I’ll find you.”

She wasn’t wrong. He’d been distracted, but now that she’d reminded him, he needed to see if that redheaded angel was here.

He let his eyes sweep across the room briefly before returning his attention to Penny. Fully prepared to tease her some more, he placed a hand to his chest and frowned.

“You wound me, little Klein.”

She rolled her eyes and headed for the bar.

He watched her go and chuckled. Penny wasn’t as fragile as Mathew made her out to be. She might have had some rough times in college, but she was a capable woman. One day, she’d make someone very happy.

Aiden turned and slipped through the crowd, his gaze darting from patron to patron. Disappointment threatened to drag himunder as he continued to weave from one side of the space to the other.

And then he saw it.

A flash of red.

Aiden stopped and turned for another look.

There were two of them. They looked almost the same, but one was taller. Immediately, his focus shifted to the shorter of the two, and somehow he knew deep in the marrow of his bones that she was the girl he’d seen at the rodeo.

Something in him went still.

The way her nose scrunched when she laughed at something her sister said. The way she threw her head back with abandon, like she insisted on living her life at the highest volume setting available.

This girl looked like the kind of woman who didn’t have regrets. She went for what she wanted. That was how Aiden preferred his own life to be, but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t have regrets.

How often did he compare his decisions with those of his friends? Too many times to count. But if any of them asked, he made sure they believed he was content with each and every outcome.