Page 97 of His to Cherish
“Yeah?” he asked, uncertainty draining from his eyes. I almost wanted to laugh. “I didn’t know if you’d want to go somewhere fancier, but you seemed to like steak…”
I pressed my fingertips over his lips, ignoring the way his hot breath heated my fingers and tickled my palm. “Stop trying so hard.”
Beneath my hand, I felt his sigh and then watched his shoulders relax. His strong fingers wrapped around my wrist and he pulled my hand to his lap. “You’re giving me this chance I’m not entirely sure I deserve. I want it to be perfect.”
“It will be. Come on.” I opened my door and hopped down before he could help. “Amaze me with your grilling prowess.”
Inside Rube’s, the tabletops were made of thick wood and textured from years of casual dining. I loved this place and the concept of being able to choose your own cut of meat and grill it yourself.
It was casual and fun and the perfect kind of place for me. Much nicer than a restaurant with a white tablecloth and candle in the middle where I had to worry about setting my sleeve on fire when I reached for my wineglass, or flinging a bite of chicken across the floor when my knife scraped against the china.
The fact that Aidan brought me here told me two things: he wanted to be comfortable…and he wantedmeto be comfortable.
I couldn’t help but smile.
He knew me, and that thought brought a slight hop to my step as the hostess seated us after we had chosen our cuts and requested service for our drinks and sides.
Aidan watched me, his own eyes alight with amusement as my gaze wandered to the other customers and the crowds standing at the grills in the back.
“Thank you,” I whispered, even though the chatter of the customers and the hissing of the grills made my words barely audible. “For bringing me here.”
“At the risk of repeating myself, thank you for the chance.”
I grinned and he reached across the table, taking my hand and pulling me to my feet. With his other hand, he wound his fingers around our two bottles of beer and led me back to the grill.
We stayed together while he grilled our steak and garlic bread. We chatted politely with other customers as we all huddled around the large circular grills. More than once, he laughed in a way that was uninhibited by sadness and grief. More times than I could count, he had his hand on me. My waist, my hip, my back—it seemed as if every time I moved, Aidan found some way to keep us connected.
We hadn’t even eaten our dinner yet and it was already the best date of my life. While we ate, our conversation flowed the same way it always had…easily, smoothly, and we avoided the hard topics until I could no longer stand it.
I was dying to know how he was doing after his week and time with Mandy. Now that I understood more, I wanted to know everything.
“So how was cleaning out Derrick’s room?” I asked when we finished our meal.
I couldn’t imagine.
I’d never be able to imagine. The thought sank to my stomach like a lead anchor.
“I’m sorry,” I said before he could answer. “I don’t…it was probably horrible and a stupid question.”
Aidan nodded. “Itwashorrible. But good, too, I think, in a way. Painful, and yet I sat in his room, laughing about photos he’d taken, memories with his friends, guys’ weekends we used to take in the summer.” He looked away and took a slow drink from his beer. Sorrow began to slide the light out of his eyes. “Derrick was a great kid, and fuck if I didn’t have a blast raising him. There are so many good things to remember.” He shook his head and paused, swallowing thickly. “Wise beyond his years, smart as a whip…I’m lucky he was mine.”
“Yeah,” I choked out over a lump in my throat. “You know who else is lucky?”
He slid his eyes back to meet mine, and I felt the edges of my lips curl up into a grin.
“Me,” I said when he arched a brow in question. “I’m lucky to be here with you.”
—
My feet pounded the pavement and I looked into the stands, remembering that it had been just yesterday that Aidan and I had sat there and it had been just last night that he’d taken me to Rube’s.
“Where are you?” Camden asked, her voice panting lightly next to mine.
We were doing our weekly long run in preparation for an upcoming 10K race, but the steak last night must have been too much food. I was dragging slowly behind Camden, whom I could usually outpace, or at least match.
My mind simply wasn’t on the run. It was stuck back in the kiss Aidan and I had shared last night.
How he’d cupped my cheeks in his large, warm hands and bent down and barely—so quick it was over before I could fully enjoy the moment—brushed his lips over mine.
