Page 93 of Whiskey Run Heroes

I laugh out loud then because this is crazy. We’re standing in the hallway of the Whiskey Whistler discussing our business. Half the town will know about it tomorrow. It's either laugh or cry, because he's telling me things that I have only dreamed about him saying. “I'm glad you know because I thought we were just having fun. That's what you do, right? Have fun.”

He grits his teeth and is staring at me like he’s seeing me for the first time. “Well, I want more.”

I pull my hand from his and put both of my hands on my hips. I have to do that to put some distance between us. He’s so much taller than me I have to lift my head to look up at his face, but I want to make sure that I'm looking at him when I say this. “Look, Aiden, right now you want more. But what about next week? This has worked this long because no one knows about it. You can come and go as you please. You can do anything that you want. We don't have a name on it. Now, let's go back out there, and we'll talk about this some other time.”

And before he can sway me, I start to walk away and go back out to the bar. I try to keep my expression clear as I walk back to the table. Thankfully, Colt is in a conversation with someone, and I sit down in the seat that I left earlier. Kinsey is looking at me wide-eyed, and I know she wants to know what’s up. I need to tell her. Dang, I need to tell someone, but I know she's not going to be happy that I've kept this from her for this long. Hopefully she understands, and with any luck she can help me figure out what the heck I'm supposed to do at this point.

3

AIDEN

I stalk back out to my seat and sit down. There's no hiding that I'm pissed and probably way more than I should be. Yeah, that was the way we started. It was just for fun. We agreed on friends with benefits, but she should know that after two years and everything that we've done together that there should be more than this.

And fuck, yeah, I used to be a player, especially when I was in the Army. But I was younger then, and I've settled down now. Obviously, I'm off my game if May had no idea how I was feeling about her. She's the one. I know she's the one.

Colt turns to me when I sit down. “I thought you had to go.”

And even though a part of me is ready to just storm out of here, I know that I'm not leaving May here at a bar. Her brother is protective as fuck, but I'm still not chancing it.

“Nah, my plans fell through,” I tell him.

I can feel May’s eyes on me, but I'm not looking at her. I can’t because I know I won’t be able to resist pulling her into my arms and doing whatever I have to do to make her realize this is the real deal.

Colt just laughs and slaps me on the back. “She found out she was one of five women or something? She dumped your ass,” he laughs.

Dammit. I clench my fists because I'm over all this talk about how I’m some player. I used to just laugh it off and let it be because I didn’t care what people thought. But I'm not willing to do that anymore because obviously May is believing everything that is being said about me, which is fucked up.

“What the fuck, Colt? I'm not a player. You make it sound like I'm hopping from bed to bed or something. I haven't been with anyone—"

May interrupts me with her hands up. “Okay, so not everyone wants to hear about your sexcapades.” She turns to the side to look at Kinsey. “What did you two need to talk to me about?”

Colt gives me a look with a creased eyebrow as if he's trying to figure out what is wrong with me, but I ignore him and look at May.

I see Colt shake his head beside me and then look at his wife. “You didn't tell her?” he asks.

Kinsey looks at May almost apologetically and then shakes her head. “No, and you know, maybe it's not a good idea. Let's just talk about this later, Colt.”

He laughs. “Are you kidding? This guy is perfect. You know if I'm saying he's perfect, then he's perfect.”

I grip the edge of the table, wondering where this is going. I already have an idea, and I know I’m not going to fucking like it.

May looks between her brother and sister-in-law. “What are you talking about?”

Colt leans forward dramatically. “We would like you to come to dinner tomorrow night,” he says.

May nods. “Sure. I’d love to see the kids anyway.”

Colt gets a smirk on his face, and I swear for the first time in my life I want to rearrange his face. He’s nodding his head likehe just came up with some fantastic idea or something. “The kids will be at the babysitter's.” He leans forward in his seat and hits the table in front of his sister. “May, I met a guy at the gym.”

Instantly, May starts to laugh. Normally, I would too, but not now. Not when I know what is coming. “You met a guy? And Kinsey’s okay with it?” May is laughing, and she still doesn't have a clue what’s happening, but I do.

Colt rolls his eyes. “I met a guy for you.”

Her eyes get big, and she shakes her head like she can’t believe what she just heard. “Wait? Did I hear you right? Did my overprotective brother that never approves of any man I’m dating just say he found me a man?” She acts like she can’t believe what she's hearing, and quite honestly, neither can I.

Colt lifts his drink and takes a swig before setting it down. “Yeah, he's a great guy. Kinsey's met him. She agreed he'd be perfect for you.”

May is doing her best not to look at me, which I know has to be hard because I'm staring a hole in her. In my head, I’m telling her—damn, I’m begging her—to tell him. I’d do it myself if I thought she’d talk to me afterwards. I'm sitting on the edge of seat, and I'm about to say something. She's literally looking everywhere but at me. “I don't think—” she starts, but Colt interrupts.

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