Page 119 of Skylar

But were they strong enough to give her the ability to forgive and let go of the past?

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Aiden waited until they were in the car on the way home from the hospital to ask Skylar about the brief snippets of the conversation he had overheard between her and Charli.

“Did I hear right?” he asked. “You quit your job?”

“Yes.”

She didn’t hesitate to confirm it, so it didn’t seem like she was trying to keep it a secret. But if not, why hadn’t she said anything to him about it?

“Is that really what you wanted to do?”

This time, her response was a little slower coming. “Well, I don’t like being without a job, but it was the right thing to do. I need to be here, I think.”

“Have you told your parents?”

“Not yet.”

“Why not?”

“I don’t know. Part of me feels that perhaps I was a bit irresponsible making that decision without having another job already lined up.”

“It might be considered irresponsible if you didn’t have a solid reason for doing it. Or at least I think you have a good reason to want to be here.”

Skylar was silent for a stretch, then she said, “I never wanted to live here because it would be hard to see Shiloh and not be able to be her mother.”

“And has that changed now?”

“Now, I’ve settled into my role as her aunt,” Skylar said. “But since she also knows who I am to her, it feels like I should be closer to her. Especially with her health being so precarious.”

“I understand the struggling with how to view her. I think I’ve come to a place of acceptance. I’ll never be her father, but I can be someone who is still important to her.”

“Yes. We’re not just another aunt and uncle to her. She knows that as well as we do.”

“Will you be staying with your parents again?” Aiden asked, wishing she could live in Coeur d’Alene, especially if she decided to give a relationship with him a shot.

“Probably. I really haven’t thought it through too much, to be honest. A lot depends on where I find a job. If I get a job here, then it makes more sense for me to live here. Like you, I don’t really want to deal with a commute, especially in winter.”

“I’m sure Shiloh will be thrilled when she finds out,” Aiden said as he pulled to a stop at a red light and looked over at Skylar. “When we spent time together after you left, she always talked about how she missed you.”

A gentle smile crept onto her face. “I missed her a lot, too.”

“Did you miss me?” he asked, half joking.

The light turned green, so he had to look away before she answered.

“I missed everyone,” she said. “But yes, maybe I missed you a little, too.”

“I’ll take that.”

“About the date,” Skylar said. “Where exactly do you want this to go?”

The change in the direction of their conversation took him by surprise. But it was a direction he was happy to go in. It meant that she hadn’t completely said no to the idea of dating.

“I’m not just looking for a girlfriend,” Aiden said, deciding to lay it all out. “I want a wife. So if you do decide you want to go on a date with me, just know that I’m serious. No casual dating for me. I want this to be something headed toward marriage. If you’re not interested in that, too, you might as well turn me down now.”

“I don’t mind that you’re serious,” she said. “I’m not looking for casual either.” She gave a little huff of laughter. “Well, to be honest, I wasn’t looking for anything.”

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