Page 96 of Skylar

“You’ve never had one before?”

“No.”

“What brought it on?”

Skylar swallowed and tightened her grip on his hand, even though she knew she should let go. “It was when you said that bit about parents shouldn’t have to bury their children. All I could think of was how close we are to that with Shiloh. The treatment might fail. The transplant might fail. We might… we might have to…”

Aiden put his arm around her and gently pulled her close. “She’s doing better. She’s strong. We have to believe that she’ll come through this.”

This time, Skylar’s fears came out in tears, which frustrated her, even as she found a sort of cathartic release in them. She’d cried more in the past few weeks than she had since the time following her giving Shiloh up for adoption. She didn’t want to shed any more tears.

But first, she had to get through that crying spell.

Aiden continued to hold her, surrounding Skylar with his strength, his gentleness, and the scent of his cologne, which she’d forever associate with him.

“I’m sorry if I triggered that for you with what I said. I didn’t mean to upset you.”

“I know.” Skylar took a deep breath and let it out, trying to send the lingering emotions out into the world. Anywhere but deep in her chest where they hurt so badly.

Finally, she straightened, giving him a sideways glance as he let her go. “We should probably go. I don’t want to miss my flight.”

After a long moment, Aiden closed her door, then circled around to get behind the wheel. Starting the engine back up, he gave her a quick glance. “I’m beginning to think maybe youshouldmiss your flight.”

“What do you mean?” Skylar asked as she pulled a tissue out of her purse. “I need to get back to work. I can’t stay here.”

“I understand that you need to leave for the sake of your job,” he said. “But for the sake of your heart, I think you should stay.”

With that, he pulled back out onto the road and continued the drive to Coeur d’Alene. It was a drive made in silence, but for the music softly drifting from the speakers.

The silence wasn’t angry or hostile, but it was weighted and tense. Like it was holding its breath, waiting for the next wordto be spoken. It didn’t come from Skylar, though, because she didn’t know what to say. And perhaps Aiden had the same problem, since he too didn’t break the silence.

When they pulled up in front of the airport, Aiden said, “I’m sorry I can’t go in with you, but I need to be at work for a meeting.”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I think I’ll probably be going through security pretty quickly.”

Aiden gave a nod, then got out to retrieve her bags from the trunk of the car. Once she had them, he closed the trunk. He stood, his hand resting on it, staring at her and seeming to have some sort of battle with himself.

Finally, something broke his indecision, and he crossed the space between them and took her into his arms. Skylar froze for a minute, then wrapped her arms around him.

“Take care of yourself,” he murmured. “And don’t be gone too long.”

Skylar’s hands gripped the back of his shirt. “I’ll try not to be. And you take care of yourself too.”

Flooded with unfamiliar emotions, she pulled away and grabbed the handles of her check-in and hand carry bags to pull them into the airport. She didn’t glance back until right before the glass doors slid closed, and she caught a glimpse of Aiden still standing there.

The doors slid open again as someone else walked in, and she saw him lift his hand. After a brief hesitation, she waved back at him. When she turned around that time, she didn’t look back again.

But as she stared out at the plane that would take her away from Serenity Point and those she loved, Skylar knew that Aiden was right. Her heart didn’t want to leave.

Skylar pulled her flight bag into the apartment and set it off to the side. She let out a groan as she slipped off her shoes. Grabbing the handle of the bag, she pulled it into her bedroom. After she took off her uniform and hung it up, she unpacked the bag she’d taken for the five-day trip to New York, London and Paris.

Jumping time zones was never easy, and she was exhausted. Thankfully, she had three days off before her next trip.

She took a long shower and did a bit of pampering before climbing out. After drying off, she dressed in a pair of loose cotton shorts and an oversized T-shirt.

Feeling more refreshed than when she’d walked in the door, Skylar went to the kitchen to make something to eat since lunch had gotten forgotten in the busyness of the plane’s arrival in Vegas, completing the end of flight jobs, and then getting home. But before she pulled the stuff out to make a sandwich, she checked her phone for messages.

On the way home in the ride share she’d called at the airport, she’d texted all the usual people. A habit she’d gotten into over the past two weeks since returning home.

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