Page 134 of Skylar

“You’re right,” Skylar said, then swallowed against the emotion that threatened to choke her. “I’ll talk to him.”

Charli reached out and laid her hand on Skylar’s arm. “I would like nothing better than to see you and Aiden together, but I want it to be a lasting thing. And not just for your and Aiden’s sake. I don’t want Shiloh to watch her birth parents get together, only for them to fall apart at some point in the future.”

Skylar shook her head. “I don’t want her to see that either, and I don’t want to live through that for a second time.”

“So give yourselves the best shot by being honest about everything.”

Skylar hadn’t enjoyed hearing those truths from her sister. But now that she had, she knew that it had been necessary. That Charli had only been looking out for her best interests.

“I might have the opportunity to talk to him this weekend when we’re on the way back from Vegas.”

“Tell me about your plans,” Charli said.

As she told Charli about what she was hoping would happen, Skylar had a confidence about the future that she hadn’t had prior to their conversation. Because now she knew what she had to do. What had held her back from being able to fully commit to Aiden.

Unfortunately, the next few days were going to be busy, and she wouldn’t see Aiden again until he arrived in Vegas. Suddenly those few days they’d be far apart loomed large.

Now that she was fully on board for a new relationship with him, she wanted it to happen right away.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Aiden reluctantly rolled out of bed, letting out a deep groan as the sound of his alarm sliced through the quiet morning. After shutting it off, he cast a glance toward the other bed, where Cole lay sleeping. In the dim light of his phone, all he could make out was a large, motionless lump beneath the crumpled blankets.

“Time to get up, bro,” he called out, his voice cutting through the silence. “We’ve got to hit the road.”

His muscles protested with every movement, a reminder of the previous day's exhausting efforts. He and Cole had spent hours lifting and hauling, their bodies strained from the relentless work. A few extra sets of hands would have been a blessing, but somehow, they had managed to accomplish the task on their own.

Cole had muttered a few times about how he should have just hired someone to pack everything up for Skylar. He’d even discreetly called up a couple of places to see if they had anyone available, but with such short notice, everyone had said they couldn’t help.

“Ugh.” Cole shifted on the bed, his arms breaking free of the lump of covers to stretch into the air.

“I’m turning on a light, so cover your eyes,” Aiden advised.

After he’d switched on the lamp beside his bed, he shuffled to where he’d left his bag the night before.

“I could use a couple more hours of sleep. Or a long soak in a hot tub.”

“Sorry, dude,” Aiden said as he rummaged through his things for some clean clothes and his toiletry bag. “Neither is an option today. We’ve got a long drive to take care of.”

“Why did we decide to do this all in one day?” Cole groused as he swung his legs over the side of the bed and sat up, rubbing his face before dragging his hands through his hair.

“I didn’t take tomorrow off,” Aiden reminded him. “So I’ve got to be back in Coeur d’Alene tonight.”

“You should come work for me,” Cole said, as he had many times before.

“Not gonna happen,” Aiden said over his shoulder as he headed into the small bathroom to change and freshen up for the day.

When he came back out, Cole was on his feet at the small coffee maker, staring down at it. The aroma of brewing coffee grew stronger as Aiden returned the clothes he’d slept in and his toiletries to his duffle bag.

“Are you planning to grab breakfast here?” Aiden asked, referring to the breakfast offered by the hotel.

“Yes. I’m starving.” Cole turned with a cup of coffee in his hand. “We can head down once I’m dressed.”

While Cole got ready, Aiden made himself a cup of coffee. It wasn’t the best he’d ever tasted, but it would help him wake up. After a couple of sips, he picked up his phone and sent a quick message to Skylar.

Are you awake? We’re getting ready to head down for some breakfast.

It took a couple of minutes, but soon a reply came.

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