Page 49 of Skylar

“Will you prepare Willow with information about Shiloh’s diagnosis?” Blake asked. “I would prefer that Shiloh not have to discuss it. She knows what’s going on, but I think it would be good if the two of them could just be a couple of kids hanging out together.”

“I’ll make sure she knows what’s going on,” Aiden assured them. He’d already talked a bit about it with Willow, and he’d make sure she had more information before she met Shiloh.

“Thank you for coming here, so Blake and I could go on a date,” Charli said as she gave Skylar a hug, then held out her arms to Aiden.

It felt a bit weird to hug Charli, as that had not been part of their dynamic when he’d last been around her. But he’d take a hug over a punch in the gut, which was what he was on the watch for whenever he was around Skylar’s family. Well, mainly her brothers.

“I’m happy to come back any time to babysit,” Aiden said.

As he said the words, a memory of his dad came to him. Bethany had asked their dad if he’d babysat her and Aiden a lot when they were little. His dad had said that he’d never babysat them. Bethany had been indignant, insisting that she remembered at least one time when he’d stayed with them.

He’d corrected her, stating that he hadn’t been babysitting them. He’d been taking care of them, as a father should.

Unfortunately, in Aiden’s reality, he wasn’t a parent taking care of his child. Hewasa babysitter.

“I’m going to head for home,” Skylar said as she shuffled onto her crutches.

Charli gave her another hug. “Thanks for coming, sis.”

Aiden followed her out of the room, then kept his stride short as they made their way down the hallway, maneuvering around people and medical equipment. When they reached the elevator, they didn’t have to wait long.

Thankfully, there was only one person on it when the doors slid open. However, it stopped on the next floor down and several people joined them. Aiden positioned himself between Skylar and the others in the elevator car so that no one bumped into her or her crutches.

When they reached the main floor, he let the others exit before placing his hand on the door to keep it open so Skylar could leave the elevator.

The sun hadn’t completely set yet since the summer days were long, and warm fresh air embraced them as they stepped from the air-conditioned building.

“Thank you again for setting this up,” Aiden said. “I’m sure it wasn’t what you wanted to do.”

Skylar leaned on her crutches as they stood off to the side, out of the way of the doors. Last time they’d had a more emotionally intense moment standing there, and Aiden hoped there wouldn’t be a repeat of it. He wasn’t sure he could handle it.

“I did it more for Charli, Blake, and Shiloh.”

“I know,” Aiden told her. “But I still appreciate it.”

“I don’t suppose we’ll be doing it again,” Skylar said. “If they’re going to be going home soon.”

Aiden wanted to be able to spend more time with Shiloh, but he had a feeling that if he did, Skylar would not be part of it. That made him sad because it felt like they should be building this relationship with Shiloh together. He was well aware, however, that she didn’t feel the same way.

“Why don’t you give me your car keys,” he said, holding out his hand.

“Why?”

“I’ll go get your car and bring it around so you don’t have to use your crutches all the way to the parking lot.”

“It’s not that far.”

Aiden lifted his eyebrows and kept his hand out. He remembered how she’d been in high school when she’d ended upon crutches, so he was sure that she would actually like to not have to walk on the crutches any further than necessary.

“C’mon, I know you don’t like walking on those things,” he said. “I suppose I could carry you like I used to, or… I could just take the keys and bring the car around to you.”

She glared at him. Her expression was so familiar that it brought a smile to his face. “C’mon, Sky. Hand them over. You know you want to.”

“Fine.” Rolling her eyes at him, she dug into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out a key ring with a fob. Holding it above his hand, she sighed, then dropped it into his palm.

After telling him what she was driving and approximately where she’d parked, he turned and headed for the parking lot. The smile over the exchange didn’t fade as he walked away from Skylar.

The exchange… her reactions… it had all been so familiar and a poignant reminder of the past. Not just of the time when they’d dated, but also of all the years they’d known each other. Which had basically been their whole lives.

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