Page 58 of Skylar

“They live where Janessa and Charli used to, right?”

“Yep. We’re keeping the house in the family, it seems.”

“Okay. I’ll see you there in a bit.”

In his car a few minutes later, Aiden pulled out his phone to call his mom.

“Are you on your way home, sweetie?” his mom asked. “Willow and I have eaten already because she was hungry, but there’s a plate in the fridge for you.”

“Actually, that’s why I’m calling. Jay invited me to lunch with the family.”

“Oh, that’s nice. I take it you accepted, and that’s why you’re calling?”

“Yes. So I’m not going to be home until later unless you need me home before that.”

“I absolutely do not need you home sooner,” his mom said. “You enjoy yourself and say hi from us.”

“I will,” Aiden told her. “See you later.”

After they said goodbye, Aiden dropped his phone into the cup holder. He glanced around and saw that the parking lot was about half empty, so he started up the car and left.

By the time he got to the house, several cars were already parked in the driveway and along the curb. That meant he had to park partway down the block and walk.

Which was fine because it gave him time to prepare to see Skylar again.

As he climbed the stairs, he realized how weird it was to be joining a Halverson gathering without Cole. For as long as he could remember, Cole had been his connection to the family. He had never attended any of their gatherings without his best friend also being there.

That day, Cole wasn’t there. Instead, Aiden’s connection was through a little girl and her birth mom.

When he reached the house, Lee answered the door. He gave Aiden a smile as he held out his hand. Once he had hold of Aiden’s hand, he pulled him in for a quick bro hug.

“Good to see you again, man,” Lee said. “Glad you could join us.”

“Hope it’s not a problem that I’ve shown up.”

“It’s not at all. Jay let me know he’d invited you.”

Lee led the way into the kitchen, where he slowed to let Aiden greet Zane and the women there before heading on out to the back deck. Hudson was there, along with Wilder and a young boy whose parentage Aiden had no clue about.

Aiden approached Wilder warily. It seemed that Jay had gotten over his upset with Aiden, so perhaps Wilder had as well.

“Guess I gotta be nice to you,” Wilder said.

The words might have stung if Aiden hadn’t been able to see the humor on the guy’s face. “I guess so.”

“Lexi’s still ticked at me over the last incident.”

“Somehow I doubt that,” Hudson said. “You have the ability to annoy people into not being mad at you anymore. Honestly, I don’t know how you do it.”

“It works the best on Lexi, to be fair.”

“Well, the one person it never works on is Kayleigh.”

Wilder grinned. “True. When I try to cajole her into not being irritated anymore, her irritation only intensifies.”

“One would think you’d have learned not to do it anymore,” Hudson said.

“Life’s always more fun when you don’t learn all the lessons you’re supposed to.”

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