Page 89 of Skylar

“That’s okay. We don’t want to go too fast.”

“And you have to wear life jackets.”

“We will.”

The teens swam toward the boat, and they followed, with Cole and Aiden pulling the tube while Skylar hung on. When they got there, they climbed the ladder to get onto the platform.

“Need a hand, sis?” Cole said when Skylar approached the ladder.

“Maybe.”

“Come over here.” He motioned to a part of the platform away from the ladder. “Help me out, Aid.”

When Aiden joined them, they bent over and each took hold of one of Skylar’s arms. On the count of three, they straightened, pulling Skylar up out of the water onto the platform.

She grinned as she balanced on her good foot. “Thanks. I appreciate the hand up.”

The joy on her face in that moment, combined with the beauty he’d always seen in her, made Aiden’s heart trip over itself.

As a teen, he would have been more interested in how she looked in her swimsuit than the joy on her face. However, he’d since learned that focusing strictly on outward beauty led him down a path he shouldn’t go with someone who wasn’t his wife.

Of course, Skylar was a beautiful woman. After they’d broken up, he’d never been able to date a woman with dark hair and eyes without comparing her to Skylar. Comparing and finding them lacking in some way.

“Here’s your towel, Sky,” Kayleigh said as she came over with it.

“Thanks.”

Skylar bent to dry off her leg before putting her walking boot back on. She then tied the towel around her waist and moved out of the way of the others, who were busy putting on life jackets, while Cole hooked the tubes up to the ropes that had been provided by the rental company.

Aiden was drawn to follow her to the bench seat where she settled, but instead, he stayed to help Cole get everything ready for the teens. Then, as the boat began to move, he stayed at the back so that he could keep an eye on the four who were on the tubes.

It struck him like a punch to the gut that this was what he’d thrown away. He and Skylar could have had more days like this. He could have gone to sit with her, putting his arm around her like Hudson had done with Kayleigh.

He could have had everything, but he’d thrown it all away because he hadn’t accepted that he’d found the person he could spend the rest of his life with as a teenager. And now he had to live with a persistent ache of that loss and the realization that he might have been wrong.

CHAPTER TWENTY

“There was a match?” Skylar asked her dad. He’d announced that he had good news, and that, as far as she was concerned, was the only good news that would put that smile on her dad’s face.

“Yes, indeed. There was a match.”

Skylar felt a rush of relief as she sank back into her chair, covering her face with her hands as emotions overwhelmed her. She felt the couch dip beside her and an arm go around her shoulders.

Had that happened in different circumstances, she would have pulled away from Aiden. She knew it was him because of his cologne, and for once, she allowed herself to take comfort in his closeness.

“That is just the greatest news,” Aiden said, his voice thick with emotion. “I know it was a long shot, but I’ve been praying that God would allow there to be a match for her.”

“We’ve all been praying,” her mom said. “And I’m so thankful for this answer.”

Skylar wiped the tears from her cheeks as she looked up. Blake and Charli were also showing emotion over the news. In fact, Skylar wasn’t sure she’d ever seen that much emotion on her brother-in-law’s face. He had his arm wrapped around Charli just as Aiden did with her.

“Who is the match?” Blake asked.

Skylar expected her dad to say her or Aiden, given they were closest to Shiloh genetically. However, she knew there was a chance it could be someone else in the family or even a stranger.

Her mom and dad had tried to explain how that might happen, but there was a reason Skylar had struggled a lot with science and biology. She just couldn’t grasp it.

“I’ve already spoken to the person, and he gave me permission to share the news with everyone.”

---