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James pulled the beer from the fridge, grabbed a bottle opener on the counter to open it, tossed the bottle cap in the garbage, and handed Aiden the beer before they stepped onto the patio.
The view was amazing.
Hope saw him and squealed, “Aiden!”
It made him want to turn around and go home. Still, he pulled together a polite smile. “Hi, Hope. Good to see you.”
She tugged a cute, brown-haired girl to her side and hugged her around her shoulders. “This is my best friend Yvette. She lives in San Diego, but we’re trying to talk her into moving here.”
“God, why would anyone trade San Diego for Massachusetts?”
“Uh…” James swept his hand toward the ocean.
“You know there’s this thing called the Pacific. And I’ll bet it’s a lot more pleasant there in January than it is here.”
Hope put her hand on her hip. “In case I wasn’t clear, Aiden. I’m trying to talk herintomoving here, notout ofit. You’re not helping.”
His shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry.” He offered an apologetic smile to the women. “Boston is a great place to live. We have lots of history and culture, not to mention kick-ass sports teams. And Hope is here, so obviously there’s no contest.”
Steve’s little sister stared at him for a beat, then dropped her hand from her hip. “That’s better.”
James surveyed the small group gathered on the patio. “I think you know everyone else who’s staying this weekend, except Whitney’s friend who just got here, and Zach’s date, Barbie. We haven’t met Whitney’s friend, but Barbie… While she’s great to look at, her conversational skills consist of giggling and bouncing while she does it.”
“Your brother hasn’t changed, I see.”
“He says he wants to date someone he can get serious with, then he goes to the strip club and has a change of heart.”
“Has he always dated strippers?”
“No, he used to date women who didn’t take their clothes off for a living. One in particular—Bridget—he was pretty serious about. Brought her home to meet the family and everything. My mom loved her; we all thought he was going to propose. Then the next thing we knew, they’d broken up, she was dating Miles Cunningham, and he started dating strippers.”
Aiden choked on his beer. “Miles Cunningham’s Bridget is Zach’s ex?”
Miles Cunningham was one of the best cardiothoracic surgeons in the world. He’s who Aiden would pick to operate on his own mother, should, God forbid, the need ever arise. Miles’s girlfriend was the typical girl-next-door type, and Miles was totally besotted with her. Aiden couldn’t picture her with Zach.
“Yeah, I don’t think Zach ever got over her…”
“So, he only dates women he has no chance of getting serious with,” Aiden supplied.
He understood that all too well.
Just then, Steven’s voice came from the doorway. “Hey, you made it.”
“I did.” Aiden made a point of looking around. “This place is great. I can see why you’d want to spend as much time here as you could.”
“Thanks. I really love it.”
Aiden looked past him at a gorgeous blue-eyed woman with reddish-brown hair.
“And this must be Whitney.”
Steve’s smile was sad when he turned to look at her. “Yes, this is Whitney. Whit, my friend Aiden.”
She offered her hand with a polite smile. “Nice to meet you.”
She was stunning, and, by all gossip accounts, brilliant. Aiden could understand why his friend was so taken with her.
Except there seemed to be a chill between the two. Neither seemed happy at the moment.
