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I mean… maybe a little, and it’s clearly not too soon if the heart says it’s the right time.
Right?
“They’re dating,” Aiden supplies, and my dad’s attention goes back to him. “It’s my doing. I could tell they liked each other, and I told Boone I wanted him to be Lilly’s boyfriend, so he asked her out. They spend most nights together—”
“On dates,” I rush to explain. “We go out in the evenings.”
“Then who’s with Aiden?” my dad asks tightly. “I thought you spent the nights up here with him.”
The room is immediately filled with tension at my dad’s accusatory tone and Aiden rushes to defend me. “I don’t need anyone up here at night. I sleep, you know.”
“So you’re essentially here all alone during the day and night?” He doesn’t wait for Aiden to answer, instead turning to me. “How could you leave him alone? And to do what… spend time with a man? Come on, Lilly. You’re more responsible than that.”
I take a deep breath and let it out slowly. I don’t let the answer or embarrassment drive my words or actions because my dad hasn’t been privy to a lot of things.
But before I can open my mouth, Aiden has my back.
And he’s not kind or polite about it. “Don’t you talk to her that way,” Aiden snaps at our father. “Lilly has done everything for me. She worked things out at the deli so Georgie and Charles handle some things for her there, and she works up here all day to stay with me during the times when I really need someone. You should’ve been here, but you were in rehab. Lilly took your place and she can’t be here twenty-four hours a day. It’s not fair to her, and like I said, I’m not a baby. I don’t need anyone here at night. And don’t you dare make her feel bad for dating Boone. She needs something good in her life. She works so hard for both me and you, keeping us straight and being the one true adult in this family, so she deserves anything that will make her happy. That happens to be Boone, so you need to cut her some slack.”
When Aiden’s finished, his chest heaves, his face red from the exertion. I should chastise him for being so disrespectful to our father, but honestly… he said everything I wanted to say, except I would’ve softened it. But part of me thinks Aiden needed to say those things, not just to defend me, but to remind our dad there were consequences to his actions that affected us after he left.
Head bowed, my dad rubs his face before lifting it again so his gaze pins on me. “I’m sorry. I had no right to be judgmental. As your brother so eloquently put it, you deserve all the happiness in the world, and if Boone is doing that for you, I’m happy. It sounds like you’ve been managing all of this just fine without my help.”
“Your help was greatly missed and needed,” I assure him. “We made do.”
Dad’s smile is wan as he rises from his chair and moves to Aiden’s bed. He sits on the edge and puts his hand on Aiden’s knee. “I’m sorry, buddy. I haven’t been a very good dad lately but I promise to work on that. What I will say is I am unbelievably proud of how you stood up for your sister. Not just to protect and validate her, but because you recognize how important she is to this family. You and I would be hot messes without her, huh?”
Aiden nods, a shimmer of tears in his eyes. “Sorry if I was disrespectful.”
Dad waves a hand. “It’s fine. I deserved that one. Now, how about you lay on me all the gossip about your sister and Boone?”
Eyes twinkling with mischief, Aiden sits taller in the bed.
“And…,” I drawl dramatically as I pop up from my chair, “I’m out. I definitely don’t need to hear what’s probably going to be an overdramatized version of the story.”
I walk out of Aiden’s room and pull my phone from my pocket. Without hesitation, I call him.
He may answer.
He may not.
Boone told me to call or text him anytime I felt like it and if he could respond, he would. If not, he’d call me back as soon as he was free.
Even though I know he’s at the arena this morning, I have no clue if he’s in practice, working out, in a team meeting or just sitting around shooting the shit. Still, I take the chance.
“Hey baby,” he says when he answers and I almost stumble, my entire body electrified. The endearment sounds so natural and right, said without an ounce of hesitation.
“Hey,” I say, tucking my hair behind my ear in a nervous gesture he can’t see. “Are you busy?”
“I’m good. How did it go springing your dad from rehab?”
“Piece of cake. We just finished lunch and now Aiden’s in there telling him all about us dating.”
Boone laughs deeply. “No doubt taking credit for it.”
“Of course he is.” I giggle. I don’t tell Boone about the little scrap between my dad and Aiden. I’ll tell him later when I see him, but for now we have more important things to talk about. “How is your day going? Are you ready for the game tomorrow?”
The conversation continues and I’m lost in this man’s voice and his constant, steadying presence, even on the phone. I can’t help but wonder what I ever did to deserve this.
