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He would’ve, but Willow started chanting, “Present time! Present time!”
So instead he followed Tess to the living room.
The girl ripped through her presents in no time, jumping up in between to hug whoever had brought the gift.
“An art set!” she cried when she opened his. “Thanks, Uncle Silas! I love it!”
“I’m glad.” He’d done his best and that was all he could offer.
“I wonder what this one is.” Willow circled the big box, which she’d saved for last. In no time she’d ripped the paper off and started to jump up and down. “It’s the easel! I love it! This is the best gift ever! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!” She hugged Brad and then Callie.
All of the kids closed in to examine the pictures on the box.
“How about I set it up for everyone?” Brad pushed off the couch. “Then you can all make a picture to take home.”
Cheers went around the room.
Silas got up to start cleaning the torn wrapping paper off the floor. In his head he knew he shouldn’t feel like he was involved in some kind of popularity contest but disappointment still crept in. He’d wanted to get Willow a gift that meant something and now she probably wouldn’t even remember. He stuffed the paper into a trash bag and walked out into the garage. “Oh.” He stopped on the step.
Aiden was putting a box into Tess’s truck. “Hey,” his friend said coolly. “Kyra and I brought some canned food for the drive at the school.”
“Ah.” Silas stuffed the trash bag into the bin. He almost went back inside but he paused first. “Do we need to talk about Tess and me?” They might as well have this out now so he could gauge exactly where his friend stood on the issue.
“As far as I’m concerned, there is no you and Tess.” Aiden crossed his arms and leaned against the truck’s tailgate. “Not yet. Because you’re taking off. And that’s not fair to her.”
“Yeah. The timing’s not great.” He should’ve told Fletch no. But he never dreamed Tess would want him. He’d never dreamed he could have a future with her.
“If you want to be with her, then you’re gonna have a responsibility to her.” Aiden stepped up to him. “You’ll have responsibility for those girls. Your life won’t be your own anymore. Everything you do will affect them.” His friend’s tone got heated. “There is no you and Tess, Silas. Not until you choose her. And if you choose her, you’re choosing Morgan and Willow too.”
“I know.” He already bore the weight of that truth. And he didn’t want to let any of them down.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Tess tightened Dreamer’s saddle into place and added a water bottle to the satchel, still smiling about the text she’d gotten from Silas. He’d suggested they camp up in the high meadow when they brought Legacy back this weekend. The two of them, sleeping under the stars. She couldn’t imagine anything better.
“There you are.” Aiden sauntered into the stable all decked out in his cowboy boots and hat. “You ready to head up for the afternoon patrol?”
“I’m ready.” Tess led Dreamer past her brother and out into the sunlight. “Not that I think we’ll see anything up there. Based on the email reports I’ve received, the high meadow has been pretty quiet the last few days.” Word must’ve gotten out about their citizen patrols. So far, the shooters hadn’t made another appearance.
“You sure you want to go up on horseback?” Aiden checked his watch. “We’ll be cutting it a little close to when the girls get home from school. We could always take the UTV that Silas didn’t wreck.”
She shot her brother a warning glare. “We have plenty of time.” Tess pulled herself into the saddle. “I haven’t been out riding at all this week. Dreamer needs some exercise.”
“Sounds good.” Aiden unlatched his trailer and led his horse Recon out. “This guy could use a little exercise too.” He mounted and sidled up next to her.
“Come on, Dreamer, let’s show them how it’s done.” Tess nudged her heels in and set off across the driveway and into the pasture, the horse quickening her pace as they approached the edge of the woods.
“I was surprised that you signed up to ride patrol with me.” She shot her brother a sideways glance. “Since you’ve seemed a little bent out of shape about Silas and me.” Her brother and Silas had disappeared from Willow’s party just long enough to make her nervous.
“I’m not bent out of shape,” he protested. “I know I didn’t handle the news all that well—”
“All that well?” Tess laughed. “You lost your shit, Aiden. And I have no idea what you said to him at Willow’s party, but I’ll bet it wasn’t encouraging.”
“Yeah, I guess I’ve made my feelings obvious,” he admitted.
They rode in silence, both horses intent and focused. Dreamer and Recon knew this route, so Tess let the reins go slack, trusting her horse. This part of the ride was warm and peaceful, crossing through the patches of sunlight that filtered through the tree branches. A few wildflowers had already started to pop up—white rock jasmine, yellow milk vetch, and even some red windflower.
She enjoyed the scenery until they started climbing in elevation and then she decided Aiden’s time was up. “The thing I can’t figure out is what you have against Silas when he’s done so much for you. And for me. And for the girls.” That’s what really bugged her. “He didn’t have to move here after Jace died. He didn’t have to follow through on the promise he made, but he did.” He’d spent the last two years here looking out for her and her girls. Didn’t that mean anything to her brother?
