When Presley squeezed his hand, he guessed she felt the same.
“Maybe it wouldn’t matter if they stayed for a few months,” Rod said. “As long as they share a room, like she said.”
“We could do that.” Anya pounced immediately. “That’d be perfect. And think how great it would be to have a woman around. Wait until you see how I can cook. I’m good at a lot of other things, too.”
She didn’t elaborate on that, and Aaron was afraid to ask.
“Grady, Rod...” Dylan began, but could say little more. Although they must have heard the warning note in his voice, Grady sighed and shrugged it off.
“Everyone needs a break now and then, Dyl,” he said. “And this could make a big difference in Dad’s life, give him a break, too, since he can’t help her at the moment. But I can only speak for myself. Rod’s weighed in. Mack, what about you?”
As all eyes turned to him, Mack hesitated. It was rare for him not to side with Dylan. But, ultimately, he nodded. What else could he do? He was the most excited about J.T. getting out, about finally having a father. But chances were good that their father would put this woman first, and Mack would wind up with nothing—like always.
Aaron glanced at Presley. He could tell that Anya was taken aback that she hadn’t managed to gain a warmer welcome, but she wasn’t going to let what they thought or felt stand in the way.
“You’ll see that I’m not hard to live with,” she said and quickly made arrangements to arrive the very next day.
“Holy hell,” he muttered as, a bit shell-shocked, they slowly made their way to the exit after she’d left. “I knew that wasn’t going to go well, but...shit. I don’t think it could’ve gone any worse.”
Presley was carrying Wyatt, but she propped him on one hip and looped her arm through Aaron’s. “Tell the truth. You felt as sorry for the girl as the rest of us did.”
“Of course,” he admitted. “Anya had a secret weapon. She completely disarmed us, just as she set out to do.”
They paused in the shade of the overhang and watched the two drive off in a rattletrap car.
“I think we’re in for trouble,” Grady said.
They sure were. But Aaron wasn’t going to let his father ruin his life again. If he’d ever had any doubts about moving to Reno, he didn’t now.
28
P
resley hardly saw Aaron the following week. Dylan and Cheyenne had left for Hawaii, so he was running the shop, as well as trying to keep up with his own share of bodywork after hours. He called her whenever he took a break, and slipped into bed with her late at night—he refused to go home, where he could run into Anya or Natasha—but he was gone again before she got up. She missed him, but she knew these lonely days were only a sample of what it would be like when he was no longer living in town.
Once Dylan and Cheyenne returned, Aaron started moving into his new place. Presley went with him when her schedule allowed it and helped him clean the house and unpack. He didn’t ask for her help, but he seemed to like having her and Wyatt with him whenever possible, and she figured it would be reassuring, a way to prove to herself that he’d be comfortable and happy in his new home.
He talked as if he’d be visiting Whiskey Creek often, as if the move wouldn’t change a thing between them. But Presley didn’t believe that. A three-hour drive was a significant obstacle. As soon as he got busy—and he’d be extremely busy launching the new shop—he’d stay in Reno for longer and longer periods of time. And she had no car, so she couldn’t drive herself.
She supposed that was for the best. Then the amount of their interaction would be up to him. She was tired of caring more than he did, hated that it seemed as if that would never change. If he wanted to be with her and Wyatt, he knew where to find them. It wasn’t like he’d
had
to make this move. Dylan and the others would’ve been fine with his staying.
He
was the one who’d wanted to branch out on his own. Sure, he wasn’t happy about Anya and Natasha inserting themselves into his life, but his brothers were tolerating it. As recently as just a few weeks ago, he could’ve chosen to stay in Whiskey Creek, but he’d signed both leases after they’d started seeing each other almost every day.
The first night they spent at his place was three weeks before her birthday. “What do you want me to get you?” he asked. They were wrapped in each other’s arms and had been talking about the party Cheyenne was planning to throw for her, which was how the subject came up.
Presley had to admit she was disappointed that he’d ask. She would’ve preferred that he pick out something on his own and surprise her. But maybe she was being too sensitive. He’d had a lot on his mind and his schedule, and that was only going to get worse.
“I don’t need anything in particular,” she said. “Maybe some yoga mats so I can provide them to students who don’t have their own.”
“That’s pretty practical.”
“It would still be a good gift. I want to be successful.” Besides, practical gifts were about the only kind she’d ever received, so she was used to it.
“What you need is a car.”
“Not in Whiskey Creek,” she said. “And I’d rather not have the payments.”
“Then how will you drive up here?”
“I won’t. You’ll have to visit me.” Even if he found other friends, other women to date, he’d come back for Wyatt, wouldn’t he? That gave her some security—but also made it impossible to build a life that didn’t include him.
He kissed her bare shoulder. “Don’t worry. I’ll visit often.”
“Are you coming to my party?”
“Of course,” he said. “What was that you said to Cheyenne, anyway? ‘If I have time’? What kind of guy do you think I am? I wouldn’t miss your birthday.”
“You have a lot to do here. That’s all I was thinking.”
“None of it is more important than you.”
She didn’t argue with him, but if that was true, he wouldn’t have moved. Or...he would’ve asked her to come, too.
* * *
Just as she’d feared, Presley didn’t see much of Aaron in the days leading up to June 26. He called her daily, but the drive was too long to make very often. She couldn’t go to Reno herself because, besides the fact that she didn’t own a car, she had early yoga classes and massage appointments. He couldn’t come down because he was already paying rent on his new location and needed to get the renovations finished as soon as possible so he could open.
She missed him more with each passing day, but she refused to dwell on it—or show her sister, who was obviously concerned, how much it hurt that he could move on so easily.
“Aaron told me he’ll definitely be here for your birthday,” Cheyenne told her when they were addressing the invitations one afternoon.
“He hasn’t been able to come back as often as he thought,” she said, “but...hopefully he’ll make it.”
“He will.”
Presley hated that he’d ever left. Even Wyatt seemed sad. When he called, Aaron always asked to talk to his son if Wyatt was up, but nothing was the same. She knew Riley believed it was over between them because he came in for one of the massages she owed him and flirted with her as if they’d never had that encounter at her house.
By the time her birthday rolled around, she was so homesick for Aaron that she didn’t care about cake or presents or even the friends who might come to her party. It was more about seeing him. So she splurged on a new dress—a brand-new dress, not one from the secondhand store—gave her fingernails and toenails a fresh coat of polish and sprayed on his favorite perfume, all in anticipation of the moment he’d walk through Cheyenne’s door. She’d put so much effort into her appearance that when he texted to let her know he’d be late, she couldn’t help feeling let down.
Although she smiled and talked and pretended to have a great time, it was easy to tell that Cheyenne and Dylan were just as upset with Aaron. As the minutes turned into hours, she began to wonder if he was going to show at all.
“It’s time for Presley to open her presents,” Cheyenne announced.
They’d already stalled as long as possible. Cheyenne couldn’t put it off any longer without ruining the party. People were starting to leave. So Presley sat down and let Wyatt play with the discarded wrapping paper as she opened each package.
Cheyenne and Dylan gave her an expensive painting of the foothills surrounding Whiskey Creek, one she’d been fixated on since they’d seen it at a local gallery. Grady, Rod and Mack gave her a sizable gift certificate for Amazon. Ted Dixon and his fiancée, Sophia, gave her an e-reader. From Anya and Natasha she got a handmade certificate for some “free” babysitting for Wyatt—not that Presley would ever let Anya be alone with him. She didn’t trust Aaron’s new stepmother but she liked Natasha. Other than that, she got various items from her yoga and massage clients—movie tickets, a houseplant, a pretty necklace.
She managed to hold back the tears that lurked just below the surface long enough to thank everyone. Then she couldn’t wait to escape her own party so she wouldn’t have to try so hard to keep up the act, but Cheyenne told her there was one package left.
Dylan brought it out of one of the bedrooms and said, “This is from Aaron.”
Aaron had a gift for her? How, when he hadn’t even arrived?
She didn’t ask. Too many people were looking on, feeling sorry for her. She could sense their sympathy, hear the whispers.
Isn’t she with Aaron anymore?...Why didn’t he come to the party?...I heard he was supposed to. Cheyenne said so...Did they break up?
She’d been seen all over town with the father of her baby just three weeks earlier. Happier than she’d ever been. Now he wasn’t even at her birthday party.
She didn’t want to open Aaron’s gift in front of anyone, especially Cheyenne and Dylan because they were most privy to her disappointment. But Cheyenne had Dylan bring it in, and if she refused to open it, the hurt she was feeling would be that much more apparent.
Swallowing hard, she told herself to hang on a bit longer. “Wow. It’s big.”
“Don’t get your hopes up,” she heard Cheyenne mutter, and unwrapped it to find forty yoga mats. He’d gotten her the practical gift she’d suggested—but at least he’d gotten her a lot of them.
“This is wonderful,” she said. “I really...need these.” She looked at Catherine, one of her yoga students, who sat nearby playing with Wyatt. “Won’t having so many of my own mats be handy?”
Catherine nodded, but even her smile seemed forced.
Presley got to her feet. “Thanks a million for coming,” she told everyone. “And for all the lovely gifts. This has been the best birthday ever.”
It was a pretty transparent lie, but they all hugged her, wished her a final “happy birthday” and drifted off to their own homes.
“You okay?” Cheyenne asked as they started to clean up.
“Of course,” she replied, and promised herself that soon she’d be able to crawl into bed.
Cheyenne grabbed her arm when she moved toward the kitchen to throw away some paper plates. “You can go now, if you want. It’s past Wyatt’s bedtime, anyway.”
“He’ll be fine for a few more minutes. I don’t want to leave you with this mess,” she said, but she wished she’d taken Cheyenne up on her offer when she heard Dylan, his voice low and angry, talking to Mack.
“Where the hell is he? He has me go buy yoga mats and thinks he’s covered?”
Mack saw her standing nearby and cleared his throat, which caused Dylan to turn.
“Shit. I’m sorry, Pres,” he said when he realized she’d overheard.
Tears sprang to her eyes, but she blinked them back. “Don’t worry about it. I appreciate you getting the mats. They’ll...they’ll come in handy.”
“He would’ve done it himself, but he didn’t have time. He said today was crazy. He’s still coming, by the way. At least he was the last I heard. He called a little while ago.”
“It’s a long drive.” She’d been saying that all night, but no sooner had those words come out than her phone buzzed.
It was another text from Aaron.
I’m finally here, babe. I’m so sorry. I just need a quick shower. Then I’ll be over.
It’s okay,
she wrote.
Everyone’s gone.
So you’re coming home now?
Yes.
Good. I’ll meet you at your place.
Presley let her breath seep out as she stared down at his words. What was she going to say when she saw him? She wasn’t sure she could pretend it hadn’t hurt that he’d been so cavalier about her birthday.
“I guess he’s here,” she told Dylan when she saw him frowning at her.
“Great. Where?” he muttered. “I’ll kick his ass.”
“Don’t be mad at him,” she said. “I was warned, right?”
He gave her a hug. “If that brother of mine had a brain in his head, he’d know what he has in you.”
“You can’t make your heart love someone it won’t. I think that’s a line in a song, isn’t it? Or something like that.” She chuckled mirthlessly. “Who can argue with such wisdom?”
There was nothing he could say to that, nothing anyone could say.
“We’ll keep Wyatt here while you go talk to him,” Cheyenne said.
She allowed that because Wyatt was still so wound up she had no idea how long it would take to get him to sleep. And she had to tell Aaron that he was off the hook, that he didn’t need to return to Whiskey Creek anymore, not to see her. They’d given a relationship their best shot, but he obviously didn’t care about her very much. He hadn’t even offered an excuse for missing her birthday party. That was what stung the most. If he’d had a good reason, maybe she could’ve forgiven him. But even Dylan was mad.
It was hot outside, one of those rare nights that brought no reprieve from the summer heat. But Presley’s house was close enough that she wouldn’t have to be outside for long.
She’d barely rounded the corner before coming to a halt. She’d assumed Aaron would be inside, having a shower, as he’d said in his text. He had his own key. But he stood waiting for her, leaning up against the side of a big U-Haul truck. His pickup was hooked to the back via a tow dolly.
What was this?
So surprised that she forgot to be upset, she hurried over. “What’s going on?”
He wiped a bead of sweat from his temple. “Sorry. I’d hug you, but I’m filthy.”
“From...”
He indicated the truck behind him. “What does it look like? I’ve been moving.”
“But...I don’t understand. You rented that house in Reno. You signed a lease for the shop. You just moved up there three weeks ago!”
“And I just figured out that it was all a mistake, Pres.” Shoving away from the truck, he stepped closer and rested his hands on her shoulders. “The past three weeks have shown me that I can’t live without you.”
Presley couldn’t believe her ears. “What are you saying? You’re moving back?”
His lips twisted into a wry grin. “I already did. Everything I want is right here.”
In the truck. Her mind was reeling. “But you–you paid rent on the business and your house. You’re locked in for a year. You’ll lose thousands of dollars if you walk away.”
He winced as he scratched his head. “Yeah. Not the smartest move I’ve ever made. I’ll do what I can to salvage it—maybe hire a manager and some techs to run it. If that doesn’t work, I deserve the financial loss for being so slow on the uptake. Somehow I thought we could carry on pretty much the way we were, that I could escape my past and start over without losing you. I even thought that maybe you’d be willing to move up there at some point.” He gave her a rueful smile. “But I just couldn’t see you leaving what you’ve established here. Which meant I needed to be the one to make the sacrifice.”
“But...that’s such an expensive decision!”
“You’re worth it. The past three weeks have been the most miserable of my life, Pres. I go to work. I come home. Nothing has any meaning without you and Wyatt.”
Presley was still so shocked she couldn’t even speak. She stood there, gaping up at him and that big truck behind him.
“Tell me you’re glad I’m home,” he said. “Because it’s been a long, hard day and it was this moment that kept me going.”
She finally found her voice. “Of course I’m glad! But...I would’ve helped you. You didn’t have to pack and move by yourself.”
“I thought I could do it quicker than I could,” he explained. “I wanted to surprise you at your party, but–” he wiped his hand across his face “–that was easier said than done.”
“So what are you going to do with the real estate you’ve leased?”