On A Night Like This (Callaways #1)

"I figured the least I could do was honor her wishes."
    "How could she not want you there? I don't get it. No one does. You and Kyle were best friends."
    "She blames me for Kyle's death."
    "But it was an accident, right?"
    "That depends on who you talk to."
    "You need to explain, Aiden, to tell everyone exactly what happened."
    "I can't."
    "Can't or won't?" his sister challenged.
    "It doesn't matter. Result is the same. Kyle is dead. No explanation will bring him back."
    "I hate to see you taking the heat."
    "I can handle the heat." Changing the subject, he added, "Right now, I'm more concerned about you and Ryan. Things are worse than you're saying, aren't they?"
    "Life is just harder now," she said. "I have to focus on Brandon. He's my child, and I have to make him better. I know that Ryan wants that, too. But he can be negative, and I can't listen to his doubts, so sometimes I don't listen to him at all," she confessed.
    "You're in a tough situation, no doubt, but you have to get through it together."
    "I hope we will, but there's a short window of time where we can really impact Brandon's diagnosis. That time is now. I have to put my energy there. And Ryan is just going to have to wait."
    He nodded, thinking he definitely needed to hear Ryan's side of the story.
    "So, how did you get the black eye?" Nicole asked. "That looks recent."
    "It happened about thirty minutes ago. There was a fire next door at Sara's house."
    "I know. I saw the fire engine on my way in. At first I thought it was just Dad or Burke stopping by our house to get something. Do you know what happened?"
    "It started in the kitchen. I had just parked my car out front when I saw the flames. There was no one else around, so I broke down the door and I had to rescue Sara's father. He tripped down the stairs and broke his leg."
    "Seriously? Did he hit you while you were rescuing him?" she asked with a knowing gleam in her eye. "You were not one of his favorite people, especially after your paint ball team sprayed the side of his house with purple paint."
    He smiled. "I forgot about that."
    "Well, I haven't forgotten. I helped you clean it up."
    "You were a good sister that day. Mr. Davidson didn't punch me. It was someone else."
    "Who?"
    He shrugged off her question. "It doesn't matter."
    She shook her head in wonder. "It's amazing how often trouble finds you. Is Mr. Davidson all right?"
    "He should be fine in time."
    "It's good you arrived home when you did. Who knows how long it would have been before someone found him?"
    "Not that long. Sara was with him."
    "Sara is back?" she asked in surprise. "I haven't seen her in years. She and Em were so close, I almost felt like I had another little sister. How is she?"
    "Don't really know. She was worried about her father and upset about the fire." As he finished speaking, his mom and Brandon returned to the kitchen. Brandon ran immediately to Nicole's side, keeping his gaze on the floor, as if the last thing he wanted to do was make eye contact with Aiden.
    "I have to go," Nicole said. "Can you say goodbye Brandon?"
    The little boy didn't say a word, but he did give a negative shake of his head.
    "At least I know he hears me," Nicole said. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mom. Aiden, don't be a stranger."
    "I'll come by this weekend," he said.
    After Nicole and Brandon left, Aiden looked over at Lynda. "How does she do it?"
    Lynda shook her head, her eyes a little sad. "I have no idea. She has this deep well of strength and determination, but I worry about what happens if she doesn't get the results she wants so desperately. That little boy is everything to her, but I don't know if even her amazing will can bring him back."
    "I wish I could help."
    "Well, you're in town for a while anyway. Maybe you can spend some time with them."
    "I will," he promised. He got to his feet, biting back a revealing groan, but his mother's sharp eyes didn't miss a thing.
    "You're in pain," Lynda said.
    "It's not that bad." His leg had been getting better, but his muscles were cramping from the weight he'd had to put on his leg while carrying Sara's father up the stairs. "I will take a rest though."
    "I'll call you when dinner is ready."
    "Thanks, Lynda."
    She smiled. "I'm glad you're home, Aiden."
    He smiled back, but he had a feeling his father might not feel the same way.

Chapter Four

    Her family home was a mess. Three hours after the fire, Sara surveyed the damage in her father's kitchen. The room was completely destroyed by