On A Night Like This (Callaways #1)

from her bag and headed to the door.
    "What did she tell you?" Aiden asked curiously.
    "To stay away from you," she said, drinking the last bit of her wine before setting it down on a nearby table.
    "That might be good advice," he said slowly. "I don't want to drag you down into my mess. Any time you want to bail…"
    "Then I'll bail," she finished, meeting his gaze head on. "Let's go."

    * * *
    After saying goodbye to some old neighbors and friends she'd chatted with earlier, Sara and Aiden made their way out of the bar.
    "My truck is over there," he said, pointing down the block.
    "Wow, good parking karma."
    "At least something is working for me."
    "How was your conversation with Burke? I don't see any new bruises."
    He gave her a dry smile. "No fists flew, so I guess it was good enough."
    "You two have had a combative relationship since you were young. You were always competing, arguing over what games to play and who was in charge and what the rules were."
    "Burke usually won those battles."
    "Well, he might have won the leadership spot, but you used to drive him crazy, because you never followed his rules."
    Aiden tipped his head. "Guilty. Sometimes I broke the rules just to piss him off. That was fun."
    "Probably not for him," she said with a wry smile. "Being an only child, I never really understood the sibling dynamic. You and Burke would pummel each other one minute and then the next you were laughing."
    "We were done fighting," Aiden said with a shrug. "Unfortunately, it's not quite that easy any more. Our problems are bigger and the fights last longer."
    "I think Burke wants to help you, Aiden."
    "I know," he admitted. "But Burke doesn't help, he takes over, and this is my problem, not his."
    They paused at the corner, waiting for the light to change. Sara drew her sweater more closely around her, wishing she'd opted for a bigger coat, but she hadn't thought much about wardrobe when she'd packed for her quick trip home. She hadn't expected to be out in the city or seeing anyone but her father. The fire had certainly changed both their lives.
    She might not have even seen Aiden if he hadn't come to her rescue, and she might not have seen Emma either, which would have been a shame. She'd forgotten what it was like to have a friend who'd known her since she was nine years old. Tonight had been the most fun she'd had in a long time, and it had reminded her of the good times in her childhood. She'd lost some of those memories when her mother died.
    "It's funny," she said aloud.
    "What's that?"
    "How long we've known each other. I was nine when we moved in next door to you, which would have made you twelve."
    "I don't remember you much at nine. Were you friends with Emma right from the beginning?"
    "We knew each other from school, but I was shy, and there were so many of you, I'm sure I faded into the woodwork. I used to sit on my porch in the afternoons, pretending to be reading, but really I was watching you and your brothers run the street games with the Moretti twins and Kyle, of course. You'd occasionally let Emma or Nicole play, but only if you absolutely had to. It was mostly boys only."
    "It was a rough game," he said. "I didn't want my sisters to get hurt."
    "Nice try," she said.
    He grinned. "The girls had their own games, and they didn't let us play."
    "Like you wanted to play restaurant."
    "Actually, that was a good game, especially when Nicole made cookies to sell in the restaurant."
    She smiled, thinking about those long, endless summers of fun. "You had a good childhood."
    "I did. I was lucky."
    They crossed the street and walked to Aiden's truck. He opened the door for her, and she got in, buckling her seat belt. As he slid behind the wheel, she said, "So, where are we going?"
    "Let's just drive and see where we end up?"
    "That's not my usual style, but okay," she said with a small smile.
    He smiled back at her. "The most interesting destinations are not always on the map."
    "True, but I never get lost, and I'm betting you do."
    Shadows filled his eyes. "All the time."
    He pulled into traffic and for several minutes, they just drove. When he made no move to break the silence, she said, "Do you want to tell me more about your conversation with Becky?"
    "She said that Kyle sought her out a few months ago. It's just so strange to me that he didn't mention talking to her. He would tell me the most boring moments of his day in great detail, but he leaves that out? It doesn't make sense. And then she