On A Night Like This (Callaways #1)

hadn't been interrupted, who knows how far they would have gone.
    "Earth to Aiden," Emma said dryly.
    "What?"
    "You're somewhere else today. Are you looking for Sara?"
    "Is she coming?"
    "I invited her earlier. She was noncommittal. She told me nothing happened last night, that you just gave her a ride home. Care to confirm that story?"
    "You should mind your own business."
    "Sara is my business. She's my friend."
    "And a grown woman," he pointed out.
    "I just don't want either one of you to get hurt."
    "We can take care of ourselves. If you want to worry about someone, maybe you should worry about Grandma. She's been staring into space for five minutes. And now she appears to be talking to herself.
    "I am worried about Grandma. Mom said that Grandpa is taking her in for some tests this week. She's been confused and forgetful. It's kind of scary, Aiden."
    He nodded, worried even more now that his suspicions had been confirmed. His father's mother, Eleanor, had always been a sweet and loving grandmother to all of them, and he couldn't imagine his grandfather without her. The two of them had been married for almost sixty years.
    "I'm going to talk to her." He set down his plate on the bench and then crossed the room, pausing by her chair. "Grandma, can I get you anything?"
    She looked at him in confusion. "Drew?" she said.
    "I'm Aiden," he reminded her. "Drew isn't here today."
    "Aiden doesn’t live here anymore," she said.
    "I'm visiting," he told her. "I got home a couple of days ago."
    Her gaze met his, and the clouds lifted just slightly. Her smile seemed almost dreamy. "You look just like your grandfather. Like Patrick."
    "You do look like Grandpa," Emma agreed, joining them. "Same blue eyes."
    His grandmother suddenly grabbed his arm. "We can't keep it a secret anymore, Patrick. It's going to come out. I'm so worried."
    He stared at her in confusion. "Grandma, what are you talking about?" he asked.
    "I know I promised, but it's so hard."
    An uneasy feeling settled in his stomach. He glanced over at Emma. Her sharp gaze had narrowed. She answered his unspoken question with a shrug.
    "Grandma," he started, then was interrupted by his grandfather.
    "Ellie, there you are," his grandfather said. "Let's get you some food."
    "Patrick?" she asked, as she held out her hand.
    "Yes, sweetheart, it's me," he said.
    She smiled. "I thought so."
    His grandfather helped his grandmother to her feet, then gave Aiden a quick look. "We're going to talk later, Aiden. You, me and your father."
    "Great," he muttered.
    "Looks like you're going to be on the hot seat," Emma said, as their grandparents left.
    "What was Grandma talking about?"
    "I have no idea. She thought you were Grandpa."
    "And they seem to have a secret," he said.
    "Well, who knows what she was saying? She could have been referring to her secret spaghetti sauce recipe that she won't share with anyone in the family."
    "I suppose," he said, not at all convinced. There had been an urgency in his grandmother's eyes. But then again, she'd thought he was her husband, so how could he take anything she said seriously?
    "So, Aiden, what are you going to do now? Are you going back to smokejumping? Have you considered applying for a job here in the city?"
    "I don't know yet, and I wish everyone would give me a chance to figure things out. I'm more than capable of making decisions about my life."
    "Jeez, relax, I was just asking," she said.
    "You and everyone else in the family. Coming home was a big mistake."
    "We just care about you, Aiden."
    He knew that was true, but the weight of their love felt more oppressive than supportive. "I've got to get out of here," he said.
    "Aiden, I'm sorry. You don't have to leave."
    "It's fine. I need some air."
    "Tell Sara to come by and eat. And make sure she doesn't go back to New York without saying good-bye."
    "I'm just going outside."
    She gave him a disbelieving look. "Sure you are."

    * * *
    Aiden walked around the block, then added another and another, finally ending up back in his driveway, torn between going to his room and going next door. Emma's comment about Sara going back to New York had stuck with him. He didn't want her to leave without saying goodbye, either. Actually, he didn't want her to leave at all, but her home was on the other side of the country. Their lives were in different states. He should leave her alone.
    Five minutes later he rang her doorbell. Her rental car was out front, but she didn't answer. He rang the