On A Night Like This (Callaways #1)

car."
    "You can come with me," he said. "I have no idea how Vicky will react to my presence, and it's quite possible I might need a lawyer."

Chapter Twenty-One

    Aiden was happy to have Sara's company when he rang Vicky's buzzer. His last visit had not gone well. He hoped this one would go better.
    When Vicky answered the intercom, he said, "It's Aiden, I need to speak to you."
    "I asked you not to come back, Aiden."
    "It's important. Really important."
    Silence followed and then finally the sound of a buzzer. They were over the first hurdle.
    Vicky stood in the doorway, just as she had done the last time, but today Robbie was in her arms. The little boy was crying, and Vicky looked like she'd been crying as well. Her eyes and nose were red, her skin was pale and she didn't look like she'd brushed her hair in a few days.
    "I told you this was a bad time," she said, trying to bounce Robbie into a good mood, but the little boy kept crying. "Who's this?" She tipped her head toward Sara.
    "This is Sara," he said. "She's a friend. She went to school with Kyle and me."
    Vicky barely glanced at Sara. "I need to feed Robbie. Make it fast."
    "It's not going to be fast. Why don't I hold Robbie while you get his bottle?"
    She hesitated, but as Robbie screamed louder, she must have decided the offer of help was too good to resist. She handed her son into his arms and then left the room.
    Sara closed the door behind them as they moved further into the living room.
    He stared down at the little boy who looked so much like Kyle that his heart actually ached. "Hey, buddy," he said in a soothing voice. "Dinner is coming."
    Robbie's cries diminished as he stared at Aiden in fascination. His chubby little hands cupped Aiden's face. It was the sweetest touch he'd ever felt. He loved this kid, loved him as much as he'd ever loved Kyle, because Robbie was Kyle's son.
    "You have the magic touch," Sara said, watching him with a warm smile.
    "I did a lot of babysitting when I was younger." He shifted Robbie in his arms. "He's so big now. He's grown a lot in the last month. I really want to help Vicky take care of him." He paused. "I don't want to get in the way. I just want to be there for her and for Robbie. I owe Kyle that. He was my brother in every sense of the word. I was there when Kyle first fell in love with Vicky. I stood up for him at his wedding. I was the first one he called when he found out Vicky was pregnant. He was so happy, Sara. It was the most amazing joy I'd ever seen on his face. And when Robbie was born, Kyle was in complete and utter awe. I watched my best friend go from being a single guy to a man deeply in love, committed to his family. I feel like Robbie and Vicky are part of my family, too. We spent so much time together. I hate that the friendship we have is over. I can't stand the thought of not being able to watch this little guy grow up."
    When he finished speaking, he realized Vicky had returned to the room. She was staring at him, tears streaming down her face. He'd hurt her again.
    "I'm sorry," he said, knowing that no number of apologies would probably make a difference, but it was all he had to offer. "I wish I could bring Kyle back to you. I wish he could be here to hold his son, to hold you. I can see how much pain you're in, and I just want to help you."
    "I'm sorry, too," she said shakily. "You just reminded me of everything I'd forgotten. I didn't want to see you, because I knew it would make the pain worse, because we were like a family, and you and Kyle were so damn close. When I see you, I see him. But you're not him, and you're in pain, too. And up until this minute, I just refused to acknowledge that fact. It was easier to blame you, to hate you, but it was wrong." She brought the bottle over and slipped it into Robbie's mouth, but she made no attempt to take her son out of his arms. "Kyle would hate the way I've been treating you. He would be so angry with me if he knew that I'd kept you away from his funeral."
    Her eyes pleaded with him for understanding. "I'm angry, too. I lost my best friend. And it's frustrating as hell not to have someone to blame for it."
    "When Ray Hawkins said his brother told him you were responsible for Kyle's death, I just snapped. I remembered all the times you promised to bring Kyle home safe. Ray said everyone knew you were pushing too hard, taking too many chances, and it wasn't that difficult to believe, because that's the kind of man you are." She took a