Kiersten eased herself back onto the table and listened raptly to Sid’s tale of love and secrets. She was aware of Aiden next to her as he took her hand, interlacing their fingers, felt the heat from his thigh, the solidness of his shoulder as he stood close. It was not as difficult as she thought to accept Sid’s words as the truth. He had always been in her life. As a friend. Would her feelings change for him now? She cared deeply for him. Could she love him as a daughter loves her father?
When he finished the telling, he was standing by the window, and turned to gaze at the stars as if to delay the recognition of Kiersten’s acceptance of the truth, acceptance of him. There was silence in the room, except for the child’s soft snores he could hear clearly behind him. As much as he had ant
