Read Can't Let Go for Free Online

was going to say was lost when he caught a flash of movement through the trees. “Hey, there she is.”
    A woman exited the house in a yellow sundress, her short hair beneath a red bandana, a large basket in her arms. Sadie wasn’t close enough to see her face, and she wondered if the woman shared Aiden’s bright green eyes and full mouth. “Your mom,” she said.
    His hand wrapped around her waist. “My mom,” Aiden repeated. “Since you can’t meet her yet, I wanted you to at least see her.”
    Oh no. There it was again. The emotion that stretched her skin too tight, made her feel all gooey and boneless and…
    Stop it. Just be in the moment .
    Sadie closed her eyes and took a quiet breath before opening them again to watch the woman in the yard. She bent to her knees and fussed over a rose bush, snipping leaves and, every so often, cutting a rose off by the stem and stacking the red buds into her basket. She took her time examining each stem before pruning it back, or leaving it be. And even though Sadie couldn’t see her expression, she could feel the joy radiating from the peaceful scene. Aiden’s mother was a woman who had learned to enjoy life thoroughly.
    “She’s happy,” Sadie said, her voice thick.
    Aiden tightened his arm around her and kissed her neck softly. “I’m happy,” he murmured.
    They stayed like that, huddled together on the worn floor, and watched Aiden’s mom finish her pruning, fill the bird feeder, and water her flowers. They didn’t speak. They didn’t need to. Sadie could feel the significance and weight of the moment saturating the air around them, even if she couldn’t name what, exactly, it was.
    Why try? She closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest. She listened to the cicadas buzz, and felt the hot summer breeze brush her face and the steady thump of Aiden’s heart against her back.
    Maybe, just for a little while, she could stop trying to figure everything out and just be.

Chapter 4
    T he sun shone bright, but the temperature was more mild than scorching, which made for perfect riding weather. Since it was a Saturday, Aiden found himself weaving around about a billion people who had flocked to the Brink to enjoy the weekend.
    The water sparkled, looking more like an ocean than a huge creek. The boats were out in droves, causing waves to beat the shore in a constant rhythm while small children splashed and squealed in the mini white caps. The trucked-in sand on the man-made beach looked like the real thing, dotted with umbrellas, sun worshippers, and coolers.
    Aiden parked Sheila and slipped his jacket off, leaving it on the back of the bike. A group of bikers lounging in a circle looked up when he arrived. The most dangerous-looking one of all rose from his bike to greet him.
    “Holy shit.” Strom lumbered over, slapping Aiden’s back in a hardy hug and giving him a shake. “Look at you!”
    The guys sitting in a circle held out hands and offered back slaps as Aiden said hello to each of them. It’d been a while since he’d been to the Brink, and for good reason. Harmony worked one of the booths, selling jams and hemp bracelets, and pot, most likely. Because, really, how much money could she make selling jelly?
    “What brings you out?”
    Because I’m restless as hell. He hadn’t seen Sadie since the day they visited the tree house. Aiden mentioned when he’d dropped in on his cousin Shane today that he had a date with Sadie tonight…more wishful thinking than anything. She’d worked all week and claimed to have plans with her family this weekend. Aiden fully intended to call her later today and convince her to see him. Until then, and since he hadn’t been able to wedge Shane out of his house, Aiden was at loose ends.
    After catching up with the guys, Strom mounted his bike. “We’re going to grab a beer over at Zeke’s. Interested?”
    Before Aiden could open his mouth, Harmony appeared in his peripheral, the breeze blowing her red hair and