Is a gift of love enough to open Aiden’s heart and let Tris back in?<br><br>After the car accident that killed his parents and left his sister paralyzed, Tris is left with nothing. His family is destroyed. His reputation is shot. And all he has is the guilt of knowing it was all his fault. People in town know he’d been drinking that night, and know he should never have gotten behind the wheel. And even Aiden, the man he thought he’d be with forever, blames him too much to stay.<br><br>But Tris can’t let him just disappear. After months of loneliness and isolation, Tris brings Aiden a gift on his birthday, a hawk he’s carved from a chunk of wood they’d found in the forest during an afternoon of love. A small chink seems to open in Aiden’s heart, the first sign of forgiveness. With renewed hope, Tris takes a job renovating one of the older homes in town and tries to rebuild his life. But the townspeople have long memories, and when his sister’s condition worsens, forgiveness -- and Aiden -- seem to slip even further out of reach ...

Without Aiden

The door chimed as several people entered the bar and Tris turned his head away, hoping Andrew wouldn’t see him. He’d half expected the man to bring his date there, somewhere away from prying eyes. Tris looked up from under his lashes but only caught a glimpse of long auburn hair as the woman slid into a booth. Interesting. It might be Katherine after all.


A familiar laugh had him sitting bolt upright, heart pounding painfully. His gaze swept the room, locking at once on Aiden’s profile in a booth across the way. He was laughing at something his companion was saying. Fucking beautiful!Kevin must have thought so, too, and leaned across the table, capturing Aiden’s smiling lips in a definite kiss. Tris lost his breath as his heart squeezed. Aiden made no effort to pull away, and though he’d protested the rumor they were together, Tris couldn’t watch him experiment with the handsome twin.


Chapter 15