Shiver(96)
And then she’d taken her turn.
Guilt weighed heavy on her shoulders as she opened the door and stole out of the room.
A woman with a scowl on her face was leaning across the hall obviously waiting for her. “So you’re the one?”
“Excuse me?” Raven asked.
“The one Aidan never spoke of.”
“Who are you?”
“Sonya.”
Her eyes widened with surprise. This was the woman Aidan had asked to marry? Raven suddenly felt very plain in her overalls and old t-shirt. Her hair was pulled back into her customary braid, and she didn’t have on a stitch of make-up. Sonya, meanwhile, radiated beauty with her sharp classic features, smoky eyes, and rich hair styled loose around her shoulders. The jeans and plum sweater highlighted her dark eyes and smooth pale skin…and showed off her pregnant belly.
“I saw you enter his room. How’s he doing?”
“Sleeping.” Who was the father of this woman’s baby?
Sonya cocked her head to the side. “Let’s grab a cup of hot chocolate.”
It wasn’t an invitation, more of a demand. Raven had the feeling Sonya got what she wanted. Curious though about the other woman and her hold over Aidan, Raven followed her into the family kitchen.
“Your mother said to make myself at home. Lovely woman, your mother.” Sonya looked at Raven as though she didn’t think the trait had been passed on to her daughter. “Hope you don’t mind.”
“No.” She doubted it would change Sonya’s actions even if she did.
Sonya took down a pan from the pot rack, while Raven retrieved the milk from the fridge.
“Garrett filled me in on what happened this afternoon.”
“Garrett?” Raven felt completely out of the loop. Who were all these people?
“My husband. Peter called us last night, and we headed up from Soldotna.” She raised a brow. “Peter’s my brother.”
All that mattered to Raven was that this gorgeous woman was married. Which meant the child she carried probably wasn’t Aidan’s. Thank heavens. Jealously had already taken root, and Raven was finding it hard not to hate her.
Sonya narrowed her eyes, haphazardly adding sugar and cocoa to the heating milk. “Garrett told me you broke up with Aidan today, and that you share a child.”
“You know, Sonya, not to be rude, but this is none of your business.”
A slight smile tipped the corners of Sonya’s mouth, but she quickly squelched it. “I care for Aidan and what happens to him.”
“So why did you break up with him?”
A full smile did cross her lips this time. “Want to hand me a couple mugs?”
Raven reached into the cupboard and pulled down a few cups that she had made years ago.
“Oh, these are beautiful.” Sonya took them and filled each to the rim with the hot chocolate. “You have any cookies we could add?” She shook her head in disbelief. “All I want to do is eat these days.”
Raven grabbed a plate and added the dried blueberry shortbread cookies that her mother was famous for and followed Sonya to the table.
Sonya helped herself to a cookie and bit into it with a moan. She polished off the cookie, washed it down with a sip of hot chocolate and then went for another. “So,” she said around a mouthful, “what were we talking about?”
“Why you broke up with Aidan.” Raven cautiously sipped her chocolate. It was sweet and delicious.
“We wanted different things. Why do you think I never heard of you before? Aidan writes about those closest to him in his graphic novels. I’m Senyea. I don’t know of a character that matches your description.”
Aidan wrote about this woman? “How long have you known Aidan?”
“Heavens. Forever. We’ve fished next door to each other every summer since he was a kid.”
Meaning Sonya probably knew Aidan as well as, if not better than, Raven did. And Sonya had known him the last twelve years. Jealously sprang to the forefront again.
“So, why did you break up with him?” Sonya asked.
No way was she going to confide in this woman. She didn’t even know if she liked her. Actually, Raven didn’t like her at all. She was too beautiful, too tall, and knew Aidan too well. Raven wanted her gone.
“Let me guess.” Sonya raised an eyebrow. “Temper?”
Shock rendered Raven speechless.
“Ahh.” Sonya lifted her cup for another sip. “We had that problem too. He’d told me he was seeing a counselor and working on his issues. Did he stop?”
How the hell would she know? Aidan hadn’t said one word about seeing a counselor.
“Seems to me, you two have a lot to talk about.” Sonya reached for another cookie. “Especially considering you have a child together. Where is he anyway? I’d like to meet him.”