by Jenna Brandt
“Come in,” he offered, as he leaned against the edge of the door.
Lindsay slid past him and stopped just inside the entryway. Cooper came up and started licking her hand. Instinctively, she turned her hand over and began petting him.
Aiden turned to face Lindsay. “I just keep seeing her lifeless face staring at me. I can’t get the image out of my head.”
Reaching out, Lindsay gathered Aiden into her arms. “Dear Lord, right now, we just come to you and ask for your healing hand to fall upon Aiden’s heart and mind. You made him to be caring and empathic, which are two of the attributes that make him so good at his job. You also help carry our burdens, so I ask that you take the weight of this day, of this loss, from Aiden. Give him a peace, a peace that surpasses understanding. Be with the family of the girl and comfort them during this most difficult time. We ask all of this in your precious name, Lord Jesus, Amen.”
Aiden pulled back and gave a lopsided grin to Lindsay. “Thanks. I needed that.”
“Do you want to go sit down for a while? I don’t have an early morning tomorrow so I can stay for a bit.”
Aiden nodded, taking Lindsay’s hand and pulling her over to the couch. “I think I need to laugh. You want to watch The Three Stooges?”
Lindsay laughed as she shook her head. “I didn’t see that coming.”
“See what?” Aiden asked, confused.
“You being into classic slapstick comedy.”
Aiden winked at her and said, “I think you’ll find I’m just going to keep on surprising you.”
As he sat down in the center of the couch and gathered her into his arms, he whispered in her ear, “This feels right.”
Twenty-Six
A surprising side-effect happened the other night when Lindsay came over to his house and comforted him; a deepening of his emotional and spiritual connection with her.
Aiden texted her that same night and told her he wanted to start praying with her every morning before work and every evening before bed.
As he got ready to go pick her up for their surprise date, he said a prayer of gratitude to God for sending him Lindsay. He knew he had been unhappy with his life—he thought it was simply because he had been dating the wrong type of women—but now he knew it was because he had been closed off to God. Lindsay helped him see that, and he got the perfect woman in the bargain.
Cooper barked as he came into the living room. “That’s right, boy. We’re going to go see Lindsay. I bet you’re as excited as I am to see her today.”
He hooked the leash onto Cooper’s collar and guided him out of the apartment and into his waiting mustang.
* * *
Lindsay finished tucking in her navy-blue t-shirt into her favorite pair of black jeans, then pulled on a pair of flats.
Aiden had texted her and told her to dress casual for their afternoon date. When she texted him back and asked what they were doing, he told her it was a surprise.
Flashes of their first date came to mind, but she reminded herself Aiden wasn’t the same guy who took her to The Lucky Penny that first night. In a couple of weeks, she had seen a huge change in Aiden.
The doorbell rang, and Lindsay heard the door open, then Erica say, “Come on in. Lindsay will be right down.”
Lindsay put on a dab of vanilla perfume behind both ears and then on her wrists, before grabbing her purse and coat off her bed.
As Lindsay came down the stairs, Aiden’s smiling face greeted her. He looked good in a pair of blue jeans with an untucked black t-shirt under his black leather jacket. It was funny, the first date they went on, he wore almost exactly the same outfit, but for some reason, it didn’t bother her this time.
“You ready?” Aiden asked with a grin.
“I guess as much as I can be since you won’t tell me where we are going.”
“You’re going to love it. Hope it’s ok, but I brought Cooper along for the outing too.”
Giving him a skeptical look before putting on her coat, Lindsay thought about what his hint could mean. As they walked to the car, Lindsay contemplated the intriguing clue.
Cooper was sitting in the back seat of the Mustang with the front window cracked. As they made their way out, he put his paws to the window as his tongue wagged in excitement.
A moment after Lindsay sat in the front passenger seat, she felt warm breath on her neck and the heavy sound of breathing. “Hey there, Cooper,” Lindsay laughed, “It’s good to see you too.”
Aiden put his hand on Cooper’s neck and gently pushed him backwards. “That’s enough, boy. Give Lindsay some room.” Turning to Lindsay, he apologized. “Sorry about that. He’s used to doing whatever he wants when we’re off-duty. He’s spoiled that way.”
“It’s okay. I’m rather partial to dogs. We used to have several on the ranch.”
“Do you miss it? Living on the ranch?”
“I did a lot in the beginning. I think the part that took me the longest to get used to was the noise of living in a town. Not that Clear Mountain is a big city, but it’s much louder than living in the country.”
“I get that, but I had the opposite reaction. Moving from Boulder to Clear Mountain, I had to get used to the lack of noise and activity.”
“Why did you move from Boulder?” Lindsay asked.
Aiden’s eyes flickered over to her for a moment then back to the road. “I was engaged in Boulder and my ex-fiancée left me for a police captain. There was too much baggage for me there. I wanted to start over, so when a spot opened up on the Clear Mountain Search and Rescue, I jumped at the chance to transfer.”
“I’m sorry to hear that, Aiden.” With a smile, she added, “Between you and me, she was a fool to give you up. You’re the best.”
The outlying buildings of Clear Mountain disappeared, and fields interspersed with trees started to appear. Aiden pulled down a dirt road parking near a house with a barn next to it. What were they doing here?
Aiden got out of the car and came around to help Lindsay out. He had Cooper’s leash in his hand as he folded the seat forward, then clipped it onto Cooper’s collar before he jumped out to join them.
“What’s going on?” Lindsay inquired.
“You’ll see.” He guided her over to the barn and inside an older grey-haired man was standing, holding the reigns of two saddled horses behind him.
“Lindsay, this is John Stockton. He owns this place.”
Cooper raced up to John and nuzzled up to him; the older man rubbed the dog’s ear in a familiar gesture. They obviously knew each other; what was the connection?
“It’s nice to meet you, Lindsay.” John handed the reigns to Aiden and said, “We’ll keep Cooper while you’re out. Sue has been missing him.”
“Thanks, John.”
“Ready to go for a ride?” Aiden said as he reached out his hand to her.
Taking his extended hand, Lindsay asked, “What’s going on? How do you know him? Why did you just let him take Cooper like that?”
“Let’s get up on the horses and I will explain everything.”
“But I don’t have a pair of boots and my flats won’t work,” Lindsay stated with apprehension.
Aiden snapped his fingers as a grin formed. “Hold on just a second. I forgot something back in my car.” After handing her the reigns to both horses, he took off for his vehicle. A couple of minutes later, he returned with a pair of boots in his hands.
“I asked Erica what size you wear,” he said as he gave her the boots. “I wanted to make sure today was perfect. I know you haven’t gotten to ride in a long time.”
Tears formed in the corner of her eyes at the thoughtfulness. “Thank you, Aiden,” she said as she took off her flats and slipped on the boots.
Both of them mounted up on the horses and headed out of the barn. They meandered along a trail on the outskirts of the south field.
“So, you told me you would explain how you know John Stockton.”
“You don’t let anything go, do you?�
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“Most people like my tenacity,” Lindsay defended.
“Oh, I’m not saying I don’t. I find it endearing.” Aiden grinned. “As for how I know John, his son, Brad Stockton, was Cooper’s previous handler. Brad still lived at home with his parents on the ranch, so Cooper lived out here too.”
Lindsay inhaled sharply. She thought the name Stockton had sounded familiar. Brad Stockton used to be one of the search and rescue members. He died when he fell off the side of a cliff when it gave way during a search. She remembered because the newspapers did a feature on him and the town had a huge memorial.
“I thought K-9s retired when their handlers died or retired?” Lindsay asked in confusion.
“Cooper was young. He had barely finished training when the accident happened and still had a lot of years left to work. The department did offer to retire him and let the Stocktons keep him, but John and Sue realized Cooper wouldn’t be happy just living on the ranch. They knew their son would want the best for Cooper, so they declined. When I took the position as Cooper’s new handler, I was told of the connection to the Stocktons, so I made the decision to bring Cooper out here at least twice a month so they can spend time with him. I know he’s one of the last connections they have to their son.”
Lindsay’s heart swelled at the unbelievable generosity of Aiden. To think, when they went on their first date, she had mistaken his lack of planning as being inconsiderate. The truth was, he was a good man who cared deeply for others, he just wasn’t very good at dating, until lately.
“Aiden O’Connell, you might be the most wonderful man I have ever known.”
“Thank you, Lindsay Wright. Coming from you, that’s a high compliment.”
Twenty-Seven
After they finished riding, they returned the horses to the barn and gathered up Cooper. Mrs. Stockton prepared a picnic for them, which Aiden graciously thanked her for before they headed out.
“Where are we going now?” Lindsay asked.
“There’s a nearby creek I want to set our blanket by.”
Cooper was off his leash and Aiden was carrying the blanket under his left arm with the picnic basket in the same hand. Reaching out, he took Lindsay’s hand with his right one. Turning back around, he said as they started walking again, “I’m starving. I see the creek just up ahead.”
Once they reached the bank, Aiden shook out the blanket and placed it on the ground. They took positions on the blanket, and Lindsay helped take out the items from the basket.
They ate the sandwiches and nibbled on the cheese and crackers as they watched the swaying of the trees and listened to the birds chirping in the distance.
“Life is so peaceful out here. I think this would be the perfect place to raise a family. Do you ever think about having kids?” Aiden asked.
“All the time,” Lindsay stated. “It’s actually the reason my last boyfriend and I broke up.”
Aiden turned to face her and placed his hand on top of hers. With irritation, he said, “Let me guess, he didn’t want kids. I want you to know, that’s not an issue for me. I want to have a family.”
He could feel her body stiffen under his hand as worry filled her eyes. “I wish that were the case. It was just the opposite.” She paused for a moment, and her eyes dropped to the ground. “I can’t have kids. My doctor told me because of my medical condition, I won’t ever be able to carry a baby past the second trimester.”
Aiden placed his hand under her chin and lifted her eyes to meet his. “I said I want a family. I didn’t say I cared how I got one. I would love to adopt children given the opportunity.”
Lindsay leaned her head on his shoulder and sighed in contentment. “You have no idea how good it is to hear that. Ever since Rick broke up with me over it, I thought no man would ever want to be with me once they knew the truth.”
“All I care about is a future with the woman I adore.” Pulling back, he added, “For the record, that’s you.”
She laughed, causing her whole face to light up in the most adorable way. Taking her into his arms, Aiden leaned down and pressed his lips against hers. The warmth of her skin against his spread across his whole body.
Lindsay’s lips tasted like cherry Chapstick with a hint of vanilla. Aiden deepened the kiss as Lindsay leaned into it, wrapping her arms around his neck.
He didn’t want to stop but he knew if he didn’t, they would end up crossing a line. He respected her too much to let that happen.
Reluctantly, Aiden shifted away from Lindsay. “It’s getting dark. I think we should head back into town.”
Nodding in agreement, Lindsay helped Aiden clean up the picnic before they returned to Clear Mountain.
Twenty-Eight
After finishing a long meeting at the office, Lindsay sat at her shared desk with one of the other regional social workers. Lindsay was grateful she was finally able to tell her boss she found a permanent placement for Mandy. Her mother didn’t want to make the adjustments necessary to get Mandy back. Rather she opted to give up her parental rights, deciding she would rather go motorcycle riding cross-country with her new boyfriend than be a mother. One would think the little girl’s sweet disposition and young age would’ve made it easy to find her a home, but foster parents were in short supply.
Lindsay’s exhausted mind begged for something to wake it up. The travel mug of coffee from her drive in from Clear Mountain beckoned, but it had been hours since she arrived in Boulder.
Though tempted to take a swig, she knew it must be stale. She could head over to the break room for a fresh cup, but that would require getting up and her body didn’t want to comply.
Didn’t she have an energy bar in her purse? Pulling it out from the bottom drawer of her desk, she pushed her hand into her purse and rummaged around. As her hand brushed her phone, the vibration caught her attention.
Pulling her phone free from her purse, she glanced down at the blinking screen. Three missed calls from an unknown number and a new voicemail. She clicked over to the voicemail screen; the message was from the same number. It must be important.
Lindsay clicked the play button and put the phone to her ear.
“Miss Lindsay, this is Alex . . . I want you to come get me . . . I don’t want to be here. Mr. Winters started . . . it doesn’t matter what he did, I just . . . I’m scared, and I don’t know what will happen next time.” There was a sudden sound in the background, like a slamming door. Alex continued, whispering in a rushed and fearful voice, “I gotta go. Just come as quick as you can.”
Abruptly the voicemail ended. Lindsay’s hand dropped from her ear and the phone tumbled to the top of the desk. What was that all about? What was Mr. Winters doing that upset Alex so badly? He sounded so scared. If it was any other child, she might chalk the call up to being dramatic—it wouldn’t be the first time something like that happened—but she knew Alex, and he wouldn’t react that way unless it was bad.
She checked the time of the voicemail. It was over an hour ago. She quickly dialed the number, but there was no answer. It would take her thirty minutes to get back to Clear Mountain. Grabbing her purse and coat, Lindsay rushed from the office.
When Lindsay arrived at the Winters’ house, she paused to pray before getting out of her car. “Dear Lord, direct my steps. Show me the truth of what is going on. Help me to help Alex. Amen.”
Lindsay climbed out of the driver’s seat and made her way to the front door. She rang the doorbell. A few seconds later, Ashley Winters opened the door. Her eyes widened with surprise, then fear, before she masked her reaction.
“How can I help you, Miss Wright?”
“I was hoping I could see Alex.”
“You didn’t call to let us know you were coming by.”
Warning bells started to ring in Lindsay’s head. The woman was obviously displeased that Lindsay was there. Politely, she reminded her of the rules. “I’m required to do unannounced visits. I just want to check in on Alex. Can I see him?”
&nbs
p; Mr. Winters came up behind Ashley, then pushed his intimidating frame between them, blocking her view. “You should probably come back later. The boy isn’t here.”
“Well, where is he?” Lindsay asked, controlling her voice and keeping her concern from showing.
Mr. Winters shrugged. “He asked if he could go to the movies with one of his friends from school. Ashley dropped him off there a few minutes ago.”
Alex didn’t have many friends at school, and even fewer that he would do something after school with. Somehow, Mr. Winter’s explanation didn’t make sense. Lindsay’s eyes shifted to Ashley. From the woman’s uncomfortable stance, Lindsay suspected they weren’t telling the truth.
“Since I’m here, can I do a house check? It will keep me from having to come back and do it later this week.”
Ashley looked up at her husband as if waiting for his cue. When he nodded, they both moved out of the way. Lindsay entered the house and started to look around. Nothing seemed out of place as she moved through the residence. She made her way to Alex’s room and went inside. The room appeared in order, but almost too perfect. Why weren’t his toys played with? Or any dirty clothes in the hamper? Why was everything meticulous on the desk? The condition of the room looked as if someone had staged it for a photograph.
Lindsay noticed that on the shelf above his bed sat the box in which Alex kept his favorite toy soldiers. He had had the box since Lindsay first started managing Alex’s case. He took it from each home. If Alex was going to hide anything for her to find, he knew she would know to look in the box.
She pulled the box down and opened it. Inside was a folded letter with her name on it. Not wanting to draw attention to the letter since she didn’t trust Mr. Winters, Lindsay discretely stuffed the letter into her coat pocket.
After placing the box back in its place, she turned around to find the Winters standing at the entry to the room.
“Does everything meet your approval?” Ashley asked.