“I recognize the artist’s style,” she said. “From other cons. He’s really good.”
“She. The artist is a woman.”
Teagan nodded, her embarrassment at her sexist assumption dwarfed by her pounding heart and how self-conscious she felt. What the hell was he doing here? What did he want?
“It took me a while to find you,” Aaron said. “They don’t have you sitting with the other authors…”
She nodded again. “Yeah, I’m… I was an invited guest. It’s different…”
“Did you get invited because your new series is selling well?”
Teagan raised her eyebrows. He knew how well her new series was doing? Did he also know that the series was inspired by her month-long stay in Arizona? Of course he did. She’d told him. And it was called the Desert Suns series, for crying out loud. “I think so.”
“That’s great. Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
He glanced at her hair. “You changed your hair.”
She nodded, a plethora of ill-considered comments ready to emerge from her, anything to chip away at the thick tension that hung between them. Soon, someone got in line behind Aaron, and Teagan felt an odd mix of irritation and relief.
Aaron, noticing her glance, looked behind him. “I don’t want to keep you from your fans. I just wanted to say hi…”
Hi. And please say hello to your wife for me. “I’m glad you did.”
Aaron waved goodbye before he turned and left. Teagan greeted the man who approached her table, briefly watching Aaron walk away. She felt crappy, like she’d just gotten rejected. Again. After she greeted a couple more readers and her line was empty, Teagan closed her eyes for a moment.
“What was that all about?” came a voice. Lucia.
“A long story.”
“He’s the guy from Phoenix, right?”
“Tucson.”
“Right. Tucson. They’re the same to me… hot as all get-out. I remember him. He… stands out.” She grinned in a way that Teagan understood. Aaron did stand out. Especially at comic con, among the nerdy comic book lovers and the skinny young lads checking out the scantily-clad female cosplayers. “Did things not work out, or something?”
“You could say that.”
“What happened?” Lucia probed. “I don’t mean to be nosy or anything, but we’re in a lull right now…” After Teagan gave Lucia the quick synopsis of what went down with Aaron, Lucia’s eyed widened. “Wait. This is the first time you’ve seen him since leaving his house?”
“Yes.”
“Good God.” She giggled nervously. “How awkward is that?”
“Tell me about it. I’m still shaking a little.” Teagan buried her hands in her lap.
“Was he wearing a ring?”
A ring. Teagan hadn’t checked. She hadn’t thought to check. “I don’t know. I assume so, or he wouldn’t have left like that.”
When the crowds began to thin, Teagan went to the restroom and to get herself something to drink. She couldn’t shake the weird feeling from Aaron’s unexpected visit, and it lingered the rest of the afternoon. Fortunately, it got busy again as readers came for a last round of book buying, something seasoned con-goers did to avoid lugging heavy books around all day.
When the announcement came that the showroom floor was closed, Teagan began packing up her remaining books. She would go back to her hotel room to relax, chat with Josh, and rest up for her drive home tomorrow. But just as she began dismantling her banners, someone approached.
And this time, she knew exactly who it was.
Teagan and Aaron walked along the cold, dark streets of Albuquerque in silence, Aaron pulling her dolly of boxes while she carried her banners. He’d offered to help, just like he had in Tucson. She probably shouldn’t have said yes, but curiosity got the best of her. She suspected he wanted to talk to her, and was waiting until they had privacy. Once they arrived at her hotel, she led him to the parking garage, where Aaron loaded her boxes into her truck. She dumped off her banners and locked up.
“How’s the truck?” he asked. “Any problems with it?”
“Not since…” Aaron knew about her tranny, but not about the radiator that failed her after she’d stormed out of his house. “No.”
“Good.”
“Thank you, for helping me with the books. It’s kind of you.” She stood there, not knowing what else to say.
“You’re welcome,” he said, looking away momentarily. Another thing about him hadn’t changed; he was still uncomfortable with being praised.
His hand. Look at his left hand!
But Aaron’s arms were folded across his chest, hiding his fingers from her.
“Would you… do you feel like getting something to eat?”
Say no. Say it wouldn’t be appropriate.
“Don’t feel like you have to,” he added, reading her hesitation. “But if you would, I’d really appreciate it.”
So he did want to talk to her. Probably to apologize, or to say whatever he never got to say before. Was she really up for a confessional? Maybe not. But curiosity got the best of her again. Maybe they should have that talk, to get closure if nothing else. She finally nodded. “Sure.”
He looked relieved. “There’s a Mexican joint not far from here. It’s supposed to be good. It’s six blocks away… I can drive us, but I thought you’d want the walk after being stuck inside all day.”
She nodded. He’d remembered that about her. “Walking sounds good.”
They headed back outside, the cold January air making her nose run. But it felt good to be outside in fresh air.
“This must feel cold to you,” she remarked, still incapable of coming up with anything interesting to say.
“Yeah. A lot colder than Tucson, and way colder than last time I helped you load up your car after comic con.”
She nodded, recalling the sweltering heat, finding it strange that Aaron would remember that when it was so long ago.
“How’s teaching going?” he said.
“The same. Pays the bills. How’s work? Did you get your promotion?”
“I did.”
“Congratulations. What do they call you now?”
“They—my trainees, anyway—call me Colonel. Lieutenant Colonel, technically.”
“That’s cool.”
They fell back into silence. Aaron had never been a big talker, and she felt too unsettled to talk much. What would he say over dinner? Aaron would never be rude or coldhearted, but he could still inflict harm, even after all that time. She glanced down at his hand again, but she was on his right side and couldn’t see his left hand. By the time they reached the Mexican restaurant, Teagan’s stomach was in knots.
What the hell was she doing? Why was she having dinner with him? Was she freaking crazy?
Maybe so. But it was too late now. She would listen to what Aaron had to say, and if he said even one thing she didn’t like, she would get up and leave. They sat down at a booth, and almost right away a young Latina woman came to their table to get their drink order. Aaron looked to Teagan first. Unable to think straight, she motioned to him to order.
“Margarita,” Aaron said. “Rocks, with salt.”
The server turned to her. “Anything for you?”
“I’ll stick with water, thank you.”
When the server left, Teagan felt even worse. Aaron remained silent as ever, his damned hands under the table where she couldn’t see them, probably hiding the telltale wedding band. He eyed his menu, appearing unaware of her discomfort. Finally, she couldn’t take it anymore.
“Aaron, why are we here?”
Aaron looked up, his face showing some surprise at her tone. He paused for a moment before he said, “I’m getting divorced. For real.” He reached for his water and took a drink. No ring on his finger.
She wanted to ask where she’d heard that before, but something made her restrain herself. “What happened?”
“You really want to know?”
“No.”
“I…” Aaron hesitated for a moment. “I knew it wouldn’t work. I knew it from the get-go. It was just… it was something I had to do.”
Teagan looked down, fiddling with her napkin, at a loss for words.
“Look,” Aaron went on. “I didn’t come here to buy art. I can buy art online. I came here to see you. And before you ask, yes, I looked you up and found out you were going to be in Albuquerque. So I drove here last night… because I had to see you. I had to talk to you.”
“You could have called…”
“Would you have taken the call?”
“No,” she admitted.
“I couldn’t have called anyway. You blocked my number.” He said the last part quietly, without judgment.
Oh yeah. That.
“Teagan—”
The server suddenly appeared, dropping off Aaron’s margarita. “You two ready to order?”
Teagan sat there, her mind blank. Aaron waited for her to order first, so she ordered the first thing that came to mind: a chili relleno plate. Aaron ordered a burrito. When the server left, they sat in silence, their chips and salsa and Aaron’s margarita untouched.
Aaron gazed at her, his expression pained. “I wanted to apologize for… before. For what I did to you. For everything.” He paused. “I understand if you want nothing to do with me, or if you’ve met someone…” He blinked a couple of times and grabbed his margarita, taking a big swig.
Compassion for him flooded her. He was nervous too. Nervous as hell. She’d been so wrapped up in her own feelings that she hadn’t considered his. When their server appeared again, Teagan decided to order a margarita, feeling comfortable enough to settle in for a while and eat dinner with Aaron.
“How’ve you been?” he asked. “Your new series has a lot of good reviews. Including mine.”
Teagan’s jaw dropped. “You read my new stuff?”
“I’ve read all your stuff. Those good reviews are justified.”
He’d read them all! “Thank you… for reading them. Yes, the Desert Suns series has taken off. I’m sure it’s what got me invited here.”
“Why do you think it’s done better than your other ones?”
Because everyone loves a love story with a happy ending. “It’s hard to say. Predicting readers’ tastes is pretty difficult. What about you? How’s work?”
“It’s good. I’m training higher-level students on higher-level intel equipment, so it’s challenging… in a good way. I have to travel from time to time to oversee intelligence missions, but I don’t mind.”
“Will you stay at Fort Huachuca?”
He nodded. “I’m only a couple years away from being eligible for retirement, but I’ll probably stay in Arizona for another few years. After that, I can relocate.”
“And how’s Patton?” She couldn’t help but smile at the memory of Aaron’s cute brown dog, his wagging tail, and how he’d reminded her of Harry.
“He’s a good boy. My neighbor said he’d watch him until tomorrow afternoon.”
Tomorrow afternoon. He’d driven out Saturday night and was leaving Monday morning. He’d driven all that way—over six hours—just to spend one day at comic con. Just to see her. And then she remembered.
The white Chevy truck. It had Arizona plates. It didn’t register before because she’d grown used to Aaron’s Arizona license plate. But they were in New Mexico, not Arizona. That truck, the first she’d noticed in ages, had been Aaron’s truck, pulling into town.
“When do you head back?” Aaron said.
“Tomorrow.”
When they finished eating, Teagan went for the check but Aaron insisted on paying. She didn’t argue this time and just thanked him. Outside, the cold air hit them and she zipped her down coat all the way up and put on her gloves. She didn’t know where Aaron was staying, but knew it would be close to the convention center and that he would insist on walking her back to her hotel. Part of her wished he wouldn’t.
But another part of her wanted him to. She didn’t know why. There was something about how vulnerable Aaron looked when he confessed the truth at dinner, how he’d insisted on paying and walking her home and even switching places with her on the street so he walked closer to traffic. The way he’d asked to see her but demanded nothing from her, and how he’d shared his feelings without sharing insensitive details about his marriage. His honesty, his chivalry, his unique brand of clunky but genuine sensitivity. It was everything she’d always liked about him. Had loved about him.
Yes, she’d loved him once. She didn’t realize it at the time, but back at Aaron’s house she’d stood on the precipice of falling completely in love, waiting only for Aaron to come home from his training and fall with her. But he didn’t. He’d broken her heart instead.
Finally, they reached her hotel. In the lobby, people in superhero and other geek costumes lingered about, planning where they would eat and looking to extend their comic con festivities for a few more hours.
“Thank you,” she said. “For dinner, and for walking me back.”
“You’re welcome.” He gazed down at her as he stood near her. Nearer than he should.
She looked down to avoid his gaze. She knew that gaze. It was a gaze that sent a toasty fire through her, that made her forget it was twenty degrees outside. Damn him, that he would make her feel that way.
Back away. Back away now. Say goodnight.
But she didn’t. Instead, Teagan pulled out her phone and scrolled through her call log. It took a long time, but she finally found calls that dated back to more than a year ago and found the familiar number with the 520 area code. She unblocked it.
“There,” she said. “You’re officially unblocked. Feel better now?” she joked.
But Aaron only stared at her. Finally, he grabbed her and kissed her.
Chapter Twenty-Five
When Teagan awakened, it was still dark in her hotel room. She glanced at the clock: 5:35 a.m.
Then she remembered. The kiss. Her hotel room. And Aaron in her bed.
She glanced over; the blanket was pulled back and the sheets rumpled and the pillow indented. Where Aaron had been sleeping. Did he get up to use the restroom? She glanced at the bathroom. No light on.
Then she heard a voice. A deep, quiet voice. It was Aaron’s voice. He sat in the armchair in the corner of her dark hotel room, speaking to someone. She couldn’t see his face.
“I’ll be home tomorrow,” came his hushed voice. Then silence, as if listening to someone speak. “No. I’m just visiting an old friend. He lives in the area.” Pause. “No, I’m not with her. I told you, that’s in the past.” Pause. “I love you, too.”
Aaron was on the phone. With his wife.
Panic tore through Teagan’s chest and she gasped, sitting up suddenly. The armchair was empty. When she glanced over, Aaron lay next to her, sleeping. It was 4:30 a.m.
It was a dream. A bad dream. Aaron wasn’t talking on the phone to his wife, he was sleeping next to Teagan. But Teagan didn’t feel relieved. Instead, tears ran down her face and the panicky feeling still gripped her.
What have I done?
Aaron was in her bed! She’d slept with the man who broke her heart! Who let her care for his home and dog, just to “forget” to call her while he reconnected with the wife he supposedly hadn’t talked to in months! Who treated her like her ex-husband treated her!
And why did he do it? Because she let him! Because she let her feelings and a few charming words sway her to forgive and forget, just so he could hurt her again!
Then she remembered Josh. She grabbed her phone from the table and checked it. Two missed calls from him. She closed her eyes for a moment. She’d done to Josh what Aaron had done to her. She’d forgotten to call because something “better” came around.
Calm down. It’s just sex. You’re single, Aaron’s single, and you got caught up in the chemistry. It doesn’t mean anything.
But Teagan knew that was bullshit. She c
ouldn’t do this, couldn’t be part of this. She could still learn from her mistakes. Starting right now.
She got up and grabbed her toiletries from the bathroom, quietly stuffing them into her duffle bag. She put on her clothing from the previous night, strewn across the chair along with Aaron’s. That was it. The rest was in her truck. She grabbed her belongings and tiptoed out.
Teagan’s phone rang just as the first light came up in the east. She glanced down. Aaron. She ignored it.
But when he tried again several minutes later, guilt crept in. He’d be worried.
“Hey,” she said.
A couple moments of hesitation. “Where are you?”
“On I-25.”
“Why did you leave like that?”
She could hear the confusion in his voice. The utter bafflement. “I’m sorry, okay? I shouldn’t have let you into my room. But it’s done, and now we can go on with our lives.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means it was a mistake. I shouldn’t have… we shouldn’t have done it. Slept together. Not after all that’s happened. We shouldn’t have done it.” She knew she was repeating herself. But she wanted to make sure he heard her, loud and clear.
“I don’t understand.”
“You broke my fucking heart, Aaron!” she cried. “And I won’t make the same mistake again! I want a man who loves me, who will be there for me, not a long-distance fuck buddy who will throw me away when something better comes along.” She took a deep breath. “You got what you wanted, Aaron. Leave me alone and don’t call me again.”
She hung up.
And with that, she tossed her phone aside and continued her journey north. Four more hours and she’d be home.
Teagan cruised up I-25, the soft winter light attempting to warm the pale golden hills dotted with evergreens and patches of white snow. The peaceful, lonely winterscape soothed her battered soul.
Afterglow (Four Corners Book 1) Page 16