Somebody Like You: A Darling, VT Novel

by Donna Alward

  Aiden felt sorry for Brent at that moment. Josh was standing there, looking like a cocky asshole. Like he was untouchable. God, if Aiden had gone home with a shiner like that, his dad would have kicked his ass right after he’d had a long lecture from his mom. Brent was a good guy, but he was busy. His wife commuted to Burlington each day. The house was a testament to electronic babysitters with a big-screen TV and the latest gaming system. Not to mention the car in the driveway.

  Aiden kept his face neutral. “Yesterday, a homeless man was attacked just outside the shelter. He’s in hospital and has identified Josh as one of his attackers.”

  “Jesus.” Brent’s mouth dropped open. “That’s not possible. You heard him, he was on his way to practice.”

  “You practice at the high school field, right?” Aiden aimed the question at Josh.

  He nodded.

  Aiden brought up the last website in his browser on his phone. “The high school field is closed for maintenance this week. There was no practice yesterday.” He looked at Josh. “You want to tell me where you got that black eye?”

  Josh looked at his dad. “This is bullshit.”

  “Watch your mouth. And answer the question, Josh.”

  Josh crossed his arms and adopted a sullen expression. And kept his arrogant little mouth shut.

  But the motion, so reflexive, also showed his hands, and Aiden saw the marks. “You want to show me your hands, please?”

  “Dad, he can’t make me, can he?”

  “Show him your hands, Josh.” Brent’s voice was tight.

  Josh hesitated, but then finally slid his arms out of their folded position. The knuckles on his right hand were cracked and scabbing, the knuckles swollen. And there was black spray paint on his fingertips, like he’d tried to wash it off but hadn’t quite succeeded.

  Aiden thought back … to the break-in at the garden center, to the tagging at the school and in Memorial Park, and the rude graffiti on Laurel’s fence. That was annoying but not the same as physically beating on another human being.

  Then he noticed the black band on Josh’s left wrist.

  He stepped forward and grabbed Josh’s arm in a firm grip. “Hey! Ow! What the hell, get your hands off me!”

  “Where’d you get that bracelet?”

  Aiden could hear the anger in his own voice and fought to keep his cool as he released Josh’s arm. The bracelet looked just like the one George wore. What a punk. It took a special kind of arrogance to beat on a homeless guy and then wear a souvenir as if he’d never get caught.

  “I found it.”

  Aiden wiggled his fingers in a “give it to me” motion, and Josh sighed but slipped it off his wrist. Aiden read the inscription: SSGT IAN MERCK SC ARMY. Below was a date in 2004, and three devastating letters: KIA.

  Aiden’s hand shook. Josh stepped back, a smile playing on his lips, while Aiden fought to hold on to his temper. What he really wanted to do was wipe that smirk off of Josh’s lips.

  “Found it. Shit. Josh.” Brent’s face was full of suppressed anger. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

  “It’s bullshit. Come on. You’re the mayor, Dad. All you’ve gotta do is say the word and this goes away, right? It’s bullshit.”

  “Go upstairs. Get dressed. And don’t even think about not doing it or standing there and mouthing off to me, you got it? Do it right now.”

  “But it was Corey’s…”

  “Go!” Brent barked out the command.

  Josh made a dismissive sound and slumped off toward the stairs.

  “Dammit,” Brent said the moment Josh was gone. “Officers … I don’t know what to say.” He ran his fingers through his hair, shook his head. “I never thought … Do you need him for questioning?”

  “Yeah, we do,” Aiden said. “Brent, I’m sorry, man. I know he’s your kid. And it’s got to be hard. But I think he might be involved in the break-in at the Ladybug Garden Center this spring, as well as the acts of vandalism going on around town.”

  Brent sighed. “He’s angry. We’ve known it and tried to convince ourselves that he’ll outgrow it. I’ll have him to the station within the hour. I’ll bring counsel, too. I expect you’ll lay charges.”

  Holbrook stepped in. “Yes, sir.”

  “The homeless guy…”

  “George.”

  “He’s in the hospital?”

  “Yes. He’s been working for Laurel Stone here and there. When he didn’t show up yesterday, she went looking.”

  “Is he okay?”

  “He will be, but I won’t lie to you. They really did a number on him.”

  Brent’s shoulders slumped. “I’ll see you within the hour.”

  * * *

  Aiden found Laurel sitting on George’s bed, feeding him soup and chatting away. He nearly laughed at the sight. George was bruised and looking rather put out at being spoon-fed, Laurel looked as if nothing was out of the ordinary. “That’s a man who looks like he needs a steak, not some watery old broth,” Aiden said, stepping into the room.

  George made a motion as if to laugh, caught himself, winced, and let out a groan.

  “Sorry, dude.” Aiden went the rest of the way in, tried not to stare at Laurel and how pretty she looked today in a casual flowered skirt and blue knit top. “No steak in here. Figured you got your teeth rattled. They still loose?”

  “A little.”

  Aiden reached into the paper sack he was carrying and took out a container. “Willow from The Purple Pig sent along a dish of her rice pudding. She said the fresh cinnamon makes all the difference. I thought it might have some substance while being mild enough you can handle it.”

  George lifted his hand and wiggled his fingers. “No more soup,” he commanded, and Laurel laughed.

  “Fine,” she said, sitting back.

  “Can you feed yourself, George? Or are your fingers too sore? Next time use some boxing gloves, huh?”

  George took the container and spoon and tried a bite. “Better than soup.”

  “Good. You look like hell, my friend. Or should I say … Sergeant.”

  The spoon stopped mid-air.

  “We tested your fingerprints. They came up in the database. Good news is, yours weren’t on the bag they found. And we arrested Josh Mitchell and his friend. They were charged with assault, vandalism, breaking and entering, and theft.” He looked over at Laurel. “The bag was from the Ladybug. Once he realized his dad wasn’t going to step in and fix everything, he fessed up to it all. He broke in and took what was in the safe. Mummy’d cut off his allowance that week and he wanted to score.”

  “Goodness.” Laurel looked shocked. “He can’t be more than sixteen.”

  Aiden shrugged. “Old enough to get in trouble. You were right, Laurel. You never know what’s going on within a family, do you?”

  He reached into his pocket and took out the bracelet. “Now, I think this belongs to you.”

  Aiden fastened it around George’s wrist, just above the hospital bracelet. “Someone special?”

  George looked up, tears in his eyes. “Brother and best friend.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Me, too.”

  Aiden looked over at Laurel, and she shook her head a bit. He agreed with her. Now wasn’t the time to go poking around into George’s past. There’d be enough time for that later.

  “I should probably go. Let you get your rest.”

  “Okay.” George frowned. “After this … I don’t know … where to go. What to do.”

  Aiden stepped up to the foot of the bed. “Do you want to go back to the shelter? Is there family we can call?”

  A pause, and then George shook his head. Looked at Laurel. “I want to go back to work. But I can’t until this is better.”

  That was all Aiden needed to hear. “Let me do some digging, okay?”

  Laurel nodded. “My brother’s got some connections, too. If you want to get back on your feet again, we’ll help you.”

  George sniffed. �
�I’m not very good at accepting help.”

  “Not many people are, brother. But sometimes you just have to. And then down the road, you can help someone else. That’s how it works.”

  George nodded. “We’ll see.”

  It was as much of a commitment as Aiden had ever heard pass his lips. He was satisfied.

  “We’ll be back later. I won’t let her bring you soup.”

  “Thanks.”

  * * *

  Laurel looked up at Aiden as they walked out together. “It’s really true? Brent’s kid was responsible for it all?”

  “It looks that way. He was waiting for Daddy to bail him out. It didn’t happen. I don’t think he’ll be driving the new Acura in the driveway anytime soon, either. Brent’s beside himself.”

  “No kidding.” She laughed a little. “You know, we did some stupid stuff as kids, but I don’t remember anyone who would have gone past graffiti. Theft, assault … that’s a big deal.”

  “Well, they’ve owned up to it now. It’ll be interesting to see what comes of it. If it were my kid…”

  “You’d what?” She was rather interested in this response. He hadn’t been a troublemaker, but he hadn’t been straight and narrow, either.

  Straight and narrow. Funny, she remembered now, that was what the other cop had called him that night on the golf course.

  “I’d make him work to pay for all the damages. Then he’d have to do a crapload of community service. Volunteer with vets, or at the shelter or the food bank. He could spend his spare time painting over graffiti. Contributing to society rather than considering it his personal consequence-free playground.”

  “You’d make it a hell of a teachable moment.”

  “Hardly. A judge will have his say, particularly for the assault. But there are other lessons to be learned, too. That’s what my dad would have done.”

  “Mine, too.” She looked up at him. “I know there were just two of us, whereas there were six of you, but I think we had similar upbringings.”

  “Me, too.”

  They stopped outside the hospital doors. The day was warm and the breeze perfumed with the scent of nearby planters and flower beds. Laurel inhaled deeply and sighed. “Oh, it’s nice out here. It’s too bad George is stuck inside.”

  “His name’s George Reilly, by the way.” Aiden looked over at her. “The fingerprint ID gave us his details. He’s a veteran of Enduring Freedom.”

  “I wonder how he went from there to being in Darling on the streets.” It made her sad just thinking about it.

  “Well, it’s a new start for him. Not a great beginning, but we’ll help him get back on his feet again.” He touched her arm. “It wouldn’t have happened without you, you know. You giving him that job gave him more pride and confidence than anything I ever did or said.”

  Her heart swelled at his words, but she just shrugged. She’d never had a moment’s regret about it.

  They both had their own vehicles, so when they said goodbye this time it would be a real parting of the ways. She thought of the photo session coming up and figured they’d better at least chat about it a bit. “So, this picture thing…?” Now that they’d made up, she wasn’t entirely sure how to proceed. She wasn’t ready to jump back into a relationship with him, despite her feelings. Now that it was all “out there,” the idea of being together, of making love, was overwhelming. It took some getting used to, and she was scared.

  He nodded. “Oaklee said they were hoping for the first Saturday in August, weather permitting.”

  “Two weeks away. You can bet she’s going to have me looking for the right dress to wear and driving me crazy.” The idea sent little butterflies of apprehension through her stomach.

  “Enjoy it,” he suggested. “Think of it as … getting to dress up in a special dress and have your hair done and not have to pay for any of it. Oaklee said they’re footing the bill for the expenses. Dress, tux, flowers, hair and makeup. What the hell, right?”

  “We can do this, right? And then we’ll talk about us?”

  He held her gaze for a long time, then smiled a little. “It’s going to be a very long two weeks, but I’ll wait, because I want you to be sure. Because I love you.”

  A lump formed in her throat. “I love you, too, Aiden.”

  “Do you mean that?”

  She was almost in tears as she nodded. She did love him. It scared her to death, but she did. The last few days had showed her that he would be there when it counted, even when she didn’t necessarily deserve for him to be. She’d called and he’d come. And he was respecting her boundaries so perfectly it was painful.

  “Okay, then,” he said softly. “Two weeks. I’ll see you at the Kissing Bridge.”

  He started to walk away.

  “Aiden, I—”

  “The Kissing Bridge,” he called back, grinning, walking backward for a few steps before turning and jogging to his truck.

  Two weeks. One wedding dress. And perhaps an acting ability she wasn’t sure she possessed, because she had no idea how she was going to be able to pose with him and not want it to be the real thing.

  CHAPTER 19

  Oaklee and Willow met up with Laurel at Blushing Bridals at two o’clock on Tuesday afternoon. Laurel was nervous as anything. She shouldn’t be. It was just a dress for a photo shoot. But after all her distress about even thinking of wearing one again, and then her growing feelings for Aiden, her nerves were a little on edge.

  She didn’t want to feel like a bride. She had to keep remembering that they were taking their relationship slowly. She was a model. Except she wasn’t a model, she was the owner of a garden center and the whole thing felt surreal.

  “You made it!” Oaklee greeted her with her usual energy and enthusiasm. “Here, let me snap a pic.” She whipped up her phone and took a shot. “Perfect. Hang on.” She used her thumbs and typed something quickly, then looked up with a triumphant smile. “First tweet of the new campaign: All set to say yes to a dress! #somethingoldsomethingnew. See? That’s our official campaign hashtag for the shoot.”

  If Laurel had any romantic ideas, they totally fled in that moment. This was business. Full stop. Willow was behind Oaklee, and rolled her eyes.

  “Get it?” Oaklee continued on, undaunted. “The old photo and the new. This’s gonna be great. I’ll go get Tricia and tell her we’re ready to start.”

  When she was gone, Willow came over. “You ready for this? Oaklee looks ready to steamroll you.”

  “That’s why I have you along. I know it’s just a photo, and the dress is only on loan, but I don’t want to be shoved in something horrendous and so blinged out I can hardly walk.”

  Willow laughed. “Gotcha. Don’t worry. I’ve got your back.” She took Laurel’s hand for a moment. “Are you sure about this?”

  “Yes,” Laurel replied, determined. “It’s time I got over the past.”

  “But you and Aiden…”

  Laurel hoped she wasn’t blushing. “We’ve made our peace. We’ll both be fine.”

  Oaklee came back, the saleslady in tow. “Everyone, you know Tricia, right? She’s going to help us pick out a dress today.”

  “Hello, Laurel. This is going to be so fun, right? All the great bits of shopping for a dress, without any of the pressure.” She threw Laurel a wink. At best guess, Tricia was in her early forties and had left her wedding day long in the past. Her huge diamond winked in the light as she moved her hands.

  “I want something pretty simple,” Laurel said, being clear from the start. “I know it’s not real, but I still want to be comfortable. I’ve never been into a lot of flashy sequins or beads or any of that stuff. “

  “Perish the thought. You’re what, a size six? Eight?” She assessed Laurel’s figure with a keen eye. “Good figure, though you hide it a bit. We can find something to bring out those assets while keeping it simple and classic, yes?”

  “Oh God,” Laurel whispered to Willow. “I forgot how crazy this is. My assets?”

/>   “Oh, shut up and have fun.” Willow ran her fingers over a rack of bridesmaid dresses. “Be pretty and girly for once.”

  Oaklee and Tricia got busy and within what felt like seconds they were back with an armload of dresses. “Okay, dear. Here’s your dressing room. Do you want me to help you?”

  “Sure, I guess.”

  “You ladies take a seat. We’ll be out with dress number one in no time.”

  The first number was plain satin, strapless, falling to the floor in a simple column. A single beaded belt created an empire waist. Laurel couldn’t believe she was going to say it, but it was too plain.

  “Honey, let’s put your hair up in a little bun. Then we can play with some headpieces and such because a dress never looks finished without it.”

  Laurel sighed and grabbed the hair elastic from around her wrist. She gathered her hair into a messy knot and Tricia added a little tiara to her head. “What do you think?”

  She didn’t, but she’d let Willow and Oaklee see, at least.

  She stepped out of the change room and Willow’s gaze met hers, amused, while Oaklee immediately shook her head. “That’s too simple, Tricia.” She blushed a little. “Oh gosh. I should have asked how you like it, Laurel.”

  “I actually agree with you. It’s not … me.”

  “Okay, let’s try number two.”

  Number two was a strapless fit and flare with asymmetrical ruching. The beadwork was pretty but simple along the edge of the bustline, and the satin folds of the skirt were pretty. A miniature train followed behind her. She liked it better than the last, but it still wasn’t right. A step outside the change room got the same response. Oaklee liked it much better, but Willow shook her head. “It doesn’t really say ‘romance in the garden,’ which is what the bridge is, right? Laurel’s more about nature. This is pretty, but it’s more ‘walking down the church aisle,’ don’t you think?”

  That was it precisely. “I agree with you, Wil. I wasn’t sure why it wasn’t working for me. It’s very pretty and fits great. It’s just … not right.”

  Oaklee and Willow exchanged glances.