by Gina Wilkins
He hesitated for a moment, then moved out of the doorway and motioned her inside. “As a matter of fact, I haven’t eaten. And I’m starving.”
“I thought you might be after that day of manual labor.” She carried the tote to the bar.
“Have to admit I haven’t worked that hard in a while,” he said, placing a hand to his back as if to press against the kinks there. “And the worst part? Your uncle has twenty-three years on me and he still worked circles around me.”
She laughed. “We’ve always said Uncle Bryan’s like that windup bunny on TV. He never runs out of energy. Dad has always been content to work the marina, but Bryan has to be all over the resort doing a little bit of everything.”
“I thought maybe you’d have other plans tonight,” he said as he opened a cabinet and took down a couple of plates.
“Other plans? No. You and I mentioned having dinner together again this evening.”
“Well, yes. But that was before your boyfriend showed up this afternoon.”
She paused with one hand inside the tote bag, her jaw almost dropping in surprise at his tone. She must have been mistaken, she told herself with a slight shake of her head. After all, Aaron wasn’t invested enough in this temporary alliance to be jealous, was he?
“Pete?” she asked, though she knew exactly whom he meant. “Yes, that was odd that he came by today. Last night was the first time I’d seen him in months. I suppose that made him think about driving out today to see everyone.”
“To see you.” He stressed the distinction.
“Maybe,” she admitted. “I guess he was curious about what I’ve been up to since we broke up. I know he asked a few questions about you—how long I’ve known you, whether we’ve been dating, that sort of thing.”
Setting forks beside the plates, Aaron reached for drinking glasses to fill with ice. “Looked to me like he wants you back.”
“He’s the one who broke it off,” she said with a shrug.
“So he’s changed his mind. Maybe seeing you with someone else woke him up to what he was missing.”
The thought had crossed her mind that Pete’s interest in her had been renewed after seeing her with another man—a very handsome and dashing other man, at that. Pete had tried flirting a little that afternoon, but she’d kept her own responses strictly friendly, sharing impersonal small talk in the golf cart, focusing on Steven during their short visit with him, then sending Pete on his way afterward by telling him it had been nice to see him, but she had to get back to work.
“Maybe we’ll talk later?” he had asked.
“Sure,” she’d said breezily. “I’ll give you a call sometime.”
After searching her face for a moment, he’d left. She hoped he’d figured out that the chances of her calling him were very slim, despite her polite prevarication.
“I don’t know what Pete was thinking when he showed up today,” she said to Aaron, “but I think I made it clear to him that I’m not interested in getting involved with him again. He’s a nice enough guy, but whatever we had is over and I have no interest in trying to revive it. It would only end the same way, if not worse.”
From inside the open fridge, Aaron muttered something she couldn’t quite understand. He emerged with a pitcher of tea and deliberately changed the subject. “So, how’s Steven feeling?”
“Better. He’s getting impatient to be back on his feet. He’s already researching the steps he’ll need to take to sign up for firefighter training. That’s his first choice for a career. I think he just mentions the military as a way of making firefighting sound more acceptable to Mom,” she added with a short laugh.
“He’ll get there. He’s wanted it too long not to give it everything he’s got to attain it.”
She nodded. “I just didn’t realize quite how much he wanted it. His brush with disaster must have really solidified that desire for him. He told me he still feels guilty about running out on the family, but I encouraged him to go after what he wants. It’s not like we can’t hire a replacement for him. We get job applications all the time.”
“I’m sure you do. It’s hard work, but it’s a great life for someone who doesn’t want to be tied to a desk from nine to five, who likes working with his hands and being around lots of people, who appreciates being out in nature.”
“Yes, it is.” She opened a container of food and set it within easy reach on the bar.
They talked about inconsequential things while they ate roasted chicken sandwiches and pita chips with artichoke hummus that Shelby had made herself. Steering their conversation away from her family issues—specifically, the annoying way her parents had turned on him earlier—Shelby kept him talking about his own interesting family. He told her stories about visiting his uncle Jared’s ranch, which had served as a foster home for at-risk boys for quite a few years. Aaron said he’d long since lost count of the number of boys who’d called the ranch home, even for a short time, but he added that most of them had grown into grateful, respectable men who stayed in contact with the family. He had many amusing anecdotes to tell about the ranch, some of which included the notorious “terrible trio.”
“I just love hearing about Andrew getting into those scrapes,” she admitted, laughing as they cleared away the dinner plates. “It’s so hard to picture him being a little wild and crazy.”
“It certainly is these days.”
Apparently he didn’t want to talk about his twin. He moved toward the living room. “Want to watch a movie or something? I wouldn’t mind putting my feet up for a couple hours.”
“We could watch a movie—or there’s a Rangers game.”
His smile was almost blinding. “I knew there was a reason I like you.”
“Prepare to love me,” she shot back with a grin. “I brought popcorn. Have a seat on the couch and turn on the TV, I’ll fire up the microwave.”
“You just stole my heart,” he assured her gravely, his dark eyes dancing.
Though they were only teasing, she still had to swallow a tiny sigh as she moved past him to pull bags of popcorn out of the tote she’d brought with her.
It was almost a perfect evening, she thought later. With the lights dimmed, they snuggled together on the couch with bowls of popcorn and bottles of cold beer, talking about nothing more momentous than the action on the television screen. When they finished the snacks, Aaron wrapped an arm around her shoulder and she laid her head on his chest. She didn’t actually doze, but she drifted in a haze of contentment, enjoying every moment, refusing to think beyond the ninth inning.
It was dark outside when Aaron walked into the kitchen for a glass of water. He paused, looking out the little window over the sink. “In the mood for a walk?”
“Why?”
“My neighbor just drove away. How about if you and I take a little moonlight stroll?”
“Sure.” She stood and slid her feet into the green flats she’d kicked off earlier. “Are we going to snoop through his cabin?”
He chuckled. “How can you make breaking and entering sound like such a perfectly logical idea?”
“It’s not really breaking and entering. I have a master key and as management, I can legally enter any rented unit on the premises if I have reason to do so. Like, maybe, thinking I smell smoke. I can’t touch the belongings of the guest,” she admitted, “but I could certainly do an inspection.”
“For now, let’s just look around outside a little,” he suggested, moving toward the back door.
She followed cooperatively, though she made sure her keys were in her pocket when she stepped outside.
Glancing around when he closed the door behind them, he reached out to take her hand. She didn’t see anyone around to observe them, but she curled her fingers around his and tried to look casual, anyway, like someone simply out enjoying the mild evening
with a handsome man. A boat passed on the lake, running lights flashing on the water, the scent of exhaust lingering in the air behind it. The wake stirred up low waves that splashed against the pebbled shoreline. It was just here, Shelby remembered, that she’d competed against Aaron skipping rocks. Right at this spot when he’d kissed her senseless afterward. Had that really been only three nights ago?
Turning her so that her back was to Landon’s cabin, Aaron wrapped his arms around her and rested his cheek against her hair. “The place definitely looks unoccupied,” he murmured, gazing toward the cabin.
It was hard to think about spying on Landon when she was standing in Aaron’s arms in the moonlight, she thought wistfully. Still, she cleared her throat and said softly, “Maybe we could sneak onto the porch and find out if we can see anything through the glass door. Maybe he left a crack in the blinds.”
Aaron didn’t say anything for a minute and she thought he was going to tell her that was a terrible idea. But then he surprised her by nodding. “What the heck. We aren’t going in,” he added quickly. “Not without a good reason. But it wouldn’t hurt to take a glance inside. You said housekeeping hasn’t been inside in a week. You should probably make sure he hasn’t trashed the place.”
“Do you think he’s gone for good? He hasn’t been leaving at night, has he?”
“He hasn’t left at all while I’ve been here. I guess it’s possible he’s slipped out. Has he paid his bill?”
“He paid in cash through next Wednesday. If he’s gone, he didn’t leave owing us anything.”
“Let’s go see. But first...” He tipped her chin up so that he could press a lingering kiss to her lips.
Shelby wound her arms around his neck and kissed him back with enough enthusiasm that he seemed to forget the reason they were out, at least for a few heated minutes. When he finally lifted his head, he looked down at her with eyes that glittered hungrily in the moonlight. “Maybe we should forget about Landon and just go back inside.”
Delighted with the rush of feminine power that accompanied his dazed expression, she laughed. “We’ll just stop for a quick look at Cabin Seven on the way.”
He sighed heavily. “Okay. Fine. Let’s hurry.”
So maybe it would last only another few days. Maybe hours. She was going to enjoy him while she had him.
Moving somewhat furtively, they paused in the shadows near the back entrance to Landon’s cabin. “I’ll keep watch,” Aaron said. “As sketchy as it is for you to look inside, there’s no justification at all for me to do so. Look in the back door and windows, see if anything looks sketchy to you.”
“And if I don’t see anything?” She reached into her pocket and rattled the keys. “Should I go in, take a look around? I wouldn’t touch anything that belongs to him, but I could always claim I thought I smelled smoke.”
He frowned as if in consideration. “Maybe you should check what you can see through the glass first.”
Nodding, she moved onto the porch to look, staying in shadow as much as possible. For once, she was not comforted by the excellent security lighting around the resort.
Landon had left the blinds tightly closed in the cabin’s back windows. But there was enough of a gap in the vertical blinds on the other side of the sliding glass door for her to get glimpses inside the main room. He’d left a lamp burning, enough to illuminate most of the area she could see.
“Anything?” Aaron asked in a low voice from behind her.
“It’s tidy enough,” she said, “but he hasn’t cleared out. I see some of his things lying around. There are boxes stacked on the bar. Quite a few boxes. Different sizes, from about shoebox-size to, I don’t know, microwave-size, maybe.”
“Interesting.”
“Should I go in and look?”
He was looking toward the road. “Not unless you want to tell your I-smelled-smoke story to Landon personally. He just parked in the driveway.”
She hopped back from the door. “Oh. Uh—”
He held out his hand and smiled reassuringly. “Let’s go back to my place. If anyone asks, we’ve just been out for a stroll.”
Putting as much distance between themselves and the cabin as they could without actually running, they headed for his back door. When they were clear of Landon’s cabin, they slowed their steps, moving closer to each other to continue the illusion that they were aware of nothing but each other.
“Hey! Who’s there?”
Shelby didn’t have to fake her startled jump. Placing her free hand on her pounding heart, she peered at Terrence Landon, who stood at the front corner of his cabin, glaring at them. Either he’d spotted movement as he’d driven up, or he’d simply been checking the perimeters of his cabin upon his return. She was satisfied that she and Aaron were far enough away from his porch that he wouldn’t be able to be certain she’d been on it, but she still spoke breezily to reassure him.
“Mr. Landon, it’s me, Shelby Bell. I hope we didn’t startle you. Aaron and I have just been for a walk down by the water.”
His skinny face was darkened by a suspicious scowl. “You weren’t inside my cabin?”
“No, of course not. Why, do you need anything? I can have housekeeping here first thing in the morning, if you—”
“No.” He turned away. “I don’t need anything.”
“Okay, well, be sure and let us know if you do. Good night, Mr.—” But she was talking to air. He’d already hurried away.
She looked up at Aaron and whispered, “That guy is so—”
“—weird,” he finished with her. “Yes, I know. But still not enough cause to call out the National Guard.”
She walked with him through his back door. “I think I’m officially giving up the investigation of Terrence Landon. I was worried that he was doing something in there that would at the very least reflect badly on the resort, or cause us legal problems at the worst. After that debacle with Hannah’s evil ex last year, I guess I was still just a little paranoid and overimaginative. Maybe he’s as crooked as they come, in addition to being freaking bug-nuts, but as long as he gives me no further reason for concern, I’ll leave him alone. I just hope he checks out Wednesday, as he implied he will. A nice young honeymoon couple would be more than welcome to take his place there.”
Locking the door behind them, he closed the blinds. Tightly. “Does that mean I’m fired?”
She laughed. “You were never hired,” she reminded him. “But you are hereby released from the favor I asked of you.”
“Hmm. I was rather hoping I could rush in, guns blazing, to rescue you from the nefarious drug dealer in Cabin Seven,” he said with such exaggerated regret that she had to laugh again.
“You nut,” she said, resting her hands on his chest. “I never expected that from you.”
He frowned. “You don’t think I could have done it? Just because I’m not a P.I. like my brother—”
Though he was still teasing, she wanted to make something very clear. “Whatever skills Andrew may or may not have as a private investigator, he never had the same effect on me that you do,” she murmured, lifting her head to nip a little kiss against his firm jaw. “If I was going to place myself in the hands of either of you, it would be you.”
“I do like having you in my hands.” As if to reinforce the comment, he slid his palms slowly up and down her sides, bringing them to rest on her hips to pull her closer to him. He lowered his mouth to hers and spoke against her lips, “Any other favors I can do for you now that Landon’s out of the way?”
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pressed herself against him. “I’m sure I can think of a few.”
Some small, rational, distant part of her mind warned her somberly that she was going to be hurt. Footloose Aaron would soon tire of hanging shingles and mowing grass—would probably grow tired of her, as well�
�and he’d move on. Politely, she was sure. Sensitively. As considerately as possible, under the circumstances. He would probably give her that all-too-familiar speech about hoping they could always be friends. He cared about her, he would always respect and admire her, it wasn’t her, it was him...yadda, yadda, yadda. The speech had hurt bad enough coming from Pete, and she hadn’t even cared about him all that much. It was going to break her heart when she heard it from Aaron, with whom she had tumbled head over heels in love.
She could walk away now. Pull her lips from beneath him, drag herself out of his arms, put a safe, sensible distance between them. Yet her heart would still be broken when he left—and she wouldn’t even have these sweet memories to comfort her.
Drawing her lips from his, she smiled mistily. “Let’s go upstairs, Aaron.”
She didn’t have to ask him twice.
* * *
Aaron watched Shelby dress later with an expression that felt uncomfortably like a pout. “I always hate to see you leave,” he said, though she probably already knew that, considering how many ways he had tried to detain her.
Brushing her hair out of her eyes, she smiled at him. “I really need to go. There’s always a nondenominational sunrise service in the pavilion at 7:00 a.m. We don’t charge admission to the resort before noon on Sundays, so occasionally people from the surrounding towns attend the services in addition to interested guests. I’m usually there to make sure there aren’t any problems, then I take the rest of Sunday off unless I’m filling in for someone.”
He glanced at the clock. “You aren’t going to get much sleep.”
Shrugging, she said, “That’s okay. I don’t need much.”
“Did you ride your bike over?”
“No, I walked tonight.”
He looked around for his shoes. “I’ll drive you back.”
“Seriously?” She laughed. “You will not. It’s a ten-minute walk across a resort filled with people.”