by Kayla Perrin
Ten minutes after leaving the Conwell residence, Aaron pulled up in front of the small turn-of-the century house that Arlene owned on the west side of Sheridan Falls. It was a two-story wood structure. An array of colorful flowers added to the curb appeal, and a fresh coat of white paint had the house looking new. As Aaron pulled his car to stop, he saw that Arlene was sitting on the porch, her young daughter blowing bubbles on the grass.
Aaron exited the car to find that Arlene had gotten to her feet. She was looking at him with curiosity. Her daughter, Raven, whom he’d met a handful of times in town with Arlene, ran over to him, clearly happy to have a visitor. “Do you want to try blowing some bubbles?”
Aaron humored her. “Sure.” He took the little stick from her and the container, dipped it in, and blew out a stream of bubbles. Raven giggled happily as she chased and tried to catch them.
Arlene sauntered down the steps toward them. “Aaron,” she said, looking at him oddly. “What brings you by?”
“You’re not working today?” he asked.
“I needed a day off.” Her lips curled in a faint smile, and Aaron sensed some weariness. “Is there something I can help you with?”
“I was hoping to find Melissa.”
“Here? No, she’s not here. In fact, I’m pretty sure she already left. But if not, you can find her at my parents’ place.”
“I’ve already been there.”
Raven held up the stick for her mother. “Mommy, you try.”
“You continue blowing bubbles, sweetie,” Arlene said softly to her daughter. “Give me a moment to speak to Mr. Burke. I’ll be over in a little while.”
Raven blew some bubbles, then happily went off chasing them. Arlene faced Aaron again. “So she did leave.”
“Apparently.” The reality stung. Aaron hadn’t thought she would leave town without seeing him again, or at least speaking to him. “I’m trying to track her down.”
“Why don’t you just call her?” Arlene asked.
The million-dollar question, which only drove home the point that he had been way off base with his thoughts about Melissa. He thought she’d enjoyed their time together. Hell, he knew she had. He’d assumed that enjoyment would lead her to want to see more of him. That wasn’t an illogical thought, was it?
Never before had Aaron had such an incredible night with a woman, only for her to disappear from his life. Indeed, he had been the one to have to gently—and sometimes not so gently—push women away. He would start a relationship and quickly realize it wasn’t what he wanted. The woman in question, while beautiful and seemingly sweet, would start dropping hints about some lavish item she wanted, or some would suggest they have sex without a condom. Aaron wasn’t stupid. From personal experience, he knew that there were women who would try to ensnare a man with a pregnancy, whether he had a lot of money or not. He had been devastated by some of the truths he’d learned about Ella, and the lengths she’d gone to in order to manipulate him into getting what she wanted. It still hurt for him to think about what she’d done. Because of that painful experience, he knew that he had to be careful to pursue a woman interested in him, not in his wallet.
That hadn’t been his concern with Melissa, given their history. But he had not for one moment entertained the thought that she would not only not chase him, but actually run from him.
They’d had an incredible night, and now she was gone? It didn’t make sense.
“Well,” Aaron began cautiously, “she forgot to give me her number.”
“Really?” Was Aaron mistaken, or did Arlene look amused? “With all the time you spent together, you never exchanged the most basic information?”
“We were...busy. I thought she’d be around today.”
“Well, it looks like you’re out of luck, then.”
Why did Arlene seem so happy about that fact? “I was hoping you could give me her number. I’d like to reach her.”
“If my sister wanted you to be able to reach her, she would have given you her number.”
Aaron looked at her askance. He offered her his most charming of smiles. “Come on. I only want a number. Not her address.”
“If my sister didn’t give you her number, there was a reason for that. Sorry. I have to respect her wishes.”
To drive home the point that she wasn’t kidding, Arlene turned and wandered over to her daughter. He heard her ask Raven about trying to blow some bubbles now.
“Arlene...”
She looked at him over her shoulder. “I guess a charming smile doesn’t always get you what you want, does it? Even the Burke brothers have to deal with rejection.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Honestly, I was a bit surprised at how well you and Melissa connected at the reception,” Arlene said. “I thought you burned the bridge on any sort of relationship with her years ago.”
Aaron narrowed his eyes. “Is that what Melissa told you?”
“Okay, I’m going to try to blow the biggest bubble ever!” Arlene exclaimed, clearly ignoring him.
And with that, Aaron knew the conversation was over. He reached into his wallet and withdrew a business card. “Here, please give my number to Melissa. Tell her I’d like her to call me. Or email me. You give her my information, and she can make the choice to contact me or not.”
Arlene took the card from him and gave it a brief glance. “Okay. But no promises she’ll get in touch with you. Like I said, I think she would have left you her phone number if she wanted to stay in contact with you.”
Aaron gave her a gracious smile, but he was irritated. First the comment about the Burke brothers. For some reason, people in this town thought he and his brothers believed they walked on water. It wasn’t true. They’d earned that reputation when they were younger, and some of it was valid. But most of it was unfair judgment, simply because of who they were—Cyrus Burke’s sons.
People in this town had put them on a pedestal, and Aaron hadn’t asked to be there. Escaping to Europe to play professional soccer had been a relief. Living in a city where no one had known him as the son of a football superstar, he had been judged on his own merit. But ultimately, the pitfalls of fame had infected his life. A failed marriage, paparazzi lurking in the bushes when he was at restaurants, hoping to find something scandalous to write about him. Stories about him had filled the tabloids, whether or not there was a grain of truth to them.
Arlene’s comment made him believe that she thought he loved the so-called perks of fame, but she had no clue. For every perk, there was a downside. Aaron truly enjoyed a quiet life and peace. When he’d retired from soccer last year and returned to Sheridan Falls, that had been his goal. He wanted to do something with meaning, which was why he’d started a charity to give back to children in need. He’d also hoped to have children of his own. But his marriage to Ella had quickly fallen apart once he was no longer whisking her on exotic vacations.
“Please, just give her my information,” Aaron reiterated, hoping that Arlene would. “’Bye, Raven.”
“’Bye!” She waved at him enthusiastically.
Aaron headed back to his vehicle. He wondered if some of Arlene’s attitude was because she was bitter, having divorced Raven’s father in what could only be described as a huge public scandal. In fact, it had been the biggest scandal in this town in a few years. Craig had not only cheated; he’d gotten another woman pregnant. The custody battle for Raven had only recently ended.
He hoped that Arlene wasn’t so jaded that she would discourage her sister from pursuing a relationship with him.
A relationship? As Aaron started his car, he frowned at the direction of his thoughts. Was that what he wanted with Melissa?
He liked her. That’s all he knew for sure. That spark he’d felt for her years ago was still there, and he wanted to get to know her all over again. See where things might lead. A
nd if they led to more of what they’d enjoyed on Saturday night, then he was all for it.
Chapter 15
Three days later, Aaron was beyond frustrated. He hadn’t heard from Melissa.
Now, sitting on his sofa with his laptop, he stared at the Twitter page for Turning Tides group home, where he’d learned that Melissa was the program director. That was one of the few things he’d been able to find out about her. When it came to social media, she was practically a ghost.
Aaron had found no Facebook profile, no personal Twitter. There was a LinkedIn profile, where he learned that she’d worked at Turning Tides for the past seven years. But any sort of personal information had been completely lacking.
She was leaving him no choice. He’d messaged her on LinkedIn days ago, and he’d gotten no response. He wouldn’t be surprised to learn that she didn’t check the app.
Now Aaron would have to contact the group home. Instead of calling—which was what he wanted to do—he would send a message through the website. A simple message asking that Melissa get back to him at her earliest convenience.
Hopefully this would finally get Melissa’s attention.
* * *
“This looks amazing,” Melissa said to Teresa, one of the counselors at the group home and her best friend. Her stomach grumbled as she eyed the macaroni topped with melted cheddar and bread crumbs, and the salad on the side. “The boys made this all on their own?”
“Well, I helped,” Teresa said. “But this was entirely their idea, and they wanted to do a baked mac and cheese because you told them that’s the only real mac and cheese.”
Melissa smiled. “They remembered. Sometimes I wonder what gets through and what they instantly forget. Please tell them thank you. I don’t have time right now to step away from my desk, not with my meeting in an hour.”
“Will do,” Teresa said. “Though I think you should take a break from your desk, even for fifteen minutes.”
“I wish I could,” Melissa said. “I’ve got too much work to do. I’m going over my notes for the plan of care meeting for Tyler. I’m still trying to reach his father, but he’s out of town and hasn’t gotten back to me.” She sighed, then lifted the fork and spiked a cucumber in the salad. “No rest for the wicked.”
And then she tried to suppress a smile as she thought about just how wicked she’d been—in Aaron’s bed. The thought still made her smile almost a week later. So did the knowledge that Aaron had been trying to reach her. But Melissa held all the cards now. She hadn’t gotten back to him.
Finally, he was getting a taste of his own medicine.
Melissa stuffed the cucumber into her mouth and turned her attention back to the computer when Teresa turned to leave the office.
“Oh, I almost forgot,” Teresa said, and Melissa looked at her. “There’s a message on the Twitter account for you. Did you see it?”
“What?”
“Someone named Aaron. Aaron Bradshaw. No, Aaron Burke. Said he’s trying to reach you.”
Though Melissa had just swallowed the cucumber, it felt as though it was suddenly lodged in her throat.
“I know you typically don’t check the Twitter account, so I thought I’d ask. I’ll screenshot the info and email it to you.”
“Did he...say anything...specific?” Melissa asked, her heart thumping hard in her chest. She hoped Teresa couldn’t sense her panic. But if Aaron had said anything that alluded to their night together...
Of course he hadn’t, Melissa realized. If he had, Teresa would be grilling her for details.
“No,” Teresa answered. “Do you know an Aaron? The message was so brief, I figured you must know him.”
There was no point lying. “He’s someone from Sheridan Falls. I saw him again at the wedding after several years. I guess he just wants to say hi.”
Teresa nodded. “Oh, of course. I’ll send you the information now.”
Melissa forced a smile. “Great.”
It didn’t take more than a couple minutes for the email to come through. Melissa was barely breathing as she opened it.
Hello. This message is for Melissa Conwell. Please have her contact Aaron Burke at 716-555-8034. Or she can send an email to [email protected].
Melissa blew out a slow breath. At least there’d been nothing suspicious in the message. Nothing for Teresa to give her the third degree about.
But still...
Melissa emitted a groan. She wanted to ignore the message. But given that he’d gone so far as to contact the group home looking for her, she was fairly certain that if she didn’t respond to him, he would continue trying to reach her. Perhaps he’d even call the group home next.
She was glad that he’d provided his email address, because she didn’t want to talk to him over the phone. Though she needed to continue getting ready for her upcoming meeting, Melissa quickly drafted an email to him.
Aaron, it’s Melissa. Sorry I didn’t get back to you sooner. I’m not really sure why you want to contact me. We had fun, and I appreciate that night more than you know. However, I’m not looking for anything to come from it. When I’m back in Sheridan Falls, I’ll be sure to say hello.
Melissa reread the email, wondering if she should change it at all. It was direct and didn’t sugarcoat anything. Perhaps it was a little...tactless?
No, it was clear and to the point. She didn’t want a relationship with him, so why give him the sweet version of rejection that would have him still pursuing her? Better for him to think she was a jerk and be done with her.
Besides, she had to get back to her preparation for the plan of care meeting.
She quickly hit Send, then got back to work.
* * *
Aaron reread the email from Melissa, his stomach sinking more with each passing second. He could hardly believe his eyes.
Had she really just given him a none-too-subtle brush-off?
Brush-off? Heck, she’d sent him a very clear “get lost” message.
It didn’t make sense.
Frowning, Aaron eased back on the sofa and ran a hand over his head. He was baffled at the message. She’d spent the night in his bed, begging for him to touch her here and there, crying out his name, and this was what she sent him?
Aaron closed his laptop. He couldn’t accept this message from her. Wouldn’t accept it.
Had her sister gotten in her ear? Helped sour her opinion of him? No, Aaron couldn’t see that. Why would Arlene do that? And Melissa was certainly her own person. She wouldn’t be swayed by someone else’s biased opinion. Because there wasn’t anything negative Arlene could tell Melissa about him that would be based in fact.
So something else was going on. But what?
Suddenly, a thought occurred to him. Something that had his jaw tightening. It would definitely explain this bizarre reaction after they’d had such a great night together.
Had Melissa lied to him from the outset? The more Aaron thought about it, the more he realized it was the only thing that made sense.
Anger flared, hot and intense.
During his online search for anything about her, he’d found a photo of her and some guy named Christopher Fieldcote. They’d been out at some event in New York City, and while the photo’s caption didn’t say they were a couple, Melissa and this guy had looked pretty cozy.
Was he the reason for Melissa’s email? Had she been involved romantically with someone else and yet gone to bed with him?
Aaron’s pulse was pounding. He stood and walked to the window in his living room. He looked out at the peaceful view of the trees in his front yard. But inside, he was feeling the farthest thing from peace.
If Melissa had cheated on someone else with him, that was unacceptable.
He needed to get to the bottom of this.
As soon as possible.
&nb
sp; Chapter 16
Melissa rubbed her pounding temple. “I don’t think you’re understanding me, Mr. Stone. Your son was not the victim in this situation. He was the instigator. He threw the first punch.”
“He’s there for you all to straighten him out. Why don’t you do your job?”
Melissa inhaled a deep breath and counted to three. “I fully believe in your son, but he’s acting out. I think if you were able to participate in the counseling sessions with him—”
“That’s not possible,” the man said curtly. “My business requires me to be in Europe for the next four weeks. Talk to his mother.”
“I have spoken to his mother,” Melissa said. “She’s involved. But I think it would be especially meaningful if you could be here, too. Perhaps we can arrange to have you on Skype? I think it would mean a lot to—”
Melissa heard the man speaking, but his words were muffled. It took her a moment to realize that he wasn’t speaking to her.
“I have a meeting I’m late for,” Mr. Stone said. “We’ll have to have this conversation another time.”
“When would be a good time?” Melissa asked. But when she got no response, she realized that Mr. Stone had already hung up.
Melissa held the receiver in her hand and stared at it. She wanted to scream. How could Mr. Stone be so blind? Didn’t he realize that his son needed him? Sure, Tyler had made some bad mistakes, but at his core he was a good kid. A kid who needed the presence of his dad in his life.
In Melissa’s opinion, it was critical for Tyler’s success that his father be involved in this process. In fact, she wouldn’t be surprised to learn that Tyler’s involvement with a gang and the robbery that got him arrested had been a cry for attention from a father who didn’t make time for him.
Instead of being disappointed in his son for his mistakes, Mr. Stone needed to see his son’s actions as a bid for attention and respond accordingly. Especially with his court case coming up in mere weeks. Tyler needed to be calm and not act out at the group home if he hoped to have a successful day in court.