by J. L. Farey
The branches shook again, but this time, several leaves floated down to earth. One landed on her leg. She picked it up and rubbed it between her fingers. Too dry. Too sad.
“I know you want to get out of this bucket, but we need to wait a few more days. If you take root here and it’s wrong...well, you know.”
The answer emanated in her mind. I won’t survive another transplant. Neither will you.
He also couldn’t stay in those temporary quarters for much longer. She’d given him a good soaking before they left Tennessee, but it was past time for another one.
“Hang in there. I’ll hook up the hose.” With one last pat to his trunk, she left the trailer and got to work.
Pulling open the double doors on the side of the bus, she looked over the neatly organized collection of boxes. Her entire life had fit back there, with enough room left over for Bailey’s bowls and squeaky toys.
You’d think a person who’d lived as long as Laurel would have collected a warehouse full of things, but in her case, it was just the opposite. Decade after decade had taught her that things came and went and could be replaced with surprising ease. Still, there were a few items she held on to for sentimental reasons. Her VW Bus was one of them. Of course, that had more to do with Dillon than the bus itself.
The thought of him zinged through her mind, bringing with it the usual bittersweet pang. She had fewer regrets than she had possessions, but Dillon happened to be one of those, too.
Laurel shook off the memory before it could take hold. Focusing her attention back to the task at hand, she grabbed a coiled green hose from an open crate by the door.
She found the water spigot where she expected, on the side of the cabin. The rusted threads made it a bit challenging to screw on the hose. Once it was attached, Laurel turned the handle. A few gurgles, spits, and sputters to clear air from the pipes and then the water flowed. Laurel smiled. She’d arranged to have the gas, water, and power turned on and ready for her arrival. It was a relief to see the Nocturne Falls utility companies had kept up their end. The town had earned one more tick mark in the positive column of her mental list of pros and cons.
“Here you go, my friend.” She placed the end of the hose at the base of his trunk and watched as the water flowed over and into the soil. The branches gave a quick shudder, like a sigh of satisfaction.
“You’re welcome.”
Laurel looked back at the cabin. Bailey lay curled up on the porch, apparently done with exploring for the time being. Now that her tree and her dog were taken care of, she should probably tackle making the cabin suitable for living.
Mounting the two steps to the porch, she expelled a sigh. There was no putting it off any longer. She turned the key in the lock and pushed the door open with a screech. A musty smell hit her nostrils as she flicked the switch on the wall beside her. Warm light from a fixture hanging in the middle of the ceiling illuminated the room. A fine layer of dust covered everything, including the once-white sheets that were draped over all the furniture. Despite the smell and the dust, it was a welcoming, open space with a living area on one side, a kitchen and dining table on the other.
“What’s this?” Laurel went to the table. It was covered with a clean, non-dusty linen cloth. On top of that was a huge basket sporting a black and orange striped satin bow. It was full of the bits and pieces needed to set up house: paper goods, cleaning supplies, light bulbs, and more. A card was propped up next to it. Laurel opened it. Written in swirling cursive was a message from Pandora.
Just a few things to get you started.
Snacks and drinks are in the fridge.
Welcome to your new home!
Clipped to the bottom of the note was a business card for Howlers Bar and scribbled on the back in slightly-less elaborate cursive was a short message. Stop by tonight and I’ll introduce you to some locals.
A thousand pinpricks assaulted her nose and Laurel blinked back the urge to cry. Nocturne Falls scored another point. She might have to reconsider making Horatio wait. With a town so welcoming and people so thoughtful, he might get to put down roots sooner than she’d thought.
And she needed to hurry up and unload the bus if she wanted to have time to shower before going out tonight.
* * *
What a day it had been.
Try as he might, Aiden hadn’t been able to stop thinking about the dark-haired, green-eyed beauty and her mini-travelling circus. And boy, had he tried. So, when his friend, Wade, invited him to head over to Howlers after their shift, Aiden didn’t turn him down like he usually did. He’d have a beer, unwind, maybe shoot some pool. It could be just what he needed.
Except that the minute he walked into the bar, his eyes zeroed in on a table in the corner where Pandora Williams was sitting with the woman who would not leave his brain alone.
“Hey boys!” Bridget, the owner of Howlers, called out from behind the bar. “Two beers?”
Bridget was loud enough not only to get the attention of Aiden and Wade, but Laurel, too. She looked up just in time to catch Aiden staring at her. He jerked his head and made his way to the bar for his beer, then pretended to listen to Wade tell a story about a tourist who had tried to get the fountain gargoyle to blink. Carefully, he looked past Wade and saw Pandora jabbing her finger in his direction while leaning close to Laurel and chattering away.
Great. Pandora was playing tour guide and he’d just become the main attraction.
“Is that crazy or what?” Wade must have finished telling his story, because now he was waiting for a response.
“Yeah, crazy. Insane.” Aiden laughed and took a swig of beer.
Wade frowned. “You didn’t hear a word I said.”
“Sure I did. Tourists. Gargoyle. Crazy.”
“Uh huh.”
Wade started to turn around, but Aiden clapped him on the shoulder in what he hoped looked like a friendly gesture. “Don’t look behind you.”
“Why? Did Medusa come to town? Gonna turn me to stone if I look at her?”
Aiden huffed out a laugh. “Nothing so drastic. Just don’t look.”
“Why are you acting so squirrely? Wait a minute...” With a grin, Wade lifted an eyebrow and gave a slow nod. “You’ve got the hots for a woman.”
The only answer Aiden gave was a glare over his half-filled glass.
Wade took it as an admission. “See. I’m right. It’s the only thing that would make you act so weird.”
“With detective skills like that, it’s no wonder you can’t get off traffic detail.”
“Yeah, yeah, very funny. Now spill it. Who’s the girl?”
Aiden figured he had two choices: Continue denying Wade’s theory, in which case Wade would pester him about it for the rest of the night. Or, he could tell him about Laurel and get some of the frustration off his chest. As if seeing her might give him the answer, he glanced back at her table.
The now empty table.
He should be relieved that she was gone, but he wasn’t. Instead, a sense of loss washed over him. It was just more proof that he was right to stay away from her.
“Okay. Yes, you’re right. There is a woman. She’s new here and I met her this morning and I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her all day. But it doesn’t matter now because she’s gone.” Aiden jerked his chin toward the back of the room. “So look all you want."
“That’s okay. My curiosity is satisfied.” With a smug smirk, Wade snatched up his beer and slid off the bar stool. “Now I’ve gotta go see a guy. About a thing. You know.”
He didn’t know, but he nodded.
As Wade walked past, he raised his glass to someone. “Welcome to town.”
“Thanks.”
Oh no. That voice.
Aiden turned slowly, and there she was. One elbow leaning on the polished wood of the bar, her head cocked to the side, making her hair a silky black waterfall that cascaded over her shoulder and brushed the top of what was no doubt an amazing pair of breasts. Her full, red lips quirked into a
n amused grin and her green eyes twinkled, lighting up the dim room.
Aiden’s mouth went dry. There was no denying it now. He had it bad.
He was in big trouble.
* * *
So, he hadn’t been able to stop thinking about her. Normally, it was the kind of thing Laurel wouldn’t want to hear. But she was feeling a bit reckless. Maybe it was the third drink. Or was it the fourth? Or maybe it was the euphoria of finding a new home where she could relax and be herself. For whatever reason, Officer Aiden Morris was too sexy and too adorably embarrassed to ignore.
“Imagine running into you twice in one day,” she said. “Are you stalking me?”
His eyes widened and he shook his head. “No ma’am. Just unwinding after a hard day.”
“A hard day.” Laurel giggled. “I’ll bet it was. Hard. You dirty boy.”
Aiden frowned. “How much have you had to drink?”
“Not too much. Two glasses of wine. And then I switched to ice tea.”
“Ice tea? From where?”
“Long Island! They make the best ice tea.” She took an enthusiastic swig, sending the ice smashing against her teeth and creating a little shower of amber liquid over her nose and cheeks. “Oops. I made a mess.”
“You could say that.” Aiden took the glass from her hand and set in on the bar.
“Hey, I’m not done,” she protested.
“Yes you are.” He motioned to Bridget. “Put whatever she owes on my tab. I’ll stop by tomorrow and settle up.”
“You got it. Is she okay?”
“I’ll make sure she is.”
Bridget smiled, then moved on to another customer.
Laurel wasn’t entirely sure what he meant by taking care of her, but she wanted to find out. She stepped forward, linked her fingers behind Aiden’s neck and looked up at him. “Can we go outside?”
“Good idea. We could both use some air.”
He unclasped her hands. She pouted and wobbled a little, which made him put an arm around her waist as he walked her outside. It was so good to feel the warmth of flesh and blood against her. She loved her trees, drew life from them, but this, the touch of a person, this fed her soul. And her soul was starving.
They moved through the crowded parking lot, Aiden gently pulling her to one side to avoid a row of motorcycles, then squeezing her closer to him to fit through the gaps between cars. They stopped in front of a wrought iron bench at the edge of the lot.
“Sit.”
He turned her back to the bench, but she resisted. “Will you sit next to me?”
A pause. Then he nodded. “Of course.”
His arm was around her shoulders as he helped her down. Before he could remove it, she leaned against him, putting her cheek against his chest.
“This is nice,” she said.
He didn’t respond. Not in words, anyway. But his heartbeat spoke loud and clear.
“I can hear your heart. It’s racing.”
Still no words. Laurel pulled her feet up on the bench and pushed herself more firmly against him. Behind the bench, the leaves of large oak tree rustled, even though there was no wind to speak of.
Laurel looked up at Aiden. “Why were you thinking about me?”
He grunted, refusing to look back. “I was thinking I should have given you that ticket.”
“That’s too bad. I was hoping it was the same reason I couldn’t stop thinking of you.”
That got his attention. He lowered his head and looked at her with eyes so intense she almost had to look away. If she was smart, she’d end it now. Being outside had done a lot to clear her head. On the other hand, being this close to Aiden was getting her drunker than any mixed drink could.
She shouldn’t be thinking how much she wanted to kiss him. She shouldn’t let her hand slide up his chest to his neck, her fingers entwining in the thick hair at the nape of his neck. She shouldn’t raise her lips, inviting him to meet her halfway. She shouldn’t do any of that.
But she did it all.
* * *
Kissing Laurel was like nothing he’d experienced before. It was an explosion of emotions and feelings, of images in his mind of everything good in his life. It was the piece of him that was missing, it was all the things he ever wanted, even the things he hadn’t realized he wanted.
It was home.
He didn’t know how long they sat on that bench, making out like they were the only two people in the world. It could have been a minute, it could have been an hour. For all he knew, the entire town of Nocturne Falls could have camped out around them to watch the show. Somehow, Aiden pulled together enough will power to break away. The moment her lips left his, he missed them. His breath came in hard, short pants, as did hers. She was almost sitting in his lap and his hand was twisted in her hair.
“Wow.” She uttered just one syllable, so low it was almost a whisper, but it pretty much said it all.
How had this happened? They hadn’t even known each other for twenty-four hours, yet here they were going at it in public like it was perfectly normal. He was acting like an animal.
The thought had the same effect as a bucket of ice water poured over his head. As quickly and gently as he could, he untangled his hand from her hair and pushed her away, putting some distance between them.
Her eyes were huge and she wrapped her arms around her knees as if protecting herself.
He’d really blown it this time. “I’m so sorry,” he said. “I was out of line.”
Laurel shook her head. “No, it’s not your fault. Really. It was me. I–”
“I don’t know what came over me.”
“I do.” Her voice was tinged with shame. She let her forehead fall on her knees. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
Not exactly the reaction one hoped for after a kiss like that, but what did he expect? “Look, it was just a kiss. Nothing else. I think we’ll both survive it.”
“That’s not what I meant.” She raised her head. “I mean, I’m going to puke.”
She jumped up, ran around the bench, and doubled over beside a tree.
“Are you okay?”
“Fine.” She swiped the back of her hand across her mouth, then wrapped her arms around the oak. “I just need a minute.”
What was it with her and trees? Well, since there was no toilet around to hug, hugging a tree was probably the next best thing.
A few minutes later she walked back to him, a bit shaky but looking far less green around the gills. “That was a lovely way to end a first date.”
Aiden stood up with a laugh. “Are we on a date?”
“Oh yeah.” She wiped her palms against her thighs, using the denim to slough off bits of dirt and leaves. “I think that’s the only way we get through this night with any dignity at all. See, this is why I hardly ever drink. It doesn’t exactly bring out my best qualities.”
“If it’s any consolation, I think your qualities are pretty amazing. And I only had one beer.”
Even though he meant what he said, he was taking a chance, testing how she’d react.
A slow smile formed on her gorgeous lips. “That’s sweet. I’m just glad you’re a gentleman and didn’t take advantage of the situation.”
What a relief. While Aiden was one hundred percent positive their kiss had been mutually consensual, it was good to know she felt the same way. Because he had no intention of letting that be their last kiss.
Laurel put her hand to the side of her head. “I hate to ask, but would you mind giving me a lift home? I don’t think I should drive.”
“You read my mind.”
Putting a hand gently on the small of her back, he led her to a dark blue pickup. Once he’d help her step up into the cab, she smiled down at him.
“You’re a very nice man.” Her eyes squeezed shut in a wince and she crossed her arms over her stomach. “Something’s wrong.”
“Are you going to be sick again?”
“No. Not that. I need to get home.”
“Hang on.” After a quick check that her arms and legs were all the way in the cab, he slammed the door and ran around to the other side. He slid behind the wheel and cranked the ignition, bringing the engine to life. “What’s your address?”
Silence. She was leaning against the door, head against the window, eyes shut. Her chest moved up and down, so she was still breathing. Either she’d passed out or fallen asleep. Aiden touched her shoulder and gave a gentle shake. Nothing. Then a not-so-gentle shake. Still nothing.
Wonderful. He had a woman passed out in his truck and no idea where to take her. He looked around for her purse, then realized he hadn’t seen her with one. But she drove to the bar, so she must have ID. Probably in a wallet.
Aiden cleared his throat. “This is your last chance to wake up before I put my hand in your back pocket.” She didn’t respond. “Okay. Sorry. Again.”
He leaned her forward so he could look behind her. The snug t-shirt she wore rode up and the waistband of her jeans pulled down just enough for him to see a tattoo on the small of her back. It was a little yellow bird perched on a tree branch. Right below that was a piece of lace, hinting at what she was wearing under those jeans.
“Wallet,” he reminded himself. “You’re looking for her wallet.”
Zeroing in on her pockets, he found what he was looking for. As smoothly and professionally as possible, he slid the wallet out and leaned her back against the seat.
It was a man’s leather wallet and so old he wondered if it had once belonged to her father. It was also surprisingly thick. Unfolding it, he saw why. It was stuffed with money. He didn’t count it, but from the edges sticking up he knew there were at least two one-hundred-dollar bills. Okay, so she had money. No big deal. She probably hadn’t opened a bank account yet. Thank God, she also had a license. It was behind a protective piece of plastic that was so scratched and stained, he couldn’t see through it.
Aiden pulled out the license and something behind it came out too, falling in his lap. He sighed when he realized her license was from Tennessee. He should have realized she wouldn’t have any ID with her new address on it.
“I forgot. You’re new in town.” He slid the license back in the wallet, then picked up what had fallen in his lap. It was a photograph. Faded and grainy, it must have been taken some time in the sixties. A couple mugged for the camera, cheeks pressed together, smiles huge. Each one held up two fingers of one hand in a peace sign. The man wore a brown vest trimmed with fringe. It hung open, exposing a chest bare of anything but the love beads hanging around his neck. The woman wore a peasant blouse and her silky black hair was held back with a tie-dyed bandana.