by J. L. Farey
“I hope it’s as easy as all that. Hey, wait a minute. Brittney told you her name?” Trees were normally quite particular about sharing personal information. Laurel wasn’t sure she wanted to bind with one that would open up to just anybody.
Aurora’s widened in surprise. “Of course. I couldn’t dig her up without exchanging some pleasantries, now could I?”
“Forgive me,” Laurel said with a chuckle. “I forgot my manners.”
“I blame the shifter influence.” Aurora patted her hand. “Until you break it, I suggest you hug as many trees as you can.”
Bailey and Lola came trotting back from wherever they’d been and headed for the front entrance. Expecting customers, Laurel turned to welcome them. To her surprise, it was Jason.
“Where have you been?”
Jason reached down to pet the dogs that had jumped up on either side of him. “At the park. Helping Aiden.”
Laurel’s heart jumped at the mention of his name. “Helping him do what?”
“Don’t answer that.” Aurora held up her hand like a crossing guard stopping traffic. “It doesn’t matter.”
“It kind of does.” Jason gave Laurel one of his signature goofy grins. “He wants you to meet him there. At the park.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know exactly,” he said with a shrug. “But he probably wants to introduce you to his friend.”
“His friend? Crystal?”
“Yeah, that’s her name. Nice lady. Cute little boy, too. They’re all at the park together.”
For the second time that day, Laurel thought she might dissolve into a puddle of tears. Unable to speak for fear the dam might burst, she looked to her sister.
Aurora didn’t need to be asked to take control. “Jason, you mind the nursery. And you two,” she addressed Bailey and Lola, “stay here and behave yourselves. We’re going to set that man straight.”
Grabbing Laurel by the wrist, Aurora pulled her along, out through the front gates and down the street. Laurel
“I don’t think I can do this.”
“Of course you can. And if you can’t, just leave it to me. Everything’s going to be fine.”
“Aiden’s probably about to dump me so he can be with his brand new family. How can it be fine?”
“Remember what Polly always says. No matter how dark the cloud, you can always find a silver lining.”
Laurel rolled her eyes as she struggled to match Aurora’s quick pace. Not only was their sister, Polly, irritatingly positive, she also loved timeworn platitudes. It was a nauseating combination. “And what might be the silver lining in this situation?”
Aurora thought for a second, then jabbed a finger in the air. “I know! If he dumps you, it will be so much easier to break the binding with him so you can get back to a tree. Problem solved.”
She didn’t bother responding. It was quite a shallow, self-loving bubble that Aurora lived in. Laurel had always wished that her sister had more empathy, but right now, a little emotional distance might not be so bad.
LAUREL HEARD THEM BEFORE she saw them. Standing at the edge of the park, peals of laughter floated to her like the fragrance of orange blossoms on a breeze. It was Scotty. There was no doubt in her mind. Hearing him somehow wiped away all the ideas and conjecture and worrying. The fact that she was steps away from Aiden and from the concrete truth gave her a weird sort of courage.
Pulling her shoulders back, she took a deep breath, then looked over at Aurora. “I’m okay. I can do this by myself.”
“Great. Then I’ll stay out of the way and watch.”
They found Aiden and Crystal sitting across from each other at a wooden picnic table. Before Laurel could call out a greeting, Aiden looked in her direction and smiled.
“Oh good, you’re here.” He jumped up, jogged over to Laurel, and grabbed her hand. “There’s someone here I want you to meet.”
First Aurora was dragging her around, now Aiden was doing it. But this was different. Her hand practically disappeared inside his. His fingers, warm and strong, wrapped around hers, making her feel safe and loved. It wasn’t at all what she’d expected coming there.
At the table, Crystal was already on her feet. Her eyes darted sideways in a look of discomfort. “We’ve met.”
“Yes, we have.” Laurel looked around for Scotty. “Where’s your son?”
Crystal pointed to a thick, old oak. “He’s playing hide and seek.”
A blond head of curls darted out from behind the tree trunk, then disappeared again, followed by uncontrolled giggles. A thrill went through Laurel as she felt the tree laugh in response. As much as she wanted to wish away the boy and his mother, it was hard not to feel affection for someone who shared a kinship with the trees.
Laurel looked back at Aiden. “No point putting this off any longer. What do you want to tell me?”
He squeezed the back of his neck, his expression becoming puzzled. “I’m not sure where to start.”
But Aurora was. She strode forward, hand extended to Crystal. “Hi there. I’m Laurel’s sister. How about you introduce me to your son, and we can give these two a little privacy.”
Crystal looked at Aiden. After he nodded his approval, she shook Aurora’s hand and the two walked off to chase Scotty.
Laurel pulled her hand away from Aiden’s. “Let me make this easy on both of us. I know what you want to say.”
“You do?”
“Yes.” She swallowed hard and forced herself to continue. “And I understand. I would never stand in the way of you and your son.”
Aiden groaned. “Not you, too.”
“Excuse me?” Did he have any idea how hard it had been for her to be the bigger person, to give him up for his family? What kind of a lame reaction was that?
Squeezing both of her hands in his, he leaned down, his face so close to hers their noses almost touched. “Please pay attention to what I’m about to say. Scotty is not my son. Crystal is not a former girlfriend. There never has been, nor ever will be, anything romantic between the two of us. Do you understand?”
All it took was a little nudge, just a tiny shift of her neck and jaw, and she was able to translate her understanding through a most satisfying, although slightly sloppy, kiss.
When they separated, Aiden chuckled as he wiped the corners of his mouth with his fingertips. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
“Yes, I understand. And I’m so relieved. But I’m also confused.” She looked in the direction Aurora and Crystal had gone. They were across the park, standing by the pond while Scotty lobbed pieces of bread to the ducks. “If you’re just friends, then why all the secrecy? Why didn’t she tell me who she was instead of sneaking around?”
He sat on the bench with his back to the table, and Laurel sat beside him. “Well, we’re not really friends, either. At least we weren’t. We might be now. I mean, I’d like to be, but it’s still kind of complicated.”
Laurel leaned against his side. “I’ve got all day.”
“You know those nightmares I used to have?”
How could she forget? “About the time when you were a detective. Of course. You haven’t had one for a while.”
He sighed. “Well, I might have one tonight.”
The pieces finally fell together. “Wait a minute. Crystal...she’s the girl in your dream?”
“Yep.” He nodded slowly. “When I was a detective in New York, I worked her case. She was abducted by a piece of human scum. My partner and I tracked him to a building under renovation. We needed to get him before he hurt Crystal any more than he already had, so we split up. I went to the roof.”
Sitting up straighter, Laurel put her hand on Aiden’s thigh. “Wait a minute. What you told me about your dream...chasing the man across the roof in the rain and trying to rescue the girl. That really happened?”
“It did. I found her tied up to a water pipe on the roof. I was trying to get her loose when he came up behind me. I was so angry. If you’d seen what he did to
her.”
Laurel slid her arm around his back, but didn’t interrupt. For a long time he’d said he wanted to tell her about that night, but he never had. Now, she understood why.
“Hudgens had a gun on me, and he was taunting Crystal. Telling her he was going to shoot me and then finish her off. It was too much. I flew into a rage. I charged Hudgens, knocked the gun out of his hand. Then I chased him and he slipped and fell off the roof. I went back to get Crystal, and she was hysterical. That’s when I realized I’d shifted without knowing it.” Elbows to his knees, he hunched forward with a ragged sigh. “She saw the whole thing.”
“What did you do?”
“The wrong thing, probably. I ran out of sight, shifted back, then acted like her mind had played tricks on her.”
“You did the best you could. More importantly, you saved her life.”
“But I couldn’t trust myself. What if I lost control in a crowded area? What if I hurt some innocent bystander? I couldn’t take the chance. So I left.”
“What about Crystal? Why’d she come looking for you now?”
“Obviously, she had some emotional issues to deal with. She’s been working a twelve-step program. I’m part of the ‘make amends’ step.” He snorted in disgust. “Can you believe it? She came here so she could apologize to me.”
“For what?”
“She said some pretty unpleasant things about me, like accusing me of working with Hudgens. She thought that’s why I left the department. All this time, she’s been thinking she ruined my life.”
“Wow.” There was one more unanswered question. “Hudgens. Did he rape her?”
“Yes.”
“And Scotty...”
“The only good thing that came out of a horrifying experience. Her words.”
Tears stung Laurel’s eyes. Even with the darkest, stormiest cloud imaginable, Crystal had found a most perfect silver lining.
“Do you have a tissue?” Laurel asked with a sniff.
“I do not.”
“Ok.” She rubbed her nose with the back of her hand, then sighed. “I need to hug a tree.”
The day had been an emotional gauntlet and Laurel was exhausted. She shuffled to the big oak and wrapped her arms around it. “Thanks for the love,” she whispered, pressing her cheek against the rough bark.
Although the tree didn’t move, Laurel felt its response as if she was wrapped in its branches, hidden from the world. Strength flowed through her like warm sap, energizing and anchoring her at the same time. Aurora had been right. Again. The thought almost made her laugh. Instead, she smiled and took a few deep, steady breaths. Her world was finally making sense again.
“Are you okay?” Aiden looked at her from the other side of the trunk.
“I am now. We need to break our binding.”
She’d obviously shocked him. “Just because I didn’t have tissue?”
“No.” She let go of the tree long enough to swat at him. “I’ll explain it all later. Short version, I need to be bound to Brittney.”
“I see.”
“And then we can get married.”
Aiden put his hand on her shoulder and started to smile, but it faltered a second later. “We...as in you and me?”
“Of course you and me. I’m not going to marry a tree, silly.”
“Hey, you can’t blame me for wanted to make sure.” He slid his hand up her neck and cupped her cheek. “We’ve had a few too many misunderstandings lately.”
She pressed against his palm and almost purred. “Not anymore. You. Me. Forever. Got it?”
“Got it.”
“Good.” After a parting squeeze and thought of thanks, Laurel pushed away from the tree and took Aiden’s hand. “Come on,” she said, moving toward the lake. “Let’s go see your friend.”
5
By the time they reconnected with Crystal, Aurora had convinced her that she and Scotty had to stay with her in the cabin next door. It was one of the few times Aiden found himself agreeing with her. It took a bit of coordinating, but they finally decided who would check Scotty and his mom out of the hotel (Laurel and Aurora), who would take them to the cabin (Laurel, but Aurora would meet them there later), and who would pick up the dogs and tell Jason to close up the nursery (Aiden).
Once the rest of them were on their way, Aiden strolled back to the Sherriff station. On a whim, he stopped into the Hallowed Bean, hoping to find Wade. Sure enough, there he was, charming the barista as she handed him his coffee and a white paper bag. When he turned to leave, he saw Aiden waiting by the door, and jerked his chin in a sign of acknowledgement.
As they walked back to work, Aiden broke the ice. “What’s in the bag?”
“Couple of bear claws. Want one?”
“Na,” Aiden said, flexing his fingers, “I’ve got enough already.”
Wade gave him the side eye. “You’re in a good mood. I guess your meeting went well.”
“It went great.” It might be fun to drag out the reveal and keep Wade in suspense, but Aiden decided against it. Even though he’d been all wrong about who Crystal was, he’d still acted from genuine concern for a friend. Aiden couldn’t fault him for that. So he gave Wade the shortest, most condensed version he could while still making sense.
When Aiden was done, Wade let out a low, drawn out whistle. “That’s a lot of new information. Sorry about jumping to conclusions, especially about the boy.” Wade winced. “I hope everything’s all right with you and Laurel.”
“We’re great.” Aiden slapped Wade on the back. “So I’m afraid you’re not getting out of best man duty.”
“Do I have to wear a suit?”
“That’s up to Laurel. And Aurora, probably.”
“Aurora.” Wade growled out the name. “I’d almost forgotten about her. She’s still in town, huh?”
“Oh yeah. I don’t expect her to leave until after the wedding. You really should call a truce and get used to being in the same room with her.”
They’d reached the station. Wade stopped short of the entrance. “Why should I?”
With a grin, Aiden pulled the door open. “Because she’s the Maid of Honor, which means you’ll be walking up the aisle together.”
“You sure know how to hurt a guy.” Wade stalked into the building, swigging coffee as he went.
Aiden laughed and called after him. “Come over for dinner tonight. We can go for a run after.”
“Maybe.”
“By the way, I’m taking the day off.”
“That’s the first good news I’ve had all day!”
“See you later!”
Wade didn’t bother turning around, just raised the bag of bear claws in a silent goodbye.
Aiden left the station, crossed the street and headed for the nursery. He’d barely stepped through the gates before Lola ran up to greet him. From where he lay sprawled on a worn cushion by the counter, Bailey expended only enough energy to lift his eyes in acknowledgment.
“Careful, Bailey,” Aiden said as he walked by. “You might sprain something.”
He found Jason refilling the bird feeders in the perennial section. The young man put down the bag of seed mix and looked expectantly at Aiden. “How’d it go?”
“Very well, thanks to your excellent suggestion. I appreciate your help.”
“Glad to do it.” Jason looked past Aiden. “Is Laurel back?”
“No, she went home. She wants you to lock up whenever you’re ready to call it a day. And I’m taking the dogs...oh boy.” The fact that he’d driven in with Wade had slipped his mind, until now. “I don’t have my truck. How’d you like to help me out again?”
“Hmm...I don’t know,” Jason teased. “Driving you around sounds like something an assistant would do. Maybe a junior deputy.”
Jason was nothing if not persistent. “No can do. But I can offer you dinner.”
“Close enough. Give me fifteen minutes.”
As Jason hurried off to check for customers and go through shut
down procedures, Aiden took his cell phone from his back pocket to call Laurel. She would probably want to know he was bringing two extra people to dinner.
THINGS WERE CHAOTIC at the cabin, but it was a good kind of chaos. Crystal sat on the porch steps, smiling at the antics of her son. Scotty laughed and ran, ecstatic to have not one, but two puppies to play with. Lola chased the boy around, barking and jumping, while Bailey was happy to sit in the middle of it all and watch. Laurel was at the barbeque, getting the coals ready for the hamburgers and hotdogs she’d told Aiden to pick up after she found out they were hosting a dinner party. As soon as he and Jason arrived, she sent them inside to put together the condiments, plates, and various sundry picnic supplies. She was thinking there was time to visit Brittney before anyone else showed up, when there was a rustling in the bushes near the house.
“Psst!” Aurora’s upper body poked out of the greenery, and she motioned for Laurel to follow her.
Normally, Laurel would have thought twice before blindly following her sister, but Aurora had been unusually helpful lately. Feeling magnanimous, Laurel closed the barbeque lid, hung the giant tongs from a hook on the side, and made her way into the woods.
Even though Aurora had a head start, she wasn’t hard to track. All Laurel had to do was keep an eye out for birds, mice, rabbits, and other forest creatures that were headed in the same direction. Laurel found her in a small clearing, sitting on a large, gray rock.
Aurora motioned to the animals sitting around her. “Scat for now, guys. I need to talk to my sister.” They ran off as told, and Aurora patted the side of the rock. “Want to join me? I think we’ll both fit if we scrunch.”
“That’s okay. I don’t mind standing.”
From that spot they had a view of the lake. It glittered in the late afternoon sun, as if someone had strewn diamonds across the surface. Laurel sighed. “I love this spot. Did I tell you, this is where Brittney wants to be planted?”
“No, but I can see why. And speaking of Brittney,” Aurora said, making the words slide along in her sing-song way, “when are you going to do the binding?”