by Jillian Neal
“My deputy is over there now. Nothing missing from there either and they had an unlocked drawer full of cash that had been taken out of the paper’s vending machine in front of Saddleback’s. All the money is still there. Odd case.”
“Yes, it really is.” Her eyes flew from the front door back to her desk. She popped open one of the side drawers, searching through it frantically. “See, nothing seems to have been taken or even moved.”
Aaron wondered if the Sheriff had picked up on the disappointment in her declaration. Something was definitely missing. Something she didn’t want anyone to know about. Something that was most likely the very thing shoved in the waistband of Aaron’s jeans. If she already knew the letter was gone, he sure as hell couldn’t return it.
He needed a reason to stay at the library a little longer. He needed to know what she was going to tell Brock. Guilt played cruelly in her eyes. She was going to confess, not to the Sheriff but to her husband. Aaron would bet everything he had on it.
Shaking out of his criminal investigative command identity, he slid back into friendly neighbor. “Hey, Hope, Rasmussen has a scrap wood pile he’s not doing anything thing with. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind me grabbing some plywood from there and fixing the windows for you. Looks like rain’s coming in.” It didn’t but that was beside the point.
That got him a genuine smile. “Oh, Aaron, you’re so sweet but you don’t need to do that. Brock used to build houses. I’m sure he’ll take care of it for me.”
“Hope, baby, you okay?” And there was her superhero. Instead of a cape he was wearing a tool belt and carrying two pieces of wood the approximate size of the back windows of the library. Every curse word Aaron knew and a few he made up on the fly gathered on his tongue.
“I’m fine. Just kind of shocked. Nothing ever happens here and why would anyone break into a library? I only charge ten cents a week for overdue books and we’ve only collected twenty-two dollars from the book drive. Twenty of it Uncle Ev gave me. It’s not like I have any cash here. Are the boys okay?”
“They’re fine. Playing with J.J. and Hank. Aunt Jessie said for me to stay as long as you need me.”
“I’m not sure cash is what they were looking for. Ms. Lee says a few rolls of microfiche were out of place. You said the machine had been moved. Seems like whoever broke in was looking for something that was on one of those rolls of film. My illustrious deputy still hasn’t figured out that the windows were shattered from the inside out. They didn’t break them to get in. They broke them to get away. Lock was already popped on the door. Why not go out the way they got in? Odd case indeed,” the Sheriff urged.
“Other than breaking in, it’s not illegal to look at microfilm,” Hope offered.
“No, it’s not, but why not do it during regular business hours?” the Sheriff countered.
“Maybe it was just a bunch of kids who wanted to see if they could get in, mess around, and get out the windows.” Brock sighed. “I had friends who did crap like that back in school. Tell you God’s honest truth, every year at the beginning of school we used to dare the new freshman on the football team to do stuff that could’ve gotten them in a lot of trouble. We thought of it as a rite of passage, but we were also idiots, for what it’s worth now.”
It was a decent theory. Aaron had to give him that.
“School year did just get started. Dates on the moved film were about this time of year. Could’ve been some kind football glory prank I suppose.” The sheriff made another few notes on his board.
“Just doesn’t seem malicious to me,” Brock vowed.
“Me either,” Hope agreed.
“Committing a crime for any reason is still against the law. Let me know if you see anything suspicious. If anyone comes in the library in the next few days who’s never been in before I want to know that as well,” Sheriff Wilheim ordered.
“I’ll let you know,” Hope assured him. Aaron wondered if it would occur to her that he had never been in the Pleasant Glen library before that moment.
“Mr. Camden, Mr. Weber.” The Sheriff nodded to them as he made his way out.
“If you’re sure you don’t need any help with those windows, I’ll head on over to my place. Need to feed my pups.” Aaron pressed humility into his tone. Come off as a friendly everyday hero people would believe you were.
“Thanks for stopping by.” Brock offered him his hand. “You probably don’t have to work this hard to get Uncle Ev to like you, but I’m much obliged anyway.”
The assumptions people made often became the very excuse you needed. Aaron smiled. “Didn’t figure it could hurt. He’s not my biggest fan.”
Hope laughed. “He’s just awfully protective of Natalie and Holly. We all think you’re great. He’ll come around, just give him some time.”
Summoning a concerned but hopeful expression, Aaron pretended to check a few things on a nearby shelf then walked to the restroom. “I’ll be around until Natalie orders me away. These the windows they broke?” He opened the door wide.
“Yeah, but just one here and one in the newspaper office.” Hope and Brock followed after him.
“Offer still stands, if you want some help boarding them up, I can give you a hand.” This time Aaron made the offer to Brock. He knew he wouldn’t take him up on the help, but he needed the bathroom door to remain open.
“I’ve got it. God knows I’ve installed windows more than a time or two. I’ll get ’em boarded up.”
Hope went back to fidgeting with things on her desk. Brock noted her nervousness. Perfect.
“I’ll be on my way then.” Aaron saw himself out. As soon as the front door slammed shut, he slipped to the side of the library and silently eased to the back near the shattered windows. Hope was going to make her confession soon. He knew.
Cautiously avoiding the crunch of decaying leaves on the ground, he slid along the brick building, getting as close as he could to the broken window and leaving himself an escape into Moorer’s Woods if Brock should decide to come do the window work before Hope made her admission.
“Baby, what are you looking for? You said nothing was gone.” Brock’s question grew louder and then softened as he passed by the opened bathroom door. He must’ve walked to the desk. Aaron chanced edging closer to the window.
“I wouldn’t have even noticed that it was gone if I hadn’t checked to make sure the book drive money was still here. I’d almost forgotten about it,” Hope’s explanation was riddled with guilt. Aaron regulated his heartbeats.
“What are you talking about? Forgotten about what?”
“It was a… I wasn’t even going to mention it. Why would someone take that?”
The rustle of papers muffled her voice. Aaron’s jaw clenched. He chanced one more step toward the window.
“Hope.” Brock’s tone took on an edge of worry with a shot of irritation. “What are you talking about?”
The rustling papers silenced. Aaron halted his breaths.
“It was a letter.”
“A letter from who?”
“From, uh, well… it was from your father.”
The wind itself took up Aaron’s cause and ceased its restless whips.
“What the hell did he want? And why the hell was he writing to you?”
Seemed Brock disliked his own father almost as much as Aaron did.
“I have no idea. He’s never written me before. I wasn’t even sure he knew we’d gotten married. He basically demanded to see you and the boys. Said something about deserving forgiveness. I wasn’t going to tell you. I know you never want to see him again and neither of us would ever let him near the boys, not after the things he did to you. It makes you so angry to even think about him. I don’t know why I even kept it except something about it was strange.”
“Strange how?” Brock’s two-word question held more than a note of hurt and accusation.
“Weird like he almost alluded to being sick. Kind of seemed like he wanted to see the boys before he… isn’t he
re anymore, I guess. I know I should have told you about it. He mailed it here to the library which is weird in and of itself. But even more strange is why on earth would anyone take that?”
“How does he know you work here?”
“That’s my point. Does he have some kind of spy in the Glen? He’s never contacted me before. I promise. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”
“I don’t like you keeping things from me, Hope, even if they are things you know I don’t want to hear.”
“I know. I’m so sorry. I honestly forgot about it until I went to look for the money and remembered I’d shoved it in my drawer.”
“Did you answer the letter?” Brock sounded like someone had punctured his lungs.
“No.”
There was the answer Aaron needed. Unfortunately, just like any mission he’d ever worked before, the answer only brought on more questions.
“Do you want me to?”
“Fuck no. I don’t want you, or my kids, or anyone I love having anything to do with the likes of him. It’ll be over my dead body that he gets anywhere near Camden Ranch.”
So, Aaron did have an ally in that respect. He counted that as a blessing.
“That’s probably why he sent me the letter instead of you. Maybe he thought I’d invite him up. Maybe he actually thinks I’ve forgiven him for the horrible things he did to you.”
What had he done to Brock? Yet another question.
“Dad’s never been afraid to use people to get what he wants. I don’t know if he was planning on taking advantage of how sweet you are or if he figured I couldn’t read the letter if he had sent it to me.”
Aaron’s brow furrowed. What the hell did that mean?
“You read perfectly well now.” Tender pride welled in Hope’s affirmation.
“Yeah, but he doesn’t know that.”
“It doesn’t matter why he sent it to me. I want to know why someone took it. Maybe they were after the money in my drawer and got interrupted or something. Maybe that’s why they broke out the window to get away. Maybe there’s actually two culprits.”
“You playing Nancy Drew, baby?”
“I was a big fan of the Babysitter’s Club Mysteries.”
Brock’s easy chuckle said Hope was forgiven. Silently, Aaron slipped away. He waited on the train whistle that always sounded at 9:57 to crank his truck and drive away.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
“You get the letter back in the drawer?” T answered on the second ring.
“Nope,” Aaron sighed. A cocktail of nerves stirred in his gut. He couldn’t quite put his finger on what was wrong but something was amiss.
“How come?”
“Got there too late. Hope already knew it was gone. It’s still on me.”
“Fuck.”
“Yeah.”
“You think she’ll say anything to Natalie about the letter?”
“No. She didn’t even want to tell Brock about it. His father is apparently hated by most everyone. I doubt she’ll mention it ever again. She never responded to it.”
“I’m sorry, man. I should’ve just snapped a pic of it. We got sloppy because there’s no security in that town. I never dreamed anyone would figure anything out. I do have a peace offering for you though.”
“I was an ass last night. You don’t need to give me a peace offering.” Aaron hoped that would be enough of an apology.
“You are always in a much better mood after you get laid. How was she?”
“Don’t make me murder you, too.”
T laughed. “You’re not gonna tell me anything? Come on.”
“She was perfect. Now shut the fuck up.”
“I knew it. You never sound this happy after a misstep in a mission. She’s good for you.”
“Fairly certain I told you to shut it.”
“Fine.”
Aaron heard T’s fingers on a keyboard again.
“I am currently looking inside Micheal Camden’s house.”
“You’re kidding.”
“Nope. There’s a tire swing hanging in the backyard which makes me want to murder him twice. It seems anyone who’s had the great misfortune of interacting with him calls him Mick.”
Vomit swirled in Aaron’s mouth. “He’s listed as a sexual predator though, right?”
“Nope. He has a fairly lengthy record but they’re all public drunkenness or drinking and driving. Nothing like what happened to Natalie. That is what happens when families don’t report things. On the other hand, what parent wants to put their kid through having to testify to shit like that? Keeping in mind that this was someone she probably trusted at one time, she may not have even been capable of testifying about it at eleven. Fucked up all the way around.”
“I’m gonna make sure he burns. Don’t worry.”
“Yeah, well, you know we’re going with you if you go.”
“I need to know where I’m going first.”
“He lives in a tiny beach town near Wilmington, North Carolina, called Gypsy Beach.”
“Fuck. That has to be more than a thousand miles from here. I was kind of hoping the postage on the letter was because he sent it on vacation or something.”
“Gypsy Beach is fifteen hundred eighty-seven miles to be exact. He’s lived there since he was thrown off of Camden Ranch. That’s a two-day trip minimum even if you flew.”
“I can’t afford to fly.”
“You want some money?”
“No. Even if I flew down there, beat the shit out of him, did him in, and dumped him in the Atlantic, where the hell am I gonna tell Natalie I’m going?”
“Personally, I’m far more concerned about your new mailing address being in the North Carolina state penitentiary.”
“He doesn’t deserve to live.”
“I’m not disagreeing, but you do.”
Clearly having spent a good deal of time on a cattle ranch lately, Aaron only grunted his response. He didn’t necessarily agree with T’s assessment.
“Tell you what, you stay in Pleasant Glen with your cowgirl and keep doing things that make her smile. I’ll keep eyes on Uncle Mick.”
“What’s that mean exactly?”
“Means he won’t so much as sneeze without me knowing about it.”
“I still plan on choking him with his own sac.”
“Good thoughts. For now, go see if Natalie might be up for another round. You’re getting pissy again.”
Natalie laughed as Buster and Lulu shook the old towel she’d given them to play with back and forth with utter delight. “You’d think it was covered in bacon.” She scratched behind Buster’s ears.
Aaron grinned. “They love you, too.”
All of the discomfort the evening before had provided was gone by noon. In fact, the emptiness she hadn’t missed was returning.
She chanced another glance at Aaron as he downed the last of the Dr. Pepper she’d given him. There was an ease to him now. He was seated on her couch, where they’d taken a nap earlier. His eyes were clear. His beard a little longer than he normally kept it. The muscles that had cradled her so gently all afternoon were still relaxed. Like the picture her mother had taken of her and Sundance on the table nearby, he seemed to belong. The room wouldn’t have felt complete without him.
“When do we have to leave for Saddleback’s?”
“Just a few minutes. I have to clock in at five.”
“That sucks.”
“Believe me I’d much rather stay here, but having a paycheck, small as it is, does come in handy.”
“I know. I was just wishing we had time for you to carry me back to the bedroom.” She tried for a flirtatious smile.
The low hum she’d needed to hear sounded from him. “I kind of pride myself on how long I can go, sweetheart, but that’s awfully damned tempting. Not sure you’re quite ready for us to get down and dirty that fast, anyway.”
“You’re going to stay with me again tonight, right?”
“Unless you’re tired of looking
at me.”
“I’m definitely not.”
He lumbered upward and made his way to her. Hungry intention locked in his gaze as he tipped her chin upward. “Don’t worry. As soon as I get you back here, I’m gonna rock you to sleep. Back and forth. In and out. Listen to those sweet little gasps and moans you make when I take what belongs to me.” His lips swallowed down the approving squeak she made. There was a hint of the syrup from the fizzy drink she’d given him on his tongue, she pressed hers deeper needing the flavors of him.
He turned his head and kissed along her jawline. When he nipped her earlobe she gasped. God, who knew ears were an erogenous zone? She ran her hands over his shoulders and down the ropes of muscles that comprised his massive arms.
“You have any fucking clue how much I love the fact that I’m the only man who knows you, baby?” Another kiss on her lips. Another moan. “The only man who knows how sweet you come.” And another, this one slower and deeper. “How sweet you beg.” His hands gripped her ass rocking his erection against her. “The only man who knows how wet and needy you get for me. Knows how good you taste.” Another greedy kiss. “Knows how to make you come. And tonight I’m gonna feel you come on my cock, honey, over and over again.” His raspy tone carried the current of desire directly to her core.
“Oh God.”
His hands slipped to her breasts. He caught her lace trapped nipples between his thumb and index finger. “Yes.” She couldn’t help herself. Every time he touched her there, the entire world tilted off its axis. He pressed harder and she bucked against him, unable to keep herself from him.
“Can’t you be late?” Her nipples puckered and throbbed, begging for more of his touch.
His throaty chuckle tangled her in knots only he could untie. “Anticipation is a good thing, baby.” He took one more kiss before his hands returned to her back and he cradled her to him. “I have a question for you.”
“Should you ask me while we drive?”
“Probably. You sure you’re okay with the dogs staying here?”
“Of course.”