by Elle Rush
It was also close to midnight. “We’ll deal with the recycling in the morning. Good job tonight, Trev. Really good,” Aaron said.
After all the lights were out, Aaron listened to the silence. The two of them rattled around in the sprawling ranch house. Trevor basically had his own bathroom, since the other two bedrooms were staged as a never-used office and an often-used guest room. His own primary suite and equally huge, attached bathroom allowed him space to decompress after he took off his uniform.
Home, in general, wasn’t always the most relaxing place to be. But every now and then, his son surprised him in a good way. The first few years of teenagerhood had been rough, with Trevor rebelling any way he could. Aaron and Tara divorcing at the same time hadn’t helped. Lately, though, his son had been having more good days than bad. It was starting to feel like they were over the hump.
Aaron didn’t think Trevor was doing well enough to bring a new variable into play though, which was why his interactions with Brooke Portman hadn’t gone beyond flirting, despite his interest.
But he still looked forward to more karaoke nights with the pretty blonde.
Chapter 3
Brooke jumped at the early morning knock on her apartment door. She was already awake; her mornings usually began at the crack of dawn as she cleaned the rooms of departing guests and prepared for new ones. But she felt guilty getting caught sitting on the sofa with a cup of coffee at seven in the morning on her day off.
Lucy’s shining face greeted her. “Good morning. Here,” her friend said, shoving a paper bag at her. “It’s a welcome home present for Jordan. You said she’s coming back today, right?”
Finding Lucy at her door was nothing new. When they’d first met, Lucy was doing property maintenance at the hotel where Brooke worked, but Lucy had since left to take a new job managing Brooke’s apartment block complex. She’d whipped both properties into shape in no time. Seeing her this morning was a nice surprise. “Yes, today. She and Denny flew into Minneapolis late last night. They should be on the road now. This afternoon, we’re buying everything on her back-to-school list.”
“Do you have a second for a question right now?”
Brooke stepped aside to let her in. Lucy had already seen her place at its worst when a plumbing emergency turned her bathroom into a pond. A basket of laundry on the loveseat was nothing compared to that. It only took her a second to toss it into one of the apartment’s two tiny bedrooms. “What’s up?”
“It’s more what isn’t up. What do you know about the tenants in suite one-oh-four in Building B?” Lucy asked.
Brooke and Jordan had lived in their current complex for four years. With Holiday Beach as small as it was, there hadn’t been much turnover in the renters in the three buildings. “That’s the Quentins, isn’t it?”
“It should be, according to the lease.”
“Why? What’s wrong?”
“I haven’t seen either Mr. or Mrs. Quentin all summer.”
Brooke knew all the tenants, at least by sight if she didn’t speak to them regularly. When she stopped to think about it, she hadn’t seen them lately either. “Neither have I, but I’ve seen their son Caleb around. Is something wrong?”
“No. I’ve been getting money orders in the manager’s drop box to cover the rent. Their lease is up for renewal next month, and I’m trying to get a hold of them to sign the contract. It’s not urgent. We still have time.” Before Lucy could say anything else, an alarm on her phone sounded. “That was my last warning to get on the road to cover for a certain friend at the Dew Drop Inn.”
“And your friend appreciates it. Although you can’t tell me that you aren’t going to sneak off for lunch with Roy since he’ll be right next door.”
“I will not sneak over to the bar,” Lucy protested. Then she grinned. “He’s bringing lunch to the hotel.”
“Be gone with you, then, and let me enjoy my coffee.” As she shooed her friend out of her apartment, she added, “I’m sure Jordan will come say hi tonight once she’s home and settled.”
“Sounds good. I’ll get out of your hair for now, but if she wants to put on a back-to-school fashion show, I’m free.”
Lucy’s parting comments sent her scurrying into the small galley kitchen where her grocery list hung on the wall. She quickly added “Conditioner/oil/hair stuff” to the bottom of the sheet, then added a bunch of question marks. She hoped Denny’s family had taken Jordan shopping in New Orleans; beauty products for Black hair were hard to come by in rural Minnesota. In case they hadn’t, she’d make a stop at the drug store to grab some from their limited selection.
“If she needs anything else, I’ll have to find more paper,” she said to herself.
Knowing she’d go crazy pacing in the apartment for the next three hours, Brooke made a deal with herself. If she did a five-mile run, she could come home and pretend to read ahead in her accounting textbook while snacking on cookies until Jordan got home. The idea appealed so much, she’d changed into her running gear and was out the door in five minutes.
She was stretching behind the building when she saw Caleb Quentin sneaking out the side door. The teenager, a short kid with shaggy hair, was dressed nicely in slacks instead of jeans, and a simple, white collared golf shirt. “Good morning, Caleb.”
He jumped at the greeting. “Oh, hi, Ms. Portman. How’s it going?”
“Fine. You’re looking good.”
Caleb tugged at his collar. “Thanks. I’ve got an interview at By the Cup. Now that all the summer students are back in school, they need full-time staff.”
Brooke sympathized. Finding full-time work in a small town was a job in itself. She’d been fortunate, but she’d learned in the spring she was only one decision from being in Caleb’s position, which was why she was going to back to school. “Good luck!”
“Thanks.”
Brooke stretched, the started a slow pace toward the lake. She hit Lakeside Drive a block before Castor Marina on the edge of town, jogged past the mostly empty slips, and turned onto Shakespeare Drive, a long and winding street that ran around Star Lake to the Bonfire Bay Campground. It was a scenic route, with cottages lining both sides of the road.
She stopped at a park that was at the halfway mark and pulled out her water bottle. When she heard a car pull into the parking lot behind her, she didn’t even have to turn around to know who it was, but she did anyway. She pushed her sweaty bangs off her forehead. “Hi, Aaron.”
He rolled down the cruiser’s window, and Brooke spotted his hat on the passenger seat. “Aren’t you supposed to be out shopping with Jordan?” he asked.
“This afternoon. What are you doing out this way? There can’t be any problems here. Yours is the first vehicle I’ve seen.” It wasn’t surprising. Most of the cabins had been shuttered for the year when the owners left on Labor Day. Some families would come out a few more times before closing their cottages down for the winter, but Brooke only knew of a handful that were used year-round.
“I was just checking to make sure that Bonfire Bay didn’t have any trouble with Labor Day campers.”
“Did they?”
“No. One family ended up staying a day longer than they intended due to car trouble, but they got on their way this morning.”
“It’s always good when Holiday Beach survives yet another summer tourist season.”
“It is. The campground did a booming business according to Bernie and Rose. I hear the Dew Drop Inn did too, despite all its changes.”
“That was a near thing,” Brooke could admit now. In the spring, the hotel had nearly closed its doors before a last-minute change of ownership had breathed new life into the old business. Things were still shifting on a regular basis, but it was all for the better. More importantly, the hotel’s occupancy was up, which meant job security for her.
“Then it looks like we’re headed into a very good autumn.”
He looked so hopeful she couldn’t help but agree. “I hope so.”
&n
bsp; Before the silence between them stretched from awkward to uncomfortable, Aaron’s radio squawked. She didn’t understand the speaker but apparently, he did. “I’ve got to go. See you around.”
She waved as he pulled away, but once he was out of sight, she shook her head. Flirting without follow-through. Talking about seeing her without asking her out. He left her head spinning, and not in a good way. “That man needs to step up or step off.”
Chapter 4
Aaron slipped into the gymnasium and headed directly to the refreshment table against the back wall. He was dead tired, and if it weren’t for the love he had for his son, he’d be home, sprawled on his sofa falling asleep to the dulcet sounds of sportscasters recapping the plays of the week.
Instead, he was at the first Parents of Seniors meeting of the school year, and he had to stay awake for the next two hours. He almost wished for a call to come through to get him out of it, but then he witnessed an interesting sight. His son, who’d been slowly circling the room, made his way over to Brooke and Jordan Portman. He chatted with them for a bit before he and Jordan moved off to talk privately in a different corner of the room.
In seconds, he was standing where his son had been. “That was interesting,” he said to Brooke. “Are they, you know…”
“Dating? Not unless they’ve been doing it online for the last two months. She wasn’t seeing Trevor before she left.”
“They’ve only been back in school for two days.” Aaron had watched his previously apathetic teenager turn into a student who made himself breakfast and was out the door long before he had to be. Aaron didn’t know if the change in attitude was self-directed maturity or orders from the football coach, but he’d take it either way. “Could they have gotten serious so soon?”
“In teenage speak, that’s a year, but no, I don’t think so.” He watched Brooke watch their children, then firmly shake her head and look away. “Are you ready to volunteer for all manner of events tonight? Fundraiser? Trip chaperone?” she asked.
“Snack provider? Chauffeur?” he continued, offering a teasing grin. “Yes, I’m prepared. But Trevor made me promise not to volunteer as a chaperone for any parties or dances. Apparently, having an officer on the scene is a real killjoy.”
“You would deprive your son of the chance to watch you perform karaoke in front of his friends?”
Aaron laughed. “He’d never forgive me. How about you? Has Jordan made any requests?”
“No, she’s cool with whatever I can do. She knows my options are limited since I’ll have night classes.”
Roy had mentioned that in passing. Aaron was impressed. It took a lot of nerve and commitment to go back to school so late in the game. “Accounting, right?”
“Bookkeeping. But this fall’s course is Accounting 201.”
“How are you enjoying it?”
“A lot, surprisingly. It all makes sense to my brain, so I’m not having any trouble picking up the concepts.”
The crush around them began to move toward the plastic chairs arranged in front of the auditorium stage. Aaron ushered Brooke into a row and sat beside her, nodding hello to the other parents.
Principal Kelly introduced the senior student council, representing the hundred or so graduates, and their teacher and parent advisors. The adults in the room wasted no time in getting down to business. The fundraisers for the senior class trip had been decided the previous year, and they were jumping in with both feet.
When they asked for volunteers, Brooke’s arm shot into the air. Aaron had been concentrating on his coffee, but he followed her lead and raised his hand as well. “What did we volunteer for?” he asked after they were both recognized.
“Weren’t you paying attention?”
“It’s been a long week, and I trust you.”
“We’re in charge of Corn Maze Night.”
His eyebrows shot up in surprise. That was a plum assignment, and a lot more fun than decorating the homecoming court parade float. Jackson Farm was a second-generation farm on the outskirts of Holiday Beach. Unlike some of the others in the area that grew organic produce for local sale, Glenna Jackson and her family targeted a different market. They had a massive strawberry field and U-pick business in the early summer, switched to their apple orchard business later in the season, then pivoted again to a pumpkin patch and corn maze in the fall. All their various specialties were family-friendly draws and appealed to the tourists who flocked to Holiday Beach during vacation season.
The profits from the corn maze that they voluntarily gave to the graduating class for one night a year was one of the biggest fundraisers they had. It was so popular that they had to sell tickets in advance of Seniors’ Night, and the five hundred available spaces always sold out.
Aaron pulled out his phone “What night is it? I’ll make sure I book that night off.”
“Night? Singular?” she asked.
“Yes. Why?”
“We’re running the event,” she said with emphasis. “If you want to help, I’ll need you on board for more than one night.”
He had to work with Brooke Portman on a long-term basis and spend lots of time and evenings with her. That sounded pretty good to him. “My deputies will be happy to cover any time I need off.” And if they weren’t, he’d encourage them.
Her face brightened at his quick response. “Great! Because I have some ideas on how we can improve on what’s been done in past years.”
While her enthusiasm was infectious, the parents surrounding her didn’t appreciate it. The amount of shushing Brooke endured would have quelled a lesser human, but she persevered until she nailed him down with a time and place for their first committee meeting.
He was still painstakingly typing it into his calendar when he heard his name being called. From the irritation, it didn’t sound like it had been the first time. “What was that?” Aaron asked.
“We’re a little light on volunteers when it comes to the Homecoming Court Float committee. Can we count on you, Aaron?” Principal Kelly repeated.
Brooke shook her head in small movements. When he looked at her, she opened her eyes widely and mouthed, “Don’t do it.”
“I’ll already be on traffic duty that day, Principal Kelly. I’m sure I’ll be able to help again later in the year.”
“Good move,” Brooke whispered while the principal made his disappointment known.
“Why did I say no to that job?” he whispered back.
“Go ahead. Try to be in charge of four teenaged girls all vying for Homecoming Queen and arguing about who gets the most visible position on the float.”
He had his hands full with one teenaged boy. Four girls in the most prestigious, contested social event of their lives was too much for him. “I’m definitely buying the first round of coffee as thanks for that save.”
“Let’s make it By the Cup tomorrow,” she suggested as the meeting broke up. “I’ll text you the time.”
Aaron raised the phone that was still in his hand. “Can I take a photo for my contact list?” he asked. When she nodded, he quickly snapped a shot of her. He hoped to get a nicer one later, but this one, with her hair back in a simple ponytail, captured her in a casual moment with him that he wanted to remember.
Before he could offer to pose for her, Jordan appeared by her side. “Ready to go, Mom?”
“I’ll see you later, Aaron.”
“Looking forward to our date.”
He smiled when her heard Jordan exclaim as they walked away, “You have a date?”
Chapter 5
Her daughter looked overly serious for a girl with extra marshmallows in her hot chocolate. Brooke didn’t know what was going on, but she didn’t like it. For the last three days, Jordan had been giving her quizzical looks and making a point of informing her the second her homework was completed.
Now she was poking at her marshmallow foam when she usually scooped it off with a spoon and ate it first. Brooke sighed. Jordan had been under entirely too much stress
this year. No kid should have to worry about their parent losing a job. Sure, she wouldn’t have been homeless; Jordan knew her father would be happy to have her at any time, and Brooke would have insisted if it came to that. Unfortunately, there was nowhere to hide when you were trying to stretch a dime into a dollar at the grocery store. She’d thought her daughter understood that things were better, that they were back on solid ground, but perhaps she’d been mistaken.
“What’s up, Cookie?”
“I’m going to be late after school tomorrow,” Jordan said.
“Okay.” That wasn’t a surprise. Between soccer and volleyball games and practices, working on the school’s online paper, and drama club, Jordan rarely came directly home from school.
“Because I’m applying for a job at By the Cup.”
Brooke had to have misheard. “Excuse me?”
“I had my first interview with Rachel Best over a video chat while I was visiting Grandma and Grandpa. This is the second. If I get the job, I’ll be working two mornings a week from five-thirty to seven thirty, which leaves me half an hour to get to school, and then two evenings, and one weekend day.”
“You will be, will you?” They’d had this discussion before. From September till June, Jordan’s full-time job was to be a student because grades equalled scholarships. She had regular babysitting gigs all year long and had worked at summer jobs since she was fifteen, including this past summer while she was in New Orleans. In her junior year, she’d also worked one or two weekday evening shifts and weekends at the Fry Guys food truck. They’d never spoken about a regular part-time day job during the week while she was still attending high school, and Brooke thought she’d make her opinions clear.
“My grades are really good, Mom. I have a spare this semester and next semester, so I’ll still have lots of time for homework and to study. Even though I’ll be applying for scholarships, college will still cost a lot of money. This way I can pay for it without being entirely dependent on student loans.”