22
H eather couldn’t help how surprised she was by how welcoming the women were. She remembered several faces from the run to Sturgis, but only a couple of names. She remembered Kerry, London, and Robyn who she’d met again earlier, but that was about it.
“Tell me more about Tucson and living in the desert,” London said.
Several women took turns telling her about the heat, but it was dry. The monsoons, rain and lightning storms that should be hitting the area soon. They told her it was pretty, but not the kind of pretty she was used to.
From what Heather had been able to tell from the conversation, London was getting ready to move to Tucson, even though she’d never been there. Heather wasn’t sure why she was making the move, but found the discussion fascinating anyway.
“What about you, Heather? Have you ever been to the desert?” Kerry asked after a bit, likely realizing she hadn’t said anything in a while.
“Nope, sorry. I haven’t even been to Vegas. I know that’s not Arizona, but I hear it’s pretty close, weather wise. Wish I could help though.” She lifted one shoulder then let it fall.
“You might make it down, though. At least to Tucson. I hear Jake still owns his house, so he’ll eventually need to go down and take care of it.
Heather nodded slowly, not saying anything. Just because he owned a house there didn’t mean he would be taking her. Her coming here was so they could see if there was anything more than an old attraction between them. It didn’t mean they were an item, not now or that they would last. Even if she did have hopes. Not that she would ever express them out loud. Not only would that be too embarrassing, but she might jinx herself.
“I’m sorry. We’re leaving you out,” Kerry said. “We should change the subject.”
“Not at all,” Heather said with a smile. “I’m learning things, and I’m still recovering from my trip. Don’t worry about me. I’ll put something in as I have something to say or I’ll go get another drink,” she lifted her half-full bottle, “or even go see what Aaron and the guys are talking about.”
“Oh, I can give you a good idea of what they’re talking about,” one of the women said. Heather wasn’t sure of her name. “I’m Beth by the way. Sadist is mine.”
Heather looked over to where the men gathered, trying to remember which one was Sadist.
“The blond with the —?” She motioned over her head with one hand, hoping the other woman would understand she meant his wide mohawk cut that reminded her of one of the TV shows about Vikings.
“Yep, that’s him.”
“What are they talking about?” Heather kept her eyes on the men, watching as they spoke, some waving their hands around as they spoke, others sitting nearly motionless.
“They’re giving Jake shit.”
“Why?” Heather frowned and turned to look at Beth, not understanding why Aaron’s friends would do that to him.
“A couple of reasons, number one being that that’s the way men are, they’re always giving someone shit. But the real reason is payback. He deserves it after the way he gave each of the men shit when they started bringing us around.” She used a finger in the air, spun in a circle to indicate all the women around the group. “While I do feel a little sorry for him, he earned it. Most of them will keep it just among them men, he didn’t have the same consideration with everyone.”
Heather felt her mouth fall open as she turned back to watch them men. Had Aaron been that rude? While she didn’t doubt these women’s word, somehow it didn’t fit the impression she had of him. Neither from when they’d been in school or this time around. He’d seemed too sweet, too nice.
“He did that?” she asked, still trying to reconcile what they were telling her with the Aaron she knew. Had the years changed him so much?
“He did. But I don’t think he did it maliciously,” Beth said, looking around the group, as if checking with the other women to see what they thought. “I think he either didn’t think about how it might make one of us feel or didn’t realize we were there or could hear him. He’s a nice guy, he just sometimes lets his mouth get ahead of his brain.”
“That much hasn’t changed,” Heather admitted.
He’d been that way in school too, often blurting out whatever popped into his head, whether it was appropriate, the right time, or not. But as irritating as that trait could be, it was also endearing. It made him more human, a little more approachable. Especially to someone like herself who knew she had baggage. Who would want to take on the shitshow that her life had become, what with Mitch and the assholes he’d apparently traded her to.
Conversation turned to the trip planned the next day. Heather knew there was something, it was part of why she’d chosen to come today instead of waiting, but she hadn’t known what, exactly. As they talked, she listened, wondering what Aaron had planned for her, she knew he was planning to go, but would he want her along? She hadn’t talked to him about it. If not, what would she do here? Maybe go into town, though she didn’t know what she’d do there. For some reason, the thought of going into town alone, especially when Aaron would be so far away, didn’t sit well with her. She’d have to talk to him tonight and see what the plan was. In the meantime, she listened in on what the women were talking about, so at least she’d have an idea what was going on.