Chapter 8
8
T he end of her time at The Refuge loomed up over her like a big, dark shadow.
The only bright light ahead of her was a date with Ruben.
Henley sat her down for what was their last planned session and Aubree didn't like the look on her face.
"Good Morning, Aubree."
Aubree looked over at the door to Henley's office. They'd advanced to having their sessions in the office and during the session before Henley had closed the door with Aubree's permission.
"Morning, Henley." She blew out a breath and tried to relax back against the cushions.
"How are you feeling?"
Aubree closed her eyes for a moment before she spoke. "Stronger. I'm using a cane now to help with balance while I'm walking."
Henley nodded toward the cane that was leaning up against the armrest of Aubree's chair. "I'm glad."
"Me, too." Aubree filled her lungs with air. "And I'm looking forward to going home."
Henley looked down at the paper on her clipboard and then back up at Aubree. "That's what I wanted to talk to you about."
Aubree fought off the sudden stab of panic by working through one of the relaxation mantras that she'd been taught in her head.
When she'd finished, she looked up at Henley who had patiently waited for her.
"We wanted to offer you the chance to extend your visit to continue to address your claustrophobia."
"That's... a generous offer, Henley, but I need to get back to work. The brass has given me more time than anyone else has had for rehabilitation."
Henley narrowed her eyes and looked down at her clipboard. "Your injuries were more severe than others in the State Police who were out for medical reasons. And there's also the missing gap in your memory. We have some other treatments that we can try."
"Try." She shook her head. "No. Thank you, but no."
Henley's expression was filled with concern. "Do you want me to tell you about these treatments?"
Aubree pressed the heel of her hand against the center of her chest. "I appreciate what you're trying to do, Henley, but I don't think I'm going to be able to get rid of my claustrophobia anytime soon, but I do have to get back to work. There are cases that depend on me. Victims depending on me. I've had so much help here, I will forever be grateful for everything that your staff has done and you, too."
She could tell that Henley didn't like the answer.
Neither did she.
She knew she was making progress, but her job and the cases that she was involved in weren't going to sit around and wait for her.
If she didn't want the cases to flounder, or worse, be dropped altogether, she had to get back and make sure that her lapse of memory wasn't going to cause the victims to suffer.
"I just know that the advancements that I've made here are invaluable and both myself and my family never forget the miracles that have happened here. I just can't take any more time away and consider myself much of a law enforcement officer."
Aubree looked over at the watch on her wrist and stood up. Her smile was genuine as she reached out to shake Henley's hand.
Henley hesitated for a moment. "You'll always be welcome back should you need us."
Aubree looked at the other woman and smiled. "No offense, but I hope that won't ever be a thing."
Henley smiled back at her. "I know. But you'll always be welcome back as a guest and to attend parties. Especially if you're... visiting one of our staff."
Her cheeks burned as she looked away from Henley for a moment.
"No need to blush or look guilty, Aubree. Anyone with eyes can tell that you and Ruben have hit it off with each other."
Aubree nodded. "Nothing happened between us. I promise you that." She hesitated, not wanting to admit that she'd almost kissed Ruben in the pool.
"I know, Aubree." Henley's gaze told her that she wasn't upset. The lightness of her smile said that she might even be happy. "It'll be good to see you back for happier reasons."
"Thanks."
Aubree walked to the door of the office and hoped that her body language wasn't going to change dramatically when she opened the door and felt the air from the outside office. The cool rush of air sent shivers through her. It wasn't cold she felt but relief.
She considered it a win because she hadn't taken a Valium that morning. She was only going to take one with her in the car when her family came to get her. And if things went well, she hoped to still have it in her pocket when she got home to her apartment.
That would be the equivalent of a game winning touchdown.
And she needed a win.
A win she could carry over to her cases that really needed one.
She headed out of the building and didn't stop until she felt the sunlight on her face.
Sunlight.
She still hadn’t told Reuben the extent of her nightmares involving
While she was sure he wanted to hear about it, she wasn't sure she wanted to tell him.
He hadn’t really batted an eye
If she had a hope of building anything with Ruben, she had to at least seem sane.
Her phone chimed with a text, and she fished it out of her pocket.
MI PADRE: looking forward to seeing you
She replied, smiling
Princessa: same! did you convince Pablito to come with?
MI PADRE: (laughing tears emoji) yes
Princessa: I bet he hasn't let go of his phone since he got in the car
MI PADRE: you have a camera in the car?
Princessa: I know my little bro. Drive safe.
There was a moment where the three dots appeared on the screen. When the message flashed on the screen she chuckled.
MI PADRE: your mother is driving I'm the navigator today
Princessa: Love you all. Be safe.
Aubree looked down at the screen and took a moment to think.
Before the accident, she'd typed those words hundreds or thousands of times, but it was only after the accident that there seemed to be a very poignant meaning to them.
"Aubree?"
She knew that voice.
Knew the feeling she felt when he was near.
She turned and smiled. "Hey."
He looked at her hand and the phone in it. "Are you waiting for your family?"
She nodded, not quite sure if she could trust her voice.
"It's hard to imagine that you're leaving us today."
She had a bunch of things she wanted to say but she couldn't quite find the right one. "I'm... I'm leaving. And I’m a little happy about it."
They both smiled and she had a feeling they were matched pretty well in their reactions.
“In a way I’m sad to see you leave, but in another way…”
"I get it."
He nodded. "I'm sure I sound pretty silly."
"No." She took a step closer, and he matched her, moving closer to her. "I think you sound about as confused as I do."
"Not really confused," he shrugged, "I'm just going to miss you. Seeing you. Talking to you. It's going to be a completely different feeling here when you're gone."
She couldn't help how much she loved his words.
It had been so long since she'd made a real connection to someone and to have it happen during therapy made it feel a little surreal.
"You've got a faraway look in your eyes."
Aubree looked at him and felt her face heat with embarrassment. "I was thinking about what we said to each other that day in the pool. The day that I almost kissed you. I felt like such a fool."
He nodded, smiling. "That's nothing to be embarrassed about," he reassured her. "I wasn't sure how to handle that either."
"It's not something I anticipated happening." She felt her shoulders relaxing as they stood there together. "I just hope that when we go out you don't see it as a huge mistake."
The look he gave her said he thought she was wrong, but he didn't argue.
He reached out his hand and she put her hand in his.
It probably looked like a simple handshake, but she felt his thumb brush against the back of her hand. "I know that when you said yes to giving me a chance… giving us a chance after you leave The Refuge, you were taking a leap into the unknown. I'm going to make sure that you don't regret it."
"I'm just worried that you'll regret it."
Both of his hands closed around hers and he pulled her closer, until they were almost nose to nose.
"Stop. Don't borrow trouble before it happens, because it might not."
A honk turned their heads and Aubree felt happy tears spring up into her eyes. "Dad!"
Ruben watched as Aubree's family piled out of their SUV.
It was easy to see the physical resemblance between Aubree and her mother. Both women were gorgeous with identical coloring, but there was something about Aubree and her father that he could see as well. It wasn't their looks. While there was a resemblance, but he saw the most connection in their eyes.
There was a sadness in them that never seemed to leave.
Antonio Cueva waited for his wife to hug Aubree first and then, Aubree's brother dove in like he was trying to slide into home base.
Ruben knew that her brother was younger than her by about five years or so, but the 'younger' Cueva was taller than his sister. It was the way he laughed and grinned at Aubree that gave away that he was a teen. He looked honestly ecstatic to have his sister back and Aubree's smile was a joy to see.
When she playfully shoved her brother away, her father stepped forward.
His face was stoic as he walked up to his daughter and his face didn't change when he caught hold of her arm and turned her around to face him.
It didn't even change when he pulled her into his arms and wrapped his arms around her in a tight embrace.
The only time his face changed was when Aubree's arms wrapped around his neck.
It took Ruben's breath away.
The bare, naked emotion on the other man's face was humbling.
If there was nothing else he ever learned about Antonio Cueva, it wouldn't matter. He'd earned Ruben's respect when he'd shown his love for his daughter.
Ruben knew he should walk away, but he didn't want to say goodbye to Aubree just yet.
He couldn't seem to make his feet move, even when Aubree's mother caught sight of him standing there on the sidewalk.
She lifted an assessing brow, looking at him as an owl might look at a mouse.
He didn't turn and walk away when she started walking in his direction was because he knew he had done nothing to be afraid of ... or he was a very stupid mouse.
"Well, hello there."
The strides she took ate up the ground between them and he managed to take a few steps forward to meet her before she reached him.
The smile and nod of approval he got made him feel a little less like prey. "Missus Cueva, hello." He held out his hand. "I'm Ruben Chaucer. I'm-"
"Oh," she gave him a bigger smile and pulled him in for a hug, "you're cute."
Cute?
She stepped back and looked him over with a quick head to toe sweep. "Do all of the therapists here look like you?"
"Ma!" Aubree's brother walked up, shaking his head. "Why are you trying to embarrass him?"
Ruben expected Liria to deny her son's words, but she turned her gaze back to look at him and Ruben swallowed.
"If he can't handle a mother's curiosity, how is he going to handle your sister?"
"Ma!" Pablo clapped his hands over his face. "Oh, Dios mio!" Pablo shook his head and looked at Ruben. "Dude, I'm sorry."
Ruben stepped closer to the teen and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, man. I can handle a little joking."
Pablo's eyes widened. "Dude, really. She's not joking."
Ruben turned to look at Aubree's mother and saw her give him an outrageous wink.
Then she laughed out loud. "You're too cute!"
Cute, again.
"Thank you, Missus-"
"Mom, is just fine, young man."
Pablo made a noise that sounded like he was choking. "Ma! Aubree's gonna lose it when she finds out-"
"Who is going to tell her, mijo?"
Pablo looked at Ruben, but Ruben wasn't exactly ready to wade into the rough surf.
"See?" She smiled at her son and when she turned back to Ruben, her expression was softer, less giddy. "Seriously, I heard what Aubree said about you. She didn't have to say anything specific about you for me to know that she cared. And all it took was one look for me to see how you felt about her."
Liria lifted up a hand and gave his cheek a soft pat. "We almost lost her like we lost our first two children. Watching her suffer was so painful we cried ourselves to sleep at night, me into my pillow because we didn't want her to hear us. Aubree is someone who takes too much onto her own shoulders." Her gaze moved over his face, focusing on his eyes. "You see that, too."
He nodded. "I do."
"And you've taken it to heart," she smiled, and he felt the warmth of it. "I think you two will be good for each other. Let me know when you need help, okay?"
Ruben wasn't sure what she meant by that.
Neither, it appeared, did Aubree's brother, Pablo. "What are you talking about, Mom?"
Liria leaned in. "If you're looking for insider information like... favorite foods? The kinds of movies she likes? Or a ring size?"
Well...
"Ma! Come on!"
Pablo stepped in and hooked his arm through his mother's and dragged her back toward the car.
They passed by Aubree who was making her way toward him.
Pablo gave his sister a sigh and rolled his eyes.
Aubree turned to watch her brother walk their mother away and then she turned back in his direction.
She had her arm looped through her father's and Antonio kept his gaze on his daughter's profile.
Ruben knew he was getting a good look at what it was like to have a daughter and to love her unconditionally.
"Dad, this is Ruben Chaucer."
Ruben was stunned by the joy on her face. He couldn’t look away and maybe he focused on her for a moment too long.
At least that's what he assumed when he finally looked at her father and saw the pointed look on his face.
Holding out his hand to Aubree's father, Ruben cleared his throat. "Mister Cueva. It's nice to meet you."
Her father reached out and took his hand, his grip a little too tight to be a friendly gesture. "Ruben."
Aubree was smiling when she looked between the two of them.
"Dad, be nice."
With a final squeeze, her father let go of his hand. And gave Ruben another pointed look. "Aubree told me all of the good you've done for her. I’m not all that thrilled that you were her therapist here and from what I hear, you’re planning to keep in touch now that she’s home. As long as you continue to make her smile. You'll have no issues with me."
Ruben heard Aubree groan as her chin dropped down. "Dad? Please!"
Ruben had to keep himself from reaching out to touch her cheek.
He didn't want her to be upset, over anything.
Instead, he looked her father right in the eye. "I understand. I do." He gave the older man a smile and spoke from his heart. "I take my job seriously, sir. But I know that there's something special about Aubree. I'm not going to do anything to hurt her."
"There's no way to know that for sure," her father leaned in and gave Aubree a kiss on her temple. "I've hurt her mother over the years, emotions can hurt as much as physical pain, but we've always made sure to remember that caring for someone, loving them, is as much of a choice as walking away. All I ask is that you remember," he looked at Aubree, "both of you remember that life isn't guaranteed to anyone. Treat each other that same way and..." He blinked a few times, and Ruben could see that he was fighting back tears.
For a man who could be so stoic and hard to read, he carried a lot of emotion inside of him.
Antonio cleared his throat and looked away. "I guess that's all I have to say to both of you."
He stepped away from Aubree and gestured back toward the parking lot. "I'm going to the car. When you're ready to leave, that's where we'll be."
He walked away and Ruben was left alone with Aubree again.
"Wow." "Wow."
They looked at each other realizing that they'd both spoken at the same time.
Ruben laughed and managed to keep himself together as Aubree wrapped her arms around his neck to say goodbye.
One arm at a time, Ruben wrapped her in his embrace.
He held her against him, nearly still.
He couldn't bear to move thinking that it would make the clock tick forward.
He knew she had to go but he didn't want her to leave.
"I'm going to miss seeing you every day."
He smiled and leaned in, whispering into her ear. "I know I'm going to dream of you every night."
She pulled back slightly, and he saw her searching his gaze. "Yeah?"
"Yeah," he nodded. "Does that sound weird?"
Aubree shook her head. "No." She smiled and he swore he felt his heart swell in his chest. "I've had you in my dreams every night since we met." She bit into her bottom lip. "I know that might sound creepy, but-"
Ruben took a step forward, bringing them under the heavy shade of a tree.
Her head tipped back to look up at him and he smiled as he closed the distance between them.
"No but," he smiled at her, feeling his heart pounding against his ribs, "I love that you've dreamed of me."
"Yeah?"
He nodded. "Yeah. It makes it easier for me to say that I've dreamed of you, too." He brushed his lips against hers and felt her lean into his touch.
The kiss didn't move beyond a chaste expression of affection, but it had a real effect on his pulse.
Kissing her was incredible.
Just a simple touch could bring him to his knees.
He didn't linger on the kiss for long because it wasn't the time nor place for it, but someday...
"I can't wait to take you out."
She blew out a breath as she leaned back, her eyes finding his. "Saturday?"
He nodded. "Saturday."
Aubree looked up at him, grinning. "Okay, I'll see you then."
He turned as his arms released her. "Do you want me to walk you to the car?"
She shook her head. "No, I need to try and calm my heart a little."
Ruben put his hand to his chest. "Me, too."
Aubree took a few steps away before she turned back to look at him. Smiling, she lifted her hand in a farewell wave, and he copied the gesture, lowering his hand as she got into the car and drove away.