Chapter 9 Point of No Return
Aaron read the encrypted email from his sister, feeling like he’d been shot all over again—straight through the heart this time.
After spending the last two years of his life searching for their parents, having it end like this was especially difficult.
They still had no bodies to lay to rest, and their uncle’s arrest was imminent.
We tried. We lost. It’s over.
He tossed his cell phone onto the table in front of him, unsure of what would become of Diamondback. Never before had he felt so defeated.
He was straddling a chair in the kitchenette in A.J.’s apartment. Though the sheriff had cleared the crime scene tape from his rental house this morning, he was holding off returning there until after Aurora and A.J.’s flight landed. The three of them had much to discuss upon their arrival.
His phone buzzed with an incoming text. He woodenly reached for his phone. The message was from Elise.
Call me!
He groaned aloud, in no mood to deal with her again. While he waffled on whether to respond to her message, his phone vibrated with an incoming call.
It was Elise. Again.
Why am I not surprised?
He debated letting it roll to voicemail, but there was no point. Experience told him she wouldn’t give up until she got in touch with him. If he continued to avoid her, she’d show up at his door.
Gritting his teeth, he accepted her call.
“Please tell me,” she grated in his ear, “why our home office cameras show Aurora and her boy toy prancing around my desk. Oh, and necking in the elevator, according to our scandalized neighbor on the level below us!”
He forced a chuckle, though he didn’t feel like laughing. “Are you serious?”
“Oh, don’t play dumb,” she sneered. “I wondered where your sudden interest in wining and dining me was coming from. I should’ve known you were only using me, stalling my return to New York, and for what?
So your sister could go on a snooping rampage?
” Her voice rose to a hard, shrill note he’d never heard before.
“It’s our company,” he retorted, unable to keep his anger from spilling over into his voice. “We can come and go from our facilities whenever we want.” And they could do it without explaining themselves to the only non-owner on their payroll, thank you very much!
“It’s the company I manage,” she howled in fury.
Manage? Since when? “Not anymore,” he snarled. “You’re fired!”
“You can’t do that!”
“I just did, effective immediately.” He’d inform his sister the moment he got off the phone.
She would know how to remotely change the password on the security panel that controlled the access into Diamondback.
“I’ll make sure any belongings from your desk are returned to you, along with your final paycheck. ”
Her tone abruptly changed, along with her volume. “You actually got my hopes up again about us,” she whimpered. “How could you?”
Her attempt to stir his pity fell on deaf ears. He’d watched her in action enough times to know that the only person she cared about was herself. “What part about getting fired don’t you understand? This conversation is over.”
“It’ll be over when I say it’s over.” Her voice grew tart again. “First, I’d like you to explain why I received notification of Aurora logging into your uncle’s files?”
Whoa! Why would a lowly personal assistant receive notification about files she didn’t have access to herself? Unless, of course, she did have access to them, which would be a problem. Who in the world had given her such access?
The only way to find out was to keep her talking. “Don’t know. Don’t care,” he said coldly. “Probably checking her email. Perks of being an owner.”
“No, it’s not,” his ex returned icily. “She accessed sensitive personal information, which is a violation of my rights. I’m going to sue you and your heartless family for everything you’re worth.”
“Such as…” he taunted.
“We’re done here. I’m hanging up,” she warned.
“Guess I’ll see you in court then.” Thanks to his crooked uncle, he was going to spend the next few years of his life there, anyway.
To his surprise, she continued talking. “You toyed with my feelings, Aaron. I’ll never forgive you for that.”
Oh, boohoo! Like she’d done anything but mess with his head the entire time they were dating! “Just curious.” He knew it wasn’t something a gentleman would ask, but he wasn’t feeling like much of a gentleman at the moment. “How does it feel to be on the receiving end for once?”
She hung up on him.
The next several hours passed in a blur of interviews with the local police, Lonestar Security, the FBI, a pair of board members from the JSA, and a handful of paparazzi who’d gotten wind of the story.
Since it was an ongoing investigation, the only thing Aaron could say to the press was, “No comment.”
Later that evening, he did something he hadn’t been able to do for two straight years.
He wept.
A.J. and Aurora insisted Aaron wasn’t in the right headspace to move back to the lake house yet. Though he valued his privacy, he knew they were right. So, they stayed another night at A.J.’s apartment, which turned into another night and another night.
Tuesday evening rolled around, and he was still there—grateful to have people in his life who cared about his well-being. Regardless, he was a man of his word, so he dragged his weary bones to his truck and drove to Meyer’s Honey Farm.
Maggie met him at the entrance to the store, letting out a yelp of alarm as he stumbled and nearly face-planted at her feet. “Are you okay?”
“Nope.” He shook his head dizzily. His inability to sleep the last two nights had worn him down to a thread.
“Oh, for pity’s sake, come in!” She waved him inside and shut the door.
He stumbled again, and she stepped closer to wrap both hands around his arm. “You’re about to fall over.”
“But I’m here,” he crowed, feeling like he deserved a participation trophy.
“Barely,” she scolded.
“I’m fine.” He liked the feel of her warm, capable fingers wrapped around his biceps. He was glad he hadn’t worn a coat.
“That’s what you always say.” She towed him further into the shop.
“Because it’s true.” He muffled a yawn as she led him to a table for two on the coffee bar side of the room. She gently pushed him into a chair.
Though he was beat, he resisted the temptation to drop his head into his hands. Instead, he glanced around them. “Looks a lot different from the last time I was here.”
“I know, right?” Her expression brightened. “Between my nursing shifts, I’ve spent every spare minute possible here, cleaning and straightening.” She took a seat beside him and scooted her chair closer. “Don’t get me wrong. There’s still plenty to do.”
They were alone in the building—his fault, since he’d never gotten around to inviting any of the guys at the station to join him.
“I apologize.” He blew out a breath.
“For what?” She eyed him worriedly.
“I was supposed to rally the troops to help out this evening, but I dropped the ball.”
“I’m glad you did.” She reached over to remove his Stetson and set it on the table in front of him. “You’re exhausted.” She squinted closer at him. “And sad.”
“Not anymore,” he joked, but there was a catch in his voice. “It’s impossible to be unhappy when I’m around you.”
“Aw, Aaron!” She reached over to brush a lock of hair away from his forehead.
He leaned into her touch. “It’s true.”
“It’s one of the nicest things anyone has ever said to me.
” She lowered her hand to the table, spilling more sunshine over him with her smile.
“And hearing you say it in your Yankee accent is the icing on the cake.” Her sigh was one part fangirl and the other part wistful.
“I could seriously listen to you all day long, Deputy Cannon.”
Maybe his tiredness was lowering his defenses, but he didn’t stop to analyze what was happening between them. Maggie was sitting so close and radiating so much sweetness that he couldn’t resist dipping his head over hers.
“If you don’t want me to kiss you, now’s your chance to run,” he informed her huskily.
She didn’t run.
Their lips touched, and time slowed. She was so warm, soft, and giving—the perfect balm to his aching heart.
He knew it was too soon for them to be kissing. He had nothing to offer her. He was too emotionally raw and two snaps away from collapsing.
But he couldn’t resist the joy bubbling from her. It surrounded, lifted, and warmed him, taking the edge off his grief and exhaustion. It was as if heaven reached down to touch the earth for one drawn-out, enchanting moment. The shattered parts of him started to knit themselves back together.
For a guy who’d never considered himself to be religious, he felt closer to God while her lips were moving against his. When she drew back, his only thought was more.
She gave a damp-sounding chuckle. “I feel like I’m taking advantage of you.”
“Oh, please do! I won’t complain.” They shared a chuckle, which left him grinning like an idiot at her.
“I’m gonna post a sign on you before you leave.” Her eyes sparkled with laughter. “One that says, I saw him first.”
“It’s not that far from the truth, since I landed in the medical center so soon after arriving in town.” He winked at her. “Fortunately, the universe saw fit to send me the prettiest nurse.”
Her eyes widened. “You’re more tired than I realized. These are freckles.” She pointed at her nose. “And not a shred of makeup.” She pointed at her lips.
“Cute freckles!” Maybe it was the exhaustion talking, but he was feeling reckless enough to add, “And there’s no point in wearing lipstick if you’re gonna date me.”
She gave another joyous laugh. “Why’s that?”
“Because I’m only going to kiss it off.”
She blushed. Hard.
It was the most beautiful thing he’d ever seen.
When he returned to A.J.’s apartment, he fell face first into bed.
“Out past your curfew again,” A.J. drawled as he swaggered into the room and shut the door. He pulled off his shirt and mimicked Aaron’s movements by diving into bed face first.