Chapter 13
13
ASPEN
“T hanks for understanding about Jubie needing to stay with Miles,” Aiden said after a minute of silence had passed as we weaved our way out of their community and toward The Nest. “Nighttime is when he needs her the most, and I knew he wouldn’t tell you that. So, thank you for pretending like it was your idea for her to stay behind.”
I just smiled and nodded, even though his eyes were on the road and not on me. “Even though I’d love a cuddle partner, she is his dog. I didn’t realize she was a service animal.” Shifting in the seat, I studied Aiden’s profile. “I’m guessing he needs her because of his time in the service?”
His features tightened, as did his grip on the wheel. My lips parted, and I sucked in a breath, ready to retract the question, only his response cut me off.
“Jubie isn’t technically a service dog—she wasn’t specifically trained for that—but yeah, she helps him when things get to be too much. Not sure how she knows, but she does. Jubie gives him the comfort and support that neither I nor anyone else has been able to up to this point.” He shot me a knowing look out of the corner of his eye. “Though he is quite chatty with you, so maybe that will change.”
I held up both hands. “Just because I’m easy to talk to means nothing.”
“But it does. I’ve never seen him talk to a stranger as much as he has you, nor give two shits about their feelings. He’s kind of an asshole,” he said with a smirk.
“I think…” I let out a slow breath. “Anyone who’s been through what he has—and I don’t even know the specifics—probably keeps everything close to the chest. It’s easier to act like an asshole toward people you don’t see sticking around instead of letting them in, giving a piece of yourself, and then them walking away. Was there a specific incident that made him need Jubie that much more or just his overall time as a SEAL?”
“Yes.”
I smiled. “That’s not an answer.”
“True, but it’s the best I’ll give you. It’s not my story to tell.” The way his tone dropped told me there was a lot more to all this than Aiden let on. “You ready for our hike tomorrow?”
I knew what he was doing, using that question to change the subject, but who was I to stop him? I’d known him and his best friend for a little over twenty-four hours. Trust took way longer to build. My heart sank. Did we have that kind of time to get to the point where they would trust me with their pasts and regrets?
“Not sure if we talked about this earlier, but I set out three tents. If you want to share”—he waggled his brows suggestively—“then we’ll only need to bring two.”
“Okay, but why not one? I mean, aren’t you and Miles kind of a package deal? Why bring a second tent at all?”
Aiden huffed a laugh. “Yeah, we are, but what we enjoy doing together has nothing to do with actual sleeping.” He shifted along the seat and switched hands on the wheel. “Miles requires his own tent. Always. Sleeping is… one of his challenges. That’s all I’ll say about that, and I would appreciate it if you don’t make a big deal out of it tomorrow. He might be a big fucker and could kill almost anyone with his bare hands, but he’s sensitive about his trauma and how it manifests. I just don’t want to see him pull back from this, you know?” Reaching over, he placed a palm on my knee and squeezed. “Because I sure as hell don’t want this to end before it really gets started.”
“Of course,” I whispered, my breath catching as his hand slid higher up my thigh. “So, if I say yes to the two tents, then I’d be sharing with you.” I tapped a finger against my lips like it was an actual tough call to make. “Decisions, decisions.”
“I’ll make sure you stay nice and warm all night, sweetheart. And very, very relaxed.” He shot me a wink before turning back to the road. It wasn’t dark out yet, and the roads were nearly deserted, but when we passed a car or truck, Aiden always waved as if he knew everyone in town. Who knew? He probably did, with his outgoing personality. “And don’t worry, we’re only talking about where we’ll be sleeping. Not… other fun things.”
“Like photography?” I offered tongue in cheek.
“Well, yeah, of course. And just a heads-up—I photograph best in the nude.”
My loud laugh rumbled around the truck. Wiping at my eyes, I nodded, cheeks burning from my wide smile. “Noted. Though, after everything with the douche canoe who I won’t bring up right now, I think I’m done with any pictures with humans in them. Nature, animals, that’s what I want to get back to.”
He nodded. “Well, if you ever change your mind, just say the word and all my clothes will disappear.”
“So generous.” I giggled.
“Only with you.”
The lights around the resort came into view, telling me the ride was almost over. I checked over my shoulder to make sure the borrowed bike was still in the truck’s bed and hadn’t somehow escaped during the short drive.
As I stared out the side window, gazing at the beautiful scenery, I thought about this view being something I saw every day, not just for six more.
“Did you picture yourself being here, in Alaska, in a very open-minded community with your best friend?”
The truck slowed at a stop sign. “No. Not at all,” he huffed.
“So, what did you picture if these idyllic scenarios you’ve found yourself in weren’t your goal?”
He paused, his thumb thumping on top of the steering wheel. “I was married once. To a woman who I thought was my goal, my future. Turned out I was wrong, and then my goals shifted after Miles officially came home. We both needed to get out of the town we’d grown up in, both of us running from the demons and failures chasing us. He knew about Brandon’s company through a friend of a friend, and the rest is history.”
“Married, huh?” He nodded. “I haven’t found anyone I would consider spending even a weekend with, much less the potential of forever. Think you’ll do it again?”
He shook his head and shrugged. “I don’t know. That marriage didn’t go the way I planned, you know?”
“What happened?”
He sighed and swiped a hand across his mouth. “I was in the Navy with Miles. Did I mention that?” I shook my head and leaned toward the middle of the truck, not wanting to miss a word of his story. “We planned to go into the SEALs together, but my on-again, off-again girlfriend from back home convinced me we could make us a real thing if I let my contract run out. I believed her. Miles didn’t. Of course, he saw right through her trap, and once I was back home for good, things got bad quickly. There were a few times I had to call the cops just to get her to stop coming at me.”
“She hit you?” I gasped.
He nodded solemnly. “And I knew I’d never lay a finger on her, even if the cops who showed up at the door those few times had some choice words to call me because I wouldn’t. So, I drank a shit ton more than was healthy and lost job after job because I was just so fucking miserable that I didn’t have the energy to even try to keep one. My parents tried to help, but when you’re in that dark space, it’s easier to stay there than take the helping hand someone is offering.”
“Yeah, and sometimes the last person’s help you want is your parents’, because they’ll never let you live it down.” There was no hiding the bitterness in my tone. The way Aiden shot me a raised brow told me he heard it too.
“Exactly.”
“So, what happened for you to end that horrible chapter of your life and move here?”
“Miles,” he said, voice hoarse with an emotion I couldn’t read. “He…” Aiden cleared his throat. “Again, not my story to tell, but he came home, and I knew my best friend needed me. And honestly, I needed him. I filed for divorce and gave her everything she asked for just to be done with it all, but with the clause that she could never reach out to me again, and it was final. But even with all that shit, there is still one future goal I haven’t totally given up hope on.” His caramel eyes cut my way. “A family, kids. Even if they aren’t my own. It was the one thing my ex knew I wanted badly and made sure never happened, though now I’m grateful for that. I have nothing tying me to her.”
“You really want a family, kids, as in multiple?”
“Why do you sound surprised?” he asked, tone a little defensive.
I licked my lips to give myself a second to get my mind working straight. “It’s just that most of the men I’ve met really only want to participate in the family’s making, not the actual parenting part.”
“You’ve really met the worst of our gender, haven’t you?” he said, tone stiff.
It was my turn to shrug. “I guess, yeah. Plus, growing up on a ranch, my dad worked from sunup to sundown, so my mom was the only one who did the parenting. Once I was old enough, he taught me what to do to help around the ranch and not really much else. So, I guess I grew up with a bit of gender-biased roles. Then, at the magazine, I watched guys talk about their children with the same enthusiasm they had when discussing red-line edits for their articles.”
“What about you?”
“What about me?”
“Do you want a family? Kids? The whole thing with a white picket fence?”
“White picket fence, no. That feels… confining, limiting even. I don’t want to be held back from going and doing and exploring. If I were to have a family, then the person I was with would know that about me and allow me to keep this part of myself that wants to be free by doing it all together, with or without kids. So family, kids… yeah, but it would have to be with the right person who understood me. I’m tired of putting what I want as a side note.”
The truck slowed as we eased to a stop outside my little cabin. Aiden turned the key, killing the engine, and reached for the door.
“Hope you don’t mind, but Miles demanded I walk you to your door and make sure all is safe inside the cabin before I let you go in. Oh, and he also mentioned that today might have overwhelmed you a bit, so I’m to ensure you’re safe, then get my ass back home.” His cheeks bunched with a wide smile. “Such a bossy fucker, that bestie of mine.”
“Well, I don’t mind at all.”
Shoving the door open, I stepped out into the crisp evening air, tugging my coat tighter around me as I used a hip to shut the heavy metal. The silence was comfortable as we walked side by side toward my door, Aiden wheeling the bike even after I offered. Once he leaned the borrowed bike against the side of the cabin, I handed over the key just like I’d done with Miles and gestured toward the door in an open invitation.
Back against the side of the cabin, I stared into the grouping of trees that surrounded the area. Though there was sunlight, it was still hard to see in the thick underbrush. Somewhere close, a bird sang, followed by a heavy gust of wind that whistled through the trees. The crack of a limb or a stick and the rustling of leaves to the right had me standing straight and scanning the area for whatever caused the sound.
Pulse racing, I forced myself to slow my breathing, in through the nose and out through the mouth, knowing it was more than likely a squirrel or from the gust of wind. But it wasn’t just the sound that set me on edge. There was something out there that made me feel like I was being watched.
“All clear.”
A scream raced up my throat as I leapt a foot off the ground, whirling around with a fist raised. Aiden’s eyes went wide as he stepped back and held up both hands.
“Everything okay out here?” he asked, stepping farther out onto the porch and scanning the area in front of the cabin, brows pulled in tight.
Palm pressed over my hammering heart, I nodded. “Yeah, just woodland creatures making me think the boogeyman is out there.”
His hand hovered over the sidearm resting on his hip. “What did you see? Was someone out there? A man?” A large palm cupped my shoulder and pulled me behind him.
All I could do was nod at his back, even though he couldn’t see. His response was a bit over the top at me being jumpy and joking about the boogeyman.
“Aiden, is there something going on that you should warn me about?” I hedged. “I figured you’d brush me off and say it was a deer or something.”
Spinning around, he squished me against his hard chest, and both arms wrapped around my back to squeeze me tight.
“We’re really not supposed to talk about it since we know very little, and the sheriff doesn’t want to scare tourists and visitors away from Anchor Bay.” Pulling back, Aiden scanned my face, the fading light just enough for me to see the worry clouding his features. Anxious nerves had me trembling as I waited for him to explain what that meant, because it didn’t sound good. “But you need to know. You deserve to know. Tomorrow, on the hike, Miles and I will explain everything. Okay?”
“Why not now?” I asked, voice shaking from the rising fear. My gaze darted around the darkening area as if some unknown threat might jump out and attack.
Some of the tension eased from his features. “Because my bossy-ass bestie also told me to get you inside quickly so you could get a proper night’s sleep.” Attempting to lighten the conversation, he winked. “Something about not sleeping much once we’re all together.”
My own worries faded with a soft laugh, though a sliver of fear of something out there that I wasn’t aware of still lingered in the back of my mind. “Are you sure Miles was the one who said that? That doesn’t sound like him.”
Aiden’s smile grew wider, faint dimples popping on both cheeks. “Look at you, already knowing us so well you can tell our comments apart. Okay, fine, that last part was all me, though Miles does want you to get some sleep. Overprotective mother bear, that one.”
“I like it,” I admitted. “It’s nice not needing to be the only one looking out for my safety. Being in Seattle alone was exhausting. So, you call it bossy, but I call it comforting.”
“Tomato, potato.”
“That’s not how that goes.” I giggled.
“But it got you to laugh, so it worked.”
As if things shifted into slow motion, he leaned down and sealed his lips to mine. It was soft, almost like a promise of something more to come before he pulled back. Tugging me into his arms, he hugged me tight once again.
“Tell me to go,” he whispered into my hair. “Tell me to walk back to the truck, drive home, and fall asleep to dreams of you.” My heart raced, but a shy smile crept up my lips. “I don’t want to go.”
“I don’t want you to go either,” I murmured. It was nice not being alone, having someone there who wasn’t just a physical body close by but someone who was attuned to you. I’d gotten used to being ignored by others in favor of their phones or computers, and I didn’t realize how hurtful it was. “But if we’re doing the hike you two described earlier, then I do need to get some sleep. I’m going to make the best out of the time we have out there.”
Aiden’s lips brushed along my ear. “Me too, sweetheart.”
Cheeks hot, I just nodded and stepped back, reaching for the door handle. Once safely inside, I gave Aiden an awkward two-finger wave and a whispered “Good night” before closing the door and flipping the lock. A dreamy sigh escaped as I fell back against the door with a wide, goofy grin on my face that reflected on the glass door that led to the back porch area.
Gritting my teeth, I shook off the urge to rip the door back open and chase Aiden down to beg him to stay. Needing more distance to stay strong, with palms to the door, I pushed off and headed toward the bathroom to get ready for bed.
The moment I stepped onto the tile and saw the toiletry bag and scattered products on the counter, it hit me. When packing for the trip, I forgot one big item I wasn’t aware I’d need.
A damn razor.
Because one, my legs hadn’t seen a razor in over a week already.
Because two, neither had my armpits.
Because three, it had been way, way longer since the more intimate parts of my body had seen any type of trimming or landscaping. Fuck, I might need to hunt down a hedge trimmer to tackle that job.
Head tipped back, I groaned at the ceiling. “Fuck my life. Fuck body hair. Fuck me hesitating on that damn laser hair removal Groupon.”
Returning to the door, thankful I hadn’t even taken off my coat yet, I flicked the lock and pulled the door open. Back outside, without Aiden’s comforting and protective presence, the stillness in the air, along with the shadows passing through the trees, had an ominous feeling sweeping over me. I paused, one foot hanging over the single step, as a chill crept down my spine and the hairs on the back of my neck stood on end.
Swallowing hard for courage, I shrugged off the strange feeling making me all kinds of paranoid and continued down the steps to the path that led toward the main area of The Nest. Surely the front desk—or sometimes, in small places like this, the bar area—had backup supplies offered for little things their guests might have forgotten.
Fingers crossed, because if they didn’t, then I’d have to ride the bike into town with a bit of hope and a prayer that a general-type store was open.
The thin layer of gravel that made up the trail ground beneath my boots with every step, the sound somewhat cathartic, easing the worry from Aiden’s odd warning. Tucked off the path were the other cabins. Sounds of laughter and voices carried through the trees. Every few steps, I couldn’t stop myself from glancing over my shoulder, the feeling of being followed nagging at me. For the billionth time, I slowed to scan the area but didn’t see anyone. Breathing through the rising fear, I picked up the pace to a fast walk. It wasn’t long before my breaths sawed in and out in heavy pants from the nerves and quick gait.
The rustle of leaves and a sharp gust of chilled wind sent my hair flying into my face, blinding me for a few seconds and pushing me into a slow jog. Heart pounding, whole body trembling, which made me stumble on the uneven surface, I dared another look behind me. A hysterical laugh bubbled up, escaping in a loud hacking from being out of breath at finding two wild ferrets rolling and running just off the path, chittering back and forth to each other.
Slowing my pace and clasping both hands behind my head to calm my heaving breaths, I cursed at myself and rolled my eyes to the darkening sky. I was being paranoid and working myself into a damn heart attack. Nostrils flaring, I continued toward the main building, relief flowing through me when I rounded a sharp curve on the path and bright lights came into view.
The curve had the way I’d just come from appearing in my peripheral. Movement, almost nothing more than shadows shifting, had me pausing and turning fully, squinting into the trees to see what caught my eye. My stomach dropped. A dark figure that didn’t belong to a woodland creature, big or small, made me freeze.
A booming voice coming from the direction of the main building had me whipping around toward the noise. Two people walked out the glass front doors, arm in arm.
Shaking my head, I turned back, only to find nothing unusual there.
Squinting both eyes, I scanned back along the path but couldn’t find the person I swore I saw hiding in the trees.
Maybe it was just my imagination.
Or maybe…
It wasn’t.