Chapter 13
13
TWO MONTHS LATER
Aaron had spent the winter months studying for his detective exam and passed it with flying colors. He was partnered with an older detective Roger for his initial assignments. Tonight, there would be a party celebrating him and two other deputies who passed their exams. It was also a goodbye party since the other two would leave North Heron County to accept positions elsewhere.
He didn’t envy them, thrilled that Sheriff Colt Hudson had recognized that with family on the shore, Aaron would spend his career continuing to serve his county.
As he drove to work, he impulsively pulled in and stopped outside Bess’s Bakery. He sat for a long moment in his car and stared at the storefront. He hadn’t been back in months. The last time he came, he spied a man escorting Belinda out. And then watched as they laughed and smiled together, climbing into the man’s car before driving off. He’d seen them one other time when he was helping out as a patrol deputy at one of Baytown's early spring events. They were walking around together, taking pictures, and seemed so at ease with each other that he felt sure they must be dating.
Since then, he hadn’t been back to the bakery because seeing her reminded him of what seemed like his greatest mistake. After years of searching for something special, he realized he’d had it at his fingertips and let it slip away. Deciding that the coffee at the station would have to do, he pulled out of the parking lot and headed to work even though his stomach protested at the loss of his favorite coffee and pastry.
After multiple beers and more congratulations than he could remember that evening, he felt mellow. The bar was filled with North Heron detectives and deputies, as well as many of the law enforcement friends he’d made over the years from the area. Almost all of them also belonged to the American Legion, so he recognized friends' faces everywhere he looked.
After he accepted Hunter's handshake, he pulled Brad to the side. “I just wanted to make sure to thank you for all your help. The notes you gave me and the time you took to help me study are more appreciated than you can imagine.”
Brad smiled and clapped him on the back. “No thanks needed. I knew you’d make a damn good detective, and I’m thrilled you’re sticking around.”
With a dip of his chin, Brad headed to the bar, and Aaron moved on to talk to some of his friends with children who needed to leave early. Baytown Police Chief Mitch Evans and his officers, Grant Wilder, Lance Green, and Ginny McFarlane, walked over to congratulate him before they left. Hannah and Dylan Hunt, and Wyatt Newman, three other local small-town police chiefs, stopped with congratulations.
Andy was there, along with a full force of members of the Virginia Marine Police, including Jose Martinez, Joseph Newman, Bryce Townsend, and Jared Dobson.
The show of support overwhelmed Aaron. As the party was winding down, he wandered to the bar, spying a beautiful woman sitting alone. Feeling both encouraged by the alcohol and his earlier thoughts of Belinda and her new boyfriend, he settled onto the barstool next to her.
She swung her head around and looked at him, her gaze moving over him and her smile widening. “I’ve seen you around this evening. It seems like you’re one of the honored guests of the party.”
“I just got a promotion, so my friends were helping me celebrate.”
“I couldn’t help but hear some of the toasts. You’re now a detective?”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m a detective in North Heron County.”
“Please don’t call me ma’am.” She laughed. “That makes me sound so old.” She turned more to face him fully and offered her hand. “I’m Cilla. Cilla Henderson.”
“I’m Aaron Bergstrom. It’s nice to meet you.” Her shake was gentle, and her smile was welcoming. “Cilla? That’s an interesting name.”
“Oh, there’s a history behind that name,” she said, tilting her head to the side. “I’d love to have dinner with you sometime if you’re unattached. I’ll be sure to tell you the story about my name.”
“Do you live around here?”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “I live in Norfolk, but a friend of mine told me about the Eastern Shore, and I’ve been coming here on weekends just to relax.”
“It’s a great place to relax. It’s not exactly on the map if you're looking for nightlife. But if you want to unwind, there’s no better place, in my opinion.”
She leaned closer and whispered, “If you ever want to show me a good place for dinner, I’d say yes.”
She was forward, but that didn’t put him off. Instead, it was as though a beautiful woman had simply dropped into his lap. They continued flirting, and by the time he left, he had her number and a dinner date for the following evening.
A Month Later (June)
Aaron escorted Cilla into the Sunset Restaurant in Baytown, the scent of the briny bay mingling with the aromas of fine cuisine. For the past month, Cilla came every weekend, seeing him each time. While they had a good time together, he’d already realized that the something special he’d shared with Belinda wasn’t found in his relationship with Cilla. She had been pushing to stay at his place, but he’d managed to keep her at arm’s length. They had dinner and good conversations, but not sex. He still had thoughts of Belinda on his mind and wasn’t yet ready to make that deep of a commitment to Cilla.
Not wanting to act precipitously, they’d continued to date. She had made it plain that she saw a future with him. He just couldn’t say the same about her, no matter how much he tried to pretend that feelings might eventually develop.
As they settled into their booth, he smiled at the breathtaking sunset view over the sparkling water. The bay had always managed to calm his soul, and he could understand why Andy chose his police career out on the water.
Aaron loved this restaurant and wished he’d brought Belinda here when they had gone out to eat. Inwardly wincing, he knew he needed to stop comparing everything to her. Turning to refocus on Cilla, his gaze snagged on the woman who truly filled his mind. She was walking toward him as if summoned by the depths of his longing.
Belinda wore a light purple flowing dress that skimmed her ankles and made her eyes appear more violet than blue. His mouth was suddenly dry, as every nerve tingled with anticipation.
“Hello, Aaron,” she greeted, her melodic voice softly wrapping around him as it always had. “I thought that was you.”
His gaze flickered around, searching for signs of her companion. Instead, his gaze landed on another table where Bess sat, her glare pinned on him, burning with intensity. His mouth was now filled with cotton.
Clearing his throat, he smiled. “Hello, Belinda. It’s nice to see you.”
“I heard you made detective. That’s wonderful. I wanted to offer my congratulations.”
“Thank you?—”
Cilla scooted closer to him in the circular booth, her hand landing possessively on his arm. “Hello,” she interrupted. Her gaze on Belinda was filled with jealous venom.
“Hello,” Belinda replied warmly.
“Well, it was nice of you to stop by to congratulate my boyfriend, but we’re about to have dinner.”
Aaron blinked, his jaw clenched with indignation at Cilla’s rude pronouncement. His chest swelled with anger. “Cilla—” he began, but Belinda offered a graceful exit.
“Of course. I’m so sorry to have interrupted you. Have a nice evening.” Belinda cast another soft smile his way, but he observed a flash of pain in her eyes.
Before he had a chance to finish the admonishment on his lips, Belinda turned and walked away. Bess stood and threw another glare his way before the two sisters walked out of the restaurant together.
He sucked in a ragged breath and let it out slowly, not wanting to cause a scene in public. Turning to Cilla, he leveled a glare directly at her and said, “You were rude. And the next time we run into a friend of mine, I won’t tolerate that.”
Cilla offered a dismissive snort. “And then what? Come on, Aaron. Can you honestly say that you’d be fine running into a male friend of mine? Wondering if they had been a previous boyfriend?”
For a fleeting moment, he paused, his thoughts drifting to the hypothetical scenario presented before him. And at that moment, he realized he’d be okay. He felt no jealousy toward anyone from Cilla’s past. The arrival of their server abruptly halted the conversation, and the subject was dropped. The tension lingered between them, and while they engaged in small talk, the dinner was ruined for him.
For the next couple of weekends, he managed to avoid Cilla when he had cases to work on, and she had a previous commitment. He wondered if absence would make the heart grow fonder, but in her case, he only felt relief. When they met again, it was with the knowledge that she was not even close to being the one for him.
Now, Aaron, parked outside his dad’s house, then rubbed his hand over his face. He was tired—a different kind of tired than he’d felt before.
In the Navy, he’d worked long hours and understood fatigue. As a deputy, he’d seen his share of tragedy when working car accidents, domestic disputes, and rival gangs encroaching on the Eastern Shore. However, one thing he was learning about being a detective was that the cases stayed with him long after he tried to close his eyes and sleep.
Aaron and Roger had been working with a woman who called in a domestic dispute two weeks ago. And even though there was physical evidence, she refused to press charges against her husband. And today, they had to deal with her brutal death at her husband’s hand.
A tap on his window startled him, and he looked up to see Ivy’s concerned expression aimed at him.
“Hey, Aaron. Are you okay?”
He nodded as she stepped back, threw open his door, and offered her a hug and kiss on the cheek. “Yeah, just a little tired.” It was their family’s Fourth of July get-together. Ivy and Andy had gone to the Baytown Fourth of July parade earlier, but Aaron was still finishing his report at the station. Now, it was time to kick back with some good barbecue and beer.
As Ivy walked into the house, he could hear Sally excitedly greeting her. Andy walked up beside him and looked around. “Where’s Cilla?”
He started to lie to his brother, saying that Cilla had other commitments, but he wasn’t about to start lying to Andy. “She’s not coming because I didn’t invite her.” He steeled himself for his brother's comments.
Andy just stared at him for a moment, then clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m sorry.”
Surprised, he asked, “What specifically are you sorry about?”
Andy’s face was filled with hound dog expression. “I’m sorry. I know you didn’t invite her because you’re not feeling it with her. And I’m sorry because I know you’ve worked to get over Belinda and thought that maybe Cilla was it.”
He should’ve known his brother would nail the situation right on the head. He nodded and agreed. “You’re right. Cilla is a beautiful woman and could be funny as hell. My red flag went up when she became very serious about us after our first weekend together. Since then, there’s been a possessiveness about her that made me a little hesitant. I never mentioned that we had a family picnic planned today, and that made me analyze why I didn’t. I really thought about it last night and decided that after the picnic today, I’m going to drive to Norfolk this evening and break things off.”
When Andy didn’t respond, Aaron lifted a brow. “What? No quip about how I can only seem to date someone for a short period of time?”
Andy’s face hardened. “Bro, if you think I’m going to make a smart comment at a time when I can see you’re struggling, you don’t know me at all.”
Duly admonished, Aaron sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, Andy. You’re right.”
They were silent for a moment as they walked up to the front porch. “You know, the only time I saw you truly happy with a woman was with Belinda. And then my big mouth got in the way. Are you sure there’s not a chance there anymore?”
“I decided months ago, after you, Dad, and I talked, that I wasn’t going to be like Mom and walk away easily. But the last time I saw Belinda, she was with someone. It’s one thing for me to decide to go after what I’d like to have, but I’m not the kind of man to go after a woman who’s with someone else.”
Andy nodded as the two of them walked into the house. “You’re a good man, Aaron. And one day, you’ll find a good woman who you decide you’ll fight for.”
That night, Aaron wondered if he would ever date again as frustration filled him. Cilla had not taken his decision well… at all. She’d cried, then screamed, and then resorted to guilt.
“We’ve been dating for almost two months, Aaron. That’s a committed relationship. And you’re just going to walk away?”
“Cilla, first of all, we’ve only dated on weekends and had little contact during the week. As we’ve gotten to know each other, I just don’t feel like we have any future. I’d rather end things now than spend more time trying to build a relationship that’s not right.”
“I should have known something wasn’t right with you—we haven’t even had sex!” she screamed.
He was even more exhausted when he left after hearing a glass hit the door he’d just closed behind him and her scream, “You’ll be sorry.”
Driving back over the long Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel, he thought of Ivy since she worked for the CBBT. His brother had found his one with Ivy. Not that they didn’t have problems, but they worked on them together, working on building a good life.
His and Andy’s childhood experiences were different. Andy was seven when their mother left. He’d had a relationship with her, whereas Aaron had no memories of her. Yet while it had taken Andy time and some counseling to come to deal with the loss, Andy allowed himself the chance to find love and had.
Glancing down at the bay’s whitecap waves below the bridge, he felt the same turbulence in his life. In truth, Aaron had no idea if Belinda was dating the man he’d seen her with. Or if they had been dating months ago and were no longer together. Or if she was dating someone else.
Amid the turmoil of his doubts, a flicker of determination ignited within him, giving him a spark of courage that refused to be extinguished. He was tired of not reaching out for happiness, afraid he’d lose it in the end. It was time to take a chance. The only way to find out if he and Belinda had another chance was to face his fears head-on and risk everything.