Chapter 4
Chapter Four
A aron sat in his car, occasionally sipping his now-warm soda, which he’d picked up with a burger and fries from the diner across the street nearly three hours before.
His eyes hadn’t strayed far from Beth’s apartment since she’d shut the door behind her.
Well, except for the few seconds that he’d needed to order and pay for his food at the café’s drive through.
Even then, he’d kept his head on a swivel, scanning for the car that she’d described earlier.
The streets in town were quiet. Most traffic had stopped shortly after sundown. Now, with the entire area bathed in the glow of scattered lamplight, he had parked back in the shadows in the back lot, facing her staircase, so that he could watch the comings and goings.
The palm trees that lined the streets swayed gently in the warm night breeze. Every now and then, the rumble of a car would stir the silence, but none that passed by matched the description of the sedan or of Ian’s truck, which he knew well.
He rolled his shoulders to ease the stiffness that had settled in. If he was going to camp out here all night, he might as well get comfortable.
There was no way he was going to go home and watch television or work on his latest project, a dresser that he was rebuilding.
He planned out in his head a few other projects that he wanted to work on when he was done with the dresser. He gained as much pleasure making something old look new again as he did strumming the guitar and singing some of his favorite songs.
The hours dragged on.
It wasn’t his first stakeout, but it was the first one that he’d done in almost four years.
Just after one in the morning, he spotted movement out of the corner of his eye. A figure in a hoodie was moving along the side of the building with slow, cautious steps, pausing now and then, possibly to check windows.
Aaron’s hand dropped to the flashlight wedged in the side compartment, and he was out of the truck and across the street in seconds.
“Hey!” he said in a sharp and firm voice. “What do you think you’re doing?”
The figure jumped and staggered back into the parking lot light. It was a young guy, maybe early-twenties, glassy-eyed and swaying slightly. Definitely drunk.
“Whoa, whoa, man, chill,” the guy slurred, hands raised in surrender. “I’m just… my buddy lives here. I think. Maybe it’s the next building. I dunno, man. It all looks the same in the dark.”
Aaron stepped closer, keeping himself between the guy and Beth’s door. “Trying to break into the wrong place, that could get you hurt.”
The guy blinked, then squinted at the building like it might rearrange itself into something familiar. “Shit, sorry. I just, I thought, guess I’m lost. Damn tequila.” He let out a huff of laughter, which immediately turned into a groan.
Aaron studied him for another few seconds, making sure he wasn’t faking the intoxication, then smelled it on the guy and knew he wasn’t. “What’s your buddy’s address?”
The guy pulled out his phone and finally succeeded in unlocking it after three tries. He handed it to Aaron. The address was in the last text message. Aaron pointed to the next building and handed the guy his phone back. “That’s it.”
“Thanks, I’m going.” The guy stumbled off, muttering apologies into the humid night air.
Aaron waited until the man disappeared around the corner before turning back towards his truck.
That’s when he noticed Beth’s front door was cracked open. Her silhouette appeared, softly lit by the warm glow of the light behind her. She was barefoot, wearing a loose tee and a pair of sleep shorts. Her hair was braided and lying down her shoulder.
“What are you doing?” Her voice was hushed, a mix of surprise and irritation.
Aaron stepped into the glow of the porch light, his tone calm as he looked up at her. “I stuck around to see if the car would come back and…” He shrugged. “I wanted to make sure you were safe.”
Beth’s eyes searched his face, her frown easing. She glanced towards the street, then back at him. “Was that…?”
“Just a drunk tourist trying to get into the wrong place,” he said. “Nothing serious. But it woke you up. I’m sorry.”
She nodded, pulling the door open wider. “You’re not seriously planning to sit out there all night, are you?”
“I was, yeah,” he admitted.
“Well… don’t,” she said softly. “Come inside.”
Aaron climbed the stairs and stepped past her into the quiet apartment, letting the door close gently behind him.
He paused just inside the doorway. The apartment smelled faintly of lavender and something warm and comforting, maybe chamomile tea or the vanilla candle he saw sitting on the coffee table.
“I was having a hard time sleeping anyway,” she said quietly, as if explaining her decision to let him in. “We might as well not be alone.”
He nodded, toeing off his shoes near the entry and moving slowly so he didn’t startle her. “I wasn’t planning to wake you. I just wanted to make sure?—”
“I know,” she interrupted gently, her voice almost shy. “I appreciate it.” She motioned towards the sofa. “You can sit.”
Her place was small yet tidy. A bed was pushed into one of the corners, and a small screen separated it from the rest of the place. She had a little living room setup with a sofa, a coffee table, and a television sitting on a stand.
The kitchen was nothing more than one L-shaped cabinet space with a fridge, cooktop, and sink. No dishwasher, no fuss. The door to the side of it was the bathroom, and he could just make out dark green tiles on the floor.
She had a small kitchen table pushed up against the other wall, which held her laptop and a stack of files and paperwork on one side. On the other side was a place mat where she obviously ate.
Seeing the warmth and the safety of her place had him realizing she was safe for the night. Whoever had followed her earlier had probably been spooked when she’d turned into the camp.
Aaron’s lips twitched as he thought about staying with her for a while. Just the sight of Beth in her pajamas, the sleepy look she was giving him, made him dream about kissing her.
Which could be dangerous.
He took a step towards the door. He should go home. In truth, he was too tired to hang out for much longer. He was due back at work in a couple hours.
“I should head home and get a few hours of sleep,” he admitted, taking another step. The longer he stayed and watched her, the more he wanted her.
“Sure.” She yawned and then glanced towards the door, as if worried.
“Will you be okay?” That worried look had him stilling. He’d stick around if she was still scared and asked him to.
“I shouldn’t have let myself get worked up. It’s just…” She shrugged.
“I get it.” He met her gaze. “You’re not jumping at shadows for no reason, Beth.”
She nodded and avoided his eyes. “I… it’s been months since he tried anything.”
“When he does, we’ll be there,” he promised as she yawned again. “But I don’t think he’s going to try anything tonight.” He stepped towards the door again. “Get some rest.”
She hesitated as he walked towards the door. “You too. Thanks again, Aaron.”
A few hours later, Aaron was back in his camp uniform.
The heat was almost unbearable by the time he stepped onto the main path that connected the staff lodges to the camp’s central buildings.
The sun had barely crested the tops of the pines, but the humidity was already pushing its way in like an uninvited guest.
He passed a few guests out for an early yoga session on the lawn and tipped his head in greeting, his body running on muscle memory and caffeine.
Inside the security office, Brett was leaning over a screen, reviewing footage.
“Rough night?” Brett asked without looking up.
Aaron grunted and dropped into the chair across from him. “Didn’t get much sleep.”
Brett finally glanced up, and a look of shock crossed his face. “You stayed outside her place, didn’t you?”
“Mostly. Until she invited me in around two. Then I decided to head home for a few hours.”
Brett’s brow lifted, but he didn’t comment. “Anything happen?”
“Guy tried to get into her building. Drunk tourist, wrong address, thought it was his buddy’s condo. Gave him a warning and sent him packing.”
“Is Beth okay?”
Aaron nodded, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “She heard the commotion. That’s when she let me in. But since I was pretty sure nothing more would happen, I decided to head out.”
“Thanks for watching over her,” Brett said, turning back to the monitor. “We’ve added two more cameras at the lot entrance, by the way. They should help if that car shows up again. The fact that it’s not his standard truck worries us.”
“Yeah, it’s not his M.O.” Aaron leaned forward, eyes scanning the map on the wall, noting the coverage. “Let’s make sure someone checks the overnight logs and plate readers every morning. I don’t care if we’re being overprotective.”
Brett gave him a long look, then nodded. “We got her. She’s one of us. He’s not going to get to her on our time.”
Aaron settled back in his chair, exhaling slowly. He might have to deal with the heat, the exhaustion of work, and a bunch of small, meaningless logistical issues throughout the day, but at least Beth was safe behind her desk.
The sun cleared the tree line, and Aaron tossed back the last of his lukewarm coffee and headed towards the admin building.
His long strides helped him quickly cross the gravel pathways that wound through River Camps.
The sound of guests squealing as they rode the zip lines mixed with the cheers of a volleyball game in play at the sand court.
Both had him smiling. He could just make out the live band playing for the lunch crowd outside the main dining hall as he passed the courtyard where Aiden and his crew had built a new gazebo last month.
There were two couples sitting on its benches in the shade, sipping mimosas and laughing.