Chapter 13
CHAPTER 13
T he next morning, the tension in Belle’s head seeped away as she stared out the living room window and watched the bulldozer dig into the rubble blocking the driveway. A cloud of dust swarmed the earthmover as the shovel tipped and rocks and earth slid into the waiting dump truck.
Aaron worked with the other crew members, their shovels digging furiously to clear away the wreckage and fill the waiting wheelbarrows. Slowly, the rental SUV came into view. She had to call the agency, but wait until the road was cleared.
Despite the morning chill, most of the men had shed their coats, including Aaron.
The powerful muscles straining beneath Aaron’s shirt made Belle swallow. She dragged her gaze from the strongly built physique. Heat flooded her face as she realized she was ogling the man who toiled to free her and her children.
“Are we being rescued?” Lyle stood next to her.
“We are indeed.” Belle swallowed at the quiver in her voice. She wrapped an arm around her son’s shoulders. Kelsey moved to her other side, and Belle wrapped her other arm around her.
If Lyle heard her voice shake, he gave no indication. His intense stare showed his fascination with the bulldozer. Men and their machines. She laughed to herself.
“Can I go out there and help them?” Lyle looked up at her, his eyes wide and anxious.
“Tell you what.” Belle’s heart welled. “How about we check the terrace and the front porch and see what cleanup needs to be done?”
Lyle may want to help the rescue, but he was also fascinated with the equipment and the male teamwork. She understood how men liked to bond. These men were skilled laborers and faced danger. She wouldn’t expose her son to the threats the men faced. The grip in her chest was a reminder that Aaron faced the same danger. She didn’t like that either.
The disappointment that made Belle’s heart ache filled her son’s face.
“I’ll tell them that you wanted to help.” Belle gave her son a hopeful look. “They’ll appreciate that, but these men know what they’re doing. They’re trained to face danger and free people from entrapment. Maybe someday after you’ve had the proper training you can help.”
Would her son want to be a first responder? Her heart slowly sank. How could she sleep at night knowing her son risked his life, but he had to live his own life. She would respect his decisions.
“If you still want to rescue people when you’re older, we can talk to Aaron about what you need to learn and where to receive the training,” Belle said. “He knows all that stuff.”
“Okay.” Lyle sighed with uncertainty and resignation.
“Let’s put on our jackets and see what cleanup we can do,” she said. Letting Lyle watch the men work would just torture him.
Her watching the men work filled her with guilt. Checking the terrace would give them something to do.
“Okay.” Lyle’s voice held some hope.
Kelsey watched her brother. She’d take her cues from him.
Her children had been cooped up for a few days. She didn’t want the confinement to depress them, though she struggled with not feeling gloomy herself. Going outside would be the change of scenery they needed.
When they finished the outside cleanup, they returned to the house. Belle fixed a light lunch. She called Aaron to see if she would make lunch for the him and crew. He thanked her but said a crew was making sure everyone had plenty of food.
“How about we watch that space invaders movie?” Belle asked as she and the children washed the snack dishes. “You like the scene where the good guys drive the bad guys to that planet in the faraway galaxy.”
It was an old movie, but a new one to her children.
“Yeah.” A smile curved Lyle’s mouth. “Let’s watch that movie.” With concern in his eyes, he looked at Kelsey. “Is that okay with you?”
Belle’s heart melted that Lyle cared what his sister thought about the movie. Despite Lyle’s disappointment, he was thinking of someone besides himself.
“Sure.” Kelsey nodded. “I like it when the bad guys have to run away.”
“Have a seat.” Belle guided them to the sofa in the living room. “I’ll start the movie, then bring in a pitcher of water and be right back.”
With the movie started and the kids settled, Belle moved around the sofa, but couldn’t resist one last glance out the window.
A few of the men took a break. Still holding their shovels, they mopped their brows while they rested. All were drenched with sweat.
Aaron shoveled as though he had the same energy as when he started.
How did he continue?
Fear and concern for the man welled within her. He may feel invincible, but he was human.
Oh, Lord, please, keep Your hand upon him. Surround all the men with Your protection and love.
Another group of workers trudged over the mound of rubble with coolers and set them near the trees. The crew gathered around them and scooped drinks and snacks from the containers.
Belle felt relief knowing that as these men worked others looked out for them.
Lyle turned slightly in his seat and looked at Belle.
Feeling his glance, she grinned at him, then moved into the kitchen. She didn’t want to distract her children with the activity outside, and she didn’t want them to sense her worry for Aaron.
Working quickly, she filled a pitcher with water and ice. With everything stacked on a tray, she carried it into the living room and set it on the coffee table before settling into the corner of the sofa. When Kelsey leaned against her, her heart grew soft. How grateful she was for her children.
Beneath the dramatic movie music sounded the bulldozer’s grinding engine and the men’s voices. Despite the action on the screen, her mind drifted to the others working outside—and Aaron.
Quietly her prayers continued as she trusted God to keep them safe, though she let her children’s cheering distract her and joined in the fun.
Three hours later, the second movie, older than the first, ended. Belle glanced at the window and gave a start at the dusk that had settled over the mountain. She rose and moved to the window.
“What is it, Mom?” Lyle asked as he and Kelsey followed her. They stood next to her in front of the window.
“The men are still working.” She stared out the window at the shadows that moved in the fading sunlight. She barely made out the shovels digging into the dirt and flipping it into the wheelbarrows. She wrapped her arms around Lyle and Kelsey.
The men had to be exhausted. She grew tired from thinking of how hard they’d worked while she and her children watched movies.
Quiet settled over the area as men’s shadows moved toward the road.
The back door opened. Feet stomped outside the back door, then moved into the kitchen.
Belle’s pulse jumped, and she jerked around. Her children rushed ahead of her. She half ran after them.
Aaron stood inside the backdoor, his face caked with dirt. Dried paths where the sweat had streamed cut through the black layer. His eyes were bright and blue in his stained face. He dropped his jacket to the floor and slipped off his shirt. His t-shirt was wet, filthy and clung to muscles cut hard beneath taut skin.
A rush of heat burst in Belle’s brain, and she dragged her gaze from the powerful chest stretching against the t-shirt.
“You’re back.” Somehow saying that controlled the relief flowing through her.
“It’s better than that.” His teeth flashed white in his dirt-covered face. “The road is almost cleared. The crews should finish tomorrow, which means you and the kids can get out of here.”
“What about you?” She stood shakily. She couldn’t leave him. Even her children wouldn’t want to go if Aaron didn’t come with them.
She shouldn’t snub the gift Aaron and the crew had given them. They were free. She should be glad she and her children could leave. Instead, she realized Aaron’s work was just beginning. They had a mountainside of people to check. How many campers and hikers were stranded?
“Don’t worry about me.” His voice was light. “I’ll have plenty to do.”
“But I am worried.” Her mouth tightened as she said the quiet part out loud.
His face came up. Her children looked at her wide-eyed.
“I mean, you’ve been outside the entire day. You never came inside,” she said quickly, then winced. She was making things worse.
“We ate plenty.” His face relaxed, and he grinned.
In her mind, Belle was grateful he had the grace to grin instead of stare at her for the outrageous faux pas she’d made.
“I’m going to take a shower.” His gaze remained locked on hers.
She wasn’t sure if he were telling her or asking her permission. It had to be telling her. She and her children were standing in the middle of the kitchen and slightly blocking his path.
“Oh, sure.” Her hands on her children’s shoulders, she guided them out of his way. “I’ll start dinner.”
“Thanks,” he murmured. He looked down at the rubble that had pooled at his feet. “I’ll come back and clean this up.”
“I’ll do that.” She waved away his concern.
He’d worked all day. She could clean up a little dirt.
He looked as if he’d say more, then with a soft smile he moved out of the kitchen.
“I can help you, Mom.” Kelsey looked at the trail of dirt Aaron had left.
“Me, too,” Lyle said.
“Thanks, but I’ll vacuum this up, then we can start dinner.” She pulled out the vacuum cleaner she’d spied in one of the kitchen closets.
For dinner, she sautéed ground beef and chopped onion while the taco shells baked and the rice for Spanish rice simmered on the stove, then cut lettuce and tomatoes and grated cheese into bowls. She set bowls of each item on the table so Aaron and the kids could make their own tacos.
“This is a dream come true.” Aaron was showered and changed and looked like a different man as he stood in the doorway.
His damp hair curling, he wore a plaid shirt and jeans. His face was pink from shaving. Even dressed casually, he was so handsome it was hard not to stare at him. From somewhere, she found the strength to drag her gaze from his perfect form.
“There’re plenty of shells and ingredients for tacos, so eat as much as you want,” she said as everyone sat. “You have to be starving.”
“I ate plenty today, but nothing that smelled and looked as good as this.” His simple words were such a change from Chad’s rarely offered praise.
She swallowed hard.
No more thoughts about Chad, Lord.
During the meal, Aaron’s eyelids drooped and his movements slowed. How he had the strength to eat, she didn’t know. She’d be in bed.
She had found a frozen cherry pie in the freezer and had slipped that into the oven. When they’d finished dessert, she rose and stacked the dishes. Aaron stood to help her.
“I can get this.” She gave him a sympathetic look. “If you want to go to bed …”
“I’m not ready for bed yet.” He looked sincere, but she narrowed her eyes anyway.
“You should be. You worked hard.” Why was he being so noble?
“There’s plenty of time for sleep. What do you want to do?” He looked at the kids. “Work on the puzzle or watch a movie?”
“We can watch a movie.” Lyle tipped his head. “We were getting ready to watch that second space invaders movie.”
“That’s one of my favorites.” Aaron strode from the kitchen. Through the archway, Belle watched him pick up the remote and scroll through the streaming service. “Have a seat.”
“Okay.” Lyle and Kelsey settled on the sofa.
Belle started the dishwasher, then sat next to her children. Aaron settled at the other end of the sofa. The four of them quieted as the movie started.
Belle tried not to think of how much like a family they felt. She had a family. God could do anything, including heal her marriage. She’d wait on Him.
Aaron was a distraction and the hope she couldn’t think about. She wouldn’t mix up her priorities.
She stared at the television and tried to focus on the movie she’d seen several times. Spaceships zipped back and forth. Fourth of July-type fireworks exploded on the screen. She glanced at her children, who watched in fascination. Her gaze moved down the sofa to Aaron. He leaned against the sofa’s arms, his fist balled against his cheek—his eyes closed.
The man had worked tirelessly. Instead of going to bed, he’d stayed up. To be with her and her family? How selfless was this man?
Her teeth set. She should’ve insisted he go to bed.
The movie ended and Belle ushered her children upstairs to get ready for bed.
“What about Aaron?” Lyle’s frown turned troubled.
How exhausted was the man that he didn’t even know the movie had ended and that she was taking her children upstairs to bed?
“Let’s let him sleep for now. After you go to bed, I’ll come down and let him know it’s time for bed.” Her insides twisted as her gaze skimmed the tired man tucked into the sofa’s corner.
Shifting her gaze from Aaron, she and her children crossed to the stairs.
“We’re going to leave him here?” Kelsey’s tone filled with whispered shock.
“For just a minute.” She didn’t have the heart to wake him, but she couldn’t leave him on the sofa all night. He’d work again tomorrow. He needed a comfortable night’s sleep.
With the children washed for bed and their prayers said, Belle crept downstairs. She moved quietly to the sofa and stared down at the man who hadn’t moved since she and the children left.
How peaceful he looked. His lashes were thick against his cheeks. His chest barely moved with each shallow breath. What would it be like to wake up to that face every morning?
A frisson of shame shot through her, and she shoved that thought from her mind. She had no right to think about any man.
“Aaron?” Her voice rasped, and she cleared her throat.
She touched his shoulder. He didn’t move so she cupped her hand over his shoulder. She took a deep breath at the warmth that radiated through her. Was Aaron warm or did he make her warm? She clenched her jaw. She needed to help him to bed.
“Aaron?” she said his name a little louder.
His eyelashes fluttered. Confusion pressed between his brows. He glanced at the dark television, then pushed himself to sit straight up. His gaze scanned her from her waist to her face.
“I fell asleep.” His voice drowsy, he tipped the corner of his mouth.
“Yes.” She smiled slightly and nodded. “You’re exhausted. You should’ve gone to bed after dinner.”
“No.” He scooted forward making her step back. He looked up at her and laughed dryly. “I wanted to watch the movie, which I didn’t do because I fell asleep.”
“We can watch it another night,” she said, though she didn’t know when.
Tomorrow, the roads would be cleared, and she and the children would leave the cabin. As soon as she could, she’d grocery shop and refill his refrigerator, kitchen cabinets and pantry. She and her children had eaten him out of house and home.
She looked into his deep blue eyes. She wanted to fall into those mesmerizing depths. She remembered when she met him fourteen years ago, she had thought he had beautiful eyes, but her mind had been elsewhere. She looked forward to the school year when she’d study abroad. After graduation, she’d attend college. She had big plans. A small-town cowboy didn’t fit into them, which made her sad. He was a nice guy, but she could never marry a cowboy. They’d never fit into each other’s worlds.
A prelaw student didn’t fit into her life either. Neither did an unplanned pregnancy. The day she told Chad was like the beginning of a bad dream. Her eyes filling, she sat next to Chad on his dilapidated sofa and told him she was pregnant. She’d been shocked when he offered to marry her.
Her parents asked her to reconsider—they would help her.
Their supporting her wouldn’t help—it would make her dependent. What example would that be for her baby? She never cared about the money. She would succeed as her parents had—on her own.
After Chad became partner at the law firm, her parents wrote her out of their will. When Chad learned she would inherit nothing, he said nothing, but their distant relationship widened like a crack in the earth. Their marriage crumbled around them. The wrench in her stomach made her physically ill.
“What are you thinking?” Aaron’s voice was a tender touch across her scarred heart.
“That you need to go to bed.” She smiled. She knew she was a bad liar. She tried to look into his eyes, but it was too hard after she had made something up. In his eyes flashed the understanding that she didn’t trust him enough to tell him the truth.
He may not know her thoughts, but he’d figure them out. He was smart, intuitive, and caring.
Her throat closed up tight. She didn’t want him to ever know the anguish that tormented her when the chaos of the day became silent.
He rose, his strongly built form towering over her. He looked into her eyes as if giving her one last chance to share the nightmare that would never go away.
“All right,” he said at last. “Good night, Belle.”
The intensity in his eyes shot warmth and something else across her nerve endings. More than anything she wanted him to kiss her. The prickling on the back of her neck made her drop her gaze.
“Good night,” she whispered.
“Are you going to bed?” The earnestness in his voice made her look up.
“In a few minutes,” she said.
His mouth in a straight line, he nodded, then moved up the stairs.
When she heard him walk down the gallery, she leaned back into the sofa.
Walking away from the man she’d known had cared for her was the gift she’d abandoned for the false trinkets the world offered.
Oh, Lord, forgive me. Please bless Aaron. Keep him safe. He’s going to risk his life as he and others work to make sure this community is safe. Keep Your hand on each member of the crew.
Her eyes closed. She feared for Aaron and the others who risked their lives to help those in need.
God wasn’t a god of fear. The reminder filled her with warmth. He was the God of mercy, grace and forgiveness. She prayed God would take away the guilt that throbbed in her chest. In His powerful love, He’d help her move forward with her life. He had a plan. She would trust in Him.