Summer's End (Wildflowers Book 5)

by Jill Sanders

  “I’ve got to go.” He stood over her, pulling on his shirt.

  “Go.” She waved him away playfully. “I’m going to nap for half an hour then head up myself.”

  Instead of going, Aiden sat beside her and reached out to run a finger up the outside of her thigh. “I’m looking forward to tonight,” he said softly. Just the sound of his voice had her melting.

  “I am as well,” she agreed. She melted further when he leaned in and laid his lips gently over hers.

  “Until then,” he said softly before leaving her to relax in the sun. The only problem was, that kiss had done so much to her that she no longer was tired or relaxed. She was too wound up to lie back.

  Pulling out her phone, she figured she would entertain herself with social media and the news for a while. It had been so long since she’d had time to just browse online. Half the time, she forgot her phone could even do anything other than remind her which classes she was supposed to be teaching or what events were coming up.

  She had spent less than five minutes scrolling through her emails before seeing one from Terry. Over the years she’d heard from him a handful of times. Each time she’d block his email, but he always seemed to surface. She knew that after that day, long ago, Terry had been fired from the company. It was a little shocking to see his name in her inbox again, but she figured she’d laugh at his next attempt. Instead, the simple image of an old article shocked her to the core.

  It was image of her, back when she was eight-year-old. She was clutching the small bag with nothing more than a pair of Cinderella pajamas and a stuffed dog that was missing one of its eyes, which her mother had given her on her first birthday.

  “Billionaire Harold Smith wins custody of his daughter, shortly after the girl’s mother, Nora Murphy, committed suicide. Murphy, an exotic dancer at the time, was found dead from suicide with ten pounds of cocaine on her person. The suspected drug use had sparked the legal battle over the child in the first place.”

  Aubrey sat up and shielded her eyes. Ten pounds of coke? She frowned down at the screen. That wasn’t right.

  Chapter 10

  Aiden knocked on Aubrey’s door at exactly seven o’clock that evening. He was sore, tired, and starving. But most importantly, he couldn’t wait to see Aubrey again.

  When she opened the door, he frowned down at her red eyes and the fact that she was still wearing shorts and a tank top over the swimsuit she’d been wearing hours before at the pool.

  “Is everything okay?” he asked, rushing to her side.

  “I think my father had my mother killed,” she said and threw herself into his arms.

  “What?” He tensed but held onto her.

  She leaned back and motioned to a laptop sitting on the coffee table. “He killed her,” she said, wiping her eyes.

  He dropped his hold on her and moved over to the computer. There on the screen was an old article about a woman named Nora Murphy.

  “My mother,” she supplied as he sat down at the laptop. He glanced down at the grainy black-and-white photo of a woman. Instantly, he was shocked at the similarity between mother and daughter. All except the eyes. He could tell instantly that her mother had brown eyes instead of Aubrey’s haunting crystal blue ones.

  He scanned the article quickly, which stated that her mother had committed suicide. It went on to claim that, because of all the drugs the police had found with her, they had assumed she was the leader of a local drug ring that had been haunting the area for over a year. They didn’t suspect foul play.

  “What makes you think your father had your mother killed? The article—”

  “We’d only just moved into that apartment,” she broke in. “Before that, we’d lived across the state at my grandmother’s place. After she died, we had to move. My mother didn’t know anyone in town yet. She was out looking for jobs each day, sometimes taking me along…” She shook her head. “I’d have to wait in the car, since she was trying to get jobs at bars, but… she didn’t do drugs, let alone sell them. We barely had enough money to buy lunch, let alone all that coke.” She took a deep breath. “How would she have gotten it?” She closed her eyes and a tear slipped down her cheek.

  He picked up her hand and then pulled her into his arms and held onto her.

  “We’ll figure this out,” he promised her, his eyes going to the screen again. “Why don’t you head in and change while I do a little research?”

  She sniffled and shook her head. “I don’t think…”

  “Hey.” He pulled back and smiled down at her. “You still need to eat.”

  “Right.” She sighed. “I just don’t think I’m up for much.”

  “Then we won’t do much.” He smiled. “Go put on something besides your camp clothes.”

  She glanced down at the T-shirt with the camp logo and her shorts. “Okay.” She stood up, her eyes returning to the screen. “I never believed my mother killed herself.” Her eyes moved to lock with his. “Never. But until now, I’ve never looked into her death. I should have,” she said softly and turned to walk down the hallway.

  For the next half hour, he ignored his hunger and aches and searched the internet. He emailed himself a couple links to articles about the incident and about Harold Smith.

  The man had enough resources to hire someone to take care of the woman he’d been in a nasty custody battle with for Aubrey. It did seem strange that it wasn’t until just before Nora’s death that he had gained custody of Aubrey.

  Of course, the man had repeated in several interviews that he would have won custody anyway since Nora had been jobless, penniless, and a druggy. But Aiden hadn’t found any evidence of the last part. What he needed was someone who could research the woman’s criminal record. If she had one.

  He shot an email off to Brett Jewel, a local officer and Aiden’s best friend since grade school, asking him if he could find anything on Aubrey’s mother. He’d just hit send when Aubrey walked out of the back room dressed in cream-colored capris and a soft blue flowing tank top.

  She’d showered and had left her long red hair down, flowing around her face, which she’d left clear of product. She’d never looked as lovely as she did now.

  “Are you doing okay?” he asked, standing up and walking over to her.

  She nodded. “Did you find anything?”

  “Come on, let’s head into town and grab some burgers. I’m starving. I’ll fill you in on the way.” He grabbed one of her rain jackets as they headed out.

  By the time they parked at the burger joint, he’d told her everything, including the email he’d sent off to Brett.

  “Do you think it’s wise including him?” Aubrey asked. “I mean, he seemed nice and all when he dealt with the whole Ryan fiasco, but…”

  He shut off the truck engine and turned to her. “He’s been my best friend since grade school,” he informed her.

  “He has?”

  He chuckled. “Yeah, something you might have learned if we’d agreed to be… more.” His eyes moved to her lips and he sighed. “Not that I didn’t like our arrangement, but…”

  He watched her eyes turn weary and knew that he’d pushed his luck.

  “Come on, I skipped lunch. I’m starved.” He rushed out in the light rain and reached her door just as she opened it. He helped her out of the truck and pulled her close as they walked through the front door of Bubba’s. The place had been around long before Aiden had been eating solid food. The old building had at one point been remodeled to be filled with decorations from the fifties. Walking inside the double doors was like stepping into the past.

  “This place is why we have fifties nights at the camp.” Aubrey smiled as she glanced around. “Come on, there’s a booth near the back.” She started to tug him towards the dark corner, but he pulled her to the bright booth right out front.

  “Let’s sit here,” he suggested, challenging her as he motioned to the table. “We are, after all, done hiding.”

  He almost chuckled, seeing the
spark of fire behind her eyes, but then she sighed and nodded. She tried to sit opposite him, but he easily glided into the booth next to her instead.

  “Isn’t this cozy?” he asked as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

  She may be preoccupied with her mother’s death and the new information she’d come across, but he had plans for that night and wasn’t going to be detoured.

  He’d invited her out in hopes of getting her comfortable being seen with him. He wanted to prove to her that there was a huge difference between what they’d been over the past three years and what they could be. Being seen together, eating dinner together, going out in public wasn’t the big step, but it was at least forward motion.

  “Comfortable?” she asked, glaring over at him.

  “Yes.” He smiled and pulled her into the crook of his arm as Carrie, a girl he’d gone to school with, strolled up to the booth with a smile on.

  “Hey, Aiden.” Carrie’s eyes moved to Aubrey and her smile grew. “Hi, Aubrey. Gosh, I didn’t know you two were an item.”

  “We aren’t,” Aubrey said as Aiden answered, “Going on three years now.” He chuckled when Aubrey’s elbow connected with his ribs. “How about you grab us a bottle of wine?” he said easily to Carrie.

  “Sure thing.” She turned to Aubrey. “Your favorite?”

  “Yes, thanks,” Aubrey answered with a smile.

  When Carrie had disappeared, Aubrey turned to him. “You did this on purpose,” she hissed.

  His eyebrows shot up and his smile grew. “I tend to do everything on purpose.”

  He chuckled when she elbowed him again.

  “You know what I mean.” She sighed. “I was hoping for a quiet evening.”

  “And we’ll have one,” he assured her. He leaned over and used his fingertips to pull her face towards his. “Together,” he said softly just before he kissed her.

  He kept the kiss light but didn’t pull away until he felt her entire body relax against his.

  “I hate you,” she said with a sigh as she rested her head against his shoulder.

  He chuckled. “That’s the opposite of what I’d hope to hear from you, but I’ll take it. Just as long as you let me continue holding you like this.”

  “I don’t think I could pull away at this point,” she admitted. “You’ve sunk me with my friends.”

  He frowned as he held onto her. “What does that mean?”

  She glanced up at him. “It’s like I feared. Now that my sisters know about us, they’re constantly asking about us.”

  “And that’s a bad thing?”

  She shrugged and watched as Carrie delivered their wine and poured them each a glass.

  “Have you two decided what you want to order?” she asked them.

  He’d felt Aubrey tense when he wouldn’t release her, but then she reached for her wine and took a drink.

  “Burgers.” He glanced at Aubrey and when she nodded, he held up his fingers. “Two of them, both with fries. Medium well done.” He added, “Oh, mine with cheese, hers without, and no onions.”

  “Okay,” Aubrey said with a sigh. “I suppose we’ve eaten together enough that you know how I like things.”

  He pulled her close again as he sipped his wine. “And the same could be said in reverse.” He tapped his glass to hers. “Three years.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “Three years?”

  He laughed. “Tonight. I even brought you something.” He snapped his fingers. “I almost forgot.” He set down his glass and pulled the small box from his jacket pocket.

  “Tonight?” She frowned then her eyes grew huge when he set the small box in front of her.

  “Relax,” he said softly. “It’s not a ring.”

  He saw her visibly relax. She turned to him, ignoring the box. “You’re saying it’s been three years… today?”

  “Yes, three years ago, today, I watched you and Elle walk into cabin one. I showed you how to remove the old pink tiles, then kissed you for the first time, and later”—his eyes moved to her lips—“we enjoyed a swim under the stars, and you came back with me to my place.” He sighed. “Three years.” He lifted the box towards her. “Open this. Please,” he added softly.

  She swallowed, then reached for the box with shaky hands.

  When she opened it and exposed the simple diamond heart dangling from the silver chain, her eyes turned soft.

  Reaching in, he removed the necklace and helped her place it around her neck. The heart landed where he’d known it would. Just over her own heart.

  She was looking down at it, and he could see happiness in her eyes.

  “It’s perfect.” She smiled up at him.

  “Since you won’t let me give you my heart…” He ran a fingertip over the diamond. “You’ll have to settle for carrying this around instead.”

  Chapter 11

  She couldn’t breathe. Feeling the cool stone against her skin reminded her of what Aiden had told her. What he’d meant by giving her a diamond in the shape of a heart.

  Whether she wanted it or not, she had his heart. One way or another, he’d found a way to get past her defenses.

  It was almost impossible to defend herself against his attacks. What was she supposed to do with a man who, in the past three years, had filled her every sexual desire, then in the past few weeks shown her nothing but kindness and patience while she tried to run in the opposite direction?

  Watching Aiden leave her at her apartment door the other night had been pure torture. Not only had she not been sexually fulfilled in the past six months, but now he was messing with her, making her even more frustrated than before.

  She was about to burst and could only imagine he was feeling the same. But then how had he easily walked away from her after kissing her blind at her door?

  She was growing more agitated with work. It wasn’t as if she didn’t love her job; but having so much pent-up sexual desire was making her daily life hell. Especially since she ran into Aiden almost every other hour. It was as if he was going out of his way to bump into her.

  It was three nights after their three-year anniversary dinner, the date of which she’d marked down in her phone so he wouldn’t be able to surprise her again with it. And once again, she was running late to dinner and had yet to change into her fancy costume for that evening’s festivities. Tonight’s theme was carnival, which meant she had a skimpy outfit with loads of feathers she needed to put on. Thankfully, she could pull her long hair up into a tight bun since the headpiece covered most of her hair. Still, she had her makeup, which would take her some time to pile on.

  She was so preoccupied with what she needed to do that she didn’t see the dark figure on the pathway until it was too late. She bumped into him and almost toppled the man over.

  “Woah.” Someone gripped her shoulders to steady them both.

  She realized she’d been rushing down the dark pathway from the docks to the main building without so much as watching where she was going.

  “Sorry,” she immediately apologized.

  “It’s okay.” The tall thin man smiled down at her.

  She narrowed her eyes, trying to remember if she knew the man or what the man’s name was but came up with a blank. Was he even a guest?

  “Are you running from someone?” he asked, glancing behind her as if someone had been chasing her.

  “No, I’m just late.” She motioned towards the dining hall where even now guests were gathering for dinner.

  She’d had a group of kayakers out on the bay and had lost track of time, making them all late for dinner. The guests that had just finished with the tour had opted for private dinners in their cabins, while she raced to change before she was due to help out in the dining hall.

  “Aubrey Smith?” the man asked as he ran his eyes up and down her. Her entire body went on guard. After all, they were alone on a dimly lit pathway and he was, even though very skinny, taller and probably stronger than she was. Even with all her years of training, she knew
better than to misjudge a person by their appearance.

  “Yes,” she tensed. Knowing that most men didn’t see someone like her as a threat, she readied her body for a fight, just in case. “And you are?” she asked.

  The man chuckled, then shook his head. “Not a guest.”

  “Oh?” She shifted her feet slightly and prepared as she reached for her walkie-talkie.

  “No,” he sighed. “I’m here because of your father.” He held out a folder. It was then that she noticed the man wasn’t wearing the normal guest’s attire. Instead, he wore a very rich dark suit and tie, which she should have recognized right off since it was middle of the fall season in Florida. The evenings had cooled off, but still, tonight was muggy. The man looked uncomfortable enough that she relaxed and took the folder from his hand.

  “This is?” she asked not wanting to open it since she figured it would prolong the disaster her father was trying to inflict. She thought she knew what awaited her inside the pages. Another attempt for him to control her.

  “Legal papers.” The man shook his head. “I’ve known your father my entire life. Imagine my surprise when he told me about you. Hell, if I had known he had a daughter...” He shook his head, then stopped and looked her square in the eyes. “You look so much like him that I recognize the fight in you.” He sighed as he turned around to go, but then he threw over his shoulder. “You would’ve kicked my ass, by the way.” He chuckled and walked away.

  She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths as she calmed herself down. Her body almost vibrated with the need for release at this point. She either needed to kick someone’s butt or screw them senseless. And, at this point, she knew the only person she was thinking of doing either to was Aiden.

  “If you hadn’t, I would have,” a deep voice said from the darkness behind her, causing her to squeal and almost drop the folder.

  Aiden stepped into the soft glow of the pathway light.

  “Sorry,” he said as his eyes followed the man in the suit before turning towards her. “So, do you want to see what your dad’s goon delivered this time?”