by Rachel Hanna
“So this is your house?” Tyler asked.
“Yes. I own this whole campground where everybody parks their campers just like your mommy did. Everybody likes to come here and visit me at my campground.”
Tyler stared at him for a moment and then hung his head. “We didn't want to come here, but we had to.”
Aaron sat in stunned silence for just a moment. Was this boy trying to open up to him? He wasn’t sure how much he should ask or say. After all, this wasn’t his kid. It wasn’t his place to intervene when it came to a child.
“You didn't want to come to my campground?”
“No. I wanted to stay at my house. All of my toys are there. But, my daddy did some mean things and we had to run away.”
It tore Aaron’s heart out to hear the little boy talk about something so huge and emotional. He was only three years old, yet he’d probably seen more in his little life than Aaron could imagine.
“You know what? You don't have to be scared anymore, Tyler. You see, I am a new friend of your Mommy’s and I'm going to make sure that she's safe and you are too.”
Tyler allowed a big grin to stretch on his face, and it made Aaron feel good that the little boy was more comfortable. At the same time, he hoped that he could keep his promise and make sure that they were safe. Before he could say anything else, Tessa returned with some extra clothing and was ready to go to the beach.
Chapter 5
As they drove out to Kyle's beach house, they didn't get a lot of chances to talk. Tyler was excited and talkative all the way to Kyle's house. He pointed out everything along the way and asked what seemed like one million questions as any three year old would do.
Tessa seemed relaxed, which was a nice change of pace from the way that Aaron had seen her previously. She seemed to be settling in, but he knew that she was always on the lookout for whatever was chasing her. He wasn't sure if some person - likely her ex as Tyler alluded to - was actually going to come after her or if it was all in her mind, but he could tell she was truly scared. He wished that he could take that away from her somehow, but he knew he couldn't. Nothing he could say or do now would erase whatever had happened in her past.
A few minutes later, they pulled up at Kyle's house. Tyler bounded out the car like nothing ever happened to him and he didn't have a huge lump on his head. They carried all of their gear around the house and onto the private beach. As expected, no one else was there. The beautiful sand and blue waters always calmed Aaron, and he could tell that Tessa was taking it all in. She stopped for a moment and took in a deep breath. She'd worn a beach hat along with a long white flowing dress. She looked the perfect picture of a woman standing on the beach contemplating her life.
They started to walk closer to the water as Tyler ran toward it and started dipping his toes into the cold liquid.
“Be careful, Tyler! Don't go any further into the water until we get down there!” Tessa yelled. Tyler sat down and allowed the waves to roll over his tiny legs. Splashing around, he seemed to be oblivious to all the fear that his mother had.
“So what do you think?” Aaron asked as he sat their things down on the fluffy sand.
“This is beautiful. Your brother obviously has a very nice house. I love that big rock over there.”
“Yeah. That rock actually has a lot of meaning to Kyle and his girlfriend, Jenna. They were high school sweethearts until they got separated for several years, and Jenna got married. It's a long story, but let's just say that they had many romantic interludes on that big rock. I would bet money on Kyle either proposing or marrying Jenna right on that spot.” Aaron smiled.
“That sounds very romantic. I wouldn't know what that was like,” Tessa said with a sad, far away look in her eyes.
“Why don't we focus on happier things? Let's make some new memories here on the beach for Tyler. I'm sure he's going to have some nightmares about what happened to him yesterday,” Aaron said with a laugh.
“Probably not. He's a pretty resilient kid. Of course, I might have some very bad memories about yesterday,” she said laughing. “He scared me to death. If you hadn't been there…”
“I thought we decided not to talk about anything stressful. Now, let's put some sunscreen on the kid and start having some fun!” Aaron said as he ran down toward the shore. Tessa followed him and lathered her son up with lots of sunscreen.
The next hour was spent frolicking and having a good time on the beach. Tessa seemed like a different person, laughing and giggling like she was a young child herself. Aaron was so happy to see that, but he was especially happy to see her let go of the fear for a little while. She knew she was safe with him on that private beach, and he hoped that he could give her that feeling of safety more often.
What was he thinking? He’d only just met this woman hours ago, but he was protecting her like she meant something to him. The realization hit his brain quickly – maybe she did mean something to him. Aside from her stunning good looks and great personality, he felt an enormous attraction to her that he didn't expect. This wasn't just about being a Southern gentleman or chivalrous. Instead, this was about protecting someone he’d grown to care about in just the last few hours. How was that even possible?
He thought it was crazy at first, but then he realized he’d been with Natalie for years and didn't know her any better when they broke up than he did in the beginning. That much was obvious when he realized that she cared little for him and could cheat so easily. Why couldn't he fall in love with somebody so quickly? Wait a minute, love? What was he thinking?
“Are you about ready to get some lunch?” Tessa asked around noon.
“Oh, sure. We could go grab something at the diner.” Tessa’s face went white, and for the first time that afternoon he saw the fear return.
“Aaron, I can't. It's too risky,” she whispered.
“You can't go to a small-town diner? Are you sure?”
“Positive. I know he's looking for me, and I can't take any unnecessary chances. You've done so much for us already. Just take me back to the camper and I'll make something for Tyler and me…”
“You have got to be kidding me. You guys are not going to go eat lunch in that tiny, hot camper.”
“I don't understand you. Why are you doing all of this for me? I mean, come on, you just met me hours ago. It's not like I'm your girlfriend or your wife or your sister. I’m not even a close friend. You have no reason to go out of your way to protect me.” Her tone wasn’t one of anger or irritation. It was more like she was completely confused by his actions.
“How about I just say that my mom raised me to be a good man. Isn't that enough?”
“Your mom must've raised you to be a great man. You're not the typical guy, trust me.”
“Don't worry, you'll see my flaws soon enough. I told you, I want to be your friend. I'd like to be able to redeem the male species for you.” He winked at her which almost drew a smile from her face, but not quite.
“Well, I'm not sure you'll ever be able to do that but I'm willing to give it a try. I just don't want you to threaten your business or your life hanging around with the likes of me.” She hung her head, much like Tyler did at the kitchen table, and it made Aaron cringe inside.
“Hey,” he said putting his finger under her chin and making her look at him. She jumped just a little bit, but he was careful to be gentle and not too forward with her. “I may have only known you for a few hours, but I'm a good judge of character. You're a good person, Tessa, and I'm not in the habit of allowing good people to be bullied by anyone. You don't have to be my wife, girlfriend or sister for me to want to protect you. Someone should've protected you a long time ago.”
He wasn't sure, but he thought he saw tears welling up in her eyes. She turned her head quickly to look at Tyler who was still splashing around in the waves. The last thing he wanted to do was make her cry. Crying women always confused and unnerved him.
“How about that lunch now?” she asked again. “Maybe if I keep m
y beach hat on, I won't be seen as easily.”
“This might be a stupid question, but wouldn't the man that you're talking about recognize your son? I mean, if we’re out in public and Tyler is with us, won't he know who you are?”
Tessa looked stunned for a moment and then shook her head. “See? I'm not even thinking logically anymore. We can't go out with Tyler or it'll be very obvious that it's me. I feel so trapped.” She put her hands over her face and growled.
“What you can't do is stay in the house all the time. We've got to do something. It seems to me that waiting for this mystery man to make his move is the wrong way to go. What we need to do is figure out a way to protect you for the long-term without you having to look over your shoulder all the time. We either need to do it legally or illegally, but I prefer legally.”
Tessa's mouth dropped open. “What are you saying? You want us to do something illegal?”
“No. That wouldn't be my first choice, but you can't go through the rest of your life being scared all the time, Tessa. I know you don't want to tell me what happened, but you’ve got to tell somebody eventually. You've got to take care of this long term. You can't keep you and Tyler and a dog cooped up in that old, crappy camper with no air conditioning. Don't take this the wrong way, but part of your job as his mother is to make sure that he has the best future possible, right?”
“Of course.”
“Then we have to take some proactive measures to make sure that happens. That kid has probably already had plenty of fear instilled in him in his first three years of life. I hate to see you going around being scared and pushing that anxiety off on him. He needs a stable, normal life.” As soon as he’d said it, Aaron regretted it. Making her feel guilty hadn’t been his intent at all.
“Don’t you think I know that?” Tessa was obviously getting angry. “When I ran off from my ex, the first thing I considered was giving my son up for adoption. Isn't that crazy? I love him more than life itself. I would protect him, and I did protect him, with my own life. I was so willing to give him up to someone else just so he would have the opportunity at a normal life. I even drove to an adoption facility and made an appointment with someone. When I went to meet with the person, I chickened out right there in the parking lot. I sat there in that ratty camper with my son playing with his blocks in the back and decided I couldn't go through with it. Maybe that was selfish of me.”
“No, Tessa. That wasn't selfish. You're his mother. He should be with you. You've got to let me help. You already know you can trust me, right?” He leaned down and looked into her eyes.
She looked at him for a moment as if she was considering the question and then allowed a small smile to escape her face. “Of course I do. I didn't know if I did at first, but I'm absolutely sure I can trust you now.”
“Then you have to tell me. It might seem like I'm some kind of small-town Joe, but trust me when I tell you that I have connections that can help us figure out what to do next. I'm not talking about the mafia or anything crazy like that, but I do know people who can help us deal with this legally the right way. But I can't deal with the unknown. I need to know the full story.”
“It's so hard to relive it, Aaron. I don't know if I can do it.”
“You said it yourself. You'll do anything for Tyler, and you have to do this for him.”
She nodded, looked at Tyler playing on the beach and then looked back at him. “Okay, I'll tell you the whole story. But first, we’ve got to get somewhere alone. I don't want him to have to remember all of that.”
“Okay. If you trust me, then would you trust my mother?”
“What do you mean?”
“My mother raised five kids by herself, and she would love to have Tyler over for a few hours while you and I go somewhere to talk.” Tessa took a deep breath as if this was another scary moment in her life and finally nodded her head.
“If you trust her, and I know you do, then I trust her.”
Tessa couldn't believe that she had agreed to allow Aaron’s mother to watch Tyler for a few hours. Never in her wildest dreams a few days ago would she have believed that she’d go along with something like that. But, for whatever reason, she had grown to trust Aaron immensely in the short time that she'd known him.
She figured that anyone who raised a man like him must be a great person. In all reality, she was kind of interested in meeting this Adele Parker and finding out more about her. She hoped that she could be a mother as good as Mrs. Parker was.
Lately, though, she wasn't so sure. She knew that she made the right decision getting herself and Tyler out of the situation with her ex, but she wasn't sure what she was going to do from now on. She really hadn't thought the plan out in advance, just jumping and running as soon as she had the chance. Sure, she’d saved her money, but she hadn't been sure exactly when she’d be able to leave.
And now she had to tell Aaron the whole story. It was going to be one of the most difficult things she’d done because she would have to relive it all over again. She knew that she couldn't ever get it out of her mind or forget what happened, but she was hoping to be able to move forward without ever having to speak of it.
After finishing lunch that they picked up in a drive through , Aaron headed toward his mother's house. He called her from the beach to make sure that it was okay to bring Tyler by, and Tessa hoped that Tyler would go along with the plan. He was usually pretty good at welcoming new people. He never really had grandparents, so he hadn’t been around older people. Of course, Tessa wasn't sure how old Adele was, but she was certainly older than anyone Tyler had probably ever met before.
The fact that their lives had been so sheltered didn't help when it came to teaching Tyler about the world. He was almost like a blank canvas having never really been out and around a lot of other children and people. The thought of it made her sad inside because she didn't grow up that way. She had friends and relatives and lots of fun times, but Tyler hadn't experienced any of that. His life had been closed off from the moment he was born and Tessa was determined to make sure that the rest of his life was an open book full of friends and family and love and new experiences. But Aaron was right. She couldn't give him that kind of life if she was always on the run.
"Everything okay over there?" Aaron asked as they drove down Main Street toward his mother's house. She’d been awfully quiet since they left the beach, full of thought and full of angst. She wanted to tell him everything, but she wanted to say nothing. It was an internal fight that she was having with herself that could never be solved. One side of her was going to get hurt today no matter what. He’d taken her to a small, out of the way sandwich shop and gotten take out so that they could eat it in the car. She felt like a first class loser.
"Yeah. I'm just tired and full. Lunch was great." She knew that he wasn't going to believe that everything was okay, but he also knew that Tyler was in the backseat listening to every word they said. For a three year old, he was very smart and able to pick up on all kinds of emotional nuances.
"We're almost there. My mom lives just down here on the corner. She's very well-known in town, and I know she's going to love you and Tyler. She loves little kids, and it’s been awhile since she’s had some around. Of course, she wants grandchildren as soon as possible, but my brother Kyle has given her one already by getting back together with Jenna."
"I'm sure she does love children if she raised five kids alone."
"Well, she didn't do that on purpose. When my father died, she was left to take care of everything by herself. She started in real estate under another company and supported us all those years on one hundred percent commission. When she started her company, she finally got some financial stability but we were older by then."
"Well, I admire her already for a couple of reasons."
"You do?"
"Yes. For one thing, she took care of the five of you on her own. For another, she raised a good man in you." Aaron smiled and winked at her before returning his eyes to the ro
ad.
As they came around the last corner, Tessa could see Adele's house. She started to get nervous in the pit of her stomach, but she knew this was something she had to do. It was amazing the turn that her life had taken just in the last few days. Meeting Aaron had been a wonderful thing for her and Tyler, but the thought of opening up to him was starting to sound like it might be too much. At the same time, she knew that she had to or else Tyler's life would be forever ruined. He’d be stuck in the same shell he was stuck in when she lived with her ex.
"Here we are."
"Wow! This is a big house!" Tyler exclaimed.
"Well, it kind of had to be because I have three brothers and one sister."
"I wish I had a brother or sister. It gets lonely being the only kid in our family."
"You never know, you might have a brother or sister one day. Until then, you have to keep your mommy entertained all by yourself." Aaron winked at Tyler and pulled the car into the driveway.
Tessa sat still, saying nothing and staring straight ahead.
"Ready?"
"I think so." She turned and looked at him, and as if sensing her anxiety, he reached over and squeezed her hand once before opening his door and stepping out. He walked around and opened her door, a chivalrous, Southern gentleman move that she had never experienced before first hand. She’d seen it in movies and heard about it, but no man had ever walked around and opened up her door before today. She slowly stood up and stared at him closely, face-to-face.
For a moment, she could feel butterflies in her stomach and heat rising through her core, but she assumed that it must just be extra adrenaline or leftover anxiety about meeting his mother. That's what she wanted to tell herself, but her heart and mind said differently.
"Thanks."
"For what?" he said in a whisper.
