“Can I call you tomorrow night?” he asked.
She nodded. He hugged and kissed her again and got into his truck. Teagan stood there as he drove away, not moving until he disappeared around the corner.
And she missed him. More than she ever had.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Teagan awakened, immediately checking her phone.
AS: I’m home. Call you tonight.
She let out a sigh of relief. All night long she kept waking up and checking the time, hoping Aaron had gotten home safely. She knew he was capable of making the long drive, that he enjoyed driving and would do whatever it took to ensure he remained awake. But she worried nonetheless, praying nothing would happen to him. Not now. Not when they finally got their second chance.
She shook her head, realizing how much fear had run her life. When Aaron invited her to stay at his house for the first time, she feared he would disappoint her. When Aaron drove from Colorado Springs to see her, she kept him at arm’s length, fearing he would hurt her. When he returned from training and told her the awful news, she’d fled, fearing the truth. And when he came back into her life, she’d fled once more, afraid of getting hurt again. In none of those cases was her fear justified.
After getting ready for work, Teagan headed downtown for her first class. That day, she met her new batch of students and looked forward to Aaron’s call. She didn’t worry about him not calling. If he didn’t, he would have a damned good reason. But that evening, Aaron called.
“Good evening, Major,” she said.
“Hey.” It was a tired hey, but a happy one. “How are you?”
“Happy to hear your voice. Are you exhausted?”
“Yeah. But the drive was good. No bad weather, and it gave me plenty of time to think.”
About good things, she hoped. “How did the meeting go?”
“Good. The General seemed happy with everything, and that’s always a good thing.” He paused. “I hung my new Captain America poster in my office. He commented on it, and asked me where I got it. Turns out he’s a big fan.”
“Really?” she said excitedly. “That’s so cool!”
“I told him about you. That you write science fiction and lured me to comic con, and now your nerdy ways have rubbed off on me. He laughed at that.”
“Oh, so you scored points with the Big Boss! Because of me.”
Aaron chuckled at that. “Well, that’s only one way you’ve made me a better man.” Teagan’s heart melted and tears came to her eyes. But before she could respond, Aaron went on. “Hey, I’ve been thinking. I want to see you, if you’re up for it.”
“I’d like that.”
“I can come up in a couple of weeks, if that’s okay. For the weekend.”
She checked her calendar. “I’m free that weekend.” But then she had a darker thought. “Aaron, I have a question. A hard one.”
“What’s that?”
“Your divorce. When does it finalize?”
“Oh, right. I’ll have to check the paperwork. It’s sometime in March. Is that okay? I promise you, she and I are done—”
“I know. I believe you. But… I know it sounds old-fashioned… but I think we should take it slow. Until it’s finalized.”
“Okay… do you still want me to come up there?”
“I do. But… I need you to stay in my spare bedroom.” She bit her lip, amazed at how hard it was to ask for that one concession.
“I can do that,” he said, as if it were nothing.
Relief fell over her. “Thank you. I know it’s silly—”
“It’s not silly.” He paused. “I’ll check the flights and shoot you an email.”
“Sounds good.”
They talked a little longer, until Teagan ordered him to go to bed. The next day, when she checked her email, she had a Facebook friend request from Aaron. She smiled and accepted it. When she went to send him a sweet message, she saw that he’d posted a pic of his office, with his Captain America poster, on her timeline.
Teagan’s phone beeped. A text message. It could be Diana, or Aaron. She grabbed her phone from her desk.
An unfamiliar number. But she recognized the 520 area code, same as Aaron’s. Did Aaron have a phone he used for work? She opened the message.
I know you’ve been calling Aaron. But he’s not yours to call. Just because we’re separated again doesn’t mean we’re over. We just talked and we’re still working on the marriage. He’s a good guy and doesn’t want to hurt you, but we still love each other. I know you care for him, but please respect the marriage and back off.
Teagan’s throat tightened. Aaron’s ex-wife. Texting her. She stared at the message, reading it again and again, any excitement she’d felt about Aaron’s upcoming visit draining away.
They’d talked? Had the ex called him again and asked him for another try? Was he again reconsidering out of a sense of duty? Or, worse, did a part of him still miss her? If Aaron believed they were finally over, why didn’t she? Dread came over her. Why was this happening?
Teagan sat down, tears in her eyes as she watched her newly budding hopes dissolve. She called Diana and read the text to her.
“What the hell?” Diana said. “I thought he said it was done!”
“He did!”
“What did Aaron say?”
“I haven’t talked to him.”
“Why not?”
“Because I’m afraid of the answer. They’re in contact. You said yourself that he lied.”
“I said no such thing, Teagan. I said I thought he’d said it was done.”
“Why would she text me if that were true?”
Diana sighed. “Teagan, listen to yourself! You’re getting all freaked out over something without even finding out his side. What has gotten into you? It’s like you don’t trust anyone now.”
Teagan let out a giant sigh. “I just… I’ve been kicked hard a couple times now. I guess it’s going to take a while to let go of that fear.”
“I don’t think that’s all it is.”
“Oh, please don’t tell me I have daddy issues.”
“It’s more than that. It’s like you still see yourself as that nerdy kid whose parents never loved her for who she was. And you pick guys like Shawn, who don’t love you for who you are and reinforce that belief. Except for Aaron, who from what I can tell loves everything about you, but you keep waiting for him to reject you.”
“Well, in my defense, he did reject me—”
“No, sweetie. He didn’t. He walked away from what he wanted in order to honor a promise he’d made. That’s not the same and you know it. You remember what Stovi said about Aaron—that he does the right thing, even if it’s not what he wants.”
Teagan stared down at her hardwood floors. Diana was right. And she was doing it again. She was letting fear run her life. Even if the worst was true, it was better to hear it from Aaron.
“I’m not trying to hurt you, Teagan. But if your psychologist friend can’t tell you the hard truth, who can?”
“You’re right, D. I just… I never thought of it that way before.”
“Of course I’m right. They don’t give PhDs to just anyone, you know.” Teagan laughed at that. “Now, I want you to hang up the phone and call Aaron. Right now.”
“Yes, Doctor Fiorelli.”
Teagan took a deep breath and called Aaron. When it went straight to voicemail, her heart sank. He was talking to his ex… his wife. But she made herself leave a message, telling him what happened, reading the text message word-for-word, and asking him to call her. A while later, her phone rang.
“Hey,” Aaron said. It was a worried hey, with a tinge of anger.
“Hey.”
“Are you okay?”
“No.”
“Teagan, it’s not true. What she said.”
“What isn’t?”
“We aren’t getting back together or working through anything. I don’t know why she said that.”
“Have you bee
n talking to her?”
“She called this morning. She was having doubts about the split. I don’t get it, but I tried to be nice…”
“Did you lead her on?”
“No. I’m done, and she knows it. She’s done too. She’s just… I don’t know. She’s doing the same thing she did last time.”
“How much did you tell her about us?”
“I didn’t. We admitted we’d been seeing people but we never got specific. And I didn’t think it was any of her business. To be honest, I don’t know how she found out about you.”
“Your subordinates. They saw us hiking that time. Maybe word got back to her…”
A few moments of silence. “That’s it. I never hiked with the other women I dated. God damn it, she must have searched my phone and gotten your number.”
Teagan gasped. His ex went through his phone! And finally, she saw the truth. Aaron’s ex didn’t want him; she just didn’t want another woman to have him. She’d snooped through his phone and probably looked through his texts too, something Aaron would loathe even more than other men would. Teagan shook her head. How freaking sad was that? For all her own fears and insecurities, she’d never snooped or connived behind her partner’s back, especially while claiming they should “honor their word.” And she’d had good reason to do all of that with Shawn! Teagan had been so threatened by this woman. But in reality, Aaron’s ex was threatened by her.
“Are you upset?” he said.
“No.” And she meant it.
“I’m sorry she did this. Don’t respond to her, okay? Just block her and let me handle this.”
“Okay.”
“You know it’s you I care about, right?”
Relief flooded her at the sound of those words. “Yes. I’m sorry I freaked out.”
“It’s okay.” He let out an exasperated sigh. “I’m telling you, that woman knows just how to get under people’s skin. It’s her special skill.”
Teagan laughed at that. “I have no doubt.”
“I’m looking forward to seeing you.”
Teagan smiled. “Me too.”
“See you Friday…”
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Teagan pulled up to the terminal at Denver International Airport, scanning for Aaron. She was willing to park and come inside, but Aaron insisted she just pick him up since he’d checked no baggage. She spotted him down the way, standing out among everyone’s heavy coats and piles of luggage. He still took her breath away.
She pulled over and hopped out, coming around to hug him. He dropped his bag and hugged her, lifting her off her feet. When he set her down, he kissed her, sending rivers of warmth through her.
She smiled at him. “Hey.”
He stared at her, as if unable to take his eyes off her. “Hey.”
They got into Teagan’s truck and drove off. “You hungry?”
“Starving.”
“What do you feel like?”
“A burger and a beer. A few beers. It’s been a long week. How about you?”
“Sounds perfect. I know just the place.”
Teagan headed to a tavern in her neighborhood that boasted a hundred beers on tap and, from her experience, great burgers and homemade tater tots. The place was warm inside and bustling with people. Teagan put their name in and they ordered their beers from the bar. She sipped her smooth toasted porter, sneaking a peak at Aaron while he paid for the beers. She could still hardly believe he was there. It was like no time had passed, like they hadn’t been separated for that year.
When the host called Teagan’s name, they sat down at a wooden booth. They ordered burgers—barbecue bacon for Aaron, bacon bleu for her—and a big basket of tater tots.
“So what happened that was so stressful?” she said. “Work?”
Aaron got a dark look on his face. “It wasn’t work.”
Teagan hesitated. “It was your ex, wasn’t it?”
He nodded, but said nothing else.
“Aaron, you can’t drop a bomb like that and then not tell me more.”
“She’s just being difficult. I don’t want to upset you.”
“It upsets me more when you don’t talk. I assume the worst. You should know that about me by now.”
He gave a wry smile. “Great. You assume the worst and I don’t communicate well.” Teagan laughed at that. “Glad you find that funny. I thought you’d be upset.”
“About what? What can be worse than what we’ve already been through?”
“True.”
“And… your ex used the ‘we gave our word’ speech to get you back. Then she broke into your phone to snoop, and then texted me to try and scare me away. I have my issues, but that bitch makes me look good.”
Aaron laughed at that before growing serious again. “It’s true. She can sense how important you are to me, and that’s why she’s doing this shit. Another six weeks and it’s over.”
Teagan raised her beer. “Cheers to that!” Aaron clinked his glass with hers, just as their burgers and tots arrived.
“How are book sales?” Aaron asked, popping a tot into his mouth.
Teagan grinned. “They’re good. So good I can hardly believe it. I’m working my ass off to get the third book out and keep up the momentum. And financially it’s been great, too. I’ve paid off all my debt from the radiator and I’ve socked away a bunch of money for the future, so I can probably cut back on teaching in the fall. At least that’s my goal…”
“Your radiator went out? When was that?”
Teagan hesitated, realizing she’d never told him about her epic journey home from his house. She wouldn’t tell him now, either, and bring down their conversation. “Oh, last year. My truck is getting old. But I’d rather have more time to write than buy a new one, and I think I can get a couple more years out of it.”
After they filled their bellies and ordered a second round of beer, Teagan felt happy and Aaron laughed more than usual. When they finally ventured outside, the cold air refreshed them.
“Should we get a taxi?” Aaron said. “We shouldn’t be driving…”
“We’re not far from my place. We can walk.”
Back at Teagan’s, they brushed their teeth and got ready for bed. Teagan eyed her second bedroom, the place where she’d asked Aaron to sleep. He’d already put his bag in there without a word.
Maybe it was silly to let some arbitrary date determine what she and Aaron did. She trusted Aaron. He and his ex were done. And she was falling for him all over again. Maybe it was that second beer or Aaron’s handsome face or his delicious smell when he hugged her, but she really, really wanted him in her bed, to feel his warm body on hers. But the cautious part of her told her to wait. To wait until he was hers.
The next morning, Teagan made them a big breakfast. Waffles with blueberries, eggs, bacon, and fresh coffee.
“You make the best breakfast,” he said, patting his stomach. “If you keep feeding me like this, I’m going to get a gut.”
She smiled, knowing that, gut or not, Aaron would still be hot as hell. “What would you like to do today?”
He glanced out her window at sun and blue skies. “It would be nice to get outside…”
“How about a hike?”
“Are the trails okay?”
“We’ll hit some ice patches and mud, but they’ll be okay. Maybe we can hit a trail near Boulder, and spend the rest of the day there…”
“Sounds great. Go ahead and shower. I’ll clean up.”
She was about to offer to help, but then remembered Aaron’s quirk about doing it his way. “If you insist.”
The drive to Boulder was beautiful. Long’s Peak rose in the distance, blanketed in white. In the foothills, the red stone Flatirons glowed in the wintertime sunlight. They headed up to Chautauqua Park and searched for a spot to park along with the other weekenders and families.
As they hiked and left most of the crowd behind, the sun warmed them until they veered off onto a narrower trail and entered the f
orest. Up they went, Teagan glad to be hiking with her favorite outdoor companion once more. They quietly took in their surroundings, not needing to fill the silence with constant chatter. How she loved that about him.
They hiked until they reached a corner where the trail switched back, where a ledge offered a sweeping view of the plains. Denver sat in the distance, the buildings of downtown rising from its center, the big city giving way to grasslands in the east. The sun peeked through the pine trees and warmed their faces.
Aaron stood there, taking in the view through his sunglasses, sipping from his water bottle. He was prepared for the sun’s winter glare, for dehydration, for the terrain. He was always prepared. She loved that about him. She loved him, period.
For the first time, it really hit her. She loved Aaron. She hoped he loved her too, and that he would soon be free to love her the way she needed.
“What?” Aaron said, catching her staring at him.
She smiled. “Nothing.”
Aaron took her hand, pulling her in for a kiss.
When finished with their hike, they drove to downtown Boulder and strolled the pedestrian mall, teeming with people looking to enjoy the warm winter day. Even the street performers had come out to earn a little money by entertaining the crowds. They ventured into the local indie bookstore, formerly a large house. It was old and filled with multiple cozy rooms on three stories, each room filled with shelves of books and comfy chairs.
Aaron looked around the place, spotting the coffee bar at its far end. “Coffee?”
She shook her head. “You go ahead.”
Teagan wandered off and hunted through the used book section, looking for science fiction classics. After a thorough search, she found a copy of Dune, with its brown deserty cover. She recalled the desert of Tucson, her time with Aaron, and how she’d grown to love its unique beauty. Now, the memories no longer tarnished by pain, she realized she missed Tucson and longed to return and take in a few more amazing sunsets.
Afterglow Page 18
