by Elle Rush
“No. Set it down,” he said firmly. He turned on the flashlight and shone it in each of their faces. It wasn’t to get a better look; Aaron already recognized almost everyone there. Students and recent graduates from Holiday Beach’s high school whom he already had a passing, professional history with.
“We’ve got cops!”
They scattered like rats when the lights came on. Three raced for the far side of the cabin. One stumbled farther into the dark and the brush. From the noise he made, Aaron would have lots of time to go back and find him. The guy holding the bench dropped it, just missing the fire. As he watched the other man eye him, Aaron shifted his feet and braced himself. This guy was going to charge him and try to knock him over on his way by.
Aaron, however, wasn’t six beers to the wind. Unfortunately, he was also six inches shorter and a hundred pounds lighter, so skill and sobriety were less helpful than momentum.
Aaron’s boots left the ground. He bounced off the cabin wall and landed on them flatfooted. He needed to take a breath before he started his pursuit.
He could have taken two. Because the guy he was chasing ran out of gas halfway down the driveway and was puking into the bushes. Aaron waited for both their sakes before cuffing him and sitting him on the side of the road.
Of the entire mess, the best thing was seeing Brooke in his truck, knocking on the window to get his attention. “Can I come out now?” she yelled.
Blue lights flashed in the distance, coming closer. “Give me one more minute, hun.”
After ensuring the bench guy wasn’t going to be sick in the cruiser, he handed him over to the deputy on duty. Then the guy who’d run into the woods stumbled onto the road, now bleeding from scrapes on his face and arms. He joined his buddy.
He promised to go to the station shortly to make a statement. First, he wanted to check out the cabin and see what damage the group had caused. After he cleared the building, he let Brooke join him.
“What a mess,” she groaned.
The partiers had done a real number on the property. Another bench had already been fed to the fire. Charred legs stuck out of the other side of the pit. A destroyed bright red Adirondack chair lay in pieces beside it, also ready for burning.
“I don’t remember that being back here,” Brooke said.
“It wasn’t. If I’m not mistaken, the benches are from Hemingway’s Hideaway, and the chair is from Austen Cottage.”
“Neil’s going to flip.”
“Especially when he learns his son was part of it.”
Aaron caught her flinch even in the growing dark. “Have fun with that conversation,” she muttered.
“Can you hold some boards when I nail this board shut?” he asked. He felt bad for the Pineys. The footprint on the back door and the splintered jamb meant they were in for some serious expenses.
“Is there any damage inside?” Brooke asked.
“It’s a mess, but I can’t tell if anything is missing.”
She pulled out her phone and activated the flashlight to see inside. Table chairs lay on their sides. The fireplace mantle was empty, but the floor was littered with candles and broken hurricane lamps. A shelf in the bathroom that looked like it had been torn from the wall above the toilet lay in the bottom of the shower. “Yep, it’s a wreck in there.”
Aaron asked her to hold her phone light while he hammered the slats from the broken Adirondack chair to hold the door in place. “That’ll hold it till morning.”
As they walked back to his truck, she slipped her arm around his. “You take me to the nicest crime scenes.”
Aaron groaned. “That’s it. No more foliage for you.”
“No, don’t take away the foliage!”
They chatted all the way back to town, and he parked in the visitor spot behind her building. “Have you noticed how many of our dates end up with me having to cut them short to go to the station?”
“That’s the job, right?”
It was, but he hadn’t resented it like this for a while. “I promise it’ll slow down in November.”
She reached across the seat and took his hand. “Aaron, we’re both adults with busy lives. Your job is more demanding than most, but I knew that going in. When—because I’m sure it will be a when and not an if—it gets to be too much, I promise to talk to you about it. Until then, don’t worry. But I do appreciate the consideration.”
His previous exhaustion returned, and he had hours of paperwork and calls to make. “Before I go, can you give me a goodnight kiss to remember our criminally good second date?” he requested.
She did.
Chapter 10
Brooke wiped her hand on the dish towel hanging from the oven door. Her apartment smelled of tomatoes, onion, garlic, and oregano. A jug of water with lime slices sat chilling in the fridge. The table was set with china and silverware, and a basket of rolls. All that was missing was her guest.
When Aaron texted to ask her out to coffee that night, she instead invited him for dinner. It seemed perfectly reasonable at the time. Jordan teased her, saying that since she was working an evening shift, they’d have the small apartment to themselves.
Then Brooke realized it was the first time they’d be alone when they weren’t in a vehicle.
She raised her hands to her mouth and huffed into them. Fresh mouthwash wouldn’t hurt. As she rinsed and spit, she realized spaghetti sauce with garlic wasn’t the most romantic meal.
It was too late now.
She saw Aaron’s truck pull to the curb, and minutes later there was a knock on the door. Aaron arrived with a bouquet of flowers in his hands. Miniature sunflowers and white and burgundy mums gave it an autumnal feel. “Aaron, they’re lovely.”
“You’re making me dinner. It’s the least I could do.”
She hung his leather jacket in the closet by the front door, enjoying the leathery scent. When she returned to the living room, she found him sniffing the air too. “That smells amazing.”
“It’s spaghetti and tomato sauce. It’s all vegetarian tonight. I hope you don’t mind.”
“I have no objections to eating something that smells so wonderful.”
“Good. My sauce is kind of legendary. Tomatoes, onions, peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, and fresh herbs,” she bragged. “Let me get the water boiling.”
Aaron accepted a glass of water while he waited for her to get the pasta started.
Once dinner was on the table, conversation flowed easily. From the kids’ homecoming plans to custody visitations to the struggles of single parenthood, they seemed to be in agreement on all the big stuff. Brooke had good girlfriends, but it was nice to have someone who understood that part of her world.
“What are your plans for Halloween?” Aaron asked after the plates were tucked in the dishwasher and they were relaxing on the sofa.
She shrugged. Jordan had stopped trick-or-treating before she went to high school, and they didn’t have many children through her apartment building. “I really don’t have any. I might get myself some candy to eat while I’m watching whatever PG horror movie they’re playing on television, but that’s about it.”
“Would you like to do something with me instead?”
“Not the corn maze again?” she asked suspiciously.
“No.”
“Good, because that is off the table. Is it a haunted house?”
“No.”
“Stroll through a cemetery after dark? Ghost story competition? A trip to the local shelter to adopt a werewolf?”
“Darn, you got me with the last one,” Aaron said with a laugh. “Where are you coming up with this stuff?”
“I told you. I have a highly honed Halloween spooky meter.” It wasn’t that she hated the holiday; she was just a big chicken who hated to be truly scared. “If it’s none of those, what did you have in mind?”
“Unfortunately, I have the late shift on the thirty-first. I thought you might be interested in the early bird trick-or-treater’s breakfast special a
t American Table that day. We can eat before you start at the hotel.”
Of all the restaurants in town, American Table made the most menu changes for the holidays. Green pancakes on St. Patrick’s Day. Red, white, and blue shakes for the fourth of July. For Halloween, they had jack-o’-lantern hash browns and pumpkin turnovers at breakfast. “That sounds good, but Halloween isn’t for an entire month yet.”
“I want to know I’m on your calendar well in advance.”
She grinned. “That’s not in question.”
“Excellent. Then how about pencilling me in for another day?”
“Sure. Which one?” Brooke asked. She’d take any time with Aaron that she could get.
“A week Saturday night. It’s my birthday party.”
“I’m there!”
“It’s a costume party,” Aaron continued. “Since I usually work on Halloween, I always wanted a chance to dress up myself and to see Trevor’s costume when he was a kid. It worked out well since he’d get to wear his outfit twice. Now it’s tradition.”
“I don’t have a costume.” A week wasn’t very long to find something. The stores with the good stuff tended to sell out as soon as it hit the shelves, even this early before the big event, but she wasn’t about to turn down being Aaron’s date at his own birthday party. “I’m still in, though. Let me know when and where.”
Sadly, she had homework left that needed to be done, and Aaron had his own obligations at home. She kissed him goodbye at the door, and once more when he stepped into the hall, loath to see him go.
“I could finish my rates of return homework another night.”
“Don’t worry, we’ll have lots of nights once you’re done.”
“I must tell you that you’re much more interesting than homework.”
Chapter 11
The last Saturday of September dawned with a glorious burst of orange. Brooke saw it from the east-facing second story hotel room of the Dew Drop Inn. She bundled the used linens into the laundry bag and snapped a fresh sheet open over the king-size mattress. Thankfully she only had three rooms to clean that morning. It was a dead period for the hotel: no weddings, no tourists, and no holidays where they had to take the overflow of families visiting locals. She’d be able to get through a majority of her work by ten thirty, hand off the common areas, change, and meet Aaron at By the Cup for a sandwich before her real work for the day—managing Corn Maze Night—started.
Her friend was waiting downstairs in dark slacks, a white shirt, and clean but worn work boots. “Lucy Callahan, reporting for mop duty.” A small gold shamrock sparkled at the bottom of the chain that hung around her neck. Her honey-brown hair was pulled back with a headband, and she wore less makeup than she usually did, which let her summer tan shine through.
“Thanks, Lucy. I really appreciate this.”
“No problem. What do you need me to do?”
She gave Lucy a list of the places that needed to be mopped, vacuumed, and dusted, then rushed home. Half an hour later, she stepped into the coffee shop and saw that Aaron already had a table. She’d hesitated at home, thinking she’d be overdressed in her long-sleeved turtleneck, orange and black plaid overshirt, jeans, and thick socks. That thought vanished quickly. Aaron had also layered his clothing, with a T-shirt under his police academy hoodie, and well-worn khakis which had faded to white threads where his wallet pressed against his back pocket.
Brooke waved, and pointed at the counter. She ended up face to face with the most talented barista in the place.
“Good afternoon, ma’am. What can I get you?” Jordan asked with a hesitant smile on her face.
Brooke glanced down the counter. Rachel Best, the owner, was doing her best to keep an eye on the situation without being obvious about it. “A large PSL in a to-go cup, a ham and cheese ciabatta, and a chocolate cake pop, please.”
Jordan nodded in thanks when she realized her mother was going to act like a regular customer and not her mom. She carefully punched the order into the pad, then said, “We’ll call you when your order is up. Thanks for visiting By the Cup today.”
Brooke hesitated to give her time to continue, then gently prodded her daughter. “How much do I owe you?”
“Nothing. Your date already took care of it.”
Jordan didn’t look her in the eye when she dropped that bomb. “Excuse me?” Brooke asked.
Now her daughter had a full-on grin. “Sheriff Gillespie gave us more than enough to cover whatever you ordered and told us to use the rest as a tip. We’ll call you when it’s ready.”
She couldn’t argue and cause a scene when Rachel was hovering in case Jordan needed help, but it would definitely call for some payback for Aaron. For now, she’d play along. “Thank you for lunch.”
“You’re welcome.”
The scent of pure black coffee escaped from his cup. “I’ll be back for their dark roast as soon as pumpkin spice season is over,” she said as she settled into the chair he’d saved her.
“Then will you switch over to an eggnog latte or something?”
“No, I’m loyal to pumpkin spice lattes and only them,” Brooke told him. “Aside from that, it’s dark roast with milk and no sugar.”
“That’s good to know. It’ll make future orders easier.”
“How about you?”
“Eggnog lattes are a must in December.”
Her pressed sandwich was hand-delivered to her table, along with Aaron’s roast beef on white. Knowing they didn’t have much time if they were supposed to be at the Jackson farm by noon, Brooke dove into her meal.
“This isn’t really a date since we have business to discuss, but I’m glad we have a little time together. How was your class on Monday?”
“Tough. We’re learning interest rate calculations for investments and mortgages this week. Did you know they aren’t done the same way?” Jordan had been sympathetic as Brooke sat at the other end of the island with her textbooks and calculator, muttering insults to the textbook’s author. “But I’m a quarter of the way through the course already. I can do it.” As hard as it was, her brain liked the work, once she understood the math. This was something she was good at, something that could support her and her family.
“You’ve got this,” Aaron said.
“I do. Especially on Mondays and Tuesdays. Today, however, is for sunny fall days and adventurers.” Brooke set down her coffee cup and waited until she had his full attention. “To be very clear, I will not be entering the maze today. No jokes, no emergencies, no way. I am the chief organizer and boss cleaner-upper. If somebody gets lost in there, they’ll have to wait for the Monday search party like everybody else.”
Brooke knew her phobia of cornfields at night was irrational. It didn’t mean it wasn’t real, though. She’d conquered her fear once, with Aaron, during the day. That was enough being brave for the time being.
He must have recognized her serious face. “Okay, no goofing around. You watch the outside, and I’ll patrol the inside.”
“You’re actually going to do the maze?”
“I have a flashlight and backup batteries for after it gets dark. I’m going to alternate the right-turn plan with the left-turn plan and see which is faster. I figure I’ll get through about six times.”
She gasped. “That’s got to be close to twenty miles.”
“I’m wearing my hiking boots. You keep sending them in, I’ll make sure people get out, and Trevor and Jordan will have an amazing fundraiser.”
They ate quickly, then Brooke followed Aaron to the corn maze. The Jacksons had added more Halloween decorations since their last visit. Now costumed scarecrows guarded the entrance and exit. Brooke assumed there were more scattered throughout the maze and was grateful she’d already made her position clear. There was a short line at the ticket booth as people waited for the clock to strike noon.
Glenna came over to unlock the door and get her set up. “Sorry I’m late. We lost a kid over at the petting zoo by the pumpkin patch.”<
br />
“Already?” Brooke teased. That’s all she managed to say before the window opened, and people demanded arm bands, ready to begin their afternoon adventure.
There was a steady stream of customers from the moment they opened gates. The early birds were mostly families with young children looking for an afternoon’s entertainment. After the first two hours, another parent replaced Brooke in the ticket booth, allowing her to wander and check in with all the other volunteers.
Brooke watched the exit for a while and wasn’t surprised to see the children who led the way being carried out by the end. There were surprisingly few tears, and the couple meltdowns she did see vanished as soon as the popcorn stand came into view.
True to his word, Aaron waved goodbye as he stepped into the maze. He reappeared at the other end fifty-five minutes later with a limping woman leaning heavily on his arm and a tween who made a mad dash to the toilets.
“What happened?” she asked.
“Twisted ankle about ten minutes from the exit.”
“Let’s hope that’s the only serious event of the day.”
She wished. Aaron reentered the maze, then appeared around the corner twenty minutes later leading a man carrying a screaming two-year-old. The pair headed straight for their car, and Aaron came directly to her, begging for aspirin.
“What was that?”
“A temper tantrum of Godzilla proportions. That kid does not like corn.”
“I don’t blame him. Where did you come from?”
“We cut across some rows and came out on the east side of the field and walked back around. It was the fastest way.”
“Any damage to the maze?”
“No. We were careful and took advantage of some natural gaps.” He drained the water bottle she’d giving him with the headache medicine she kept in her purse. “Are we almost done?”
“Not even close,” Brooke told him.
By the time Jordan and two of her friends arrived at five, Brooke was ready for a break. She grabbed a popcorn and cola and found an empty bench near a firepit. When she and Aaron had last been there, the pits didn’t get lit till after dark. Now they crackled merrily in the cool afternoon.
