Page 1 of In the Arms of a Hero

1

An old love song began, the melodic tune drifting over the gathering. Aaron could hear the sound of chairs scraping as couples stood and moved to the dance floor, but he didn’t take his eyes off the woman sitting next to him. The woman he’d spent the day observing made him wish he could turn back time to when they had first met. She was utterly captivating, and he’d so willingly let her go.Or maybe I ran like a coward.

That thought gave him pause. He had never considered himself a coward, but those words had left his brother’s lips almost a year ago. Said about the very woman Aaron now gazed at.

Pulling himself back from the brink of the cliff where people jump off when they drown in past regrets, Aaron returned his full attention to the woman who now sat next to him. She had taken a break, and he’d convinced her to sit, desperate for a chance to have her attention on him and not all the others.

Standing, he held out his hand, anticipation now firmly etched in his expression. And etched deeper inside his chest if he were truly honest. A hint of renewed hope lingered in her blue eyes.

Her pink lips curved into the most beautiful smile as she lifted her arm and placed her hand in his. Wrapping his fingers around hers, he gave a gentle pull as she stood. Linking their fingers, he guided her to the dance floor.

The wedding ceremony had been a success, and the bride and groom had just left the reception after thanking their guests and begging the gathering to stay longer to enjoy the rest of the food and the DJ. The flight the couple had booked to the Poconos had been canceled, and the alternate flight was leaving an hour earlier than they’d expected. It was too late to move the wedding to an earlier time, but the couple had made the most of their reception. Guests stayed to continue eating, drinking, dancing, and talking with friends.

Once out on the wooden dance floor, he sucked in a deep breath. The outdoor wedding venue had been exceptional. The sunset over the Chesapeake Bay had created a one-of-a-kind panoramic view behind the couple as they exchanged their vows. The briny breeze had been gentle, and the vows had been accompanied by the call of gulls over the diamond-sparkling water.

The woman who held his attention had quietly moved around the venue and guests for hours as she photographed the event, capturing longing glances, smiles, kisses, and laughter. Aaron had no doubt that the couple would have a meaningful recording of their day.

With her in his arms, he guided them to the edge of the dance floor closest to the water. The black of the night kept the bay from being seen, but the scattered wedding lights twinkled illumination on the surf lapping at the shore. The familiar song filled his ears, and his gaze was firmly settled on the woman in his arms who peered up at him. The feel of her body held close to his made his blood race and his pulse pound. She was different. Special. He’d known it then. He knew it now.

He whirled her outward impulsively, then curled her back into his embrace. She threw her head back and laughed, the sound moving through him, making him want to hear it again and again. He bent forward, dipping her, and she clutched his arms as a squeal flew from her lips. Holding the position for a few seconds, he brought her up and pulled her close. Her smile was still wide, and a blush graced her cheeks.

He wanted to kiss her. Really kiss her. It wouldn’t be the first time, but it would be the first time he knew what he wanted, what he felt, and would fight to keep.

The music changed, and once again, allowing impulsivity to guide him, he whirled her outward for a beat and then curled his body around as she came back toward him.

A sound ricocheted over the water, and she jerked in surprise, losing her footing as she stumbled. She would have fallen to the floor had his hand not firmly held hers. Gripping her tighter, he watched in horror as oozing red covered her upper chest. Her eyes widened as they held his, and a guttural gasp left her lips. Or maybe it flew from his mouth.

For an instant, he couldn’t move, but as her body became limp, he lowered her to the floor. Ignoring the cacophony of screams and shouts from the gathering all around, he watched as her eyes closed.

2

THIRTEEN MONTHS AGO

“Hey, look! It’s open!”

Deputy Aaron Bergstrom’s attention jerked from the road in front of him to the direction his partner was pointing. Just off the main road that bisected the Eastern Shore’s bayside from the seaside was a long, older building housing small businesses on the bottom floor and renovated apartments on the second floor.

He and Deputy Lisa Perdue were responding to a possible burglary at the pawn store two doors down from where she was pointing. A new bakery had just opened, and it already appeared to be filled with eager patrons itching for a cup of coffee and a pastry.

His stomach growled just looking at the decorative storefront. “As soon as we take this report on the robbery, I’m hitting the bakery before we head back on patrol.”

“You’ll get no argument from me,” Lisa said. “Looks like there’s a line, but if you don’t mind standing in it, I’ll be more than happy to pay for your coffee and treat.”

He readily agreed, and they parked outside the pawn shop. For the next thirty minutes, he pushed aside all thoughts of the bakery as he focused on the task at hand. Aaron had been a North Heron Sheriff's Department deputy for almost threeyears. He followed in his brother's footsteps in joining the military right out of high school, but his discipline was initially different. He went straight into MP school, serving as a Navy police officer for several tours. During that time, he worked to obtain his associate's degree, and when he left the military, he attended the police academy.

Having grown up on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, he eschewed all offers from other localities, including large cities with higher salaries. He wanted to return to the Eastern Shore, where his brother was now serving with the Virginia Marine Police, and his father still lived in the family home where Aaron had grown up.

Walking inside, they talked to the owner, Gil Stanhope. The front windows and door of the pawn store were undamaged, but Gil showed them the door leading to the alley in the back of the building. It had been jimmied with what looked like a crowbar.

“Your alarm didn’t go off?”

Gil shook his head. “My daughter closed up last night. I’ve talked to her, and she swears that she set the alarm as always. I can’t imagine she didn’t since she’s worked here for years. But no, Deputy, it didn’t. I haven’t had a chance to look at the security.” Gil’s face scrunched, and he shook his head. “But what is strange is that you would think the thieves could’ve taken everything of value, but they didn’t.”

“What did they take?” Lisa asked.

“They went to the case where we have estate jewelry and took four rings, three pairs of earrings, and two brooches.” He waved his arms around and said, “With all the electronics we have here, you’d think they would have gone for that.”

Aaron had a lot of questions he wanted to ask but knew that the detectives would arrive soon. It was his and Lisa’s job to secure the area and ensure no evidence was disturbed. It only took a few minutes before he heard the arrival of the others. Heoffered a chin lift to Hunter Simmons and Brad Stowe, two of the detectives for the sheriff’s department. Lisa had begun to tape off the back door, and as soon as the fingerprint officer arrived, she assisted them.

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