Page 27 of In the Arms of a Hero

Before he had a chance to finish the admonishment on his lips, Belinda turned and walked away. Bess stood and threw another glare his way before the two sisters walked out of the restaurant together.

He sucked in a ragged breath and let it out slowly, not wanting to cause a scene in public. Turning to Cilla, he leveled aglare directly at her and said, “You were rude. And the next time we run into a friend of mine, I won’t tolerate that.”

Cilla offered a dismissive snort. “And then what? Come on, Aaron. Can you honestly say that you’d be fine running into a male friend of mine? Wondering if they had been a previous boyfriend?”

For a fleeting moment, he paused, his thoughts drifting to the hypothetical scenario presented before him. And at that moment, he realized he’d be okay. He felt no jealousy toward anyone from Cilla’s past. The arrival of their server abruptly halted the conversation, and the subject was dropped. The tension lingered between them, and while they engaged in small talk, the dinner was ruined for him.

For the next couple of weekends, he managed to avoid Cilla when he had cases to work on, and she had a previous commitment. He wondered if absence would make the heart grow fonder, but in her case, he only felt relief. When they met again, it was with the knowledge that she was not even close to being the one for him.

Now, Aaron, parked outside his dad’s house, then rubbed his hand over his face. He was tired—a different kind of tired than he’d felt before.

In the Navy, he’d worked long hours and understood fatigue. As a deputy, he’d seen his share of tragedy when working car accidents, domestic disputes, and rival gangs encroaching on the Eastern Shore. However, one thing he was learning about being a detective was that the cases stayed with him long after he tried to close his eyes and sleep.

Aaron and Roger had been working with a woman who called in a domestic dispute two weeks ago. And even though there was physical evidence, she refused to press charges against her husband. And today, they had to deal with her brutal death at her husband’s hand.

A tap on his window startled him, and he looked up to see Ivy’s concerned expression aimed at him.

“Hey, Aaron. Are you okay?”

He nodded as she stepped back, threw open his door, and offered her a hug and kiss on the cheek. “Yeah, just a little tired.” It was their family’s Fourth of July get-together. Ivy and Andy had gone to the Baytown Fourth of July parade earlier, but Aaron was still finishing his report at the station. Now, it was time to kick back with some good barbecue and beer.

As Ivy walked into the house, he could hear Sally excitedly greeting her. Andy walked up beside him and looked around. “Where’s Cilla?”

He started to lie to his brother, saying that Cilla had other commitments, but he wasn’t about to start lying to Andy. “She’s not coming because I didn’t invite her.” He steeled himself for his brother's comments.

Andy just stared at him for a moment, then clapped him on the shoulder. “I’m sorry.”

Surprised, he asked, “What specifically are you sorry about?”

Andy’s face was filled with hound dog expression. “I’m sorry. I know you didn’t invite her because you’re not feeling it with her. And I’m sorry because I know you’ve worked to get over Belinda and thought that maybe Cilla was it.”

He should’ve known his brother would nail the situation right on the head. He nodded and agreed. “You’re right. Cilla is a beautiful woman and could be funny as hell. My red flag went up when she became very serious about us after our first weekend together. Since then, there’s been a possessiveness about her that made me a little hesitant. I never mentioned that we had a family picnic planned today, and that made me analyze why I didn’t. I really thought about it last night and decided that after the picnic today, I’m going to drive to Norfolk this evening and break things off.”

When Andy didn’t respond, Aaron lifted a brow. “What? No quip about how I can only seem to date someone for a short period of time?”

Andy’s face hardened. “Bro, if you think I’m going to make a smart comment at a time when I can see you’re struggling, you don’t know me at all.”

Duly admonished, Aaron sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, Andy. You’re right.”

They were silent for a moment as they walked up to the front porch. “You know, the only time I saw you truly happy with a woman was with Belinda. And then my big mouth got in the way. Are you sure there’s not a chance there anymore?”

“I decided months ago, after you, Dad, and I talked, that I wasn’t going to be like Mom and walk away easily. But the last time I saw Belinda, she was with someone. It’s one thing for me to decide to go after what I’d like to have, but I’m not the kind of man to go after a woman who’s with someone else.”

Andy nodded as the two of them walked into the house. “You’re a good man, Aaron. And one day, you’ll find a good woman who you decide you’ll fight for.”

That night, Aaron wondered if he would ever date again as frustration filled him. Cilla had not taken his decision well… at all. She’d cried, then screamed, and then resorted to guilt.

“We’ve been dating for almost two months, Aaron. That’s a committed relationship. And you’re just going to walk away?”

“Cilla, first of all, we’ve only dated on weekends and had little contact during the week. As we’ve gotten to know each other, I just don’t feel like we have any future. I’d rather end things now than spend more time trying to build a relationship that’s not right.”

“I should have known something wasn’t right with you—we haven’t even had sex!” she screamed.

He was even more exhausted when he left after hearing a glass hit the door he’d just closed behind him and her scream, “You’ll be sorry.”

Driving back over the long Chesapeake Bay Bridge tunnel, he thought of Ivy since she worked for the CBBT. His brother had found his one with Ivy. Not that they didn’t have problems, but they worked on them together, working on building a good life.

His and Andy’s childhood experiences were different. Andy was seven when their mother left. He’d had a relationship with her, whereas Aaron had no memories of her. Yet while it had taken Andy time and some counseling to come to deal with the loss, Andy allowed himself the chance to find love and had.

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