Page 66 of In the Arms of a Hero

“You okay?” Sam asked.

Aaron looked at his partner and nodded. “I will be, but I’m going to take a quick break and call home to see if everything’s going okay. I know Dad would call me if there were a problem, but I just like to hear it myself.”

“No worries. While you do that, I’ll go check with the others to see if they’re making any headway.“

As Sam walked away, Aaron called his dad. “I just wanted to check in, Dad. I didn’t want to call Belinda directly in case she was sleeping.”

“It’s all good here, son. She woke up, had breakfast, and chatted with me and Sally for a while. As she tired, she took another pain pill and then went back to sleep. I hear her stirring around in the bedroom, and Hayley has gone in to check on her.”

“Dad, I can’t thank you enough for stepping in and keeping an eye on her.”

“You don’t have to thank me! You know I do anything for my boys and the women in their lives.”

He thought about what his dad said and knew it was true. Actions had always meant more than empty words. His dad stayed and raised two boys, accepting help when he needed it. He’d been saddled with an angry Andy and a medically needytwo-year-old, and never once had Aaron or his brother felt anything other than unconditional love from their dad. “I know that, Dad.” An image hit him, and he gave voice to the thoughts swirling in his mind. “And if I’m ever lucky enough to be a dad, I want to be one just like you.”

His dad was quiet, then cleared his throat. “That’s the best thing you could’ve ever said to me.”

“So all is quiet there?” he asked, turning the conversation away from the emotional.

“It’s all fine here. After you left, Bess stopped by with some goodies from the bakery and coffee for all of us, which was greatly appreciated. Hayley came soon after that, and she’s been sitting here working on her computer. Sally fixed lunch for all of us before she headed home, and I’ve been flipping through the television and reading the newspaper. All is good— oh, here she is. Would you like to talk to Belinda?”

“Absolutely.“ He waited until the phone was passed, then greeted, “Hey, sweetheart. How are you feeling today?”

“Tired, sore, but other than that, I feel better. Belle is stopping by in a little bit, and I think she’s going to introduce the home health nurse to me. I’m going to talk to her about coming off the narcotic pain meds and just taking whatever I can that’s over-the-counter. I don’t like being fuzzyheaded.”

“You do whatever makes you feel best, but I don’t want you to rush things. The last thing we want is for you to take a step backward.”

“I know. I’ll talk to the home health nurse when she gets here.” There was a few seconds of silence, and then she asked, “So um… has anyone had any luck with my photographs?”

“Not yet, but…” he hesitated, not wanting her to worry. “But we’re working on it.”

“Oh… okay.”

He heard the frustration in her voice. “Babe, we’re doing everything we can.”

“Oh, I know, Aaron! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to sound ungrateful!”

“No apologies, Belinda. Believe me, no one wants to figure all this out more than I do. I’m just frustrated because Sam and I aren’t getting anywhere on this murder investigation. We’re considering that it didn’t happen here but that his body was just discovered here.”

“So maybe someone killed him somewhere else and then brought him here to dump?”

He immediately felt guilty that she was thinking of his job. “Hey, you let me worry about the investigation and you concentrate on getting better. Make sure you rest. I’ll have Dad let me know after you’ve met the home nurse.”

After they said their goodbyes, he looked up as Sam approached, shaking his head. “They’ve spent most of their time looking at the backgrounds of the bay during the wedding where she was shot. So far, nothing. But they’re starting to look at the last photo shoots she took.”

Nodding, he looked down at the emails, phone records, and texts from William Gaston to see if there was anyone else on the shore who might have had a connection to their victim. For the first time, he wished he wasn’t at his job but home with the beautiful woman who’d stolen his thoughts and heart.

33

Belinda had taken another nap and was wide awake and moving around when Belle knocked on the door. She entered smiling, and as Belinda stared at the sweet nurse, she was instantly comforted. She had no doubt that Belle’s smile lit the hearts of many at the nursing home where she worked. Looking behind her, another woman walked in, her smile just as warm.

“Belinda, I’d like you to meet Karen Drummond. She’s one of the home healthcare nurses for our county. I’ll keep checking on you because we’re friends, but she will be officially assigned to you.”

Karen walked over and shook her hand. She was attractive, with blond hair cut into a shoulder-length bob. She didn’t look out of her thirties, but with laugh lines emitting from her eyes, Belinda wondered if she was a little older. It was hard to tell with her youthful appearance.

“It’s lovely to meet you, Belinda. I wish it were under better circumstances, but I’m pleased to make your acquaintance, nonetheless.”

Aaron’s dad said, “Ladies, I would offer to step outside, but I promised my son I would stay in the apartment. Perhaps, if you wouldn’t mind using the bedroom, then I could stay here.”

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