Page 97 of Finding Home

Chapter 38

Aubrey

We all slept like rocks last night. Caleb and me, while snuggled up in his bed all night; Raine, all by herself like a big girl across the hallway.

After everyone finally got moving this morning, we ate breakfast from the few supplies we’d picked up on our way home from the airport last night. And now, we’re happily strolling down Main Street, heading toward Big Betty with some grocery bags, after a trip the store.

“Hey, Aubrey,” a jovial male voice calls out. It’s none other than my father’s oldest and dearest friend, Bob—a man who’s a beloved Prairie Springs institution.

I greet Bob warmly and introduce him to Caleb and Raine, and he dotes on Raine before falling into enthusiastic conversation with Caleb about his new deck. As the men talk, Raine squats down to examine a pill bug on the sidewalk, at which point my attention drifts to a parked police car across the street. The officer in the driver’s seat seems to be watching us. Am I imagining that? If not, is he staring at Caleb, because he’s a fan of Red Card Riot, or is he staring because he’s friends with Ralph Beaumont? Iswear, until we get that security system installed, I’m going to be on tenterhooks at all times. Once again, Ralph’s ominous warning at the courthouse slams into me:Watch your back.

Thankfully, the officer looks away when our eyes meet, which gives me some reassurance. And a moment after that, Bob and Caleb finish their conversation.

After Bob leaves, when I’m alone with Caleb and Raine again, I ask Caleb about that police officer across the street—if anything seems off with him, or if Caleb thinks I’m simply being paranoid. And not surprisingly, I’ve no sooner asked the question than my boyfriend sets down the grocery bags he’s carrying and strides across the street.

“Take Raine to the ice cream place, babe,” he calls over his shoulder. “I’ll meet you there.”

“Wait, what are you going to do?”

When Caleb doesn’t answer me, I stay put and watch him, despite what he instructed me to do.

“Do we have a problem here, Officer?” Caleb asks, as he closes in on the police car. True to form, my boyfriend isn’t handling the situation with kid gloves; he’s jumping right in with the subtlety of a sledgehammer.

I can’t hear what the police officer replies, unfortunately. I can’t even see the guy’s face, thanks to Caleb’s big ol’ back blocking it from my view, so I can’t try to read the officer’s lips or body language. I know Caleb told me to leave, but I’m not going anywhere. If this man is doing Ralph’s bidding, then I’m not leaving Caleb alone with him.

As Raine continues examining the bug on the sidewalk, I stand, stock-still, watching the men talk. After a moment, Caleb crosses his arms and says something that sounds fairly amiable in tone, though I can’t make it out. And a second after that, the police car starts up and drives away,punctuated by a cheerful littletoot-tootof the officer’s horn and a friendly wave to me.

When the guy is gone, Caleb returns to Raine and me, a scowl on his face. “Why didn’t you take her for ice cream?”

I brush off the question. “What’d he say?”

“He admitted he was staring over here, but he said it was because Red Card Riot is his favorite band, and he wasn’t sure if I was C-Bomb or a guy who looks exactly like him.”

I roll my eyes. “Everybody already knows C-Bomb from Red Card Riot is here in Prairie Springs.”

“That was my thinking, too.” His eyes narrow. “I think maybe he was playing to my ego to throw me off the scent.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “Whatscent, though?”

Caleb’s jaw muscles pulse, as he looks down at Raine at our feet. “Take her for that ice cream cone now, babe. Please. I need to run a quick errand down the street.”

“What errand, Caleb?”

“We’ll talk about it later, at home.”

“Where are you going?”

He motions with his chin down the block; and when I follow his motion, I notice a hardware store. Also, a liquor store, right next door. I can’t imagine Caleb even noticed the liquor store, though. Surely, he meant to draw my attention to the hardware store . . . Right?

Crap.

Now, I’m having crazy, paranoid thoughts. I haven’t worried about Caleb falling off the wagon in a long while, but I know from Claudia’s journey that sobriety can be a constant struggle.

“Go on, baby,” Caleb insists gently. This time, his voice soft and coaxing. “I’ll meet you at the ice cream place, andwe’ll talk at home.” He motions to Raine at my feet. “She’s getting impatient.”

I glance down at Raine to find her showing exactly zero signs of impatience. On the contrary, she still seems hyper-fixated on that pill bug.

Something’s up. But what? “Okay,” I say begrudgingly. “I’ll see you at the ice cream place.”

---