Page 4 of Shielding Aubree

"No more doors?"

Henley turned and looked at Aubree making sure that the other woman saw the look in her eyes. "No more doors unless you want to go through them."

Aubree let out a breath and nodded. "Let's walk."

Henley wantedto say that they'd just happened to meet up with Leon by mistake, but as much as she believed in magic, she knew that certain things had to be set up to make the magic happen.

A splash drew attention on a hot day.

It was nature.

"There's a pool?"

Henley didn't know what to make of Aubree's tone. "Strength and flexibility training."

They slowed to a stop and Henley watched Aubree move off the side of the path and up to the wall separating the pool from the rest of the facility.

Henley stepped up beside her and turned her head just slightly to the side so she could see her expression.

"I'm pretty sure they're just sending me here to have you make sure my head is on straight."

"We've got a more holistic approach here."

Aubree turned to look at her. "So this isn't just a head shrinking thing?"

Henley felt her brow pinch above her nose a little. "Would you like to just see me while you're here?"

She saw Aubree's features tense as she looked around the pool and then to the other buildings that she could see.

"I'm pretty sure that my insurance with the State Police doesn't cover all of this."

Henley turned and braced her arm on the wall. "It was written out in the brochure. Did you get a chance to read it?"

Aubree's jaw tensed a little and she didn't meet Henley's eyes. "Honestly, the brochure looked awesome, but I didn't read it. All the pretty pictures? That all seemed like some kind of spa thing, and I know our insurance wasn't going to cover activities. I'm just grateful to be here because I want to go back to my job. I want to be back on the streets.

"To do that I need to get cleared for duty. And that is where you come in."

Henley reached into the folder for another copy of the brochure but stopped when she heard her name.

"What's going on? Are you coming in for a swim?"

Henley watched Leon jog across the deck, his towel held loosely in his hand. "Hey, Leon. How is the workout going?"

He shrugged and Henley saw his gaze shift to Aubree at her side.

His eyes widened a little and Aubree’s mouth softened, her jaw relaxed.

Henley turned to the woman at her side. "Aubree Cueva, this is Ruben Chaucer. He's one of our physical therapists here at The Refuge." Henley looked back at Ruben. "Ruben? This is Aubree."

He wiped his hands off on his towel quickly and slung it around the back of his neck before he moved up to the wall and held out his hand.

Henley was happy to see him take such care in the way he approached Aubree.

"Welcome, Aubree."

It took a moment, but Aubree reciprocated the movement and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, Ruben."

It was hard for Henley to hold back a smile, but she managed it. She could tell that the two were going to work well with each other. "I was just telling Aubree that her time here at The Refuge isn't just about working with me but finding the right program for her."

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