Page 2 of Wounded Fox
Tim Jr. was my age, but unlike me, he had been married before. Things just didn't work out, and as far as I knew, he wasn't looking to date again, despite the older ladies trying to push him into it.
"Yeah." He blushed. "Bee didn't give me much of a choice. How about you?"
"Same. She's convinced I need something more than just my shop to keep me busy."
I disagreed though. My shop was everything to me and I would rather focus my time there than on something silly like dating. Especially when I knew it wouldn't go anywhere permanent.
"How is the shop doing?" Tim asked. "I hear you got big things in motion?"
I relaxed even further as the conversation stayed on a safe topic for me. I considered Tim a friend, so it was easy enough to talk to him and forget that I was supposed to be speed dating.
I was halfway through my explanation about starting an online business when a shadow fell across the table. I looked up just in time to see Aaron grab Tim by the back of the neck and haul him out of the chair.
"Aaron!" I hissed as I scrambled to get out of my own seat. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
"Tim's time here is up." Aaron didn't look the least bit flustered when he dropped down into the seat across from where I was just sitting. "Now it's mine." He pointed toward the chair. "Take a seat. We don't have much time, it's speed dating, remember."
I looked down at the offensive piece of furniture that just moments ago was comfortable but now reminded me of the gates of hell. "Absolutely not."
Aaron tsked. "It's not nice to reject a date before they've even had a chance to introduce themselves."
I leaned over the table and responded in a low voice. "I know everything I need to know about this particulardateand I'm not impressed. Not now, not ever, so do us both a favor and stay away from me."
Without looking back, I turned on my heel and marched straight out of the diner.
I knew this would be a mistake. I should've listened to my instincts. Instead I was going home to a pint of ice cream and a frustrated crying session.
CHAPTER ONE
Present Day
Aaron
I walked by the clothing boutique on Main Street and looked to catch a glimpse of Valerie just like I'd done every day for months. She was my drug of choice and one hit was never enough. Unfortunately she must've been in the back because I couldn't see her through the large glass windows of her shop.
"Aaron? Aaron are you still there?"
I shook my head and focused back on the conversation I was having. "Sorry, Ma. I'm on my way to work. I got distracted."
My mother huffed and called me out on my bullshit. "You mean you got distracted looking for Valerie." I could practically see her shaking her head even though she was on the other end of the phone. "Why don't you just ask her out already? The two of you would be the perfect couple. I said it when you were back in high school and I'm saying it again now."
Yeah, and if I was smart, I would've listened to my mother back then. Instead I joined the Marines and assumed Valerie feltthe same way I did and would wait around—an arrogant thought for sure. I guess she got sick of waiting; one day she stopped writing me and it was then I decided to re-enlist and go from being just a four-year recruit to a lifer. A decision I regretted every day since I got back to town and saw how much Valerie hated me.
"I tried asking her out. She hates me." I flashed back to the night of the speed dating and some of the things she said to me. Maybe hate was a strong word but she definitely wasn't interested in dating, that was for sure.
"Oh, my silly boy," my mother clucked the way she did often when I was a child. "There's a fine line between love and hate. You just think she hates you but I bet it's really love."
Maybe there was but right now Valerie was firmly on the hate side. "I gotta go, Ma. I'm supposed to meet Maverick here in a few minutes."
"Fine," she huffed. "But tell the boys I want to see them this weekend for dinner. It's been too long."
Only Ms. Hill could get away with calling seven grown Marines “boys.” And each one of them humored her. Once I got to work, I would tell them what she said and each of them would make the time to go see her. Even Lex had a soft spot for my mother and that man didn't have a spot for anyone but Nancy and her kids.
"Will do." After saying goodbye, I hung up the phone and proceeded to stare like a stalker inside Sophisticated Sheen. The boutique was Valerie's pride and joy according to my mother, and every other woman in town.
"Take a picture. It’ll last longer." I jumped nearly ten feet in the air at Maisie's sarcastic tone.
I turned to her with a glare. "It's not nice to sneak up on people."
