Page 10 of Absent Without Leave
“Aiden told you to go,” Kent says. “What seems to be the problem?”
A couple of things click in Jake’s brain, and he has anahamoment.
“You’re Aiden’s best friend?”
Kent nods.
“Sheriff?”
“Uh huh.”
“Military?” Jake’s hoping. Kent maintains a bearing that screams military but could come from civilian law enforcement as well.
“I did a four-year enlistment in the Air Force; Security Forces.”
Military cop. Jake thought so. “So you know that when the higher ups tell me to get my ass back to base, I get my ass back to base?”
“Yeah.” Kent’s demeanor becomes way less defensive, thank God.
“I sent Aiden a text to let him know. Maybe he didn’t receive it, maybe he didn’t believe me, I don’t know, but I like him enough that I flew all the way back out here to apologize and explain. Can you help me out?”
Kent requests a few answers before he agrees to aid and abet, but Jake leaves the parking lot with a phone number and the beginnings of a plan.
***
On Sunday morning, Jake parks at the end of the alley and walks to the back door of the pub. Aiden won’t open the doors until two today, but Rick said that Aiden would probably come down around eleven to start puttering around and getting things set up for the day. Rick had supplied Jake with the key to the back door and the alarm code.
He sits at the first table right outside the hallway doorway. There is no way Aiden can miss him. A bag of See’s chocolates waits on the tabletop. Jake sits quietly for close to forty-five minutes before he finally hears the apartment door open and close upstairs and feet coming down the treads. The bottom door opens and then Aiden appears. He takes three steps toward the bar proper and stops cold.
He pulls his phone out of his back pocket. “I’m calling the sheriff.”
“Okay.”
Aiden lowers the phone from his ear, forehead furrowing in confusion. “Okay?”
Jake nods. “I spoke to Sheriff Shaffer yesterday and explained my predicament.”
Aiden’s eyebrows hit his hairline. “And how’d you get in here?”
“Your buddy the sheriff called Rick and Rick helped me with that.” Jake slips the single key from his front pocket and sets it on the table next to the candy. Jake doesn’t miss Aiden’s gaze flashing to the white bag. “You might want to change the alarm code later.”
“Some fucking friends I’ve got.”
“Lucky for me that, despite my shortcomings, they were willing to hear me out and help me out. They think I might be good for you. I think you might be good for me.”
Aiden snorts. “You blew me off.”
“It appears that way, yes.” Jack cants his head in acknowledgment.
Aiden glares and crosses his arms and stuffs his hands into his armpits. “Then why are you back in Ten Rigs? Why are you in my bar?”
“Do you trust Kent and Rick?”
“With my life.”
“Then would you please stop acting like a bratty thirteen-year-old and let me explain myself? Christ.” Jake gets that Aiden’s upset at the moment, but really?
“Fine,” he huffs.
