Page 6 of Reclaimed

“I’m here to help. And the Powell women are a force when there’s a cause. I’m sure they’d be happy to round up any extra baby clothes or supplies currently not in use.”

“How many are there now?”

“Let’s see.” Her attention floats to the ceiling as she ticks off her fingers. “Since you left, Corjan’s wife, Bree, came back and they reconciled. Jack met Whitney during that blizzard two years ago. Cortney got engaged to a guy named Sebastian. They’re getting married soon,” she makes a face that I interpret as displeasure but it could be indigestion, “And Jude recently fell in love with a woman he found wandering the woods behind the Sanctuary.”

The Powell family owns a dog sanctuary here in town. Juniper’s husband, Lee, is the owner, and his siblings all help out in some capacity. Jude has always lived alone on site but it sounds like he’s no longer isolated with all those dogs.

“So that just leaves Aiden.”

“Yep. We’re all waiting for some beautiful girl to stumble her way into town and straight into his arms. Though he doesn’t seem too receptive these days.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“You remember how I told you he got shot protecting Jude’s fiancée a few months ago.”

I nod.

“He just hasn’t been the same. The brothers are really frustrated trying to find a way to help him. They’re worried.”

Memories flash through my mind. Aiden, front and center while I dance, his intense gaze tracking me across the stage. Aiden, leaning against the brick outside of XO’s. His reddish blonde hair peeking out beneath a black ballcap, a reluctant grin sliding onto his face.

“Maybe he just needs time to heal.”

“The doctor said his wound should be all better now.”

“I don’t mean physically.”

She gives me a sad smile and shakes off the heaviness. “Yeah. You’re right. We need to give him time.”

I drain my cup. “And who knows? Maybe that pretty newcomer is closer than you think she is.”

3

Aiden

“This is reallywhat you do for fun?”

I drain the final mouthful of whiskey in my glass as Silas Stone saunters in front of me. The bulk of his police vest covering his torso blocks the view of the brunette flipping around the pole. No matter. Isla’s set hasn’t started yet. So long as he’s out of the way before then we won’t have a problem.

“What else would you recommend?” I flick my fingers in the air to flag down a waitress for another.

“What’s wrong with The Rocks?”

“Ruben isn’t as pretty to look at,” I say, referencing the old bartender at our local watering hole. I tried spending some time there, but the amount of people who knew me got to be annoying as fuck. I couldn’t take one more pitying look, one morehow are you really, one more person entering my personal space just to tell me I was a fucking hero.

I didn’t feel like a hero. I felt like I was losing my grip.

Out here at XO’s, on the outskirts of town, I’m left alone with my thoughts.

Usually.

Silas laughs, tipping his chin to take in the dancer. “You’re not wrong about that.”

“What are you doing out this way?”

“Sutton and I are checking in on some things,” he states cryptically, dodging the question. As if I won’t hear it through the grapevine in a matter of days.

Silas and his brother Sutton are Fairview Valley’s golden boys. The brothers joined the force one after the other, and the town practically worships them for their charm and sacrifice.

---