Page 15 of Barbed Wire and Burglary
She sobered. “It’s hard to explain.”
“Try me,” he offered quietly.
She shifted her feet uncomfortably on the floorboard. “He’s not a fan of long-distance relationships.”
“I’m right here,” he reminded, hoping she would elaborate.
“I know, but my job requires a lot of travel.” She sounded glum.
“I guess it’s a good thing I’m retired.” It was a bold statement that he hoped wouldn’t make her uncomfortable. “Keeps the possibilities open.”
“Wow, A.J.!” She reached for his hand, and he took it, lacing their fingers together and resting their joined hands on the console. The way she was staring into the distance made him wonder if she realized she’d spoken aloud. “I don’t know what to say,” she added in a whisper.
For the rest of the short drive, she stared out the window at the lake, the homes and barns clustered around it, and the series of plaza strips they approached when they reached the downtown area of Heart Lake.
Modello’s was housed in a well-maintained red-brick building with enormous picture windows. A lavish ivory wedding gown was on display. Artfully arrayed around it were a Christmas-red bridesmaid dress, a black tuxedo with purple accessories, and a matching child-sized tuxedo. Red and purple garlands sparkled with red and purple lights, oversized candy hearts, and smiling Cupids. On second thought, it wasn’t a Christmas display at all. It was a Valentine’s display, which made more sense with February right around the corner.
Directly across the street from the opulent boutiquewas a police cruiser with flashing lights. No siren. A.J. parked at the curb and stepped out of his truck, preparing to weave his way through the gathering spectators. As expected, yellow caution tape had been used to mark off the restricted area.
Before shutting his door, he leaned back inside the cab to hand Aurora his key fob. “This will keep the heater running.” If he’d walked far enough away with it, the motor would’ve automatically turned off.
She flashed him an appreciative smile. “You’re the best.”
He angled his head towards the steering wheel. “Depending on what’s going on, the police might ask you to move my truck.”
“To steal my front-row seat. Not cool.” She wrinkled her nose at the prospect. “If that happens, watch your text messages since I’m your ride out of here.”
He winked at her, liking the sound of that.
She blew him a kiss in return. “Hurry back, soldier. We have a card game to finish.”
He was sorely tempted to linger in her presence, but duty called.
“Aaron!” The name tore out of her in a muffled shriek. Then she lowered her voice for A.J.’s benefit. “Time to put your game face on.”
He took his time turning around, unsurprised to find her brother stalking their way. He nodded at the guy to acknowledge his presence, earning a glare in response.
Let the fireworks begin.
“He’s not even supposed to be on duty yet,” Aurora protested in a muffled voice.
Except he was.
It felt like a setup. Someone must have purposelymaneuvered the situation to throw him and Aaron together on a job, possibly to watch how they reacted to the scenario. If A.J. had to guess, Decker Kingston was behind this. But why? Did his new boss suspect the truth—that A.J.’s reasons for being in town had more to do with Aurora’s brother than Aurora?
He performed a rapid survey of their surroundings, but it was impossible to tell if Decker had embedded himself in the growing crowd of spectators. A few people had cell phones raised in the air, snapping photos and recording videos. It was possible the security cameras at Modello’s were catching some of the action as well.
Aaron reached the edge of the taped-off area, yanking the yellow caution tape higher to step beneath it. Then he finished stomping their way. “What are you doing here?” He ignored A.J., directing his question at his sister.
She shrugged offhandedly. “My boyfriend got called in, the same as you.”
“No, not the same as me,” he returned coldly. “I’m a police officer responding to a 9-1-1 call.” His meaning was clear. A.J. wasn’t a police officer and therefore shouldn’t be present.
“He works for Lonestar Security now,” she informed him in a gotcha voice.
Her brother’s expression grew darker. “Since when?” He ground out the words.
“Since a few hours ago.” A.J. wasn’t sure why he was enjoying the guy’s discomfort so much. “I’d rather be under the hood of a car, but I can’t seem to outrun my career in law enforcement. Someone’s always nagging at me to get back to work, helping maintain the peace.”
