Finding Faith (Love's Compass Book 4) (13 page)

Serenity went into work Monday and wavered between longing to see Aaron again and dreading the thought of having to feign disinterest in front of everyone else. 

From the moment he walked into the breakroom at lunch, the air nearly sparked with the energy they shared. How was she supposed to go back to being just friends when she wanted to feel his hand around hers?

Once they were seated and eating, he gave her a smile. “I see you left a part of you behind.”

It took her a minute before she reached up and touched her hair with a chuckle. “Yes, I felt like it was about time. It’s definitely taking some getting used to.”

His eyes held hers. “It’s beautiful.”

“Thank you.” Serenity’s face warmed.

“Did you have a good time in Kitner?”

She welcomed the change in topic. “I did. It was nice going back. Grams had a great birthday party and I got to meet her new suitor.”

“Really? A suitor? Good for Grams.”

Serenity chuckled. “It’s been a long time since Gramps passed away. I’m glad she has a second chance at happiness like this.”

“How’d Gideon do with everything? Did it shake him up at all having to come back again?” Aaron jabbed a fork into his re-heated pasta.

“I was a little worried about that. But he did fine and looked forward to getting back to his room again. He had a great time seeing everyone, though. Especially Tuck.” She withdrew a chip from the bag on the table and tossed it into her mouth. “They’ve always been close and Gideon’s really missed him.”

“They’re lucky to have each other.”

She gave a nod in what she hoped expressed her appreciation for his comment. Despite how things turned out between her and Aaron, it’d been worth moving there for the chance to meet him. Because even if nothing ever went further than it did right now, she would never forget how he’d made her feel.

Tears burned in her throat. She tried to blink them — and her thoughts — away but wasn’t fast enough. Aaron must have seen something in her eyes because now he was watching her, concern etched into his features.

“Serenity?”

She raised a hand to stop him. “Please, don’t. I’m fine.” Her eyes darted to the door as someone stepped in. She hadn’t realized how nervous she was to have Cynthia see them together until the sense of relief she felt when it wasn’t her.

She hated this. Every minute of it. Because the one thing she wanted more than anything at that moment was the freedom to accept Aaron’s comforting embrace. She craved the strength and safety that it was sure to surround her with.

Aaron didn’t seem remotely convinced but he maintained his seat and didn’t try to ask her anything else. His eyes never strayed far from her face, though. He cleared his throat. “Did I hear you and Gideon are coming to the basketball game tomorrow night?”

“We’re planning on it if all goes well in the afternoon. I’m not sure how late we’ll stay, though.”

He smiled at her. “It’s not usually too late. You’re sure to get a laugh or two at my expense.”

“I doubt it. Letty assures me you’re quite good.”

“I still intend on getting you onto that court at some point.” He winked at her.

“Yeah, don’t hold your breath on that one.”

They compared stories of playing basketball in the past until their lunch hour was up. Conversation flowed easily and it was almost as if they’d gone back to normal again. Almost.  

As they were about to part ways, Aaron’s expression was so intense it made her hands shake and her heart jump. He reached over, gave her arm a brief squeeze, and leaned close to her ear. “Don’t give up on us yet, Serenity.”

His words settled on her heart. What exactly did they mean? She pondered every possible way she could interpret them until she was ready to go insane.

~

Tuesday morning was unusually busy. Serenity was sorting through some paperwork on the desk when a shadow moved to block some of what she was reading. She looked up, completely shocked at the person grinning down at her.

“Tuck? What are you doing here?”

She stood and rushed around the desk to give him a hug. He lifted her briefly in his arms before setting her back down again. “I had a case that brought me to the area. I thought I’d come by and take my favorite little sister to lunch.”

“Are you kidding? That sounds perfect! I go to lunch at one — another hour and a half. You’re welcome to stick around or come back. Whatever works better for you.”

Maggie spoke from her chair at the other end of the desk. “Is this the infamous brother you’ve been telling me about?”

Serenity blinked. “Of course! I’m sorry. Tuck, this is my co-worker and friend, Maggie. Maggie, this is my big brother, Tuck.”

The two shook hands. Serenity gave Tuck a great deal of credit for not reacting to the woman’s bright green fingernails or the matching eyeshadow and hair highlights. Then again, she knew he saw a whole lot more in his line of work.

“It’s good to meet you, Maggie.”

“You as well.” Maggie turned her attention to Serenity. “We can trade lunch hours for today if you want to.”

Tuck held up a hand. “The extra time will be good. I have a couple of things I want to do quickly before one. But I do appreciate your kind offer.” He turned back to Serenity. “Does that work for you?”

“Yes. I have a few things I need to finish up here. And I need to let someone know I won’t be there for lunch today.”

“Aaron?”

Serenity’s eyes widened for a moment before narrowing. “Lexi spoke with you.” He shrugged. “Fantastic. And yes.” She shot him a glare she hoped made it clear she didn’t want to talk about it right now.

“Then I’ll excuse myself and I’ll be back to pick you up right at one.”

She gave him another hug and watched as he left the room. Before she got caught up in her paperwork again, she sent Aaron a quick text. She didn’t know if he’d bring Mexican food in today like he had in the past, but she sure didn’t want him to do that when she wasn’t going to be there.

“He seems nice.” Maggie was grinning. “I saw the wedding ring. Too bad. Do you have any other brothers?”

Serenity chuckled. “Nope, just the one. Which is probably a good thing, because I doubt I could have handled two.”

~

Aaron had rounded the corner just in time to see some tall man engulf Serenity in a hug. From the joy on her face and the sparkle in her eyes, she clearly didn’t object. The whole scene filled him with unease as jealousy twisted in his gut.

The last thing he wanted to do was watch the two of them interact so he headed back to his office. Who was the guy and what was he doing here? He didn’t think he’d seen anyone come visit her at work before. She hadn’t been in town long, where did she meet him? He didn’t recognize the guy from church.

Less than ten minutes later, Aaron’s phone chimed with a text. He was pretty certain who it was from.

“I’m not going to be able to meet you for lunch today. I’m sorry. Looking forward to tomorrow.”

Aaron didn’t think it was too much of a stretch to assume she was going out with the guy she’d been hugging only minutes ago. Despite the instinct to go and deck the guy, he remained rooted in place.

That he’d ever assumed he might be the only man she was interested in was absurd. A woman like Serenity — gorgeous, intelligent, and kind — had to have men expressing interest in her everywhere she went. What were the odds she’d choose him, especially with the added complication of their work situation?

He fought against the wave of defeat that threatened to crash over him.

~

“Did you really have a case in the area?” Serenity asked Tuck. They’d just been seated at a little diner down the street and were checking their menus.

“I did. Though it wasn’t overly urgent, which gave me some of this extra time I’m taking advantage of.” He motioned to her menu. “Order whatever you want. It’s on me.”

She smiled, appreciating his thoughtfulness. She didn’t have to peruse the food choices for long. The moment she saw the BLT and fries, she’d made her decision. “And I appreciate it. It’s always good to see you. I miss hanging out with you.”

“I miss it, too.” He gave his order to the waitress and handed her his menu. Serenity followed suit.

When the waitress disappeared, Serenity took her napkin and wadded it up before dropping it in her lap.

“How’s Laurie today?”

Their waitress came back with their drinks and Tuck thanked her.

“She was doing great when I left. In fact, her energy level was making me tired.” He laughed. “I’m glad she’s not having as much morning sickness. That was hard to see.”

Serenity nodded and took a sip of her strawberry lemonade. “I imagine so. I can’t wait until you guys find out if it’s a boy or a girl.”

They chatted about baby stuff until their lunches were brought to them and then both quieted as they ate a few bites.

Serenity’s sandwich tasted amazing. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d eaten bacon. Which probably was a crime in some country or another. She nodded at Tuck. “Lexi asked you to check in on me, didn’t she?”

Tuck frowned at her. “No. I decided to do that on my own.”

She rolled her eyes. “I’m fine. What all did she tell you?” The moment his expression turned incredulous, she chuckled. “Never mind.” There were few secrets in the Chandler family. Most of the time it was a good thing. “I’m not a love-crazed teenager. And this is nothing like Jay. I chose to put some distance between Aaron and me. I’ll be fine.”

“I know you will. But accepting help never hurts.”

He was right. She swallowed past the catch in her throat. “Thanks,” she managed to say.

“You’re welcome.” He pointed at her plate. “Eat.”

She held up hands to stop him in mock seriousness. “Okay, okay.” Her mind went to Aaron, who was likely eating lunch in the breakroom right now. It reminded her of the game later in the evening. “Hey, how long are you going to be in town? I hope your case will be easy to wrap up.” She knew that he often couldn’t talk about an active case and wasn’t expecting any details.

Tuck shook his head. “It should’ve been pretty painless. I have a couple of leads I needed to check up on, but they’re more like paper trails. I was hoping to get things tied up before now, but everything’s taking longer than I had planned. I may need to stay tonight if I have to go back and speak to someone involved in the case tomorrow.”

“You know you’re welcome to stay at our house.”

He ate a forkful of corn. “I appreciate that. I’ll have a better idea later this afternoon. I’ll call and let you know for sure.”

“I promised a friend at church that Gideon and I would go to a basketball game at the gym there this evening. You’re free to join us if you do end up staying.”

Tuck smiled. “Sounds like fun.”

Serenity was supposed to be trying to keep her distance from Aaron. Yet, here she was, counting down the hours until she got to see him tonight. He’d said he intended to get her out on the court. Thinking about it released a whole swarm of butterflies in her stomach. Though at the moment, she wasn’t sure if it was in response to playing basketball for the first time in years, or the possibility of being close to Aaron while she was trying to convince herself they could be just friends.

Which, by the way, hadn’t worked so far.

Aaron easily caught the ball Zane threw to him and rotated, passing it to another teammate who, in turn, made a two-point basket. He made an effort to not look towards the opposite end of the gym where most of the family and friends were gathered.

Zane elbowed him in the ribs. “She’s still there.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

With a guffaw, Zane shook his head. “Right. You keep telling yourself that. I’m sure you don’t care one bit that she’s been watching almost the entire game — and one player on our team especially. Do you want me to go ask Letty to find out who the other guys is?”

Aaron glared at the tall man who was sitting on the gym floor interacting with Gideon. A big part of him wanted to tell Zane yes. Or even better, walk over there and demand an explanation himself. “No, I don’t.” Because he refused to appear as jealous as he was feeling right now. Aaron dragged his focus back to the game and moved to accept an inbound ball.

The next time he was able to steal a glimpse of the spectators, he spotted Gideon crying. Serenity was on her knees trying to comfort him, but the boy shook his head and collapsed in a heap on the floor. Aaron tried to make a shot but missed. As he jogged to the other end of the court, he could tell that Gideon was in a full meltdown and she looked frazzled. The tall man that had come to the game with Serenity bent down to pick the boy up and the three walked out of the gym together.

Aaron hoped Gideon was okay. He’d only witnessed one of the boy’s meltdowns in the past and it was pretty rough. Serenity assured him that Gideon had few and he was glad of that. He was also glad she had some assistance right now, though he sure wished it was him who was doing the helping.

The game went well. Normally, he would have thoroughly enjoyed it. But tonight, his mind was centered on Serenity and Gideon, making it nearly impossible to concentrate on anything else. He grabbed his bottle of water and jogged over to where Letty was sitting. Zane was right behind him.

Zane made a show of grabbing Letty and giving her a big kiss. She squealed and tried to squirm out of his arms. “You are way too sweaty and smelly to be doing that.” But the grin on her face told them all that she didn’t mind a bit.

“Oh, you know you’d be lost if I didn’t give you an end-of-game smooch.”

Letty relaxed her body and Zane eased her backwards over his arm before giving her another kiss.

Aaron chuckled. “Okay, guys, get a room.”

Zane gave him a knowing look. “You’re jealous.” He winked. 

“Right.” Maybe. Okay, yeah. He was jealous. If he was completely honest with himself, he wished he could kiss Serenity the same way that Zane kissed Letty. But instead of hoping he could talk her into playing basketball with him, she was nowhere to be seen. He focused on Letty. “Is Gideon okay?”

She nodded. “Something bothered him and I’m not even sure Serenity could figure out what. But they had to take him outside for a while. I don’t think they’ve left yet.”

Relief tangled with concern. “I’ll go see if they’re okay.” He was about to head out the door when he met them coming back in. He took in Serenity, the man she was with, and Gideon. The boy’s eyes were red rimmed, but he was smiling and he went right to a colorful volleyball in the corner, twirling it in a circle on the floor. “I noticed you had to leave. I was hoping everything was all right.”

Serenity looked tired. “It is now. I still don’t completely understand what set him off. We took him out to the park and that seemed to work as a reset.” She released a heavy sigh. “It’s times like this when I wish he could talk and tell me what’s wrong.”

“I’m sorry. I’m glad he’s fine now.”

“So am I.” Her eyes widened and she blinked at him. “Wow, I’m totally spaced out tonight. I haven’t even introduced the two of you. Aaron, this is my brother, Tuck Chandler. Tuck, this is Aaron.”

Serenity’s brother. Of course. The similarity between the two of them was hard to miss. The dark hair, the brown eyes. Even some of the mannerisms. Now he felt like an idiot for being jealous of the guy. 

Tuck put his hand out. “It’s good to meet you.”

“You, too.” Aaron shook his hand.

Serenity jerked her chin towards the center of the court. “I take it the game’s over? I’m sorry I missed the rest. You played great, though.”

“Thanks. It’s a lot of fun.” He took a swig from his water bottle and looked to Tuck. “I hear your sister used to play basketball. I’m hoping to convince her to go out there and play a game with us one of these weeks.”

Tuck raised an eyebrow. “She used to be quite good. My hat’s off to you if you can get her back on the court.”

Serenity jabbed her brother in the stomach with her elbow and tossed him a disapproving glance. Her gaze flitted to her son. Gideon was sitting by the ball, his hands over his ears, and his eyes squinting. “I’d better get him home before we have a repeat performance.”

Tuck nodded. “I think that’s a good idea. Go ahead and take him out. I’ll be there in a few minutes.”

She opened her mouth and closed it again as if second guessing what she was about to say. “I’ll see you at work tomorrow, Aaron. Please tell Letty and Zane goodbye for me.”

“I will. You guys be careful.”

She smiled, took Gideon by the hand, and left the gym. Aaron didn’t take his eyes off them until they disappeared. It was then he turned his full attention on the tall man studying him. 

Tuck cleared his throat. “Do you have a few moments? I have something I want to talk to you about.”

“Of course.” What could Tuck possibly want to talk to him about? Aaron led the way to the door and they stepped into the hall. He waited for the other man to speak first. It didn’t take long.

“I’m going to cut to the chase here. You’ve managed to make my sister miserable.”

Wait. What? “I’m sorry?” Aaron swallowed hard. He remembered Serenity telling him her brother was a cop. Yeah, he’d guess he was good at his job, too.

“Serenity’s been an emotional mess the last week and we didn’t know why until this weekend. I thought that, since I was in town, I’d come meet the man that seems to be at the epicenter of her difficulties.”

Was this guy serious? How did he manage to keep from blinking for so long? “She’s not the only one who’s been miserable. Did she tell you about the guidelines?”

“I’ve heard about them. But I’d like for you to explain them to me in detail.”

Aaron did just that. He told Tuck about the couple that caused the issues in the first place, about how Cynthia had let everyone know about the new policy, and then how she’d summoned Serenity to her office.

Tuck seemed thoughtful. “And you say the board voted this through? It seems a bit of a stretch.”

“I agree. But here we are.” Aaron wished he knew what the man was thinking. He was allowing little emotion to show on his face.

Tuck shifted his weight, his gaze intense. “And what are you going to do about it?”

“There’s a quarterly board meeting scheduled in a couple of weeks. It’s open to the public and I’m going to attend. I want to speak with them and see if we can’t remove the guidelines from the school’s policy.”

“Have you told Serenity about this?”

Aaron had wanted to talk with the board first. He figured if it solved their problems, great. If not, he was going to have to decide what to do next. “I have not.”

The cop’s eyes pinned him in place. “And what plan do you have should they decide to leave the guideline as it is?”

“I plan to weigh my options then. But looking for another job is among them.”

Tuck sat up straight again and gave a firm nod. “Good man. In that case, I may be able to help. Keep your plans and I’ll do some digging.”

Aaron got the feeling that he’d passed whatever test Tuck had put him through. He was still trying to catch up with it all. But if the man was offering his help in getting the board to change the guidelines, Aaron wasn’t about to turn that down. “Any assistance you can lend would be greatly appreciated.” He reached out and shook Tuck’s hand for the second time. “For the record. I’d do anything in my power to make your sister happy.”

~

By the time the weekend rolled around, Serenity was more than ready. She was tired of trying to find some kind of balance with Aaron at work. When they spoke, things were friendly. Yet she was constantly peeking over her shoulder, half expecting Cynthia to be there.

It was so bad that twice she felt like someone was watching her and Gideon in the parking lot. While she was certain it was her own imagination, it’d been nerve wracking.

Serenity heard the mailman and retrieved the mail from the box near the front door. She leafed through the junk until the hospital’s name on an envelope made her gut drop to her shoes. Dreading what she’d find, she opened it and unfolded the paper.

The fees they were charging for Gideon’s ER visit was even more than what she’d expected it to be. But the amount she owed jumped off the page like a neon sign: $0.00. The bill had been paid in full. But by whom? Her eyes scanned the page but found no information to satisfy her desperate curiosity.

She withdrew her phone and called the hospital. After talking to several different people, she finally discovered that someone had come in several days after Gideon had received treatment and paid the balance using cash. He or she had done so anonymously and no one could even give her a hint of who it could have been.

Frustrated at the lack of answers, she ran through the list of people who might have gone back to pay the bill. Aaron came to mind first. That he might have taken care of it resulted in a jumble of emotions. Part of her was flattered that he would do something so thoughtful. But it was a lot of money and a bigger part of her didn’t appreciate that he might have done this without talking to her first. It kicked her need to be in control of her life into high gear.

She was about to dial his number when her mind drifted to her family. Taking care of the bill was something Tuck or Lexi would do, too. Even Lance would be tempted. But walking in and paying cash? She doubted it. She supposed it might have been Letty or Maggie. But no matter how many other people she considered, Aaron’s name kept moving to the top of the list.

She punched in his number and waited through the rings until he picked up.

“Hey, Serenity. Is everything okay?”

“I was hoping you could tell me that.” His lack of response made her assume he was surprised by her brusque tone of voice and she felt bad. If he was the one who paid the bill, it was still a genuinely kind thing to do, even though she’d rather he hadn’t. “I’m sorry. I got the statement from the hospital after Gideon was hurt. Someone walked in and paid the entire balance in full. With cash.” She paused, hoping he’d jump in. When he didn’t, she sighed. “Was it you, Aaron?”

“I’m not going to lie. I thought about it. But I knew you’d be upset if I did. Am I wrong?”

“No, you’re not wrong.” She swallowed, mentally crossing him off the list. “You’re the first person I thought of who might have paid the bill. I don’t know whether to apologize for that or not.”

“Don’t.” He was silent for a time. “You know that if you ever needed anything, I’d help you in a heartbeat. Right?”

“Yeah, I know.” Her voice sounded breathless to her own ears. “Thanks for being honest with me. I should probably go.”

“Okay. I hope I’ll see you tomorrow at church.”

“Bye, Aaron.”

“Bye, Serenity.”

She hung up but continued to stare at the photo of him she’d added to his contact information. A moment later, she dialed Tuck’s number.

“Hi, little sister. To what do I owe the pleasure of your call?” Humor laced his deep voice.

“Wow, you’re in a good mood.”

“I ought to be. I get to hang out with my beautiful wife all day. And she’s in a baking mood. Do you know what that means?” He sounded so hopeful, Serenity had to chuckle.

“You’re getting a whole bunch of sweets.”

“You bet I am.” He spoke to Laurie in the background before returning to the phone. “Seriously, though, what’s up?”

“I’ve got a little problem and I thought I’d see if you could do me a favor.” She told him about the hospital bill and how she’d weeded Aaron from the possible people who paid the balance. “They said someone came in a few days later. I doubt it’s anyone there. But could you ask for me at family dinner tomorrow? I’d really appreciate it. I want to thank whoever did it, even though I think the person should have spoken with me first.”

“Sure, I’ll ask. It wasn’t us, though. Not that I wouldn’t have been tempted. But I knew I’d never hear the end of it from you if I did.”

Serenity nodded. “You’re right about that.”

“Anyone else there at the school who might have done it?”

“I spoke with Aaron and he said no. I seriously doubt that any of the other people we know would have.”

“I’ll ask the family and call you back Monday or Tuesday.”

“Thanks, Tuck. I appreciate it.”

They said their goodbyes.

Gideon startled her when he ran into the room with something he needed help with. “Sure, big guy, let me see it.”