“Just don’t ride today. By tonight you’ll be fine. But I want details, woman.”

Natalie listened to her sister’s advice while giving her an eye roll. “I’m not giving you details.”

“You have to give me something.”

“No, I do not.” Yanking her jeans off, Natalie pulled on a pair of her favorite jogging pants. The discomfort disappeared. She had no desire to share anything that had happened the evening before with anyone but Aaron. The connection they’d made wasn’t something she had the capacity to verbalize. It was indescribable.

“Come on, Nat. Did you like it?”

With the force of a jackhammer, her sister kept pushing.

“I more than liked it.”

Holly sank down on the sofa. Delight broadcast from her, filling the room with her own special brand of sunshine. Just like always, Natalie succumbed to her sister’s loving warmth. “It was amazing,” she finally confessed. “More than I could ever have imagined.”

“Oh my gosh, Nat, I’m so happy for you.”

“Me too. I just kind of keep thinking we’ll eventually have to work through all of our stuff but I don’t want to worry about that right now.”

“Are you gonna tell him what happened?”

“He keeps asking me to but you already know a bunch of stuff happened to him when he was in the army and he won’t tell me about that. We’re at some kind of pleasant impasse.”

Holly’s brow furrowed. “Pleasant impasse?”

“Yeah, we’ll talk about it when it feels right. It doesn’t feel right, right now. I mean, unless you could tell me more about what happened to him. What exactly caused the Post Traumatic Stress?” Natalie called herself a rat for going behind Aaron’s back but she needed some idea of how to help him deal with everything.

“I honestly don’t know. He’s Dec’s patient. I only know his diagnosis. Just don’t let this pleasant impasse go on too long, okay?”

“We’ll figure it out. We’re good just like we are.” Natalie debated but went on with her confessions. “He told me he loved me last night.”

Holly’s jaw unhinged. “Wow. Nat, that has to be huge for him.”

“Yeah, that’s what Mama said, too.”

“Do you love him back?”

Natalie scooted closer to her sister. “How did you know for certain you loved Dec?”

A watercolor depiction of memories painted themselves in Holly’s eyes. “Honestly, the moment I realized I loved him was one of the most terrifying, awful moments of my entire life.”

“What?”

“It was when he walked in the lecture hall and I realized he was my professor. If we kept dating and got caught I would get thrown out of school and even worse he would lose his job and lose his green card. I sat there dying inside and then I realized I didn’t care. I didn’t care if I didn’t get my degree. I didn’t care about anything but being with him. If he’d gotten sent back to London, I would’ve given up everything here to go with him. That was when I knew it had to be love.”

Natalie considered that. No one was asking her to give up anything for Aaron, but she knew there was no cost too high. There wasn’t one thing she wouldn’t do to be with him. She loved being a cowgirl but that no longer felt like her purpose on this earth. Her purpose was to show him that he was worth being loved. “When I’m with him it just feels like everything is more.”

Holly beamed at her. “Yeah, I get that. Kind of like it’s more than love.”

“Yeah, like maybe it’s… magic. I know I sound completely ridiculous.”

“Hey, Nat…” Tears pricked her sister’s eyes. “You don’t sound ridiculous. You deserve all of the magic in the whole world. Please don’t let what happened with Uncle Mick come between you two. He stole your magic a long time ago. I can’t stand to think he might still have that power over you. If Aaron asks about it again, maybe tell him, even if he can’t quite talk about what happened to him yet.”

“Yeah, maybe I will.”

Charging up the stairs to the library, Aaron methodically assumed yet another identity. Recalling everything he could about the temperament, verbiage, and demeanor of a criminal command officer, he slipped into character.

He hadn’t had to deal with them often, but on occasion their paths would cross. Since taking on other identities was the name of the Special Forces game, he let his training take over. Hoisting the door open, he took quick inventory of the main room in the library. Sheriff Wilheim and Hope were standing at her desk. Not ideal but he’d figure it out.

“Aaron?” Hope offered him a forced smile. “I haven’t officially opened just yet. Was there something in particular you were looking for?”

“No, ma’am. I was out at the ranch when you phoned Brock. Thought I’d come by and see if I could offer any assistance. He’ll be here in just a few minutes.”

“Well, thank you but neither of you really had to come. Other than the busted lock and shattered windows nothing seems to be out of sorts.”

“You’re certain nothing is missing, Hope?” Sheriff Wilheim was making notes on a clipboard. Aaron pretended to check around the shelves nearby all while waiting to hear Hope’s response. She’d burned her three to five seconds with silence. Never a good sign. Whatever was about to come out of her mouth was going to be a lie.

“Uh, well, nothing of any importance.” Her fingers swept over her mouth and then landed on the top drawer handle of her desk.

Shit.

“I need to know if anything at all is missing, even if it doesn’t seem significant,” the Sheriff sounded irritated. Aaron wondered how long this interrogation had been going on.

“Well, I haven’t had a chance to inventory all of the books but nothing seems to be missing. The microfiche machine was moved but it’s still on the shelf where I keep it. Have you talked with Mrs. Lee yet? You said the door between the library and the newspaper office had been opened. Maybe she knows something.”

She wanted the Sheriff to leave. Aaron knew it but so did Sheriff Wilhelm. Almost without thought, she ran her fingertips over a framed photograph of her and Brock.

“My deputy is over there now. Nothing missing from there either and they had an unlocked drawer full of cash that had been taken out of the paper’s vending machine in front of Saddleback’s. All the money is still there. Odd case.”

“Yes, it really is.” Her eyes flew from the front door back to her desk. She popped open one of the side drawers, searching through it frantically. “See, nothing seems to have been taken or even moved.”

Aaron wondered if the Sheriff had picked up on the disappointment in her declaration. Something was definitely missing. Something she didn’t want anyone to know about. Something that was most likely the very thing shoved in the waistband of Aaron’s jeans. If she already knew the letter was gone, he sure as hell couldn’t return it.

He needed a reason to stay at the library a little longer. He needed to know what she was going to tell Brock. Guilt played cruelly in her eyes. She was going to confess, not to the Sheriff but to her husband. Aaron would bet everything he had on it.

Shaking out of his criminal investigative command identity, he slid back into friendly neighbor. “Hey, Hope, Rasmussen has a scrap wood pile he’s not doing anything thing with. I’m sure he wouldn’t mind me grabbing some plywood from there and fixing the windows for you. Looks like rain’s coming in.” It didn’t but that was beside the point.

That got him a genuine smile. “Oh, Aaron, you’re so sweet but you don’t need to do that. Brock used to build houses. I’m sure he’ll take care of it for me.”

“Hope, baby, you okay?” And there was her superhero. Instead of a cape he was wearing a tool belt and carrying two pieces of wood the approximate size of the back windows of the library. Every curse word Aaron knew and a few he made up on the fly gathered on his tongue.

“I’m fine. Just kind of shocked. Nothing ever happens here and why would anyone break into a library? I only charge ten cents a week for overdue books and we’ve only collected twenty-two dollars from the book drive. Twenty of it Uncle Ev gave me. It’s not like I have any cash here. Are the boys okay?”

“They’re fine. Playing with J.J. and Hank. Aunt Jessie said for me to stay as long as you need me.”

“I’m not sure cash is what they were looking for. Ms. Lee says a few rolls of microfiche were out of place. You said the machine had been moved. Seems like whoever broke in was looking for something that was on one of those rolls of film. My illustrious deputy still hasn’t figured out that the windows were shattered from the inside out. They didn’t break them to get in. They broke them to get away. Lock was already popped on the door. Why not go out the way they got in? Odd case indeed,” the Sheriff urged.

“Other than breaking in, it’s not illegal to look at microfilm,” Hope offered.

“No, it’s not, but why not do it during regular business hours?” the Sheriff countered.

“Maybe it was just a bunch of kids who wanted to see if they could get in, mess around, and get out the windows.” Brock sighed. “I had friends who did crap like that back in school. Tell you God’s honest truth, every year at the beginning of school we used to dare the new freshman on the football team to do stuff that could’ve gotten them in a lot of trouble. We thought of it as a rite of passage, but we were also idiots, for what it’s worth now.”

It was a decent theory. Aaron had to give him that.

“School year did just get started. Dates on the moved film were about this time of year. Could’ve been some kind football glory prank I suppose.” The sheriff made another few notes on his board.

“Just doesn’t seem malicious to me,” Brock vowed.

“Me either,” Hope agreed.

“Committing a crime for any reason is still against the law. Let me know if you see anything suspicious. If anyone comes in the library in the next few days who’s never been in before I want to know that as well,” Sheriff Wilheim ordered.

“I’ll let you know,” Hope assured him. Aaron wondered if it would occur to her that he had never been in the Pleasant Glen library before that moment.

“Mr. Camden, Mr. Weber.” The Sheriff nodded to them as he made his way out.

“If you’re sure you don’t need any help with those windows, I’ll head on over to my place. Need to feed my pups.” Aaron pressed humility into his tone. Come off as a friendly everyday hero people would believe you were.

“Thanks for stopping by.” Brock offered him his hand. “You probably don’t have to work this hard to get Uncle Ev to like you, but I’m much obliged anyway.”

The assumptions people made often became the very excuse you needed. Aaron smiled. “Didn’t figure it could hurt. He’s not my biggest fan.”

Hope laughed. “He’s just awfully protective of Natalie and Holly. We all think you’re great. He’ll come around, just give him some time.”

Summoning a concerned but hopeful expression, Aaron pretended to check a few things on a nearby shelf then walked to the restroom. “I’ll be around until Natalie orders me away. These the windows they broke?” He opened the door wide.

“Yeah, but just one here and one in the newspaper office.” Hope and Brock followed after him.

“Offer still stands, if you want some help boarding them up, I can give you a hand.” This time Aaron made the offer to Brock. He knew he wouldn’t take him up on the help, but he needed the bathroom door to remain open.

“I’ve got it. God knows I’ve installed windows more than a time or two. I’ll get ’em boarded up.”

Hope went back to fidgeting with things on her desk. Brock noted her nervousness. Perfect.

“I’ll be on my way then.” Aaron saw himself out. As soon as the front door slammed shut, he slipped to the side of the library and silently eased to the back near the shattered windows. Hope was going to make her confession soon. He knew.

Cautiously avoiding the crunch of decaying leaves on the ground, he slid along the brick building, getting as close as he could to the broken window and leaving himself an escape into Moorer’s Woods if Brock should decide to come do the window work before Hope made her admission.

“Baby, what are you looking for? You said nothing was gone.” Brock’s question grew louder and then softened as he passed by the opened bathroom door. He must’ve walked to the desk. Aaron chanced edging closer to the window.

“I wouldn’t have even noticed that it was gone if I hadn’t checked to make sure the book drive money was still here. I’d almost forgotten about it,” Hope’s explanation was riddled with guilt. Aaron regulated his heartbeats.

“What are you talking about? Forgotten about what?”

“It was a… I wasn’t even going to mention it. Why would someone take that?”

The rustle of papers muffled her voice. Aaron’s jaw clenched. He chanced one more step toward the window.

“Hope.” Brock’s tone took on an edge of worry with a shot of irritation. “What are you talking about?”

The rustling papers silenced. Aaron halted his breaths.

“It was a letter.”

“A letter from who?”

“From, uh, well… it was from your father.”

The wind itself took up Aaron’s cause and ceased its restless whips.

“What the hell did he want? And why the hell was he writing to you?”

Seemed Brock disliked his own father almost as much as Aaron did.

“I have no idea. He’s never written me before. I wasn’t even sure he knew we’d gotten married. He basically demanded to see you and the boys. Said something about deserving forgiveness. I wasn’t going to tell you. I know you never want to see him again and neither of us would ever let him near the boys, not after the things he did to you. It makes you so angry to even think about him. I don’t know why I even kept it except something about it was strange.”

“Strange how?” Brock’s two-word question held more than a note of hurt and accusation.

“Weird like he almost alluded to being sick. Kind of seemed like he wanted to see the boys before he… isn’t here anymore, I guess. I know I should have told you about it. He mailed it here to the library which is weird in and of itself. But even more strange is why on earth would anyone take that?”

“How does he know you work here?”

“That’s my point. Does he have some kind of spy in the Glen? He’s never contacted me before. I promise. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you.”

“I don’t like you keeping things from me, Hope, even if they are things you know I don’t want to hear.”

“I know. I’m so sorry. I honestly forgot about it until I went to look for the money and remembered I’d shoved it in my drawer.”

“Did you answer the letter?” Brock sounded like someone had punctured his lungs.

“No.”

There was the answer Aaron needed. Unfortunately, just like any mission he’d ever worked before, the answer only brought on more questions.

“Do you want me to?”

“Fuck no. I don’t want you, or my kids, or anyone I love having anything to do with the likes of him. It’ll be over my dead body that he gets anywhere near Camden Ranch.”

So, Aaron did have an ally in that respect. He counted that as a blessing.

“That’s probably why he sent me the letter instead of you. Maybe he thought I’d invite him up. Maybe he actually thinks I’ve forgiven him for the horrible things he did to you.”

What had he done to Brock? Yet another question.

“Dad’s never been afraid to use people to get what he wants. I don’t know if he was planning on taking advantage of how sweet you are or if he figured I couldn’t read the letter if he had sent it to me.”

Aaron’s brow furrowed. What the hell did that mean?

“You read perfectly well now.” Tender pride welled in Hope’s affirmation.

“Yeah, but he doesn’t know that.”

“It doesn’t matter why he sent it to me. I want to know why someone took it. Maybe they were after the money in my drawer and got interrupted or something. Maybe that’s why they broke out the window to get away. Maybe there’s actually two culprits.”

“You playing Nancy Drew, baby?”

“I was a big fan of the Babysitter’s Club Mysteries.”

Brock’s easy chuckle said Hope was forgiven. Silently, Aaron slipped away. He waited on the train whistle that always sounded at 9:57 to crank his truck and drive away.