Claiming Holly (Holiday Cove 1)

Aaron heaved a sigh and looked down at the floor. “It’s all right. This whole thing’s fucked up. This morning, everything was fine…and now…I should’ve just fucking been there.”

I tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, unsure of what to say or do. I wanted to comfort him, but I couldn’t find one tiny light to shine on the grim situation. “Even if Jack had ejected from the plane before he crashed, what were the odds he’d make it safely to the ground? And, even if he had, is he safe?”

“Not with a desert full of crazy ass motherfuckers who wouldn’t think twice before killing him in the name of war. Or worse, taking him prisoner. Fuck!”

“So, this Sparks dude, did he see anything else?” I asked, feeling stupid and out of my league once the words left my mouth.

Aaron looked up from the floor and met my gaze. His eyes were still steely and intense, but the edges had softened. “They’ll find him. I have a buddy who’ll call me as soon as they find out anything else.”

“Why didn’t they call and tell you when all of this happened?” I asked, thinking back to how Aaron hadn’t known anything about the crash when Rachel and I had arrived.

“Technically, I’m not supposed to know any of this. I’m not in the Navy, anymore, so it’s not my place to be involved, even when it comes to Boomer and his operations. My buddy’s going out on a limb and risking his job for even telling me as much as he already has.”

I nodded, silently thanking whoever it was who had spoken to Aaron. “What do you think? And be honest with me, trust me, nothing you say can be worse than the scenarios I’ve already imagined.”

Aaron considered me for a moment, then looked to Rachel, who nodded in agreement. “If anyone can make it out of that god forsaken place, it’s Boomer. You may think he’s some calm cool dude, but Boomer...that man has the heart of a warrior.”

Relief washed over me at Aaron’s solemn statement. The news that he’d ejected was starting to sink in and change into a glimmer of hope after all. “I hope you’re right.”

“I’ll do my best to keep you informed, Holly. I know Boomer’ll ring my fuckin’ neck if I don’t.” He grinned and his stiff posture relaxed slightly.

“Thanks,” I replied. “I appreciate your help. I’m sorry we showed up, unannounced.”

“No worries,” he said, shrugging. “Listen, I’ve got my phone on me, and I’ve already got your number in there, so if you guys wanna go, I understand.”

Something about the way he said it, made me think he didn’t really want us to leave. He was Jack’s best friend, and from what Jack had told me, they were more like brothers. I knew that without Rachel beside me, I would’ve turned into a basket case—more than I already had—and maybe Aaron needed some support as well.

“We could stay,” I offered. “Maybe help out around here? I know I could use a distraction.”

Rachel nodded and I suppressed a smile, knowing she wouldn’t mind getting a chance to provide some distraction for Jack’s handsome friend if she got the chance.

After a moment, Aaron’s smile grew. “Sure. I have a flight tour for the next hour, but feel free to look around, hang out, and I’ll come find you when I land. Then we can go get dinner or something.”

Rachel nodded and linked her arm with mine. “We’ll be right here. Have a safe flight.”

Later that night, Aaron took us into town and we ended up going to a little pub that was big on charm and had an outdoor seating area right on the beach. Aaron was a complete gentleman, making sure we both had full drinks, and made recommendations for what to order. He knew everyone in the place by first name, and the waitress fawned over him like she was a high school cheerleader and he was the captain of the football team. The evening was as pleasant as it could be, but every time Aaron’s phone chirped, an eerie, tense silence would fall over the table, until he checked the name on the caller ID, sent the call to voicemail, and returned his attention to his meal.

Waiting for him to get more information was sheer torture. But I felt better being with him than I had sitting at home, with nothing to do but listen to the news regurgitate the same stories for the hundredth time.

“So, Rachel, what is it that you do?” Aaron asked, smiling in Rachel’s direction from across the table.

“I’m a dental hygienist in Newport Beach.”

“Do you like it?”

“It pays the bills,” she replied, giggling. She tossed her long sun bleached hair over her shoulder. She was wearing a long, silver chain necklace that shimmered against her stunning tan. “I spend a lot of time at the beach, so the hours are nice. No weekends.”