Perfect Night (Mason Creek)

“Your dad would be proud.”

That was enough to choke me up again. “I hope so.”

I spent the next hour setting up each employee’s security code to open the doors. They would only get access to the doors they needed. Dad’s office was only available to me.

The bar was starting to fill up when I went up front to let Jack know I was leaving for a few hours. Jack wasn’t alone. He handed Aiden a beer, and Aiden’s eyes locked on mine. Damn him for being so handsome; and he wasn’t wearing a cowboy hat. There on his head was a baseball cap sporting the name of our high school across it.

Instantly, I was transported to that first time I saw him, and my teenage girl parts had gone all tingly. I sidled over and said, “Hi, stranger.”

Chapter 6

Aiden

There weren’t many places for people to congregate in town. I went to the bar, telling myself I wasn’t going to see her. She wasn’t around when I entered. Jack was there, whom I’d come to see. I took a seat on one of the bar stools. As much as I wanted a beer, I had my first Sunday dinner with my parents in years. Mom would smell any hint of alcohol on me like a bloodhound.

“Beer,” Jack said, like it was a foregone conclusion.

“Not today. Coke? In a bottle?”

Small towns made for judgmental people. I couldn’t have people’s first view of me thinking I was a drunk.

“In luck, I have a few in the back from the last festival. We get them for the kids. They get a kick out of them.”

I vaguely remembered the bar had a booth at the festival every year. When he disappeared into the back, a few people I’d known growing up came over and congratulated me for being named chief deputy sheriff. None of them had been good friends of mine, so the conversations were short.

“Here you go,” Jack said, handing me the bottle after popping the cap off.

“Chief deputy sheriff, huh?”

“Yep.”

“Things are changing.”

“How so?” I asked and took a sip of my Coke.

“Doug’s gone. Stanley left for Florida,” he shook his head.

He’d given me an opening. “I heard you were the one to find Doug.”

His head drifted side to side like he could picture it. “I’ll never forget that day. I didn’t see him at first. I came around the corner and he was just lying there. Not moving.”

I had to tread lightly. “That must have been a shock.”

“Yeah.” He ran a hand over his head. “I went to help him, but he was cold. So cold.”

A couple of people came through the door, and Jack shifted to get their orders. I didn’t want to spook him. So I finished my Coke, ready to pay my tab and leave if he didn’t bring up the topic again, when Emma came over.

She smiled and came over. “Hi, stranger.”

“Hey, yourself. I didn’t expect to see you here.”

“Dad would want me to keep living. Anyway, I was just leaving.”

“Me too. I’m heading over to my parents’ for dinner.”

“Sounds better than my plan. Peanut butter and jelly for me if I’m lucky.”

I grinned. “Come with me,” I offered.

“I couldn’t.”

“You can and you will if you don’t want Mom to kill me. Once I tell her I saw you, the first thing she’ll ask is if I offered for you to come over.”

“Will Alana be there?”

I chuckled. “I’ve been warned to stay far away from her business. So that I don’t know.”

She laughed too. “I can see that. Especially when you kicked the ass of every boy who looked at her. She had a party when you left for college. Not a literal one.”

“I know. No party could happen without our parents knowing. Now will you save my life tonight?” I winked, then I remember. “Oh, Evan is welcome too.”

She blew out a breath. “He’s gone.”

“Oh. Is that good or bad?” One corner of my mouth tilted up.

“You’ve learned from your sister?”

“I plead the fifth,” and picked up my Coke only to realize it was empty. “Please come. Otherwise, she’ll send me over with a plate.”

She waved her hand. “Oh, the plates.”

“Don’t you have a lot of them?”

“Exactly. So much food shoved at me, peanut butter and jelly sounds divine.”

“Your loss,” I said.

“Except for your mother’s apple pie.”

I smiled widely; I felt the corners of my eyes crinkle. “You have to have dinner first.”

“You know what, yes. I’ll go.”

I took out my credit card from my wallet and she waved my hand away. “Your money’s no good here.”

“Sure it is. And don’t say anything else. You know everyone in town. You can’t comp them all.”

“Fine.” She plucked the credit card from my hand and keyed the register. Then she handed it back to me with a receipt. “Sign here, please.”