Letters of Love (Green Division Series Book #3) (4 page)

“Slow down,” he yelled and held the ticket up behind his back. 

*****

Aubrey watched Trooper Asshole pull out of her yard perplexed.  She was shocked he’d shown up at her door to “check on her”.  More shocked that he’d taken one of the tickets back.  Too bad it was the cheapest of the four.  She’d gladly have given him the other three.
Off to town to inspect her smoldering dream and talk to the insurance adjuster coming from down state.  
That went well.  The adjuster made her feel like a fool.  She was one, so it was an appropriate feeling.  She was on the fence about rebuilding.  Her heart and soul had been put into that bakery.  A little piece of her heart died with it.
Sigh.
She kicked the rubble about.  The only salvageable items were a few of the vintage Coca-Cola items that once adorned the walls.  How they survived was a mystery.  Aubrey loaded up a box of the salvaged items and packed them into her truck.  The street looked barren without her little bakery, but at least the buildings surrounding hers were saved.  She wouldn’t have been able to look at herself in the mirror had they not.  It was bad enough to lose her own dream, let alone others.
Putting the truck into drive, she headed for home.  Home was a one story gray sided ranch stick built with red shutters.  Much like the bakery, she’d bought it cheap and renovated it to her tastes. It was country contemporary.  It sat on one hundred acres of land with a large barn, the house located on relatively untraveled road.  One would have to go out of their way to get there.  Much like Asshole had to, to get there.
She pulled into her drive and Jill and Taylor were already there.  The lights in her house were all on, music blared from the closed windows.
“You guys found the hide-a-key.”  Aubrey closed the door behind her.
“Who needs a hide-a-key when you don’t lock your door.”  Jill raised her head.
“I locked the door!”
“Maybe.”  Taylor smiled.
Jill was Aubrey’s closest friend and confidant.  They’d been inseparable as children and their bond followed them through adulthood.  Jill was a looker.  One of those girls who when she walked into a room every man craned their neck to get a look.  Tall, blond, curves to die for.  And she had a successful CEO as her fiancé.  Jill lived the perfect life.
Taylor, well, she didn’t have the same luck.  Taylor was a redhead, not much more than 5’0”, and was nearly as wide as she was tall.  But, her personality was bigger than her physical appearance.  She’d been married since she was a senior in high school and the two beat the odds.  Twelve years of happy marriage.  
“I see you two got a head start on the wine.”
“We were testing it to make sure it was safe to drink.”  Taylor laughed.
“What’s the verdict?”
“Oh yeah, it’s safe.”  Taylor passed her a glass full of wine.  “To a better day tomorrow than yesterday.”
They raised glasses.
“And maybe to seeing that cute little trooper you were clinging to the other night.”
“Watch your tongue.”  Aubrey downed her glass.  “I have no want for that man.  He’s an asshole.”
“Yet you were hugging him so closely I wasn’t sure where you ended and he started.”
“Stop it,” Aubrey said shortly.
“I think a cop would be good for her.  Someone needs to keep her in line.”  Taylor sat on a bar stool.
“Listen you—”  Aubrey tried to get a word in edgewise.
“We’re just trying to help you,” Taylor said.
“I’ll do without the help.  Trooper Asshole has already helped me enough with three tickets coming to more than five hundred dollars.”
Both Jill and Taylor broke out laughing.
“I guess that is one doomed relationship,” Taylor put her glass on the bar.
“There is no relationship.”  Aubrey filled her glass.  “My bakery burns down and what you two want to talk about is a man.”
“We’re trying to distract you.  What better distraction than a man?”
“I’ll take a man if he’s a reasonably priced contractor and will cut me a deal.”  She smiled.  “That’s the only interest I have in any man at this point.  They are all dicks.”  Aubrey downed her second glass.
“She hasn’t had any in quite a while,” Jill commented.
“If you two came over to rub it in my face about how happily married you two are—”
“Oh stop it, we’re trying to get you laughing.  We’ll stop talking about men.”  Taylor tried to make amends.
All went quiet.
“Then what do we talk about?” Jill said after a few moments of silence.
“We can talk about your sex lives, mine isn’t open for discussion.”
“Because it doesn’t exist,” Jill added unnecessarily.
“I’m well aware.”  Aubrey got put out with her two friends.  Their job was to make her feel better.  They failed miserably.
RING
Aubrey was saved by her phone.  She stepped away from her intoxicated friends.
“Mack!” she answered happily.
“Hey Sis.  How are ya?”
“Oh, I’ve been better.”
“Mom told me about the bakery.  I’m sorry.”
“Me too.”
“I can come home for a few weeks when I get back to help out.”
“Stop.  When you get back you’re taking it easy and spending time with Meg. There’s nothing that can be done now anyway.  So when are you surprising Mom and Dad?”
“The twenty second.  So you get your little fanny down there on the twenty first and meet with us.”
“I’ll see what I can do with work, I might be a few days late.”
“You better be here.  I haven’t seen you in a year.”
He’d made her feel guilty successfully.
“I’ll do what I have to do to get there.”
“A few days away from Maine will be good for you.”
“I can’t argue with that.”  She paced around her spare bedroom.  “So are you safe over there?”
“Safe as we can be.  Don’t worry, I’ll be home and this is the last time I plan on being deployed.  One more year then I go to bein’ a civilian like you.”
“I can’t wait.” Aubrey smiled.
“Me either truth be told.”  Mack cleared his throat.  “I’m getting too old to be rolling in the dirt with the bad guys.”
Mack was thirty eight and served in the Army as an NCO.  With the age gap, Mack and she hadn’t been incredibly close as kids.  He graduated high school when she was in fourth grade.  Their interactions after that were him in the capacity of overprotective brother/baby sister. Since her college years there hadn’t been much need for him to be protective due to her lack of a love life.
“I have to go, but remember the twenty first.  Call Meg, she’s the one planning this little surprise.”
“I will.  You take care over there.”
“I will.  Talk to you later kid.”
“Love ya Mack.”
The phone line went dead and Aubrey stared at it for an extra few seconds.
“Aubrey!  Get out here!  We’re almost out of wine!” Jill yelled.
Aubrey sat down on the bed and looked out the darkened window.  All she wanted to do was take Gunny for a ride and race across the fields.  The feel of the cool breeze against her face was more appealing than another glass of wine.
“Aubrey!”
“I’m coming. Keep your pants on girls.”
“We don’t swing that way!” Taylor yelled.  That comment brought a smile to Aubrey’s face.
 

CHAPTER FIVE
Ben pushed the shopping cart through the aisles, Kip at his side throwing in food as he went.  Ben’s choices consisted of fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meats, whole wheat pasta and bread.  Kip, well, Kip ate like a kid.  Fruit By The Foot, Pringles, Pop Tarts, and Cookie Crunch were among Kip’s contributions.
“I’m embarrassed to shop with you.  Does Hanna feed you this crap?”
“Please.”  Kip opened the container of Pringles and popped one in his mouth.  “Of course she doesn’t.  That’s why I’ve gained five pounds since I moved in with you.  This is like Heaven.”
“If Heaven is a heart attack and diabetes.”
“You have your definition.”  Kip held up the Pringles.  “And I have mine.”
“Heaven doesn’t come in a can of Pringles mate.”
“You know, you’re right.  Heaven is found in between a woman’s legs.”  
Ben smiled and shook his head.  He wasn’t going to argue that, but he also wouldn’t say that in a crowded public venue.
“You are one crass man.”  Ben noticed an elderly woman who shot both of them a death glance.  “Pardon my friend ma’am.”  

Ben motioned for her to go in front of them.
“Hmph.”  She pursed her lips and walked away with her nose pointed upward.  Ben nailed Kip in the stomach.
“Jesus, man.  You were a little low, you almost got the boys.”  
Ben pushed forward to the checkout line.
“Woah,” Kip coughed on one of his Pringles.  “She’s a hottie.”
Ben looked over his shoulder at the object of Kip’s attention.  A woman leaned over in the bread aisle.
“She’s alright.”  Ben recognized the face...and the backside.
“If I didn’t have Hanna—”
“You don’t have Hanna.  Go for it,” Ben enticed, curious what Toad would said to young Kip.
“I’m getting Hanna back.  She just needs time.”
“I dare you.”  Ben raised his eyebrow.  “If she gives you her number, I’ll buy you a twelve pack.”
“Deal.”  Kip put the Pringles in the cart, ran his hands through his short hair, and strode over to Aubrey.  Kip was a looker, no doubt about it, but he was a kid.
Ben watched discretely.  To his surprise, she didn’t tell Kip to fuck off.  After a minute of chatting, she walked down the aisle and waved to Kip.
“What just happened?” Ben said curious.
“She gave me her number.”
“Shut the hell up.”
“I’ll get my twelve pack now.”
“Where’s the number?”
“Up here.”  Kip pointed to his head.
“Mhm.”  Ben knew that was a lie.  “No twelve pack.”
“I’m telling ya.  Okay, I gave her my number.”
“That doesn’t count bud.”
“I can’t go anywhere these days without seeing you,” Toad said with disgust latent in her voice from behind them in line.
“I’d say that’s a two way street,” Ben said.
“So you’re a friend of his?”  Toad asked Kip.
“He’s an acquaintance.”  Kip loaded his items onto the belt.  “Don’t hold that against me.”
There would only be one checkout line open.  
“I feel for you.” She gave Ben a dirty look.
“Listen, I did you a favor,” he said slightly pissed off.  “I didn’t have to take that ticket back.”
“Mmhm.”  Toad picked up a magazine and thumbed through it.  “Thanks.”
“You can’t do anything nice for anyone anymore,” Ben said hushed.
“Nice!?”  Toad’s mouth dropped.
“Hey.”  Kip pointed a hand at each of them.  “Play nice, we’re all adults here.  Some better looking than others.”  
Ben’s face flushed bright red as did Toad’s.
“Aubrey, right?”  Kip pushed their cart ahead.  She looked at Kip.  “I’m making a spaghetti feed tonight.”  A spaghetti feed with all the ingredients Ben purchased...and was going to cook.  “You should join us.”
“Ah—”  Ben’s jaw dropped.
“No, I have plans.  Thank you for the invite though Kip.”  She smiled warmly at Kip, then the smile disappeared as she settled her eyes back onto Ben.
“That comes to one hundred twenty dollars and fifteen cents.”
Kip paid for the food and began to load the bags.  Ben kept his back turned, the red pigment in his face started to fade back to white.
“Nice meeting you Aubrey.”  Kip leaned past Ben to wave to her.
“You too Kip.”   Toad didn’t acknowledge Ben’s presence any longer nor did Ben in reverse.  They walked to their vehicle.
“You two get along well.”
“She’s the hag I told you about.”
“Hardly a hag.  Jesus, she’s a fucking ten.  Remember what I said about Heaven.”
“Shut the hell up Kip.”  Ben unlocked the Jeep and loaded the groceries into the boot.  
Ben spent his afternoon off catching up on reports.  Lame.  Or dedicated.  Depended on how one spun it.  Kip informed him he was lame.  Maybe he was.

****

Aubrey’s blood pressure had to be through the roof.  Her ears flushed bright red as did her cheeks upon arguing with Asshole once again.  It felt as though the world tried to conspire against her at every corner—as he was at every corner, every turn.  She stewed.  
Kip was a looker, but he was a kid.  Damn, she must be getting old.  Young twenties was a “kid”.  She herself was thirty, not an old woman by far, but Kip made her feel that way.  Little party boy.  And surprise, he’d be friends with Asshole.  That made him an asshole by association.
 

CHAPTER SIX

One week later.
Aubrey watched as the remnants of her bakery were scooped up by a bucket loader and loaded onto a dump truck.  The end of her dream.  Thankfully she had to be off to work for the evening, a welcome distraction from where she stood at that moment.
“Thanks.”  Aubrey waved to the foreman of the crew and struck off to her truck.  A large crowd gathered to watch the event. The final demolition of the bakery was big happenings in the small town.  No one had anything better to do on a Thursday afternoon.
Aubrey’s flight left the following morning.  Off to see her parents and Mack.  It would be the first time her family had all been together in more than two years and she couldn’t wait.  And to get out of Maine for a week was an added bonus.