A Stranger on the Beach(42)

She jotted some notes. I took the paper she held out; then she walked me to the exit.

“Thank you,” I said, sincerely, and shook her hand.

“No problem. Stay safe. And maybe—”

She hesitated.

“What?” I asked.

“Not to be judgmental or anything. But you should be more careful who you associate with. A one-night stand, who knows what you’re getting into. Could be a nice guy, could be a nutjob who likes to hurt women.”

She walked away before I had a chance to protest that I’d never done anything like that before, and never would again.





28


Caroline had told Aidan they couldn’t be seen together in public. She freaked out when her friend with the big mouth saw him at spin class. He hadn’t even wanted to go to the stupid class. He did it to be with her. And now she was using it as an excuse to avoid going places together, at a point when their relationship should be taking off, going public, turning into something long-term.

Sometimes he wondered if she loved him as much as he loved her.

“You shouldn’t hang out with Stacey. I can tell she’s not your true friend,” Aidan had told Caroline afterward, out on the street.

“True friend? What are you, in eighth grade?” she’d said, laughing.

That lilt in her voice when she was amused was so adorable, he didn’t even mind being the object of her laughter.

“I’m just saying, you deserve better.”

“I agree, but what can I do? My circle is full of catty people like Stacey. She saw what she saw, and she’ll talk. She knows everybody I know. It was an unforced error. I can’t afford any more of those.”

She was worried about her divorce case. He got that; he felt the same way. The last thing Aidan wanted was to screw up her divorce. He wanted her free, sooner than later, so they could be together for real. And he wanted her to get the money back, and keep the beach house, so they could live the life he dreamed of. The two of them together in that house on Gramps’s land, for all the world to see.

“These people in your life treat you so bad,” he’d said. “Not only your friend, but your husband. I worry about him. About what he’s mixed up in. I want to protect you.”

“How can you help me? Jason is so volatile, and you’re not around,” she said.

“I can make sure he doesn’t hurt you.”

“How? You heard what I said. You can’t be seen with me, without having it damage my case.”

“What if I were to follow him, to see what I can find out? To get some leverage?”

The city passed them by on all sides as Caroline held his gaze. Cars honking their horns, sirens blaring, people rushing. It was nothing to him. All he saw was her. He would do anything for this woman.

“Okay,” she said, finally. “But Jason can’t see you. And it’s better if we don’t communicate for a while.”

She glanced around to make sure nobody was watching. Then she stepped up to kiss him lightly on the lips and walked away. He would miss her terribly if they didn’t communicate, even if it was only temporary. But he had to do this—for their future, for her safety. The conversation he’d overheard in the parking lot before the husband slugged him weighed on Aidan’s mind. Half a million dollars, and the Russian chick. That jerk was up to something, and Aidan feared that Caroline could be in danger. He would find out, one way or the other, and put a stop to it.





29


Manhattan was an easy place to follow someone. On every block, at all hours, there were people out and about. Aidan spent days on the husband’s tail and got good at melting into crowds. He would find that perfect doorway to duck into. Or step into a bus shelter, drop behind a parked delivery van, peek out from behind a dumpster, lurk behind some scaffolding, you name it. Nobody ever noticed a thing. He would find a diner, or worst-case scenario a Starbucks (friggin’ coffee cost enough to fix his car), with a big window, and sit and wait forever, nursing the one coffee he was willing to pay for. It was easy, though granted, the hours were long. He would do that all day, then drive out to the island for the late shift. Clock in at the Red Anchor at four, clock out at midnight. Up at dawn the next morning, get in the car, drive back to the city, take up his spot outside Caroline’s apartment by eight thirty, when the husband would leave. And do it all over again the next day. It took its toll. The time, the money. Gas, parking, coffee while he sat and watched. So far, he hadn’t seen much. But he did it for Caroline.

It was a warm, blustery day. The winds were out of the south, smelling of summer still, but picking up yellow leaves that had fallen from the trees and swirling them on the sidewalk. He pulled Caroline into an alley between two buildings. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes, and his tongue found hers. The kiss was so intense that he was hard in a second.

She pulled away, eyeing the bulge in his pants.

“Oh, my,” she said, glancing up and down the street, giggling in a way that sent chills through Aidan. Like she wanted him. Thank God, too, because he was starting to wonder.

“Can we go back to your place?” he said, reaching for her again.

She dodged his hands. “No. You know that’s not smart.”

“How about a hotel then?”

She’d have to pay, though. That did bother him. The man should always pay, but he couldn’t.