Chapter 20

CHAPTERTWENTY

The last four days had been some of the happiest of Ashlyn’s life, for no other reason than she’d spent them with the man she loved.

They’d stayed at her apartment Sunday night into Monday, then had gone back to Slate’s house the rest of the week. When she’d carefully removed his shirt Sunday night, before settling him into bed, the bruises covering his body shocked her. Slate had way downplayed his injuries. Ashlyn had refused to let him push himself too much after that, insisting he give himself time to heal.

But it was obvious yesterday that he was mostly back to his old self. He insisted on working out Thursday morning, lifting some light weights and doing sit-ups and pullups—no running yet.

It was Friday morning, and time for them both to return to their normal routines. Even though he didn’t have to go back into work until Monday, Slate was anxious to talk to his commander and give his account of what happened in Afghanistan. Her man was damn stubborn, but also, luckily, a fast healer.

They’d finally made love last night. Ashlyn had attempted to keep things slow and easy, but it wasn’t long before they were both too desperate to continue that route.

Slate had been insatiable, telling her over and over how much he loved her as he made her orgasm three times with his mouth and fingers before taking pity on her. She tried to roll over so he could take her from behind—she freaking loved when he fucked her that way—but he wouldn’t allow it, forcing her onto her back and sinking deep inside her while they were face-to-face.

“After everything that happened, the first time we make love,” he said, emphasizing the words, “I want to see your face. Want to look into your eyes so you can see just how much I love you.”

She’d melted. How could she say no to that?

And he’d done just what he’d said, thrusting over and over slowly, steadily, without taking his gaze from hers. He’d brought her to the edge once more, until she was begging him to let her come. The second she curled into him and began trembling, he’d lost it, pounding into her again and again, repeating I love you, I love you, to the beat of his thrusts.

Afterward, they’d clung to each other, their hearts racing a mile a minute.

Now she was in her car, trying to stop daydreaming about last night.

She was looking forward to seeing her clients again. Though, they were more than clients. They were her friends, and Ashlyn was excited to see what she’d missed in the last four days. It was hard to believe it was only Friday. It felt as if weeks had gone by. Her life had changed so much in the last few days…for the better.

Elodie, Lexie, Kenna, Monica, and Carly had been overjoyed at the change in her and Slate’s relationship. And yes, Ashlyn had heard a lot of “not surprised” and “about time” from her friends, but she wasn’t annoyed in the least. It was obvious they were all thrilled for her and Slate.

Everyone on her route was happy to see her as well. Jazmin was excited to show her Henry’s first tooth peeking through his gums. Briar and Curtis showed off their latest drawings, and Brooklyn was bursting with happiness because Trey had gotten a new job that paid five dollars more an hour. Even Christi smiled more than usual as they sat in the sun on her back porch for twenty minutes.

The only person who wasn’t happy was James.

Ashlyn had approached his house with a spring in her step, excited to see him. But the second she saw him when he opened his door, she knew something was wrong. He smiled when he saw her, but something was definitely…off.

It took a bit of cajoling to get it out of him. After some small talk, after putting the piece of key lime pie Elodie had made on a plate for him, and after telling him all about the change in her and Slate’s relationship, she said, “So are you going to tell me what’s wrong, or are we going to sit here for the rest of my visit and pretend nothing’s up?”

James sighed. “I’m eighty-nine years old. You’d think I’d be used to people disappointing me by now.”

“What happened?” Ashlyn asked.

“It’s about Aiden.”

“Your home health aide?”

“Yeah. I’ve had my concerns about him for a while, but I wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. The boy hasn’t had an easy life, and he’s been extremely helpful,” James said.

“But?” Ashlyn pressed when he didn’t immediately continue.

“You know I’m not a fan of banks, right?” James asked.

Confused about the change of subject, Ashlyn nodded. “I keep telling you that things have changed since you were a kid. That it’s safe to deposit your money now.”

James gave her a small smile. “I know, but old habits are hard to break. My parents talked about the depression all the time when I was growing up. They lost a lot of money because of the situation with the banks, and until the day they died, they kept their savings in the house. And don’t talk to me about interest,” he said, holding up a hand. “The paltry amount banks give you is a slap in the face. They’re making money hand over fist on our accounts, and yet they give us pennies on the dollar. It’s a rip-off!”

Knowing James could get extremely worked up when talking about this particular subject, Ashlyn tried to redirect him. “What happened with Aiden?”

James sighed. “I got my retirement check yesterday. Aiden was happy to take me to the bank to cash it. I always wait until I’m alone to hide my money. After Aiden left for the day, I went into the kitchen to put the money in one of my hiding places. I saw movement in my peripheral vision. It was Aiden, looking in through the window. I don’t think he knew that I saw him, but I can’t in good conscience have him in my house anymore.”

“Oh, James. I’m sorry,” Ashlyn said. “Are you sure he was actually spying on you?” It was a silly question, but she couldn’t help but ask anyway.

James simply looked at her with raised eyebrows.

She sighed. “Yeah, dumb question. Sorry.”

“It’s not just that,” James said. “I mean, after I was sure he was gone, I could’ve easily switched up where I put my money…but there are other things he’s done that have made me uneasy for a while now.”

“Like what?”

James waved his hand in a dismissive gesture. “It doesn’t matter. I called the agency just before you got here and told them I didn’t need their services anymore.” James then slowly pushed himself out of his chair. He walked over to a small table against the wall near the kitchen and picked up a cardboard box. It was about double the size of a shoebox. He carried it over to where Ashlyn was sitting and held it out.

Ashlyn took it from him. “What’s this?”

“My life savings,” James said calmly as he sat back down in his chair.

“What?”

“It’s all the money I have in the world. Took a bit of time to remember all my stash spots in the house, but I think I got it all.”

“I can’t take this!” Ashlyn exclaimed.

“It’s not a gift,” James corrected gently. “I might be old, but I’m not senile…yet.” He smiled, but Ashlyn wasn’t finding anything about this situation funny.

“I want you to hold on to it for me. I know it’s not fair of me to ask, but I’m asking anyway. I trust you, Ashlyn. You’ve given me no reason not to. I kept a thousand dollars for anything that might come up, but I don’t want all that money in the house anymore.”

Ashlyn tried to think of something to say, but she was too surprised. Too shocked to come up with anything.

“I’m missing money,” James told her. “I don’t know how much, but I suspect Aiden’s been helping himself for a long while. I can’t prove it, and if I tried, I know the police would think I just forgot how much I had and that I’m a crazy old man.”

“Maybe now’s the time to open an account at the bank,” Ashlyn said gently.

James just shook his head. “I don’t have a lot of time left on this Earth, and I’m okay with that. My Angie is waiting for me on the other side and I can’t wait to see her again. But I’ll be damned if I let someone else take what I’ve earned. It’s not a lot, maybe twenty thousand or so, but I trust you to take care of it for me.”

Ashlyn wanted to cry. She definitely didn’t want the responsibility of James’s money, but she had even bigger concerns about him keeping it in the house, especially if he thought Aiden was stealing. “Okay, James. I’ll keep it safe for you.”

One of the first things she was going to do was deposit it into her account. No way could she keep this much cash just sitting in her apartment. And she had a feeling Slate wouldn’t be comfortable with that either.

She watched as James’s shoulders seemed to relax at her words. It was obvious he’d been worried about this. He seemed a hundred times less stressed than when she’d walked in.

“Good. I trust you, Ashlyn,” he said again.

“That means the world to me, James,” she told him. “But what are you going to do about a home health aide? I don’t want to offend you, but you still need help.”

“I know. Next week I’ll call the VA and see if they can recommend someone else. In the meantime, I’ll still see you Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, right?”

“Of course,” Ashlyn reassured him. “And I’ll see if I can add you to my route on the other days of the week too.” His house wasn’t near the others she visited on the alternate days of the week, but she’d figure out a way to make it work.

“You’re a good girl,” James said. “I’m proud to know you.”

Ashlyn smiled. “And I’m proud to know you.”

“Now, if you have time, maybe you can tell me more about how you and Slate went from ‘nothing serious’ to dropping the L bombs on each other.”

Ashlyn burst out laughing. “The L bombs?” she asked between chuckles.

“Isn’t that what the young people call ‘I love you’ these days?” James asked.

All she could do was shake her head. “I have no idea,” she admitted. She bent over and put the box of cash on the floor, picked up the cup of water James had insisted she pour for herself when she got there, and told her friend everything.

Half an hour later, the ding of Ashlyn’s phone sounded in the room. She pulled it out of her pocket and saw she had a text from Slate.

Slate: Tell James hello for me. Any idea when you’ll be headed home?

Home. God, that sounded good. For all the protests she’d made over the last few months about how she and Slate weren’t moving in together, it sure felt good to think of Slate’s house as their home.

“I’m guessing that’s your young man,” James said.

“Yeah. He says hi, and was just wondering when I’d be home,” Ashlyn told him.

“It’s getting late,” James said. “Go on, get home to your man.”

Ashlyn couldn’t wait to see him again. They’d spent every minute together for the last four days, and now it felt weird to have not seen him since this morning.

But for some reason, she was uncomfortable leaving James. “It’s not that late.”

“Ashlyn, go home,” James said firmly. “Besides, I’m tired. I’m gonna turn on the tube and probably fall asleep right here in my chair.”

“All right, I’m going,” Ashlyn said. “But I’m gonna call you tomorrow to check on you.”

“I’ll be fine,” he reassured her.

“Right. Then I’m gonna call tomorrow to say hello,” Ashlyn retorted.

James chuckled. “It would be silly to continue to protest getting a phone call from a pretty young lady, wouldn’t it?”

“Yup.” Ashlyn stood and went over to James’s chair. She knelt down next to it and put her hand on his arm. Because of his personality, most of the time she forgot how old and frail he really was. But touching his thin arm and being up close to him like this, it hit home how vulnerable he truly was. “I’m sorry about Aiden. I know you liked him.”

James pressed his lips together and nodded. “He’s changed lately. I didn’t realize it at first, but now that I look back, I can see it.”

Ashlyn gently squeezed his arm. “It’s better to be safe than sorry. I’ll see what I can find out about another home aide service too. We’ll get you set up in no time.”

“You’re a good woman,” James said.

“I try,” Ashlyn said. “Now, don’t eat the other two pieces of pie for dinner. Elodie worked hard on the chicken, rice, and hummus meatballs she made yesterday. I brought enough for two dinners. There’s also fruit and some bread in the kitchen too.”

“You’re too good to me,” James said, lifting his hand and putting it on her cheek, much as Slate did.

For a moment, Ashlyn could picture her friend as a young man, wooing his wife and being protective and bossy, just as Slate was with her. It made her smile.

“Love seeing you smile,” James said. “Now git. Go home to your man and have a wonderful weekend.”

“I’ll talk to you tomorrow.”

James rolled his eyes, and it made Ashlyn smile.

“And call me if you need anything. I mean, it, James.”

“Yes, ma’am. I will. And…” His voice lowered. “Thanks for taking care of that for me.” He nodded to the box sitting by her chair.

“Of course.” Ashlyn leaned forward and kissed James’s cheek. “Talk to you soon.”

“Lookin’ forward to it.”

Ashlyn stood, grabbed her cup and brought it into the kitchen, putting it into the sink. Then she went back out into the small living room, picked up James’s life savings, smiled at him once more, and headed out to her car. She walked a little faster than she usually would, paranoid because she was carrying so much cash.

Thinking about how unhappy Slate would be, knowing she was walking around with twenty thousand dollars, Ashlyn picked up her phone when she was safely inside her car with the doors locked.

Ashlyn: Headed back to Food For All now. I should be home in forty-five minutes or so.

Slate: Sounds good. I’m making pasta with roasted veggies for dinner.

God, the conversation was so…domestic. Ashlyn loved it.

Ashlyn: Sounds great. Got a lot to talk to you about when I get there.

Slate: Everything okay?

Ashlyn: Yeah. Had a good day.

Slate: Okay. Gonna let you go so you can drive. Be safe.

Ashlyn: I will. See you soon.

Slate: Love you.

Ashlyn smiled and stared at the two words on her screen. It was amazing how good they could make her feel.

Ashlyn: Love you too.

Then she started her car and pulled away from the curb. It was almost scary how well things were going in her life. For a moment, she wondered when the other shoe would drop. It always seemed as if when things were going good for her, something usually happened to mess everything up.

But she wasn’t going to think about that. Everything was fine. Great. Even if she and Slate inevitably faced problems at some point in the future, right now, everything was wonderful.

* * *

Aiden hung up the phone, threw his head back, and screamed in frustration.

He’d just been informed that James Mason no longer needed his services.

That old bastard couldn’t fire him! Not now. He needed that job. Needed the money from the hidden stashes around his house. Without his dope, Aiden would literally die. Or at least it would feel like it when he went through withdrawal.

He’d had to take more and more heroin lately to maintain his high. And the only way he could afford to get as much as he needed was by supplementing his income. James’s money was the fastest and easiest way to accomplish that.

The guy got free food delivered, he never left the house. He got retirement money from the Navy and social security. He hadn’t missed a dime of what Aiden had already taken, so why should he even fucking care if Aiden needed a few bucks?

He’d been a little careless yesterday. After they’d returned from the bank, he knew James would hide the cash as soon as he was alone…and Aiden needed some of it. So he’d snuck around the side of the house and watched as the old man hid his money. It was a good thing he did too, because James had put it in a new spot.

He didn’t recall James looking at the window…but he must’ve been spotted. And now he’d been fired.

Fuck James! And fuck his job! He didn’t get paid nearly enough to deal with old people’s shit all day. They were smelly, boring, messy, and pathetic.

Aiden paced his empty apartment. The place he wouldn’t be able to afford for much longer, without a job and with a habit to support. The thought of how much money could potentially be hidden around James’s house made Aiden salivate.

Since taking a little here and there was no longer an option, he’d just go in and take it all. Surely there’d be enough to last him a good while. He just had to find it.

Plans swirled in his head. He’d make one more trip to the house. He’d apologize. He’d get back in James’s good graces…then drug him one last time. He’d been dosing his water with sleeping pills for a while. It was easier to search for the money when the old man was knocked out cold and Aiden didn’t have to worry about being caught with his hand in the cookie jar, so to speak.

He’d heard him talking on the phone with that goody two-shoes food delivery bitch about being tired and taking more naps than usual. By some weird stroke of luck, he didn’t seem to suspect Aiden, despite literally catching him dosing a glass of water a while back. How dumb could the guy be?

Tomorrow, the asshole would take a very long nap. One he wouldn’t wake up from.

Aiden didn’t even feel guilty about deciding to overdose the bastard. He was fucking older than dirt. A waste of space. He would give him a triple dose of sleeping pills then search for all the hidden money. He’d make sure to leave the house exactly as he found it, so no one would suspect anything other than an old man lying down for a nap and never waking up again.

His fingerprints wouldn’t make the cops suspicious because he came by three times a week. He’d park a few blocks over from the house, so no one would see his car parked out front. Aiden had also watched enough true crime to know to leave his phone in his apartment, as an alibi in case the police checked his cell phone records.

The more he thought about it, the more excited Aiden became.

This was going to work. If the old guy hadn’t fired him, he would’ve continued to take a few hundred bucks here and there, and it wouldn’t have been a big deal. But now, he was gonna get the mother lode of cash.

“Stupid asshole,” Aiden muttered. He had no idea if a triple dose of sleeping pills would actually kill the old fart or not, but he wouldn’t waste time worrying about it. At the very least, it would knock him out for hours, maybe even all day and night. And by this time tomorrow, Aiden would have his drugs and feel good again. Depending on how much cash he found, he could be set for a very long time.

Aiden’s only problem right that moment was scrounging up enough dough for a hit that would last him through tomorrow. He thought about breaking into his neighbor’s apartment, which he’d done once before, but decided something less risky was smarter. He could hit up the chick he knew who sometimes took pity on him, throwing him a few bucks after he screwed her…or maybe he could work out an exchange of some sort with his dealer. He didn’t like doing that, it was way too dangerous, but at this point, he’d do whatever it took to get his drugs.

“Last time,” Aiden said out loud. “This’ll be the last time I have to beg from someone else.” Then he headed for his car. Luckily, he’d filled up the gas tank with part of the money he’d taken from James’s house last time, so he had plenty of fuel to get him to Waikiki and back. He’d call his dope dealer, shoot up, and plan exactly how things would go down tomorrow.

Feeling better than he had in ages, Aiden smiled as he climbed into his car. He hit a mailbox on his way out of the neighborhood, but didn’t even notice as he headed for the interstate.