Page 13 of Summer Ever After

“I was having a hard time sleeping anyway,” she said quietly, as if explaining her decision to let him in. “We might as well not be alone.”

He nodded, toeing off his shoes near the entry and moving slowly so he didn’t startle her. “I wasn’t planning to wake you. I just wanted to make sure⁠—”

“I know,” she interrupted gently, her voice almost shy. “I appreciate it.” She motioned towards the sofa. “You can sit.”

Her place was small yet tidy. A bed was pushed into one of the corners, and a small screen separated it from the rest of the place. She had a little living room setup with a sofa, a coffee table, and a television sitting on a stand.

The kitchen was nothing more than one L-shaped cabinet space with a fridge, cooktop, and sink. No dishwasher, no fuss. The door to the side of it was the bathroom, and he could just make out dark green tiles on the floor.

She had a small kitchen table pushed up against the other wall, which held her laptop and a stack of files and paperwork on one side. On the other side was a place mat where she obviously ate.

Seeing the warmth and the safety of her place had him realizing she was safe for the night. Whoever had followed her earlier had probably been spooked when she’d turned into the camp.

Aaron’s lips twitched as he thought about staying with her for a while. Just the sight of Beth in her pajamas, the sleepy look she was giving him, made him dream about kissing her.

Which could be dangerous.

He took a step towards the door. He should go home. In truth, he was too tired to hang out for much longer. He was due back at work in a couple hours.

“I should head home and get a few hours of sleep,” he admitted, taking another step. The longer he stayed and watched her, the more he wanted her.

“Sure.” She yawned and then glanced towards the door, as if worried.

“Will you be okay?” That worried look had him stilling. He’d stick around if she was still scared and asked him to.

“I shouldn’t have let myself get worked up. It’s just…” She shrugged.

“I get it.” He met her gaze. “You’re not jumping at shadows for no reason, Beth.”

She nodded and avoided his eyes. “I… it’s been months since he tried anything.”

“When he does, we’ll be there,” he promised as she yawned again. “But I don’t think he’s going to try anything tonight.” He stepped towards the door again. “Get some rest.”

She hesitated as he walked towards the door. “You too. Thanks again, Aaron.”

A few hours later, Aaron was back in his camp uniform. The heat was almost unbearable by the time he stepped onto the main path that connected the staff lodges to the camp’s central buildings. The sun had barely crested the tops of the pines, but the humidity was already pushing its way in like an uninvited guest.

He passed a few guests out for an early yoga session on the lawn and tipped his head in greeting, his body running on muscle memory and caffeine.

Inside the security office, Brett was leaning over a screen, reviewing footage.

“Rough night?” Brett asked without looking up.

Aaron grunted and dropped into the chair across from him. “Didn’t get much sleep.”

Brett finally glanced up, and a look of shock crossed his face. “You stayed outside her place, didn’t you?”

“Mostly. Until she invited me in around two. Then I decided to head home for a few hours.”

Brett’s brow lifted, but he didn’t comment. “Anything happen?”

“Guy tried to get into her building. Drunk tourist, wrong address, thought it was his buddy’s condo. Gave him a warning and sent him packing.”

“Is Beth okay?”

Aaron nodded, rubbing a hand over his jaw. “She heard the commotion. That’s when she let me in. But since I was pretty sure nothing more would happen, I decided to head out.”

“Thanks for watching over her,” Brett said, turning back to the monitor. “We’ve added two more cameras at the lot entrance, by the way. They should help if that car shows up again. The fact that it’s not his standard truck worries us.”