Fourth To Run. Carys Jones

Aiden smiled. “I’m glad you did. Having it here will make this house feel more like it’s your home too, which it is.”

      “I am excited for it to arrive,” Brandy admitted. Then her tone lost some of its lightness.

      “Do you think going to Mexico will make the nightmares stop?”

      Aiden shrugged.

      “I don’t know.” He shook his head sadly, the image of the hooded skull still haunting his thoughts.

      “I guess it’s worth a shot though, right?” Brandy noted hopefully.

      “Yeah,” Aiden agreed. “It’s worth a shot.”

      *

      “Mexico!” Betty echoed the location and adjusted her glasses so that they weren’t on the end of her nose.

      Aiden placed down her morning tea and croissant and gave her an apologetic smile.

      “Well, I suppose it’s up to you as and when you take your vacation.” Betty did a poor job of masking her indignation. Aiden understood her misgivings; he’d been at the helm of Copes and May for just under a month, it certainly wasn’t the right time to be going off on vacation.

      “It’s not a holiday,” he explained, standing beside Betty’s desk clutching his own morning cup of coffee.

      “I’m actually going down there to follow a lead on something.”

      “In Mexico?” Betty’s scrunched her features up as she spoke, making her face seem even more lined than usual.

      “I know it’s very last minute but I’ll only be gone a few days.”

      “Well, I can keep an eye on the office while you’re gone.”

      “Why don’t you take a few days off?” Aiden suggested brightly. Betty instantly shook her head as her eyes began to sparkle.

      “No thank you,” she replied courteously. Aiden wondered why she seemed so averse to having a few days’ vacation. Then he realized and felt his cheeks start to burn slightly with embarrassment. The reason Edmond had always looked after Betty as loyally as he had was because he understood that Copes and May was all she had. Betty didn’t have a family waiting for her back home at the end of the day. She enjoyed coming to work; savored the opportunity to chat with people and get out of her modest house.

      “Actually, I probably will need you here.” Aiden withdrew his previous offer and he saw Betty straighten in her chair like a wilting flower which had just been watered. She fed on her own importance within the office and Aiden knew he owed it to her to nourish that.

      “You’ll need to field phone calls for me, stay on top of incoming emails.” Not that there were many of those to deal with. Clyde White had done a sterling job of turning the residents of Avalon against Aiden yet again. At some point he’d have to win back their collective trust but, right now, he had much older ghosts that needed to be laid to rest.

      “I’m more than happy to come in during your absence,” Betty declared.

      “Good.” Aiden nodded at her and began drifting towards his own office. He had flights to book and needed to arrange a hire car once he landed in Mexico.

      “If someone asks where you are, what do I say?” Betty turned to look back at him.

      Aiden paused with his free hand clutching the door handle to his office. What did he want Betty to say? He wasn’t sure he should be openly advertising his impromptu visit to Mexico. Besides, Guy had privately given him the information, Aiden risked landing them both in trouble if word got out about his true intentions down there.

      “Just say I’m away on business,” Aiden shrugged.

      “Will do.”

      *

      Buck Fern slowed his patrol car as he passed down the street outside the offices of Copes and May. His golden sherriff’s badge winked in the light from where it was proudly attached to his shirt on his chest.

      He glanced in and saw loyal old Betty typing away at her desk. News of Aiden’s encounter with Clyde White in Home Depot had filtered back to him. Despite the sunshine burning overhead and the shimmering blue sky, Buck knew that a storm was heading towards Avalon. Aiden had foolishly brought back the girl who had ignited a fire of hate within the town.

      Buck pressed on the gas and moved on past the offices, further down the street. He squinted against the sunlight beneath his stetson and turned up the stereo in an attempt to drown out his own thoughts. His whole body struggled against the weight of protecting his beloved town. Too many people were gone; their memories plaguing his every step. Buck couldn’t escape the ghosts of Avalon but he’d honor their memory; he’d ensure that their beloved town could weather this encroaching storm.