Page 49 of Three Months Yesterday

But of course Aiden doesn’t need the words to continue. “Before I was a small-town sheriff, I was a special agent with the FBI. More specifically, I was a supervisory special agent—or as a civilian might say, a profiler.”

“I’m not⁠—”

Aiden doesn’t let me finish the thought, continuing as if I never opened my mouth.

“Stalkers aren’t necessarily something the BAU handles, and they definitely weren’t something my unit dealt with, but Ian is still going to send me everything he has so I can build a profile.”

His attention stays focused on me, but the sound of the mug shifting against the counter starts up again, and suddenly I’m wondering what made Aiden switch careers. Working for the FBI seems like a pretty prestigious career, one that isn’t given up lightly.

Maybe one day I’ll earn learning Aiden’s full story, but I know that day isn’t today.

“I—thank you.”

“I’m not doing it for you. I see the way you are with my sister. I won’t warn you to stay away, that’s not the kind of brother I am, but I swear if you hurt her, whether through your actions or the actions of people around you, I will hurt you worse than you can possibly imagine.”

Aiden lifts the mug to his lips and takes one more gulp before giving me a brief nod and turning for the door. He’s gone before I actually register the threat in his words, but even when I do, I don’t blame him for them.

I replay everything that’s happened with Madison—the heated looks, the intimate touches, the loaded kisses. Everything in me wants to dive headlong into the decision we made this morning, but Aiden’s words swim in the background of my mind.

Am I putting Madison in danger?

Will this all blow up and hurt her?

Should we be giving this thing a shot?

Going from seeing Beckett for ten days straight, to not talking for four days is something I’ll never understand.

It’d be easy to assume he’s avoiding me, except I know I’m the one avoiding him. Besides, a man trying to avoid someone doesn’t make his presence known. I still see him every morning as I leave for my run, and every night when I finally make it home from the crazy day at the inn there’s a new origami flower left by the coffee pot.

Not that it makes it any better.

It’s crazy to me how much I miss him after such a short time and how different that is from anything I had with Mark.

To make it worse, I’m pretty sure he knows I’ve been avoiding him. Which makes me like him even more. Instead of pushing me to truly explore some kind of relationship with him, he’s giving me room to figure out what I want.

If only I could.

Things have been hectic at the inn. Training Holly on top of all my standard activities, plus tackling all of the random problems that pop up, I’ve had absolutely no time for myself—even less than usual.

Wrapping up in an oversized sweater, I head for the barn. It’s early for me to be home, especially on a Friday, but Holly didn’t work today and my body was telling me I needed the time away.

Even with the twelve to thirteen-hour workdays all week, I can’t remember the last time I actually stepped away from the inn—or my family—in any capacity. The fact that I took off last Sunday and ditched out of work early today is completely out of character, and I’m not entirely sure how I feel about it.

The moment my feet hit the porch steps, I notice Beckett’s 4Runner isn’t parked outside and the disappointment’s instant.

That feeling alone should probably tell me exactly what I want, but for some reason I still can’t trust it and I need to figure out why.

Is it fear from spending ten years with someone only to realize Mark wasn’t the right person? Isn’t that something I should have figured out sooner?

Is it fear of neglecting a relationship the way Mark and I both did?

Is it fear of getting attached to someone who might not stay?

Even if those reasons are valid, I can’t let fear guide me. I’ll never live my life if I do.

I’ve dedicated everything I have to building this inn and supporting my family, but has that been the best thing for me?

How many opportunities have I missed because I refused to leave Stonebridge Hollow for more than a few hours? How different would my life be if I gave up a little control?