Rochelle Alers - Her Wickham Falls Seal

Her single focus was educating his daughters and nothing beyond that. She had no intention of becoming his friend or replacing his wife as a mother for his children. She’d given up her condo to move in with a man who’d deceived her, and now she was giving up her home on Long Island to move in with a man who would become her employer. And she had a hard-and-fast rule never to engage in an affair with a supervisor or coworker. She had witnessed firsthand the fallout and embarrassment when a first-grade teacher had been dating the school psychologist, who hadn’t disclosed he was married, and was confronted by the man’s pregnant wife after she showed up unexpectedly at the school building to threaten her husband’s lover.

She climbed another flight of stairs with Aiden until they came to the third-story landing and his home/office/bedroom. A king-size platform bed, bedside table and a brown leather love seat were positioned under an eave, while a workstation with a desktop and printer was placed in front of a window overlooking the front of the house. An entertainment stand held a television and stacks of DVDs. Taryn walked over to the credenza to study several framed black-and-white photographs. The image of an elderly couple sitting on a bench holding hands captured her attention. There were other photos of the same couple with the tall thin man dressed in his Sunday finery, while the short dark-skinned woman by his side wore a Native American beaded dress and moccasins.

“The woman is my maternal grandmother,” Aiden said as he moved closer to Taryn. “Grandma Esther belonged to North Carolina’s Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians. My sister is named after her.”

Taryn’s eyes went from the photographs to Aiden’s features, noticing he’d inherited his grandmother’s high cheekbones. “Is she still alive?”

“No. She died eight years ago, exactly one month to the day my grandfather passed away. My mother claimed she died of a broken heart.”

“How did your grandparents meet?”

“That’s a long story. I’ll tell you about Grandma Esther’s people another time.”

Taryn wondered if Aiden had told his daughters that their great-grandmother’s tribe had occupied what is now Western North Carolina for countless centuries. “How much time do you spend up here?”

“A lot, but only when the girls are away. Whenever they’re here I sleep in the bedroom across from theirs as a safety precaution.”

She did not want to imagine the consequences of someone attempting to break into Aiden’s house. Given his size and military training, there was no doubt he would prove a more than worthy opponent. “Do you have a lot of crime in The Falls?”

“We have burglaries and vandalism, but it’s been years since there’s been a murder. Most of the break-ins are from kids hooked on drugs and looking for something they can easily sell so they can get their next fix. Back in my great-granddaddy’s day it was the revenuers chasing moonshiners, and now it’s the sheriff and his deputies going after those dealing drugs.”

“How large is the police force?”

“We have a sheriff and three deputies now that they’ve hired Seth Collier. Seth grew up here and enlisted in the Marine Corps. The sheriff got the town council’s approval to hire him.”

“How many folks from here join the military?”

“It has to be at least forty to fifty percent. Now that most of the mines are closed, boys who graduate high school have to find employment elsewhere. The recruiters from all the branches come during career week and have a windfall when they’re able to sign up kids who can’t wait to get out of The Falls. Some join and become lifers, while others use the military as a path to complete their college education.”

“Like Sawyer?”

Aiden nodded. “I was a few years ahead of Sawyer but he was one of the smartest kids to ever graduate from Johnson High. He made straight As and had a near perfect score on the SAT. Everyone was shocked when he enlisted in the army instead of going directly to college.”

Taryn smiled. “It looks as if he didn’t do too badly.” Jessica’s software engineer husband had become a multimillionaire before turning thirty.

“He’s done very, very well for himself. We’re just glad he decided to come back and give back when he donated the money to create a technology department for the school district.”

“Do you like working at the Wolf Den?” she asked.

Aiden gave her a lengthy stare, then said, “Yes, because I like cooking.”

“Did you go to culinary school?”

A hint of a smile parted his lips. “Why would I go to culinary school to learn to prepare fancy dishes for patrons who can’t pronounce or know what foie gras is? A cook by another name is a chef in his own realm. The Wolf Den has been run by Gibsons since the 1920s, and we continue to stay in business because we’ve established a reputation for grilling the best steaks and smoked ribs in the county.”

Taryn laughed. “Okay, Chef Gibson, let’s continue with the house tour.” Jessica told her that she and Sawyer visited the Wolf Den at least twice a month because the food was exceptional and that Wickham Falls had only two eating establishments—the Wolf Den and Ruthie’s, a family-style buffet restaurant. Jessica had disclosed that the townsfolks repeatedly voted down the town council’s proposal for a fast-food chain, fearful it would impact Ruthie’s viability. The Wolf Den would remain unaffected because they served beer and alcohol.

They descended the staircase to the second floor where Allison and Livia had adjoining bedrooms. Aiden’s bedroom was opposite theirs, and a guest bedroom was at the end of the hallway along with a full bathroom. The girls’ bedrooms were quintessentially girlish with white canopy beds, matching dressers and chests. Window seats were covered with brightly colored cushions stamped with animated Disney characters. Photos and figurines of fairies were in evidence in Livia’s bedroom. Her older sister’s bedroom was less whimsical with framed photographs of birds and flowers. Viewing the rooms gave Taryn a glimpse into the personalities of the two girls who were close in age yet differed when it came to their interests.

“Now, the basement,” Aiden said as they again took the back staircase.

“I noticed the girls don’t have a television in their rooms,” Taryn remarked.

“There was a time when they did, but I had to take it out because they would turn it on late at night when they should’ve been sleeping. They aren’t allowed in the attic, which means they can’t watch television there. Your suite is off-limits, so again they’re denied. I have a television in the basement with parental controls, and they’re only allowed two hours of television a day because I don’t want them addicted like some kids.”

“Did you get rid of their TV?”

“No. It’s in the basement storeroom. Why?”

“I’m going to need it for the classroom. Even though I didn’t do it with my kids in New York because I taught third-graders, I’d like to designate Friday afternoon for free time and show age-appropriate movies, along with popcorn. If Daddy isn’t working, then he’s welcome to join us.”

A flash of humor crossed Aiden’s features. “I’d like that as long as I don’t have to sit on a little chair.”

“What if I order a beanbag chair for you?”

“I’d prefer a recliner.”

She rolled her eyes at him. “Recliners are not allowed in the classroom.”

“What if I string up a hammock?”

“Keep pushing it, Aiden. If your old joints pop and crack when you sit down, then I won’t invite you to join us.”

“I’m not that old.”

“You’ve got to be at least forty.”