Page 65 of Shielding Aubree

While the brass believed that Alara was wrong since no one had attacked Aubree, Ruben couldn't shake the feeling that Alara was the only one who really had her head screwed on straight.

Using the power washer on the pool deck had helped occupy his time and thoughts. The subtle but unending vibration that he felt through his hands was doing its job, but it was the moment he turned off the machine and set it aside that all of his worries rushed back into his head.

He reached into his pocket for his phone and before he could talk himself out of it, he dialed Aubree's phone.

It rang a few times before it clicked over, and he heard her voicemail message.

"Hey. It's Aubree. I hate recording these things. So do the thing and make it worth the cringe I went through for this message. 'Kay?"

After the beep, he struggled with the idea of what to say. Then decided to go with the truth.

"Hey, it's Ruben. I was just thinking of you. Missing you, really. When you get a chance, call me. I know you're going to be upset that Alara left to head back to San Antonio. I can't say I'm happy about it either. So stay safe, Aubree."

He was about to hang up but decided to add one more comment. "I love you, 'Bree. I can't wait to hold you again."

He ended the call and heard some chirping from the direction of the trees.

Nothing odd, but still, he turned to look.

Instead of one of the local birds, he saw a mountain lion looking back at him.

Ruben blinked and forced the beat of his heart to slow from the sudden uptick in speed.

The mountain lion made no move to come closer.

In fact, he made no move to go anywhere.

Instead it just looked at him.

And Ruben, looked back.

He kept expecting something to scare the large cat off.

Something crept up into his memory.

The sound of Aubree's voice.

"It was my brother, Diego."

Ruben narrowed his gaze at the lion and wondered how scared she must have been to see a wild mountain lion when she'd been trapped in her car, after the wreck.

Still, she didn't think about the lion as a wild thing.

Her words replayed in his head."It was my brother, Diego. I saw him. Or rather..."

He remembered the way she'd looked down at the ground, avoiding his gaze.

"I saw him in the eyes of the mountain lion who laid down beside me in that wreck."

The lion hissed at him, lifting its chin as if he wanted to lock gazes with him. Ruben didn't flinch or take a step back.

It wasn't because he was or wasn't afraid of the animal he saw.

He didn't move because he was hoping it would say something to him. Something about the reason it was there.

Or what he was supposed to get out of their... meeting.

"Ruben?"