Page 8 of Summer Ever After

He chuckled. “People order the pies and have them shipped home.”

She nodded. “I know. We should add them to the shop or try to get them in the local grocery stores.” She smiled at him and, for the first time since she’d arrived, she really relaxed.

They were halfway through their food when the door to the adjoining staff offices opened, and Zoey stepped through with Elle on her heels. Both women were holding tablets, clearly in the middle of a meeting. But the moment Zoey saw Beth, her brows pinched.

“Hey,” she said, veering towards them. “Everything okay? I thought you had today off.”

Beth set her fork down and wiped her hands on a napkin. “Yeah, I do. I just…” She glanced at Aaron, then back at the two women. “There was a car. It followed me after my lunch with Julie. I don’t know for sure if it was him, but... it didn’t feel right. So, I ended up here. Thankfully, Aaron was in the parking lot and must have scared him off.”

Aaron’s jaw tensed. He’d only really scared him off if he didn’t plan to return.

Zoey’s expression darkened instantly. She didn’t ask who Beth meant. She didn’t need to. “What did the car look like?”

Aaron spoke up. “Black four-door sedan. She couldn’t see the plates. It had tinted windows. I’ll check the parking lot footage to see if it shows up on any of the road cams.”

“I’ll let the front gate know to stay alert,” Elle added, her voice already crisp with focus as she pulled out her walkie-talkie.

“Already done,” he said quickly.

“Then I’ll update the watchlist to be on the lookout,” Elle added with a nod.

Zoey leaned against the table, meeting Beth’s eyes. “We’ve got you, honey.”

Beth nodded slowly, emotion flickering across her face again. Only this time it was gratitude mixed with exhaustion, and maybe a little relief.

“I’ll walk her back to her car later if she needs to go anywhere,” Zoey said to Aaron, straightening again. “She can crash in my office for a bit if she wants to avoid going home right away.”

Aaron nodded. “Thanks. I’ll be back in my office pulling footage. If anything shows up, I’ll loop Brett in when I meet him back at the office.”

“I’ve got her,” Zoey said, sitting down next to Beth.

“Thanks,” Aaron said, already pulling his walkie-talkie from his pocket and standing up to go. “Don’t go out to the parking lot alone. Find me if someone else can’t walk you out.”

Beth nodded as Elle sat down in the booth in his spot. “We’ll have our meeting here,” Elle said with a smiled aimed at Beth. “If that’s okay?”

Beth nodded.

“I’ll update you if I see anything we can use,” Aaron said. “You’re good here?” he asked Beth.

She looked up at him, her eyes steadier than before. “Yeah. Thanks.”

He nodded slightly and headed out the door. Stepping into the heat of the day, he got Brett on the walkie-talkie as he crossed the path towards the security office.

He kept his eyes moving, scanning tree lines, rooftops, and everyone who passed him. It wasn’t paranoia. It was training. And right now, it felt oddly personal.