Below The Broken Moon (Chapt 3)

Laney Dobbs’ clothing was still permeated with the scent of scalloped potatoes that Aaron’s mom, Elizabeth had served with ham as a dish for dinner. As she ascended the steps of her parent’s front porch with a sleeping Jacob, snug to her shoulder, she picked up the smell in his hair too.

Her parents had already gone to bed. Early to bed, early to rise, that was their ritual. She’d already dressed Jacob in his pajamas before leaving Aaron’s mom’s house. It made it easy to slip off his spring jacket and lay him in his crib. He opened his tired eyes and smiled at Laney. She said a silent “thank you” to her precious boy for being so good while they ate dinner and visited with Aaron and his mom.

The bed looked all too inviting, though Laney didn’t think she’d be able to sleep until she replayed the evening in her head a few times. If she had a quarter for every time she’d told herself to give up on Aaron Felding over the past six months, she’d have a small fortune stowed away in several cookie jars.

Yet tonight, he’d been the Aaron she’d seen during their stay at the cabin in the snowstorm, aside from the debate they’d started into while on a walk through a field near the house.

The plush comforter on her bed cushioned the back of her head and she felt her body relaxing. The scene spun into clear view behind her closed eyes. While walking, they began an ethical discussion, one they’d debated in class on human genetics.

The scenario was of a husband whose wife was terminally ill. The couple wanted to have eggs removed from her body to be fertilized by him in vitro and implanted into a surrogate mother. Laney argued that there were too many children in need of homes in the world, while Aaron saw the husband’s need to keep a part of his wife with him however he could.

“Bubby!” Jacob yelled, letting go of Laney’s finger. He toddled over to pull on Aaron’s coat. Aaron lost track of what he was trying to say. She’d been planning her next point in the argument, and the words ready to tumble from her mouth when Aaron began to stutter.

“And, and, and…” He stooped to pick Jacob up. “And your mom needs to go on a date.”

Laney had been holding back from laughing, but the need left her when she heard him say that. “A date?” She burst out.

But he only looked at Jacob, saying, “Yes a date. Then she wouldn’t be so uptight and everything.”

“Hey!” Laney exclaimed, ready to swat him.

He pulled Jacob back. “Careful, I have the baby.” A smile penetrated through all the seriousness.

“And who do you propose I go out on a date with?” She asked, tilting her head. “I don’t exactly have a line of suitors banging on my door.”

Aaron glanced from Jacob, to Laney, then back to Jacob. “She’s exaggerating. There are a few who are interested in taking her out, but none are right for her. How about me?”

Laney said nothing because it was Jacob he was asking permission of. She again, held back a laugh because of how absurd he was being - absurd but sweet. Teasingly, she told him by speaking to Jacob the very way he had, that Aaron needed to enroll in charm school instead of college for the fall semester.

When they headed back inside Elizabeth made coffee and set out a carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Jacob squealed with joy upon seeing the fluffy white topping.

Afterward, Aaron and Jacob played with Aaron’s old matchbox car set that Elizabeth hunted high and low for. She and Elizabeth sat at the kitchen table with mugs of steaming coffee. Elizabeth loaded hers up with sugar and Laney looked on in wide-eyed wonder and then they both started to giggle.

“It’s bad for me, I know. I may as well drink sweet cream with coffee flavoring!”

Aaron was such a mystery to Laney that she couldn’t help but stare back and forth from mother to son and wonder if she and Jacob would be as close one day.

“Thank you for having us for dinner. Jacob loves potatoes of any kind and the cake was delicious.”

“Aaron’s dad loved my scalloped potatoes. The carrot cake is a favorite of mine.” She admitted.

Laney took the opportunity to tell her that she was sorry about Aaron’s father.

“We were divorced, you know.” She said with a burdened sigh. It was easy to see that she still cared for him, as Aaron had told her that night at the cabin.

“It was rough on Aaron.” She continued. “Not that he’ll tell you that. He’s a stubborn soul, my son. He thinks I’ll wilt away if he goes off to a real college this fall.” She smiled faintly, wrapped her hands around the warm mug and sipped. “I can see he has a soft spot for you two though.” She added.

Laney’s heart beat picked up. The banister was being used as a makeshift ramp for the cars and the boys were making ‘vroom’ noises all too loudly.

She forced a smile. “You haven’t seen us in class together.”

“I hear you get along fine.” Elizabeth said, but she could see a teasing gleam in her eyes. “From what I hear, you have a lot in common.”

That made Laney laugh and they finished their coffee chatting about idol town gossip.

Between the time they’d taken their walk and when Laney was ready to take Jacob home, a light rain had fallen. She buckled him into his car seat. When she turned around, Aaron surprised her by slipping his hand in hers. He pointed to the field next to the truck. The air was chilly, but damp and humid. The rain had captured the scent of the flowers blooming in his yard. It rose into the air with the moisture, surrounding them in a natural perfume. The moon hung like an apple slice above a hill in the distance. All around it was a golden hue, which made it hard to see the shadow of the other side.

“It looks broken.” She whispered. Kind of like you right now. That was what she wanted to say as she thought about how he’d lost his father. Then she cleared her throat and spoke up. “Do you know that it’s the same distance away from us on the horizon as it is when it’s above us?”

He smiled and said, “It’s an illusion that the moon looks bigger as it rises and sets.”

Aaron was looking at her, melting her with those gentle brown eyes of his and finally when she figured she’d pull her hand from his and get in the truck, he asked, “So how about it, Laney? Do you want to take the chance and go out with me next weekend?”

Immediately, she glanced at Jacob, trying to think of a way to tell Aaron that she’d only been away from her baby while she worked and while at school and that was enough. Still, she felt the strong urge to say yes. She hadn’t had any fun outside of motherhood, since becoming a mom. Maybe she deserved a night out.

“I would have to see if I could find a sitter for Jacob and it all depends on how he’s feeling.” She was cautious in saying that, not wanting to spoil the moment. “I can call you mid-week and let you know.”

It could’ve been the way the moonlight cast shadows on his face, but she thought she caught a hint of disappointment in his features. Had he expected her to say yes and fly into his arms? She still had a lot to learn about men. Trouble was, she wasn’t sure she was up to the task, now that one was right there in front of her, one who confused her as much as made her feel good.

“Maybe it’s too soon for me to ask. I mean you have your son to take care of. It’s okay. You seem like you’d be okay ending up like Mrs. Eweler.”

Mrs. Eweler was the town’s eighty-year old virgin and everyone knew it.

“You jerk!” Laney snapped.

Aaron’s lips were turning up in a grin. “How dare you!” She said, stomping the ground. But she had to laugh.

She wasn’t going to back down. She said again, “I’ll call you in the middle of the week.” Then she moved in one quick motion and leaned up, slowly to his cheek. He stood very still. She could smell the same aftershave she remembered at the cabin. It brought a warm feeling to her cheeks. Her lips pressed to his cheek and her heart spoke for her with words she couldn’t yet grasp. “I’ll see ya.”

When she pulled away, he mumbled something like, “Later.” And she left him standing there while she pulled away in the truck.

On Wednesday, her resolve had broken. Her mom was at the counter rolling out pie dough. “Aaron Felding asked me to go out with him this weekend.” Laney assumed it was going to be as simple as dinner or a movie. But her mom surprised her when she turned around to face her.

“We already heard.”

“Huh?”

“Your dad and I ran into him at the store the other day. He was getting some supplies to fix the pipes in his mother’s basement. He asked us if it’d be okay.”

“What?” She was flattered and yet upset with him. She was going to call him. She was going to –

“If it’s alright with you, we thought we’d take Jacob to see Grandpa Murley on Saturday.”

“But Grandpa Murley lives in Campton! You’d have to stay overnight!”

“Yes, but as you know he’s not doing so well and I’m sure he’d like to see Jacob while he still can.”

“Well, I’ll drive up with you.” Laney offered, forgetting about Aaron.

“Elaine Marie, Aaron was so certain you’d want to go to Hollowfax with him.”

“Hollowfax?” Laney was annoyed. Why wasn’t she filled in on all this before now? And then she realized. Hollowfax was the small fishing and resort town an hour away, where they’d done field work out at sea for college.

“You’d be alright with me going?”

Her mom grinned. “Laney! You just completed your last semester of the year with an almost perfect average. You’ve been working so hard.”

“And you’re okay with Aaron?” Laney was used to her parents being stricter about guys, especially after becoming pregnant with Jacob so young. She was twenty-one now, but she still lived under their roof.

“Come on Laney, we’re not talking about Nick here.”

Yeah, she had to bring Jacob’s father into this. “Obviously, Mom.”

Before his second year of college was up this past spring, Nick had dropped out of school and now had to work at the hardware store in their town to pay support on Jacob, whom he had no interest in seeing. Laney was glad it was rare she ran into him. One of the few times she had, he’d shot her an accusing look, as though his whole life was a wreck because she’d wound up pregnant.

“Yes, let’s stick to a better subject. I think you should call Aaron and see what he has planned.”

A bit later, Laney decided to call. Jacob was down for his nap, with the spring air gently tossing the sheer, white curtains in her bedroom. Her cell phone lay on top of a stack of books on her nightstand. She reached for it and the piece of paper with his number she’d copied from the phone book.

Elizabeth answered the phone.

“Hi Ms. Felding. It’s Laney.”

“Hi Laney! I told you, it’s Elizabeth. How are you doing? And how’s that boy of yours?” She could feel her smile through the phone.

“I’m fine, and he’s napping right now. He’s great. Thank you again for dinner the other night. I really enjoyed talking to you.”

"Me too Laney. I don’t get to chit-chat with other gals too often. Aaron is outside, but I’ll holler out for him.” Then she added, “I think you’re gonna like where he’s taking you on Saturday.

Laney pictured Elizabeth running her hand through her hair, twisting this way and that trying to figure out where Aaron was at the moment.

Aaron came to the phone all too quick. She heard him clear his throat. “Laney? Hi!”

Poor Aaron. Laney pounced. “So are you going to tell me where you are taking me in Hollowfax on Saturday?”

“You’re going to go?” He sounded surprised.

“Sure. If you still want me to.”

“Okay. How about I pick you up around 2:00 p.m. on Saturday? You’ll want to bring something nice to wear. Informal, but dressy.”

“Bring something?”

“We’ll be spending the night. But just so you know, I booked us separate rooms.”

“Spending the night?”

“Laney Dobbs, you’re going to pass up staying in a hotel right on the beach? Your parents said they’d have Jacob at your Grandpa’s house.”

“I love being in the loop.” She retorted, rolling her eyes.

“Just think of it as a nice surprise. You need to get away. I can’t think of anyone I’d rather go with.”

He probably expected her to gush and say, “Really Aaron, how sweet.” The truth was, her palms were sweating and her heart was pounding. That kiss she shared with him started playing, rewinding and replaying behind her eyes. She could even taste his lips. Okay, that did it.

“I’ll be ready when you get here. Bye.” And with that, hands shaking, she hung up. How was she going to get through an entire twenty-four hours with him when he made her this nervous?

Saturday arrived. She’d packed and repacked her suitcase at least twenty times, not that she bothered counting. The closet that used to be full of her clothing was now packed to the doors with Jacob’s things, so her mom had taken her and the baby shopping the day before. At a trendy store, they’d picked out a wrap skirt with mainly blue colors. It had pretty, floral layer of chiffon that lay over blue silk underneath. Her mom had found a sleeveless white top that hugged what curves she had and complimented the skirt perfectly.

Earlier that morning, her mom had come back from the store and she said she met up with Elizabeth and they picked out a dark blue necklace and matching earrings for her. After her parents left with Jacob for Grandpa’s house, she called Elizabeth and thanked her.

She stood on her front porch in a pair of jeans, a pink tee shirt and denim jacket when Aaron pulled up in his Blazer. The ride to the shore was fairly uneventful. She was surprised they made it through an hour without disagreeing on something. They, in fact found something they did have in common. Aaron brought a CD he’d burned and Laney heard numerous songs she loved on it. He liked music with a little edge too. Once, he accidentally hit the button which switched the stereo over to the radio and a country tune blared out of the speakers. They both made a face and wound up laughing.

“You don’t like country?” He asked.

“Oh I do but only certain songs.”

He scrunched his face up and his expression made her laugh. She remembered seeing him make that face in class before and how he could make anyone laugh when he did.

“What, you don’t at all?”

He made the face again and she almost snorted.

The hotel in Hollowfax towered five stories into the sky, and as he promised, it was right on the beach. They were given rooms side by side with adjoining doors. Her room was beautiful, with a high ceiling, champagne colored walls and golden accents. The bed was king sized with a comforter on it twice as fluffy as the one that lay on her bed at home.

The first thing she did was fall back on the bed to test it out. “Aaron, this hotel is amazing. You didn’t have to get two rooms. I would’ve slept in the chairs in your room or the floor or something.”

He was watching her with a content smile beginning to show, but then he shook his head as she sat up on the bed. “We both needed this time away. Everyone agreed on that. Don’t worry about the cost. I don’t want either one of us to have to worry about anything.”

With that, he left her to dress and mentioned they could take a walk near the marina before they had dinner.

“Where are you taking me?” She probably should’ve let it be a surprise, but she was so curious. And of course he wouldn’t tell her.

“Just get dressed.” He insisted.

The outfit looked even better then she thought, now viewing it in the full length mirror in her room. She hot rolled her straight hair, to give it more volume and applied some make-up, which she hadn’t worn in a long time, because she didn’t really see the point, being so busy with Jacob.

Tearing into her suitcase, she found her purse and her cell phone and called her mom to see how Jacob was. She told her he was just fine. He was racing a remote control car around Grandpa’s freshly paved driveway with her dad and Grandpa Murley.

Relief flooded through her veins and she continued getting ready. Aaron would be knocking shortly.

When she swung the door open, her denim jacket in hand, he stood in the hall wearing a sky blue dress shirt and gray dress pants. A suit jacket hung over his arm. His dark hair was styled a little different and he was wearing a stylish silver watch on his wrist. Their mom’s had obviously had a hand in matching their clothes.

Laney couldn’t help but joke. “Elizabeth has good taste.” But what she really wanted to say was how incredible he looked.

“As does your mom.” He teased back, but the glimmer in his eyes said something more. Seconds felt like minutes, and then he brought something crinkly sounding and sweet smelling from behind his back.

Aaron held a bouquet of red roses. “Wow!” She exclaimed, taking them. Backing into the room, she thanked him and mentioned that she’d seen a vase somewhere in the bathroom. He stood near the door, waiting, as she filled it with water and set the roses on the window sill.

The water near the marina was calm and they spent some time quietly watching small fish pluck insects off the surface, and the fisherman and tourists coming back in from a day at sea.

Laney stopped to think about the last time they were here and how melancholy Aaron seemed in the months prior to that class trip. That day on the boat, he seemed more at peace, smiling and talking with the other students, going about his research. It made her wish now that she’d known what was wrong. Without thinking about it, she slipped her hand through his as they leaned on the railing. He glanced her way and gave her a smile.

Without letting go of her hand, he led her down to the shore and they walked along in the sand, not saying much. “You’re too quiet.” She spoke up, but she smiled to let him know she wasn’t upset about it. “If you want to talk about anything, I’m all ears.”

He stopped and then moved her hair out and gently tucked it behind her ear. “No, you’re ears are the perfect size.” He smiled faintly, and then said, “I’m fine. I’m enjoying not having to think about so much, but thanks. If I need to vent, I’ll be sure you’re first in line to hear me out.” Then he looked her up and down. “I thought you were taller than this.”

She held up her sandals. “Bare feet.”

When he looked down at her toes she wiggled them. And he made that face again, as if he were taken aback.

“What now?”

“Your feet!” He pointed.

“Yeah, what’s wrong with them?” But she knew she had odd shaped toes. They looked like ET the extra-terrestrial. Her face flamed red. She’d even painted her toe nails so the wouldn’t look so weird.”

“Oh nothing.” He took her hand again and continued walking.

She repeated, “What’s wrong with my feet Aaron?”

He snapped his head in her direction. “Nothing. They’re fine. I heard you talking to Karen about them one day and about how your Grandma had strange looking toes. I guess I just didn’t realize. Hey, at least they aren’t hairy!”

“You’re a doofus.”

“A what?”

“You heard me.”

“Well, the nail polish makes them look,” He paused. “Almost normal?” He glanced at his watch. “God, we’re going to miss it.”

“What are we going to miss?” Laney began looking around.

“The ship.” He began tugging her hand and leading her back toward the marina. The sun was setting and the moon, more than half full, was high above them. They reached the dock and began to speed walk toward a large ship that was blasting its last signal before departure.

“A sunset dinner cruise?”

“Yes, and we won’t make it if we don’t hurry.”

They scurried up the ramp and made their way to the back of the ship. Strings of lights decorated every angle of the deck, outlining the boat, giving it a “Disney Main St. Electrical Parade” effect.

Laney was pleased. “This is awesome, Aaron!” She took his hands in hers as the captain’s voice came over the loud speaker welcoming everyone to The Star Maid, and telling everyone to enjoy their trip.

The engines roared to life as the boat slowly began to creep its way from land. They peered over the back railing and watch as the huge propellers churned the water into a frothy white wash.

As the boat gained speed, they ventured their way to the front deck for refreshments before dinner. Champagne was brought out on trays to be served and Laney took one, but noticed that Aaron declined.

“Excuse me, I’ll be right back.” He said, making his way through the crowd of people that formed around a live jazz band playing near the door to the dining hall.

She grew nervous when he disappeared from view, but smiled when she saw him heading back with what looked like a “Shirley Temple”.

“I used to get those all the time as a kid.” She blurted out, and then stopped because she hoped she wasn’t implying he was being childish for drinking one. Though, she couldn’t help but add, “I loved getting extra cherries too.”

Hoping no one was looking; she grinned at him and sloshed her champagne over the railing into the water. “Where did you get that?” She pointed to his drink.

He seemed surprised that she threw a perfectly good drink out, but told her he’d go get her one too.

When he got back with hers, she counted. “Hey, you had one more cherry than me.”

“Are you always this particular?” He questioned. He was trying to appear serious, but it didn’t work. “Oh yeah, I remember. You like banana chips in your trail mix too.”

She nodded. “Of course.”

They sipped their “Shirley Temples” and enjoyed the live jazz band playing a silky smooth ballad in the background. A little later, the captain’s voice came over the speaker announcing that dinner would be served in the dining hall.

Inside they notice small, crystal chandeliers hanging over each table. Each place setting had cards with names on them and eventually, with some hunting, they found theirs.

Laney was surprised to find their table in the very center of the room. Aaron looked at her with a devilish grin.

“What did you do? Why is our table the center attraction?”

He ceased with all joking and looked at her with heat in his eyes. “Because I called ahead and requested we have the center table.”

“Why?” She asked, clearly confused.

He reached for her hand and she found his a little shaky. “Because I want you to know how important you are to me Laney. I should’ve talked to you about what was going on with me. I’ve wanted to pick up where we left off last winter, but I didn’t know how. Now I see the opportunity to do that. And I want you to know that you’re an amazing person.”

Laney’s eyes clouded with tears. She wasn’t one to get worked up with emotion on the spot, but what he said had meant something. When she glanced at him, he lifted his finger to wipe a tear that escaped her eyes and gently wipe it away. They studied each other for a moment and were interrupted by a waitress ready to find out what dish they wanted for dinner.

As the food was served, the lights in the hall faded dim and the men were instructed to look under their name cards. Laney lifted the card and there they found a box of matches to light the two candles that were centered in the middle of the table. Each candle was lit and the scent of wax and sulfur permeated the air.

Laney watched as Aaron began to cut his steak, thinking about how odd it was to be here, an hour away from their little town, yet it seemed a thousand miles from home.

Without warning, the sound of a gunshot rang out and several of the women nearby screamed.