“Does everyone in town call you when they have an emergency?”
Smiling, she shook her head. “Of course not, but some of these people have gotten so they feel we’re friends and I’ll help, which I’m glad to do. It’s nice they feel that way. I’m happy to help when I can.”
“I’ll take you.”
A valet brought Aaron’s car to the door of the inn. As they drove away, she finished making her calls.
“You don’t need to speed,” she said. “I don’t think he’s hurt badly.”
“You wanted to get there before they took him in the ambulance, so we will.”
In minutes Aaron pulled into Leonard Sherman’s driveway. She stepped out of the car and hurried inside while Aaron locked up and followed.
The ambulance arrived only minutes later and soon they had their patient loaded into the back and ready to go to the hospital. As the paramedics carefully pulled away from the curb, Stella locked up Leonard’s house, pocketed the key and walked back to the car with Aaron.
“You don’t have to go to the hospital with me. I’ll call his daughter and she’ll probably want to talk to the doctor. He said she’s coming back tonight, so hopefully, she’ll be home soon.”
“I’ll go with you. These evenings are getting interesting.”
She laughed. “I told you that you don’t have to come.”
“You amaze me,” Aaron said. “I’ve never told you any news I get about anyone in Royal that you don’t already know. People tell you everything. I’ll bet you know all sorts of secrets.”
“I’m just friendly and interested.”
“People trust you and you’re a good listener. They call you for help. Mayor Vance doesn’t do all this.”
Stella watched him drive, thinking he was one person who didn’t tell her everything. She always had a feeling that Aaron held personal things back. There were parts of his life closed to her. A lot of parts. She still knew little about him. She suspected Cole knew much more.
She called Leonard’s daughter and, to her relief, heard her answer.
When Stella was done with the call, she turned to Aaron. “I’ll go to Memorial Hospital to give her the key to his house, but his daughter is back and she’ll be at the hospital, so we don’t need to stay.”
“Good. You said you wanted to get ready for tomorrow, so now you’ll have a chance unless calamity befalls someone else in this town tonight.”
“It’s not that bad,” she said.
“I had other plans for us this evening. We’re incredibly off the mark.”
“That’s probably for the better, Aaron,” she said.
“You don’t have to do everything for everyone. Learn to delegate, Stella.”
“Some things are too personal to delegate. People are frightened and hurting still. I’m happy to help however I can if it makes things even the smallest bit better.”
He squeezed her hand. “Remind me to keep you around for emergencies,” he said lightly, but she again wondered about what he kept bottled up and how he had been hurt. He might want them to be alone tonight, but she had to respond when someone called.