“I know this is not what you wanted to hear, and I sure hoped this would all be over before now. How is our vocal judge handling it? Making your life miserable?”
“She’s doing about as expected, being held here against her will and such. But all I can say is work faster.” Rance was in a quandary. He had no idea why he couldn’t say just how difficult the whole situation was, but something kept him from that. Perhaps because it wasn’t that bad…not after the first day. If anything, there had been a truce called. And she was trying to be a model prisoner for want of a better term. But somehow, he couldn’t bring himself to share those developments with his boss.
“Well, I’ll be in touch hopefully with a much better update soon enough. Hang in there.” He hung up.
They had arrived in silence last night, and Erin had gone to her room and claimed a headache when he knocked on her door later to tell her that he had some sandwiches ready for dinner. She had not come out again. Then that morning, she had come out of her room with some folders and notepad, poured her coffee mug and headed outside to find a quiet place to do some work. He had left her to it. But the clock was moving forward, and it was getting close to lunchtime. Surely, she would come inside soon enough. He gave up that notion an hour later. He once again made some sandwiches, placed some fruit on the plate along with chips, and headed outside, a soft drink in hand.
“Your brain is probably in need of some recharging about now. You’ve really been hitting those folders hard.” He sat the plate on the table beside the stack. She took the drink from him.
“Thanks. I lost track of time. I tend to do that when I work. But I would have remembered it sooner or later. You don’t need to be a waiter or cook or whatever.”
“I don’t mind. I do have to eat also. Besides, we’re still plowing through all those dishes that Tori brought us the other day. It’s not like I’m slaving over a hot stove creating a masterpiece. Just a plain club sandwich.”
“I appreciate it.” She took a bite and looked up at him still standing beside the table. “Where is yours? Did you already eat?”
“I brought yours out first. I am not very good at balancing plates and glasses.”
“Well, you should eat also. You usually sit out here or fish. I noticed you haven’t done much fishing. You might as well take advantage of it while we have to be here, don’t you think?”
“That sounds like a good idea. Let me get my food and then I’ll see if I can’t catch Big Mo on my line today.” He disappeared inside but soon returned with his own plate. They sat in silence, each in their own thoughts for a few minutes.
“I know you were on the phone earlier. I suppose there’s no word yet. My sentence hasn’t been commuted?”
He shook his head. “I’m afraid not. They are making headway but nothing yet that would allow us to return to the city. Maybe soon. I know you’re ready to get back to your world.”
“My world,” she repeated. “Yes, there is that. And what about you? Why do you stay away from where your family are? They obviously love and miss you. You could ask to be reassigned to another jurisdiction…closer to Destiny’s River.”
“Funny that in these last few days, that has been on my mind more than usual.” Rance stopped at that as he realized he had said out loud what he’d been thinking. She pounced on that admission.
“So, you do have that desire to connect more and be present where your family is. That is a good thing, not a bad one. Too often I see the results in my courtroom of what happens when that strength of being part of a family or cohesive unit of care has led to problems…often violent ones. Before I launch into the ills and needs of the family ties or lack thereof, I will just say that it’s a wise decision to explore.”
“How about you? Could you see yourself giving up what you have attained career-wise to be part of a familial group for the same reasoning?” He watched her surprised reaction slowly change as she pondered the question. He waited and realized he had no idea what made him ask the question, but its response was becoming more important as the seconds ticked by.
“If I had the ties that you do,” she began with a slowed, thoughtful response, her gaze fixed on some point across the river, “and a place such as Destiny’s River where roots and history played such a large part in the overall fabric of myself…I think it would be more persuasive in being a catalyst for such a change to take place. It gives continuity through time, a meaning to yesterday and how it transforms tomorrow and beyond that. You become part of the fabric of something. It is hard to put into words, except to say that you have been blessed with what too many don’t have and don’t understand in today’s world. What you make of it is up to you and any family you might have to add to the pattern.”
“You saw all that in the limited time you’ve been here? You are indeed one smart jurist. And I mean that in the best possible way.”
“Blessed or cursed,” she responded, “however one chooses to look at the ability to place yourself in someone else’s well-worn shoes, for however short or long, has served me well. I can empathize while still maintaining my oath to render the law in a just manner. At least, I try my best.”
They had both gravitated with coffee cups in hand to stand at the water’s edge. The sound of rushing water over the small rapids filled the silence. Soft calls of birds added their own conversation. It was peaceful and enveloped them—not according to the positions they held but just as humans sharing the reality of the moment, shoulder to shoulder, time and space the only reality.
“There’s always been a special peace for me here,” he said, his voice lowered as if they stood in a church instead of on a riverbank. “When I needed to escape to find a way to rejuvenate my soul…so to speak…it was to come here. And I spent six weeks here more recently, on medical leave. It was better than any medicine a doctor could give.”
“Medical leave?”
“On-the-job issue…a car chase that ended badly, and I had a few bruises and such. But as you can see, this place put me back together again. I was able to get back to work a little early and that put your assignment to me. Aren’t you lucky?” He gave a slight smile, and his gaze met her solemn one. The breeze picked up and blew a few errant strands of her hair across her cheek. Both her hands were wrapped around her mug. It was only natural that he would help her out as he raised two fingers and lightly brushed the strands back to the side of her head, skimming the soft flesh of her cheek. She didn’t flinch. His fingers didn’t drop away. Instead, they slowly dipped to trace their way along her jawline, which followed his direction to lift slowly to allow his head to lower and without hesitation lips met, light as feathers, not forcing, not invading, but just touching in a manner that was evocative and time-suspending. No thoughts, just the awakening of two souls too long buried under the minutiae of everyday living. Not judge and lawman…just a man and a woman.
The sounds of the river grew a bit more insistent, and their lips were still. It was hard to decipher who drew away first…maybe simultaneously? Either way they ended up in silent regard each of the other. The sound reverberated again, and reality came back. This time they stepped apart and the moment shattered with the arrival of another matter at hand. Rance withdrew the cell phone from his pocket and took a couple steps away to answer it. That gave Erin time to return to the table and regain some space.
She was aware that whatever the call was, it had straightened Rance’s shoulders back into their almost rigid line, ready to move into some sort of action. Something inside her told her that the call might be one to change everything. Just in the nick of time. The realization of the kiss, and how unintended it had all been, began to play across her brain and left her little time to reflect or gather thoughts. He clicked the phone off and slid it back into his pocket. When he turned to her again, there was no sign he had any time to recall what had happened between them.
“That was Matt. We need to make a quick move away from here. Gather your things, I’ll close down the place, and we’ll be out of here.”
“Has someone found us?” The sudden shocking thought had put an edge in her voice.
That caused Rance to slow down and add to his statement. “Not someone but something…those dark clouds on the distant horizon we saw yesterday were dropping a deluge of rain way up in the hills above us. That water flows down through the canyons and can become a mean force downstream. It’s headed our way, so we need to move for safety reasons. Get whatever you need, and I’ll get the jeep ready and close up the rest of the house.” He headed toward the garage where the jeep was stored.
She had other questions, but they could wait. She was a Texan and knew that rivers were beautiful…until they weren’t…then they were tsunamis on land and devastating to all in their path. She grabbed toiletries and clothing and looked around the pretty cabin, making a silent wish for it to be spared whatever disaster could be headed its way. It had come to represent safety and something else to her, but there was no time to dwell on that part. Rance had come inside while she was gathering her things and he was at the front door, a backpack over his shoulder, waiting for her to exit ahead of him.
