For some reason, that description caught an edge of discomfort. Is that how he seemed? Is that how others perceived him?
“I wouldn’t say that about myself. Everyone wants roots. I grew up dreaming about those things like most, I think. Maybe more than most since my siblings and I didn’t have that in our beginnings for very long.”
“From bits and pieces of conversations and impressions while being with your family, I take it that your childhoods were not the most perfect.”
“Perfect? Is there such a thing?” he countered. “Our parents died when Tori was just a child herself, and we were younger than her. We went to live with our grandmother and for a couple of years that was good. But she grew sick, and it was cancer. So we ended up, after she passed, in the foster system. But thanks to some good friends of hers, we were able to stick together. None of us wanted to be separated out…adopted or whatever. And Tori made sure we felt safe, and she is the one who had the dream of getting out and finding us a forever home where we all would be together, and life would be good.” He shook his head, remembering those days. “She filled our heads with such dreams of the place. And when she aged out, she got on a bus and headed out to find it. And she did just that.”
“That must have been quite a story in itself.”
“She got off the bus, sat down to eat a sandwich at a stop and met up with this orphaned kitten. And she described how strangers smiled and made her feel safe and welcome even in that short amount of time. And as the sun set, she knew that she had found the place in her heart that she had told us about. She stayed and set about building a life and a place for each of us. Of course, some of us took a little time to get there, but it was like it was meant to be and now everyone has found their families and are building on the dream in a small Texas town called Destiny’s River. Tori, being better at poetic things than the rest of us, said it was meant to be because of the word destiny. And she just might have something there, but don’t tell her I said that.”
Erin was silent for a moment. She took in all he said and let her mind imagine how it could have been for a family of four siblings, alone in the world, yet brave enough to strike out after a dream and make it into reality. They had courage…more than most would have had. And she felt envy. Her life had been different. Yes, she was a lonely child, but she had known from day one where her place was and how her life had been planned out. But it was different as night to day.
“I didn’t mean to bore you with such a long explanation.”
She shook her head. “That was not boring…not at all. It was very illuminating. And it makes me admire your family even more. You seem to find that strange in some way?”
“I didn’t say that.”
“No, I did,” she countered, “as if you think I couldn’t empathize with the situation of you and your siblings growing up? That I can’t also have envy for your family dynamics?”
“Envy is a bit of a stretch.”
“Because a wealthy snob like me couldn’t begin to do something so beneath my station as that?”
Rance looked at her at that moment, trying to decide if she was serious in the wording she chose or not.
“You assume a lot about me, Marshal,” she said. “I assume that you do that because of some paperwork you were privy to when this assignment began. Some courthouse chatter might have added to it. But it never entered your lawman’s brain that you might go straight to the source herself and dare to find out what and who I am and decide the facts for yourself. That is disappointing. You can shut off the engine now.” And these words brought him to the realization that they had arrived back in the driveway at Primrose Inn and were idling. She left the vehicle without waiting for him. He didn’t immediately follow. But he did switch off the engine. She had disappeared inside the house, probably wanting to put some space between them. Fine with him.
He drew out the cell phone, noting it had been silent for more than a day. It was answered on the third ring.
“How are things in Destiny’s River? We’ve been monitoring the river flooding.”
“We moved into a safe location. And things are getting back to some normalcy, slowly, but getting there. Any news?”
“We have taken a person into custody but that is not for publication as there may be one or two others. And there is a possible courthouse connection…an inside source. We can’t say more than that, but I will let you know when there is an all clear…hopefully in the next two or three days. Is your assignment not being cooperative?”
“Cooperative? Somewhat. She’s ready to get back to work. And so am I.”
“You are working. What’s that about?”
“Work as in being in the field, working on catching the bad guys. I used to be good at that, if you recall.”
The man chuckled. “I remember. But you’ll be out there again soon enough. Catch some more fish and try to keep that person reasonably calm and maybe she won’t have all our heads when this is done.” The call ended.
There was no use stalling. Rance left the truck and went inside the house. The sun had shown itself at midday, but now clouds were moving in once again. It looked like a cold, gray winter evening settling in for the night. Except, it wasn’t cold, it wasn’t winter. Somehow, he felt a chill, and it could be coming from the direction of the female occupant who was busy making some noises in the kitchen as he came to stand in the open doorway of the room. She didn’t look up, but kept on with her work, assembling some salad makings, cans, and pots.
“A simple meal will be ready in about twenty minutes,” she said, using the can opener. Then she emptied the contents into a pot.
“What can I do?”
“You know the kitchen better than I do as to what is in the cabinets and such. You could be useful and set the table, get the drinks.”
“I can handle that.” They worked in silence on opposite sides of the kitchen. True to her word, the food was ready within twenty minutes.
“It smells good,” he remarked, as she served the grilled sandwich with its two cheeses and a wealth of turkey on a croissant onto their plates and then the soup bowls came next with a tomato basil soup.
“I know it’s not cold weather yet, but soup and sandwich seemed to fit the darkening day,” she explained, taking the seat across from him, and then a sip of her iced tea.
