Chapter Eleven
“I realize that we took you away from your assignment,” Tori said, “but we do appreciate both you and your assignment,” she emphasized that description of Erin, “jumping in to help us out.”
“You all didn’t take me away if Erin was right there with me,” he corrected his sister. “Besides, it’s what you do for your community—a community that has been good to you and your family. A certain lady jurist reminded me of that not long ago. I wish I could have done more.”
“Well, you and Erin can go back to Primrose and have some peace and quiet. And even when she must return to her life in Austin, I hope she knows that she always has a welcome here. She is quite something. I hope you know that.” Her steady gaze fell on his.
There was a wealth of unsaid words in that, and he got the message.
“Her life is far different from anything here in Destiny’s River. This was an unexpected, unanticipated interlude in her time away from the courtroom where she is a very different person than you saw. She is on a lofty pedestal in more ways than one.”
“No pedestal is too lofty if the person wants to reach the top bad enough. Besides, that’s a lonely place to be—on top of a pedestal. And when you assume things…well you know what can happen there. Most importantly, you might miss out on the best thing that might never happen your way again.”
“It seems that for the better part of my adult life, you and my other siblings—each in his or her own way—have been trying to get me settled. I know it has worked out great for each of you. But that’s not to say it would hold true for me.”
“And who’s to say it won’t hold true? I guarantee that each of us thought that at some point in the time we first met our other half.
I thought Cade was an arrogant, insufferable thorn in my side.
And he was too wealthy and too far above me.
Cassie felt that and a lot more when she found herself faced with Cole in an undercover assignment.
And Matt, well he needed a make-believe fiancée fast and Ally literally landed in Destiny’s River by sheer chance with every intent to move on. ”
“And your point is?”
“My point is that it is plain for me to see that there’s something there between the two of you whenever you’re in the same room…
and it isn’t the assignment. You both bring something to a relationship…
We all do. There is baggage, there is the assumption of wealth and status breeding insecurity, there is the plain old fear of rejection.
But, when you put that to the side and look at the person and take a chance…
yes, you could be rejected. But what if the other person does feel the same way about you and never takes the step first?
What a waste that would be. Nothing is perfect, not people, not circumstances, and not timing.
Gamble, my brother. You do that in one way or another every day in your line of work.
You can’t tell me that Erin isn’t worth it. Can you?”
Rance was backed into a corner by his sister with that statement.
The whole assignment, which began rough but had hopes of smoothing out, then took a nosedive when the storm and many other little things got thrown into the mix.
The woman who was an assignment became real.
And then she kept changing. Just when he thought he had her figured out, another side popped up and before he could figure that out, she would pivot again.
And then there were the moments that seemed to pause time and cautious thought threatened to go out of the window.
But he couldn’t beat the feeling that it was a no-win situation.
Tori and his family lived in a world removed from that in the capital, removed from the private estate on the lake that was Erin Latham’s world.
She moved on a different plateau where she dealt justice and moved among the wealthy politicians and elite.
He had no idea who the person was that stood in the café kitchen, covered with dough and sweat.
Then there was the moment between them…maybe he had imagined it, and it was building into more than it really was to begin with?
Bottom line…she had her world, and he had his.
And they were far apart. Best to keep that in mind and get the job done.
*
“You are very lucky.”
Erin said the words with her gaze locked outside the window on her side of the jeep.
“How so?”
“Your family. They’re all really involved and love each other and support one another. Plus, you have a great place to call home. Yet, from what I gather from your sisters, you aren’t home all that often.” She turned that gaze upon him as he drove.
It was clear that she wasn’t just making a compliment but expected a response.
“Well, my situation is a bit different. My job keeps me on the road a bit more than most. I do try to get back to Destiny’s River for the important family milestones…weddings, births, holidays when possible.”
“A footloose and fancy-free sort of guy.”
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.
“It’s a good choice to my way of thinking.” He had to admit it tasted as good as it smelled when she brought it to the table. After a couple of minutes, he nodded and looked across the table at her.
“Is there anything you can’t cook? Everything I’ve tasted over the last week up to and including this meal has been delicious. If you ever get tired of the bench, you could open your own restaurant.”
“Thank you. You don’t sound as skeptical as you did the first time I cooked at the fishing cabin.”
“I didn’t know you then.”
“And you think you know me now?”
“Not everything,” he conceded. “You are a multi-faceted human being. That is what I have learned most. But I also think there are more layers to you that are very rarely, if ever, shown to others.
“Very perceptive. It must come in handy in your work.”
“It can. But we have some time here,” he began, “perhaps since you know so much more about me and my family, you might share some items that aren’t generally for public consumption.”
“There’s not more to my story. At least nothing that would be of interest.”
“I think you’re wrong there. Why do you think your life isn’t of interest?”
She stood and took her empty plate and bowl to the sink.
He thought she was going to ignore the subject until she finally spoke, turning to look at him, hips leaning against the front of the sink, arms folded as if in a protective stance.
“Okay, Marshal Parker, I guess you’ve earned the right to hear my brief story since you’ve had to give up what you enjoy about your job to put up with babysitting me. ”
“I do want to hear it and why you said that you envied me and my family. That’s quite a statement, particularly given what you have accomplished.”