Chapter Sixteen
They ate for a few minutes in companionable silence. Then they agreed that the dessert bars Tillie had added might wait a while. He stretched out on his side, his gaze on the valley. Erin sat nearby, her arms folded around her knees, which were drawn up to her chest.
“Can I ask a personal question?” he ventured at last.
“Only if I can invoke my Fifth Amendment rights if I choose not to answer.”
“Fair enough,” he agreed. “You were married and part of what many consider a powerful political king maker family, so to speak. At least that’s the description I heard.”
She withheld her answer so long that Rance believed she was invoking that Fifth Amendment right. Then she finally spoke.
“And the question must be what happened? Why did I choose to walk away? Even though I skimmed over it earlier in our first conversations, there must be more to it than that. Is that what I am assuming you are asking?”
“I can understand why a normal person might, but it had been a big part of the family plan.”
She nodded slowly. Finding the best words was difficult, but it needed to be said.
“Marriages aren’t always built on love and happily-ever-afters.
My father had a plan. I achieved part of it with my law degree, following in his footsteps.
And then he and his good friend decided that it would be most advantageous if there could be an alliance between the two families.
His son needed a smart, rich and politically approved wife.
We were thrown together repeatedly until it eventually seemed the normal outcome for all.
I thought that it would make my father even happier and I never expected the kind of love that’s written about and sung about, as we were two very sensible individuals who entered a contract.
Except, he believed that having an affair or two with household staff was all right.
Being the dutiful wife, I would naturally overlook such a trifle…
as had his mother overlooked his father’s own affairs and so forth.
That might have worked for a while…until he got the cook pregnant.
That was the beginning of too much for his family and their political plans for him in Washington.
When I found my backbone, it seemed I held all the cards to his future and I was able to parlay that into a noncontested annulment…
all very civil and, above all, very quiet.
And it wasn’t as if I was heartbroken. It was actually a perfect way out from a very bad situation that I had realized over the few months I endured it. ”
Rance had risen to a sitting position as she spoke. He slowly shook his head. “I can only imagine how much that had to hurt you.”
“Hurt? Surprisingly, not that much. It was more an intense feeling of betrayal. I believed in another person. One who had promised to honor our union. Trust is a precious commodity that is rare to find and it’s even more rare to believe in it.
That is when I knew that I could not forgive the lies that another person chose to use to make me feel hurt and not good enough to be told the truth.
I trust very few people and I do not give it lightly to anyone. ”
“I understand that. Truth is the foundation of any relationship. But he was the real loser and then some. I can understand you wanting to honor your father and go along with a marriage that it sounds like you never wanted. You were lucky to escape when you did. I haven’t heard much about him these days. ”
“No, his brother is now the darling of the family and the hopeful office holder.”
“Did that experience put you off the idea of marriage and a family…for all the right reasons?”
“Right reasons?”
“The idea of finding love with the right person. Building a life, having a home and family and all that stuff that makes life worth living. Because over time, I can imagine there must be many just as powerful, rich men wanting to stand at your front door for your favors.”
She had to shake her head. “They might have begun a line, but I shut it down fast. I didn’t have time for all that stuff.
The law was my life. And I find this a change in you…
or the person I thought you were. Imagine a stern lawman talking about things like home and children and all things that your family wants for you. ”
“Would it surprise you to find out that it shocks me, too? And don’t let my siblings know or I would never live it down.”
“Which is it? Just a phase…temporary insanity? Or something else?”
“I’m still working on that one myself,” he responded.
There was a faint buzzing sound. His hand moved with reluctance to his waist and a small pager appeared in his hand.
He read the words and then it disappeared again.
Along with the smile on his face. “It’s time we headed back.
There is rain forecasted for later. We wouldn’t want to be caught out in it in case of lightning. ”
He stood first and began packing empty containers away.
Erin followed suit but there were questions in her mind.
It seemed there was a switch that had been clicked and his attitude, the spirit of the day even, it had all changed.
She followed his lead while she tried to work out in her mind what had changed.
It had something to do with whatever message he’d received. She was almost sure of it.
The ride back to the stables was not the same as the first. There was little talk and she let it be.
They thanked Cassie and when she invited them to stay for dinner, he was quick to say thanks, but they had to get back to the cabin.
Cassie didn’t repeat the invitation, but she did seem to find something off in his refusal.
That made two of them. Erin gave her thanks in a much warmer mode and hoped they would see each other again soon.
On the way back to the cabin, she realized that they had left the leftovers behind, which was their planned dinner. “Are we going to stop in town for something for dinner?” she ventured. “Our picnic leftovers are back with Cassie in the saddlebags.”
He shook his head. “There will be other plans for dinner. You’ll need to collect your personal items when we get back to the cabin as we’ll be heading back to town. It’s over. The chopper was released and it’s on its way here as we speak.”
The words hung in the air between them, like a two-way mirrored barrier.
She felt totally confused. It’s over. What was over?
Did he mean their time in Destiny’s River?
Or whatever was or had been beginning between the two of them?
Normally, she would demand to get to the heart of any matter.
But that was a matter not of the heart. Her heart.
And at the worst possible moment, there it was.
No more hiding from it. The man beside her had become too important to her.
And it was soon to be over. She was okay with the silence at that point.
Somehow, she had to find a way to work it out in her brain and remember who she was and what her life had been before…
before his arrival. Things needed to make sense again.
But it seemed that she wasn’t to have that much time.
They turned the corner, and the cabin came into view.
There was a strange SUV in the drive. A tall man stepped out, and she recognized the badge and the ‘look’…
same as she had when she’d seen Rance the day everything began at the courthouse.
Rance shook his head and muttered a low curse under his breath.
He stepped outside the vehicle as soon as it came to a halt.
She followed and stood a few feet away while the men shook hands.
The other man, who was introduced as Rance’s captain, tipped his hat to her and smiled.
“Judge Latham, I’m sure you’ll be glad to get back to your own home and the court.
There is a full report of this case from A to Z on your desk, which you can go over at your leisure.
My office is in the courthouse and if you have any questions, please contact me. ”
“Thank you,” she responded, still unsure of things. “Will we be flying back?”
“Well, I thought since I was not far from here on my way back to Austin, I would stop and give you a lift. The chopper had to be refueled and would arrive closer to dark. This way we can get you on your way home. Looks like you can be off the time clock sooner, Marshal Parker. I know you were happy to hear you’d earned some quiet fishing time up here. ”
“You aren’t going back to Austin?” she asked with a deeper question in her gaze at Rance.
“I’ll head back in a couple of days.”
“Nonsense, I told you yesterday to take a week and I mean it. We’d best get on the road, Your Honor.” The captain was waiting.
“Of course, I will be with you in just a moment. I won’t be taking much with me from here, after all,” she said, not looking at Rance again. Had her words carried another meaning to him?
She did not look at Rance; instead felt a sudden need to put distance between them.
She moved on autopilot, packing her personal items and papers back inside her tote bag.
The clothes she had on would have to suffice and she would see that they were returned to Tori.
A quick look around the bedroom and that was that.
She kept her mind focused and without emotion.
She stepped to the door and that was when Rance appeared in front of her.
“I hadn’t expected this today. I had hoped we’d have another day to talk and all.”