by Rachel Lee
She bit into some dry toast and washed it down with water. It stayed down, although it didn’t cure the remaining nausea. “So we’re having a party tonight?”
“Not exactly. Just a few friends I thought you’d like to meet. I can cancel it if you want.”
“Let me think about it. I’m not antisocial, it’s just...” Just that she didn’t want to sink any roots in this place. Not when she was at least half-sure she’d have to leave.
But she had enjoyed meeting Hope and Julie. It would be nice, if she were here a few more months, to know some people she might be able to pal around with occasionally. She certainly wasn’t used to long, empty days, and Wyatt still needed to work.
“I’m not used to having nothing to do,” she remarked.
“Me, either,” he agreed. “Well, Dad has said you can work with him if you want. And you’re welcome to come to court with me when you feel well enough. I’m sure there’s more than enough work to go around. Too bad you don’t have your Wyoming bar license. We could sure use a pro bono public defender around here.”
It was a fact that while the Supreme Court had said all accused persons were entitled to a legal defense, most places underfunded public defenders compared to prosecutors.
“I don’t know criminal law,” she remarked.
“You could learn fast. Or you could get into family law. Regardless, you’d have to see about licensing. If you’re still licensed in Missouri...”
“I am.”
“Then Wyoming offers reciprocity.”
She nodded. That would make things easier. Far easier. No miserable bar exam to repeat. “I’ll think about it.”
And she would. She hadn’t been in Conard City for long, nor seen much of it, but she already liked it here. It struck her as a friendly place to live, a good environment to raise a child.
There she was again, thinking about her child. She guessed it was sinking in at last, perhaps made real by her morning sickness. About time, too. She wasn’t an ostrich by nature, although recent events with Tom might leave that an open question.
She realized she’d eaten half a piece of toast and was feeling somewhat better. “Thanks for the toast. It’s working.”
Wyatt smiled. “Good news then.”
“Do you need to work today?”
“No. I’ve still got some papers to review before Monday, but that won’t take long. As for tonight, I ordered up a bunch of deadly sins from the bakery, so all I’ll need to do is make coffee and tea. In short, I’m all yours for the day. Is there something you want to do?”
“Walk around town,” she said. “I’d like to get to know this place better.”
Wyatt was agreeable, but he figured once she looked around and saw how little there really was here, she’d probably be checking out cities again. After all, her whole life had aimed that way. Now she was in a tiny town, which showed movies only on weekends and where the biggest entertainment was plays at the college or the county fair. Or dancing at one of the roadhouses, which could get a bit risky when the cowboys got frisky.
Yet, it was better she know exactly what she was looking at if she thought about staying here. He was sure the PD’s office would keep her really busy, as would working part-time for his dad...or even getting her license and joining the Carter practice. But however accustomed Amber was to working around the clock seven days a week, a person needed more in her life. Here she’d have enough free time to look for other things, for herself and her child.
He hoped she wasn’t horrified, because after last night he’d have offered her marriage all over again.
He’d have liked to offer her love as well, but he didn’t think it was there. Not yet. And he was far too old to mistake passion for love.
“We can walk around this end of town when you’re ready,” he said. “Later I’ll drive you a bit. It may be tiny, but if you want to see everything, we’ll need wheels. Too bad I won’t put you on my motorcycle in your condition.”
He enjoyed watching her jaw drop and her eyes widen. “You have a motorcycle?”
“A big black hog. I’m dangerous on mountain roads.”
Laughter escaped her, and finally she had to wipe her eyes. “Wyatt, you’ll never cease to surprise me. I never would have imagined you with a motorcycle.”
He wiggled his eyebrows. “I am not what I seem.”
“Apparently not.”
He enjoyed her laughter and the smiles that followed. It wasn’t long before she felt well enough to go upstairs to shower and dress.
A good morning, he thought. He just hoped the town didn’t disappoint her.
* * *
The midmorning air was a bit chilly, whispering of winter’s approach. The trees were mostly bare, although here and there patches of autumn color remained. Only a block over from his house was a park, and since it was Saturday it was full of young children and their parents. Amber paused, smiling as she watched them. The parents knotted together on various benches, keeping one eye on their children while they chatted. She loved it.
New urges were stirring in her. She wanted to be one of those parents on the bench watching a small child and talking with friends.
Man, she’d never seen herself that way before, but she was seeing it now. When at last they turned away and walked down another pleasant street, she wondered at herself. Was this the result of changing hormones, or was she just facing that a lot had been missing from her life, and now she wanted it? How could she know?
Their talk was desultory. He told her stories about the town, about its past, about things he remembered and things he’d heard about. There was a time when someone had been dumping toxic chemicals in an arroyo on a ranch. The time a devil-worshipping cult had tried to make a sacrifice of Miss Emma. Other stories, each of them almost a warning that as peaceful as the place appeared, it wasn’t always so. They’d had a serial killer, an arsonist...all the bad types of people who existed everywhere.
Yet still the town felt quietly and contentedly settled. Not even the economic hard times that came and went could break up families and friendships.
Amazing.
People nodded and smiled as they passed, some waving from their front porches. Front porches. She’d almost forgotten they existed. A few others out walking paused briefly to chat with Wyatt and to be introduced to Amber. Then they hurried on because it was Saturday and they had errands. Catch-up day, Amber thought with amusement. True everywhere.
When they got back to the house, Wyatt insisted she eat something. It was easy now; the nausea had died down to almost nothing, so she joined him in a liverwurst sandwich.
After lunch he drove her out to the community college campus, a hive of activity, much of it occurring on sports fields. Then back through town with its small businesses, and a stop at the bakery to pick up the goodies for tonight.
“Next weekend,” he said, “I’ll take you up into the mountains, and maybe to a friend’s ranch.”
“I’d love that.” Another week. The urge to move on was rapidly vanishing.
“When we get home,” he said, “maybe you should consider a nap. I was warned to make sure you get your rest. You certainly got your walk.”
Since Amber seemed strangely reluctant to go off by herself to nap, Wyatt took her upstairs with him. In a minute he’d smoothed the sheets and coverlet still rumpled from the night and encouraged her to lie down on top of the covers with him.
She’d be asleep soon, he thought, but in the meantime he was only too happy to hold her close, stroke her hair and back, and listen to her breathing slow and deep. She was tired, more tired than she had probably thought, but she didn’t want to be by herself. Didn’t want to leave him behind.
That tugged at his heart. This woman was essentially all alone in the world. He got it. It was probably meaningless that sh
e was clinging to an old friend, but he liked it anyway. Liked knowing that the lovemaking they’d shared last night had only made her feel closer to him. There was no more reluctance on her part to reach out and touch him. She’d done it dozens of times today, just casual touches, but they hadn’t been there before.
Inevitably, he wondered if he’d be able to keep her. And inevitably he realized he couldn’t. As far as he knew, this was not the kind of life that Amber had ever wanted for herself. The baby, leaving her job...those were temporary hitches he was certain she was smart enough to deal with in a way that pleased her.
He didn’t fit into that equation, although he was still surprised that she’d brought up his proposal. He’d expected her to act like it had never happened.
It had sounded so cold-blooded, so calculating. Here’s what you need, here’s what I want, so let’s make a deal.
Damn, that got uglier the more he thought about it. Forget his intentions. He wasn’t even sure he remembered what had moved him to make the offer. But what he knew now was that it hadn’t been pretty.
It had been a moment of wildness on his part. He was prone to them from time to time and had spent a lot of his life learning to temper the impulse or direct those moments safely.
Now he’d done the wildest thing of all, and he disliked himself for it. Amber had enough on her plate without him leaping on to join the load.
But last night... He sighed and snuggled her closer, drawing a murmur from her even as she slept. All unconsciously she wound her arm around his waist. It felt so good he closed his eyes.
Maybe it was time to give some serious thought to exactly what he was doing here. He’d been winging it since the moment she’d told him she was in trouble. His only thought had been to give her a place to stay while she sorted her life out.
Any friend would do that. But not just any friend would offer marriage, and certainly not the way he had. Not just any friend would take her into his bed and unleash a new craving, stronger than any he had ever felt before for her. Stronger than any he had ever felt in his life.
He’d messed up. Earl would be delighted if he knew. On the surface, at any rate, he thought Wyatt was too sedate and straitlaced. Needed to kick up his heels more. A funny attitude from a dad who was equally worried about his “judicial decorum.” What did he expect Wyatt to do? Travel to another state and have a fling?
Which, thought Wyatt wryly, was probably what at least part of this town was already thinking he’d done.
* * *
A couple of hours later, noises from outside woke him from his doze. Wyatt eased carefully away from Amber, trying not to wake her, and went to look out the window with the street view.
Hell, it looked like Loftis’s ladies were out in force. He was being picketed, by God. They waved handmade signs with words like Sinner and Abomination on them. He decided that was enough.
He straightened himself quickly, running a brush through his hair, tucking his flannel shirt into his jeans and jamming his feet into his boots.
Time to deal with these jerks. He didn’t want them bothering Amber, and he had guests coming in a few hours.
On the way downstairs, he called the dispatcher for the sheriff’s office and police department. In this town they were one and the same.
He got Velma, old as the hills, and her ragged smoker’s voice. “Velma, Wyatt Carter. I’m being picketed by some of Loftis’s people.”
Velma snorted. “Probably no law against it, but Jake and Gage will find a way.”
“Or I will,” Wyatt said. He was, after all, a judge. And while sidewalks were public property, his lawn wasn’t. However, being a judge, he knew the limits of what he could do, and as much as he’d like to erupt at these women, he figured he’d only make it worse. Time for some of that damn judicial restraint, despite his annoyance.
“You hang on, honey,” Velma said. “I’m rousing the troops.”
He wondered what troops she meant. A deputy or two?
As soon as he stepped out on the front porch, the picket line of maybe ten women grew louder, shouting various ugly condemnations his way. He was a sinner, an abomination and some other things he didn’t bother to really hear. He went to the edge of his porch and stood, folding his arms, simply staring at them.
Presently, their shouts began to trail off as his continued silence and inaction began to make them uneasy. When they became quieter—although not completely quiet—he raised his voice to be heard.
“Ladies, while you’re free to protest on the public sidewalk, it’s incumbent on me to warn you that you are disturbing the peace. You can be arrested for that. I suggest you protest quietly, especially since this is a residential neighborhood.”
Well, that didn’t work. Now he heard shouts of how he was violating their constitutional rights. It was all he could do not to grin. Most people didn’t realize that there were time, place and manner restrictions on the First Amendment, allowed by the Supreme Court. They’d have done better to protest in the courthouse square.
Some of his neighbors had come out on their porches and waved to him. He didn’t wave back. He wasn’t going to do a thing to encourage these women. All he could see was that this might convince Amber to move on, and he didn’t want that.
So he stood, keeping his arms folded, and simply stared. He didn’t want to provoke trouble, but he was going to make it absolutely clear that they didn’t intimidate him in the least.
Then the sound of approaching engines and flashing lights caught his attention. He looked to his left and saw a sheriff’s cruiser, flanked by a city police car, coming down the street. Between them they blocked all traffic.
Then, to his utter amazement, he saw a small crowd behind them. What the...? When Velma had said she was going to call out the troops, he hadn’t expected a counterdemonstration. Now he almost wanted to laugh.
The two police cars came to a halt just before they reached the line of women on his sidewalk, and Sheriff Gage Dalton and Police Chief Jake Madison climbed out.
“Howdy, Judge,” Gage called. “Just here to ensure everything remains peaceable.”
“Thanks, Sheriff.”
Then from the other direction came two more cars, county and city. A whole section of street was now effectively blocked.
And into that section of street poured the crowd that had followed Jake and Gage in. Oh, this was priceless, Wyatt thought, trying not to grin. Outnumbered by the dozens of people on the street, the women on the sidewalk began to look uncertain.
Wyatt came down from the porch while a few voices from the street told the women to go home. One elderly man, leaning on a cane, spoke angrily. “You women go home and mind your own business, not everybody else’s!”
Smothering a laugh, Wyatt ignored him and walked up to the women on the sidewalk.
“Ladies,” he said, “you really should go home. Even though the sheriff and the chief are here to keep you safe, with this many people around, there could be a slip, which might cause trouble. Consider your message received.”
“What are you going to do about it?” demanded one of the women, her gaze fiery.
“The right thing,” he said, then stared her down.
“You’d better watch your step,” she spat.
Gage Dalton, only a few feet away, asked mildly, “Was that a threat?” The woman clamped her mouth tightly shut.
“I don’t feel threatened,” Wyatt said easily. “These ladies are just doing what they think is right. But let me make something perfectly clear,” he said, raising his voice a bit. “Do not trespass on my property or harass my guests. I will file charges. You’ve been warned.”
Looking at once afraid and furious, the women stormed off down the sidewalk and around the corner to wherever they’d come from.
The crowd in the middle of the street
clapped and whistled, and Wyatt walked out among them to thank them. He knew all of them to one degree or another, and he shook a lot of hands and received a lot of claps to his shoulders.
God, it felt good. Dozens of people had dropped everything to come help him out. His love for his community nearly overwhelmed him.
Wanting to thank them, he invited them in and broke out the treats he’d picked up at the bakery. So much for his small gathering tonight, but he knew his friends would understand.
Then, after he started the coffee and teakettle, he ran upstairs to check on Amber. She was standing at the window in his bedroom, and when she turned there was a smile on her face.
“Quite some show, Judge.”
“I had a lot of help from my friends.”
“I saw. I heard you, too. You were quite restrained under the circumstances.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t want to be. I don’t want those biddies bugging you at all. But I couldn’t see any point in making it any worse.”
She walked toward him, right into his arms. Their lips met in a kiss he never wanted to end, but after a minute she pulled back a bit. “I hear a party downstairs, and as much as I want to tumble in bed with you...”
“It would be rude of me.” He gave her a squeeze, cupping her rump to lift her up against him briefly, and dropped another kiss on her lips. “Come down if you want to. They’re great people.”
“I actually saw that.” Her smile was wide.
God, he hated to leave her, but there was no escaping the fact that he’d just opened his house and he had no doubt the crowd was going to grow. His neighbors, then others who heard about it. Dang, he should have made a ton of chili anyway.
As it happened, a potluck was soon taking place. It filled his front porch and yard and spilled into the backyard, where there were tables and chairs. Soon there was even music.
He paused by Gage, who was eating a sandwich someone had brought. “And to think I warned those women about disturbing the peace.”