by Carsen Taite
Chapter Six
Emily saw the time on her computer screen and realized she should’ve left ten minutes ago to allow enough time to get to the library for the panel discussion. She shoved the file on her desk into a drawer, grabbed her coat, and headed toward the door of her office, but before she could cross the threshold, Janice appeared out of nowhere.
“Do you have your notes?”
“Yes, ma’am,” Emily said.
“Don’t ma’am me. It’s my job to make sure you have what you need.”
“What if I need you to find someone to stand in for me tonight?”
“Not a chance. Everyone will be there to see the new DA. Bet you get most of the questions from the audience.”
“I bet no one shows up. It’s a Friday night on a college campus. Unless there’s a bar at the library I don’t know about, it’s going to be me, Sheriff Nash, Professor Radley, and a herd of stodgy librarians. I’ll be lucky if I don’t fall asleep on stage.”
“Then I suggest you take some coffee along. Want me to get you a cup to go?”
Emily shook her head. “I’m good. And late. Mostly late. Go home. Enjoy your weekend.”
“You do the same. You know, as soon as your date with the stodgy librarians is done.” Janice’s smile morphed into a semi-stern expression. “Seriously, take the rest of the weekend off. The world won’t end if you do, and you might be in better shape for it come Monday.”
On the drive to the campus, Emily considered Janice’s advice. She hadn’t had a day off since she’d taken office, but she always expected having the top job would be hard work. What she hadn’t expected was the tedium associated with trudging through all the administrative duties of the office. Budget planning, meeting with community leaders, appearing before the county commissioners, and speaking engagements. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d seen the inside of a courtroom, and as for litigation? At this pace, she couldn’t begin to conceive of actually trying a case.
One of her campaign promises had been that she would personally take the lead in the prosecution of any major case that went to trial during her term. It was a good thing major cases were few and far between in Lawson County, because she couldn’t imagine having time to fulfill her promise without letting her other duties fall behind.
The college was a short twenty-minute drive away, and Emily made it in fifteen. She pulled into the parking lot in front of the library, shut off the engine, and engaged in a familiar routine. She closed her eyes and pictured the main courtroom at the Lawson County Courthouse. She loved the space with its gallery seating and ornate marble and wood—it reminded her of the courtroom in the movie To Kill a Mockingbird. She’d cut her teeth in that courtroom, and before she’d started her campaign for DA, she’d tried dozens of cases, from basic shoplifting charges to one of the few murder cases the county had ever seen. The courtroom was both her boxing ring and her sanctuary. Imagining the place and the way she felt in it, in charge and full of purpose, simultaneously relaxed and rejuvenated her, and within moments she was ready to deal with tonight’s panel.
When she reached the library doors, she spotted her picture on a poster advertising the event. She suppressed a smile that her photo was almost twice as large as Sheriff Nash’s. His head had probably exploded when he’d seen it. She pushed through the doors and looked around for a sign inside that would direct her to the event.
“Miss Sinclair?”
Emily turned to face a young man dressed in jeans, Converse, and a Drake T-shirt. She pegged him for a student. “Yes. Can you tell me where the Sable Room is?”
“I can do you one better.” He stuck out a hand. “I’m Harry. Ms. Kelly asked me to watch for you and show you the way.” He crooked his arm in an adorable show of gallantry. She paused for a second, slid her arm through his, and walked beside him past the circulation desk, through the stacks to a set of double doors near the back of the first floor. While they walked, Emily tried to remember if Ms. Kelly was the librarian who’d contacted her about the panel. Before she had time to figure it out, Harry opened one of the doors with a flourish and she got her first glimpse of the panel audience.
She gasped. The room was packed. There had to be over a hundred people seated in the rows lining the auditorium. Sheriff Nash was already seated on stage alongside criminal justice Professor Radley, and she recognized at least two reporters from local news outlets. The clock on the wall told her she’d arrived about two minutes before the panel was scheduled to begin, but the size of the crowd caught her by surprise and she felt like she was way behind. She searched her mind for the calming image of the courtroom again, and had just settled on it when she heard Harry’s voice in her ear. “I’ll turn you over to Ms. Kelly now. She’ll be introducing everyone on the panel.”
Emily nodded and turned to greet the librarian who had organized the event, and her heart stopped. Instead of a fussy, gray-haired librarian, she was face to face with Cade, the striking stranger from the courthouse steps. If she wasn’t thrown enough by the size of the crowd, now her expectations were completely off base.
Cade Kelly. Librarian. Not stodgy at all. She knew exponentially more about her now than she had before, but she wanted to know even more. How long had she worked here? Where had she come from? Was she single?
“Miss Sinclair, nice to see you again. Would you like to take your seat? I’m about to start the introductions.”
Cade didn’t make eye contact with her greeting, but her voice held the same husky, low tone she remembered, and Emily couldn’t wait to hear more. But not here. Somewhere they could be alone. Cade had already turned away to answer a question from Harry, but Emily vowed to talk to her as soon as they were done. The panel was supposed to last ninety minutes. It would be the longest hour and a half of her life.
*
Cade stood behind the podium and looked out over the crowded room, steeling her nerves and hoping she didn’t look as disconcerted as she felt. She’d known since late this afternoon she’d see Emily tonight, but nothing had prepared her for the actual event.
Emily looked like she’d stepped off the pages of a fashion magazine. She was dressed in tall, chocolate brown suede boots, a plaid wool skirt, and a jacket that hid no curves. She’d looked surprised, but glad to see her, and Cade wished they’d had a moment to talk before they plunged into tonight’s event. At the very least, she wanted time to recover from the nervous way she’d greeted her at the door.
She looked down at her notes and shut out thoughts of her undeniable attraction to Emily Sinclair. She delivered the introductions and thanked everyone for attending before handing the panel over to the moderator, and taking her seat next to Harry in the front row in the audience. As she sat down, Harry leaned over and whispered, “Do you know Miss Sinclair? She seemed to be locked on you the whole time you were talking.”
Cade shook her head and focused on the discussion. Professor Radley served as the moderator and he was well prepared and a bit ruthless in his biting questions about the state of the criminal justice system. She watched as the panelists tackled issues related to race, gun control, and mental health. She might be biased, but in her opinion Emily held her own despite the showmanship demonstrated by Sheriff Nash and the defense attorney on the panel.
“Where do you draw the line between protecting a community and justice for everyone, including the accused?” Radley asked. “Miss Sinclair?”
“That’s a pretty broad question, Professor.”
“Fair enough. Let’s use an example. Should bonds be restrictive or just high enough to make sure a defendant shows up for court?”
Cade watched Emily cock her head, and she could tell by the slightly raised eyebrows, Emily was surprised by the example. She was too. Bonds weren’t the juiciest of subjects, and she wouldn’t have expected them to be one of the topics in front of a lay audience.
“Bonds serve the dual purpose of making sure the defendant is accountable, and protecting the public, but Texa
s law clearly states they can’t be so restrictive they keep people in jail when no specific danger has been articulated. We don’t want to be in the position where only rich people are out on bond pending trial, but if the defendant poses a current danger, we will take appropriate steps to make sure they are either in custody or under some other restrictions pending trial.” Emily delivered the reasoned response, but as the last words fell from her lips, Sheriff Nash was already speaking into the mic.
“Well, isn’t that a sweet answer that says a lot of nothing. If we go to the trouble of investigating and then arresting someone, you darn sure better bet they deserve to be locked up. I hope the DA’s office will continue to support us as they have in the past.”
His words were delivered with a heavy dose of sarcasm, and Cade watched to see how Emily would respond. She wasn’t the only one. Every eye in the audience was glued on Emily, likely anticipating how she would respond to the sheriff’s challenge.
Radley took up the baton. “Miss Sinclair, do you wish to address the sheriff’s remarks?”
Emily turned in her chair and faced Nash. “Billy, we’ve known each other a long time and if there’s only one thing you know about me dead certain it’s that, like you, I’m completely dedicated to upholding the laws of this great state. You will find no greater law enforcement allies than me and the attorneys who work in my office. You have my word.”
The room broke into applause, and Cade grinned at the flummoxed expression on the sheriff’s face. No doubt he wanted to point out that Emily’s words were more fluff than substance, but to do so again after her impassioned response would only make him look like a bigger jerk.
The rest of the panel was fairly tame with each of the panelists answering questions about how to pursue a career in their various professions, which Cade figured was why so many students had attended this evening. She had to restrain herself from mouthing Emily’s responses right along with her, and she wondered if she would always feel like she was trapped outside of herself and the life she used to have.
When the panel was done, the audience rose to their feet and Harry turned to her, practically frothing at the mouth. “That was awesome. I mean I only came to help out, but I’m thinking I might be interested in law school now. Do you think Miss Sinclair would talk to me about it?”
Cade opened her mouth to say she didn’t know her well enough to answer, but someone from behind her spoke first.
“I’d be happy to.” Emily pulled a card out of her purse and handed it to the star struck Harry. “Give my secretary a call and set up an appointment.”
Harry stared at the card for a moment, like he couldn’t believe his good fortune. “Would you like me to walk you to your car?”
Cade shooed him away. “Go help break the room down. I got this.” She waited until he was across the room before facing Emily. “That was very sweet. I think he has a mild crush on you.”
“Mild, huh? I must be losing my edge.”
“Oh, college boys are your thing? Well, you should hang out here more. There’re plenty to go around.”
Emily laughed, a smooth and silky sound. Cade wanted to wrap up in it. “Not hardly. I’m more interested in the over thirty female set. You don’t happen to know anyone who fits that description, do you?”
“I might, but I have a feeling she won’t be interested unless you reveal the location of your late night coffee spot.”
“I’ll have to show her the place personally. It’s kind of a well-kept secret. You can keep a secret, can’t you?”
Cade froze for a second, but forced a quick recovery. Emily was kidding around, and there was absolutely nothing about her tone or visage to suggest her reference to secrets was related to anything besides coffee. She’d need to learn to be less jumpy if she was going to fit in. “Of course. When would you like to meet her?”
Emily looked at her watch. “How about now?”
Cade took a deep breath. She was about to jump off a cliff, but maybe this was exactly what Kennedy had been talking about. Act normal, she’d said. What was more normal than being attracted to a beautiful woman? Telling herself it was only coffee, she took the plunge. “Now is perfect.”
Chapter Seven
Emily stood at the entrance to the Bodark Inn and tugged her scarf tighter against the blistery cold that had snuck up after a week with temperatures in the sixties. She wasn’t used to the weather, but she didn’t want to risk missing Cade who was clearing up things at the library before leaving for the night.
Fifteen minutes later, she was about ready to bail. Asking Cade for coffee had been impulsive at best. She didn’t know a thing about her. Okay, she knew two things: her full name and she worked at the library. And she liked coffee, so three things. Still, Cade was virtually a stranger, and she’d never dated a complete stranger.
Date. The fact Cade was a stranger made it impossible to deny this was, in fact, a date and not simply catching up over coffee. Emily felt a grin coming on. She didn’t want to deny it. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been on a date she’d actually enjoyed, and she had a good feeling about this one. Well, she’d had a good feeling, but it looked like Cade had decided not to show.
“You must love the cold.”
Emily whirled at the familiar sound of Cade’s voice and sucked in a breath at the sight of her. Cade was bundled up in a black pea coat, her face ruddy from the chilly night air. “And you must be invisible. I didn’t see you drive in.”
Cade waved her hand vaguely behind her. “I parked back there.” She rubbed her hands together. “Are we going inside?”
Emily pulled her gaze from Cade’s long, tapered fingers. “Yes, and soon before no amount of coffee will warm us up.” She motioned for Cade to follow, and she pushed through the doors of the hotel, nodding to the bell captain who doubled as the concierge.
“Good evening, Miss Sinclair.”
“Good evening, Ralph. I called Miss Holt and let her know I’d be coming by this evening.”
“She’s expecting you. And your acquaintance.” Ralph gave Cade an appraising glance. “You can head on back.”
Tongues would wag for sure. Emily trusted Becca implicitly, but Ralph, dear as he was, was a talker. She imagined tomorrow she’d be hearing rumors about how that young girl DA was running around town with a perfect stranger, but right now all she cared about was delivering on her promise. She glanced back at Cade who was looking between her and Ralph, her expression full of questions. “This way.”
Cade followed her down the hall, past the restaurant, around the corner to an unmarked door. Emily rapped on the door with three quick knocks. She waited a few beats and repeated the sequence. She’d barely finished the last knock when the door flew open and Becca pulled her into a tight hug.
“’Bout time you came by,” Becca said. “I figured now that you’re a big deal, you don’t have time for me anymore.” She released her grip and turned her focus to Cade. “Becca Holt, pleased to meet you.”
Cade stuck out a hand, and Emily watched her best friend and this woman she barely knew exchange introductions. The Bodark Inn was a Holt family business, and Becca had been running the restaurant since her mom and dad retired several years before. The food was great, but Emily’s favorite thing about the place was the semi-secret coffee shop in the back. When Becca had taken over management, she’d insisted on upgrading the java offerings at the restaurant. She’d purchased a fancy commercial espresso machine and a coffee roaster, and added a number of fancy coffee drinks to the menu. For her special friends, she’d created a counter and small lounge just off the kitchen where folks in the know could order her special blend even when the restaurant had closed for the night.
“So you’re the secret coffee mistress?” Cade said as she shook Becca’s hand.
“Guilty as charged. I won’t tell you how many times a day Emily visits my humble establishment, but let’s just say she bought the better part of my new boat.”
Emily playful
ly punched Becca’s shoulder. “Don’t be a goof. I may drink a lot of coffee, but someone had to pay for that fancy roaster in the back.”
“You roast your own coffee beans?” Cade asked, her tone incredulous.
Becca grinned. “Is there any other way?”
“I guess I just didn’t expect…I mean…”
“Let me guess. You’re not used to living in the sticks, and you assumed we all brew whatever’s been sitting in a can on a grocery store shelf. Am I right?”
It was Cade’s turn to grin. “Something like that.”
“Then I have a treat for you. Why don’t you two settle in and I’ll be right back.”
Becca didn’t wait for an answer before she shot through the double doors to the kitchen, leaving them standing in her wake. Emily turned to Cade. “She’s a pistol.”
“I like her.”
Emily scoured Cade’s face for anything resembling infatuation. She’d known Becca since high school and they had a habit of attracting the same type. She hoped she hadn’t brought Cade here only to have her fall head over heels for her best friend. “I’m sure she’ll put you on the list if you ask. Ralph keeps a close watch on the doors so you’ve got to be a friend of Becca’s to get back here.”
Cade stepped close. “Are you trying to pawn me off on your friend?”
“Not even.”
“How about this? If I want good coffee in the future, I’ll call you. Does that work?”
“Perfectly.”
Cade raised her hand and slid a finger along the lapel of Emily’s coat. “Are you warm enough now?”
“What?” Emily heard the stutter in her voice. Warm enough? Hell, she was on fire.
“Can I take your coat?”
Emily felt the slow burn of a blush along her neck and face. Of course, her coat. Cade was being sweet, and all she could think about was Cade’s hands, close, but not quite close enough. She shrugged out of her coat and handed it to Cade who hung it along with hers on the coat tree in the corner. Cade motioned to the couch. “So, what’s the protocol here? Do we just wait for Becca to come back or will she ring a bell or something?”