The Sword of Ruth: The Story of Jesus' Little Sister

by V. M. Franck

Home was a good place, soothing for the first time since Tad's death. So much had happened, so many of my perceptions had changed. I needed time to process them. Home, I could do this, if I had been alone. I wasn't.

  "You sure I can't teach you to fish?" Felipe cast the line out into the Clackamas River below my house and watched the fly disappear into the current.

  Seated on a boulder along the bank I watched him cast and retrieve, cast and retrieve. The afternoon was a little too warm. Earth's brightest star headed toward West Hills. Sending rays between trees and brush downstream, it splayed them across my face. I slipped on my sunglasses and considered applying sun block. The skin on my arms was red. I'd been too lax. I didn't need to be crinkly before my time. Still, that would mean returning to the house. I didn't want to bother.

  "Help yourself to some potato chips. They're my salt fix," he said, pointing to the sack behind me. "There's beer and wine in the cooler."

  "Thanks." I retrieved the bag of chips and held it out to him. He declined.

  Back on the boulder I tugged open the bag, pulled out a handful of chips and began stuffing myself. Finding the bottle of wine but no glasses, I hesitated.

  "Chug it," Felipe said. "I got it for you."

  "Thanks." I removed the top and took a swig. It had the mild flavor of blackberries with just enough sweetness. "It's good."

  He grinned and sailed the fly upstream over the low flat water to just behind a small rock. In moments he jerked back on the line.

  "I got him."

  "A steelhead?"

  "You bet. You want to land it?"

  "No thanks. I'd lose it for you."

  The fish headed downriver. Felipe followed until the brush became too thick. After fifteen minutes he pulled the steelhead onto the bank. Standing beside him I admired the bright silver fish.

  "It's probably about eight pounds," Felipe said. "How about a barbeque tonight? I saw a grill on the deck."

  "Sounds good," I said, a twinge cutting into my heart.

  The last time I used it was with Tad--chicken, potato salad, wine and making love on the deck. I blocked the memory and accompanying pain. The pain had to go. I was sick of it.

  "Excellent," Felipe said. "It's nice of you to allow me to stay here while I figure out what I want to do. Zak said he'd be glad to put me to work in some other part of his business, now that the White Rose Connection doesn't require me full-time. But I'm not sure."

  I took another swig of wine and munched more chips. The day had a mellow feel to it, regardless of the memories and recent turmoil. Maybe somehow everything would be all right. Those kind of days had been nonexistent since Tad's death. I relished this one.

  Felipe conked the fish on the head.

  "To shorten it's suffering," he said.

  He slipped a stringer beneath the gills, secured it to a rock in shaded water and took out a cigarette.

  "A cigarette tastes especially good after I catch a fish."

  "I thought that was reserved for sex?" Why did I say that?

  "So I'm told." He pulled out a beer and sat down beside me.

  The sun slipped lower in the sky.

  "Have you ever noticed that sometimes there is no need to say anything," Felipe said, "that the comfort of someone's company is enough?"

  "Uh huh."

  When the sun dipped completely behind the hills we went inside. Felipe cleaned and filleted the fish. I prepared French bread and made salad. By the time fish sizzled on the grill, and a tossed salad waited on the deck table, I checked the bread. It was ready. I was removing it from the oven when the phone rang.

  "Raven, this is Zak. It's time."

  "For what?"

  "Maya and Simeon completed the translation."

  "It's only been a week."

  "Apparently they had most of it done, but they knew it wasn't quite right. With what you uncovered, only a few things changed. I'll fly in to Troutdale and drop Jessie off tomorrow morning around ten."

  "Jessie?"

  "He'll be bringing what you need."

  "What do you mean by that?"

  "He'll explain when he gets there," Zak said, a chuckle in his voice.

  "I hate secrets."

  "Then you should be relieved. You're about to be free of them. In the meantime, my publishing company has begun editing your book. We're hoping it can all come out at the same time."

  "All what?"

  Felipe moved in behind me, inches away. I could feel his sensuality, his warmth. I must have had too much wine. Romantic fantasies entered my thoughts, making it hard to focus on what Zak was saying.

  "Your book, what's in the scrolls, everything. Is Felipe there?"

  "Yes."

  "Can I speak to him?"

  I handed the phone to my companion.

  "I see," Felipe said, after a moment. "Okay, sure. See you tomorrow."

  He hung up and removed the fish from the grill. I brought out the bread, and we served ourselves. Dusk settled over the river. The yard lights flickered on.

  "I was wondering," Felipe said, "I've been having this idea. I'm not sure what to do with it."

  "What's that?" I said.

  He leaned across the table and kissed me.

  Chapter 13