the stance all inmates took. Carrie felt certain everyone heard her heart pounding.
The door opened out, letting bright morning sunlight cascade into the kitchen. Carrie shielded her eyes and tried to focus on the male outlined in the glare. A smile tugged at her lips when her vision adjusted and her gaze rested on Seth’s handsome face.
“Good Morning, Ladies. Are we ready to harvest some vegetables and plant some new ones?”
He looked right past her. The personal acknowledgement she expected didn’t happen, even though she was first in line. Disappointment plucked at her and stole her smile. When he motioned, she walked outside.
“Line up by the fence, please.”
She wanted to glance over her shoulder, but didn’t. Instead she focused on the waving corn stalks beyond the gate and inhaled the crisp morning air. He wasn’t the only benefit to working outside. Was he?
Seth came to the gate and inserted a key into a huge lock. Her breath hitched at his nearness and she tried to ignore the aroma of his aftershave. Her brain screamed she was acting the fool, but her heart wouldn’t listen. Why had he led her to believe he liked her? Had he even done that or had she imagined it? She squared her shoulders and stared at the garden through blurry eyes.
Before allowing anyone through the opening, he glanced up at the guard tower and waved. Outside the compound, two armed male guards waited next to a stack of gardening implements. Carrie sighed and waited for instructions. This was the first time since becoming an inmate she’d actually seen someone carrying a firearm. The matrons carried batons and pepper spray, and that was intimidating enough. This wasn’t at all what she expected.
Seth gave her a nudge and she moved outside the gate. Her feet sunk into the soft earth, and the wind, unrestricted by the buildings, whipped her ponytail around. No cement blocks, no steel bars, unlimited sunlight—it was heaven. Funny, she’d not noticed how wonderful freedom was until she’d lost it.
She gazed at the acres of flat landscape that seemed to spread to the end of the earth, and recalled what Jet had said about escape. Where would someone run? Was anyone that foolish? Amidst the clanging of rakes and shovels, her gaze flashed to the tower then to the armed guards. Shooting a fleeing prisoner would be easy from their vantage point.
Seth began passing out the tools. As the other inmates wandered toward the garden, he handed her a hoe. “You aren’t thinking of running are you?” His voice was a mere whisper. “I know you wouldn’t and miss out on a chance for us to get to know one another better.” With a brusque turn, he went back and joined his peers.
Her heart hammered. She hadn’t been mistaken. But run? Even if he never said another word to her, she wasn’t that stupid. Prison was far from the best place to be, but it certainly beat out the idea of being on the wrong side of the grass.
Chapter Eleven
Carrie returned from the garden, dirty and smelling of perspiration. As soon as the steel door slammed shut, she sagged against it. “That was a reward?”
Stretched out on her bottom bunk, Jet peered up from a romance magazine. “What’s the matter? Can’t take a little outside recreation without whining?”
“I’ve earned the right to whine.” Carrie stomped over, sat on the edge of the bed and displayed her blistered palms. “See?”
“Why didn’t you ask for gloves, dummy?”
“I-I didn’t know I could. I just assumed—”
“That’s your problem,” Jet snapped. “You always assume. Why are you always so spineless?” With a dismissing wave, Jet went back to reading.
Carrie rolled her eyes. She’d never met anyone as moody as Jet—all smiles one minute and the next, a blazing stare boring holes through you. Daring to invite the woman’s wrath, Carrie cleared her throat. “Is it too early for a shower?”
Jet kept reading. “Push the button and tell them to unlock the
The door opened out, letting bright morning sunlight cascade into the kitchen. Carrie shielded her eyes and tried to focus on the male outlined in the glare. A smile tugged at her lips when her vision adjusted and her gaze rested on Seth’s handsome face.
“Good Morning, Ladies. Are we ready to harvest some vegetables and plant some new ones?”
He looked right past her. The personal acknowledgement she expected didn’t happen, even though she was first in line. Disappointment plucked at her and stole her smile. When he motioned, she walked outside.
“Line up by the fence, please.”
She wanted to glance over her shoulder, but didn’t. Instead she focused on the waving corn stalks beyond the gate and inhaled the crisp morning air. He wasn’t the only benefit to working outside. Was he?
Seth came to the gate and inserted a key into a huge lock. Her breath hitched at his nearness and she tried to ignore the aroma of his aftershave. Her brain screamed she was acting the fool, but her heart wouldn’t listen. Why had he led her to believe he liked her? Had he even done that or had she imagined it? She squared her shoulders and stared at the garden through blurry eyes.
Before allowing anyone through the opening, he glanced up at the guard tower and waved. Outside the compound, two armed male guards waited next to a stack of gardening implements. Carrie sighed and waited for instructions. This was the first time since becoming an inmate she’d actually seen someone carrying a firearm. The matrons carried batons and pepper spray, and that was intimidating enough. This wasn’t at all what she expected.
Seth gave her a nudge and she moved outside the gate. Her feet sunk into the soft earth, and the wind, unrestricted by the buildings, whipped her ponytail around. No cement blocks, no steel bars, unlimited sunlight—it was heaven. Funny, she’d not noticed how wonderful freedom was until she’d lost it.
She gazed at the acres of flat landscape that seemed to spread to the end of the earth, and recalled what Jet had said about escape. Where would someone run? Was anyone that foolish? Amidst the clanging of rakes and shovels, her gaze flashed to the tower then to the armed guards. Shooting a fleeing prisoner would be easy from their vantage point.
Seth began passing out the tools. As the other inmates wandered toward the garden, he handed her a hoe. “You aren’t thinking of running are you?” His voice was a mere whisper. “I know you wouldn’t and miss out on a chance for us to get to know one another better.” With a brusque turn, he went back and joined his peers.
Her heart hammered. She hadn’t been mistaken. But run? Even if he never said another word to her, she wasn’t that stupid. Prison was far from the best place to be, but it certainly beat out the idea of being on the wrong side of the grass.
Chapter Eleven
Carrie returned from the garden, dirty and smelling of perspiration. As soon as the steel door slammed shut, she sagged against it. “That was a reward?”
Stretched out on her bottom bunk, Jet peered up from a romance magazine. “What’s the matter? Can’t take a little outside recreation without whining?”
“I’ve earned the right to whine.” Carrie stomped over, sat on the edge of the bed and displayed her blistered palms. “See?”
“Why didn’t you ask for gloves, dummy?”
“I-I didn’t know I could. I just assumed—”
“That’s your problem,” Jet snapped. “You always assume. Why are you always so spineless?” With a dismissing wave, Jet went back to reading.
Carrie rolled her eyes. She’d never met anyone as moody as Jet—all smiles one minute and the next, a blazing stare boring holes through you. Daring to invite the woman’s wrath, Carrie cleared her throat. “Is it too early for a shower?”
Jet kept reading. “Push the button and tell them to unlock the
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