not everyone got what they
deserved, or Sarah Green wouldn’t be the one on trial.
Chapter Thirteen
Dex was working at his computer when the
sergeant stuck his head around the door and said, “Someone to see you.”
Dex looked up, his heart pounding at the
thought that it might be Cathryn. “Who is it?”
“Dunno. But he’s got a cup of coffee for
you, lucky bastard.”
Koro? Dex rose, surprised, and walked
through the station to the front desk to see Cam Summers standing in the
doorway, looking up at the pink and red begonia in the baskets hanging to
either side of the building.
Dex opened the safety door and walked
across the empty waiting room. Honey’s father had never come to see him at the
station before. “Hey, what are you doing here? Is Honey okay?”
Cam turned. He held a takeaway cardboard
cup in his hand and offered it to Dex. “She’s fine—far as I know. Brought you a
coffee.”
“Thanks.” Dex took it and sipped it. Piping
hot latte, just what the doctor ordered. “Great, I appreciate it.”
Cam looked back out at the baskets. “Got a
minute?”
“Sure.” Dex’s stomach rumbled nervously as
he followed his father-in-law-to-be out of the station and across the neatly
tended lawns to a quiet spot. Cam was a big guy, several inches taller than
him, and built like a cart horse, although you’d never have guessed it from his
temperament. He was a gentle giant and Dex had never seen him lose his temper,
although Honey had told him she’d once watched him put his fist through a wall
after arguing with Marama.
They stood for a moment in companionable
silence. Cam closed his eyes and Dex did the same. The March sun—hanging onto
late summer by its fingernails—warmed his face, and the smell of the begonias
made him think of evenings by the pool with Honey and her family, and walking
with her by the river under the light of the moon.
Hopefully, he had many, many such evenings
to come after they were married. If only he didn’t have this guilt sitting in
his stomach like stodgy food, he would have thought himself the happiest man on
earth.
He opened his eyes as a shadow fell across
his face. Clouds bunched together over the sun, threatening rain. He’d checked
the weather every day that week, trying to see if Saturday would be clear. So
far the weathermen had promised sunshine. He hoped they were right—he wanted it
to be perfect for Honey.
“So how’s things?” Cam asked.
Dex glanced across at him. “Okay I guess. A
bit nervous.”
“That’s to be expected.” Cam turned his
stormy-blue eyes on Dex. “You still want to marry my daughter then?”
“Of course. More than anything.”
“So I’m not to think anything of the fact
that you were seen kissing another woman in plain view of State Highway Ten?”
Dex’s heart seemed to shudder to a stop.
For a long, long moment, the two men stared
at each other, Cam’s gaze hard, searching, Dex’s presumably radiating the
horror he felt inside.
“I don’t know what to say,” Dex said
eventually, his voice little more than a whisper. “I’d say it didn’t mean
anything, but I know that’s no excuse.”
Cam said nothing, just studied him
thoughtfully.
Dex’s chest tightened at the thought that
Cam was going to go home and tell Honey, and it was going to make her cry.
Cam frowned and he let out a long,
frustrated sigh. He glanced over his shoulder, then pulled Dex around the
corner, out of sight of the front desk.
Dex’s chest heaved as he struggled to
control his emotions. He’d ruined it—he’d ruined everything. He was so fucking
stupid.
“Calm down, son,” Cam said. “I’m not going
to tell her.”
Dex glanced up at him, confused and
disbelieving.
“But you’re going to have to explain to me
what happened,” Cam said.
Dex pressed the heels of his hands into his
eyes, then ran his hands through his hair. “It was Cathryn,” he said hoarsely,
the words tumbling out like marbles from a bag,
deserved, or Sarah Green wouldn’t be the one on trial.
Chapter Thirteen
Dex was working at his computer when the
sergeant stuck his head around the door and said, “Someone to see you.”
Dex looked up, his heart pounding at the
thought that it might be Cathryn. “Who is it?”
“Dunno. But he’s got a cup of coffee for
you, lucky bastard.”
Koro? Dex rose, surprised, and walked
through the station to the front desk to see Cam Summers standing in the
doorway, looking up at the pink and red begonia in the baskets hanging to
either side of the building.
Dex opened the safety door and walked
across the empty waiting room. Honey’s father had never come to see him at the
station before. “Hey, what are you doing here? Is Honey okay?”
Cam turned. He held a takeaway cardboard
cup in his hand and offered it to Dex. “She’s fine—far as I know. Brought you a
coffee.”
“Thanks.” Dex took it and sipped it. Piping
hot latte, just what the doctor ordered. “Great, I appreciate it.”
Cam looked back out at the baskets. “Got a
minute?”
“Sure.” Dex’s stomach rumbled nervously as
he followed his father-in-law-to-be out of the station and across the neatly
tended lawns to a quiet spot. Cam was a big guy, several inches taller than
him, and built like a cart horse, although you’d never have guessed it from his
temperament. He was a gentle giant and Dex had never seen him lose his temper,
although Honey had told him she’d once watched him put his fist through a wall
after arguing with Marama.
They stood for a moment in companionable
silence. Cam closed his eyes and Dex did the same. The March sun—hanging onto
late summer by its fingernails—warmed his face, and the smell of the begonias
made him think of evenings by the pool with Honey and her family, and walking
with her by the river under the light of the moon.
Hopefully, he had many, many such evenings
to come after they were married. If only he didn’t have this guilt sitting in
his stomach like stodgy food, he would have thought himself the happiest man on
earth.
He opened his eyes as a shadow fell across
his face. Clouds bunched together over the sun, threatening rain. He’d checked
the weather every day that week, trying to see if Saturday would be clear. So
far the weathermen had promised sunshine. He hoped they were right—he wanted it
to be perfect for Honey.
“So how’s things?” Cam asked.
Dex glanced across at him. “Okay I guess. A
bit nervous.”
“That’s to be expected.” Cam turned his
stormy-blue eyes on Dex. “You still want to marry my daughter then?”
“Of course. More than anything.”
“So I’m not to think anything of the fact
that you were seen kissing another woman in plain view of State Highway Ten?”
Dex’s heart seemed to shudder to a stop.
For a long, long moment, the two men stared
at each other, Cam’s gaze hard, searching, Dex’s presumably radiating the
horror he felt inside.
“I don’t know what to say,” Dex said
eventually, his voice little more than a whisper. “I’d say it didn’t mean
anything, but I know that’s no excuse.”
Cam said nothing, just studied him
thoughtfully.
Dex’s chest tightened at the thought that
Cam was going to go home and tell Honey, and it was going to make her cry.
Cam frowned and he let out a long,
frustrated sigh. He glanced over his shoulder, then pulled Dex around the
corner, out of sight of the front desk.
Dex’s chest heaved as he struggled to
control his emotions. He’d ruined it—he’d ruined everything. He was so fucking
stupid.
“Calm down, son,” Cam said. “I’m not going
to tell her.”
Dex glanced up at him, confused and
disbelieving.
“But you’re going to have to explain to me
what happened,” Cam said.
Dex pressed the heels of his hands into his
eyes, then ran his hands through his hair. “It was Cathryn,” he said hoarsely,
the words tumbling out like marbles from a bag,
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