Longhorn Law 2: A Legal Thriller by Dave Daren

Author:Dave Daren [Daren, Dave]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2021-06-19T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 13

I held open the narrow door of the sheriff’s department for Clara before I followed her out into the cool breeze of the night. The sky that had still been a dusky-gold when I’d started my drive to our date had turned into a nearly black, starless night.

I inhaled a deep breath to try and rid my nostrils of the musty scent of the department. I met with minimal success, though, and I had a sneaking suspicion that I’d be stuck with the smell at least until I made it into the shower again.

Once we were a few feet away from the building, I gave a long, slow sigh, and reached up to rub at the back of my neck as I tried to think of what to say to break the uncomfortable silence that stretched between us.

“I’m sorry,” I said once I realized that was the best starting place. “I know this is a shit excuse, but I didn’t have access to a phone until I called you.”

I moved my hand from the back of my neck to scratch at my neck and watched her from the corner of my eye. In the yellowing dimness of the lampposts in the parking lot, her freckled face seemed gold, and I tried not to stare too hard, though all I wanted to do was drink in her presence. I slipped my hands into my pockets as we walked toward her car, and I could feel the distinct weight of “having fucked up” atop my broad shoulders.

But Clara’s brow furrowed, and she let out a surprised little laugh before she stopped in the center of the lot and turned to face me. She reached out to grab my arm so that I couldn’t keep walking before she dropped her hand back down to her side.

“Archer, you were arrested,” she said with a flat edge to her voice, as if she didn’t understand why I was apologizing, even though I thought my reasons were fairly obvious.

“Technically, not arrested,” I pointed out with a small smile twitching at the corners of my mouth.

She rolled her eyes but there wasn’t any sort of maliciousness in the gesture.

“Detained, then,” she corrected, and a small smile fought its way onto her face as well. “You sort of had a good reason for standing me up.”

I couldn’t help but flinch at the term, because even though I had a good reason, it still didn’t make the term feel any better to hear aloud.

Clara seemed to realize what she’d said because her full lips spread into a thin line, and she exhaled a sigh through her nose before she reached out to touch my arm again.

“I didn’t mean it like that,” she said with the same sort of gentleness someone would use when speaking to a wounded animal.

I offered her a small smile, and it was thin but genuine. I couldn’t help the guilt I felt over the situation, because even if she didn’t mean it like that, she had a point.

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