common
criminal? But at least he knew exactly what he had to do
now.
He went about his business till Henry
popped in for his daily dose of gossip and men talk. Of all days,
this wasn't the day to gossip.
"Still got her here, do ya?" Henry
glanced over Ben's shoulder at her.
"Yes, Henry, I do." Ben eyed
Henry.
"Gonna let her go, today?" He asked,
scratching his chin.
"Maybe."
He saw her move toward the door
eagerly, "Later."
"Probably best. We don't need her kind
here, do we, Sheriff?" Henry winked at her.
"You can say that again!"
"Gotta admit though, she brought some
excitement to town." Henry scratched his chin and
smiled.
"Yeah, I guess."
"Well, I'll be going home now. Ma'am."
Henry tipped his hat to her.
Savannah nodded.
Ben tried to look busy when Henry
left.
She sighed. "Are you going to keep me
or let me go? You can’t keep me over 24 hours without charging me
with something."
Now he approached her cell, with the
keys in his hand. He turned the key and opened the door, but he
stood in her way of freedom.
Savannah stared into his cold brown
eyes, wishing there was something she could do to make him smile
again, to make herself smile again.
"You want to tell me what you were
trying to pull over there?"
His voice sounded cold and
unresponsive.
She shook her head.
He nodded.
"Your “parents” car's out front. Get in
it, and go home, understand?" He said hotly.
"Yes," she managed in a weak
voice.
"Your personal things are on my desk.
Pick them up and get."
"Thanks, Sheriff."
And then she was gone, and the whole
room went cold and silent and Ben Hogg didn't know what had hit
him.
CHAPTER SIX
The dude ranch was only twenty miles
out of Junction. A welcome sight to Savannah. She'd had all of one
little town she cared to. All of a certain Sheriff she cared to.
And yet, the further away she went, the more miserable she became.
She'd experience a slice of life back there.
Renting a car, she left instructions to
have the BMW returned to the Sheriff.
She knew her parents would be livid,
and probably already had a private detective following her. They
probably already knew she'd been arrested.
Later that same morning, she registered
at the front desk of a quaint style ranch house, and they gave her
a room at the top of the stairs. She told them she was expecting a
friend to join her.
Aunt Lucy was in Europe and wouldn't be
back for another week according to her house-sitter. Trust Aunt Lucy to be enjoying
herself . She couldn't remember much about Aunt Lucy,
except that she had been kind to her as a child. Wasn't sure of the
kind of reception she would get from her, either. Still, they were
kin.
Activities didn't begin till the
evening hours when they would have their first camp-out. Savannah
couldn't wait. She had practically been guaranteed some great shots
of the West Texas wildlife tomorrow
Two hours later, Janet, her best friend
arrived and showered her with hugs so intense it boggled Savannah's
thinking. Over coffee, she explained her plight to her friend.
Janet burst out laughing.
"Now this isn't like you at all. Me
thinks something is amiss here. Come clean, just what gives with
you and the Sheriff, deary?"
"Why nothing..."
"I know you better than this; you just
don't act this way. Running out on Chad the way you did. You had to
have had a reason. You're much too sensible. So what gives, girl?
I'm your best friend, if you can't tell me, who can you
tell?"
Savannah sighed, knowing she was about
to make up another lie and hating herself for it. But she couldn't
blurt out that Chad was gay, not yet at least.
"I met Ben, the Sheriff some time ago,
remember three summers ago when I took a sabbatical?"
"Yeah, I do...you met him then?" Janet
rolled her eyes heavenward, and then broke into a sly
smile.
"Yes, at a gas station, I had car
trouble and he offered to help me."
"Go on," Janet seemed all ears for her
story.
Savannah drew a deep breath and plunged
herself further into the void
criminal? But at least he knew exactly what he had to do
now.
He went about his business till Henry
popped in for his daily dose of gossip and men talk. Of all days,
this wasn't the day to gossip.
"Still got her here, do ya?" Henry
glanced over Ben's shoulder at her.
"Yes, Henry, I do." Ben eyed
Henry.
"Gonna let her go, today?" He asked,
scratching his chin.
"Maybe."
He saw her move toward the door
eagerly, "Later."
"Probably best. We don't need her kind
here, do we, Sheriff?" Henry winked at her.
"You can say that again!"
"Gotta admit though, she brought some
excitement to town." Henry scratched his chin and
smiled.
"Yeah, I guess."
"Well, I'll be going home now. Ma'am."
Henry tipped his hat to her.
Savannah nodded.
Ben tried to look busy when Henry
left.
She sighed. "Are you going to keep me
or let me go? You can’t keep me over 24 hours without charging me
with something."
Now he approached her cell, with the
keys in his hand. He turned the key and opened the door, but he
stood in her way of freedom.
Savannah stared into his cold brown
eyes, wishing there was something she could do to make him smile
again, to make herself smile again.
"You want to tell me what you were
trying to pull over there?"
His voice sounded cold and
unresponsive.
She shook her head.
He nodded.
"Your “parents” car's out front. Get in
it, and go home, understand?" He said hotly.
"Yes," she managed in a weak
voice.
"Your personal things are on my desk.
Pick them up and get."
"Thanks, Sheriff."
And then she was gone, and the whole
room went cold and silent and Ben Hogg didn't know what had hit
him.
CHAPTER SIX
The dude ranch was only twenty miles
out of Junction. A welcome sight to Savannah. She'd had all of one
little town she cared to. All of a certain Sheriff she cared to.
And yet, the further away she went, the more miserable she became.
She'd experience a slice of life back there.
Renting a car, she left instructions to
have the BMW returned to the Sheriff.
She knew her parents would be livid,
and probably already had a private detective following her. They
probably already knew she'd been arrested.
Later that same morning, she registered
at the front desk of a quaint style ranch house, and they gave her
a room at the top of the stairs. She told them she was expecting a
friend to join her.
Aunt Lucy was in Europe and wouldn't be
back for another week according to her house-sitter. Trust Aunt Lucy to be enjoying
herself . She couldn't remember much about Aunt Lucy,
except that she had been kind to her as a child. Wasn't sure of the
kind of reception she would get from her, either. Still, they were
kin.
Activities didn't begin till the
evening hours when they would have their first camp-out. Savannah
couldn't wait. She had practically been guaranteed some great shots
of the West Texas wildlife tomorrow
Two hours later, Janet, her best friend
arrived and showered her with hugs so intense it boggled Savannah's
thinking. Over coffee, she explained her plight to her friend.
Janet burst out laughing.
"Now this isn't like you at all. Me
thinks something is amiss here. Come clean, just what gives with
you and the Sheriff, deary?"
"Why nothing..."
"I know you better than this; you just
don't act this way. Running out on Chad the way you did. You had to
have had a reason. You're much too sensible. So what gives, girl?
I'm your best friend, if you can't tell me, who can you
tell?"
Savannah sighed, knowing she was about
to make up another lie and hating herself for it. But she couldn't
blurt out that Chad was gay, not yet at least.
"I met Ben, the Sheriff some time ago,
remember three summers ago when I took a sabbatical?"
"Yeah, I do...you met him then?" Janet
rolled her eyes heavenward, and then broke into a sly
smile.
"Yes, at a gas station, I had car
trouble and he offered to help me."
"Go on," Janet seemed all ears for her
story.
Savannah drew a deep breath and plunged
herself further into the void
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