Run, River, Run

by C. F. Francis

  Aunt Amy slid the tray she’d been working on into one of the massive ovens, set the timer, then turned to meet River’s stare. The sadness in her aunt’s eyes reflected the break in River’s heart. Kevin reached for her hand, giving it a squeeze. Her aunt handed her a napkin.

  “Tomorrow evening,” she said, gathering herself. River gave her the details while Aunt Amy flew through the large kitchen. She continued to hold Kevin’s hand under the table. It grounded her and kept her from breaking down as little memories of her time with Dan kept popping into her head. Kevin peppered her aunt with questions about River teenage years, doing his best to keep things light. She was grateful for the mini mental diversions.

  They conversed until all the food was prepared and ready for transport. River and Kevin helped load the catering van.

  “Do you want us to pick you up tomorrow night?” River asked.

  “No. I have a meeting with a prospective client in the afternoon, so I’ll leave from there. I may even be a little late.”

  “Okay,” River said, hesitating. “Look for us when you get there.”

  She stood silently until her aunt’s vehicle disappeared over a hill. When she turned back toward their car, Kevin was staring at her.

  “What?” she asked.

  “I don’t think your aunt likes me.”

  “You don’t know that,” River answered. “She was rushed, and the subject of Dan’s death isn’t exactly a positive topic of conversation. Do you care one way or the other?”

  “She’s important to you, so yes, I guess I do,” Kevin said. He shut the passenger door as River buckled up. He may not have the skills to read people like some of his friends, but the vibes coming from her aunt were not warm or welcoming.

  “How long has she had the business?”

  “For as long as I can remember. Fortunately, I was old enough she didn’t have to devote all her time to me. I was able to give her a hand with minor tasks while I was there.”

  “She said you couldn’t cook.”

  River swatted him as he slid into the driver’s seat. “I can cook, but I’m definitely not a gourmet chef.”

  “Your job was the cleanup, wasn’t it?”

  “We all have our talents.”

  Kevin laughed. River’s eyes sparkled like rare diamonds as she giggled. She didn’t laugh enough, but there hadn’t been much to laugh about lately. He wanted to change that.

  As he shifted the rental into reverse, his phone rang. He shoved the car back into park. “What’s up, Rick?”

  “A couple of things, although neither may add up to much. Kane’s wife has disappeared.”

  “Who?”

  “The gem dealer. The authorities can’t locate his wife. They don’t know if she’s missing or running.”

  Kevin relaxed, letting out a deep breath. “Either way, it has nothing to do with River.”

  “I tend to agree, but it may be a piece of the puzzle we’re missing.”

  “How?” He reached for River’s hand and gave it a squeeze. Her shoulders had squared, and her attention was fixed on him.

  “At this point, I have no idea.”

  “Great. You’ll let us know, I assume, if you figure it out?” Kevin didn’t see how the disappearance of the dead man’s wife affected River. If it did, Rick would get to the bottom of it.

  “You know it. Keep your guard up. I don’t like loose ends.”

  “None of us do. Have you shared this with Colt or Troy?”

  “They know.”

  “Put the phone on speaker,” River broke in. Those sparkling eyes had narrowed. He wouldn’t say she was angry, but annoyed fit the bill.

  “Any reason I can’t put you on speaker?” Kevin asked.

  “You mean you haven’t done that yet? Is she pissed?” Rick asked.

  “Ah, maybe,” he said, noting the tight line of her lips.

  Rick was laughing when Kevin hit the speaker button. “Okay. Get on with it.”

  “Hey, River,” Rick said.

  “Hi. What’s going on?”

  “As I told Kevin, it may have nothing to do with us, but Eric Kane’s wife has disappeared. She may have gone to ground—hiding from the SATG. If she was aware of her husband’s side business, that would be enough to make her nervous and take off. Another obvious possibility is they’ve already found her.”

  “Neither sounds good for her. How does that affect me?” she asked. Her back was propped up against the door as she spoke into the phone Kevin had laid on the console between them.

  “It probably doesn’t, but I don’t like surprises. There’s always the outside chance she holds you responsible for her husband’s murder.”

  “That’s nuts,” River responded, her brow crinkled.

  “The world is full of nuts and it only takes one to create a disaster.”

  “We’ll keep our eyes open,” Kevin said. “Do you have a photo you can send?”

  “I should have one shortly. I’ll forward it to you and the guys.”

  “What’s the other thing you wanted to relay. You said there were a couple of items.”

  “I got a call from Warden Brandley. He’s been busy. He went through the correspondence and call transcripts of the Engleharts. He didn’t come across River’s name, or anyone named Chandler, but there were several references to a “her” during their conversations with the pastor. He’s going back through the documents again to see if he can put them in context.”

  “Did he say what caught his attention? That’s a pretty vague reference.” Kevin commented. He glanced at River. If she was alarmed, she wasn’t showing it.

  “He didn’t want to get into specifics until he had the chance to review the documents again, but he thought it was unusual the person’s name was never referenced. He believed it was as if they went out of their way to avoid it.”

  “That doesn’t help us. Can we get our hands on the phone transcripts?” Kevin shifted in his seat.

  “Not without a warrant and we have absolutely no grounds or standing for one. As far as those conversations go, we have to rely on Brandley. He’s an officer of the law. I’m banking on him wanting to get to the truth, if he can.”

  “You’re thinking the ‘her’ they’re referring to in the calls is River?”

  “I don’t know that. I’m letting you know we have information that may, or may not, be pertinent to River.”

  “We’re finding new threads instead of tying up the ones we already have,” River said, letting out a frustrated breath.

  “It’s all part of an investigation,” Rick told her. “Sometimes we need those threads to tie all the pieces together.”

  Her lips were drawn tight. Her shoulders rounded. She seemed to be fixated at something on the floorboard. Kevin reached for her hand. The steel in her spine had softened. Temporarily, he hoped.

  “How long? How long can this go on?” Her face was drawn. Sadness laced her question.

  “I wish we had the answer, but these things aren’t always resolved quickly.” Kevin refused to lie to her.

  “We’re making progress,” Rick chimed in.

  “I know you are, but I’m so tired. I’ve been dealing with this for so long.”

  And today had been another stressful day on top of how many stressful days? Kevin leaned over the console and kissed her cheek, taking a teardrop with him. “You’re not alone in this,” he assured her.

  “Don’t give up on us,” Rick said firmly. “We’re not going to drop this.”

  Running her fingers through her hair, she attempted a smile. It wasn’t very convincing.

  “Anything else?” Kevin asked his friend.

  “Not at this end. We’ve got all we’re going to get on Roxbury from the local authorities. It’s going to be up to Colt and Troy to find anything else.”

  Kevin put the SUV in reverse and backed out onto the street. “Thanks, Rick. Keep us posted.”

  “You know it.”

  River didn’t speak as they drove. He could
feel the tension emanating from her. The road was desolate. Kevin quickly checked behind him, then shoved the car into park. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “What isn’t?” she huffed.

  “Can you be more specific?” He checked the rearview mirror again. “Was it your visit with your aunt or the phone call that got to you?”

  Her forefinger traced the depression between her nose and upper lip. The road in front of them held her interest more than he did.

  “I believed this was over when the Engleharts went to prison. Then those poor mutilated creatures were left for me. Now, Dan is dead. What’s next? Will they go after Aunt Amy? Will they go after you?” She began massaging her temples. “My head hurts. I can’t think.”

  Selfless and independent. She worried about others but didn’t want them to be concerned about her. He wanted to take her in his arms—to tell her everything would be okay—but he would be lying. He didn’t have the answers. Sometimes they never come. The fear was eating at her and he didn’t know how to alleviate it.

  33

  When they pulled up to the cabin, River couldn’t move. She didn’t have the energy to get out of the car. Empty—she felt empty. The passenger door opened, startling her.

  “It’s okay,” Kevin said. “Let’s get you inside.” As soon as she unlatched her seatbelt, he lifted her into his arms, surprising her for a second time.

  “I can walk.” Admittedly, she didn’t put much effort in the objection. Instead, she let herself sink into his warmth.

  “I’m not sick or injured,” she told him as they entered the cabin. “You can put me down.” Her energy may be zapped, but her wits were returning.

  “No, but you are hurting,” he said, laying her on the bed.

  She did hurt. There was an ache in her heart and soul. Why had today been so rough on her? She’d certainly had worse.

  “You had a lot thrown at you today and a lot to go through tomorrow. Why don’t we just sit here,” he said, lowering himself to the mattress, “and talk about something else?”

  “I can work,” she threw her legs over the side of the bed. “It always takes my mind off of things.”

  Standing, Kevin planted himself in front of her and reached for the buttons of her shirt. “I can think of something else you could focus on.”

  “Ah, yes,” she said, some of the tension escaping with the sigh. “That might work.”

  “Might?” he asked, slipping her shirt over her head with excruciating slowness. “I think we can do better than that.”

  When he flicked open the front clasp of her bra, her mind was definitely not on work.

  The world ebbed away as they made love—slowly and tenderly, then climbing the peaks to urgency before cresting them. He tasted, teased, and caressed every inch of her body until she was consumed by nothing else. The energy she hadn’t possessed to get out of the car, thankfully, came roaring back. She met his moves, stroke by stroke until she was sent careening over the cliff.

  Totally spent, she fell back against the warm sheets. She didn’t move when Kevin slipped out of the bed, leaned over and kissed her forehead.

  “I’ll be right back, love,” he said, stepping into his jeans. “I’m going to button up the place.”

  A few minutes later, the front door shut. ‘Button up’ evidently meant securing the property. She rolled out of bed and padded to the bathroom. It was now dark. She didn’t check the time. She didn’t want to. She was going to make time stop, if only for tonight.

  As River climbed back into bed, the front door clicked. She listened to Kevin’s footsteps as he went through the cabin, checking doors, windows—every nook and cranny, she assumed. It should have made her nervous, sad or angry. Instead, it made her feel safe and loved. He’d called her ‘love’. She hadn’t missed the endearment. She also remembered they had a conversation to finish. She’d promised to tell the truth, and as she had witnessed throughout her life, the truth wasn’t always pleasant. Right now, though, she wanted to spend time in his arms.

  The refrigerator door shut. A few minutes later, Kevin’s large form was backlit in the doorway. She was propped against the pillows, the covers tucked under her arms, waiting for him.

  He handed her a bottle of water. She hadn’t realized she was so thirsty. After she consumed more than half the bottle, she handed it back to him.

  “Don’t you want any?” she asked as he capped it.

  “I downed one in the kitchen. Are you hungry?”

  “Oh, yeah,” she said, patting the mattress next to her. “I’m definitely hungry, but not for food.”

  He shrugged out of his clothing, until all that was left was a smile. “Let’s see if I can help satiate your appetite.”

  River didn’t know where she got the energy or stamina, but the entangling of bodies was even more fervent than their earlier lovemaking. When her muscles eventually turned to jelly, she draped herself across the hard planes of his damp chest, inhaling his musky scent as he stroked her hair. She wanted to stay here forever. Secure, happy, and loved.

  Love. She owed him a conversation. She’d promised. She started to rise when Kevin pressed a finger to her lips before coaxing her head back against his shoulder.

  “We were supposed to talk,” she mumbled. God, she was tired.

  “Sleep,” he answered. “We’ve got all the time in the world.”

  If only, she thought as she drifted off.

  River was in her workroom when Kevin returned from his expansive exploration of the area surrounding her cabin. He’d gotten a few hours sleep before quietly slipping out of bed. River had been exhausted prior to reaching the cabin—physically and emotionally. He’d been surprised, then driven, by her enthusiastic response to him in bed. The sex had been mind-blowing and at the same time more intimate than anything he’d ever experienced.

  She’d fallen asleep in his arms. She’d wanted to talk. He wasn’t surprised, but her words drifted off as her eyes closed. They needed to talk but, admittedly, there was some trepidation at the outcome of the conversation, so he’d let her sleep.

  The door to the workroom was shut. He didn’t take offense. He’d seen her at work. She was in a zone—a different one than the one they’d shared hours before. Her current focus would keep her mind off the coming evening for a while. No doubt tonight would be the hardest thing she would have to face since the death of her family.

  He grabbed a cup of coffee and took it out to the porch. It was easy to understand her love of the place. He gaged he’d walked several miles this morning without seeing or finding a single trace of another human being. If he hadn’t been searching for signs of unwanted company, the hike would have been pleasant on this cool, crisp spring morning. Would she move back here if they didn’t find the person responsible for terrorizing her? It tore at him to imagine being deployed and wondering if she was safe. They had a lot to discuss. Decisions to make.

  He leaned his chair back against the cabin wall and propped his feet up on the railing. Leaning his head back, he spotted a spider web in the upper corner of the porch. Dew still covered it. The sun sparkled off the tiny specks of water. It was reminiscent of the light in River’s eyes when she smiled. She didn’t smile enough. Hard to do when you were constantly looking over your shoulder. He was familiar with the feeling, but he only had to live with it when he was deployed. She lived with it every day. Damned if he didn’t want to be the one to wrench that fear from her life.

  He walked the perimeter several more times. Nothing changed. He checked in with Rick, Steve and Colt for updates, but nothing new was reported. Troy was still watching Roxbury, the warden hadn’t gotten back to Rick, and Steve and Josie hadn’t dug up anything else. Damn it.

  By mid-afternoon, Kevin felt it was time River took a break other than her short trips to the bathroom. He tapped on the door. When she didn’t respond to his knock, he let himself in.

  Not for the first time, he found her with her head on the desk, asleep. It seemed to be a habit.
Her head was pillowed on her left arm which was stretched across the flat surface. The right arm rested in her lap. He held his ground as he watched her for a few minutes. She was beautiful, but he found her strength the greatest pull for him. She should be a basket case. Yet she kept putting one foot in front of the other. She was loyal to the memory of her family. She proved she was caring when she’d tried to drive him and his friends away for fear she’d put them in danger. An independent loner which he suspected was a result of losing her family and fear of getting close to anyone else.

  He was afraid of what she’d planned to tell him when they finally made their way back to the discussion of love. He loved her. Admitting it freely now, but first things first. They’d get through today and deal with matters of the heart tomorrow.

  Brushing his hand softly over her hair with the intent to wake her gently, he gazed at the mask she’d worked on most of the day. She’d made amazing progress and what she’d completed was stunning.

  He pressed a kiss to her crown then whispered in her ear. “River? Wake up.”

  She blinked her eyes and rolled her shoulders as she pulled herself up straight. “I fell asleep,” she said, swiping the hair from her face.

  “I noticed. We have a few hours before we need to be at the service. I’m guessing you’ll want some time to clean up. Then we can get something to eat.”

  The confused expression of being awakened from a sound sleep transformed into one of sadness. He hadn’t expected different. It was one of the reasons he’d delayed interrupting her.

  “You must be starving,” she said, rising from her chair.

  “I grabbed something from the kitchen, but you haven’t eaten since last night.”

  “I don’t need much fuel to run on,” she said. “I lost track of time, then fell asleep. Damn. Let me take a shower and get changed.”

  “How’s the project coming?” he asked.

  “Not bad,” she said, turning back to the workbench. “I hope the client likes it. Thank God this wasn’t a rush job. I still need those shells from the other vendors to finish up.”