Page 20 of Taken from Her
"You found it," Lavender said, emerging from the cabin with Saffron weaving around her ankles.
"GPS helped." Diana held up the wine, a decent pinot noir that suggested she'd put thought into the selection. "Thank you for inviting me."
Lavender accepted the bottle, their fingers brushing briefly. "Come in. Don’t mind the cats. They're curious about visitors."
Lavender watched Diana's reaction as she stepped into the houseboat's interior. The police chief stopped mid-step, taking in the space that Lavender had crafted over fifteen years. Travel souvenirs mixed with local art, books stacked everywhere, and plants thriving in the marine environment. Afternoon light streamed through portholes, casting moving patterns on worn wooden floors.
"This is..." Diana paused, and Lavender felt a flutter of pride at the wonder in her voice. "Beautiful."
"Fifteen years of collecting things that matter." Lavender moved toward the galley, noting how Diana's gaze lingered on community photos and handmade gifts from café regulars. "Make yourself comfortable. Dinner won't be long."
Lavender watched from the kitchen as Diana settled onto the cushioned seating area, where Basil immediately claimed her lap with purring authority. The sight made something warm unfurlin Lavender's chest. Her usually standoffish cat accepting this woman so readily felt like a good omen.
"He doesn't usually warm up to strangers this fast," Lavender observed, pulling ingredients from the compact but efficient kitchen.
"I'm honored." Diana's laugh was genuine, her hand stroking Basil's gray fur with surprising gentleness. "What can I do to help?"
"Keep me company."
Lavender found herself stealing glances as she prepared dinner, watching Diana study the travel photos on the walls. Each image carried memories—Morocco's spice markets, Thailand's floating temples, Nova Scotia's rugged coastline—adventures from before community responsibility had anchored her to Phoenix Ridge.
"I wanted to see the world," Lavender said, seasoning pasta with herbs from her windowsill garden. "Ended up finding it right here instead."
When Diana offered to help set the small table, Lavender felt the shift in energy as they moved around each other in the confined space. Their movements gradually synchronized, and when Lavender reached for wine glasses, Diana's steadying hand on her elbow sent warmth shooting up her arm.
Over dinner, Lavender watched her walls come down incrementally. Diana spoke of her military family, the pressure to serve and protect that had shaped her from childhood. In return, Lavender shared her journey from wandering to rootedness, how creating a sanctuary for others had become her life's work.
"My parents wanted me to be a lawyer," Diana admitted, refilling their wine glasses. "Follow Mom's footsteps, work in air-conditioned offices instead of chasing criminals."
"But you chose this instead."
"I chose duty." Diana's smile held complicated emotions that Lavender longed to explore. "Sometimes I wonder if I chose it or it chose me."
The wine worked its magic, relaxing Diana's rigid posture as they moved to the main seating area. Evening deepened around them, harbor lights beginning to twinkle beyond the windows. Lavender guided conversation from serious to playful, delighting in each glimpse of the woman Diana kept hidden beneath her professional armor.
"You laugh differently here," Lavender said, observing how Diana's features transformed when genuinely amused.
"I don't laugh much at work." Diana tucked her legs under her. "It's hard to find humor in missing persons cases and domestic violence calls."
"What do you do to unwind?" Lavender kept her tone gentle but pointed, watching Diana consider the question seriously.
"I read mystery novels, hike on weekends, and have a subscription to a cooking magazine I never use." Diana's laugh was self-deprecating. "Pathetic hobbies for someone who investigates actual mysteries and walks crime scenes daily."
"Not pathetic. It makes you human."
Their eyes met across the small space, and Lavender felt something shift. She watched Diana's gaze drop to her mouth, then back up, a question and answer passing between them without words.
"Lavender," Diana said softly.
"I know." Lavender set down her wine glass, the sound unnaturally loud in the intimate space. "I feel it too."
The admission hung between them, loaded with possibility and risk. Outside, waves lapped against the hull with hypnotic rhythm, while inside, Lavender felt herself balanced on the edge of something that would change everything.
Diana reached across the space separating them, her fingers finding Lavender's cheek with trembling gentleness. "I don't know how to do this without breaking something."
Lavender leaned into the touch, her skin glowing where Diana's fingers traced her jawline. "Then don't think about what might break," she whispered. "Think about what we might build instead."
The wine glasses sat forgotten on the table between them, harbor lights casting dancing patterns through the portholes while the houseboat swayed in its gentle rhythm.
