Page 20 of Sheltering Lawson
Ethan’s gaze went to where my arm was raised and pointing. Shielding his eyes, he said, “Yes, that’s it. We’re going right by it.”
“This must have been an amazing place to grow up,” I said, remembering my isolated childhood, being the good little girl and always acquiescing. Good girls cross their legs, don’t get muddy, or have an opinion.
His gaze lingered on the steeple as he piloted the boat into a side channel, taking us deeper into the swamp. “My sister and I ran crazy through here when we were young. Chase and I pretended we were trappers and would track animals. We’d boat, crawfish, and frog. Chase’s kid brother and the Outlaw boys were part of that social circle, except back then the Outlaw trips were outcasts and associating with them was frowned on. My daddy was somewhat tolerant being the minister and all, but the rest of the town was biased.”
We passed the church and Ethan’s boyhood home, the neatness and idyllic setting made me toe off my sneakers and settle back into the comfortable seat. Ethan’s presence was solid and warm to my right and there was something so capable about him that made me feel safe. “How so?”
“Remember I mentioned Chase’s ancestor, The Colonel?”
I nodded, resting my head against the back of the seat. “Right the founder of the town and the statue that got razed by Chase and his truck.”
“Yeah, well, the original blame had been pinned on Duel Outlaw, the trips ancestor, and the taint from his transgressions survived through the years until the Outlaws were exonerated by River Pearl, Brax’s wife.
“I haven’t met her yet.”
“She’s very busy with triplets of her own and an art gallery in Lafayette.”
“I bet that has kept her on her toes. Sounds like this little town is rich in history, scandal, and tradition.”
“Steeped in it for sure. I’ve liked those boys for a long time, regardless of their ancestry, so when they were cleared, I was very happy for them. Of course my sister is married to Boone and very much in love with him. I heard their courtship was rocky. I wasn’t here to see her fall in love with him.”
“Oh, where were you?” I was wondering things about this man I shouldn’t, but wanting it anyway. I shifted and looked at him.
“In the Marines.”
From his tone, I could tell it was intense. His eyes darkened and his hand tightened on the wheel. “You fought in the Middle East?”
“Yeah, two tours.”
That explained the way he’d taken down the guy who had been trying to rob Outlaws. Ethan had been in the military and his military training meant that he could take care of himself. That thought made me relax a bit. I shouldn’t get comfortable here, but I couldn’t seem to help it. In the back of my mind, I thought:Ethan can handle himself if it comes to violence.
Of course I would never let it come to that. I would be long gone before those bastards even set foot in Suttontowne. The townsfolk might talk about me, but I was sure Brax and Ethan wouldn’t give them the time of day.
“I’m sure it was awful.”
He bowed his head, then said, “Sometimes. Most of the patrols were uneventful. But after you get home, it’s strange. It’s like you live two lives when deployed. The one where you feel safe and secure and people are planting gardens, going to church, singing, laughing, and living. Then back there, you’re looking over your shoulder, anxious, vigilant. Everything is dangerous and people are out to kill you. Mostly I remember the heat and the fatigue.”
“Oh, God. That must have been hard to deal with, especially after being home, then having to go back.”
“I barely came home, not here, anyway. It was easier.”
The stream we were in opened up into a wider area and Ethan navigated to a secluded spot where the wildflowers filled the banks and water lilies and rafts of hyacinth crowded the sides of the boat. Birds tweeted and bullfrogs croaked, the hum of activity intensifying as Ethan cut the engine and anchored us. Nature was all around us and it was so tranquil.
I wanted to ask him why he hadn’t come home. But I stayed my question because that would have dragged us into a deeper conversation. I could feel his aching emotion, hear it in his voice. A man who was torn between something, but not sure how to steer. I didn’t want to be Ethan’s sounding board. I didn’t want to open up to him and have to reveal anything about my past or my problems. It was best for both of us. I couldn’t take the risk, no matter how much I wanted to soothe him. I was leaving. I had to.
I let the conversation drop and so aware of his presence beside me as the sun sank closer to the horizon, the sky dusted with purple, smeared with a dusky orange and red as the light dimmed.
“What did you do before you came to Suttontowne?”
My stomach jumped, and I folded my arms across my chest. I shrugged. “Boring, menial jobs. Getting by. It’s no secret I was destitute.”
“Have you thought about settling down in one place, putting down roots?”
I rose and walked toward the bow, watching as an alligator splashed into the water from the bank, dark and scaly as it sank below the surface and was gone for a moment, reappearing in the middle of the open stream.
“No. Not really. I keep moving with the jobs.”
I felt him at my back, and I tensed. “You should think about staying in one place,” he said softly. He was close, his breath ruffling my hair.
