Respect

Carson simply stares Misty in the eye for several moments, contemplating her actions, contemplating her words. She had a depth to her that was confusing yet intriguing.

Somehow…some way…ever since he’d met her, she made him feel alive… she made him feel as though he had a chance in this life…as if he’d been stumbling around in the dark all these years and suddenly there was a beacon of light in front of him.

Carson straightens Misty up and purses his lips in thought, backing up a couple steps to lean against the pool table. His eyes still study her face…study her movements, trying to read her.

“You hardly know me at all, yet you defend me tooth and nail. I just met you, yet I feel as though I’ve known you for years.” He shakes his head. “You know, my dad told me once, he said, ‘Carson, one of these days you’re gonna run into a girl that turns your world upside down, and that’s the one you want. ‘Cause if she can do that, she’s worth the effort to keep.’”

Carson’s eyes slowly reveal their returning flame as he folds his arms across his chest. “I came here because I was saving my own hide. Now I’m staying because I actually want to help the cause. When I got here, I couldn’t have cared less about anybody else but me, and now I’m seeing the value in helping other people. I used to think this life had no more meaning than a rock on the side of the road. But when I look at you…”

He pauses, giving a short dry laugh. “Girl, you’ve got me so messed up that I don’t even know which way is up anymore.”

His piercing eyes drift across Misty’s face and he swallows hard. He couldn’t remember another woman with whom he’d suppressed his own human nature, but with Misty…there was simply a line that he knew he shouldn’t cross. There was more to her than that, and he didn’t want to risk shattering what had so quickly been built between them. But the longer he lingered down here with her, the harder it got.

Straightening up, Carson turns to leave. “I gotta go.”


Reese meets up with Katie and Nate, then heads out of TJY, taking his car. It takes just a while to make it across town, and to the café across the street from the police station.

Once inside, Reese turns to Katie. “Is Lockheart here?”


“Kyle, stop!” Jen looks up at her brother in frustration. “Would you kindly get out of my way so I can carry these dishes to the kitchen myself?”

Kyle sighs and steps to the side. “I was just trying to help.”

“Well stop it.”

“I…” Kyle stops, feeling his brother’s hand on his shoulder. “What?”

Phil nods to the other room for Kyle to follow him. Once in the living room, he shakes his head. “Just let her be, Kyle.”

“But she’s supposed to be doing as little as possible, and she’s insisting on doing everything but that!”

“And what would you do?” Phil looks Kyle sternly in the eye. “Sit around and mope? Act like your life is over?” He shakes his head. “Be glad she’s got a good attitude. Let what happens happen. It’s her choice and her risk, and we can’t decide for her what she does. I’m dang proud of her for holding her head high, and I know you are too.”

Kyle looks down, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I just thought…”

“We all thought it wouldn’t be this hard,” Phil agrees to the unfinished statement. “But we gotta roll with the punches, and you know this a whole lot harder on Jen than it is us. The most we can do is just let her be herself and live life to the fullest. And if something happens, so be it. At least she was happy in the meantime.”

Kyle takes a deep breath, wanting to change the subject. "Have you talked to Mike today?"

"No."

"We need to call him, then we need to get a hold of Katie or something and find out about Jason."