Trust

Bret shrugs at Angelica. “I can’t blame you…I doubt I woulda been a happy camper in your shoes either.”

He eases himself back down, and gestures for Charlotte to come back and sit down. “Yes, I still want you as my lawyer. I’ll admit I’m riding on Jamie Franklin’s recommendation alone, but that’s enough for me.” He cocks his head towards Charlotte. “Whether she’s involved or not is between you two I guess.”

As the conversation continues, it’s a little more tense than planned, but facts about the case are laid down, Bret explaining how he was unfairly being blamed for the accident and how absurd the system was being. He informs Angelica that a preliminary hearing was set later this week, and they agree to meet prior once more.

Nearing lunchtime, Bret says he’s going to visit Brandon at the hospital, and quietly tells Charlotte that he’ll pick her up at the hotel for dinner.


Jason listens intently to Aerith, not commenting until she is finished. Some of her words made sense. Some of her words he wasn’t sure he appreciated. And some of her words hit him below the belt, stopping and making him think.

Taking a deep breath, Jason finishes off his juice and raises his eyes to meet Aerith’s. “Not so sure I’d agree about the whole God thing, but…I guess maybe there are a few things I’ve had the wrong perspective about. You’re right…this isn’t easy on the other party either and I’m being downright selfish.”

He shakes his head slowly. “I guess…ever since I got out of prison I’ve just felt like I’ve been in a fog. And I want to get out so badly that when other problems come up I want to just plow through them, but….I guess I haven’t paid attention to who I’ve trampled in the process.”

Pausing again, he forces a small smile. “Thanks, Aerith. I guess I needed the slap upside the head.”

Looking at his watch, he hates to leave, but knows he must. “Work is waiting,” he comments ruefully. “Hate to drink and run…”

Sighing, he stands up slowly and looks down at Aerith again. “I wasn’t much company, but, for what it’s worth, I really am grateful. So…thanks again.”

Turning, he heads for the door, waving to Herb and Mabel again before he steps back outside to face the day...


Scott wanders back through the cubicles, concern starting to rise. Katie still wasn’t around. She’d left no messages…he’d asked several people if they’d known where she’d gone, but no one had. Her car was gone, so she’d obviously driven somewhere. He’d tried her cell phone but had gotten no reply.

Getting back to his desk, he sits down and tries to get back to work, but just can’t. There was one person he hadn’t asked about Katie….he really didn’t want to…but… the hatched had been buried and he had to move on.

Rising again, Scott aims for Jason’s office where he’d been hibernating most of the day. “Jase?”

Jason looks up from his desk. “Yeah?”

“Do you know where Katie is?”

Jason furrows his brow. He hadn’t been out on the main floor since he’d gotten back that morning. “She’s not here?”

“No, she’s been gone since this morning.”

Jason suddenly grows worried. After that morning’s little episode, anything was possible. But he hadn’t expected her to be gone all day. “Did you call her?”

Scott’s irritation, born from his worry, gets the best of him. “Oh, I wouldn’t have thought of that,” he replies sarcastically. “She’s not here, Laura says she’s not at home, and she’s not answering her phone. So…do you know where she is?”

“How would I know?”

“Well you two still communicate as far as I can tell.”

“Communicate, yes, share our comings and goings twenty-four/seven, no.”

Scott looks Jason in the eye. Something seemed just a little odd. Jason wasn’t normally this casual when it came to Katie’s safety. “You sure there’s nothing you’re not telling me?”

Jason sighs. “Look, we had a little…discussion this morning. I left for a while and I guess she did too.”

“What…kind of discussion?”

Jason rolls his eyes. “Scott, it was nothing, alright?”

“Well if you connected that to her disappearing, it certainly seems more than nothing.”

“It’s not what you think.”

“How do you know what I’m thinking?”

Jason grits his teeth. “If you think I’m trying to push my way back in, you’re sorely mistaken.”

It’s Scott’s turn to rolls his eyes. “I don’t…that’s not a concern of mine, Jason. I trust you…I shouldn’t, but I do. I just want to find Katie.”

“Well if you can’t find her, how can I?”

“Can’t you…I mean… with you and her and that sort of…connection you got? She can find you…can’t you find her?”

“It doesn’t work that way,” Jason retorts. “Besides, she may not want to be found.”

Scott crosses his arms and leans on the doorframe. “How about you just explaining to me what exactly it was that you two discussed?”

“It’s nothing, alright? I just…” Jason sighs. “I might have…I mean…it’s hard to explain, Scott.”

“Try.”

Jason gives him a smirk. “Look, it’s that whole Katie being able to find me thing…she can sense when I’m upset and sometimes it upsets her too.”

“So…you got upset and you think she did too.”

“I guess you could put it that way.”

Scott’s eyes narrow as she tries to understand. “She and I haven’t talked about that much, but I get the feeling it’s a little more serious than that. She’s got quite a sixth sense…how upset would she get?”

Jason looks up at him, the worry showing through his eyes. “I don’t know.”

“Well then how about you and me going to look for her?”

Jason thinks hard for a moment. There was one place he would try…


“There.” Jason points to where Katie’s car is in the parking lot by the beach.

Scott quirks an eyebrow. “Doesn’t work that way, huh?”

“I just knew where she’d be,” Jason retorts. “It has nothing to do with any sixth sense. Come on.”

Both men get out of Scott’s car and head onto the beach. It was getting towards evening, and the sun was getting lower in the sky. Scott and Jason get on to the beach and scan the surroundings, walking slowly, looking. Finally Scott points to a figure sitting down by a large log. “There she is.”

Jason forces himself to stop. “Alright. I’ll stay here.”

Scott starts forward, then halts. He wants to continue. His heart is screaming at him with worry to make sure that Katie’s huddled form is really her and okay. But instead, he turns to Jason. “Jase…”

“What? Go check on her, Scott!”

“No…you go.” Scott backs off. “If this started as something between the two of you, then…it should be you. She and I have never talked about that sixth sense of hers, but if this is connected, then…I might as well bet that it’s you she’d want to see.”

Jason frowns a little. “It’s not…”

“Jason.” Scott grins a little. “I told you…I trust you. I’m not worried about losing Katie to you. We love each other. But you’re her friend, and an important one to her. And if this is something you two need to work out, then I don’t want to interfere. I’ll wait here…if you need help or she’s hurt, holler.”

Jason can hardly believe Scott’s sincerity. Scott really wasn’t worried, and for that, Jason was grateful. “Alright.” He nods and starts forward, almost hesitantly.

Reaching Katie, he kneels down in the sand, the shadows from the nearby trees enveloping them. “Katie?” he prompts softly. Her still form scared him…she looked so pale… He reaches out to put a hand on her shoulder, his tone gentle. “Katie…are you okay?”


Carson leaves half his steak on his plate, pushing it aside to signal that he was done, but he forces himself not to be in a hurry. He’d enjoyed the evening with Misty, and though keeping an eye on the time, wanted to be sure she picked up on nothing.

“…anyway, so Reese mentioned some cases that Brown has handed over to him at the moment and he’ll be sharing them with us. Might get us back into some action, who knows.”


“...Yeah, but…why?”

Jim sits across the mess hall table from his son, a Bible spread out between them. “God needed a pure sacrifice…what man was pure? What man was sinless? Only His Son.”

Clint furrows his brow and sighs a little. Yesterday morning’s sermon had finally struck a cord hard enough to force him into asking his father questions he’d had for quite a while. “Yeah, okay….I’ve heard that since I was a kid. God sent His Son, Jesus to die on a cross and take our sins.”

Jim quirks a small smile. “And…?”

“I don’t know…it’s just…why?”

“Because God loves us, Clint. He loved us so much that he didn’t want to see us all die without having a relationship with Him…without Him knowing us so well to have relationships with us. So He gave us Jesus…the way to Him.”

“So they keep saying, you know…accept Jesus as your Savior and all that…”

Jim sees the question in his son’s eyes. “Which means believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God…admitting you’re a sinner and need Him in order to gain salvation, and committing to following Him.”

Clint’s eyes lower and he runs his finger along the table thoughtfully. This strange stirring in his heart was new…he wanted to take a step forward…but…was it…could he…

“What’s stopping you?” Jim cocks his head. “Don’t believe it’s true?”

“No…no…I think it’s true. It’s just… following Jesus and all that… Where does your freedom go then?”

Jim actually laughs. “I’d much rather be a slave to Jesus than a slave to a dying world. A master has to be served. Whether you’re serving the world that leads down a dead end street and ultimately hell. Or, whether you’re serving God and walking in His way towards eternal life.”

Clint lifts an eyebrow. “When you put it that way, why on earth would I choose the latter?”

“I don’t know…why would you?”

Clint fingers the Bible and shifts it around again to reread one of the verses. “What’s with baptism anyway?”

“You know…a lot of people argue about that one, Clint.” Jim sighs a little. “But when it really comes down to it, it’s an outward sign to show the decision that was made – to prove that one is really committed to what they just promised. It’s also obedience as being baptized is what the Bible tells us to do if we are to become a follower of Christ.”

Silence reigns for several minutes, Clint’s mind and heart working overtime. Finally he looks up at his father. “Then I guess that’s what I should do, huh?”

Jim looks at him with slight surprise. “If you think you’re ready.”

“I don’t know an awful lot,” Clint admits. “But from what I’m gathering, that’s not really the point…how much I know. So…if I believe that Jesus is God’s Son and that He’s the route I need to get to heaven…and I want to go ‘cause everyone I love is going, then…it really seems like a no-brainer right about now.”

Jim chuckles and shakes his head. “I think you’re right.”

“So do I…I mean… I’ve prayed a little bit lately, kinda…trying to anyway I guess.”

Jim smiles. “Just talk to God…He’s a friend.”


…Clint heads across the yard, aiming for the shop. He’d been gone quite a while, but for once, he didn’t feel guilty. If there was anyone who would understand, it would be Wes. But he wasn’t looking for Wes at the moment, he was looking for Wendy.

Getting into the shop, he crosses to the office and taps on the door, seeing Wendy at the desk. A smile spreads across his face. “Hey, um… my family and some of the folks around here, are um…coming with me to town to church…” His eyes are shining with a newfound peace and hope. “I, um…made the decision to follow God and…Dad’s gonna baptize me. You…want to come too?”