Cindy was to arrive two days before Eve was to leave, using the excuse of having to help her finish packing.

"Since it'll be my last chance to see New York, I better take it while I can get it."

"Well, I'll be glad if I never see it again," Eve had replied bitterly, kicking at a harmless empty box sitting in the floor.

"Aw, Eve. You don't mean that."

"I do. I'm sick of the noise and the crowds and the smog and everything!"

"Can I ask you something?"

Eve propped her hip against the cabinet. "Sure."

"If this hadn't have happened with your grandmother, would you have told him yes. And stayed?"

Eve rubbed her itchy eyes. Sleep had been infrequent, and this was one question of many that haunted her. "There's no need to worry about that now. I'm lower than mud in his book." Dan had done a first rate job of avoiding her. When he did come into contact with her, he made sure he was as charming as possible. Charming as a timber rattler. "Let's not talk about that now. So, when will you get here? Is Callie excited?"


Eve really did enjoy showing Cindy and Callie the city: Central Park, the zoo, the Empire State Building. Although she really should have been finishing up with her packing, she wanted to take one last look herself. After all, she had called this place home for almost a year. So many things had happened to her, good and bad . . .

Lynette offered to entertain Callie while the two friends finished packing. It was nice to have the distraction from her own loneliness, and Eve was glad her friend was there.

"You better leave something out to wear to work tonight," Cindy, ever the sensible one, pointed out as they were piling her clothes in boxes.

"Oh. Right. One more night." Eve pulled out the first thing she found, a sleeveless pants suit. Summer in New York was almost as unpleasant as summer back home, and the temperamental air conditioning at the courthouse didn't even work half the time.

They were so busy packing and chatting that Eve barely had enough time to sprint into the building.

It hit her then as she wandered down the hallway, which was full of the usual suspects: hookers, bums, lowlifes.

This was her last night. She wouldn't see any of them again. Ever.

That thought almost made her stop in her tracks.

Roz and Christine had become such good friends, Roz always the voice of reason. And Bull. Her self-proclaimed protector. Mac, who always had time to talk. Not to mention Harry, always good for a kind word or a laugh with a bad magic trick.

She wouldn't think about Dan. That was a whole 'nother kettle of fish entirely. But, it was interesting. They had started out barely tolerating each other, and now, they had come full circle.

"Girl, you better get your scrawny butt in there, or Harry'll have you thrown in jail for contempt," Roz scooted past her into the courtroom.

"On my last night, it might almost be worth it. I've never seen the inside of the jail."

"Trust me. You don't want to go there."


Before she realized it, the session was over. That was it. No more court reporting for her.

She was going home, and that should have made her happy. But, just as he had done every night for the past two weeks, Dan flew out of there immediately after the final gavel fall.

Ironic to think your last view is of him running away.

But, isn't that what you're doing?

"C'mon, Eve. I think we have a cake in there with your name on it." Harry shook her out of thoughts.

"I told you I didn't want any big deal!" She allowed herself to be led to Harry's office.

Cindy was there, already chatting away with Bull. "Had to check out what drew you away from us in the first place," Cindy drawled, tossing her blonde curls over her shoulder. "Callie fell asleep at Lynette's, so Lynette said she'd just keep her until morning."

There was a cake, 'Good-bye & Good Luck" written across it in blue icing. There was balloons scattered about and even a present or two.

Eve had sworn up and down she would not cry anymore, but she felt her eyes well.

Cindy was by her side. "Don't cry! This wasn't meant to make you sad."

Eve kept her tears at bay. "I just didn't realize how much I was going to miss all of this until now."

Harry actually procured a bottle of bourbon, and they all helped themselves. Before long, they had Cindy laughing about stories from previous sessions, cases none of them would ever forget.

Dan's absence was glaringly obvious.

"He promised he'd at least show up for a minute," Harry hissed at Christine.

"Bull said he was across the street at that bar he likes," Christine whispered back, making sure they were out of earshot.

"You'd think he'd at least want to tell her good-bye. He was going to marry her, for crying out loud!"

"Well, Dan doesn't think like the rest of us, especially when his pride was involved. Don't worry about it. Eve didn't need any of that tonight anyway. This has been hard enough on her as it is."


Dan went through three glasses of scotch before he remembered the box in the trunk of his car. Things she might want back. Things he didn't want to look at anymore. She had unceremoniously left a box of his own stuff in his office, leaving it there before he arrived at work.

He should do the same thing, give it to Mac or Roz or Bull to give to her, but that would show weakness. And, damned if he wouldn't give any of them the satisfaction!

He paid his tab and made his way back to the car, relieved to note that everyone was still at the courthouse. He wouldn't have to go to her apartment. Too many memories there. He would just hand it to her and leave. No words. Clean break.

He could hear them down the hallway, laughing and chatting. He almost chickened out. If she had wanted this stuff badly enough, she'd have asked for it.

But, his feet made their way to the office door. No one noticed him at first, everyone gathered in little groups, talking and laughing.

Good. He could just leave the box right here, and no one would ever know . . .

"Dan! Glad you could finally make it!" Harry broke away from his conversation with Bull and a blonde chick he barely recognized.

He saw Eve's back stiffen, and she turned around slowly, away from her conversation with Mac and Roz, her expression guarded.

Dan could have throttled Harry. "I . . .uh . . . just needed to drop this off." For the first time since she told him she was leaving, he addressed her directly and without malice. "These are yours. I thought you . . . might want them."

She looked wary. "Oh. Sure. Thanks. Just lay it there, and I'll get it."

He sat it in a chair by the door awkwardly and straightened up. Everyone was still watching him. "Go on," he motioned. "Go back to your party."

"Why don't you have some cake and . . ." Harry started

"No, thanks. I best get going." He avoided looking at her. He couldn't. He was afraid he would lose all his resolve. No matter how furious and hurt he was at her, he still loved her.

And that made him even angrier.

He was out of there before anyone could protest.


Maybe it was the look on his face of denial, anger and sorrow all balled into one that she saw on her own face when she looked in the mirror. Or maybe it was just the fact that she didn't want to leave everything in such a mess between them. She followed, setting her glass down on the table as she rushed by.

"Dan, wait."

She didn't really think he'd stop. She already decided not to chase him too far.

But, he did.

He turned wearily to face her as she caught up with him at the end of the empty hallway, not sure exactly what she was doing or even why she was doing it.

The bourbon. It has to be the bourbon. That's it.

His eyes searched hers, seemingly full of contempt, although that's not what she had seen in Harry's office. She was so good at reading him, it was downright scary.

"What?" he demanded.

"I . . . I just wanted to say good-bye."

He rolled his eyes and chuckled wickedly. "I think we've already said our good-byes one way or the other, don't you?"

She focused at a spot over his shoulder for a moment to keep from losing her cool. "None of this has turned out like I want it to. . ."

"Oh, now that's the understatement of the century!" He crossed his arms across his chest protectively.

She hoped she didn't look on the verge of tears. "I never meant to hurt you. This wasn't easy on me, either."

"Hurting? Who says I'm hurting? Don't give yourself that much credit, Eviegirl." He didn't know why those hateful words kept tumbling out, but they did.

He saw her chin tremble just a hair before she stopped it, her head high. "Good-bye, Dan. And good luck with your life."

She turned on her heel, ready to return to her friends and her party, although she really did not feel very festive anymore.


A sudden bought of desperation welled in his chest.

This was it.

He grasped her arm before she was out of reach, making her gasp.

Automatically, he pulled her against him and kissed her roughly. He thought she might claw his eyes out, not that he didn't deserve it, but she didn't, just returned his embrace just as frantically.

He backed off for a moment. "Stay with me, Eviegirl." He kissed her again. "Stay here. I . . . need you."

The smell of him and the taste of him assailed her senses.

God, how I missed this!

He was still able to turn her into a pile of useless female hormones. And, he was begging her to stay!

It was what she wanted. To forget the farm and the mortgage and Kentucky and give it all up for him.

But, she just couldn't. It was all she had left of her heritage. Her great-grandparents and grandparents had fought long and hard to build their name and keep their family and their land together. She had to prove to herself she could do it, too.

"I can't," she managed to back away from him long enough to whisper it.

"You can't or you won't?"

His lips were inches from hers, and it would be so easy . . .

"Both."

Just as easily as he'd opened himself up to her again, he shoved her away, running a hand through his hair to straighten it where she'd trailed her fingers through it. "Fine."

"Dan . . ."

He turned and headed towards the elevators. "Go to Kentucky. Go to the ends of the earth for all I care. Oh, and while you're at it, go to hell."

He was gone before she could comment. She just stood in the hallway, lips bruised and emotions disbelieving, yet somehow knowing this was how it was meant to end.


Harry found him in his office, lights dim, staring at nothing at all.

He thought about knocking, but hell, the door was open, wasn't it? So, he strolled inside. "Dan?"

All Dan did to acknowledge his presence was glare at him momentarily.

Harry sat carefully in a chair across the room, trying not to fidget. "Dan, if you want to talk . . ."

"No, I do not want to talk! It won't change a thing. One goddamn thing!" He slammed his fist into the desk top for emphasis.

Harry thought for a minute. "I know it hurts, buddy . . ."

Dan stood up, scattering papers off his desk. "Do you, Harry? Do you really?" He glared at his friend. "Do you know what it's like to have the best thing that's ever happened to you walk out? Leave without even consulting you first? Like you didn't even matter enough to consult with? Because, I don't think you do, Harry. I don't."

Harry made a face. "OK. Fine. I don't understand."

Dan started pacing. "I can't do this without her, Harry. I can't!"

"Stop her, then."

"She won't! I tried, oh God, how I tried! But, she doesn't care enough to stay. To fight for us. For me." He stopped in front of the lone dirty window staring out across Manhattan.

"I think she does care, Dan. But, she's doing what she thinks is right. I'm not saying it is, but she thinks so."

Dan didn't respond.

Harry stared at his back for a moment, before sighing. "See you tomorrow, Counselor." He let himself out.

Dan stood in the little window for a long time, wondering how his life had gone to hell so fast.


Cindy offered to drive the rental truck first, Eve's little pick-up attached to a tow trailer behind it. She kept up a bright chatter until they were well beyond the city limits of New York, the view turning to rolling countryside.

"I had a fun time meeting all your friends last night. And, that sign they gave you was the neatest thing. 'Cantrell Farms.' I bet you'll hang it on your barn. Or maybe on a signpost over the driveway. Bull said he wanted to visit. He's never been on a real farm."

"You two really hit it off, didn't you?" Eve wrapped her hands around her still-warm coffee cup, the last of the coffee from her tiny kitchen.

Cindy blushed. "Yeah, he's really nice. I showed him pictures of Callie, and he wasn't even intimidated that I had a child. Like most guys."

"He likes children." She glanced at her friend. "And, you are blushing!"

"Am not!"

"Are so!"

"You are, Mommy." Callie said sensibly from between them.

"OK, fine." She pretended to pout.

Eve shook her head. "I take it he probably really will come out for a visit."

"I told him it was alright," Cindy gushed. "But, I don't have a spare bedroom in my little place in town, and I told him he could stay with you. After all, it's just that sprawling house with just you. Even now that you are renting out the bunk house to that cute little newlywed couple and Marvin is staying downstairs with you, you have so many bedrooms . . ."

"It's fine, Cindy. Don't worry about it. He's my friend, too, and putting him up for a few days would be the least I could do."

Cindy looked relieved. "Oh, good. I couldn't believe I invited him like that, when I had just met him. I was going to bring it up last night, but after . . . well, you know, I didn't want to bother you with it."

Eve looked out the passenger window at the scenery zipping by. She had managed to compose herself after Dan made his dramatic exit. But, she had a hard time even pretending to be happy after that. So, after several tear-filled good-byes, she and Cindy had taken a cab back to her apartment and finished packing. She hadn't explained what had happened, and Cindy hadn't asked.

"You want to talk about it?"

Eve wiped the tears from her face and forced a smile. No time for self-pity now. "You know what? I don't. There's not a thing I can do about it now. Let's talk about your new place. You said it's small . . ."