Chapter 7
Jarrod came to see Linda Cain every day, to fill her in on what he was thinking, to hear her thoughts. Saturday came, with the trial to begin on Monday. Jarrod could tell Linda was becoming more and more nervous, and he tried to comfort her, but by Saturday afternoon, Linda was saying, "I really can't take any more of this planning. We're ready, aren't we? We have my case as ready to go as it can get, don't we?"
"Yes," Jarrod said. "You know, the point now is to get steady, to get confident."
"For you," Linda said. "For me, I better keep some of this feeling that really I have – that I regret what happened and I'd give anything for it not to have happened. That is the way I feel, Jarrod, even if at the same time, I feel like I did the right thing."
"I'm not surprised you feel that way," Jarrod said. "The last thing you want to do is look too confident that you're going to walk out innocent."
"That won't be hard to do," Linda said, "because I've never been so scared in my life. I've tried cases, Jarrod, but I've never been a defendant before."
For the first time, Jarrod came close to her as she stood by the window, and he put his arm around her. "It's natural for you to be scared."
He drew her close, and she allowed it. He felt her shiver and knew she was crying. He kept hold of her and didn't say anything. Eventually, she drew away and wiped her face.
"It's getting late," she said. "I think you should head home, and maybe not come by tomorrow."
"I won't come if you don't want me to," Jarrod said, "but how about a compromise? I'll not come in the morning. I'll go to church, as I usually do. I'll pray very hard for both of us, and I'll come by here in the afternoon. I'll stay if you want me to, for as long as you want me to. And Monday morning, I'll be here to go over to the courthouse with you. We'll both be rested and alert."
Linda looked at him with a slight smile. "Where have I heard words like that before? Oh, yes, I've said them to my own clients."
"You'll say them to clients again," Jarrod said.
"Oh, I hope so," Linda said. Then she turned and looked out the window, not into the alley, but up, at the sky.
Jarrod wondered if she was praying, or maybe looking to see if Adam just happened to be looking down. Jarrod really wished she could see him.
XXXXX
Jarrod spotted Heath in town as he left the jail to head home. Heath had a wagon with him. It carried a saddle and some tack. He was climbing in as Jarrod reached him.
"I didn't know you were coming into town," Jarrod said.
"Well, you've been a bit preoccupied lately," Heath said. "How is your client doing?"
"Holding up," Jarrod said. "Are you heading home? Not staying for some dinner with Polly?"
Heath shook his head. "No. Not staying for some dinner with Polly."
There was an unhappy tone to his voice. Jarrod was tempted to ask if the courtship had hit a rocky point, but decided he'd better not. "I'm on my way home, too. I just need to go fetch my horse at the livery. I'll probably catch up with you outside of town."
"I won't be traveling too fast," Heath said and pulled out.
Jarrod headed for the livery, scowling. It took a little bit to saddle his horse and put his paperwork in the saddle bags, but on horseback he could be moving faster than Heath in the wagon. Heath was only about ten minutes out of town when Jarrod caught up.
Slowing to ride beside him, Jarrod asked, "Do you want to talk about it before the family asks?"
Heath knew he couldn't tell Jarrod that he was the problem, that Polly was pretty set on Linda Cain's guilt and not happy Jarrod was representing her. Heath wasn't about to desert his brother for a girl he still in the courting phase with, and he wasn't about to tell Jarrod the reason with the trial only two days away. "No," Heath said. "Maybe later. I just have to see which way things are gonna go."
Jarrod eased off and rode along behind him. He was sorry Heath was having problems with Polly but he didn't ask anything further. When they got home, they left Jarrod's horse and the wagon and saddle with Ciego to take care of and went inside.
The rest of the family was already gathered for drinks. The first one who spoke was Nick, and he said, "Well, I thought you might stay in town and take Polly to dinner."
Jarrod gave Nick a look and a quick shake of his head.
Heath just said, "Not tonight," and headed for the refreshment table.
XXXXXXX
It was long after dinner that Victoria found Heath alone on the verandah, staring at the stars. It was obvious that his courtship with Polly had hit the skids, but she still wasn't sure she should ask him about it. After all, it was none of her business. She hesitated to go to him, then started to turn.
Heath said, "Go ahead and ask me. I don't think I could talk to anybody but you."
Victoria came up beside him. "From Nick's question and Jarrod's reaction, I take it things have changed between you and Polly and you might not be seeing her anymore."
"I don't know if I will or not, but there is a problem," Heath said. "I just can't let Jarrod know about it."
"Jarrod?"
"The town is full of talk about the trial starting Monday and how Jarrod is defending Linda Cain," Heath said. "Polly is one of those who don't like what he's doing. She's got her mind made up that Linda Cain murdered her husband and she ought to hang for it."
"Oh," Victoria said, beginning to understand.
Heath shook his head. "I can't turn to her without turning against Jarrod right now, and I'm not gonna do that. He means more to me than she does. But I can't let Jarrod know any of this, not with the trial staring him in the face. He doesn't need to think that his work is pulling me and Polly apart, even if it is."
"No, he doesn't," Victoria said. "You know from your own experience that Jarrod knows these things are going to happen to him. With Korby Kyles – "
"No, forget Korby Kyles," Heath said. "That was just us. That didn't involve somebody I or anybody else here was seeing and thinking maybe – " He hesitated, but finally said, "Thinking maybe she's the one."
"That does complicate things," Victoria said. "Do you think Polly might be the one for you?"
"I did," Heath said, "but now I'm not so sure. Part of me is glad to find out now that maybe she thinks how she feels is more important to me than supporting my family, but it wasn't something I hoped I'd find out."
"What do you want to do?" Victoria asked.
Heath shook his head again. "Nothing, not until Jarrod's work with Mrs. Cain is over."
"That might be by Monday night."
"If she's acquitted," Heath said, "or it might go on through an appeal. But I sure can't let what's happening between me and Polly get between me and him, or let it maybe affect his work, especially not now. So don't you tell him anything about this."
"Of course not," Victoria said. "But if there's anything I can do…"
Heath gave her a smile and a gentle kiss on the cheek. "You just did it."