Free Dancing Tides by Vickie McKeehan Page B

of this pl ace , h e ’ d do w h a t e v e r C a ssie wa nt e d him to do to st ra i g ht e n out his li fe . H e n e v e r wa nt e d to think of C a s sie dis a ppoint e d in him.
    Closing his e y e s, he d r i f t e d o f f to sl ee p a nd d r e a m e d a bout a w om a n f or the f i r st time in t w o y e ar s w ho w a s not C a ssie Sp ear m a n.
    Ta ll, she stood a t l ea st f i v e-e i g ht w ith a m a ss of t i ti a n h a ir a nd a s p a tt er i n g of li g ht frec k l e s a c r oss the b r i d g e of h e r nos e . She loo k e d a lot y ou n g e r th a n his thi r t y - f ou r.
    She h a d s a v e d him.
    He r e y e s w e r e so h u g e a nd a z u re , like pools of g l ea ming s a pphi re s. P e n e t r a tin g , is the w a y he w ould ’ v e d e s c r i b e d th e m. T h e y h a d b o re d hol e s in him. I f he tho u ght a bout it long e nou g h, h e mi g ht e v e n d e s cr ibe th e m a s g l ar i n g . T h e y h a d shot d a g g e r s a t him w h e n sh e’ d ca u g ht him in a li e . T hose e y e s of h er s h a d sho n e c old l y blu e , th e n f u r ious.
    B ut h e r lips, sh e’ d h a d the so f t e st lips. H e mi g ht n ot re m e mb e r h e r mouth on his but he c ould im a g ine w h a t it fe l t lik e .
    Sh e’ d b rea t h e d li f e b a c k into him.
    He r n a me wa s K e e g a n. T h a t ’ s w h a t N i c k h a d ca ll e d h er . W h a t kind of w om a n h a d a n a me like K ee g a n a n y wa y ? S h e ’ d ac t e d a s tho u g h she ac tu a l l y c are d — ca re d a bout a st ra n g e r , a w o r thl e ss pi ec e o f shit like him w ho wa nt e d to e n d his us e l e ss e x ist e n ce .
    G od. H e did n ee d h e lp.
    H e h a d to w ond e r if it w a s too l a te to m a ke th a t c h a nge e v e r y one k e pt t a lking a bout. H e h a d to hope it wa sn ’ t.
    Co r d s a t up on his c ot a nd look e d ar ound. J e sus, he s cr ubb e d a h a nd o v e r h is fac e a nd re m e mb e r e d now th a t E t h a n Co d y h a d lo c k e d h i m up, c a g e d him, like o n e of the b a r n a nim a ls a t the far m.
    H is e y e s s ca n n e d up w a r d to t h e ca m e r a ov er h ea d.
    Ok a y , Be n n e tt, y ou n e e d to g e t r e al s e rious about c on v in c ing th e se p e ople y ou are one hundr e d p e r ce nt sa n e a n d ve r y , v e ry sorry for e v e r ta k ing a short walk into the o ce an.

     

Ch a pt e r F o u r
     
    T h re e thous a nd mil e s awa y , l o c k e d inside S a ndh u r st St a te M e nt a l H ospit a l, Rob b y M ac k St e v e ns w o r k e d on his e s ca pe pl a n.
    F or the p a st y e a r a nd a h a lf h e’ d do n e e v e r y thi n g he c ould to c onvin c e his o w n l a w y er , a s we ll a s the m ea l y - mout h e d judg e s h e’ d stood in f r ont of using his h a n g - d o g p er son a , a lo n g w ith a v ar i e t y of h ea d d o c to r s, th a t he wa s a s c hi z oid.
    W h a t f ools th e y a ll w e r e f or b e li e vi n g th a t. Rob b y M ac k wa s a s s a ne a s the re st of A m er i ca.
    T hou g h th e y ’ d s ea l e d h i m aw a y in a m e nt a l w ar d a nd put him on m e ds he didn ’ t n ee d a nd th a t he o f t e n spit out, Rob b y k e pt up his r us e . H e re l i g ious l y a tt e nd e d h is a n g e r m a n a g e m e nt c l a ss e s th r e e tim e s a w ee k, e v e n tho u g h it piss e d him o f f to do so. O ld Rob b y M a c k wa s no f ool. H e m a de su r e he m a int a i n e d his c ool th r ou g hout t he s e ssions. H e e v e n m a de s ur e he p re t e n d ed re mo r se a nd c ont r ition.
    T he su c k er s a l w a y s w a n t e d a d e ce nt m e mb e r o f s o c i e t y to show r e g r e t a nd re mo r se f o r w h a t th e y ’ d don e . Rob b y kn e w the d r ill— b y h e a r t— a nd wa s mo r e t h a n w illing to pl a y his p ar t.
    A t l ea st he wa s n ’ t f o r c e d to wea r a n o ra n ge jumpsuit a t W a ll e ns Rid g e St a te P r ison n ear B ig Stone Ga p w h er e th e y w er e p r one to putting mu r d erer s