Lacuna

Chapter 22

With the bridge to the desert complete, development was able to begin at South Block, the new small town that would act as a rest stop between Portia and Sandrock. Mint suspected construction would take the rest of the autumn, and it wouldn't be until South Block was complete before they could work on connecting the two roads, which would require drilling a tunnel through the Eufaula Range. By their estimates, that project would take them through the winter with hopes of being opened by spring.

Kahli would have plenty of work to get her through the rest of the year, but with the bridge completed, she opted to give herself a break for the next few days, entranced with the autumn beauty of Portia. She watched as the trees changed colors, igniting the evening skyline in fiery colors of reds and oranges and yellows. There was a whisper of winter on the breeze, causing goosebumps to trail up her arms. She sat on the fence and watched the sighing wind stir the trees and pull a few leaves with it. The leaves danced and swayed until they settled on the ground to dry and crunch under foot.

The day had been quiet. She didn't see Emily walking into town like she often did, nor did she see Arlo, Sam, or Remington out on patrol. But she didn't pay much attention, either. She tended to the animals, taking her time with her usual chores and letting her thoughts wander as they did. These days, she thought less about her father, which would have been a relief if her mind was troubled by thoughts of Arlo instead.

She couldn't help but to analyze every moment together, particularly the moment between them a few nights ago. Or, was it even a moment at all? She could have been reading too much into it. Still, she couldn't help but to feel that perhaps Arlo felt similarly. It couldn't be all in her head. She hadn't made it up. He held at her - gazed at her - for far too long. Of course, it could have only been a second that felt endless to her. It was all too confusing, and she didn't exactly have a lot of experience in the romance department. Hell, he could have written her a sonnet and serenaded her and she still wouldn't have had a damn clue. How many times could someone have been flirting with her without her realization?

But that was obviously a ridiculous thought as well. Who would want to flirt with her? She was so incredibly ordinary and down right boring. She never went out, she didn't have many friends. Her Friday nights basically consisted of chaperoning - and from time to time, completely dominating - her aunt's poker games. She didn't think she was unattractive, her black hair long and flattering, but she didn't think she stood out in a crowd, either. Especially not in her likely poor fashion choice of flannel shirts and ripped jeans. She couldn't even remember the last time she did anything to style her hair. It was just so much easier to keep it pulled back in a ponytail, out of her face while she worked.

Somewhere in the midst of her wandering mind, Kahli had opted to take a walk, though the decision seemed to be made automatically, without her knowledge. She was only brought out of her thoughts by the sound of a crunchy leaf, and she let out an audible sigh, stray strands of hair fluttering away from her face as she did so. She remembered why she preferred to keep busy. She hated being stuck in her own mind.

She continued her walk across the country side, passing the tree farm and heading up the western plateau as the sun set, the last of its rays dipping beneath the horizon. She sat on the grass, leaned back on her hands, and looked up at the darkening sky. One by one, the stars made their appearance, and once more, she was brought back to Barnarock. She could still hear the laughter of the woman in the house as they dealt the next hand. Ice clinked against glasses as their drinks were topped off. And Kahli sat on the back deck, hugging her knees to her chest and listening to the familiar songs of crickets and the lone bug zapper.

Those nights were much warmer and dryer, even compared to Portia's summer. And though she was amazed by the beauty of fall and excited for the approaching winter, she felt at home during those hot nights. She closed her eyes and sighed softly.