Water in a Time of Thirst

Chapter Seven

The pot roast tasted the same way it did years ago, and Corbin shoveled it into his mouth, savoring the gravy-like sauce, kissed by a hint of red wine. The deer meat was so tender it almost fell apart as he forked it. Even the veggies were cooked to perfection-soft, but not so much they became mush. It was exactly how he liked his pot roast cooked, and Sarah knew that. He swallowed a mouthful and snuck a peek at Everleigh from the corner of his eye. They had offered her the seat next to him, and she nibbled quietly but seemed at peace, unlike him.

Having an affair with his uncle's wife fourteen years prior, made for an uncomfortable silence.

"So, Corbin," Sarah said, clearing her throat. "Domino says you'll be helping him find water for our neighbor, Josephine."

"Is that so?" he peered at the man.

"Yeah," Domino cleared his throat and wiped his mouth before setting the cloth napkin down. For a moment he sucked at a piece of food from his teeth with his tongue. "I figure I can put you to work while your friend recovers. Maybe rig a pipeline from my pond to her home."

"Why don't I just witch it for her?" Corbin began scooping more roast into his mouth when he noticed his uncle eyeing Everleigh. With a mouthful, he said, "She knows what I am."

"Is that so?" Domino grunted. "And how did y'all meet?"

Gripping his fork, Corbin glanced at Everleigh. She stopped chewing her food but kept her head down, and he could almost see the gears turning in her head. Would she tell the truth? Draping his arm over the back of her chair, he wrapped his fingers around her shoulder and squeezed. She shifted her attention to the corner of her eye, and the pulse in her neck quickened.

"They were wandering the sulfur deposits in Nevada near the Oregon border and were thirsty, so I helped them," Corbin explained.

"That area is a wasteland from years of being mined before the drought," Domino replied. "Why the hell would you walk through there?"

"We had a map and thought it would be easier to cut across, but we were wrong," Everleigh answered as she scooted the meat around her plate.

"You're lucky you're pretty." Domino leaned back. "Otherwise, Corbin would have avoided you. People can't know what he is."

"I had to help them. She fainted from exhaustion," Corbin squeezed Everleigh's shoulder again, and their eyes met. "Sometimes, it's worth taking a risk."

"Hah!" Domino chuckled and dug back into his meal with a grin and popped a piece of meat into his mouth. "Still questioning your sleeping arrangements, Everleigh? We could always scoot your beds together."

Darting his gaze from her to Domino, Corbin caught sight of Sarah. She was stunning with her plump rosy lips, eyes like a stormy day, and the elegance of a cat pittering across a wire. Her somber eyes were glossy as she held her fist to her chest, but then got up from the table and turned her back to everyone.

He studied her as she began rinsing a dish in the sink but then stopped as her back expanded with a deep breath. Almost as if trying to compose herself. She tossed a dishrag over her shoulder and spun with the grace of a ballerina on stage-poised and ready for her next act.

"I was thinking of making dessert for tonight. Is anyone opposed to rice pudding?" She smiled, and Domino rubbed her lower back.