The Oaths We Keep

Chapter 1

Roger Taylor's cell phone read three minutes after eight on a Thursday night. Taylor was tense as he continued to survey the crowded area before him. He sat back, watching the people in the crowd come and go as he sought out his target. All of these people would make finding his target that much more difficult. He tried to blend in as best as possible, pretending he belonged here among all the others surrounding him. In the back of his mind, he felt completely out of place.

Another five minutes passed, and he almost decided to give up. A pent-up sense of frustration and relief took hold of him. He hated to miss out, but in another way, he was glad he wouldn't have to deal with the pressure of his meeting. He took one last drink of his tea and stood reaching for his wallet when he caught sight of the person he was looking for tonight.

She was tall with long auburn hair, an athletic build, and fair skin. She nervously looked around, but she didn't see him. She made her way to the restaurant's bar and took a seat. Taylor could not hear what she was saying, but from the bartender's reaction, she must have ordered a drink. There she sat, looking around, waiting for someone to arrive, not seeming to know what she was getting herself into tonight.

Nearing the bar, Roger knew the moment of truth was at hand. Move slowly, Taylorthought to himself as he cut through the crowd. Whatever you do, don't spook her, he thought as he moved in closer. There was no backup on this one. If he failed, the last few weeks he spent searching would be instantly ruined.

He took a deep breath and steadied himself as the woman turned and finally made eye contact with him. The rest happened in an instant. "Hi, I'm Roger. Glad to finally meet you," he said, raising his stress level.

"Oh, hey," she said with a small laugh, "I'm Amber; great to meet you in person too, finally. How are you?" she said reassuringly.

"Great, I got us a table back there if you want to go sit. It's a little less crowded."

"I'd love to, sure."

"Hey, Eddie," he said to his long-time friend behind the bar, "Miss Amber and I are going to my table. Can you bring her drink over there, please?"

Eddie, Roger's friend from the days he dated Shelia Lee, was a constant companion. Roger owed him a debt of gratitude, and his encouragement meant a lot to him. Sometimes, he wasn't sure he could have made it after Shelia died without Eddie. The man may have lost a leg in Iraq, but Eddie was the strongest and most reliable man Roger knew. "You got it, Roger," he said. As Amber walked toward the table, Roger looked back at Eddie, and the man gave him a thumbs up and a nod of approval.

It meant more than thinking about Amber's physical beauty, which she had plenty of, without a doubt. It was more about Roger finally allowing himself to try and find someone to be in his life again. After Shelia died, Roger went into a dark place. Eddie was the one that helped to pull him out of that trap.

Turning his attention to the lovely lady he met tonight, he returned to his table. He caught up with Amber and guided her to their spot. He pulled the chair out for her, and she gracefully sat down, thanking him as she sat. He hoped she couldn't tell just how nervous he was. It was funny how he could stare down a man who wanted to kill him with relative ease in comparison to a date with the sister-in-law of his friend Ethan Long.

Roger knew Ethan from when the two first joined the force. They were both rookie cops and just out of the military. They hit it off almost from the start. However, Ethan left the police force and started working as an insurance investigator several years ago. The two kept in touch since Ethan left Warrenton's police force. Taylor had to admit he first resisted the idea of dating Ethan's sister-in-law. The last thing Roger wanted was to jump into a relationship with a friend's kinfolk, but Ethan insisted that Roger at least agree to meet her. Finally, he gave in, and Ethan arranged for the two to exchange contact information.