“Are you kidding me? You’re going to keep him here and make him appear in court tomorrow for… for what exactly?”
“Well, Cassie has a bruise on her face and a wrenched arm. Ryan Mitchell claims he saw Nate hit her, and she’s verified that account.”
She folded her arms and gave an overexaggerated sigh. “Oh, well, he’s guilty then. If my scum-ball bully of a father-in-law says Nate did it, who are we to argue? May as well lock the cell and throw away the key. Pretty sure the judge doesn’t even need to bother coming in tomorrow if Ryan is to be believed.”
“No need for that level of sarcasm, Joy.” Aaron stood his ground. “It’s up to the judge to decide who is in the wrong here. And Nate, well, he didn’t want to say much to me, so what choice did I have? Seems to be his thing, not standing up for himself. Makes him look more guilty, if you want my opinion.”
The front door opened. “You’re not paid to give your opinion, Deputy.” Sadie strode into the office, high heels tapping out a tune on the floor. “I’d like to see my client please.”
Aaron gawked at her before he found his voice again. “I’ll have to clear it with the sheriff, ma’am.”
“I already did.”
The phone on the desk rang, and Sadie gave Joy a grin.
“Yes, Sheriff, will do.” Aaron put it back down on its cradle. “Sheriff said you can go in, Sadie. But she has to stay out here.” He gave Joy an apologetic look.
“Why? That’s not fair. Sadie, I need to see him, tell him how much I care.”
Sadie put a hand on her shoulder. “Shush now. Let me go deal with this, and I’ll try and swing you a short visit, okay?”
Joy swallowed and nodded. She grabbed Toby’s hand and led him to the waiting room to sit it out. She wasn’t going home without telling Nate how sorry she was for putting him in this position and for letting him think she didn’t believe him.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Why didn’t you tell Joy what happened? You know this is a setup, right?”
Nate leaned his head back on the concrete wall of his cell. “Yeah, it’s pretty obvious.”
“It’s too late for me to post bail, Nate. I’m sorry, but there you have it. We’re going to have to wait until tomorrow morning unless we can get an early mention on the judge’s docket.”
“Doesn’t matter anymore. Me and Joy are over. She’ll be better off without me. Anyone can see that.”
Sadie leaned her face against the bars. “Nate Hansen, I swear you are as pigheaded as your brother. What is it with you guys?”
He stared at her. How was he supposed to answer that? He’d tried, done his best, but no matter how much he wanted to do better, there was always someone ready to drag him back down again. Made sense to stay where he was, and that way nobody would have expectations he couldn’t live up to.
“Joy is out there in tears, waiting to get you out. What am I supposed to say to her?”
“Tell her I’m sorry, but it’s for the best. She was right about her father-in-law. He’ll stop at nothing to get what he wants. I can’t risk him hurting her or Toby. I want you to talk to Ryan. Tell him that if he’ll let Joy stay on the ranch, I’ll walk. It’ll mean she can relax and not worry so much. Spend the time with Toby, seeing he grows up right, like Bradley wanted.”
“No. No way. I’m not letting you walk away from her. You signed a contract, Nate. A contract I’ll personally hold you to. I know you’re only doing this because you think it’s right. That it’s better for Joy if you’re not around.” She huffed and Nate almost smiled at her ferocity. His brother didn’t stand a chance against Sadie in full fight mode. “What Ryan is trying to do to you two is nothing compared to what I’m going to throw at you if you walk away from her. She’s the best thing that’s happened to you, so get off your stubborn ass and fight for her. Like she’s fighting for you.”
His throat clogged and it was a moment before he could speak. “I saw the look in her eye, heard her ask what I’d done. Even she believes I did wrong, and I don’t blame her one bit.”
“She does not, Nate. Words get mixed up in the heat of the moment; believe me, I know better than anyone. That girl is head over heels in love with you and was probably stunned if you want to know the truth. Having someone arrive at your door to drag away your husband isn’t cohesive for a good conversation. If you can’t see that, you’re blind as well as stupid.” She crossed her arms and gave him daggers. “And if you can’t see how much that little boy has fallen for you, too, you don’t deserve him.”
“I don’t know what to do, Sadie. Please tell me where to go next.” He wiped his sleeve across his face.
“Tomorrow I’ll get you a hearing as soon as I can. In the meantime, you have to sit tight. Those papers Joy brought over aren’t enough to bring up just yet. We need more evidence that Ryan pushed his mother-in-law into changing her will in his favor. As soon as we can get that, I can take it before the judge.”
“Did you speak to her doctor yet?”
She shook her head. “No. He’s offered to see me tomorrow. I’ll try to make that a breakfast meeting. In the meantime, you have to keep your spirits up. I’ll talk to Joy and tell her to keep looking for anything that might help us.” She swiped her tongue around her lips. “Anything I can pass on to her for you?”
Nate swallowed. How did he say he was sorry when he couldn’t even form the words in his own mind? “Tell her I didn’t mean for her to get upset like this.”
“I’ll tell her. She’s outside with Toby, but I don’t think Aaron is going to let her come in and see you.”
“I don’t want her to see me in here anyway.”
*
“All rise for the judge.”
Sadie stood and gave Nate a look that made him scramble to his feet. He mumbled sorry as he stood. His mind had been elsewhere.
The judge sat and looked over the courtroom. “What do we have here today that’s so all-fired important, Mrs. Hansen?”
Sadie picked up a sheet of paper and approached him. “Your Honor, we have a grave miscarriage of justice that I couldn’t bear to leave for another day. Your clerk kindly let us in this morning. I do hope you don’t mind.”
He took the paper from her hand and peered over his glasses at Nate. “Mr. Hansen. Last time you were before me it was to get married. A momentous occasion that can’t be topped, I’d say. Let’s hope today isn’t going to change my opinion about you.”
“Your Honor, as you’ll see from the arrest sheet you have before you, Mr. Hansen was charged with assault yesterday. Now, I’d like to set a date for this to be heard as soon as possible, but in the meantime, I’d like Your Honor to set bail. This man needs to be home working his ranch and looking after his wife and stepson. He has no serious priors, and I can assure you he isn’t a flight risk.”
The judge peered over his glasses at Sadie. “But he has been in front of me many times before.”
“That’s true, Your Honor, but you have to understand the circumstances. Mr. Hansen is now a family man with responsibilities that make him a different person to the one you knew in the past.” Sadie walked closer to the bench and lowered her voice. “Sir, I have every reason to believe that this is connected to the case I’ve already discussed with you. I think it’s a tactic by the other side to discredit my client and her husband, but in the meantime, Mr. Hansen needs to be home where he belongs.”
Nate looked back as the courtroom door opened. Joy slid into a back seat, her pale face and dark shadowed eyes making contact with his before sliding to the floor. He was to blame for the grief she was getting from her father-in-law. How long would she be prepared to put up with it and take a chance on him?
“I’d like to think you’re right.” The judge looked up. “Sheriff Watson, what do you have to say about me setting bail?”
“Fine with me, Your Honor. I happen to agree with Mrs. Hansen, but the law is the law. We had to press charges.”
The judge made a note on the pad in
front of him.
“Mr. Hansen.”
Nate stood. “Yes, sir.”
“I’m going to grant bail, but you must be careful about what you do until we can set a date. I’d like to run this case alongside the one brought up by Mr. Mitchell, as I feel your lawyer has a point and we owe it the law to make the correct judgment in that case. I’ll reserve judgment until that day. Understood?”
Nate swallowed. “Yes, sir. I ain’t going anywhere I shouldn’t.”
“Pleased to hear it. I’m setting bail at one hundred dollars.” He slammed his gavel down and called for the next case.
*
“I’m going to kill you if you ever doubt yourself again. Do I make myself clear, Nate Hansen?”
Tears rolled down her cheeks, but Joy didn’t care. He was free and they had a fighting chance of winning this case.
“But you’d be better off without me. We both know that, no matter how much we try to kid ourselves.”
Joy planted her lips on his and stopped his protests. He didn’t react for a couple of seconds, and then it was as if a dam bad been broken. His lips pressed against hers and his arms lifted her off the ground. Joy slid her legs around his hips and clung to him.
She’d had no plan in place if Nate had refused to talk to her. She’d pinned everything on how he reacted when she finally got to talk to him and touch him.
He broke the kiss and pressed his forehead against hers. “I’m so sorry. Joy, I can’t tell you how much I—”
“Shhh, stop. It’s okay, Nate. I know, I know.”
“Joy. Where did you find this?” Sadie waved the letter at them.
She slid to the ground but kept hold of Nate’s hand. “It was in one of Bradley’s stock record books. One I’d packed away when I made room for Nate’s things in the bedside cabinet.” She swallowed the embarrassment, but nobody seemed to notice. “Last night I was tearing my hair out, trying to think of something, anything, to use against them, when I remembered Bradley used to keep the birthday cards his grandma wrote him. Even when we lived in the same house, she’d write him a letter saying all the things she never could say out loud to him. She wasn’t the kind of person to share her feelings too much.”
“Is it good?” Nate squeezed her fingers.
“It’s better than good. I’m going to take this straight to the judge and ask that he book this case in as soon as he can. I had a breakfast meeting with her old doctor today, and he can corroborate what’s in this letter.”
“You mean we might have a chance now? He won’t be able to kick us out?” How sweet would it be to have a life without this hanging over her head?
“You always had a chance, Joy. Now the odds have gone up considerably in your favor.”
“What about the assault charge?” Nate kept her close.
“I’m going to have a quiet chat with Cassie. If I can talk some sense into her, that is.”
A shadow crossed over them. “Don’t even go there, Sadie. You’ll get your hand slapped by the judge, and I don’t appreciate you doing my job when I have it all under control.” Rory Watson stepped into their circle. “I’ve already asked her to come in again. She and I will work it all out.”
Sadie bristled. “Didn’t seem to get it sorted out last night, Rory. What makes you think you’ll have any luck now?”
He put his hands on his hips and grinned. “Well, see now. My wife told me that you get more bees with honey than with vinegar. I tend to believe her. It also helps that Leroy came in early this morning and had a quiet chat to me.”
Joy gasped. “No. Please tell me he wasn’t on his father’s side.”
“That’s what it sounds like. Doesn’t want to get too involved, and I don’t blame him for that. Ryan can be a nasty piece of work when he wants to, but Leroy did let slip about your sister needing money and that I might want to look into it a bit more so long as I keep his name out of it.”
She held her hands over her face, channeling a deep sense of calm to keep her grounded. “I don’t believe it. After everything we’ve gone through, some good might finally come of all this mess.” Nate pulled her into his chest and hugged her while the others talked around them.
After she calmed down, he said, “I have something to add to that. Leroy hinted that they were prepared to throw a considerable amount of cash my way if I step aside.”
Joy froze in his arms. Surely he wasn’t considering it?
He rubbed her back and sighed. “But I told him where to shove it, of course. I can’t walk away, no matter what my initial thoughts were. I want to stay and fight for what belongs to Joy and Toby. They’re my family now, and he’s not going to push them around anymore. Don’t care how low he gets or what he throws at us.”
Joy turned her face up to him. “About time you came to your senses, Nate.”
“Sorry. Better late than never, I guess.” She snuggled into his chest, a sigh of relief sagging her body.
Moments later, Sadie said good-bye before she headed back to the office.
Joy reached out and grabbed her arm, stopping her for a second. “I’ll come and get Toby soon, promise.”
Sadie grinned. “Emily’s in heaven, so don’t rush. Go have a quiet coffee with your husband and talk things over.” She crossed the road and hurried away.
“You have a short memory, Nate.”
He stiffened at the sheriff’s words. “What are you talking about?”
Rory laughed. “Nothing serious, so get rid of that defensive look. I seem to recall telling you that you two could make this work and not to let anyone derail you. That didn’t work out well, did it?”
“I guess not. But seriously, all I was doing was standing at the counter, ordering ear tags for the calves, and a couple hands wound around my belly and that was it. All hell broke loose.”
“I’m hoping Cassie will confirm what you say. I’ve no doubt Mr. Mitchell is behind it as Leroy says, but you need to listen and listen good. Go home, stay there, and keep out of trouble. Don’t come into town—send Joy—and if anyone from that family comes over to the ranch, call me. This needs to be sorted out, and the sooner the better. Can’t abide bad blood between families. I know what that’s like.”
“Appreciate it, Rory. Come on, Nate. I know Sadie means well by having Emily take care of Toby but I’d rather head home. I don’t want to be around town any more today than I can help.”
“Sounds like a good idea.” Rory tipped his hat and walked away, leaving them alone on the path.
“Nate, take me home please.”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Later that morning, Nate sat in the living room with Joy, and she was loath to break the peace between them even though he had more work to do down at the barn. They’d fed the horses when they got home, and the list of jobs he had in mind to deal with got longer every day, but they needed to talk. Sort out their issues.
“I’m so sorry it came to this, Nate. I didn’t mean for it to go so wrong when I advertised for a husband.”
He slipped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close. “You can’t blame yourself, especially not when someone else is involved. He’s a law unto himself, that man.”
She smiled. “Yes, he is. Makes me wonder how I got so lucky with Bradley. He was nothing like his father, thank goodness.”
“Can’t see you married to anyone who would push you around like that.”
A car door slammed and Nate stood up and looked out the window.
“Who is it?” Fear rolled up her spine. Joy had had enough stress for one day. She didn’t think she could take another confrontation without snapping someone’s head off.
“Your sister.” He let the curtain drop down.
Great. Another drama to deal with. If she didn’t love her little sister so much, she would’ve disowned her by now. Joy’d never known anyone who caused so much trouble. “What on earth does she want?”
Nate stood out of the way as the door burst open.
“What the heck do
you two think you’re doing?” Cassie stormed in. “You’re such a selfish pig, Joy. You have everything you’ve ever wanted and you still manage to fuck up things for everyone else.”
Joy stood, brushed down her hair, and let her hand down at her side, deliberately spreading her fingers to avoid clenching them in a fist. “What are you going on about?”
Cassie sneered and turned her bitter gaze on Nate. “Him, this ranch. Everything you want, you get.”
“Oh, give it up, Sis. For goodness’ sake, what did I ever do to you? When Mom and Dad died, who looked after you?”
“Don’t go getting all uppity with me, Joy. You know damn well you hampered me more than helped, bossing me around. Not letting me do anything fun. You know I’m not the country type. I like it fine in the city, but did you let me go? No! You made me stay here and get a job with no prospects, and here I am. Still in a job with no hope of anything better while you’re sitting on this place with him.” She glared at Nate again, the curl of her lip higher than the last time.
“You know what, Cassie? Do whatever you want. Move to the city, I no longer care what you do with your life. Hardly my fault you didn’t make the most of your opportunities when you had the chance. If you’d done what Bradley and I suggested and gone to college, things would be looking better for you, but you didn’t. Oh no. You wanted to hang out with your friends, drinking and catting around. Look where that got you. Nowhere.” Joy shook her head. “For years, you’ve been the bitter one, as if the whole world owes you a favor. Well, guess what? It don’t. You make your own luck and decisions. Something I found out the hard way.”
“You righteous cow. You wouldn’t let me make my own decisions up until now. And when I do you go and muck them up.” She threw herself on the couch.
“You’ve got nerve. You plot against me with my father-in-law, set up my husband, accuse him of assault, and then come here expecting us to feel sorry for you? I don’t know where Mom went wrong with you, I really don’t.”
“Girl’s gotta make a living any way she can.”
The Convenient Cowboy Page 12
