by MJ Fredrick
She was so pretty, her hair rumpled from the couch, her eyes heavy-lidded. He’d rather be with her than anywhere else, but he had responsibilities.
“I’ve got to check on some of the animals we’re boarding, and I have an early start tomorrow so I can run to some appointments before I head to the courthouse with Ben.”
Some of the regret washed from her expression as she remembered that. “Don’t worry. I’ll be prepared.”
“I never doubted it.”
“Well, I’ve got to head out,” Jolie said, slipping her purse off the hook by the door as she balanced her slice of pizza in the other hand. “Good night, guys. Be careful out there, Noah, don't want to have to patch you up.”
Without waiting for an answer, she sailed out, shivering when the wind hit, and she pulled the door closed behind her.
“Do you really need to go?”
“I do. I need to check on Selena, too, make sure our heater is ready.”
He watched her bite back her frustration, but this was a reality of his life, and the sooner she realized it, the better. She stepped in front of him, and lifted her face.
“I’d hoped we’d have time to do more of this,” she said, rising on her toes.
He met her halfway, his hands on her shoulders as their mouths met, then he pulled her against him as her tongue slid along his bottom lip and into his mouth. Damn, he’d missed this, the pure pleasure of kissing, soft lips, teasing tongue, the slow build of delicious desire, that for tonight, anyway, would have no other outlet.
He was smiling when he lifted his head, when he released her, saw her face flushed, her eyes unfocused.
“I’ll see you in the morning.”
“Mm.” He literally saw her shake herself back to lucidity. “Nine o’clock, in front of the courthouse. There’s going to be a consequence, Noah. Make sure he’s prepared for it. I’ll get him the smallest consequence I can manage, but I can’t get him off.”
“I don’t want you to. I mean, I didn't even want you to get him out today.” Damn, had it just been today? So much had changed.
“I’m aware. I just don't want you to think I’m some kind of a miracle worker.”
“I know what to realistically expect. If you want to take a step back because it might be a conflict of interest, I won’t hold it against you.”
“No, it’s good. It’s okay. I promise I’m going to do my best to keep him out of jail, but it will help if he’s on his best behavior tomorrow.”
“He will be,” Noah said though his teeth.
She smiled and he pulled away from her, unable to resist another, soft kiss before he headed for the door.
“I’ll see you in the morning.”
He had to force himself to concentrate on the road in the dusk, the most dangerous time when the deer would decide to cross the road without warning, and when he pulled into the driveway leading up to his house, he saw the lights in the house and the barn were on. His heart skipped, thinking something might be wrong with one of the horses he was looking after, but he’d checked his phone for messages when he’d gotten in the truck, and he hadn't had any calls or texts.
“What’s going on?” he asked, getting out of the truck and stepping up on the porch. Ben was coming in from the barn, and Rey behind him shut off the lights. “One of the horses?”
“We just went down to make sure everyone was fed, and warm enough,” Ben said, mounting the porch beside him, pulling off his gloves. “We figured you were busy.”
“Ah. Thank you.” He had such rare occasion to say those words, they sounded stiff coming out of his mouth.
He followed his brother into the house—the pleasantly warm house—to see his sister curled on the couch in her flannel cartoon dog pajamas. She grinned up at him.
“It got cold!”
His sister loved the cold weather, and she would have loved the special evening Miranda had created for them. His house didn't have a fireplace, so the space heater was chugging in the corner.
So he’d been worried for nothing.
“Where you been?” Ben asked as he shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on the hook by the door.
“In town.” He wasn't ready to share what was going on between him and Miranda, not yet. Especially not since she had a professional relationship with his brother.
His brother gave him a look, as if trying to figure out what he’d been up to, but he didn't press.
“Yeah, well, we’ve got everything taken care of, so do what you gotta do.”
Damn, if he’d known they were going to be so helpful, he would have stayed with Miranda. What would they be doing if he’d stayed? But he couldn’t go back, so he sat beside his sister on the couch. When was the last time he’d spent relaxing time with her?
“What are you watching?”
She batted her eyelashes at him teasingly. “My favorite movie in the world. Gone with the Wind.”
Chapter Eleven
Miranda was more nervous than she thought when she arrived at the courthouse shortly after eight the next morning. She hadn't brought a coat from New York, knowing anything she would have brought with her would have been too heavy for a South Texas winter, but she wished she had something to shield her from the brisk morning air. She’d worn a suit she loved, but didn't have any hose, so her legs were freezing, and she wobbled on her heels on the uneven sidewalk as she waited for the courthouse to open, for the brothers to show up. Since Noah had appointments this morning, she didn't expect them to be early, but she’d been awake since before dawn, brushing up on her criminal mischief law. She wasn't going to trial, but she was going to do her best to keep Ben from going to jail. She owed it to Noah to try. Most of her nerves, it turned out, were because she didn't want to let him down.
Finally deciding it was too cold, she returned to the car to wait. She was grateful when Norma Fitzhugh, the mayor’s secretary, pulled her car up next to Miranda’s, and, bundled up to the ears, got out of the car and hurried up the steps to the door. Miranda opened her car door and followed.
Norma looked over her shoulder as she unlocked the door, first at Miranda’s face, then at her bare legs.
“Did you lose your sense up there in New York?”
“I didn't bring all my things home, and I didn't think we’d get so cold so early.”
Norma scoffed. “You forgot Texas weather, clearly.” She motioned for Miranda to enter before she did.
The limestone building wasn't much warmer than outside, since the weather when everyone left on Friday had been a lovely seventy degrees.
“What time are you meeting the judge?”
“Our appointment is at nine, but I couldn't relax at home, and I didn't want to keep Jolie awake, since she worked all night, and it’s Riley’s only day to sleep in.”
Norma shook her head. “Judge Olivares probably won’t be here until closer to ten, but you're welcome to wait in my office until then.”
“Why did he tell us nine, then?”
“He doesn't usually have many hearings, so he’s not in the habit of getting here at any set time. And if he does have a hearing on a Monday morning, it’s usually over a drunken dispute, so he doesn't feel bad about making people wait.”
Frustration heated Miranda faster than a fireplace could have. “I wish someone had told me. Noah made arrangements with his appointment so he could bring Ben here.”
“He doesn't have to come along. Ben’s a big boy. He gets himself in trouble, he can get himself out of it.” Norma led the way upstairs to the mayor’s office and headed straight for the thermostat. The same dusty smell that had emerged from Miranda’s heater emerged from this one, followed by a cough and a puff of what looked like smoke from the vent.
“That’s not good,” Norma said.
Miranda waved a hand in front of her face as the motor cut off. “I think you should probably have that looked at.”
Norma sighed. “I’ll give Alan a call, get him out here. I swear, working in an old building ca
n be such a pain in the ass.”
The woman’s phrase startled a laugh out of Miranda.
“Just let me call him, and we’ll go over to the bakery to wait.”
“The bakery’s closed on Monday.” Many times over the last half hour, Miranda had wished it wasn’t. The Coyote was open, but she couldn't see the front door of the courthouse from there.
“Oh. Right. Damn. We’ll head to the Coyote, then. They can call me when they get here.”
“I’ll just let Noah know he doesn't have to rush,” Miranda said, pulling out her phone.
But she didn't get an answer, and by the time Norma called the HVAC repairman and the two women headed downstairs, Noah and Ben had pulled up in front of the courthouse.
“Now will you look at that,” murmured Norma as both men got out of the truck, straightening ties almost in tandem. “Those are good genes, right there.”
A moment passed before Miranda realized she meant “genes” and not “jeans,” because Miranda was feeling a little breathless at the sight of Noah in a jacket, shirt and tie, and yes, jeans and boots. Both men looked, as Norma pointed out, strong and handsome, both of them clean-shaven. She didn't think she’d seen Ben clean-shaven since she’d been back, and he was very handsome. Not, in her opinion, as handsome as Noah, though.
Of course the black eye and cuts on Ben’s face didn't help.
She stepped down to meet Noah, and he frowned down at her. “Where's your coat?”
“The heat just went out in the courthouse, so there’s a delay. Also, apparently Judge Olivares doesn't come in early on Mondays.”
“Okay, so what’s the plan?”
“We were going over to the Coyote to wait until the repairman comes, I guess?” She looked over her shoulder to verify with Norma.
“That’s my plan. I don't want to be in that freezing building any longer than I have to be, and if I can get breakfast out of it, even better,” Norma said, already starting down the sidewalk.
Miranda looked from Noah to Ben, who hadn't said a word. Noah looked at his brother, shrugged, and they followed Norma.
“Seriously, where’s your coat?” Noah asked Miranda again. “I have one in the car. It doesn't exactly go with your suit, but…”
“I’m okay,” she assured him, willing her teeth not to chatter and give away her discomfort.
He grunted, shrugged out of his own sports coat and draped it over her shoulders. She turned her face to the collar and inhaled the scent of him, but didn't argue about his gesture.
They walked briskly to the diner, and earned curious looks from the other patrons. Miranda wondered if it was the two men, or just the odd combination of the three of them and the mayor’s secretary, who found a table for four near the window and motioned for the others to sit down.
“We might be able to see Alan pull up from here.”
Darlene, one of the waitresses, stopped by the table and took the order for coffees as she passed out windows. Ben shifted his chair so he could look out the window.
“Did you hear who's going to be representing Sheridan?” Ben asked her.
“I did. It’s Albert Casillas.” Not that there were a lot of options around. And she was going to have to face him sooner or later. She’d just rather it not be over something so important.
Noah grunted again.
“Have you heard what the charges will be?”
“I’m prepared for an assault charge. There’s an outside chance they’ll go with aggravated assault since Sheridan’s arm is broken and he can’t work. But I don't think they can prove it. Is there anything else we should know?” she asked Ben.
Noah gave his brother a pointed look that made Miranda think they were keeping something from her, but Ben said nothing.
“You need to tell me so I’m no surprised by anything you might bring up in there.”
“It’s nothing,” Ben said quietly, pushing the menu away. “I can’t eat anything anyway.”
“I think you need to tell her who else was there.”
Ben shook his head at Noah’s request. “It doesn't matter. It was all on me and him. I’ll deal with what I need to deal with.”
But she could see by his pallor that he was scared. She was going to do her damnedest to keep him out of trouble.
If they could get into the courthouse.
She was with Ben—she didn't want to eat, so just ordered a bowl of fruit. Noah ordered a hearty breakfast, as did Norma.
Miranda was regretting her choice of fruit when she and Ben were sitting, watching Noah and Norma dig into their breakfasts. The caffeine from the strong coffee jittered through her bloodstream, adding to her anxiety. Noah offered to share his meal with both of them, but Ben was adamant. And quiet. Miranda just wished they could get this hearing over with.
“There’s Alan,” Norma announced, halfway through her bacon. “I’ll go let him in and be right back. I’ll let you know how long he thinks it will be before it gets fixed.”
She hurried off.
“Now that she’s not here, is there something you want to tell me that you didn't want to say in front of her?” Miranda asked Ben, who wouldn't meet her gaze.
“No, nothing.”
She was positive he was holding something back, but she couldn't force him to answer her. She just needed to be prepared for anything.
Including a delay until one in the afternoon. Noah was antsy by ten thirty, and Miranda wasn't comfortable staying at a table in the Coyote when they weren't eating, and one more cup of coffee was going to send her screaming in circles around the square.
“You don't have to stay,” Ben said to his brother. “I am fine on my own. Go see your patients.”
“If it wasn't for this one horse,” Noah said, by way of explanation.
“I’ll be fine,” Ben said, this time with some impatience.
For some reason that seemed to reassure Noah, and he pushed his chair from the table. “I’ll be back when I can.”
Miranda wished she wasn't glad to see him go, but she might not be so nervous if he wasn't watching. Hoping.
“Hopefully it will be over by then,” she said, meaning it. She was surprised when he bent over and kissed her quickly on the mouth, then turned and left, with her staring after him.
When she turned back to her companions, her face flushed, neither seemed the least flustered, or even surprised. Okay, then. She wouldn't make a big deal about it, either.
But wow, it felt like a big deal.
*****
When finally they walked out of the Coyote at the end of the lunch rush, the mayor, Killian Dawson was with them. Miranda remembered Killian from school, the chubby friend of Trace McKenna who had joined them out at reservoir many times. He’d been….innocent, but funny. Now he was hot and funny, putting her at ease as they walked across the square back to the courtyard, doing an impression of Judge Olivares that had even Norma laughing.
As they parted at the stairway of the courthouse, he clapped Ben on his shoulder.
“Everything will work out,” he said, and trotted up the stairs on the opposite side of the lobby from the stairs to the courthouse, Norma following.
Her nerves returned as she exchanged a glance with Ben and headed up the stairs.
She was stunned to see Sheridan and his lawyer Albert Casillas already in the courtroom. They both turned to look at her and Ben. She tried not to be surprised by the damage she saw on Sheridan’s face, and the unwelcome thought, “You should see the other guy” popped into her head. She fought a hysterical giggle. She drew a breath through her nose and calmed down.
She had faced bigger foes, but not in a case she was personally invested in.
The room was still cool, but her nerves kept her warm as she took her place behind the defendant’s table and motioned for Ben to sit beside her.
Mr. Casillas crossed to shake her hand. “Welcome back to town, Miranda. I hear you’re opening a practice in town. You picked a hell of a case to start with.’
> “I’m looking forward to it,” she lied.
The bailiff walked in then, and looked in surprise at Miranda. She rose without thinking, her tension easing when her father’s old friend Ernest Weil approached.
“Miranda Bonner. So good to see you back in town.” He crossed the room and pulled her to her feet and hugged her tightly. “This is where you belong.” He pushed her back at arm’s length to look at her. “I’m sorry for the delay. The judge is ready, so let’s get this started.”
She gave him a grateful smile and he released her, still smiling, and turned back to the judge’s chambers.
When she glanced over at Mr. Casillas, she saw a disgruntled expression on his face.
They went through the ritual of standing for the judge’s entrance. The judge took his seat, picked up some papers from his bench and read over it, then looked from one table to the other and lifted his eyebrows.
“I have the sheriff’s report here. What have you got to say for yourself?”
The plaintiff’s lawyer rose to speak. “My client was having a few drinks with friends, minding his own business, having a little fun, you know, as cowboys are wont to do on a Saturday night, especially during a festival. They were at the Coyote Moon, playing pool, when they began an altercation with Mr. Braun over there. As you know about the Brauns—”
“Objection!” The word burst out of Miranda’s mouth without her even thinking about it, and the judge nodded in her direction.
Mr. Casillas cleared his throat and continued. “Benjamin Braun lost his temper and struck my client in the nose with his fist, and when that didn't do, he continued to hit and beat my client until he broke his arm. My client is now unable to work on the Valadez ranch, and will lose his job, thanks to Mr. Braun’s temper.”
The judge’s mouth twisted, and Miranda wondered just how prejudiced he was against the Brauns, since he’d been the one to try Rey Braun. If this case went to trial, she’d ask for a change of venue. God, she really hoped this didn't go to trial. For one, she was not a criminal lawyer. For another, she would have to end her relationship with Noah because of ethics.
One step at a time.
