ribs.
Everyone in town knew the one thing Judge Pruitt and Kelvin Wentworth had in common was their mutual adoration of Valentine. Other than that, they pretty well hated each other’s guts. He was from the good-old-boy network and Judge Pruitt was anything but a good old boy.
“How do you plead, Miss Henderson?” Judge Pruitt asked.
“Guilty as charged,” Rachael sang out.
Jillian stepped forward. “With extenuating circumstances, Your Honor.”
Judge Pruitt steepled her fingers. “I’m listening, Ms. . . . ”
“Samuels. And I intend to show how the town of Valentine drove my client to her rash and unlawful actions.”
“Valentine made her do it?” Judge Pruitt arched a skeptical eyebrow. “That’s your defense?”
“In a manner of speaking. If Your Honor would just hear me out,” Jillian pressed.
Judge Pruitt waved a hand. “You may proceed.”
“By nature, my client, Miss Rachael Henderson, is prone to fanciful romantic ideations.”
“Meaning?” Judge Pruitt asked.
“She sees the world through rose-colored glasses, and she’s easily swayed by love.”
Gosh, when Jillian put it like that she sounded like a ditzy nutcase. Rachael sneaked a glance over at Brody to see how he was responding to this evaluation of her character, but the man was a rock, revealing nothing.
He must have been an exemplary soldier, to control his feelings so well. She tilted her head, studied his profile, but he gave away nothing. His eyes were focused on Judge Pruitt. He stood with a straight stance. She could see the preparedness in the way his hand rested on his hip just above his duty weapon. A hero. The other half of her romantic equation.
If she were in the market for another love —
You’re not! Jeez, what are you? A glutton for punishment?
“Is that true?” Judge Pruitt asked.
Chagrined, Rachael realized her mind had wandered as her gaze had slid to Brody’s rump and she hadn’t heard the question. “Ma’am?”
“If you’d quit staring at Sheriff Carlton’s butt long enough to discuss your fate, I’d appreciate it.”
At Judge Pruitt’s comment, Brody swung his gaze her way and their eyes met.
Rachael’s cheeks flamed and she ducked her head. How embarrassing to be caught ogling Brody’s backside. “Yes, ma’am.”
“I asked if your lawyer’s assertions were true. Did you learn that your parents were divorcing on the same day your fiancé jilted you at the altar?”
“Yes, Your Honor, that’s true.”
“Those are extenuating circumstances.”
“Objection!” Kelvin shouted. “She’s just trying to weasel out of what she did to our sign.”
“You don’t get to object.” Judge Pruitt scowled at the mayor. “Please control yourself or I’ll have you escorted from the courtroom.” The judge swung her gaze back to Rachael. “Miss Henderson, I’m a firm believer the punishment should fit the crime. You have pled guilty. Your lawyer has laid out the extenuating circumstances that led to your lapse in judgment and I have taken that into consideration. A lapse that I trust was temporary.”
“Yes, Your Honor.” As satisfying as painting those lips had been, it wasn’t worth this.
“Then I sentence you to clean the graffiti from Mr. Wentworth’s sign, to commit one hundred and sixty hours of community service to the town of Valentine, and to pay two thousand dollars in restitution.” Judge Pruitt banged her gavel.
“One hundred and sixty hours!” Jillian exclaimed. “Your Honor, that is excessive. My client lives in Houston. How can she be expected to spend a month out of her life working for Valentine?”
“She should have thought about that before she painted the sign,” Judge Pruitt said archly.
“She has a job, a —”
“She’s a kindergarten teacher. It’s summer. School’s out. Her parents live here in town. The sentence stands.” Judge Pruitt banged her gavel again for emphasis. “You can make arrangements to pay your fine with Becky, the
Everyone in town knew the one thing Judge Pruitt and Kelvin Wentworth had in common was their mutual adoration of Valentine. Other than that, they pretty well hated each other’s guts. He was from the good-old-boy network and Judge Pruitt was anything but a good old boy.
“How do you plead, Miss Henderson?” Judge Pruitt asked.
“Guilty as charged,” Rachael sang out.
Jillian stepped forward. “With extenuating circumstances, Your Honor.”
Judge Pruitt steepled her fingers. “I’m listening, Ms. . . . ”
“Samuels. And I intend to show how the town of Valentine drove my client to her rash and unlawful actions.”
“Valentine made her do it?” Judge Pruitt arched a skeptical eyebrow. “That’s your defense?”
“In a manner of speaking. If Your Honor would just hear me out,” Jillian pressed.
Judge Pruitt waved a hand. “You may proceed.”
“By nature, my client, Miss Rachael Henderson, is prone to fanciful romantic ideations.”
“Meaning?” Judge Pruitt asked.
“She sees the world through rose-colored glasses, and she’s easily swayed by love.”
Gosh, when Jillian put it like that she sounded like a ditzy nutcase. Rachael sneaked a glance over at Brody to see how he was responding to this evaluation of her character, but the man was a rock, revealing nothing.
He must have been an exemplary soldier, to control his feelings so well. She tilted her head, studied his profile, but he gave away nothing. His eyes were focused on Judge Pruitt. He stood with a straight stance. She could see the preparedness in the way his hand rested on his hip just above his duty weapon. A hero. The other half of her romantic equation.
If she were in the market for another love —
You’re not! Jeez, what are you? A glutton for punishment?
“Is that true?” Judge Pruitt asked.
Chagrined, Rachael realized her mind had wandered as her gaze had slid to Brody’s rump and she hadn’t heard the question. “Ma’am?”
“If you’d quit staring at Sheriff Carlton’s butt long enough to discuss your fate, I’d appreciate it.”
At Judge Pruitt’s comment, Brody swung his gaze her way and their eyes met.
Rachael’s cheeks flamed and she ducked her head. How embarrassing to be caught ogling Brody’s backside. “Yes, ma’am.”
“I asked if your lawyer’s assertions were true. Did you learn that your parents were divorcing on the same day your fiancé jilted you at the altar?”
“Yes, Your Honor, that’s true.”
“Those are extenuating circumstances.”
“Objection!” Kelvin shouted. “She’s just trying to weasel out of what she did to our sign.”
“You don’t get to object.” Judge Pruitt scowled at the mayor. “Please control yourself or I’ll have you escorted from the courtroom.” The judge swung her gaze back to Rachael. “Miss Henderson, I’m a firm believer the punishment should fit the crime. You have pled guilty. Your lawyer has laid out the extenuating circumstances that led to your lapse in judgment and I have taken that into consideration. A lapse that I trust was temporary.”
“Yes, Your Honor.” As satisfying as painting those lips had been, it wasn’t worth this.
“Then I sentence you to clean the graffiti from Mr. Wentworth’s sign, to commit one hundred and sixty hours of community service to the town of Valentine, and to pay two thousand dollars in restitution.” Judge Pruitt banged her gavel.
“One hundred and sixty hours!” Jillian exclaimed. “Your Honor, that is excessive. My client lives in Houston. How can she be expected to spend a month out of her life working for Valentine?”
“She should have thought about that before she painted the sign,” Judge Pruitt said archly.
“She has a job, a —”
“She’s a kindergarten teacher. It’s summer. School’s out. Her parents live here in town. The sentence stands.” Judge Pruitt banged her gavel again for emphasis. “You can make arrangements to pay your fine with Becky, the
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