chin stubbornly. “I’m right about the other part, too.
Old Tonto’s crazy about you and you know it.”
Paige didn’t laugh this time. It wasn’t
funny, because she knew Calvin had hit the nail on the head.
Chapter Seven
“I can’t believe this,” she muttered to
herself as she bolted from her car. Paige took a deep breath,
grasped her briefcase a little tighter and headed for the
courthouse as fast as she could in heels. She had fifteen minutes
to meet her assistant Denise, get the file on the Redmond case, and
be in court.
Paige had left Trinity in plenty of time, but
she had somehow managed to get behind every farm tractor between
Trinity and the interstate. She cursed planting season, John Deere,
and the inventor of high heel shoes as she half-ran, half-stumbled
down the busy sidewalk. She muttered “excuse-me’s” as she pushed
her way through the going-to-work crowd. Nothing riled Judge
Mattson more than tardiness.
God, she was so late. Her heels tapped
against stone as she hurriedly climbed the steps to the courthouse.
She glanced at her wrist watch. Ten minutes. She might make it—just
barely.
She looked up just in time to see a hefty
figure before it collided with her. A wave of something cold and
wet flowed down her chest. She gasped from the cold and the impact.
Paige teetered for a moment, ready to tumble down the steps she’d
just climbed. A beefy hand grasped her arm and steadied her.
Her gaze darted from the robust man before
her to the carry-out tray and Styrofoam cups scattered around her
feet. She winced at the mess in between. Orange juice stained her
white blouse and mint green blazer. Grape jelly smeared her breasts
and midriff as half a jelly biscuit oozed down the material. He’d
obviously been eating the biscuit at the time of the collision.
“I’m so sorry,” the man exclaimed, plucking
the sticky biscuit from the waistband of her skirt. “I guess I
wasn’t looking where I was going.”
Paige stared down at herself and then up at
him in disbelief. This couldn’t be happening. Not today.
“I’ll be happy to pay your dry cleaning
bill,” he added apologetically. The man a yanked a clean, white
handkerchief from his pocket and swiped at the purple jelly.
His hands fumbling over her breasts snapped
Paige back to reality. “It’s all right,” she assured and moved away
from his helpful hands. “I should have been watching where I was
going. Sorry about your breakfast,” she added, rushing past him.
The man called back another apology, but Paige kept going.
She bounded through the courtroom doors,
sweeping her gaze over the milling crowd for Denise. Her hands felt
like ice and every nerve ending in her body vibrated. One pair of
curious eyes after the other inspected her disheveled
appearance.
“What happened to you?” Denise asked as she
emerged from the throng of people.
“Don’t ask. What am I going to do?” She
peered down at herself and shook her head. “I can’t go to court
looking like this and there’s no time for me to go home and
change.”
“Come with me,” Denise ordered. She pulled
Paige into the ladies’ room and locked the door behind them.
“Water won’t help,” Paige protested, trying
to decide on some sort of strategy.
“Take your clothes off,” Denise told her,
already removing her own.
“Excuse me?” Totally confused, her gaze shot
to Denise.
“Hurry, Paige,” Denise urged. “You can wear
my outfit to court and I’ll wear yours home and change.”
“I can’t wear your clothes,” Paige denied.
She stripped off her blazer despite the denial she’d just
uttered.
“We’re the same size,” Denise insisted.
“Size isn’t the problem.” Paige shucked her
blouse and skirt, her body doing the only logical thing while her
brain struggled to arrive at any other alternative. She quickly
slipped on the lavender dress Denise had taken off. “Oh, my God,”
Paige muttered as she viewed herself in the
Old Tonto’s crazy about you and you know it.”
Paige didn’t laugh this time. It wasn’t
funny, because she knew Calvin had hit the nail on the head.
Chapter Seven
“I can’t believe this,” she muttered to
herself as she bolted from her car. Paige took a deep breath,
grasped her briefcase a little tighter and headed for the
courthouse as fast as she could in heels. She had fifteen minutes
to meet her assistant Denise, get the file on the Redmond case, and
be in court.
Paige had left Trinity in plenty of time, but
she had somehow managed to get behind every farm tractor between
Trinity and the interstate. She cursed planting season, John Deere,
and the inventor of high heel shoes as she half-ran, half-stumbled
down the busy sidewalk. She muttered “excuse-me’s” as she pushed
her way through the going-to-work crowd. Nothing riled Judge
Mattson more than tardiness.
God, she was so late. Her heels tapped
against stone as she hurriedly climbed the steps to the courthouse.
She glanced at her wrist watch. Ten minutes. She might make it—just
barely.
She looked up just in time to see a hefty
figure before it collided with her. A wave of something cold and
wet flowed down her chest. She gasped from the cold and the impact.
Paige teetered for a moment, ready to tumble down the steps she’d
just climbed. A beefy hand grasped her arm and steadied her.
Her gaze darted from the robust man before
her to the carry-out tray and Styrofoam cups scattered around her
feet. She winced at the mess in between. Orange juice stained her
white blouse and mint green blazer. Grape jelly smeared her breasts
and midriff as half a jelly biscuit oozed down the material. He’d
obviously been eating the biscuit at the time of the collision.
“I’m so sorry,” the man exclaimed, plucking
the sticky biscuit from the waistband of her skirt. “I guess I
wasn’t looking where I was going.”
Paige stared down at herself and then up at
him in disbelief. This couldn’t be happening. Not today.
“I’ll be happy to pay your dry cleaning
bill,” he added apologetically. The man a yanked a clean, white
handkerchief from his pocket and swiped at the purple jelly.
His hands fumbling over her breasts snapped
Paige back to reality. “It’s all right,” she assured and moved away
from his helpful hands. “I should have been watching where I was
going. Sorry about your breakfast,” she added, rushing past him.
The man called back another apology, but Paige kept going.
She bounded through the courtroom doors,
sweeping her gaze over the milling crowd for Denise. Her hands felt
like ice and every nerve ending in her body vibrated. One pair of
curious eyes after the other inspected her disheveled
appearance.
“What happened to you?” Denise asked as she
emerged from the throng of people.
“Don’t ask. What am I going to do?” She
peered down at herself and shook her head. “I can’t go to court
looking like this and there’s no time for me to go home and
change.”
“Come with me,” Denise ordered. She pulled
Paige into the ladies’ room and locked the door behind them.
“Water won’t help,” Paige protested, trying
to decide on some sort of strategy.
“Take your clothes off,” Denise told her,
already removing her own.
“Excuse me?” Totally confused, her gaze shot
to Denise.
“Hurry, Paige,” Denise urged. “You can wear
my outfit to court and I’ll wear yours home and change.”
“I can’t wear your clothes,” Paige denied.
She stripped off her blazer despite the denial she’d just
uttered.
“We’re the same size,” Denise insisted.
“Size isn’t the problem.” Paige shucked her
blouse and skirt, her body doing the only logical thing while her
brain struggled to arrive at any other alternative. She quickly
slipped on the lavender dress Denise had taken off. “Oh, my God,”
Paige muttered as she viewed herself in the
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