lawyer’s practice and was trying to right some wrongs.” Charlee touched her chest. “I was one of those wrongs.” Because something had happened.
“What do you mean, Charlee?” There was nothing wrong about her—nothing.
“There was a racket, for want of a better word.” She pulled away from him and stood up. “Because of a rule where they could get more governmental support for American Indian foster kids and adoptions, this group of people stole children from their parents. They made up stories and falsely accused them of abuse and drunkenness.” She dashed tears from her cheeks. “That’s what they did to my folks, lied about them and took me away and gave me to the Parkers.”
“Oh, Charlee,” he said, pulling her into his lap. She didn’t have to say the rest. He knew her history as well as she did—Parker’s wife drowning when she was five, Curtiss blaming her, his drinking, and his abuse. “You know, I would have spared you all that if I could.”
She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder. “You made my life bearable. You made me happy. And I guess it all turned out for the best. After the run-in I had with my father, what happened with you in the diner spurred me to do something about my situation. If I hadn’t been so angry, I never would have been brave enough to go through his office and find the papers. I would have missed the three months with my mother.”
“Three months?”
“She had cancer,” Charlee said sadly. “We didn’t have much time.”
“God, I’m so sorry.” He wrapped his arms around her. “You have to know that whatever I didn’t do or didn’t say, I was out of it.”
She laid her head on his shoulder. “I understand.” She did. The headaches and the pain medication threw him for a loop. “You shouldn’t have been driving that day.”
“Yes, mama hen.” For a few moments, they sat there just holding one another before he spoke. “I’m so glad you’re back and I want to know everything. Just consider your time booked. I want to see you tonight.” Justice kissed her on the cheek. Having her sweet body pressed up to his was playing havoc with his libido, and now wasn’t the right time for him to do anything about it. “But right now, I have a meeting to get to. You’ll never believe what’s going on.” He laughed. “I have a hole in the ground on El Camino big enough to bury a T-Rex.” Looking at his watch, he helped her stand. “I’m about to be late for a meeting with someone named Cortez that the state has sent over to tell me what I did wrong and what it’s going to cost to keep me out of trouble.”
Tightening the belt on her robe, Charlee stood straighter. “Actually, you’re not late, Justice.”
At his enquiring look, she explained.
“I’m Cha’risa Cortez. That’s my real name. Your meeting is with me.”
CHAPTER SIX
Justice’s expression was one of astonishment. “You’re Cortez?” he asked with disbelief.
“Cha’risa was the name my parents gave me. Charlee was close, I guess. I still use it, but I’ve dropped the Parker.”
Justice shook his head, ruffling his hair with his hand. “Wait.” He looked pissed. “So, you didn’t come back to see me. You didn’t come home. You’re just the one they sent to see how many laws I’ve broken and how high of a price I’m going to have to pay to get it fixed.”
Charlee was taken aback. “No, it’s not like that at all. I’m here to help.”
“Yea, right.” Justice turned his back on her. He felt like a fool. He’d seen this as some kind of romantic reunion, some homecoming of the heart. The reality was much less sentimental. “My mistake.”
“Stop.” She grabbed his arm. It was like trying to move a mountain. “No, you’re wrong.”
Justice looked over his shoulder. “Okay, answer a simple question. If that sinkhole hadn’t opened up, when would you have come back? Were you ever planning on seeing me
“What do you mean, Charlee?” There was nothing wrong about her—nothing.
“There was a racket, for want of a better word.” She pulled away from him and stood up. “Because of a rule where they could get more governmental support for American Indian foster kids and adoptions, this group of people stole children from their parents. They made up stories and falsely accused them of abuse and drunkenness.” She dashed tears from her cheeks. “That’s what they did to my folks, lied about them and took me away and gave me to the Parkers.”
“Oh, Charlee,” he said, pulling her into his lap. She didn’t have to say the rest. He knew her history as well as she did—Parker’s wife drowning when she was five, Curtiss blaming her, his drinking, and his abuse. “You know, I would have spared you all that if I could.”
She wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder. “You made my life bearable. You made me happy. And I guess it all turned out for the best. After the run-in I had with my father, what happened with you in the diner spurred me to do something about my situation. If I hadn’t been so angry, I never would have been brave enough to go through his office and find the papers. I would have missed the three months with my mother.”
“Three months?”
“She had cancer,” Charlee said sadly. “We didn’t have much time.”
“God, I’m so sorry.” He wrapped his arms around her. “You have to know that whatever I didn’t do or didn’t say, I was out of it.”
She laid her head on his shoulder. “I understand.” She did. The headaches and the pain medication threw him for a loop. “You shouldn’t have been driving that day.”
“Yes, mama hen.” For a few moments, they sat there just holding one another before he spoke. “I’m so glad you’re back and I want to know everything. Just consider your time booked. I want to see you tonight.” Justice kissed her on the cheek. Having her sweet body pressed up to his was playing havoc with his libido, and now wasn’t the right time for him to do anything about it. “But right now, I have a meeting to get to. You’ll never believe what’s going on.” He laughed. “I have a hole in the ground on El Camino big enough to bury a T-Rex.” Looking at his watch, he helped her stand. “I’m about to be late for a meeting with someone named Cortez that the state has sent over to tell me what I did wrong and what it’s going to cost to keep me out of trouble.”
Tightening the belt on her robe, Charlee stood straighter. “Actually, you’re not late, Justice.”
At his enquiring look, she explained.
“I’m Cha’risa Cortez. That’s my real name. Your meeting is with me.”
CHAPTER SIX
Justice’s expression was one of astonishment. “You’re Cortez?” he asked with disbelief.
“Cha’risa was the name my parents gave me. Charlee was close, I guess. I still use it, but I’ve dropped the Parker.”
Justice shook his head, ruffling his hair with his hand. “Wait.” He looked pissed. “So, you didn’t come back to see me. You didn’t come home. You’re just the one they sent to see how many laws I’ve broken and how high of a price I’m going to have to pay to get it fixed.”
Charlee was taken aback. “No, it’s not like that at all. I’m here to help.”
“Yea, right.” Justice turned his back on her. He felt like a fool. He’d seen this as some kind of romantic reunion, some homecoming of the heart. The reality was much less sentimental. “My mistake.”
“Stop.” She grabbed his arm. It was like trying to move a mountain. “No, you’re wrong.”
Justice looked over his shoulder. “Okay, answer a simple question. If that sinkhole hadn’t opened up, when would you have come back? Were you ever planning on seeing me
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