Circle on Home (Lost in a Boom Town Book 5) (20 page)

“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.

“Mr. Braun? What do you have to say for yourself?”

Before he could answer, the door opened behind them. Miranda turned, expecting to see Noah, but Allison walked in, instead. Miranda opened her mouth to ask what she was doing there, when she sensed Ben had tensed beside her, and was motioning at Allison. Allison frowned at him and shook her head.

“Your Honor, may I please explain what happened that night?” Allison asked.

“Miss Bonner, what are you doing here? This is a hearing,” Judge Olivares

“I was there that night, and Ben was defending my honor.”

Ben’s swear word landed in a silent courtroom.
 

“What do you mean, he defended your honor?” the judge asked.

Allison walked up until she was standing by Miranda at the table. “I mean, I was at the Coyote Moon, and Patrick and his friends were a little out of control and weren't minding their manners. They got a little grabby, and Ben stepped in. Patrick took offense, thinking Ben wanted something that didn't belong to him. Ben did take the first swing, but that was the only way he could get Patrick to release me.”

The judge turned steely eyes to Sheridan. “Is that a fact. You had your hands on one of our finest young women and you refused to release her?”

Sheridan shuffled his feet. “We were just playing.”

The judge turned back to Allison. “Did you feel like they were just playing, young woman?”

Allison shook her head adamantly. “No, sir. I was afraid. There were a lot of them, and they were a lot bigger than me. And when Ben stepped forward, they seemed to take that as more of a challenge. I was afraid for both of us.”

“Now, I have to ask, Your Honor, what a sweet young woman was doing in the Coyote with a bunch of rowdy cowboys?” Mr. Casillas asked.

Oh no, he didn’t. “And you, sir?” Miranda asked as sweetly as she could manage through her teeth. “Don’t you go to the Coyote Moon? I myself just left there with the mayor, who’d just had lunch with the sheriff. Ben’s own sister, a woman you know has disabilities, works there. It’s a family place that no woman in our town should be afraid to frequent.”

Mr. Casillas flushed at the reprimand. “I just meant that if she saw all those rowdy cowboys, she should have left.”

“Are you blaming the victim?” She was glad the words caught on themselves in her throat or she would have shrieked them. As it was, the judge extended his hands toward her in a “calm down” motion. Shaking with fury, she turned toward him and waited for him to do the right thing.

Which he did. He picked up his gavel and brought it down hard. “Case dismissed.” Then he extended a finger toward Sheridan. “Don’t let me see you in my courtroom again, and if you lay your hands on any other woman in this town, I’ll break your other arm.” He then turned a gentle smile to Allison. “Are you going to be all right, Miss Bonner?”

“Yes, sir,” she said on a pent-up breath. “Thank you for listening.”

Still shaking with fury, Miranda turned to see Noah had come in, and was smiling, a full smile, as he approached them. She ground her teeth, walked past him and stormed down the stairs, her heels echoing in the limestone building.
 

“What happened? What’s wrong?” Noah asked as they emerged into the cold air.

She looked around, waiting for Sheridan and Mr. Casillas to emerge before she spoke. She watched the two men walk down to the corner by the bakery, shake hands, then turn back to look at the four of them in front of the courthouse before they walked off.

Only then did she whirl on Ben and Allison. “When were you going to tell me that my sister was involved in this?”

Ben raised his hands in front of himself as if warding her off. “I was trying to keep her out of it.”

Miranda jammed her hands on her hips. “Yeah, well, you didn't do a very good job. And if she hadn't come in when she did, I don't think I could have gotten you out of there. Plus I would have looked like a fool who didn't know the whole story. Mr. Casillas knew his client’s whole story enough to tell it for him! I didn't know anything and I didn't even realize it until we were standing in there. It’s one thing to want to keep things close to your vest, but there’s such a thing as lawyer-client privilege. I wouldn't have revealed the information you told me.”

“How would you have felt if your sister was involved in this?” Noah asked.

She spun on him. “Did you know? About Allison?”

“Ah.” He rocked back on his heels and pressed his lips together.
 

“Oh, hell.” She felt her hands ball into fists, and, well, she wasn't cold any more. “Did you know this last night?”

“Ah.”

“Oh, my God, you did.” She took a step back. “You came over to my house, spent hours, had so many chances to let me know.”

“Ben wanted to protect your sister. I was honoring his wishes.”

“Protect her from what? She was in the Coyote, so what?” Though it was odd that she was in there during the festival.

“From having her name dragged through every conversation in town,” Ben said.

Now
he spoke.

“What did it matter? I can’t believe you didn't tell me, Noah. You showed no faith in me.”

“I figure it’s the opposite. I had faith that you could take care of this without knowing Allison’s part in it.”

“But I didn’t, did I? If Allison hadn't walked in to save the day, I’m pretty sure Ben would be on his way to jail right now. At the very least assigned a court date.”

“Is that what’s got you so upset?” Allison asked. “That I saved the day and you didn’t?”

Well. Maybe. If she admitted it to herself, that was part of it. A small part of it. Mostly she was mad that the three of them had kept this from her and expected her to win anyway. And she was mad that she hadn't brought a coat and was out here freezing her ass off with these ungrateful people.
 

“I’m upset,” she said slowly and through her teeth, “Because you asked me to do a job and didn't let me do it.” She wanted to let them know how much she’d stressed about it, worried about doing a good job, but she was too pissed. She strode down the steps to her car, this time appreciating the click of her heels on the steps, wobbling a little when she felt one weaken. But she gathered herself and stormed to her car. She tucked her briefcase under her arm and fumbled in her purse for her keys. By the time she unlocked her car door, Noah’s hand was there, blocking her from opening it.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice quiet. “I really was just honoring my brother’s wishes. I honestly didn't think it would matter to the case one way or another.”

“But you knew it would matter to me,” she said, jerking the door open.

He let her get in, probably because she was shivering, but maybe because he knew she was right.