Page 45 of Lone Star Country Protector
“No, Your Honor,” Ralph replied as he walked her back to the bench.
Was this bad news? Had something gone down?
“Have you heard any commotion?” she asked.
“No, I haven’t,” he responded before taking his post.
For the rest of the afternoon, there was no sign of Dalton. The trial concluded, and the jury convened to discuss a verdict. Once again, she waited alone in her chambers until the straightforward case was about to conclude. The jury was out for no longer than fifteen minutes before the announcement came that they were ready to deliver their verdict.
Still no sign of Dalton, and the day was almost over.
Would he be waiting in the truck?
At least the professor and his students were gone when court resumed. Blakely went through her usual bit before asking the jury foreman to read the verdict.
“Your Honor, we, the jury, find the defendant, Thomas Dunn, guilty of armed robbery,” the foreman said, reading from a piece of paper.
“Thank you,” Blakely said as the door to the courtroom opened and a man in a suit slipped in. He had thatlaw-enforcement swagger she’d learned was as much part of the job as a neat haircut. This man had military-short red hair.
Her stomach dropped because there was still no sign of Dalton.
She delivered the maximum sentence to the defendant and then dismissed everyone before returning to her chambers. Red immediately knocked at the door as she reached for her purse, ready to get out of there and back to Dalton’s apartment.
“My name is Lenn Gunnard,” Red said. “I’m here as a replacement for Dalton Remington.”
“Oh,” she said, trying not to sound panicked despite her pulse spiking. “Is everything okay with Marshal Remington?” Did he despise her enough after their last discussion to ask to be removed from the case?
“Yes, Your Honor,” Lenn supplied. “Family emergency.”
Was that an excuse or did something happen with his grandparents? “I understand. I hope everyone is okay.” Suddenly, she couldn’t find a better word to use thanokay. Where did her extensive vocabulary go? The one she’d used at mock trial during law school that had impressed her professors so much?
“I’m not certain,” the marshal said. “I have a truck in the parking lot. Ralph said he would wait out front until I texted it was safe to come outside.”
“Okay,” she said. There was that word again. “Thank you.”
Lenn disappeared as Ralph stepped into view.
“Ready, Your Honor?” Ralph asked.
“Yes,” she said even though her thoughts were with Dalton and his family. What if something bad happened? Could she reach out to him? Would he even take her call?
Probably not.
But he couldn’t stop her from showing up.
“I have an idea, Ralph,” she said. “Would you be willing to give me a ride home?”
“Yes, Your Honor,” he said.
“Any chance we can slip out the back?” she asked.
Ralph stood there for a moment before answering. “We can do that.”
“I’d owe you big-time,” she said.
“No, you wouldn’t,” he said with a wink. She could guess what it meant, but she wasn’t ready to go there and admit to having feelings for Dalton with anyone. If she thought their relationship had a snowball’s chance in hell of surviving the long haul, Dalton would be the first to know. She just didn’t want to explain that she needed to get to the hospital in Mesa Point, Texas, to a stranger. Whether he liked it or not, she wanted to be there for Dalton in case the worst had just happened. He deserved that much from her, especially because she couldn’t give him anything else, even if she wanted to. And a growing part of her wanted to.
“Then, let’s go,” she said after grabbing her handbag. They made their way out the back and to his truck without incident.
