Page 16 of Range
“Mrs. Childers.” Yolanda sighed. “I’ve been waiting for you.”
Don’t wait for me. Ever.
With lips as straight as an arrow, I waited for the wife of Edgar Baster to state her order of business. Aside from the details discussed with my client, there was nothing more to reveal.
Not to Yolanda.
Not to Edgar.
“Ms.Childers.”
With a nod, she agreed.
“Right. Ms. Childers. Edgar explained what’s supposed to happen in there today. I– I’m all nerves. I couldn’t sleep las–”
“Is there something you would like to ask me, Mrs. Baster?”
“I–uh– Well,” Yolanda breathed out.
Stumbling over her words, she nodded again.
“I have mere seconds. Ask or I’m walking in the courtroom to be with your husband.”
He needed me inside. I was not a source of comfort for his wife. She didn’t require my presence. She was not my client.
“Do you think it’ll happen?”
It was my turn to nod. Her anguished eyes beamed with pride. The smug look on her face was replaced with a smile that radiated the space around us. The gloom of the dingy courtroom had been lifted.
“Prepare the sheets, Mrs. Baster. Your husband will need ample space to compensate you for the time you’ve spent apart.”
Her chest imploded. Her smile widened, proving the impossible was certainly possible. I left her outside the courtroom to collect herself as I did the same inside. Rows and rows of spectators faced the judge presiding over the courtroom.
Against the dark brown wood, Edgar stood, awaiting his fate. Metal cuffs bound his wrists. A beige jumpsuit claimed his freedom, transforming the millionaire into a number. A number that the state would remember him by because his name no longer mattered. Neither did his status or his tax bracket or his responsibilities.
I gnawed on my bottom lip as I inhaled a shaky breath. My confidence in the courtroom wasn’t up for question. My confidence around criminals was.
Not any kind.
Those of Edgar’s caliber.
Handsome beyond belief.
Thick in stature.
Chocolate.
Well-groomed.
Well-versed.
Handsome in every sense of the word.
Knowledgeable.
Respectable.
Disrespectful.
