A Lawyer for Larina (Mail Order Papa) by Carroll-Bradd Linda

Author:Carroll-Bradd, Linda
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Inked Figments
Published: 2023-12-14T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Six

Larina sat on the edge of the cot with her collar high on her neck and mittens warming her hands. Her heart still beat too fast from the conversation that just ended. Staring at the floor, she fought to keep her thoughts from spinning out of control. Evan was here…and he had the skills to help mitigate her impulsive act. The moment she saw a stranger, dressed in fancy city clothes, on the other side of the cell’s bars, she’d known the man was her Evan. Everything about his face—well-formed mouth, straight nose, light eyes, broad forehead—was pleasing. He wore a trimmed beard of only a few days’ growth, and his nut-brown hair was thick, making her want to run her fingers through it.

What she hadn’t expected were the narrowed eyes and the tight jaw. She barely remembered the last time when someone was that angry at what she’d done. Maybe a decade ago when her parents were still alive. Since the Children’s Home and coming here, others were sometimes exasperated with her tardiness or her unkempt house…but not angry.

Would he truly return, like he said? Nothing in his letters gave her reason to doubt his word. But how could he be both angry and helpful at the same time? A lawyer from a big city had responded to the ad. Such an unexpected twist.

She glanced at the barred window to gauge the time. The sky was bright-blue with no clouds in sight, and plenty of light filtered into the cell. Evan must have arrived on the morning stage from Colorado Springs. The sheep didn’t need tending for another four hours, so they should be behaving themselves in the pasture. Every time she left the ranch and came to town, she wished Jakome had agreed to buy a dog and train it to guard the sheep. He claimed they made him sneeze. But maybe Evan liked dogs.

She fought to keep her heavy eyelids open, but the anxiety of the morning dragged on her body. As much as she didn’t trust the cleanliness of the blanket, she needed to rest. She scooted deeper onto the cot, drew her coat tighter around her drawn-up legs, and rested her right side against the brick wall.

The clank of metal against metal roused her, and she scrubbed at her face, turning her head toward the noise.

Sheriff Martin stood at the door with a hand on an upright bar. “Missus Cristobal, this man says he’s your lawyer. Is that right?”

Evan stood not four feet away. Gone was the anger, and he kept his promise. “It is. I mean, he is.”

“Now that we’re established that fact, I’ll need a place to confer with my client.”

“I unlocked the door so you could go inside.” The sheriff scratched his head.

“No. The cell will never do. We need a space with a solid door that allows for privacy.” Evan swept a hand toward the occupied cell.

Sheriff Martin barked a laugh, then sobered. “You’re serious?”

Evan jerked a nod.

“You mean old Roscoe?” He shook his head.

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