Debra Webb - In His Touch Box Set (Here To Stay, Up Close, Tempting Trace, Basic Instincts) by Debra Webb

know.”
    “You really think Calvin will run?” she asked, wondering how he could be so sure of himself about her client. Especially since Paige knew her client personally.
    “Yes, I do.”
    She nodded and suppressed the smile that yearned to make its presence known. “I’ll guess we’ll just have to wait and see, won’t we, counselor?”
    “We will indeed, Miss Weston.” Myers gave her a curt nod and started to walk away.
    “I plan to push for change to youthful offender status,” Paige called after him. She’d get one last jab before he got away.
    Myers turned back to her and raised one aristocratic eyebrow. “Don’t waste your time, Paige. I won’t go for it.” With that said, he strode away.
    Paige sighed and shook her head. She wanted to shake him and tell him that Calvin Jefferson was a good kid. His grandmother had served as both mother and father while holding down a full time job. For as far back as Paige could remember, Mrs. Jefferson had worked as the cook and head housekeeper in the Weston home. Though she’d never met Calvin until his unfortunate run-in with the law, Paige knew he was innocent. His grandmother’s word and Paige’s own instincts couldn’t be that far off the mark. Calvin deserved a break. Somehow she had to make Myers see that.
    Paige started toward the exit. The silent presence on the last bench, near the courtroom door brought her up short. She blinked twice to make sure she hadn’t imagined Nathan Blackrope. He stood and walked in her direction. Nope . No figment of her imagination could move like that.
    “What are you doing here?” she asked, surprised as much as annoyed. The image of black pearls ricocheted through her mind.
    “I’ve never seen you in the courtroom, I was curious.” He rotated his black hat in his hands. “Pretty impressive.”
    Paige acknowledged the compliment with a slight dip of her head. “Windborne?”
    “She’s terrific and so’s her little filly.” He smiled, which melted some of the ice between them.
    Paige breathed a sigh of relief. “I’ll call Robert.”
    “I already did,” he said. Nathan’s gaze settled heavily on hers. “Look, I thought we could have lunch. Maybe try and actually act civilized around each other.”
    “Civilized?” Paige bristled. “The only person acting uncivilized is you,” she told him tersely. “First you break into Robert’s house in the middle of the night and—”
    “I did not break in. I had a key,” he reminded calmly.
    Paige shook her head. “Whatever. You say all kinds of hurtful things to me and then you flaunt your girlfriend in my face.” Good gravy! She hadn’t actually meant to say that last part, but anger had overruled her better judgment.
    Nathan shrugged. “Trinity’s a small place. There aren’t that many places to go out. Can I help it that I took my date to the same place you took yours?”
    “Silas Dutton is a friend, not a date.” She clamped her mouth shut. Paige would not say another word on the subject. She didn’t care if Nathan Blackrope had ten thousand dates! And she wasn’t about to give him the impression that she did.
    “I had no idea you were so concerned about my social life.” He grinned.
    Too late, the impression had been made. “I couldn’t care less what you do, Nathan Blackrope.”
    “Is that a fact? Then what’s all the fuss about?”
    Paige willed herself to stay calm. “I hope you enjoyed the show, but I have places to go and people to see.”
    “I guess that means you don’t want to have lunch with me?” Disappointment shadowed his handsome face.
    “It was nice of you to come, Nathan, but I really have to run now. I have another appointment and then I have all those chores back at the ranch.”
    “You don’t have to worry about the chores, I sent over a couple of my hands to do them.”
    “I told you I didn’t need your help with the chores.” When would he learn that no meant no?
    “You did need my help, you just wouldn’t