Guilty
by Deborah Smith
"Come back, you can't just stuff me and disappear," she yelled. As those words left her mouth she froze. Titters rose from the desks outside her office.
Jake ducked his head around the door frame. "No need to holler. I'll be back later, if you insist." She narrowed her eyes and hissed at him.
He grinned and left.
* * * *
An hour later she drifted back to court for the afternoon session, drowsy from the effects of fried chicken, homemade biscuits, baked apples with honey, potato salad, and pecan pie. Thank heavens this robe is so big , she thought languidly.
"You all right?" Tom asked curiously, as she plopped down at her desk. Callender leaned behind Vivian's back.
"She had a lunchtime visitor," Vivian heard the court secretary whisper. "He brought her a picnic."
"Aw, that's sweet. Did he promise to take her to the fair and walk her home from church on Sunday?"
"Gimme the first case, you cretins," Vivian demanded.
"There he is," Cal whispered loudly. Tom chuckled. "Well, if isn't Forrest Gump." Vivian, who'd been absently staring at the docket in front of her, jerked her head up in time to see Jake ease into the courtroom and settle comfortably onto a back bench. He tipped his head to her.
"Her Honor's got a boyfriend," Tom chanted softly, and Vivian felt her full stomach take a nervous dip. 61
Just a little Bit Guilty
by Deborah Smith
"And you're about to have a gavel up your ... nose." She glared at him then pivoted to sear Cal with a look, too. Smiling, they retreated.
[Back to Table of Contents]
62
Just a little Bit Guilty
by Deborah Smith
Chapter Five
Icy rain turned Atlanta slate-gray outside Vivian's office window. Inside the office, Cal's tears turned Vivian's already bleak mood the same color.
"I love him, Vivian, and he's killing me," Cal said softly, holding her hands over her stricken face. "I can't believe he bought a forty-thousand-dollar motorcycle. He promised he wouldn't buy one until we get our bills in order."
"Tell him v attene , baby." Vivian sliced the air with her hand. "Which in what my Italian grandmother used to say. It means, 'So long.'"
"Viv, you don't, you can't understand. When you love someone..."
"I haven't always been a dried-up old bag with no romance in my soul."
"I didn't mean that you're heartless. You're just so selfsufficient. You have a thick shell."
"Like a turtle," Vivian told her dryly. "How charming."
"I can't leave him. Divorce is against everything I've ever thought marriage should be."
"So is lying, cheating and bankruptcy. You're being a doormat. If he knows he can walk on you, he'll keep doing it. Men. Bah."
"Is that why you haven't seen Jake Coltrane in a week?
You think he considers you an easy touch?"
"I've been busy, that's all."
63
Just a little Bit Guilty
by Deborah Smith
"Vivian, he's the sweetest man on the face of this earth," she whispered brokenly. "Don't let him get away." Vivian inhaled with ragged effort. "I know," she admitted just as tearfully. "And he scares me to death. I feel like a squirrel in the middle of traffic. I don't know which way to run."
They were still sniffling when Tom came in. "Isn't there something in your job description about waiting to be asked before you clump into somebody's office?" Vivian demanded in a cranky tone.
"Don't beat me, your majesty, I've brought you some new peasants to work in Forrest Gump's fields."
"I'm going to get you for this," Vivian promised tautly, as she and Cal followed him out the door.
"Hey. It's winter, and the shelters are full. And wait'll you see these three, they'll rip your heart out." I don't need any more heart-ripping , she thought.
* * * *
She saw Jake before he saw her. Shivering in the drizzle that misted her face and dampened her long coat, Vivian gazed through the iron gate and watched him step out of the doorway of one of the upstairs apartments, a heavy tool belt slung over his big shoulder. He pulled the apartment door shut and
by Deborah Smith
"Come back, you can't just stuff me and disappear," she yelled. As those words left her mouth she froze. Titters rose from the desks outside her office.
Jake ducked his head around the door frame. "No need to holler. I'll be back later, if you insist." She narrowed her eyes and hissed at him.
He grinned and left.
* * * *
An hour later she drifted back to court for the afternoon session, drowsy from the effects of fried chicken, homemade biscuits, baked apples with honey, potato salad, and pecan pie. Thank heavens this robe is so big , she thought languidly.
"You all right?" Tom asked curiously, as she plopped down at her desk. Callender leaned behind Vivian's back.
"She had a lunchtime visitor," Vivian heard the court secretary whisper. "He brought her a picnic."
"Aw, that's sweet. Did he promise to take her to the fair and walk her home from church on Sunday?"
"Gimme the first case, you cretins," Vivian demanded.
"There he is," Cal whispered loudly. Tom chuckled. "Well, if isn't Forrest Gump." Vivian, who'd been absently staring at the docket in front of her, jerked her head up in time to see Jake ease into the courtroom and settle comfortably onto a back bench. He tipped his head to her.
"Her Honor's got a boyfriend," Tom chanted softly, and Vivian felt her full stomach take a nervous dip. 61
Just a little Bit Guilty
by Deborah Smith
"And you're about to have a gavel up your ... nose." She glared at him then pivoted to sear Cal with a look, too. Smiling, they retreated.
[Back to Table of Contents]
62
Just a little Bit Guilty
by Deborah Smith
Chapter Five
Icy rain turned Atlanta slate-gray outside Vivian's office window. Inside the office, Cal's tears turned Vivian's already bleak mood the same color.
"I love him, Vivian, and he's killing me," Cal said softly, holding her hands over her stricken face. "I can't believe he bought a forty-thousand-dollar motorcycle. He promised he wouldn't buy one until we get our bills in order."
"Tell him v attene , baby." Vivian sliced the air with her hand. "Which in what my Italian grandmother used to say. It means, 'So long.'"
"Viv, you don't, you can't understand. When you love someone..."
"I haven't always been a dried-up old bag with no romance in my soul."
"I didn't mean that you're heartless. You're just so selfsufficient. You have a thick shell."
"Like a turtle," Vivian told her dryly. "How charming."
"I can't leave him. Divorce is against everything I've ever thought marriage should be."
"So is lying, cheating and bankruptcy. You're being a doormat. If he knows he can walk on you, he'll keep doing it. Men. Bah."
"Is that why you haven't seen Jake Coltrane in a week?
You think he considers you an easy touch?"
"I've been busy, that's all."
63
Just a little Bit Guilty
by Deborah Smith
"Vivian, he's the sweetest man on the face of this earth," she whispered brokenly. "Don't let him get away." Vivian inhaled with ragged effort. "I know," she admitted just as tearfully. "And he scares me to death. I feel like a squirrel in the middle of traffic. I don't know which way to run."
They were still sniffling when Tom came in. "Isn't there something in your job description about waiting to be asked before you clump into somebody's office?" Vivian demanded in a cranky tone.
"Don't beat me, your majesty, I've brought you some new peasants to work in Forrest Gump's fields."
"I'm going to get you for this," Vivian promised tautly, as she and Cal followed him out the door.
"Hey. It's winter, and the shelters are full. And wait'll you see these three, they'll rip your heart out." I don't need any more heart-ripping , she thought.
* * * *
She saw Jake before he saw her. Shivering in the drizzle that misted her face and dampened her long coat, Vivian gazed through the iron gate and watched him step out of the doorway of one of the upstairs apartments, a heavy tool belt slung over his big shoulder. He pulled the apartment door shut and
Similar Books
