“And how long was it before you were in his bed?”
Oh God. She glanced quickly at her brothers, then away, searching for a safe place to look. There was none. She was alone. Her heart raced and she forced herself to breathe. Did she have to answer?
Andrew Stark was just getting started. “Isn’t it true that you began a sexual relationship with the CEO of Trace Development in order to sway his intentions or possibly convince him to buy the property in question for you personally?”
She shook her head. “No.”
“This is ridiculous!” Nick stood, shouting, and was quickly silenced.
“Another outburst and you’ll be removed,” the judge warned, and Nick sat.
“Isn’t it true that you knew of Mr. McKinney’s intention?”
“No.”
“You expect this court to believe that after twelve years of living a practically solitary life, you just happened to slip into bed with the man set on buying your property, excuse me, not your property, the city’s property?”
“I don’t know.”
“You don’t know if we should believe you?”
“Yes.”
“Excuse me?”
She bit into her lip as her eyes filled with hot tears. “I didn’t know he wanted it.”
“Really?” He looked at the judge again, huffed out a fake laugh. “Did Mr. McKinney ever come out to see the land?”
“Yes.”
“Did he ask you about the property?”
“Yes.”
“Did he ask to go out and look at the property?”
“Yes.” Every yes was another nail in her heartbreaking reality.
“And why did you think he would do that?”
Her bottom lip trembled and suddenly she couldn’t not look at Stephen. He sat to her right, handsome as always in a black power suit and steel-gray tie. His face utterly unreadable.
“Ms. Walker? Why would he do all that?”
She shook her head again. She had no answers. Because he was interested in her? Wanted to spend time with her? “I don’t know,” she said, staring right at him as tears trickled down her cheeks and dripped onto her hands. “He told me he’d look into it. He said…he told me not to worry about it.”
“Do you believe everything people tell you?”
Yes, she thought, she did. Her brothers were right to treat her like a child.
“Did you set the fire in your barn?”
Her eyes shot to the attorney’s. “No.”
“Maybe you did it out of spite? When you found out your lover had betrayed you?”
“No.”
“Do you have a horse, Ms. Walker? A personal horse?”
Hannah tried to swallow against the knot looking at Stephen had left in her throat. “Yes.”
“And what’s that horse’s name?”
“Winnie.”
“And where was Winnie during the barn fire?”
She wiped at her cheeks. “She was out.”
“Could you speak up? I didn’t hear you.”
“She was out. In the pasture.” And Hannah had been nothing but grateful for it.
“Why was your horse not in the barn?”
“I decided to leave her out for the night.”
“Why?”
“I don’t know. It was…it was a nice night and I thought I’d leave her out.”
“Were there any other horses left in the pasture?”
“No.”
“So on the night of the fire, your own special horse was the only horse not in the barn? Is that correct?”
Hannah looked down at her hands. “Yes.”
“I left that horse out.” A deep voice carried through the room.
Her head jerked up to see Stephen standing, eyes blazing.
“I left Winnie out that day,” Stephen said again.
The judge banged her gavel. “Sit down or I will have you removed.”
The ADA stood, slipping through this opening. “Are you saying Ms. Walker is lying?”
“No. I’m saying she forgot. We went for a ride and I left Winnie out.”
But he was lying. Why would he do that?
The gavel continued to bang until he sat.
His own defense attorney turned on him, visibly angry. “No further questions.”
—
Stephen exited the courtroom for recess without even getting a glimpse of Hannah. Her brothers had her so locked down, he hadn’t seen her since that day in his office. His stomach still hurt. He’d never forget the pain and betrayal he’d seen in her eyes. He’d been afraid of her trust, afraid he didn’t deserve it, didn’t know what to do with it. And now he’d lost it.
But Dave hadn’t told her everything. Unless she’d left out that part, Dave hadn’t told her the truth he’d feared. Instead he’d filled her head with lies. Lies he hadn’t gotten the chance to dispute and, seeing her on the stand, torn to pieces, he couldn’t blame her for believing them.
God, he needed to talk to her. Hold her. Watching her on the stand, struggling for composure, had damn near ripped open his heart.
“Stephen.”
He turned at his attorney’s voice.
“What the hell do you think you were doing in there?”
Trying to save the woman he loved. “What the hell do you think you were doing?” He got in the man’s space. “This isn’t about making an innocent girl look guilty.”