LITMIR.BIZ

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moment before silence filled the space.

       She wasn’t naive, though. She knew her son had only plugged headphones into the sound system. She’d give him until she herself climbed the stairs to her bedroom before she ordered him to turn it off, reminding him that “no nothing” included his beloved stereo system.

       Moving into the kitchen, Katrina peered into the refrigerator for something to drink. It was way too early for her to have a glass of wine, but she truly wanted a tall glass of chardonnay. She hadn’t eaten anything, though, and wine on an empty stomach would not serve her well. She should have stopped for lunch like she’d planned, but everything about the morning’s events had thrown her right off course.

       She reached for a pack of pepperoni and some slices of pepper jack cheese. Katrina mused that a light snack with that wine would constitute lunch and that couldn’t be so bad. She popped a loaf of crusty French bread into her oven just before uncorking the bottle and filling a crystal goblet with the elixir. Savoring that first sip, she took another deep breath of air, dropping down into a cushioned seat at her kitchen table.

       If she were honest with herself, she would admit that dealing with her son hadn’t been her greatest challenge that morning. She was accustomed to dealing with kids who’d made mistakes, testing the limits of whatever authority ruled their daily lives. She’d always known there would be moments with her own child, although car theft had never crossed her mind. She hadn’t, however, imagined herself fighting the emotions that a certain man had incited.

       Matthew Stallion. Katrina took a gulp of her drink, a large swig that was better reserved for shots of tequila, Jack Daniel’s or a hearty beer, not the delicate wine that filled her glass.

       The man’s reputation had preceded him. In fact, because of her own investment interests, Katrina had been closely following the recent events surrounding the failed attempt at a hostile takeover of his family’s business. Social Services and the legal community had many good things to say about the advocacy programs the Stallions had in place to assist families in need, especially the mentoring programs for students. She’d been hopeful that she herself would be able to avail herself of their services for some of the cases she knew she would likely have to preside over in her new district.

       Rising from her seat, she moved to the cherrywood cabinets and pulled open a bottom drawer. Reaching beneath a stack of papers, she lifted out a magazine hidden inside. The full-color image stared up at her, Matthew’s seductive smile gracing the cover.

      Texan Magazine had named the thirty-five-year-old man Bachelor of the Year, and he was looking every bit the part in the engaging head shot they’d captured. She imagined that he had garnered much attention from the honor. Katrina figured that a man like Matthew Stallion probably had no need for any help in that department, though, musing that he was clearly not a man who lacked female attention.

       Reaching for her glass, Katrina took another sip, then remembered the bread, which was just a heartbeat away from being burned toast. Pulling the loaf from the oven, she dropped it on the countertop. She suddenly didn’t have much of an appetite.

       She sighed, blowing warm breath into the air. Katrina hadn’t given any man a second thought since forever. The fact that she was giving Matthew a second, third and fourth thought completely unnerved her. But the man had been engaging. She’d been impressed with how he’d handled her son, seeming genuinely interested in the boy’s well-being. Being someone that young men could look up to seemed foremost in Matthew Stallion’s mind.

       That enigmatic smile of his had caused her heart to race, her stomach to do flips as if she was on a roller-coaster ride. As they’d parted, he’d shaken her hand again, clasping it between both his palms, and the current of electricity that had rushed up her spine had left her breathless.

       Katrina shook the memory from her mind, draining the last of her wine from the glass. This is crazy, she thought to herself, reaching to refill her glass. She was not interested in any man and particularly not in that man. Stuffing a slice of cheese into her mouth, Katrina shook her head from side to side. Convincing herself that she wasn’t interested in Matthew Stallion was certainly proving to be the biggest challenge of her day.

      Chapter 4

      Matthew waited patiently on the stone steps of Greater Bethlehem Baptist Church. Sunday morning service would be starting at precisely eleven o’clock and he was excited that the Broomes family would be joining him.

       Collin was scheduled to start his program that afternoon. When Matthew had called his mother to make the arrangements, he’d suggested they meet him for church first, then brunch, before journeying over to the ranch to give Collin the tour and explain what would be required of him over the next twelve months. Katrina Broomes had seemed reluctant at first, but with persistence Matthew had changed her mind.

       Reflecting back on the conversation, Matthew couldn’t help but note how reserved the good judge had been. Her cool demeanor had intrigued him.

       “Church?”

       Matthew had smiled into the receiver. “Yes, it’s first Sunday, communion Sunday, but Pastor Barnes will have us out early. He’s not one of those long-winded ministers.”

       “I don’t know. I…”

       “It will be good for Collin. I was raised in the church and it’s done wonders for me,” he’d said with a light chuckle.

       There’d been a brief pause before she responded. “Collin’s been to church before,” she’d said with just a hint of attitude, as though he’d passed judgment on how she was raising her child. Then her tone had softened as she continued. “And it is good for him. I have to admit, though, that since we moved, I’ve been remiss in getting us up on Sunday mornings for service. I haven’t found a new church home that we’re both comfortable with yet.”

       “Well, I promise you’ll both enjoy the experience. And afterward we can grab a bite to eat at Nicola’s. They have a wonderful menu. So please, say yes.”

       Katrina paused, giving his offer some intense consideration. The man persisted.

       “We could always eat somewhere else. Would you prefer French cuisine? I eat most anything, with the exception of fast food. I don’t do burgers from any place that asks whether or not you want to supersize your meal.”

       Katrina laughed, her head waving easily from side to side. “What’s wrong with their burgers?”

       “Nothing, I’m sure. But a real meal involves real food. I know a great steak house, if you want something more traditional.”

       “Italian is fine. We’ll meet you at the church,” she finally responded.

       Matthew’s excitement spilled into the receiver. “Great. I’m looking forward to it,” he said.

       As he hung up the telephone, dropping the receiver back onto the hook, he suddenly felt awkward. He hoped the judge didn’t think he was out of line. He’d been anxious, overly excited that she was amenable to his suggestions. He had really wanted to make their meeting a date but knew the timing would not be appropriate. He found himself hoping that she’d not found his behavior or his enthusiasm too inappropriate.

       Shaking the memory, Matthew looked out to the parking lot just as Katrina pulled her BMW X5 SUV into an empty space. Matthew’s smile widened into a full grin as he smoothed the front of his suit jacket, his excitement building.

       As mother and son exited the car, Matthew couldn’t miss the annoyed expression on young Collin’s face nor Katrina’s frustration as she admonished the boy to hurry up. Nor did he miss how stunning the woman was in her navy blue silk suit with its ruffled jacket. Even though the skirt stopped just above her kneecaps, there was no missing the long length of her toned legs and the curve of tight calves above her three-inch pumps.

       Matthew had to remind himself where he was as he fought not to stare so blatantly. Mother and son climbed the stairs to meet him, Collin lagging noticeably behind.

      

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