Lone Star Standoff. Margaret Daley
Dedication
District Judge Aubrey Madison left her office at the courthouse, her brain pounding against her skull. The jury was finally chosen today in her current trial—a trial that could propel her into the limelight, a place she’d rather not be. At least for the weekend, she could relax and enjoy time with her twins. They meant everything to her.
“Good night, Bill,” she said to the deputy sheriff at the rear entrance.
“Judge Madison, I’ll walk you out tonight.”
“I appreciate the offer, but you need to guard the door.”
He smiled. “I know. Part of the extra security for the Villa trial. I can keep an eye on the entrance and walk you to your car.”
Aubrey sighed. Bill took his job seriously. “I know. That’s why I parked near the entrance, so you wouldn’t have to go so far.” She stepped outside, where the sunset painted the sky with beautiful shades of red and yellow. “How are you doing?”
He slowed his pace, his forehead wrinkled. “I guess okay, Judge Madison.”
She stopped and turned toward Bill, a large man with a slight potbelly. “I know what you’re going through. My husband died two years ago. I’m here if you need to talk about your wife’s death.”
“Thanks.” His face tensed, and he started walking again. “You have enough to deal with.”
At the end of the sidewalk to the parking lot, Aubrey glanced at Bill. “I can take it from here. My car is right over there.”
The deputy sheriff scanned the area then nodded.
She strolled the short distance to her car. The warmth from the spring day had already faded, and the chill in the air made her shiver. She slid behind the steering wheel and pulled out of her parking space. As she headed toward the exit of the lot behind the courthouse, reserved for people who worked inside, she passed Bill and waved.
When she arrived home a short time later, she punched the garage-door opener then drove inside and parked next to her mother’s car. She didn’t know what she would have done if her mama hadn’t insisted on coming to stay with her at least until Camy and Sammy went to elementary school. Two years ago when her husband was murdered, Aubrey had to go back to work because of Samuel’s sudden death. Their savings had all been wiped out by medical bills when the twins were born early. She’d always intended to return to work, but not until they were in elementary school. Instead she’d run for the judge position six months later.
Not wanting to dwell on a past she couldn’t change, she hurried into the house, the scent of beef and onions permeating the place. “What’s for dinner? It smells great.”
Her mother pulled out a casserole dish from the oven and set it on a burner. “My lasagna. Camy and Sammy helped me.”
“Where are they?” Aubrey wondered how messy the kitchen had been after her twins’ “help.”
“When I heard your car pull into the garage, I had them go wash their hands. How did it go today?”
“Long, but the two attorneys have finally settled on a jury.”
“Just in time for the weekend.” Her mother brushed a stray strand of black hair behind her ear.
“Yes. I threatened to continue late into the night if they didn’t.” Aubrey put her briefcase and purse on the desk nearby. “I’d better go check on my kids. It’s too quiet. They’ve had enough time to wash their hands.”
Aubrey left the kitchen and walked upstairs and down the hallway toward her twins’ bedrooms at the end. The light from the bathroom beckoned her. Giggles resonated down the corridor. That sound usually meant she would have to spend time cleaning up whatever mess her rascals had made. She hurried her steps.
When she entered the bathroom, she looked down at the puddle of water the twins were standing in. She stared at Camy and Sammy, drenched from head to toe. She pressed her lips together, suppressing the laugh at the sight of her soggy children. That would only encourage them. “Who won the battle?”
They each pointed at themselves.
“Who started it?” Aubrey asked, trying to put on her stern face.
“He started it,” her daughter immediately said.
“I dinna.” Sammy stomped his foot, and water on the floor went flying, hitting Aubrey’s pants.
After the serious day she’d had in court, her children’s antics actually lightened her mood. She still fought her smile and remained calm. “Don’t move.” She marched down the hall to the linen closet and grabbed several bath towels, then returned to her children, still standing where she’d left them. Even though they were twins, they were like night and day. Camy had dark hair and eyes like Aubrey and her mother, while Sammy took after his father’s side with light brown hair and hazel eyes.
She gave each child a towel. “Mop the floor with these then put them in the tub.” Leaning her shoulder against the doorjamb with her arms crossed, she watched her four-year-olds do the best job they could. When they finished, she stepped to the side. “Put on some dry clothes, then bring the wet ones back here and place them in the tub, too.”
Heads down, the twins left the bathroom.
After they disappeared into their bedrooms, she completed the cleanup, then headed back to the kitchen.
“What happened?” Her mama brought the casserole dish to the table and set it down on a hot pad.
“The usual. No doubt the water fight started out innocently but quickly morphed into an all-out battle. They’re changing clothes.” A moment later Sammy came into the room with a ragged T-shirt on backward. She refrained from saying anything, but the sight of what he was wearing reminded her of what she’d done at lunch today. She snatched up her keys and headed for the door to the garage in the utility room. “I forgot something in