Free A Conflict of Interest by Anna Adams Page B

couldn’t help herself. She closed her fingers around his wrist, and urged his hand away from her. “Since she is my patient, touching you—” she wrenched away “—is the most unprofessional thing I’ve ever done.”
    Without letting herself look back, she hurried to the kitchen, where Beth was surrounded by faces that looked like blobs to Maria.
    She fell back on instinct. Don’t make a scene. Don’t make this whole public mess worse.
    To hell with that. She’d had enough, and she wasn’t taking any more, just to avoid offending people who were glad to pass judgment without bothering to discover if she was guilty.
    “Beth, I have to go.”
    The room and the people went silent. Aidan took the baby girl from Beth’s hip. “Go with Maria,” he said. “I’ll look after things in here.”
    Beth walked close beside her until they were out of earshot. “What did Jake do to you?”
    “Nothing. It doesn’t matter.” Her manners took over on autopilot. “Thanks for everything. I’m sorry to miss such a delicious-smelling dinner. I’ll call you.”
    “I don’t understand what’s going on.”
    “You will. The gossip must be flying.” At the door she hugged Beth tight. Over her friend’s shoulder, shecould see Jake leaning against the porch rail, one foot resting against a stanchion.
    “Should I get Aidan?”
    “I can handle him. Go back to your dinner.” She’d never been a victim before. This was no time to start. “Go back to your guests. The longer you’re away, the more curious they’ll be.”
    “It’s not that I think Jake would hurt you, but I don’t understand what’s going on. If you need me, you scream bloody murder.”
    Maria smiled to show her gratitude, but she felt better after her friend left her. She opened the door. Jake pushed away from the rail.
    She met his gaze head-on, but faltered when she could find only shadows and fear in his face. Suddenly, he didn’t look tall, dark and menacing. He was in need—the one kind of man, woman or child she couldn’t resist. Except she had to. With small-town scandal nipping at her heels, the last thing she needed was any kind of relationship with the judge who’d presided over Griff’s trial.
    “You can’t possibly need to say anything else.” Maria tried to pass him again.
    “We got sidetracked. I came here tonight to tell you I didn’t turn you over to the investigators, but I have a larger reason for wanting to see you.”
    “No.”
    “Leila,” he said. “I’m begging you to help my daughter.”
    Begging. That was a word that would shock Leila. It held Maria still. He hadn’t attained a judge’s bench because he’d been a bad lawyer.
    “I can’t help you or Leila. I’m not allowed to see my clients. The little sister I’ve been visiting for over a year isn’t allowed to see me because her mother thinks I might be an abuser.”
    He flinched. “Little sister? I didn’t know you had family in town.”
    “Big Brothers Big Sisters? I’m not the only one affected by this witch hunt. And you’re a judge. You’re supposed to be fair. If you doubt me, everyone else in town must be packing me up for prison.” She narrowed her eyes to keep from crying. Where had all her strength run to? “That day, after court, I thought you might help. You seemed so concerned…I guess I don’t understand people after all.”
    “I was worried about you that day, not Griff.”
    Tears hit the back of her eyes and throat. She’d felt so alone since she’d stepped off the witness stand. She swallowed hard and shook her head. “That might mean more if you hadn’t said some other concerned citizen beat you to the punch with the review board. You haven’t asked me if I’m guilty.”
    “I heard your answer on the stand.” Without moving at all, he somehow retreated and became a judge again. “Unless you have other information you want to share now.”
    His mistrust, however reluctant, tasted bitter. “I told the truth about Griff