Читать книгу Justice for a Ranger - Rita Herron - Страница 9

Chapter Five

Joey rubbed her temple where a headache throbbed. There had been enough charged electricity in that meeting between the McKinney brothers to start a brushfire. Outside, she breathed in the fresh air, hoping to calm her nerves, but she spotted her mother approaching and her anxiety rose another notch. The reporter from hell, Harold Dennison, trailed behind her like a fox chasing a rabbit.

Which one would be the lesser of two evils?

“Joey, please wait. I’d like to talk to you,” Donna called.

Joey halted, knowing the confrontation was inevitable. Besides, she’d be lying to herself if she said she’d come here only because of the governor’s request. She was secretly afraid the grand jury would indict one or both of her parents, and she wanted answers. Running wouldn’t help her get to the truth.

Donna’s eyes flitted nervously across the street, then behind Joey. Instantly recognizing the press, she stopped and her mouth flattened into a thin line. “Let’s step into my office so we can talk in private.”

Joey nodded, her shoulders tense as she followed Donna through the back door of the restaurant and into an office. She was surprised by the minimalist furnishings. Simple oak desk, leather chair, a love seat in the corner beside a potted plant. The room almost looked homey. Much more domestic than the mother she remembered.

Still, Donna didn’t have a hair out of place. Joey felt like an awkward teenager beside her with her linen pantsuit, manicured nails and skillfully applied makeup.

In fact, she’d never quite fitted the mold of what her parents envisioned as the perfect daughter. Donna would have liked a petite ballerina or cheerleader. Leland had wanted a boy—the reason he’d nicknamed her Joey instead of Josie or called her by her full name. Then he’d had Justin, and for a while she’d thought he might be happy.

But her mother’s drinking and her father’s financial problems had torn them apart. Then came the nightmare of the custody battle, her brother’s disappearance and the allegations against her father.