Running to You: Small Town Romance

Chapter Twelve

**This has not been edited or proofread.**

FARRAH

The trial for Frank Barnes was coming a lot sooner than I thought it would. So, Grayson was on the fast track of getting me as prepared as possible to testify against him.

I was a bit terrified, especially as I sat here in front of the attorney I'd hired. Grayson and I had fought on this. He wanted to pay for the attorney for me, but I wasn't budging. I was a capable woman who owned her own business, her own home, and two vehicles. I could afford a freaking attorney as well.

After I had stormed out of his house that day, he'd called me an hour later to apologize, promising to back off. And then, he surprised me by showing up at my house a little while after that phone call with pizza and flowers.

For someone who was so hard on the outside, he really was soft and perfect for me.

"Alright, Farrah," Mr. Kingston began, clearing his throat. "Let's start from when you were younger and you caught Mr. Barnes abusing a horse."

Grayson grabbed my hand in his, giving it a gentle squeeze. "I was walking to the store," I started. It was something I did all the time. We had nothing to worry about in our small town, so our parents weren't too worried about us walking up the road to the store so long as we told them where we were going. "I saw him beating a horse, trying to get it into the trailer. I threw a rock at him to make him stop."

My hand tightened around Grayson's. "The horse ran off when he turned his attention on me. I took off running. I told Grayson and Chase when I got home about what happened, and they convinced me to tell the police because I was so upset over that horse. From there, the police found out Frank had actually been stealing horses for a long time."

"And let's talk about the first barn fire you were trapped in," he told me.

So, I recounted working with Vern that day and then sleeping in the stables that night, which wasn't uncommon of me. I did it all the time with farm animals I was working with. I explained waking up and trying to get the animals out, the flames are engulfing the barn. I wanted to save the animals.

"Now, everything you just told me," Mr. Kingston said, his eyes meeting mine across his table, "I need you to make sure you stick to those facts in court. Stray off or talk too much, and you run the risk of getting him a lesser sentence or even getting him off completely."

I trembled at that news. Grayson tightened his hold on my hand in response. Mr. Kingston flipped his notepad shut. "That'll be it. I'll do one more meeting with you before the court date, but until then, I suggest you just try to rest and keep your mind off of this as much as possible."

Well, that was a lot easier said than done because that court date was looming over my head.

~*~*~

After dinner that night, Chase made us a pallet on the floor in front of the fire, and he held me in his arms as I read a book, trying to distract my mind.

"When I put a ring on your finger and marry you," Grayson huskily spoke from behind me, dragging me out of the pages of my book, "I'm going to act out some of those naughty scenes you're reading."

My cheeks flamed red at his words. He just softly chuckled and pressed a kiss to the back of my head before letting me go back to reading my filthy smut.