Last Night Read Online Free Page A

without the use of his legs, she ' d heard from others.
    Just thinking about how Garth must have suffered, then rebuilt his life, gave her courage. Vanessa had a child and Dana had a career. Their only option was to stay—and fight.
     
     
    G arth Bradford stared at the telephone receiver still in his hand. "I'll be damned. Dana Hamilton just invited herself over. "
    " Sue the bastards! Sue the bastards! " shrieked his parrot, Puni, cocking his crimson head to one side and ruffling his bright blue feathers. " Sue their asses! "
    " Give me a break. Be quiet for one minute. " Garth wheeled himself into the kitchen, thankful he had enough veal for two people. He liked to cook on the weekends and fancied himself to be an amateur chef.
    Tonight was suddenly special. He rarely entertained. Too often people felt sorry for him, tried too hard to help him. It was simply easier to eat alone. Dana was different. She never made him feel awkward; she always treated him the way she did the rest of the guys—with cool disdain.
    Some called her a ball buster. Others claimed she was a frigid bitch. Garth figured she was a little shy, secure only when she was in court. She was most comfortable when doing something like ruling on points of law. When it came to personal relationships, that confidence evaporated.
    He knew the feeling. He never dwelled on his handicap. It had made him stronger, wiser, and twice the man he would have been. Except physically.
    He wanted to be friends with Dana, sensing a kindred spirit. She had always kept her distance though. That made her unexpected call even more surprising.
    " Sue the bastards! Sue the bastards! " Puni chanted rap-style. " Sue their asses! "
    Garth didn ' t have the heart to cover the cage. Maybe Puni would provide comic relief. It was as hard to get Dana to laugh as it was to appeal her decisions. She was one tough judge.
    He loved the challenge. That ' s what he lived for.
    He answered the doorbell and had to concentrate to keep from gasping. Dana? Right, but she wasn ' t wearing those hideous glasses. Makeup made her look younger, more feminine. The dress—well, there ought to be a law against wearing anything that sexy.
    She wasn't his type—not that he could afford to be picky. Still, something in him yearned for a leggy blonde. His last relationship had ended months ago, but he was too we ary to try again. He had his ca reer. That had to be enough.
    "Thanks for letting me come over, " Dana said as she followed him, putting him at ease because she ignored his wheelchair.
    "Sit, sit. " He poured wine and she wearily dropped into the chair.
    "Your call surprised me, " Garth admitted after they ' d chatted for a few minutes. He placed a salad before her, then wheeled to his place. He reached for his fork, saying, "Are you concerned about the superior court appointment? "
    " Not at all. They ' re going to select a man. "
    " You ' re the best candidate. If there ' s any justice you ' ll— "
    " Sue the bastards! Sue the bastards! " screeched Puni.
    Dana laughed. "What a great parrot. "
    " Appeal, appeal. " Puni moonwalked along his perch. Obviously he ' d been watching too much MTV while Garth had been at work. " Sue the bastards! Sue the bastards! Sue their asses! "
    "What ' s your parrot ' s name? "
    " Puni. " He caught the quizzical look in her eyes. " Short for Punitive Damages. "
    She laughed again. "I should have known. "
    Dana dutifully consumed two forkfuls of the salad, never commenting on the raspberry vinaigrette that he ' d made himself. Something was on her mind and it wasn ' t the pending court appointment. He didn't press. Patience was his long suit. Not always, of course, but the accident had changed everything.
    Dana wasn ' t an easy woman to get to know. Oh, she was friendly enough—up to a point. One of the advantages of his handicap—he ' d managed to find several—was that people thought he was harmless. True, it was a subconscious thing, but people tended to trust