He grinned.
“Fucking rookie,” I heard someone mumble behind me, followed by the sounds of a few teammates laughing.
“Quiet, please,” the judge murmured, peering over her glasses briefly before she set the paperwork down. “This isn’t a football game, and I don’t appreciate vulgarity in my courtroom, gentlemen.”
“Yes, Your Honor,” they all said in unison.
I tipped up my chin and stared at the ceiling for a moment.
“You finished your community service incredibly quickly, Mr. Evans,” the judge said, folding her hands on top of each other on the surface of her desk.
I stood up. Was I supposed to stand up?
“Yes, Your Honor. I enjoyed my time at the rescue very much.”
“And what sort of duties filled your time?”
It was on the paper, so she damn well knew what I’d done, and the gleam in her eye gave her away.
I exhaled a quiet laugh. “I was on poop duty, Your Honor. Cleaning up the yard. Litter boxes. Mopping the kennel floors when they got messy.”
“Were they trying to teach you a lesson?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“And did it work?”
My smile faded, and I gave her a serious nod. “Yes, Your Honor.”
She made a small humming noise. “I’m told you have a statement you’d like to make for the court?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“Hopefully, it includes more than those three words,” she said pointedly.
I grinned. “Yes, Your Honor.”
“All right, would your nonlegal legal representation please bring a copy forward?”
Grant was drumming his thumb on the surface of the desk.
I kicked the side of his foot. “The letter,” I hissed.
“Oh.” He scrambled to his feet and grabbed the envelope, rushing it to the judge’s bench.
Her facial expression was the kind of patience you’d usually reserve for a wayward child. “Why don’t you take a seat now?”
“Yes, ma’am—Your Honor.” He gave me an apologetic look, and I shook my head as he did as she’d asked.
As she pulled the paper out of the envelope, she asked, “Mr. Evans, did this give you the kind of experience I’d hoped for when we discussed your sentence?”
I kept my eyes forward as she skimmed the letter in her hands. “Yes, Your Honor. I found it to be life changing. It’s all in there.”
Her mouth fell open, a shocking burst of pink washing over her cheeks. Her dark eyes darted up to mine. “Mr. Evans, this is ... unexpected.”
“It is?”
She let out a shocked exhale. “I had no idea I’d made such an impact on you,” she said, tone wondrous.