Watson - Kathi S. Barton Page 0,2

He’s close to where you two can stay.”

“I don’t want to put you out.” Wats assured her she wouldn’t be. He was enjoying spending time with his dad. “If you’re sure?”

“I am sure. You gather up some things for him to wear, and tomorrow we’ll come back here to see what we can salvage out of the bedroom. After that, North is going to take care of getting something more livable in here for the two of you.” Wats hoped his dad didn’t mind him staying with him a few days. “You get some things, like I said, and I’ll make a couple of calls. That way, by the time you’re finished here, I can have my arrangements made as well.”

As he figured, Dad was happy to have him. North said he was his hero for doing this. All Wats had wanted to do was go to bed and not wake up anytime soon. It was stressful being the worrier of the family. Taking Rayne to his brother’s house, then to the condo, was about all he could handle this evening. Going to his dad’s condo, Wats was thrilled that he didn’t seem to mind him rushing off to bed and let Wats go without bombarding him with questions.

As soon as his head hit the pillow, Wats knew he wasn’t far from sleep. When a phone rang somewhere in the place, he had to catch himself from getting up and answering it. Being dead tired as he was, he didn’t think he could make a sound decision on whether or not he liked chocolate ice cream or vanilla. Or even both, for that matter.

Thinking briefly of the list he’d brought from his office, Wats wondered if any of the others would help him out with it. He needed someone to work for him to answer phones. To clean up after him and his patients. Also, Wats needed to get laid.

Laughing a little, he rolled to his side and smiled. Tomorrow was going to be a brand new day, and he was going to try his best not to be running all over town again. Yes, he thought as slumber took him under, tomorrow was a brand new day.

Chapter 1

Wats didn’t want to be there. He supposed no one wanted to be there that was related to his mother. But if he had to do this, he thought whoever had come up with this plan of doing it via a remote location was brilliant. Wats had been called in as a witness, and to him, not having to see his mother or any of his aunts was the best news he could have had today. Things so far, he thought, were going according to plan.

“What the hell is going on? Where is my son and husband?” Wats didn’t bother answering his mother, as he was told he didn’t have to. “Watson Wilkerson, you had better be thinking about how much punishment you’re going to get when I get out of here. And once I do, you can also bet I’m not going to go easy on either of you. Why the hell aren’t you in here where I can see you?”

“Because I have no desire to see you. Just shut up, and this will be over soon.” He knew as soon as he told her to shut up that it would piss her off. Not that he cared. Not anymore. “Besides, I’m only here so I can testify, then I’m gone.”

“You had better keep your mouth shut on things you think you know. Or I swear to you, Watson, I’ll make you wish you’d never been born. Just as much as I wish that daily. Where is your father? Why isn’t he working on getting me out of here?”

Done with her, he watched as the camera spanned the room before it centered on the jury. They were there after the venue had to be changed three times to make sure the women were put in prison.

“Hello, ladies and gentlemen.”

As his mother was told to shut up several times, he was asked questions by the state-appointed attorney for his mother. The man looked like he’d gone a couple of rounds with someone bigger than him. Wats knew that the day before yesterday, he’d been caught unawares, and Christa, Booker’s mother, had knocked him around before the prison guards had gotten their Tasers out and used them on her. No amount of begging to the judge had been able to get the