Nate refused to acknowledge the small tug in his heart because he knew better. Knew that nothing about Frankie was fragile. She was tougher than most men and would probably skin his nuts for thinking any differently. But, goddamn, she looked so small behind that massive mahogany table. She didn’t even have a lawyer.

She should have one. At least one. Nate had nine. Drew might be the only one present, but the other eight were diligently working on his family’s behalf. Making sure they not only kept their half of the land, but looking for loopholes that would screw Frankie out of hers.

Nate watched her worry her lower lip and frowned. Where were her brothers?

“I’m sorry,” Judge Pricket said to Frankie, not sorry at all. “But between talking to Patsy down at the planning department, Katie Baudouin at the bank, and both Saul and Glow Sorrento, I haven’t had time to use the facilities today, let alone enjoy a meal. This is also the third time I have had this cockamamy claim in my courtroom, so you understand that I am anxious to hear the evidence, make a ruling, and stop wasting more taxpayer dollars on something that should have been taken care of decades ago.”

“Amen,” ChiChi chimed in, giving Nate a quick flick to the ear as though he were the reason that they were all here today, wasting taxpayer dollars.

“It’s all right, your honor. I’m as frustrated as you are about coming here today,” Frankie said. Without looking back to see who was there, Frankie shrugged nonchalantly and, although he couldn’t for the life of him read the expression on her face, there was nothing nonchalant about how hard her throat was working. “Since this isn’t a family situation and I knew what I was getting into when I bought the land, I think I can handle this on my own.”

“I’m glad we are on the same page, Miss Baudouin.” Judge Pricket lowered his glasses and studied her empty table. “I take it you are waiving your right to legal counsel?”

“Yes, your honor,” Frankie said, standing. The judge let out a groan. “I figured this was a pretty straightforward case. I bought the land from Mrs. Sorrento, I talked to her last night and she has no intentions of reneging on the deal, and neither do I, so we are good.”

“Well, since I’m the one who has reviewed all the material, who has been dealing with this land and your two families for over sixty years, and am appointed by the great state of California…” The judge picked up the case file in front of him, the one Gabe and his brothers had spent all night preparing with the help of their legal team, and tossed it aside. “Why don’t you take your seat and let me decide just how good we all are?”

“Um, yes, your honor,” Frankie said. She didn’t look happy.

Welcome to my world, Nate thought.

“You purchased the northern part of Sorrento Ranch from Mrs. Sorrento on the fifth of September. Is this correct?”

“Yes, your honor.”

“And Nathaniel, you and your brothers purchased the south part of the property on the second of September from Saul Sorrento?”

“Yes, sir. Although at the time we were under the impression we were acquiring the entire twenty acres,” Nate said, hoping to get a little sympathy sent their way.

“Yes, and at the time Saul thought he was selling his half of the property to Jackson Tanner, not DeLuca Wines,” Judge Pricket said, sounding like a disappointed principal more than a judge. “Maybe if you’d taken more time doing your homework instead of trying to buy the property under false pretenses, you would have noticed that the land had been split fifteen years ago.”

“Yes, sir.” Nate felt thoroughly scolded.

“You would have also noticed that instead of Saul’s inflated price of seven and a half million”—the entire courtroom went silent and Nate felt as though every eye were on him—“the other property was being offered at—”

Pricket looked down at his notes and laughed. He freaking laughed and Nate sank even lower in his chair. “Frankie, did you really get that land for nine-hundred thousand dollars?”

Frankie looked over her shoulder at Nate and blew him a kiss. “I did, Ed.” Since when were the judge and Frankie on a first name basis? “Well, nine-hundred thousand and my 1948 Indian Chief.”

“It was in mint condition,” the judge said, as though throwing in a motorcycle evened things out. “And did you know you were purchasing just the ten acres?”

“Yes,” she said all smiles and sunshine, which was Frankie shooting Nate the figurative finger. “Glow and I were both upfront about the entire transaction. She explained that Saul had split the land back in the nineties for their kids, but neither of them wanted it. So each received half in the divorce. Glow was under the impression Saul sold his share to a developer, not a DeLuca.”

“Weren’t we all,” Pricket mumbled, shooting the prosecution table a similar glare.

Gabe leaned in and whispered, “Can Pricket sink this deal?”

Nate sure as hell hoped not. He’d tried to find out their legal standing. The money had already been wired to an escrow account, but since escrow hadn’t officially closed, his lawyers weren’t sure.

“We’re fine,” he whispered back.

“Really?” Trey leaned in. “Because this slam dunk hearing doesn’t seem so slam dunk anymore and that makes me nervous. You know what makes me even more nervous? That Frankie isn’t even breaking a sweat.”

Nate looked over and Frankie was smiling up at the judge, not an ounce of worry on her pretty face.

“I’ll fix this,” Nate whispered, then stood. “Your honor, if I may?”

“No, son, you may not.” Judge Pricket’s bushy brows furrowed in annoyance. “I’ve been listening to your families gripe about this land my entire career.”

“Yes, your honor,” Nate cut in, not wanting him to get any further. “And I’m sorry. But I don’t think the past has any relevance on today’s hearing. This sale has nothing to do with our grandparents’ feud. We are a new generation who would like the opportunity to make this right.”

“I am glad to hear you say that, but it still doesn’t answer the problem about what to do with the house. The way Saul had the property line drawn, it goes right down the middle of the house. So I have a single residence dwelling with two owners. Not to mention the south property has access to the road and driveway, and the north property houses the well.”

Yeah, Nate had noticed that too.

Judge Pricket took off his glasses and rubbed at his eyes. After a long, tense moment, he looked out at the courtroom. “Legally I can and should take that sucker down, knock you both out of escrow and force the Sorrentos to put the land on the market with all parties aware of the facts.”

“Wait.” Frankie stood. “Mrs. Sorrento would never agree to that. She is happy with the sale and so am I.”

“Which is my problem, Miss Baudouin.” The judge’s expression softened. “Since you did your due diligence and Glow is adamant that escrow closes in a timely fashion, I have my hands tied. However, the house, which I believe you are living in, is still under my discretion. As for the other half of the property, Saul is open to other ideas.” His gaze narrowed on Nate’s table.

“So I am giving you both thirty days to get in there and prove to me that you can make this work. Thirty days is plenty of time to come up with some unique ideas, and believe me, I’ve had sixty years to start my list.” He sent them both a stern smile. “One complaint, one bullet fired, one call to the sheriff, and the bulldozers come in and I get to go have a beer. Because at the end of your month, one way or another, this feud will no longer be my problem. Understand?”

“Yes, sir,” they both said in unison.

“Good.” The judge stood and whacked his gavel. “Now get out of my courtroom so I can go play croquet.”

“Can he do that?” Nate asked his lawyer when Pricket disappeared back into his chambers.

“Can and would,” Drew said to the table. “My advice is to do whatever it takes to avoid Judge Pricket. Find a way to make it work with Miss Baudouin.”

Nate looked over at Miss Baudouin, who oddly enough wasn’t celebrating her victory. She was staring at him, a million death threats shooting out of her pretty eyes, sharpening what appeared to be a pocket knife on the metal cap on her left boot.

“Or make her an offer she can’t refuse.” Drew followed his gaze and laughed. “Just be sure she holsters the blade before you start negotiations.”

“There is no way she’ll sell,” Nate said, eyes still on Frankie. “Not now. Not when she knows how much we spent on the land.” Not when she knows how much I want it.

“You need the other ten acres to fulfill your contracts, right? And our research shows that she is desperately short of liquid assets. So stop thinking with this,” Drew patted his chest, “and start thinking up here. I’m sure that some kind of partnership between the two properties can be reached.”

Nate laughed. “You obviously have no idea how Frankie works. She would never get involved with a DeLuca.”

Nate knew that firsthand.

As though sensing she was the topic of conversation, Frankie dropped her feet to the floor, and, after pocketing her knife, strode toward him with enough purpose and attitude to scare even the manliest of men.

Nate leaned against the table, crossing his ankles, and smiled. “Hey, Francesca.”

She stopped when they were toe to toe, her eyes narrowed into two irritated slits as she gave him a long onceover. He gave her an equally long assessment, taking in the way she smelled—freaking incredible—and how her blouse hugged her breasts. Breasts he had spent the past two days convincing himself couldn’t be as perfect as he’d imagined.