I'll Stand by You by Sharon Sala Read Free Book Online Page A

duty to guard against germs as well as bad behavior, and didn’t want them anywhere near the other kids until they were well.
    “No, ma’am. Beep was hurt at school today.”
    “Oh, well, I’m sorry to hear that. Did he get hurt on the playground? I’ve been telling people for years that those old monkey bars aren’t safe.”
    Johnny didn’t hesitate to explain. He wasn’t going to sugarcoat one bit of what happened.
    “No, a gang of older boys beat him up. He’s hurt pretty bad.”
    Miss Jane didn’t like racket, but when they were behaving, she did like the Pine boys.
    “Well, that’s just awful. I’m so sorry to hear that. Was it that gang from the depot?”
    Johnny took a deep breath, willing himself not to react to the slur about the boys from his side of town who hung out at the abandoned depot, playing music with their band.
    “No, ma’am. They were from your side of town. It was Coach Sharp’s boy, Banker Buckley’s son, and Mrs. Rankin’s twins.”
    He heard a gasp and then nothing. Just when he thought she was going to hang up, she asked him one more question, her voice shaking.
    “How bad is he hurt?”
    “They broke his nose and ribs. He has multiple contusions, a swollen mouth, loose teeth, and his eyes are black. I will let you know when to expect them at the Before and After again.”
    “Oh, Johnny, I am so sorry.”
    “Yes, ma’am, so am I,” Johnny said and disconnected.
    Now that he’d taken care of the immediate, he needed to think about long term. He poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down at the kitchen table with the phone book. It was time to call that lawyer.
    * * *
    P. Nutt Butterman, Esq., known around town as Peanut, heard about the school incident from his secretary, who heard about it from her sister-in-law, who heard it from her husband who was a bus driver for the Blessings Public School system. Soon afterward, Peanut got a heads-up call from Paul Quick about doing pro bono work for Johnny Pine. He had a fondness for underdogs and admired Johnny Pine for keeping his family out of the Social Services system. He quickly agreed to help and was debating as to whether he should approach Pine on his own or wait for him to come in when his secretary knocked and then stepped into his office.
    “There is a young man named Johnny Pine on the phone. He wants to know if you would see him today. I didn’t know what to tell him because technically you don’t have an appointment open, but your next appointment is already late. She lives about five miles out of town, and the way it’s raining, she may have decided not to drive in.”
    “Put him on the phone,” Peanut said. “I’ll talk to him now, and we’ll go from there.”
    She nodded and closed the door on her way out.
    Peanut sat down, waiting for her to put the call through, and when he heard Johnny’s voice, he leaned forward with his elbows on the desk, ready to go to war. He did love fighting for the underdogs.
    “Hello, this is Butterman.”
    “Mr. Butterman, my name is Johnny Pine, and I think I need a lawyer. Dr. Quick gave me your name to—”
    “Quick already called me,” Peanut said. “Sorry to hear about your brother, and I just want to let you know this one’s on me. By the way, what’s your brother’s name again? Quick told me, but I didn’t write it down.”
    Johnny hesitated, a little overwhelmed that this had happened so easily. “His name is Brooks, but everybody calls him Beep.”
    Peanut chuckled. “I can appreciate a good nickname. I tried to hold a grudge against my parents for what they named me, but the oddity of my name has made it memorable. When someone in the area is in need of a lawyer, my name is the first one they think of.”
    Johnny relaxed. The man was definitely friendly and seemed very down-to-earth.
    “I appreciate this more than you know.”
    Peanut grabbed a pen and a notepad. “My pleasure. Now, the first thing we’ll need to do is make sure the parents are aware