by Patricia Kay
Even from this distance, he saw the flush of pleasure on her cheeks, the surprised light in her eyes. He smiled and raised his hand in greeting. She smiled back. The blond woman he’d noticed earlier was standing alongside Sydney, and as John worked his way through the crowd to where they stood, he realized how much the two women resembled each other.
“John,” Sydney said as he came within speaking distance, “I had no idea you were here. You never said you planned to come.”
“I just decided last night.” He wanted to lean over and kiss her cheek, but contented himself with taking her hand and squeezing it.
“John, I want you to meet my sister, Claire Stevens. Claire, this is John Appleton, a friend of mine.”
“Hello, John.” Claire Stevens held out her hand to shake his. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“It’s nice to meet you, too,” he said. Claire wasn’t as tall as her sister, but she had the same intense blue eyes and her face was the same shape as Sydney’s. He noticed that she looked him over curiously.
“Sydney did a wonderful job, I thought,” Claire said.
“I agree.”
Sydney smiled. “I hope the jury agrees.”
“I hope you don’t have to wait too long to find out,” Claire said.
“Actually,” Sydney said, “the longer we have to wait, the better it will be for us.” Her gaze met John’s.
“You’re right,” he said.
“Why is that?” Claire asked, looking at him.
“It’s just as Sydney said,” John answered. “The easy decision would be to deny Kara’s request. The harder one would be to grant it. Harder decisions always take longer.”
“So what are you going to do now?” Claire asked.
“Go back to the office and wait, I guess.” Sydney’s gaze met John’s again.
The three of them walked out of the courtroom together. Once they reached the main floor of the Family Law Center, Claire said, “Well, I parked across the street, so I guess I’ll say goodbye.” She and Sydney hugged, then Claire turned to John. “I hope I see you again sometime.”
“I hope so, too.”
Once she was gone, he took Sydney’s arm, and they exited the building together. The November day was bright and warmer than it had been for weeks. “Did you drive over?” John asked.
“No, I walked.”
“I’ll walk back with you, if that’s okay.”
“But what about your car? Isn’t it parked around here?”
“It won’t kill me to walk both ways.” He let go of her elbow and took her hand, lacing his fingers through hers. He smiled into her eyes. “I’ve missed you. I haven’t seen you since Saturday night.”
And then, completely ignoring the people on the street, and the fact that someone they knew might see them, and the fact that it was totally inappropriate and completely out of character for him to do so, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her.
Chapter Eight
The verdict came in on Thursday.
At two o’clock, Sydney got the call. Five minutes later, accompanied by the two other lawyers on her team, she was on her way.
Kara and the McKinseys were waiting for her in the hallway outside the courtroom. Photographers and reporters and dozens of spectators milled around.
Sydney’s stomach felt queasy, but she maintained a calm facade. She squeezed Kara’s shoulder. The little girl’s big amber eyes looked scared.
Lottie and George McKinsey looked equally frightened.
Sydney took a deep breath as the jury filed in.
“Mr. Foreman, have you reached your verdict?” Judge Andrews asked.
The jury foreman said, “Yes, Your Honor, we have.” He handed a slip of paper to the bailiff, who handed it to the judge. The judge read it impassively, nodded once, then handed it back to the bailiff.
The bailiff handed the paper back to the foreman, who opened it and said, “In the matter of Montgomery versus Montgomery, we the jury find in favor of the plaintiff, Kara Montgomery.”
Cheers erupted at Sydney’s table, and a babble of excited voices burst forth from the spectators.
“No!” shouted Shanna Montgomery. “No!” She lunged toward Kara, but her attorney grabbed her and held her back. “Kara!” she called, tears running down her face.
The McKinseys hugged Kara and each other, then, one on either side of Kara, came up to Sydney to thank her. Lottie McKinsey’s pale blue eyes were filled with happy tears.
Relief made Sydney feel weak as she smiled and accepted their thanks. She stooped down. She and Kara hugged. “Be happy, Kara,” she said.
“I’ll miss you,” Kara said. “Will you come and see me sometime?”
“I’ll try,” Sydney said, knowing she would never go. It was always best to make a clean break.
“Come on, Kara,” Lottie said. “We have to go now.”
Then the three of them were gone.
It was an hour before Sydney was able to get away from the reporters and return to her office.
When she got there, the office was abuzz.
“Congratulations, Miss Wells,” Norma said. “And guess what? The producer of the Geneva Ward Show called and wants you to call her back.” Awe and excitement filled her voice as she said the name of the popular syndicated talk show. “And your father called. Twice.”
Sydney could care less about the talk show. She figured her father must have already heard about the verdict.
“I heard it on CNN,” he said gleefully when she called him back. “Damn, I’m proud of you, Sydney. CNN! It’s just as I told you. Everyone’s going to know your name. Soon the sky will be the limit.”
Sydney stopped herself before blurting out that she didn’t care about all of that. She knew it would upset him if she admitted that fame wasn’t her objective. He would probably have a heart attack if she told him about the Geneva show and that, if they had called to invite her to appear, she would turn the invitation down.
“The reporter said your argument was ‘brilliantly conceived,’ ” her father continued. “His exact words were ‘brilliantly conceived and the exact note to strike with the jury.’” He laughed triumphantly. “I can’t wait to read what the Chronicle and the Post have to say.”
The more her father talked, the more deflated Sydney felt, and if anyone had asked her why, she wouldn’t have been able to answer.
“What’s wrong?” her father said when he’d wound down. “Aren’t you excited? Did something happen that you’re not telling me?”
Sydney forced herself to answer brightly. “No, of course not. I’m just tired. I haven’t been getting much sleep lately. And you know... the tension is finally over”
“One good night’s sleep is all you need,” he said. “Boy, Sydney, didn’t I tell you? By God, you should’ve been a man. You’ve got all the right stuff.”
As her father’s exuberance continued unabated, Sydney eyed the roses John had sent her. They were still fresh-looking, and their fragrance permeated the office. Something painful twisted inside her. “Dad,” she interrupted. “I’ve got to go. I’ve got a lot of calls to return.”
“Oh, sure, of course you do! Well, we can talk tonight. Since this case is really special, we’re really gonna celebrate. I’m taking you to Tony’s.”
Her father and mother always took her out to dinner to celebrate her victories, and most of the time, Sydney enjoyed it. Today, though, for some reason, Sydney didn’t feel the same enthusiasm she usually felt. The thought of going to Tony’s, where all the movers and shakers of Houston liked to see and be seen, left her completely cold. Besides, what if John—?
She broke off the thought.
John had said nothing about taking her out tonight, although he had asked her to call him as soon as she knew the verdict.
She started to tell her father she might not be able to go out with him tonight, then thought better of it. He would want to know why, and how could she explain that she hoped John would ask her out? Her fa
ther didn’t know anything about John, and she wasn’t ready to tell him.
She said goodbye, then immediately called John’s office. Their receptionist had returned from her vacation, and she answered the phone.
“I’ll connect you with Mr. Appleton,” she said after Sydney identified herself.
“Sydney! Is it in?” John said before she’d even said hello.
“Yes. We won.”
“That’s great! Congratulations.”
“Thanks.”
“Has the euphoria worn off yet?”
She laughed softly. “What are you, a mind reader?”
“It’s not so hard to figure you out.”
“I can’t even figure me out. How’d you manage to do it?”
He chuckled. “I had you pegged from the very first time I set eyes on you, Counselor.”
“Oh?” But she smiled, because she had a feeling he was right.
“The thing that drives you is the challenge. Once that’s gone, there’s bound to be a letdown. Only natural. Tell you what, why don’t I get a sitter and we’ll go out and celebrate tonight?” His voice deepened. “Better yet, we can order a pizza and celebrate at your place.”
Sydney closed her eyes. There was nothing she wanted more than to spend the evening with John. Since yesterday, when he’d kissed her on the sidewalk in front of dozens of people, she’d dreamed of seeing him again, of making love with him again.
Regret filled her voice. “Oh, John, I wish I could, but my.. .my parents are taking me out.”
“Oh, well...”
For one moment, she considered asking him to join them, but her feelings for him were too confused, too new and too fragile to put them out there for anyone else to see. Until she knew what place John would occupy in her life, she wasn’t sure she wanted her family to know about him. Bad enough that Claire probably suspected something, but at least Claire would not question her or expect answers Sydney wasn’t willing to give.
“I’m sorry,” she said again. “It’s just that it’s a kind of tradition—”
“I understand. You don’t owe me any explanations.”
Sydney bit her lip. He sounded so distant. She wished she knew what to say. Oh, God, she was no good at this kind of thing!
“Maybe you could come over later?” she said.
“My sitter is a teenager, Sydney,” John said in a patient voice, a you-should-know-better-than-to-suggest-this voice. “And it’s a weeknight.”
“Oh, of course.” Her lack of knowledge about the practical aspects of having children were underscored every time she talked to him. And they only emphasized the differences in their lives. She hoped desperately that he would suggest they see each other tomorrow night. Pride wouldn’t allow her to.
“Listen,” he said, “I’ve got another call, so I’d better go. Have fun tonight.”
Sydney swallowed her disappointment and fought the urge to say something, anything, that would keep him on the line. “I will. Goodbye.”
“Goodbye.”
“Damn,” she whispered after he’d hung up. “Damn.” What should she have said or done differently? Maybe she should have said yes to John and called and canceled with her father.
But how could she do that? Her father would have been crushed. He’d looked forward to this for months, ever since Sydney had first told him about the case. He would never have understood. His feelings would have been hurt.
But she’d hurt John’s feelings, she was sure of it. And after he’d made the effort to come to court to hear her give her final argument.
Sydney laid her head down on her arms. She hated feeling tom like this. Hated being in the middle of forces she wasn’t sure she understood. Hated knowing she was such a complete dud at anything having to do with a relationship.
“What if I’ve screwed everything up with John?” she whispered.
Before she could even contemplate an answer, Norma buzzed her on the intercom. For the rest of the day, the phone calls of congratulations and invitations and requests for interviews came nonstop, and Sydney had no more time to think or to worry.
* * *
“You know, John, you’re acting like a bear with a sore paw. What’s wrong with you?”
John looked at his sister. “I’m sorry,” he muttered.
“Are you angry about something?” Janet persisted.
“No.”
“Did something happen that I should know about?”
“No.”
“Well, something’s wrong! It’s just not like you to snap everybody’s head off. You practically had Tammi in tears a few minutes ago.”
John grimaced. “Dammit! Why does everyone have to be so damn sensitive?”
Janet gave him a long-suffering look—a look that was so exactly like Emily’s when she was exasperated that John almost smiled. “And I don’t appreciate your swearing, either,” she said stiffly.
John heaved a loud sigh. “Okay, okay, you’ve made your point. I’ll go apologize to Tammi. Will that make you happy?”
In answer, Janet just gave him a withering look, then she stalked off in the direction of her office.
A few minutes later, John walked into the reception area. “Tammi?” he said to their receptionist.
Tammi looked up. Her gray eyes held a wounded look.
“Janet said I hurt your feelings. I’m sorry. I wasn’t mad at you. I had something on my mind, that’s all.”
“Well . . . “ Suddenly, she smiled, her freckled face once more sunny. “It’s okay, John.”
Later, sitting in his office, he tried to figure out why he’d gotten so bent out of shape over Sydney’s declining his invitation. He’d acted like one of the kids when they didn’t get their way. Just because Sydney had already made plans didn’t mean she hadn’t wanted to be with him.
Careful, he cautioned himself. Remember, this relationship is only temporary. You’re allowing it to assume too much importance in your life.
He wished now that he’d been nicer about it when Sydney had said she couldn’t go out with him tonight. He hoped his churlishness hadn’t spoiled her evening in any way.
Boy, you’ve sure got a swelled head! She’s probably having a wonderful time and hasn’t thought about you once.
The thought didn’t make him feel any better.
* * *
Sydney had never spent a more miserable evening in her life. No matter what her father said or did, all she could think about was John.
“Sydney, I don’t understand you,” her father said over their chocolate soufflé, a Tony’s specialty. “I thought you’d be ecstatic over this victory.”
“Sid,” her mother said, “maybe she’s tired. Listening to you expound all night would make me tired.”
Sydney’s father didn’t bat an eyelash at his wife’s admonition. In fact, he acted as if he hadn’t even heard her. “Sydney, this is what we’ve been waiting for,” he continued. “This is our chance.”
Sydney bit back the words she longed to say. Her father acted as if he’d had something to do with her victory today. Well, didn’t he? Isn’t he the one who pushed you and encouraged you and believed in you? What’s wrong with you? Why are you so ungrateful? “Yes, Dad, I know. Mom’s right. I am tired.”
For the rest of the evening, she tried to wipe thoughts of John out of her mind. She tried to respond to her father’s comments and questions with enthusiasm. And she promised herself that if John didn’t call her tomorrow, she would call him.
* * *
“Sydney, Mr. Folger would like to see you in his office,” said his secretary the following morning.
“Now?”
“Now.”
Francis K. Folger was the managing partner of Folger & Hubbard, the grandson of the original founder of the firm. When he said jump, everyone in the firm jumped.
Sydney straightened her olive green suit jacket and ran a brush through her hair before exiting her office. Three minutes later, she stood outside Mr. Folger’s office doo
r while his secretary announced her.
The door opened. Brenda, his secretary, said, “You can go in now, Miss Wells.”
“Sydney, my dear, come in,” Francis Folger said, looking up from his massive oak desk. His dark eyes studied her as she walked toward him. “Have a seat.” She sat in one of the burgundy leather chairs grouped to the right side of his desk. Behind him, the glass faces of dozens of buildings that made up the Houston skyline glittered in the November sun.
“Congratulations on winning the Montgomery case,” he said, smiling at her.
“Thank you.” She tried to relax in her chair, but there was something about being summoned to Francis Folger’s office that produced the same feelings of nervousness that a summons to a principal’s office might produce in a recalcitrant student.
“I understand you’re being assaulted by the media,” Folger said.
Sydney smiled. “Yes, they have been rather relentless since the verdict came in. But that should die down soon... I hope.”
“Brenda tells me you’ve been contacted by the Geneva Ward Show. ”
“Yes,” she answered guardedly.
He tented his hands in front of him. “She also tells me you’ve refused an invitation to appear.”
So that’s what this was all about. “Yes, I have.”
“May I ask why?”
Sydney chose her words carefully. “I don’t see the point of rehashing the case on a talk show.”
“Don’t you? You disappoint me, Sydney.”
Sydney stared at him.
“Would it make any difference to you if I told you I would very much like you to call them back and tell them you’ve changed your mind?”
Sydney swallowed. “You know it would.”
Francis Folger smiled and leaned forward. “I was certain you’d see it my way.”
* * *
A little after three that afternoon, Norma buzzed her on the intercom and said, “Miss Wells, Mr. Appleton is on line two.” Sydney’s heart went zing, and she realized that no matter how she’d tried to pretend differently, she’d been worried that he wouldn’t call her.
Her hand actually trembled as she picked up the receiver. She wondered what John would think if he could see her.