Drew held his breath as Gina confirmed the recording was of Reuben Cote and Cory Vinson. She was positive as she had in fact recorded the video. Drew exhaled.
Gina continued, explaining that Drew could not have known about Mr. Cote’s initial testimony or the recording at the time because she possessed the only copy. Cory Vinson had assumed Gina destroyed the recording when he’d asked her to. Molly submitted further evidence to corroborate the exact date Drew had stepped in as chief counsel on the Van Solis murder trial.
Molly returned to the chair beside Drew. Once again, he wanted to reach for her hand. But this wasn’t a game. They weren’t out to dinner, trying to keep a new relationship under wraps. They were in a courtroom, fighting for his innocence.
Worse, Molly had gone behind his back and brought Gina Hahn into the spotlight. How was he supposed to protect Gina now? He’d ruined Van Solis’s life. He never wanted to repeat that mistake.
If he was cleared, and no one questioned Molly’s decision, Gina could still be collateral damage. And every day Drew would question if there had been another way. A better way. One that hadn’t included harming another life to save his own.
Molly ended her questioning. Judge Bartlett offered Clint, the trial counsel, his opportunity to cross-examine the witness. During the rapid questioning, Gina never stumbled. Never lost her composure.
But Drew cringed and wrestled his anger each time Clint insinuated Gina only wanted revenge on Vinson. Or maligned her character. Or questioned her credibility.
Clint, his voice mild and deceptive, asked her how she could be so certain the second man in the video was in fact Mr. Cory Vinson. Maybe she hadn’t been the one to record the meeting.
Gina tucked her dark hair behind her ear and straightened. She offered that the man in the video wore an insignia ring on his finger that contained a family crest identical to that of Cory Vinson’s. But it was the pencil thin scar that tracked from the man’s ring finger toward his wrist that truly identified Vinson.
Cory Vinson had disarmed an intruder who had had a knife and obtained the scar on his hand. Or so Cory liked to tell the media during interviews. Gina confessed Cory had in reality given himself the wound when he’d incorrectly gutted a fish on a weekend cottage trip with friends.
Drew’s mouth dropped open as if he’d been gutted. Even Clint stood still and silent as if frozen to the spot. Sitting at the table across the aisle from theirs, Clint’s assistant counsel uttered a small gasp.
Beside him, Molly grinned. “And that’s how it’s done.”
It was done.
Judge Bartlett called for counsel to approach the bench. Conversation ensued followed by Judge Bartlett’s announcement that charges against Drew Harrington had been dismissed. Instructions were then issued to the trial counsel to open an investigation into Cory Vinson posthaste. Judge Bartlett exited into her chambers.
In a matter of minutes, Drew’s world had righted. Justice had ruled.
Yet he was anything but content. The court clerk escorted Gina through a side door and the pair disappeared. Denying Drew the chance to thank her. Or to watch out for the woman.
“I’ve been called to Judge Bartlett’s chambers.” Molly returned to the table and quickly slid folders and her notepad into her briefcase. “But congratulations. You’re free to go and celebrate.”
Drew put a hand on Molly’s arm, gaining her full attention. “We promised not to involve Gina.”
“I had no choice.” Molly closed her briefcase. Her face was set and her tone firm as if the discussion regarding Gina was closed too.
But Drew had questions. Wanted answers. He deserved those answers. After all, his hearing could ruin Gina’s life. “How did you get Gina to testify?
“Excuse me.” Molly dropped her briefcase strap on her shoulder and stared at him.
“Reuben’s recanting had already helped Van overturn his conviction. Gina never had to come forward today. Now Gina’s allegations open her to media scrutiny and possible legal trouble.” Drew tugged on his ear as if reminding himself to slow down and listen. To let Molly explain. But his anger, mixed with his pent-up emotions, steamrolled over any caution. “Gina will be exposed. Every secret revealed, the good and the ugly. Her personal life and her relationship with Cory Vinson made fully public. And Cory Vinson won’t go down without destroying her and her family in the process.”
“Gina wouldn’t have come forward to see justice served. She was too scared. But I got through to her, I had to. And she did the right thing finally.” Molly eyed him. “For you. She’s prepared to accept the consequences of her actions, but wants those genuinely guilty to be convicted.”
“Not without incentive.” Or persuasion. The risk to Gina was too big. But Molly was also too good. He appreciated her tenacity, if not her methods. “I don’t blame you or her.”
“That’s very big of you.” Molly crossed her arms over her chest. Her words dry like that quicksand Drew felt he was standing in. “After all, she’s the reason you just got your life back.”
“But at what cost to Gina?” Drew wiped his hand over his mouth. The guilt and regret remained like a bad aftertaste.
Molly studied him. Finally she straightened and pulled back. The motion almost imperceptible. Except to Drew.
To him, she’d recoiled as if she’d discovered he stood in a rattlesnake pit. Or worse, he was the snake.
“You don’t trust me at all, do you?” Her voice lowered into a cold whisper. But a sense of betrayal shone in her overly bright gaze.
Trust me. That’s all she had asked of him earlier. And she had won. For him. But she’d broken her word and jeopardized Gina’s world to ensure that victory. At the very least, he should have been included in the discussion. Then he might have trusted.
“You never did trust me.” Molly nodded, the movement slow and drawn out.
“It’s not...” His voice was weak. His defense inadequate.
“Just to be clear so we’re on the same page.” A quick slice of her hand out in front of her body cut him off. “You think I paid Gina off to testify. And now that I notched another win, Gina’s future doesn’t matter.”
“Ms. McKinney.” The prosecutor called Molly’s name. He walked toward the same door Gina and the court clerk had used.
Molly signaled to the opposing counsel, holding up her finger to request one more minute. Then she swung back around to confront Drew. “Your silence is very telling.”
“You gave me your word we wouldn’t involve Gina further.” And she’d broken her word. How could he overlook that?
“And I broke it to save your life and reputation,” she charged. “But that’s hardly relevant.”
“I’m grateful.” He spread his hands out. “Truly.”
She curled her fingers around the strap of her briefcase. Her words were whispered through her clenched teeth “But I don’t want your gratitude. I wanted your respect and I wanted your love. But you can’t give me that, can you? You were never willing to give me that.”
Love. Drew blinked and knocked aside his panic. The discussion was about Gina and the fallout the woman now faced. And how he could best help the former legal assistant. Not love. Love was never involved here. “This is not the time or place.”
“There’s never going to be a time or place.”
“We need to talk about what happened here today. The ramifications, for everyone.”
“You can’t give me something you don’t feel. Something you’re incapable of feeling.” She stepped backward. Once. Then again. “There’s nothing more to say. Excuse me. I have a meeting.”
She turned and walked off. Head held high, shoulders straight. Not one wobble on her heels. Not one small stumble. Not one misstep as if she struggled. Only Drew struggled. He should let her go. She was right about him, wasn’t she? Drew called her name.
She tur
ned, but before he could say anything, she spoke, “Let me know where I should send my invoice.”
Then she disappeared through the side door.
Drew stood inside the courtroom. The court reporter finished her notes and slipped out, leaving him alone. He stepped outside and two of Judge Bartlett’s assistants shook his hand. Another clerk offered a greeting as she passed. He was no longer the pariah in the legal community.
The charges against him had been dropped. But the loneliness remained.
Drew pulled his phone out of his pocket. His screen flashed, letting him know more than twenty unread texts and ten new voice-mail messages awaited him. Drew clicked on the first text from Brad. Sophie had gone into labor at the same time Drew’s hearing had started.
More texts included updates on Sophie’s progress. And more demanded Drew fill the family in on the outcome of the hearing. Others were apologies from his mother, father and Evie for not being at court to support him. Throughout the texts and voice mails, he sensed their excitement for the twins’ arrival and their concern for his future. And one thread was constant: their love for each other and for him.
Drew wanted to be only one place in that moment. With his family.
He turned around to look for Molly, to tell her the happy twin news. To take her with him to the hospital.
But she wasn’t there.
He was on his own. Just as he’d always been. Just as he’d wanted. She’d given him exactly what he wanted. He should celebrate. He’d soon have new nieces or nephews to spoil. His old life was his to reclaim. Everything was as it should be.
Why then wasn’t he celebrating?
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
WITH MOLLY’S CARE package delivered and new mom Sophie ready for some well-earned rest, Molly slipped out of Sophie’s hospital room. Sophie needed all the sleep she could capture before she and the twins were discharged in a few days.
Molly had stayed for only an hour. Long enough to hold one of the twins, while Sophie cradled the other. That had led the two women to search each newborn boy for a birthmark to distinguish the identical twins. Unfortunately they found nothing obvious to help tell the brothers apart. Molly had then switched to cuddling first Owen, then Evan while she guided Sophie through some breastfeeding basics, offering encouragement and reassurance, as well. Sophie had requested Molly’s help, explaining she was less nervous with a friend beside her.
The visit had ended with Molly supplying answers to a few of Sophie’s pressing questions. No, the baby weight Sophie had gained would not be gone in the morning. Yes, Owen’s head would round out soon and they’d definitely need a different way to tell the twins apart before that happened. And finally, yes, Molly would bring Sophie whatever she craved for lunch tomorrow and the next day.
Molly was touched and delighted she could be there for Sophie as a friend. And as a mom to a mom. She hadn’t realized how much she’d needed a friend until Brooke, Nichole and Sophie and their significant others had come into her life.
Her short time with Sophie and the twins had uplifted and restored her spirits. A reprieve she’d needed after Drew’s hearing and their confrontation. She barely shut Sophie’s hospital room door and her steps slowed. Her good mood dipped and dulled.
Drew stood no more than ten feet away, peering into the long wide window of the newborn nursery. And yet the distance seemed more like an uncrossable chasm. But she’d let the bridge burn after she’d turned her back on him in the courtroom. You don’t trust me, do you?
He hadn’t denied her claim. And she’d had to save her heart.
She’d purposely visited Sophie in the evening to avoid running into Drew. Her heart hadn’t been prepared for another confrontation. Now the only way to the elevators and the exit was straight past Drew. She’d have to possess stealth talents she didn’t have to get by him unnoticed.
Walking away in the courtroom that morning had been self-preservation. She’d discovered a vital piece of herself while facing off against Drew in the courtroom after the verdict. She supposed she should thank him.
Thanks to Drew, she’d realized how very tired, how exhausted she was from constantly defending herself. From continuously fighting to prove her worth and her value. To her ex and peers. And now to Drew.
She’d made the right decision at Drew’s hearing. She refused to apologize. Or explain herself. It wasn’t her responsibility to change his mind about her. Besides, changing his mind was only one piece. Changing his heart—well, he had to do that on his own too.
She tipped her chin up and gathered her broken heart. She’d deal with those jagged, uneven pieces later. When she was alone in the safety of her own home.
“Drew.” She stopped far from hand-holding reach or accidental brushes of shoulders. “I thought you’d be out celebrating.”
“I had other things to take care of.” He ran a hand through his hair. Uncertainty shifted through his gaze.
Things like apology gifts? He’d given Molly those before. Hope flickered. The tiniest spark. “I’m sure you had a productive day.”
“Quite. I’ll be in my new office at Capstone Keyes tomorrow. They made an offer and I accepted.” His voice was resigned, not excited.
That hope flared out. The spark faded. “That’s fast. Everything is falling into place for you.” Without me.
And those pieces of her heart shattered even more. The edges became even sharper.
“The partners at Capstone Keyes wanted me in my chair as soon as possible. They need me on several key cases.” He shook his head, a tiny twitch as if he couldn’t quite believe their invitation.
But Drew’s skill and talent as a prosecutor had never been in question. The partners at Capstone Keyes had hired him precisely for his legal mind. It was Molly who’d wanted something different from Drew. And it was Molly who was disappointed. It was Molly who hurt.
She searched his face. “You should be thrilled.” Do you miss us already too? Do you hurt too?
“I am. Really.” He shifted and touched the nursery window, but he didn’t sound convinced. “Having identical twin boys in the family will be great.”
Molly faced the window, sure that it was only her own wistfulness she saw reflected in the glass, not Drew’s. She had to stop looking for things in Drew that weren’t there. Yet she couldn’t seem to stop herself. What did that say about how hard she’d fallen? And would the fall be over soon—she could only hope.
She kept her focus on the twins and away from her heartache. For reasons she refused to consider, she lingered. “I hear there is a new Harrington family contest going on. Have you submitted your idea for the best way to tell the twins apart?”
“I went one step further.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out two bands. Colored paracord had been woven through black titanium links. One of the twin’s names was engraved on each bracelet. “Owen’s band is blue, silver and black. Evan’s band is red, silver and black.”
“Clever.” Thoughtful. Molly refused to be affected. That was the problem. Drew was a good guy. Just not a good guy for her. That ache pulsed and throbbed, seizing her heart.
Drew grinned and held up the bands. “The bracelets expand as the boys grow.”
Molly studied his face. He was the most animated she’d seen him all day. Even after his victory at his hearing, he hadn’t looked quite so satisfied. He’d been too occupied questioning Molly and her integrity. Her smile wavered and she forced her stiff words out. “Sophie will appreciate those a lot.”
The same as Molly would’ve appreciated his hug, not his accusations in the courtroom. Why couldn’t you trust me? Why couldn’t I be enough?
“Kyle Quinn is a good friend, and he wears one like this for a severe nut allergy.” His words rushed out like a child retelling the best part of a playground adventure. “I called Kyle, and he put me in touch with the jewelry store owner.”
“Friends like that are good to have.” Molly had friends now too. Ones she intended to keep in her life, despite her relationship with Drew. He could have his old life back. But she was going to treasure her new friends.
“Ava and Kyle return next week from England. Kyle’s sister is graduating with her PhD from Oxford this weekend.” Drew’s smile reached into his eyes.
“That’s impressive.” Even more was his obvious affection for his friends. She wanted some of the same for herself. But he didn’t trust her. It was hard, if not impossible, to build anything on that detail.
“Ava is expecting, but that’s now our secret.” He laughed and returned the bracelets to his pocket. “They’re really excited about growing their family.”
Family. That ache shook her knees. She’d considered making a family with Drew. Allowed her heart to imagine. But she’d known better than to trust her heart. She pressed her heels into the floor and braced herself. The fall was coming. Inside she fell apart, bit by bit. Piece by piece. How much more before she lost herself completely. She managed a small smile.
“Why am I telling you all this?” He paused and considered her. “You haven’t met Ava and Kyle yet.”
Yet. Yet implied she would meet Ava and Kyle.
Yet implied Drew considered a future with Molly in it.
Clearly, she hadn’t learned to set aside her hope yet. She stepped around Drew, forcing the quiver out of her voice. “It’s late. I need to get home to Hazel. You should visit Sophie before she falls asleep.”
“Good idea.” Drew turned toward her. His earlier animation dissolved. His voice quieted. “Molly. Will I... We should...”
“Night, Drew.” Molly cut him off. Unwilling to wait for his excuses. Unable to pretend any longer.
She rushed toward the elevators. Before that fall tripped her. Before the pain consumed her. Before she lost herself forever.
Inside the elevator, tears slipped free. Her breath caught and clogged her throat. Every part of her ached.
Three Makes a Family--A Clean Romance Page 20