“I can tell.” Molly already felt the difference Gina made in her life and Gina had only been officially on Molly’s payroll for less than a week. Not only had Gina not forgotten her legal background, she also brought an impressive level of customer service to the office. Her confidence and cool levelheadedness reminded Molly to remain the same, despite the onslaught of decisions and details coming at her.
Her eyes blurred. The document open on her laptop screen went completely out of focus. Molly snapped her laptop closed and rubbed her eyes. “I can’t decide on a logo.”
“We’ll look over the options later on Thursday.” Gina checked a calendar she’d tacked temporarily to the wall. “Narrow it down to your top three. Then make suggested changes to those and submit our feedback to the freelance designer.”
“That works.” Molly pressed her palms on the closed laptop. “He sent more than two dozen options and I want to change something on every single design.”
Gina peeked out the floor-to-ceiling window in the reception area and grinned. “The furniture is here.”
Molly had chosen to keep things minimal and only have a few vintage-inspired pieces for the office. Simple but elegant and, importantly, affordable. The coordinating file cabinets, bookcases and other accents continued the theme and brought a sense of charm to the historic space.
* * *
THE FURNITURE FINALLY in place, Molly sat in one of the twin ivory-and-gray-striped wingback armchairs reserved for clients. Molly’s gaze skipped from the reception area to the round table in the small conference room. The glass walls dividing the rooms kept the entire first floor feeling open and airy. It was an office Molly wanted to return to. It was her office. Her practice to run.
Pride and pleasure washed through her, dousing any twinge of uncertainty or worry. “It’s coming together rather well.”
“It’s a vision realized.” Gina dropped into the armchair beside her.
“There’s a certain satisfaction in that.” Perhaps she wasn’t completely satisfied with her life, but she was making strides in the right direction. That direction was forward. Not backward. She had a future to plan, not a past to miss.
“We should have an open house. Bring in a caterer. Welcome ourselves to the neighborhood.” Gina drummed her fingers on the arms of her chair in an upbeat rhythm that matched the enthusiasm in her voice. “Invite local business owners and your peers.”
But not Drew. The one peer Molly wanted there. The one man she wanted but couldn’t have. “Maybe we should wait until later.”
“You mean until after the Cory Vinson appeal hearing.” Gina reached over and touched Molly’s arm. “I’m not scared, Molly. For the first time in years, I’m not afraid and I have you to thank for it.”
“Me?” Molly shook her head. “You were the one who testified. Shared your story and continue to share it.”
“More people are coming forward with evidence against Cory.” Gina tipped her head back and sighed. “I’m not alone.”
No, Gina was not alone. Molly was not alone either. And yet there was a loneliness that twisted through her chest as if intent on revealing every empty space inside her.
Gina continued, “I didn’t realize I wasn’t alone until you presented me with that choice and gave me the courage to speak out.”
“I gave you a double macchiato and strawberry lemon scones.” Molly lifted her voice into a tease, but then turned serious. “You always had the courage inside you, Gina, don’t ever forget that.”
“Well, you gave me a job that I am inspired to do. I can look forward again.” Gina aimed a half smile at Molly. “I love my family’s restaurant. But being a waitress wasn’t my passion.”
The buzzer chimed, announcing another arrival. Gina rose and hit the button to open the door on the street level. “That should be the electricians. I’m looking forward to the cameras, so we know who’s really downstairs.”
Brad and his team would be installing those later in the week. He wouldn’t allow Molly to have anything other than the finest in security equipment installed at no charge. She would find a way to pay Brad back, even if it was in babysitting hours.
Molly stood. “Hazel’s nanny has an early class this evening, so I’m heading home to relieve Rebekah. However, Hazel and I can come back here.”
“I’ve got this. Stay at home with Hazel.” Gina typed on her phone, then grinned at Molly. “Your ride will be here in eight minutes. A white mini-SUV.”
Gina was turning out to be as strong-willed as Molly. Molly appreciated her even more. “You’ll call me if anything comes up.”
“If you promise to enjoy Hazel and not worry about anything here.” Gina opened the office door for the electrician. He carried in a ladder and left to retrieve more tools.
“I’ll try.” Molly slipped her laptop into her briefcase.
“I’ll call after the telecom technicians finish.” Gina walked over to her desk and sat. “It’ll be the first call from McKinney Legal Solutions.”
Molly left Gina organizing her desk and the reception space, went outside and scanned the street for a white mini-SUV. Her ride-share car arrived exactly on time. Things were falling into place.
Molly knew where she belonged. Right in this community. On her own. Doing things her way for a change. She had Drew to thank for that really. He’d accepted her just as she was, and she’d discovered a power inside herself. A strength she hadn’t known was there.
Molly, like Gina, had had a choice to make. She could own her decisions and her life as a mother and a lawyer. She knew now she possessed the courage to be the best in both roles. Not perfect, but the best she could be.
The car pulled to the curb outside Brooke and Dan’s house. She thanked the driver and got out.
Rebekah and Hazel were in the backyard on a blanket, surrounded by Nala and her puppies. Wesley and Ben played basketball. Brooke waved and carried a snack tray for the boys to the table near the firepit. Rebekah greeted Molly with a warm hug, then the nanny blew a series of air kisses to Hazel, waved to the others and rushed out the side gate to get to her evening college class.
Molly kicked off her heels, dropped onto the blanket and kissed Hazel’s cheek.
“I have serious nanny envy.” Brooke sat down across from Molly, stretched out her legs and settled a sleeping puppy on her lap. “If I have a baby, I’m stealing Rebekah. You’ve been warned.”
Molly laughed. “Are you having a baby?”
“Dan and I are talking.” Brooke blushed and fiddled with the puppy’s ear. “And I guess we’re trying.”
“It should be fun, right?” Molly teased. She waggled her eyebrows up and down, earning a giggle from both Hazel and Brooke. “The trying part that is.”
Brooke pressed her fingers against her cheeks and her blush faded. “I’ll be okay if it doesn’t happen. I love my family as is.”
Molly spotted the longing in Brooke’s gaze. Brooke wanted a baby. Molly wanted that for her friend. “It’s okay not to be okay too.” Like Molly. She wasn’t entirely okay still; she was slowly learning to accept that.
“I’ll let you know when I’m not okay.” Brooke set another puppy on her lap.
“And I’ll be right here if you need me.” Nala stretched out lazily against Molly’s leg, but her gaze remained on her puppies and Hazel. Every giggle or squeal from Hazel and Nala lifted her head and ears to check on the little girl. Molly appreciated the support.
Brooke brushed her fingers over the solid black puppy. Only her ear and tail were white as if they’d been dipped in a paint can. “I’m here for you too. If you ever want to talk about things.”
“You want to know about Drew and me.” Why I’m not okay. Molly buried her hand in Nala’s soft fur. But her feelings were harder to bury. Maybe it was Brooke and her quiet compassion that drew the feelings from Molly.
“I don’t w
ant to pry.” Brooke looked at Molly, confusion and disappointment on her face. “It’s just that you two were good together. Drew was happy like we haven’t seen him in years. We were all talking about it.”
Molly had been happy too. Really happy. For the first time in a long while. “I thought we were good together. I was wrong.”
“Or Drew was scared.” Brooke frowned.
“I gave him my word not to involve Gina in the trial. There was evidence enough for Van’s conviction to be overturned. That left only Drew’s situation and no other way to get the right outcome.” Molly handed Hazel her teether. Hazel pressed her tiny toes into one of the puppies sleeping near her feet and grinned. One flex into the soft fur and a grin. Then she’d release and purse her mouth. Flex again. Smile again. Why weren’t all relationships as simple as that? “Trust is nonnegotiable.”
“Love is nonnegotiable,” Brooke argued. “The rest can be worked out if the love is there.”
Love. Molly considered Drew her best friend. Her confidant. She liked him. Admired him. And missed him with a depth that made her hurt all over. But love?
“You do love Drew.” Brooke searched Molly’s face. “I’ve seen you two together. It’s obvious in the sideways glances. The casual touches. The way you turn to each other first. Dan and I are the same.”
Was that love? Real, true love? Molly pressed her hands together. Her palms were damp. Her body was twitchy. “He’s like my best friend.”
“You can fall for your best friend.” Brooke smiled as if she were ready and willing to step over any roadblock Molly put up.
“We’re both lawyers.” Molly tossed out another challenge. That twitchy sensation spread inside her. “Work relationships aren’t wise.”
“Tell me three things your ex and Drew have in common.” Brooke arched an eyebrow as if she were about to knock over the next roadblock.
“They’re both lawyers.” Molly held up one finger and pictured both Derrick and Drew in her mind.
Derrick was an only child, profit-driven and shunned public affection to preserve his image. Drew was family-oriented, justice-driven and held Molly like he never wanted to let her go. That twitch softened into a shiver and a long sigh.
Molly put her hand down. “That’s all I got. They’re lawyers.”
“Then that’s it. You haven’t fallen for another Derrick.” Brooke nudged her tennis shoe against Molly’s bare foot. “You fell for Drew. It can’t be like last time. They aren’t the same man.”
Molly chewed on her lower lip. Hope swirled inside her. But logic overruled her heart. “But you risk losing your friendship.”
“But if you risk and fail, will you be worse off than you are right now?” Brooke pressed.
Right now, Molly did not even have Drew as a friend. But that ache still throbbed inside her like a loss she might never recover from. She set her palm over her heart. “I have a broken heart.”
Brooke grabbed Molly’s other hand, understanding in her gaze. “You have to tell Drew how you really feel about him.”
“I’m terrified,” she whispered. Her pulse raced.
Brooke squeezed her fingers. “That’s when you know it’s real.”
She shivered. Broke out in a sweat. Swallowed a shout. And her heart swelled, bumping aside her resistance and all her reasons not to fall in love. It was too late. She’d already fallen. So much joy. So much terror. Even more wonder.
She loved Drew. Loved him. It was more than real. It was everything.
Now she had another choice. Tell Drew she loved him or keep silent and lock her feelings away?
The choice was simple.
Finding the courage? Well, that was a different matter.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
DREW SMOOTHED HIS hand over his tie and pressed his palm against his stomach. Beside him, Brad gave him two thumbs-up. Dan and Brooke offered the same silent encouragement.
His mother stepped forward and kissed his cheek. “You’ve rehearsed what you’re going to say?”
Drew nodded. He’d been awake most of the night rewriting, revising and finally rehearsing every single word.
“Then it’s time.” His father opened the door to Judge Martina Reilly’s courtroom and squeezed Drew’s shoulder. “Good luck, son.”
Drew accepted his dad’s luck, his friends’ support and entered the courtroom. It was smaller without a jury box and more informal than the trial courtrooms he earned his living in. The walls had the familiar wood paneling that carried over to Judge Reilly’s bench and the witness stand. Twin tables waited in front of the bench. A remote video screen had been placed on one table.
Molly sat at the other table. Her eye-popping red power suit had been traded in for a calm, elegant dark blue one. She’d wrapped a silk green and blue scarf around her neck. The bold colors captured her courage and her confidence.
Drew went up to her and touched her shoulder. “Molly.”
“Drew?” Molly rose from her chair and cast a sideways glance at Judge Reilly already seated at her bench and sorting through paperwork. “What are you doing here?”
Judge Reilly tapped her microphone. “I’d like to know who this is and his purpose for interrupting my time.”
“Character witness, Your Honor,” Drew said. “For Molly McKinney.”
Judge Reilly shifted her gaze to Molly as if seeking her approval.
Molly cleared her throat. “Your Honor, this is Drew Harrington. I’d like to call him as a character witness.”
“Very well.” Judge Reilly waved her hand. “If you’re ready, Mr. Harrington, the court will hear your statement.”
“Your Honor, do you mind if I stand?” Drew asked. “I’m used to doing that in the courtroom.”
Judge Reilley lifted her eyebrows in a challenge. “Fine.”
Drew clasped his hands behind his back and started to recite his statement. Then he realized one key point. This was the most important statement he’d ever give. He had one chance to get his words right. One chance to be perfect.
He paused and then spoke, not from a written statement full of cold logic and facts, but rather from his heart. “Your Honor, I can speak to Ms. McKinney’s skill as a parent. Her mastery at scheduling feedings, naps and playtime into a full day as seamlessly as she balances work and life responsibilities from filing court documents to grocery shopping. And her strict adherence to a daily routine for her daughter’s well-being. As well as her ability to successfully manage both her career and her role as a parent with grace, humility and humor. Her daughter, Hazel, should be the number one witness here. She’s a happy, healthy baby being well cared for.” Drew paced in front of Judge Reilly’s bench, stopped and turned to set his focus on Molly. “But I’d rather talk about Ms. McKinney’s devotion and loyalty to Hazel via another channel, through those she loves.”
Molly straightened in her chair. Her gaze remained locked on Drew’s.
His words came easy and freely. “Ms. McKinney is a woman who sets aside her own fears and her own desires to rescue others, whether it’s a mother dog and her five puppies or a disillusioned lawyer with his career on the line. Ms. McKinney does what’s right even if it costs her something in the end. There’s no better testament that could be made for a person and a parent.”
Molly’s bottom lip quivered. Her chin tipped up.
“That’s the hallmark of the best sort of person. Even more, it’s the requirement for the best sort of parent. The parent who will put their child first. Be a great role model. Talk and listen. Establish a foundation on love and respect. A foundation that allows that child to become the best person he or she can be. Parenting is about raising good people.”
Molly brushed at her eyes.
She’d made Drew a better person. Every day he’d been with her. And he wanted very much to be considered a good person. He continued, “Most of all, the
best kind of parent builds a home for their child. A home like the one Ms. McKinney has built for her daughter. It’s not about the size or the decor, it’s about the strength and the love that fills a home. It’s about heart and Ms. McKinney has that kind of heart.”
Silence filled the courtroom. All he could do was stare at Molly and hope that she’d accepted his apology. He believed in her and trusted her. He moved to open his briefcase and from it pulled out several pieces of paper. “Your Honor, I also have a quality of character letter to submit, if I may approach the bench?”
Judge Reilly motioned him forward. Drew smiled at the older woman. “There are more character witnesses outside. Mayor Harrington is there, as are Brooke and Dan Sawyer, Ms. McKinney’s landlords. Evelyn Davenport, a family friend. Brad Harrington. Chase and Nichole Jacobs. And—”
Judge Reilly held up her hand and looked over her glasses at Drew. “Chase Jacobs is outside my chambers?”
“Yes, Your Honor.” Drew pointed to the back of the courtroom. “I can get him if you’d like to hear from him.”
“No, no. Mr. Jacobs can please remain outside until this session has concluded. I happen to have a grandson though who is a very big Pioneers fan. And I may have to ask him for a favor.” Judge Reilly accepted the paperwork from Drew and looked it over. “You’ve written quite a lengthy character letter, Mr. Harrington.”
“Those are not all from me.” Drew smiled and stepped away from the bench. “You’ll find character references from the people I’ve mentioned and several others.”
“Well done, Mr. Harrington.” Judge Reilly slipped the paperwork into the folder and shifted her attention to the video screen. “Mr. Donovan, apart from the letters from a pediatrician and babysitter you intend to hire, do you have any character witnesses you wish to call on your behalf?”
“I do not, Your Honor,” Derrick said.
Drew bent and picked up his briefcase from the floor near Molly’s table. As he did so, he leaned in and kissed a surprised and stunned Molly. He hoped it said everything left unsaid inside of him.
Three Makes a Family--A Clean Romance Page 22