by Linda Warren
Lucas leaned back, realizing that Sam needed to talk.
“When Blair was beaten up, I couldn’t stand to look at her. I went into the bathroom and cried my heart out. But Ava didn’t. She sat by her bed, holding her hand, talking to her. I was filled with a murderous rage—I couldn’t take it. I guess that’s why Blake told Ava first instead of me.”
“Told her what?” Lucas asked, although he already knew. He was giving Sam a springboard.
“That he was there the night Bonnie Davis was murdered. He told his mother because he was afraid of my temper. When I heard, I wanted to strangle my own son, but Ava has a calming effect on me. She always has. After my anger subsided, my goal was to keep Blake safe. Blair was struggling to live and I was desperate not to lose both my children.” He took a breath. “Howard says I don’t love my kids, but everything I’ve done, I’ve done because I love them. I got Blake out of the country as fast as I could. I wasn’t certain what kind of evidence Holt had on the second boy, and I couldn’t take any chances. Then Ava and I spent all our time with our daughter, hoping and praying she’d make it.”
Sam returned to his chair, staring down at the floor. “She survived, but it wasn’t easy. She has a lot of inner strength—like Ava. But we lost our beautiful, lively teenage daughter that night. She used to laugh and dance around the house, but I haven’t heard her laugh or seen her dance in years. These days, she’s content to put criminals behind bars. That’s her whole life, and Howard says it’s my fault. Howard says everything is my fault.” He groaned. “I’m so afraid Ava believes him.”
“Have you asked her?” Lucas inquired. Sam was wrestling with a lot of turbulent emotions, but most of all he was trying to keep his family intact. Lucas couldn’t fault him for that.
“Yes, and she says she loves me and doesn’t blame me for anything, but she thinks that Howard hung the moon and she listens to him. My kids do, too.”
Lucas wasn’t quite sure how he got caught in the middle of the Logan family disputes, but he knew one thing. “Pay attention to your wife, Sam,” he said confidently. “Howard’s a good man and he won’t do anything to hurt his sister or his niece or nephew.”
Sam dragged both hands over his face. “God, I’m so tired of hearing that Howard’s a good man. I just wish he’d stay the hell out of my life.”
Lucas recognized those words for what they were—jealousy. He’d been feeling some of that himself.
The silence stretched.
“Good Lord,” Sam finally said. “How did I get so completely sidetracked?”
Lucas shrugged. “You needed to talk.”
“My family’s doing a lot of that these days. Blair and Blake talked all weekend. It was good seeing them together again. Blair seemed different though. I couldn’t put my finger on it. Ava couldn’t, either. We thought she’d be so upset about Lloyd Easton’s threats, but she’s holding up very well.”
Lucas felt a moment of relief. Those were the words he wanted to hear. Blair was doing fine—and she hadn’t spent the weekend with Roger.
Sam looked up. “Hell, I almost forgot why I came in here. I wanted to thank you for helping her the other day.”
Lucas blew out a long breath. “No problem.”
“And I wanted to apologize for my inexcusable behavior.”
Lucas picked up a pencil and studied it. He didn’t have a pat answer this time. He couldn’t condone what Sam had done. It was inexcusable and, as always, Lucas had to speak his mind.
Before he could say a word, Sam spoke up. “I can see you’re having a problem with it, too. Blair gave me an earful over the weekend. I wish I could explain my reaction in rational terms, but I can’t. There’s just so much history between Blake and me. When he was small I had so many dreams, so many hopes for him, and I pushed him and drove him until—” he raised his hands “—until he rebelled. That was my fault—Howard’s right. I can see that now. I expected too much from my son, and I wasn’t willing to settle for anything less. When he said he’d given the DNA willingly, I lost it…again. I promised Ava I wouldn’t, but I did. It’s hard to change years of bad habits, but I’m trying. For my kids, I have to keep trying.”
Lucas felt sorry for him. Life had dealt Sam a difficult blow. But they had to find some common ground, all of them, to survive the months ahead.
“I can’t excuse your behavior, but I know you love your son. You have to curb your temper, especially in front of him. He needs encouragement, not ridicule. When he walks into that courtroom, I want him to have a deep sense of remorse and a deep sense of family support.”
“He will,” Sam assured him, then asked, “Have you come up with a defense strategy?”
“Not yet,” Lucas answered. He definitely had an idea, but he wasn’t ready to talk about it.
“Blair said she asked you to take my case.”
Lucas twisted the pencil, feeling a catch in his throat at the mention of Blair. “Yes, she did.”
“I told her Derek would do fine, but she insists you’d do a better job.”
So it was Blair’s idea, not Sam’s. She was putting too much faith in him and he wished it didn’t make him feel so good.
“I want you to concentrate totally on Blake’s case,” Sam was saying. “My hearing will come later, and I’ll worry about it then. If I lose my license, so be it. It’s a small price to pay for my son’s freedom.”
Lucas glanced at him. “You’d be content to lose your license?”
“Hell, no,” Sam growled. “But I want my son free. I want him out of this mess.”
“I’ll do everything I can to make that happen,” Lucas promised.
“I know you will. That’s why I was so determined to get you on our side.”
“It’s early yet, so let’s take this one step at a time,” Lucas told him. “There’ll be plenty of twists and turns before this is over, but if you want me to represent you, I’d be glad to.”
“I don’t think I have any choice,” Sam smiled. “My daughter would have a fit if I retained anyone else.”
The door suddenly opened and Blair stepped in. Lucas felt muscles, traitorous muscles, tighten in response. God, she looked wonderful. She wore navy-blue slacks and a short-sleeved navy jacket that came to her waist. The jacket was open and he saw a blue-and-white-striped navy T-shirt was underneath. Her hair hung loose around her shoulders, and she seemed different, just as Sam had said. Staring at her, he knew what it was. Her jacket wasn’t buttoned up to her throat and her hair wasn’t screwed into a tight knot. She wasn’t hiding her femininity the way she had in the past. She was slowly letting go of the fear. Was that possible? he wondered. Considering everything she was facing, could she really continue this process of healing? Could she maintain control of all those overwhelming anxieties, those fears? He didn’t know, but he hoped so. God, he sure hoped so.
“Am I interrupting?” she asked courteously. “Joan said I could come in.”
Sam stood up and hugged her. “No, sweetie, you’re not interrupting. I’ve got to go, anyway,” he said. “Will you be here a while?”
“I’m not sure. Why?” She’d been restless all morning, wanting to see Lucas. It was clear he wasn’t going to seek her out, so she’d taken the initiative and decided to see him.
“I need to check on some things at the office and I was hoping you’d give Blake a ride home when he’s through.”
“Sure, go ahead,” she said, grateful for the excuse her father had just provided.
As Sam left, Lucas wondered why they didn’t let Blake find his own way home. They were treating him like a ten-year-old. Then it occurred to him that they were keeping tabs on Blake because they feared he might flee the country if they left him alone. Lucas had been acquainted with him only a short while, but he knew Blake wasn’t going anywhere—that was why he’d staked his career on it.
Blair took her father’s seat and stared at Lucas. He wore a dark gray shirt with his sleeves rolled up to the elbows. His tie was undone and he
looked as if he’d been working for some time. His hair practically stood on end from all the times he’d raked his hand through it. But his eyes were warm and doing funny things to her insides. She felt a thump in her chest, and a strange feeling gripped her stomach.
“Did you have a good weekend?” she asked in a rush, needing to say something.
“I worked all weekend,” was his quick reply.
“You didn’t go out with Jennifer Walker?” She bit her tongue, wanting to snatch the words back, but suddenly she had to know.
“I’m not seeing Jennifer anymore,” he said, and waited for her reaction.
“Oh,” she murmured. She had no idea what else to say. She felt like a fool…a happy, embarrassed fool.
As he watched the color fluctuate in her cheeks, he felt elated. She was curious about the women in his life. That meant she recognized that something was happening between them. She obviously wasn’t ready to talk about it, though, so he wouldn’t. But he couldn’t take his eyes from her face, the pink in her cheeks, the glow in her eyes, and…
Lucas stood up. He had to. Blair was gazing at him with those gorgeous eyes and didn’t even realize what that look was doing to him. He walked around the desk and leaned against it.
“Does Blake have a driver’s license?” he asked, forcing his thoughts in another direction.
She didn’t mind the quick change of subject; in fact, she was grateful. “Yes,” she answered slowly.
“Then why don’t you let him drive himself around Houston? He’ll be here a while.”
“Because it’s different driving here than it is in London. He’s not used to it.”
Lucas raised an eyebrow. “Blair.”
“What?”
“Tell me the truth.”
“That is the truth.”
He folded his arms across his chest. “The truth is you and Sam are dogging his every move because you’re afraid he’ll flee the country.”
She gasped. “That’s not…not…” she sputtered, unable to finish the sentence because in her heart she knew he was right. Unconsciously, they were all keeping an eye on Blake, unsure of what he was going to do—unwilling to trust him. Until that moment, she’d believed that she did, that she trusted him fully, and it was a blow to realize that a small part of her was waiting for the old Blake to emerge and disappoint them once again. But Lucas believed in her brother, trusted him, had even put his career on the line for him. That degree of faith was unheard of, but it showed her the kind of man Lucas was and her heart swelled with so many new emotions.
She brushed hair away from her face. “I didn’t even realize we were doing that.”
He understood that. He also understood it was natural for her to protect Blake. She’d been doing it all her life. “Give him some freedom, that’s all he needs. Freedom to find himself.”
A smile spread across her face. A smile blinding in its intensity, warmth, and oh God, its need—a need that was echoed in the tightening of his loins.
“Lucas Culver, I have misjudged you so badly.”
He grinned and walked around to his chair and sat down, desperately needing to put some distance between them. He was good at controlling his emotions, but around her they were running riot.
“All the women say that,” he countered flippantly.
“They don’t, either. They’re all crazy about you.”
And you, Blair. How do you feel?
Of course, the words never left his mouth. He was already so involved he could hardly breathe, let alone concentrate. Any encouragement from her and he’d be lost.
“Rumors, that’s all,” he said in the same flippant tone. “And now, Ms. Logan, if you’re through disturbing me, I’ve got a lot of work to do on your brother’s behalf.”
The way he said disturbing made her feel warm all over and she knew he meant it in a very nice way. She walked to his desk. “Let me help, please.”
She stood so close he could smell the delicate fragrance of her perfume and he knew he couldn’t have her around. She was too big a distraction.
“Blair,” he sighed.
“But I can help,” she pleaded. “I won’t interfere and I’ll do exactly what you tell me.”
That conjured up many other images in his head, none of which had anything to do with Blake’s trial. Despite all his admonishments, he couldn’t say no to her. The sad fact was that he’d never be able to say no to her. She had him wrapped around her little finger and she hadn’t even noticed.
“Okay.” He gave in gracefully. “There’s a pile of stuff from the first trial. Frank’s handling it, but you can help him. I need something that will corroborate Blake’s story.”
“I can do that,” she said brightly.
“Blair…” He hesitated.
“What?”
“Some of it’s gruesome. I just want you to be prepared.” She’d be seeing pictures of the crime scene and what Todd Easton had done to Bonnie Davis. On second thought, this probably wasn’t such a good idea.
“I can cope,” she said strongly. “I’ve dealt with heinous crimes before.”
“But this is Todd Easton we’re talking about,” he reminded her, and he saw her fighting to win the battle of fear.
“I can do this, Lucas,” she stated again. “I need to do this…for Blake. For myself.”
He still hesitated.
She didn’t give him time to reconsider. “I’ll get with Frank and talk to you later.”
“Blair?”
She turned, her hand on the doorknob.
“Be careful.”
She lifted an eyebrow. “I’m always careful.” She guessed he was referring to the harassment.
“You know what I mean.”
She shifted her purse strap onto her shoulder. “I know exactly what you mean, but don’t worry. I have a friend who takes very good care of me.”
Who the hell was that? Roger, of course.
Jealousy ripped through him again. He hated it but knew the situation was only going to get worse unless he did something about it. He had to stay away from Blair. How did he do that? He’d just agreed to let her work with him. He’d see her every day, hear her voice, her… Okay, he could do this. He wasn’t an overeager teenager with raging hormones. But he sure felt like one.
Later, Lucas thought. Later he’d feel differently. He always did. Later he’d be able to walk away. He always did.
Later he’d still be lying to himself.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
THE NEXT COUPLE OF WEEKS passed quickly. Carl filed a motion to have Blake certified as an adult, as Lucas knew he would. Lucas met with Carl and managed to get the rape charge reduced to attempted rape because only Todd Easton’s semen had been found on Bonnie Davis. The grand jury met and Carl got the indictment he wanted. Lucas was waiting for a trial date and he was hoping for an early one; the Logan family needed some relief. Everyone was working very hard to secure Blake’s freedom. Lucas was surprised that Sam stayed out of his way, letting him handle things. Even Blair stuck to her word. He saw her every day, but just in passing. She was busy with Frank, and he was busy building a defense.
Lucas had thought it would be hard seeing so much of her but, in fact, it was easy. He knew where she was and he knew she was safe. Roger hadn’t turned up anything on Raye or Easton, and things seemed to be settling down.
Jim Tenney stopped by his office to talk about the Raye sentencing. He and Jim had gone to law school together and they had remained friends. Jim’s wife, Stacey, and Lucas had been more than friends. Years ago Stacey had been ready for marriage and family, but Lucas wasn’t. Looking back, Lucas could see they’d made the right decision in parting company. Jim and Stacey were happy and now had two children. And he…he was still searching for the perfect woman.
Jim didn’t look good and Lucas questioned his friend’s judgment in going back to work so soon after the surgery, but he didn’t say anything. Jim could take care of his own business and he was sure Stacey was keeping
a close eye on him.
BLAIR MADE A TRIP to the D.A.’s offices to discuss the Raye sentencing with Gwen, the A.D.A. who’d taken over Blair’s caseload. It felt strange—a little disorienting—to be in the building where she’d spent so much time the past six years. She knew why. She was now an outsider, but everyone treated her cordially, especially Gwen. They’d been friends for a long time and Blair was sure that wouldn’t change.
They went over the case and Blair didn’t push for the death penalty. She now understood that there were two sides to every story. Hector Raye was a victim of gangs and violence, and killing him would serve no purpose. She tried not to let external forces influence her decision. Besides, it really wasn’t her decision. The jury would have the final say.
As she left the building, she realized it would be her last visit. She felt a moment of sadness for all the years she’d fought for justice wearing blinders. Things were so different now and she wondered if she would ever look at justice in the same way again.
RAYE HAD HIS SENTENCING and got life without parole. Jim Tenney called Lucas and said Hector took it relatively well. Lucas still felt Raye had nothing to do with harassing Blair. Jim agreed.
Roger was keeping an eye on Easton, which was a relief to Lucas. Roger and Blair he didn’t think about. He didn’t have time to wallow in those destructive emotions. Besides, Blair was just as consumed as he was with the trial.
The frustrating part was the reporters. They staked out his home, his office, the Logan house, each desperate to get a story. But he wasn’t ready to talk to the press, so they hounded him constantly.
He took the Fourth of July weekend off and went to see Jacob and the family. It was what he needed—the serenity and support of his loved ones. He played with the kids, teased Miranda and talked with Jacob, but Blair occupied his thoughts. He couldn’t wait to get home, and that shocked him. In the past, whenever he’d left the ranch, he’d felt sad and harbored ideas of moving to Austin. But now all he felt was an eagerness to see Blair.