by Linda Warren
The judge gave final instructions to the jury and they retired to make their decision. Everyone stood.
Blake hugged Lucas, wiping away a tear. “Thanks, Lucas. You did everything you could. Now it’s up to the jury.”
Derek shook his hand. “Awesome job.”
Howard gave him a thumbs-up and Sam and Ava added their thanks. Lucas noticed Howard waving to someone in the back, and he turned to see Jacob strolling down the aisle. The sight of him washed away all Lucas’s tension, and they embraced.
No one had to tell Blair who the stranger was. She knew. It was Jacob. Lucas’s brother. They had the same dark hair and eyes and build, except that Jacob had a few pounds on Lucas. There was strength and character in every line of Jacob’s handsome face, and she had to admit he was definitely a striking man. But he didn’t have Lucas’s devastating smile, which had reached the coldest part of her heart and warmed her in ways she’d never thought possible. In her eyes, Jacob was nice but he wasn’t Lucas.
“What are you doing here?” Lucas asked Jacob.
“Thought I’d come and add my support,” Jacob answered in his deep voice. “Glad I didn’t miss that closing. Sure made me proud, little brother.”
That was all Lucas needed to hear. Jacob’s praise made him feel ten feet tall and he needed to feel like that at this particular moment.
Howard came up and introduced Jacob to everyone. When he introduced Blair, Jacob said, “Nice to meet you, ma’am.”
“Me, too,” she answered politely, and glanced at Lucas. Jacob glanced at him, too, and Lucas knew they were waiting for him to say something. But for once the words stuck in his throat.
Sam broke the silence. “Let’s go over to my office and wait. Ava’s ordered refreshments. This could be a long day.”
“No, thanks,” Lucas said. “I haven’t seen Jacob in a while and I’d like to talk with him.” His eyes caught Blair’s, and he could see that she was hurt. Damn, he couldn’t explain why he was acting like such an ass. His emotions were tied into such knots that he found it difficult to assimilate what he was doing at times. That didn’t explain it and sure as hell didn’t make it right.
Blair’s heart sank. She’d been holding her breath, and at Lucas’s open rejection she knew all her hopes were in vain. Lucas might laugh easily, but he didn’t forgive easily. That thought weighed her down, but she couldn’t let it affect her visibly. Not now… But it would later when she had nothing except her heartache to keep her company.
“WHERE’S MIRANDA and the kids?” Lucas asked when they reached his office.
Jacob took the chair across from Lucas, stretching his long legs out in front of him. “They’re home,” he replied. “Lizzie’s got a cold and Gracie’s coming down with it, so Miranda didn’t want to take them out.”
Lucas rubbed his forehead. “I miss them.”
“The trial’s just about over, so you can come for a long visit.”
Lucas nodded. “Yeah, I plan on doing that.”
There was silence for a moment, then Jacob said, “She’s very beautiful.”
Lucas merely frowned.
“Don’t give me that look. You know who I’m talking about, and she wanted to spend this time with you, but you blew her off—” he snapped his fingers “—just like that.”
“I didn’t,” Lucas lied. He was now lying to himself. A man who believed in the truth was lying to himself.
Jacob watched him closely. “What the hell’s going on with you?”
“Nothing,” Lucas said, and got up and walked to the window.
“Well, little brother, you can tell that to some people, but you can’t tell it to me.”
Silence ensued.
“God, you’re not still upset that she didn’t tell you immediately about Ava’s secret?”
“It’s not that.” Lucas turned from the window, a tortured look in his eyes. “It’s my own reactions. I hurt her and I keep hurting her. I swore I’d never do that, but I can’t seem to help myself.”
“Can’t you see what you’re doing?”
“If I could, I wouldn’t be going through this.”
“Every time a relationship gets serious, you start finding fault. She’s too loud, she’s too bossy, she’s too talkative and on and on. I’ve lost track of all the excuses. The truth is that you’re afraid of getting hurt, and you know Blair has the power to hurt you more than you ever imagined. So you’re pushing her away—just like Mom did Dad.”
Lucas’s head jerked up. “What are you talking about?”
Jacob saw the fire in Lucas’s eyes and knew this conversation was long overdue. “When Mom found out about the heart problem, she had a hard time dealing with it. Dad tried to tell her it didn’t matter, that they could still have a full life.” Jacob paused, the next words difficult. “She didn’t want to be touched anymore. She didn’t want sex. She kept pushing him away. That’s when she started joining all those clubs—having other interests—anything to keep her away from home when Dad was there. I’d shoved it all to the back of my mind until Miranda made me talk about it. You know how Miranda is about talking. I finally remembered the many arguments and what they were about.”
Lucas didn’t say anything. He couldn’t.
Jacob continued to watch him. “I know you think you’re a lot like Dad. In some ways you are. In others, you’re not. Dad wasn’t a bad person. If you remember, he was always there for us. I don’t condone what he did. Turning to other women wasn’t the answer, but I’m not sure what I’d do if Miranda didn’t want me to touch her anymore. I’d like to think I’d have the guts to give her time and to work it out somehow. You and I both condemned Dad for the way he died. The shame and disgrace got to us and got to Mom, too. She couldn’t stand what she’d driven him to.”
Lucas felt himself pale. Scenes from the past flashed through his mind. Arguments in the middle of the night. Words like “I’m tired” or “I don’t want to. Why do you keep pressuring me?” or “I don’t feel good. Why can’t you understand?” Then he could hear the back door slamming, and the screech of tires. His mom crying herself to sleep.
He sank into his chair as if his legs couldn’t support him anymore. He drew both hands down his face in a weary gesture. The truth was there at the edge of his brain, but he didn’t want to let it in. He’d hated his father for so long and it was easier to hate him than to believe that his mother wasn’t perfect. The truth—he had to admit the truth.
“He hurt her, but she hurt him, too,” he uttered in a low incredulous tone. There—he’d admitted it to himself and to Jacob.
“I know it’s hard for you to accept that Mom wasn’t perfect,” Jacob said, “but none of us are—not even Blair.”
Lucas raised his head and sucked air into his lungs. “That’s the hard part. I don’t know if she’ll ever forgive me.”
“Sure she will,” Jacob was quick to say. “If Mom and Dad had been able to talk, maybe things would’ve been different.”
“Why haven’t you told me this before?”
Jacob shrugged. “I guess it’s because I have a rough time saying anything negative about Mom. It was so much easier blaming Dad, but the fact is she drove him away and his Culver pride wouldn’t allow him to bend.”
“God, Jacob,” he said, resting his head against his chair. “I’ve blamed and hated him for so long. For years I’ve fought to be nothing like him.”
“I know,” Jacob said. “I hated Dad for a long time myself, but we can’t let the past keep hurting us. And we need to learn from the past. You have to talk to Blair, sort this out.”
Lucas knew that. He’d known it for days, but his pride was holding him back. His Culver pride. She had hurt him and he had hurt her, so he was pushing her away to make sure it didn’t happen again. He was afraid of the pain. Jacob was right, but then, Jacob was always right. He wouldn’t tell him that, though. But he intended to talk to Blair as soon as the verdict came in. Oh God, the verdict. For a moment it had slipped his mind.
“How in hell did we get on this subject at a time like this?” Lucas asked in a teasing tone.
“It was your hangdog expression,” Jacob told him.
“What?”
“You’ve got it bad, little brother. I mean bad, and I couldn’t let you—”
There was a tap at the door and Joan walked in. “Lucas, the jury’s back,” she said.
“What!” Lucas’s skin turned gray. “They can’t be.” He looked at his watch. “It’s only been an hour and a half. They’ve barely had time to sit down and discuss it.”
“Sorry, Lucas.” Joan grimaced. “I just got the call. They’re back.”
Lucas dragged a hand through his hair. “This isn’t good. It’s too soon. Much too soon.” He shook his head. “I put everything I had into this trial and it wasn’t enough… Now Blake will…and Blair…”
“Lucas.” Jacob tried to reassure him. “It’s not always bad. It sounds like everyone had their minds made up before they went into the jury room.”
“Yeah,” Lucas admitted, straightening his hair. “Let’s get over to the courthouse. I can’t take much more of this.”
SAM, AVA, HOWARD and the other lawyers were waiting in the corridor. Natalie, Calvin and Tiffany were there, too. Lucas noticed that Blake and Blair were standing to one side talking. It seemed as if Blair was trying to bolster his courage.
“Sorry, Lucas, this doesn’t look good,” Derek murmured.
Howard patted him on the back and didn’t say a word. Lucas expected Sam to go into a tirade about the defense, but he merely nodded, saying, “Ava and I are prepared.”
“We can always appeal,” Frank put in.
“No, we won’t,” Blair announced as she walked up with Blake. “We won’t have to because we’re going to win this thing.”
“Darling—” Sam turned to her, but she refused to let him continue.
“No, I don’t want to hear it.”
Tears stung the back of Lucas’s eyes. Her faith in him was almost his undoing. He had hurt her and she still believed in him—in his ability to win this case—and he knew she was trying to convince Blake of that. Everyone was behind him, but it didn’t mean a thing compared to her faith in him. What a fool he’d been.
They made their way into the courtroom and Lucas wanted to talk to Blair so badly, he couldn’t stand it. But once again this wasn’t the time. She gave him a tentative smile and that would sustain him—for now.
Court was called to order and the jurors filed into their seats. Lucas watched their faces, but he couldn’t gauge what they were thinking or feeling. They were somber, staring at the judge. His tension grew. Glancing over, he saw that Blake was petrified.
There was nothing to do now except wait.
Carl wore a smug expression, and Lucas knew he was expecting a conviction. And he also knew that Evan Holt was hovering somewhere in the background. They thought they had this one in the bag, but it wouldn’t be over till the foreman spoke.
“Have you reached a unanimous verdict?” the judge was asking, and Lucas brought his total concentration to the proceedings.
“Yes, we have,” the foreman answered, and handed a piece of paper to the bailiff. The bailiff took it to the judge who looked at it briefly, then the bailiff took it back to the foreman.
The room became deadly quiet as they waited for the judge to speak. “Will the defendant please rise.”
Blake got to his feet with Lucas and Derek beside him. Lucas could feel him trembling.
“On the first count of the indictment—murder in the first degree. How do you find?” The judge’s words rang out and Blair held her breath until her lungs hurt and everything in her strained to hear the next words.
“We find the defendant—not guilty.”
There was absolute, total silence for a second as the words registered. Then happy murmurs and excited whispers. Ava started to cry and Blair bit her lip to keep her emotions in check.
Not guilty. Not guilty. Not guilty. It ran through Lucas’s mind and he couldn’t stop the smile that spread across his face. The jurors had listened and believed him. This was almost more than his heart could take.
Blake slumped into his chair and buried his face into his hands. Ava and Blair whispered something to him.
“Counselor, get your client to his feet,” Judge Seton called. “We’re not through.”
Lucas and Derek helped Blake stand.
“On the second count of the indictment—attempted rape. How do you find?” the judge asked.
“We find the defendant—not guilty.”
Cries of joy and jubilation rang out, and reporters rushed from the room to file their stories. Court came to a close and everyone was hugging and kissing and smiling. A sense of exhilaration prevailed. Lucas stood somewhere between joy and shock.
Blair hurried over and threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. His lips met hers with all the emotions he was feeling—shock, joy, satisfaction and desire. He wrapped his arms around her and drew her tight against him, needing her touch more than he’d needed anything in his life. The courtroom—the world—faded away as they renewed a bond that had been damaged but now felt as strong as ever.
Blair wanted this moment to go on forever, but she knew they had to wait—to talk, to sort through what they were feeling. Slowly she stepped back and smiled into his darkened eyes. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Those weren’t the words Lucas wanted to hear, but they would do for now. Blair moved toward her brother to embrace him.
“It’s over, Blair,” he muttered. “Thank God it’s over.”
Suddenly the noise ceased as Mrs. Davis and her husband walked in their direction. Lucas didn’t know what to expect so he stepped slightly in front of Blake, as did Blair. Then he saw Mrs. Davis’s eyes—they were filled with so much pain and heartache that Lucas moved away. Whatever Mrs. Davis had to say, she had a right to be heard and he could see that Blair had acknowledged it, too. But she held on to Blake’s arm to let him know she was there.
Mrs. Davis gazed directly into Blake’s eyes. “I’ve waited sixteen years to hear the truth and I finally heard it in this courtroom. Thank you for trying to help my daughter.”
Blake swallowed. “I wish I could have, Mrs. Davis. I really do.”
Mrs. Davis didn’t answer. She turned to Lucas. “When this trial started, I hated you. I’d heard of your reputation and I knew you’d try to get Sam Logan’s son off…but now…now I have to thank you. You’ve set me free, too, and now maybe I can sleep at nights.”
Lucas was touched by her words. Bonnie’s parents had suffered so much and endured yet another painful trial. He was grateful he’d given them this closure and shook their hands warmly.
As the couple walked away, Evan came through a side door. Blair knew something was up because Evan wouldn’t be here otherwise. He nodded and spoke to Sam. “This must be your lucky day,” he said.
“What do you mean?” Sam asked.
“In light of the new evidence, I’m dropping the charges against you.”
Blair was stunned. Everyone was. Evan didn’t do something like this unless…unless he knew he couldn’t win.
“Thanks,” was all Sam could say.
“I could prosecute you, Mrs. Logan.” He looked sternly at Ava. “But I believe that would be a waste of my time and the taxpayers’ money.”
That was it, Blair thought. Evan knew Lucas could get the charges dropped against her father now that her mother had confessed. But Evan wanted to display the fact that he was in charge. Blair didn’t mind because she knew he could’ve brought some charges against her mother and made them stick. She was very appreciative of his generosity.
“Thank you, Evan,” she said sincerely.
He nodded, spared Lucas a glance and walked away.
Silence lingered for a moment, then Ava spoke up. “This is such wonderful news. We have to celebrate—our house, tonight. Everyone’s invited. You, too, Jacob.”
&nb
sp; “Thanks, ma’am,” Jacob replied politely. “But I’ve got to get back to my family.”
Ava’s gaze swung to Lucas. “But you’ll be there?”
Lucas glanced at Blair. “Yes, I’ll be there.”
Blair smiled and whispered, “Tonight,” as she walked past him. If she’d ever doubted the existence of miracles, she didn’t anymore. She saw the future in Lucas’s eyes and her heart sang with renewed hope. She couldn’t believe she’d gone from the depths of despair to this euphoric state in such a short time. And she vowed to herself that she’d make this a night to remember.
Pure joy reverberated through Lucas and he couldn’t stop smiling. But that smile vanished when Roger walked into the room.
“Congratulations,” he said, staring at Blair. “I heard everything worked out.”
“Yes,” Blair said. “Isn’t it wonderful?”
“Hey, Jacob.” The two men shook hands. “Damn, it’s good to see you.”
“How’s it going?” Jacob asked.
“Can’t complain, and I’ve got more news.” His gaze settled on Blair.
“What?” Blair asked, knowing this must have something to do with the harassment.
“Easton had a nervous breakdown. That’s why he wasn’t in court today. I found out he wasn’t out of town when your door was spray-painted, so I stopped by his house and discovered a can of spray paint in his car. I’m on my way over to talk to his wife at the psychiatric unit and I’m hoping she’ll tell me everything.”
“Oh, Roger.” Blair hugged him, and Lucas glanced away. “Thank you. Now all of this is finally over.”
“Yeah, it’s over,” Roger said, and Lucas caught his eye. Lucas didn’t believe him although he didn’t know why. It probably had a lot to do with the fact that he had his hands on Blair.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
LUCAS SAID his goodbyes to Jacob, finished up at his office and headed home. He showered and put on his black suit and tie. He was feeling good about himself again—and about the future. It had been a long, rigorous trial and tonight he was going to celebrate with Blair. They were going to talk and talk until they’d talked everything out and then…he couldn’t allow himself to think beyond that.