Cole gave himself a mental shake.
This time the man who approached him was a reporter. “Frank Hast, Atlanta Weekly. How do you respond to the accusation that you’re using your half brother as a pawn to get your hands on the Henderson fortune?”
Cole stared at the man, wondering what would happen if he simply slammed him into a wall.
“I don’t,” he said instead and began walking away.
The reporter paced alongside. “Then what do you say to reports that you’re using a relationship with Amber Welsley to undermine Roth Calvin?”
The word relationship stopped Cole in his tracks. He almost rose to the bait, but he checked himself just in time. “Roth Calvin needs to worry about the facts, not about anything I have to say.”
“What is your relationship with Amber Welsley?”
“Ms. Welsley is the guardian of my half brother.”
“For the moment.”
Cole began walking again.
“One more question, Mr. Henderson.”
“I have to get back to court.”
“But—”
Cole lengthened his stride.
The man hustled to catch up. “Do you agree that Roth Calvin was wrong to put profit before passengers’ lives?”
Cole was tempted to answer that one, but he held his tongue and kept going. He was saving his arguments for the judge. The reporter finally gave up.
Luca was on the steps of the courthouse as Cole approached. He quickly spotted Cole and came forward to meet him.
“You okay?” he asked, glancing around as if gauging their distance from possible eavesdroppers.
“Not really.”
Luca nodded his understanding. “Destiny was looking for you.”
“I needed some air.”
“Yeah.”
Their conversation ended, but Cole’s mind was clicking its way through information and options.
“Have you given any thought to what happens after?” he asked Luca.
“If you lose?”
“If I win.”
Luca cocked his head. “No. And honestly, I don’t think that’s what you need to worry about right now.”
“Maybe not,” Cole allowed. They were a very long way from winning. But Kevin Kent had gotten him thinking.
“You’re the underdog,” said Luca.
Cole blew out a breath, telling himself to focus. “What did Destiny want?”
“To talk strategy.”
“Are we changing it?” Cole didn’t think that was a bad idea.
They had hoped Cole’s blood connection to Zachary would be their trump card, since the courts overwhelmingly sided with family. But Roth’s attack on Cole’s motivations and character had clearly turned the tide against them.
“She wants to demonstrate that Roth’s sole interest in Zachary is his stake in Coast Eagle.”
“So far, he’s the one doing that to me.”
“He’s never spent any time with Zachary.”
“Neither had I until last week.” Cole knew he was sounding pessimistic. But he was feeling pessimistic.
Luca glanced at his watch. “She thinks it’s the best bet.”
Cole didn’t think it was a huge strength. But they were running out of time and out of options. “I wish I had something better.”
“So do I,” said Luca. “We have to go back.”
“And after?” asked Cole.
“Don’t think about it.”
“I have to think about it.”
“Let’s get through today. Whatever happens, we’ll face it tomorrow.”
Cole gave a reluctant nod. The best thing he could do for Zachary was to remain focused for the rest of the afternoon. If they got a decision today, whichever way it went, they’d start working through their next options in the morning.
* * *
Though the courtroom was packed, it was surprisingly quiet. From the third row, Amber focused on Cole’s posture. His shoulders were tense, his body completely still as Roth’s lawyer gave his summation.
“Samuel Henderson made his final wishes clear,” the man’s voice boomed with authority. “He named Roth Calvin as his son and heir’s legal guardian. Samuel Henderson has known Roth Calvin for over a decade. He has put his trust in Roth Calvin.” He made a half turn and pointed to Cole. “Nobody, not this man or anybody else, has the right to undermine Samuel Henderson’s wishes on such an important, intimate and fundamental decision of who would raise his son in the event of his death. There is no ambiguity here, Your Honor.”
As his voice thundered on, Amber’s heart thudded harder. Sweat broke out on her palms. This was hopeless.
They were going to lose.
She was absolutely positive they were going to lose.
The room seemed suddenly hot, and her stomach churned with nausea. She rose from her seat. She could feel Luca watching her as she rushed to the back of the gallery, bursting through the double doors and heading for the ladies’ room.
The length of the lobby felt endless, but finally she made it into the cool quiet of the restroom. She gripped the counter, staring at her reflection in the mirror, tears stinging her eyes as she willed her stomach to calm down. She didn’t have time to fall apart.
“Think,” she ordered herself. “Think!”
The marble counter was cold and hard, and her hands started to ache from the pressure of her grip. She ran through every wild and crazy solution, including grabbing Zachary and making a run for it.
Then, in a rush, it came to her fully formed. It was crazy. And it was a gamble, a huge gamble that might very well backfire on her. But at least it was something.
She let go of the counter and retrieved her cell phone from her purse. Then she pressed the speed-dial button for the penthouse.
It was silent, then it clicked, then silence again.
“Come on, come on, come on.”
Roth’s lawyer was probably finishing up, and there was only so much Destiny had to say.
Finally, the call rang through.
“Welsley-Henderson residence.”
“Isabel?”
“Amber? Did they—”
“No. Not yet. But I need you to do something for me. And I need you to do it right now. It’s important, and you have to hurry.”
“Certainly, ma’am.”
“Bring Zachary to the courthouse.”
“He’s asleep.”
“I don’t care. Wake him up. Don’t stop to change him or to feed him. Tell the driver to go as fast as humanly possible. I’ll meet you out front.”
“But—”
“Just do it. There’s not a second to waste.”
“Okay,” said Isabel. “Yes. I will.”
Amber shut off her phone and tucked it away. She took a final, bracing breath, staring back at her reflection. This might be the stupidest move she’d ever pulled. But she didn’t see any other possible hope. If she didn’t do something, they’d lose.
She settled her purse strap on her shoulder. Then she left the restroom and made her way back across the big foyer. Her footfalls echoed against the high ceiling and the marble pillars. Sunlight streamed through a wall of glass above the main doors.
It was far too early to go outside to meet Isabel, but she was too jumpy to sit back down in the gallery. She stopped outside the courtroom. She cautiously cracked the door open and saw Destiny come to her feet. All she could hope was that Destiny had a lot to rebut.
She let the door swing shut again and began pacing in the opposite direction. She took a curved staircase to the second floor, walked the perimeter, then took the staircase back down again. She wandered through a side hallway and found an ancillary exit. She took it and walked the three blocks around the complex to the front courthouse stairs.
There she stood, telling herself it was still too early to expect Isabel and Zachary, but scrutinizing every dark sedan that came into view from the south.
She checked her watch. Fifteen minutes had passed.<
br />
“Come on, Isabel.”
Another five minutes, maybe three minutes, and she’d let herself call Isabel’s cell.
And then she spotted the dark blue sedan with Harrison at the wheel. She rushed to the curb, meeting it as it came to a stop, grabbing the back passenger-side handle.
It was locked. Her hand snapped away, and she had to steady herself.
“Ms. Welsley?” Harrison called, rising to look at her over the top of the car.
“Unlock,” she called. “I have to hurry.”
“Of course, ma’am.”
The lock clicked, and Amber pulled open the door. She went to work on the car seat harness, tugging it free, releasing Zachary’s arms and legs.
He blinked up at her, sleepy, puzzled.
“Is something wrong?” asked Isabel.
“I’m in a rush,” Amber answered, pulling Zachary against her shoulder and stepping back. “They’re almost finished.”
She turned.
“The diaper bag,” Isabel called after her.
“No time,” Amber tossed over her shoulder, running up the stairs.
Zachary whimpered in her ear.
She didn’t blame him. Poor little thing, dragged unceremoniously out of his bed, probably tired and hungry, likely with a very wet diaper.
“I’m sorry, sweetheart,” she whispered in his ear. “But I have to try. I have to try.”
She pulled open the door, still at a jog as she crossed the far-too-large foyer.
Zachary’s whimpers become more insistent as she swung open the courtroom door.
Destiny was on her feet, back to the gallery, talking to the judge. “The precedent Chamber versus Hathaway clearly applies and clearly demonstrates...”
Amber’s footsteps slowed as she experienced a rush of unadulterated fear. Was this stupid? Was she making a mistake? But then she focused on the back of Cole’s head and forced herself to move forward.
Zachary started to squirm in her arms. His whimpers were turning into whines.
Luca stared at her as she passed the third row. But she ignored him. She ignored the stares of the spectators, and even the curious brow raise from the judge. She moved rudely in front of three people in the front row.
“Cole,” she hissed. “Cole?”
He turned, and his expression faltered. “What’s wrong?”
At the sound of Cole’s voice, Zachary instantly swung around. He howled and lunged for him. As Cole had done a dozen times, he neatly reached out and caught Zachary in his arms.
Destiny turned, and then everything focused on the commotion.
“Order,” called the judge, banging his gavel.
Zachary’s arms wrapped tight around Cole’s neck, and he buried his sobbing face against the crook of Cole’s neck.
Destiny moved toward the pair. “Your Honor, this is Zachary Henderson.”
The judge peered over the top of his glasses. “I will not allow this hearing to turn into a circus.”
But Zachary’s sobs were already subsiding, his little body relaxing against Cole’s chest.
Roth’s lawyer came to his feet. “Objection, Your Honor.”
The judge swung his attention to the defendant’s table. “What grounds are you going to choose?”
“The plaintiff is not permitted to use props.”
“Props?” asked Destiny, with exactly the right note of surprise and censure in her tone.
“Props,” the man repeated. “The plaintiff clearly believes that holding Zachary Henderson will make him look to the court like the more capable guardian.”
“Mr. Henderson is the more capable guardian.” Destiny nudged Cole. “However, if Mr. Calvin would rather hold the prop himself, we have no objection.” She looked hard at Cole.
Cole was quick to pick up on the message, walking straight over to Roth to offer Zachary.
Roth jumped to his feet.
“Here you go,” said Cole, holding the soggy Zachary out toward him.
As Roth recoiled, Zachary shrieked in obvious terror, reaching desperately for Cole.
“No?” Cole said to Roth.
He pulled poor Zachary back against his chest.
Zachary clung there, breaths shuddering in and out while murmurs came up all across the courtroom.
Destiny jumped back in. “In the interest of peace and order, I’d suggest we let Mr. Henderson hold his brother.”
The other lawyer glared at her.
The judge banged his gavel.
Destiny turned to Amber. “Give me your phone. Quick.”
Amber scrambled for her phone, handing it over to Destiny.
Cole sat down, and Zachary went mercifully quiet.
“Excuse me, miss?” A woman whispered behind Amber.
Amber turned to find the woman had scooted down to make room on the bench. She patted the spot.
Amber smiled her thanks and sat down.
Nobody seemed certain of what to do next, but Destiny spoke right up, talking while she glanced up and down from the tiny screen on Amber’s phone. “Since arriving in Atlanta,” she spoke loud and clearly to the judge, “Mr. Henderson has forged a special and intimate bond with his brother.”
“Objection,” said the other lawyer. “Their purported relationship is no more than hearsay. And it’s his half brother.”
Destiny glanced meaningfully down at Zachary cuddled up to Cole, obviously letting everyone make up their own mind about the relationship between the two.
“I’ll rephrase,” she said. “Since arriving in Atlanta, Mr. Henderson has spent a great deal of time with his baby half brother. This includes babysitting, feeding, bathing, diapering, playing with him and many hours of cuddling Zachary. In fact, Mr. Henderson spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with his half brother.”
She took three paces to a small computer table. “I’d like to introduce into evidence some photographs.” She swiftly plugged a cord into Amber’s phone.
Amber couldn’t help but smile.
Immediately, the picture of Cole and Zachary under the Christmas tree came up. Zachary looked adoringly up at Cole as he grasped Cole’s nose, grinning. The expression on Cole’s face was tender and loving.
“Objection,” said Roth’s lawyer.
As Destiny turned to acknowledge the lawyer’s request, she obviously pressed a button on the phone. A candid shot came up, Zachary and Cole romping with Otis. It was even better than the first.
“On what grounds?” asked the judge.
“The plaintiff is clearly using these photos as a tool of manipulation. They’re staged.”
“They’re family Christmas photos,” said the judge. “Since Christmas Day took place last week, I have no reason to doubt the voracity of the photographs.”
Destiny immediately brought up the next photo. It was Cole holding Zachary wrapped in a fluffy towel. The baby was clearly fresh from the bath, and gazed happily into Cole’s eyes.
Amber’s heart warmed at the memory.
“As these pictures will attest—and we can certainly add witness testimony as well—with the exception of providing advice to Coast Eagle airlines in order to save passenger lives, Mr. Henderson has spent virtually every day with his half brother since arriving in Atlanta.”
“Objection,” Roth’s lawyer repeated. “This isn’t a contest to see who can rack up more baby hours.”
Destiny countered, “This hearing is to establish who is the most appropriate guardian for Zachary. Time spent with the baby is absolutely relevant to that question.”
“Ms. Welsley has obviously inappropriately used her temporary guardianship over Zachary to undermine my client’s—”
“Ms. Welsley’s conduct is not at issue.”
Cole came to his feet. “May I speak, Your Honor?”
The gallery’s attention swung to Cole, and both lawyers turned, as well.
The judge considered the question for a long moment.
“Yes,” he said. “I think it would be valuable t
o hear from Mr. Henderson.”
Destiny withdrew toward the plaintiff’s table, clearly yielding the floor to Cole.
Zachary was quiet on Cole’s shoulder, gently fingering his gray-and-red tie.
Cole took a deep breath before beginning. “To be perfectly candid, I have to say that when I read Samuel Henderson had died, I wasn’t sorry. I didn’t feel much of anything. All I knew about the man was that he’d broken my mother’s heart. At that point, I wanted nothing to do with any of the Hendersons.”
Cole shifted a couple of steps sideways to come out from behind the table. “As I’ve already stated, I didn’t know about the will. And even if I had, I wouldn’t have cared about it. I have a growing, thriving business of my own.”
He absently rubbed Zachary’s back. “When I finally did come to Atlanta, it was incognito and with the sole purpose of ensuring Zachary would be properly cared for. But from the first moment I met him, my brother insisted I pay attention to him.”
Cole smiled fondly down at Zachary. “I don’t know whether it was the sound of my voice, the smell of my skin or that I looked something like our father. But from that point on, this little guy has done everything in his power to tell me that he needs me, that it’s my responsibility to take care of him, to protect him and to love him. He may not be able to talk, but he’s made his desire clear.”
Amber’s chest went tight, and her throat closed over.
There was a catch in Cole’s voice. “And he is right. He’s so very right. No matter what you decide here today, Your Honor, Zachary is my brother. He will always be my brother. He will always need me, and I will always be responsible for his welfare. Not because I have to be, or should be, but because I love him, and I will fight with every breath in my body to keep him safe.”
Cole went silent. If a pin had dropped in the courtroom, it would have echoed.
He stood a moment longer, then he sat down and placed a kiss on the top of Zachary’s head.
Zachary tipped his chin and grinned up at him, gently patting the side of Cole’s cheek. “Gak baw. Gak. Gak.”
Amber nearly burst into tears.
“I agree, partner,” Cole whispered softly. “I agree.”
Everybody looked to the judge.
Even Roth’s lawyer seemed dazed.
Destiny put her hand on Cole’s shoulder.
The judge cleared his throat. “I find...” He paused, adjusting his collar, then rearranging a few sheets of paper in front of him.
The Missing Heir Page 17