by Amity Maree
Jenna knew by his strained tone of voice that Will meant the words. If she didn't talk to him, he was very likely going to take off his belt and use it. She was simply too sore to bear another spanking! "Will, dear, you are not going to be happy, but you need to hear me out completely. Will you do that? And will you remember that I love you...?"
Will felt a stab of fear. Jenna was seriously afraid to tell him what was going on and he wondered what kind of mess she'd involved herself in. There were so many criminals masquerading as businessmen these days, and it was entirely possible she was in over her head through no fault of her own! It was, however, a time to remain quiet and hear her out, and then he would fix the problem. "I'm listening, honey." He was going to take apart anyone who was responsible for upsetting his wife!
"The young woman I am defending is named Nadine Warner. Her husband is Craig Warner, and a very nice young man. He loves Nadine so much, and she loves him, too. She is completely innocent of these charges, Will," she spoke firmly.
"All right."
"When I met Nadine, something about her struck me as familiar. Will, Nadine is using her middle name now..." She watched as he slowly realized what she was trying to tell him. Emotions played across his face, but concern was the most prevalent.
"My Katy is in trouble?" he demanded, his entire body tensing. Even though he hadn't seen her since Cathy's funeral, he still loved her, and he would see to it she was protected.
"Yes, Will. But she is innocent, and I think I know who is trying to frame her. I was going to tell you everything once I cleared her name... I knew how upset you would be..." The look in his eyes was foreboding now, and Will was obviously very angry and trying to control his temper.
"Upset that she didn't call me and ask for my help? You are right about that, Mrs. Cole. Upset that you didn't tell me the minute you knew... Again, right! Upset that she is married to some jerk I've never even set eyes on? I'm going to paddle the daylights out of her!" he promised.
"You are being unreasonable, darling. She's a grown woman and old enough to choose her husband, with or without your approval."
"I'm still going to paddle her!" he exploded.
"Will, you can't do that. She's already too sore to sit down!" The words slipped unbidden from her mouth.
"What?" The shocked look on his face would be comical if the situation wasn't so darn serious. "Are you telling me that someone already spanked her?" Will didn't like that one little bit.
"Nadine is really upset over this case, darling, and Craig decided to snap her out of the pity part she was having for herself, and he took his hand and a ruler to her. And, please don't say anything! I was eavesdropping!"
"Jenna Suzanne!" Will was exasperated with her.
"I know... embarrassing. Craig's father caught me, and we hid in his office until it was over because we didn't want to embarrass Nadine. Craig loves her, Will. He's a fine young man. And, her father-in-law called me in because he believes her innocent. He wants the person caught."
"What do you have that clears Katy?" Will was all lawyer now, and Jenna sighed. There was no way he would leave this solely to her now. Reluctantly, she flipped on more light, and went through the highlights. Will was full of questions, and by the time they finally laid down to try and sleep, it was only a few hours before Jenna had to be at Warner Values Exemplified. Will had discussed strategy with her until he was convinced that Jenna knew precisely what she was doing.
Jenna didn't sleep well, and neither did Will. She reached for his hand and simply held it, wondering what he was thinking. He turned to her and she offered him comfort in the most elemental of ways. He showered first, and by the time she was finished in the bathroom, and dressed in her new business suit, he was dressed and holding her briefcase in his hand.
"Oh no! Will, you don't seriously expect to come with me?"
"Katy is my daughter. She needs to know that I believe in her, and yes, Jenna, I am coming with you. No arguments, now."
Jenna knew it was pointless to argue with Will. His mind was made up, and if she refused to ride with him, he would simply get the address and show up. He was tenacious. "Very well, but you had best remember whose case this is, Buster!" He gave her sore bottom a hard smack as she preceded him through the door.
They arrived early, and Frank Warner was in the outer office, looking for a file. "Good morning, Jenna." He greeted her with a friendly smile on his face.
"Mr. Warner, this is--" Jenna was cut off when the door opened and Nadine and Craig walked inside, hand in hand.
"Daddy!" Nadine whispered. "You're here?" She was shocked.
"I would have been here sooner if you'd called me, Katy," Will said, picking her up to hug her tightly.
"I wanted to call," she admitted, tears streaming down her face.
"Then why didn't you, sweetheart? I would have come right away."
"I was so awful to you, Daddy, and I was afraid you'd hang up on me if I called," she admitted. "And, even worse, I was afraid you'd think I was guilty!" Nadine was openly crying now, and Jenna had tears in her eyes, too.
"Your Mom and I raised you not to lie, and you would never do something like this," Will said with supreme confidence. "Jenna is going to prove you innocent and clear your name."
"How did you know to call Daddy, Jenna?" Katy Nadine asked curiously.
"Jenna is my wife, sweetheart. She recognized you from old photos. Now, then, suppose you introduce me to your husband? Jenna has said nice things about him," Will said with a smile, neatly turning the focus off of his marriage to hers.
Jenna was pleased when Will seemed to genuinely approve of Craig, and Frank Warner made no secret of the fact that he was delighted to have Nadine's father on her side as well.
"Nadine," Jenna asked for the younger woman's attention when it was obvious the other office workers were starting to arrive and were staring at all of them. "I think we need to speak privately now."
When both Will and Craig followed, Jenna shook her head, but gave up on the idea of a 'private' consultation with her client. They went into the same conference room Jenna used the day before. Jenna noticed that Nadine made no attempt to sit down, and she silently sympathized with her since sitting was something she was trying to avoid as well. Jenna pointedly ignored the two men and asked, "Nadine, what can you tell me about Megan Marshall?"
"Megan?" Nadine seemed surprised. "She seems fairly competent at her job. I don't know her outside the office, but she is usually pleasant enough if I need to work with her. Why?"
Jenna handed her some papers, and watched Nadine's eyes widen as she read. "Craig, it was Megan!" she whispered. "Look, honey. Look at this!" She pointed to different parts of the page. Then she looked at Jenna to ask, "Are you sure about this, Jenna? Is it possible she was framed, too? I don't want to point the finger at someone and put them through the hell I've been living unless we are certain...?"
"What more proof do you need, baby? I'm going to fire her ass right now!" Craig declared, turning to head for the door.
Will stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "Don't be so hasty, son. Let's let Jenna do what she does best, and get an admission of guilt first. Then we'll have an arrest and Katy's name will be cleared."
Craig slowly nodded, and then said, "All right, but I really want to wring that bitch's neck!"
"Understandable," Will nodded. "I feel exactly the same way." He looked at Jenna. "Where do you want us, honey?"
The next few hours were busy and eventful. Jenna skillfully wrung a confession from Megan Marshall, an attractive woman a few years older than Katy Nadine, and once the woman started talking, she couldn't seem to stop, even though Jenna did warn her she had a right to counsel. Megan had secret hopes that Craig would show an interest in her, and when he married Nadine, Megan was crushed. She methodically set about seeking revenge on the other woman, deciding that if she was out of the picture, Craig would turn to her. It didn't once cross her mind that both Craig and his father would believe
in Nadine's innocence. The police were called, and Megan was arrested. Warner Values Exemplified would still have to settle with the wronged company, but Frank was elated that his daughter-in-law was cleared.
"I would like a few moments alone with my daughter," Will announced politely, but in a voice that told everyone he was used to being obeyed. "Would you all mind giving us some privacy to talk?"
Craig looked to his wife, willing to offer her his protection if she needed it, but she nodded and motioned with her pretty eyes for him to do as her Father requested. "Dad, Jenna, we can go to my office," he said.
Jenna gave Will a look that spoke volumes, and his response was to raise one eyebrow meaningfully, which meant, "Butt out!" just as clearly as if he spoke the words aloud. She exited the room ahead of the two men, but her consternation was clearly written all over her face.
"They need to make peace, Jenna," Frank said comfortingly. "Don't worry now; I'm sure Nadine is ready to do some placating and Will is ready to do some forgiving. This moment is long overdue."
"You're right, Dad," Craig agreed. "I can't help but worry, though. Right now Jenna needs comfort and not scolding."
"Will is her father, son. Give him a chance to make this right," Frank warned. "He is here, isn't he, and that shows where his heart is."
"I agree, Dad. It is good of him to come and support Nadine." Craig nodded. "Jenna, when this all started, I asked Nadine if she wanted to call her Father, and she refused. I didn't have a clue who her father was, just that they were estranged. She wouldn't discuss it with me."
"Will wouldn't discuss it, either. I tried to get him to contact Nadine last Christmas, and he flat out refused."
"It would seem that our Nadine is much like her father," Frank said with a chuckle.
"Jenna, thank you for proving my wife innocent. I know you were doing your job, but it was personal for us, and I'm thankful you believed in Nadine and looked further. To tell the truth, Megan Marshall is the last person I would have suspected. I didn't have a clue that she had a romantic interest in me. I certainly never gave her any encouragement along those lines; I didn't even take her to a business lunch!" he insisted.
"Nadine will believe you, Craig," Frank told his son. "Don't worry about that."
"She'd better believe me!"
Frank just chuckled, and then started discussing settlement strategy with Jenna. He felt it best to keep his son's mind on something other than what was going on with his wife and her father.
In the conference room, Katy Nadine was looking at her parent warily. Her father was a strict and stern man, but usually fair. At the moment she was still trying to get used to the idea that he was actually here, and here to support her. "Daddy, I'm so sorry I was such a horrid brat when Mom died." She made herself speak the words that she needed to say; words that she should have spoken years ago.
"It was a huge mistake to keep the truth from you, sweetheart, but your Mom didn't want your last year of high school ruined. She was determined to get well, beat the cancer, and she fought so hard. She wanted you to have a wonderful senior year, and she wanted you to go on to college. I did my best to support her decision. Naturally you were shocked by what seemed so sudden."
"I felt like such a selfish brat when I realized how much she hid her symptoms from me. I was only concerned with myself," she admitted.
"You were a kid and that is what kids do," Will said with complete understanding. "Your Mom didn't want you to worry about her. She didn't want you to miss out on all the dances, the parties, and everything that was so important to you then."
"And then I blamed you," she whispered, tears in her eyes.
"You were hurting, and so was I. I didn't handle it well, sweetheart. I am so sorry for not coming after you right away and making you sit down and listen to me. We wasted precious time we can't get back," he stated. "I am terribly sorry, and if your Mom was here, she'd be mad at both of us," he said with a grin.
"Yes, she would!"
I think we need to start over now and forgive each other and move forward."
"I would like that." She nodded in agreement.
"I don't know how else to say this, Katy, so I'm going to be blunt. I will always carry your Mother in my heart; I loved her. But, Jenna is my wife now, and I do love her. I expect you to give her a chance. She is one very special woman."
"I expect the same of you with Craig!" Katy Nadine said just as emphatically.
"He seems like a good man. He loves you," Will stated, smiling at her.
"And Jenna loves you, too. She worked so hard to defend me because she knew I was your daughter; even though she'd never met me before. That alone tells me what a wonderful person she is."
"She is a brilliant lawyer, too," he agreed.
"Does she have children?"
"No. This is her first marriage, and neither of us anticipate having children. She loves her career, and she's worked hard to earn her position in the law firm she partners in."
"I haven't told Craig yet, Daddy, but I am carrying our first child," she said with a watery smile. "I would love it if you would be a Granddad to him or her."
"I would love that, too, sweetheart!" Will hugged her tightly, amazed she would tell him before she told her husband. "You make sure you tell Craig tonight. You two have a lot to celebrate... No drinking, however," he added firmly.
Katy Nadine laughed. "I promise, Daddy. No drinking."
"I am going to expect you and Craig to come and spend a weekend with Jenna and me very soon. We have a lot of catching up to do."
"And you will have to come up here, too. Our home isn't fancy, but it is nice, and we do have a guest room. Craig is fantastic on the grill, and I make a good salad," she said happily.
"We'll plan something very soon, sweetheart." He pulled her close and simply enjoyed hugging her. "Katy, you and I will butt heads sometimes. Your Mom isn't here to step in and stop that, but I want you to learn one thing from this experience... I will always come when you need me. You are my little girl, and I will always love you unconditionally."
* * *
"I really don't feel like driving home today, Will," Jenna said with a pout as they drove back to the hotel. "I'd like to stay one more night and drive home tomorrow." After she soaked in a hot tub a couple of times, and used something to take away the soreness of her backside.
"Jenna, you are going to follow me home just as soon as we get packed up. We have a serious matter to discuss when we get home, and I can guarantee you would rather be home than here and have to drive home tomorrow when sitting is going to be even more of a problem than it is now."
"What? Why? I haven't done anything!" She was clearly shocked.
"You knew it was Katy you were defending and you withheld that from me."
"I didn't know how you would react, and I needed to be able to concentrate on her case. I didn't want you fussing and butting in and making things more difficult."
"I had every right to know, Jenna. I want you to think about that while we are on our way home. I'm going to punish you for what I consider disloyalty."
"No!"
"It won't do any good to argue with me, Jenna. I am seriously upset with you for not telling me the minute you knew the truth."
"You can't have it both ways, Buster! I asked you about Katy several times, and each time you clammed up and said it wasn't up for discussion. And now you're all pissed off because I didn't bring her up to you again? Forget it. I was not disloyal; I defended her, didn't I?" She turned her back to him, afraid she was going to cry! "Sometimes you are so arrogant it is unbelievable."
"How would you feel if the situation were reversed?" Will demanded.
"If the situation were reversed, I wouldn't have been so damned pigheaded in the first place, William Cole! You are the one who made it clear you didn't wish to discuss Katy with me, and you have yourself to thank for the fact I wasn't comfortable coming to you immediately."
Will shook his head. "You have a way of twis
ting things to suit yourself, Jenna." He looked at her small bag and asked, "Are you ready to leave?"
"Yes, I am ready to leave."
"Good. We'll discuss this at home." Since Jenna had already checked out electronically there was no need to stop at the front desk. Their cars were brought around, and Will put her in her car with orders to stay close. Jenna didn't say a word and followed Will to the Interstate. When he turned on the ramp that led the way home, she went on by and turned in the opposite direction on another ramp. By the time Will realized she wasn't behind him, Jenna was on her way somewhere he wasn't.
When her cell phone rang, Jenna answered. "I'm not coming home, Will. I think we need some time apart to reconsider this marriage." She hung up, and then turned off her phone.
Will was angry. By the time he got off the highway and turned around, she was so far ahead of him, he couldn't catch up. He was positive of one thing, when he found his wife, he was going to paddle her butt until she couldn't sit comfortably for a month!
Chapter Six
Will was nearly out of his mind three days later when he tried Jenna's cell phone for the umpteenth time. Instead of going to voice mail as it had countless times, his wife actually answered. "Jenna, where are you?" he asked, thankful to know she was alive.
"I'm almost home, Will. I should be there in another thirty minutes. Will you be there?" she wanted to know.
"Yes."
"Please put on some coffee. I've been on the road since three AM, and I need a cup of the good stuff."
"I will. Jenna...?"
"Yes...?"
"I love you," he said hoarsely, his voice full of emotion.
"I love you to desperation, William Cole," she breathed the words. "We'll talk when I get home. Don't forget the coffee, please."
Will wasn't surprised to realize his hands were shaking as he shut off the telephone and placed it back on the charger. He hadn't slept much the last three days, and he felt it physically. He carefully measured out coffee and started a pot. He needed a cup as much as Jenna did. He also turned on the oven and took some muffin dough out of the freezer and put the little squares into a greased tin to bake. They should come out about the time Jenna arrived. His stomach was too nervous to handle anything more than that at the moment. He put two small plates on the table and got out the mugs they normally used. The sayings on them were cute and only served to strengthen his resolve to work through this crisis in their marriage.