At the opposing counsel’s table voices rose in anger. Billy’s face turned red. “What does that mean?”
The judge cleared her throat. “Let me explain it to you, Mr. Adams. You can have the children you claim to want, but you won’t get your hands on their money.”
Billy stood and faced the bench. “That’s not fair. How am I gonna take care of them? Provide food, clothes, a roof over their heads?” he protested.
“Get a job, Mr. Adams,” Judge Kellerman said.
“But, that’s not enough to pay for everything. I need the money.”
He kept talking, digging himself in deeper as his lawyer tried unsuccessfully to get him to sit down.
The judge yanked off her glasses and stared at him. “Mr. Adams, Grady O’Connor has been a rancher and father at the same time he’s worked for the sheriff’s department for almost ten years now. I’m sure he’d be willing to talk you through it.”
Billy leaned over to listen to something his counsel was saying. “It’s not cheap raising kids these days. And I have to give those two kids my time. The money would help me out…”
“Well, you’re not going to get it, Mr. Adams.” Judge Kellerman shook her head slightly. “I agree with Miss Stevens. It’s a fair and equitable compromise. You can have the children, but Sheriff O’Connor will maintain his sound handling of their estate.”
Billy’s benevolent-uncle expression disappeared. His eyes turned hard and his face contorted with rage as he met Grady’s gaze. He glared at the judge as his hands clenched into fists. “Forget it. I don’t want those two brats. This is a rip-off and you’re all in on it. I’m outta here.”
He walked through the swinging doors separating counsel tables from the spectator chairs. Grady turned to watch the show. Satisfaction eased through him as he saw Deputies Haines and Johnson blocking Billy’s way. Jack was sitting there, too, a wide grin on his face as he nodded.
Phoebe tapped her uniform pocket. “Mr. Adams, I have a warrant for your arrest.”
“What’s going on, Grady?” Jen looked down at him, the same shock in her expression that laced her voice.
This was where he had to do some fast talking, he thought.
“You can’t do this to me.” Billy tried to get past the deputies, but Haines grabbed one arm and forcefully pulled it up behind his back, cuffing the wrist. He easily caught the other arm and subdued him to be Mirandized. “I haven’t done anything,” Billy protested.
“Yeah. And I’m the queen of England.” Phoebe glared at the suspect. “You have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. If you can’t afford an attorney—”
“He can’t afford this one. Good luck.” Billy’s lawyer shot him a look of contempt and moved quickly by the three of them in the aisle. “You’ll need it,” he said, then walked out of the courtroom.
“An attorney will be provided,” Phoebe finished. “Anything you want to add, Sheriff?”
A muscle jumped in Grady’s jaw. He wanted to add a lot but all he said was, “Lock him up.”
“With pleasure.” She took the seething suspect’s other arm.
Billy was mad as hell and sputtering incoherently. Grady had never taken more gratification from his job and a successful takedown as he did on this one. The deputies led the suspect from the court.
Judge Kellerman cleared her throat. “I suppose it’s unnecessary to say this, Sheriff. I’ve known you for a long time. But you do have the proper paperwork on this arrest.”
He stood up. “Yes, Your Honor. The charges are on file with the court.”
“That’s what I thought. And by the way, you get to keep your kids.”
“Thanks, Your Honor.”
“Don’t mention it. I guess this hearing is adjourned,” she said, then left the bench and disappeared through a door behind it.
Jen met his gaze as doubt and shadows swirled in her own. “What’s going on, Grady?”
Before he could answer, Jack Riley joined them. “Way to go, Sheriff.”
“I couldn’t have done it without your help, Jack. Thanks,” he said, holding out his hand.
“Glad I could help.”
“I’d be glad, too, if someone would clue me in,” Jen said.
Grady rubbed the back of his neck. “The short version is he’s wanted in more than one state for some really bad stuff under a whole bunch of assumed names. Jack finally hit pay dirt.”
“I didn’t do much.”
“You had the state-of-the-art equipment and the know-how to use it,” Grady pointed out.
Jack shrugged modestly. “I wish I could hang around for the celebration with you two, but I’m meeting Maggie for lunch. We’re making plans to get married.”
“Congratulations, Jack.” Grady held his hand out and the other man shook it.
“Thanks. I’ll see you around.”
“Later, buddy,” Grady said, exhilaration coursing through him.
He felt like the luckiest guy in the world. Then he looked at Jen and the expression on her face told him his luck had just run out.
Chapter Twelve
Feeling an acute need for some fresh air, Jen followed Jack Riley from the courtroom without a word to Grady. How could she say anything? She felt as if she’d been punched in the stomach or slapped in the face. Or both.
She made it all the way to the outside courthouse steps before strong fingers closed around her upper arm, easily halting her.
“Hold on, Jen.”
“No.” But the protest was purely for show, because no way could she break Grady’s hold.
“What’s wrong? You won.”
“Did I?”
“Yes. The judge gave me uncontested custody of the girls. It’s over.”
“Is it?”
“Would you quit asking questions,” he said, exasperated.
“I haven’t even started.”
“Okay.”
“Let me go.”
“So you can take off again? I don’t think so.”
“How far can I get in these heels?” she asked, lifting one foot.
The intensity in his eyes as he looked at her nylon-clad ankle could have set fire to dry brush. Damn, she didn’t need this right now. But he dropped his hand.
“How long have you known?” she asked.
“What?”
“That Jack had found enough to lock Billy up and throw away the key?”
“Not long.”
“Did you know last night?”
He hesitated only a moment before nodding. “But, Jen—”
“So that’s why you weren’t worried. Why you were so cool.”
“I had to keep it quiet. He could have run if word had gotten out.”
“From me? You think I would’ve leaked something like that?”
“Of course not. Listen to me—”
“You don’t have anything to say that I want to hear.”
“I love you, Jen.”
If she hadn’t been so angry and profoundly hurt, the sincerity of his look might have penetrated. But she was furious. And so completely devastated that she needed to find a place not so profoundly public where she could cry her eyes out.
“I’m glad the girls are finally and completely yours. Give them each a kiss for me.” Then she met Grady’s gaze and filled her own with so much contempt she was sure he wouldn’t see how she truly felt. “I never want to see you again.”
Jen poked her head into the sheriff’s office. No way did she want to be there. “Hi, Phoebe. You ready to go?”
“Hey, Jen.” Phoebe Johnson looked up from where she sat at the buddy desk behind the counter. The attractive young deputy had called Jen’s office a little while ago and suggested they have lunch together. Jen was eager to make friends in town, but not so eager to meet the woman on Grady’s turf.
In the four days since court, he’d tried countless times and used numerous methods and technologies to communicate with
her. The latest was an e-mail message, which she’d promptly deleted. With a flourish. Afterward, she’d said a silent thank-you to the computer god for the delete button.
Now she wished someone would invent a way she could move her office so it wasn’t beside his. The pain of knowing he was just on the other side of the wall, but completely out of her reach, was almost more than she could bear. When Phoebe had invited her to lunch, she’d told Jen to come into the office when she was ready to go. Then had promptly hung up. Jen had almost called back. Then decided to be a grown-up, mature woman.
“You ready to go?” Jen repeated.
“Yeah. But when I told the sheriff we were going to lunch, he said he wanted to see you. Something about wrapping up paperwork on that whole custody thing.”
Jen’s heart pounded hard against her ribs. Just the mention of his name was enough to make her palms sweat, her knees weak and her pulse race. Which was truly unfortunate, since he was the last man she wanted to see—and the only man in the world she wanted. It just hurt too much knowing he could never trust her. Because that meant he couldn’t love her. At least, not the way she loved him. Anything less was unacceptable.
When Zach died she’d lost the love of her life. Or so she’d thought. She hadn’t believed she would ever fall in love again. Still, she’d found the courage to go on. And she’d fallen head over heels for Grady. Who was very much alive. Which made the situation all the more tragic, because they could have had something really wonderful. But she’d survived tragedy before; she could do it again.
“Tell the sheriff whatever it is we can discuss it over the phone.”
The phone was safe. She could disconnect him. Almost as good as the delete button. Only, the best part of e-mail was that she didn’t have to hear his deep, wonderful voice.
Phoebe stood and walked over to the counter. “He was pretty insistent that he see you.”
Jen’s heart pounded harder, making her wonder how much abuse her ticker could take. The temptation to see him tied her in knots. It had been four whole days since Billy Bob Adams had been led away in handcuffs and the threat to Grady’s children had been eliminated. Four days since she’d told him she never wanted to see him again. But that hadn’t discouraged Destiny’s intrepid sheriff.
In spite of their insurmountable problems, his determination generated a tiny hopeful glow inside her. She’d missed him terribly in the past four days. Who was she kidding? She’d missed him terribly five minutes after she’d stormed away from him at the courthouse.
Phoebe walked to the end of the counter and angled her head toward the offices down the hall. “Come on, Jen. Just for a minute. Get it over with. Then we’ll go have a nice lunch.”
Jen didn’t for one minute believe he had anything to say about the custody case. But the town wasn’t big enough for the both of them. Sooner or later she would run into him. Might as well get it over with. Besides, it wasn’t right to put Phoebe in the middle of this.
“Oh. All right.”
Jen followed the other woman down the hall. Finally the deputy knocked on the door marked Sheriff.
“Come in.” It was Grady’s voice, all right, but with a healthy dose of grump thrown in.
Good. She was glad he was miserable. And since when had she become such a liar? She wanted to put her arms around him and take away his unhappiness. But that was a privilege she hadn’t earned.
Phoebe poked her head in. “Jensen Stevens is here to see you, boss.”
“Send her in.”
Phoebe put her hand at Jen’s back and gave her a good, solid nudge into the room. Behind his paper-cluttered desk, Grady stood. He looked good. Too good. He had no right to look that good when Jen knew she looked so bad. She hadn’t slept well in days. The bags under her eyes would now hold enough for a trip around the world. Twice. At the deputy’s urging, she walked over to the desk.
His expression shuttered. “Hi.”
“Hi,” she answered, not quite meeting his gaze. “You wanted to see me? Paperwork from the case?”
“I didn’t ask to see you,” he said, frowning. He walked around the desk to stand beside her.
They both turned to look at Phoebe, at the same time pointing at the deputy.
“We’ve been had,” Jen said, meeting Grady’s gaze for a moment.
In the blink of an eye Phoebe Johnson reached behind her back and whipped out the cuffs from her leather belt. She snapped them on Jen and Grady before they figured out what she was doing.
“Now,” she said, looking from one to the other, “I’m tired of this nonsense. You can stay that way until you learn to play nice.”
“I’m never going to lunch with you again,” Jen said, tugging at the restraining bracelet.
“Phoebe, you’re fired.” Grady ground out the words.
The woman stood at the door and nodded. “Suits me fine. I don’t want to work for a man with a bad attitude as big as Indiana and a brain the size of a pea. And don’t even get me started on a woman who could out-stubborn a two-year-old.”
Then she walked out and shut the door.
Jen looked at Grady. Grady looked at Jen.
She turned away from him and started to cross her arms over her chest. Unfortunately, his arm came, too—halfway around her. When he started to lift his other arm, as if to fold her against him, she lowered her wrist.
“Don’t you have a key for these?” she snapped.
“They’re not my cuffs,” he said. Oddly enough, amusement laced his voice.
Annoyed, she shot him a look. “This isn’t funny, Grady.”
“Yeah, Jen. It is. Where’s your sense of humor?”
“I guess I lost it at the hearing the other day. By the way, how are the girls doing?”
“Great. They want to come and see you.”
“I’d like that. But don’t change the subject.”
“I wouldn’t dream of it. But you changed the subject.”
“What were we talking about?”
“Your missing sense of humor.”
“Oh. Yes. And just for the record, it’s not missing. I know exactly where I left it. In Judge Kellerman’s courtroom where you betrayed me.”
“I never deceived you.”
“Then I’d like to know what you call failing to inform me, first chair of your legal team, of the fact that you and your buddy Jack Riley had compiled enough charges to put Billy Bob Adams away for a good long time. And even if he didn’t go to jail, which he did, there was enough evidence that he’s unfit to have a dog let alone his nieces.”
She lifted her hand with every intention of poking him in the chest. But it was her bad luck that his left wrist, shackled to her right one, came along for the ride. And it was heavy. Because it was twice the size of hers. Because he was a man. And he was strong and masculine. And sexy. And handsome. And—
Darn it all. Phoebe was going to hear about this.
“What do you call not telling me all that, if not betrayal?”
He folded his arms over his chest, pulling her up close and personal. “I call it, at worst, doing the wrong thing for the right reason.”
“What right reason could there possibly be?”
“You.”
“Puhleeze, Grady. You made a fool of me.”
He shook his head. “Not true.”
“You never truly believed you would lose custody, did you?”
“I had a few doubts. And you were right when you said be prepared and don’t take anything for granted. But no. I never really believed I’d lose the kids.”
“Then why…”
“Because more and more it became clear to me that you needed to do this.”
She was weakening, but not quite ready to let him off the hook. “That’s still not a good enough reason to string me along.”
“How about because I love you?”
The building blocks of her towering anger swayed precariously. If it toppled, she would have no reserves of resistance left. And she still didn�
�t think he’d paid enough for what he’d put her through.
She worked up a really good glare and aimed it at him. “Saying that is just out-and-out mean. It’s cruel and unusual punishment. To lead me to believe there’s a chance for us when nothing could be further from the truth.”
“You’re wrong. And if you’d give me half a chance to prove I love you—”
“Love? Hah! You’ve sure got a funny way of showing it.”
“Because I let you win?”
She put her hand on her hip—the hand without the cuffs, or his hand would be practically on her hip, too. Then where would she be? Unable to form a coherent thought. Which wasn’t far from where she was at the moment. Because she could have sworn he’d said he let her win. And the way she felt—well, suffice it to say if that was winning, she’d rather be the world’s biggest loser.
“What are you talking about? What did I win?”
“My custody case. In front of the judge, you got Billy to admit he didn’t want the girls. Now there will never be any question of him raising them.”
“There’s no question of that, because he’s going up the river for a very long time. He’ll be lucky if they don’t throw away the key.” She frowned. “Speaking of keys—don’t you have one for these things?” she asked again.
She held up her wrist and tugged his with it.
“Look, Jen, for some reason you got it into your head that you needed to make up for the past.” He folded his arms over his chest, tugging her up against him. For the second time.
Their bodies touched from chest to thigh and the heat of him seeped through her clothes. The solid length of him sorely tempted her. More than anything she wanted to be in his arms. But not out of pity.
Looking into her eyes, he said, “You needed to win this case. On your own. Our future was riding on it. That’s why I kept it to myself.”
“I lost sleep over this case. It cost me blood, sweat and tears. You knew it was over the night before the hearing. You could have put me out of my misery. All you had to do was tell me what Jack had found.”
“What if Jack hadn’t found anything?”
“But he did.”
“But if he hadn’t. Then what?” His eyes narrowed on her. “What would I have done without you? You never gave me a chance to tell you. It was the fingerprints that did the trick. We were able to match them to a string of aliases.”
What If We Fall in Love? Page 14