“Then I accept.”
As they walked out of the courtroom, Jaime stopped the Commonwealth’s Attorney. “Do the hearings usually go this quickly and in such close succession?”
“Not always. However, I detailed a possible plan like this for the judge when I realized the type of testimony she would give. He knew in general what was coming and what might be required.”
Jaime glanced up and down the hallway. “Which jury room will the grand jury meet in?”
“One of the deputies will lead you there. First get lunch while I finalize the bill of indictment. Be back here at two thirty.”
As Lacy left, Chandler stepped closer. “Ready to break free?”
“This is moving so fast.”
“Guess they want to minimize the harm to Tiffany.”
She knew that was the intent, but would it work? “Maybe it will make things worse.”
“That’s why you’ll be in there.”
The sun was shining when they exited the building. “Let’s find a park and let Tiffany and Aslan run while we eat.”
Madeline looked green. “I’m not sure I can handle another round of this.”
“You won’t be allowed in the grand jury room.”
“My baby is not going through more questioning without me.”
Jaime paused and took Madeline’s hands. “I’m sorry, but she will. This is how it has to be if you want to see the man go to jail.”
Madeline’s face crumbled. “It’s too much.”
“You’re right. But you’re giving her the opportunity to do something about the wrong. That is a gift I didn’t have, and now the reality is it may be too late. I promise I will stop the grand jury questioning the moment it is too much for her. Trust Aslan and me.”
“And if we’re wrong?”
“I’ll still be here. Chandler and Savannah and everyone else who cares about Tiffany will be with you.”
“Aslan too.” Tiffany walked to her mom and leaned into her side. “I want to finish telling what he did.” Tiffany still refused to say the man’s name, but Jaime knew it would be okay.
Grand jury hearings were more casual than competency or probable cause hearings but a key part of determining whether there would be a trial. After their lunch in the sunshine, the bailiff led them to a side room, and when they entered, the grand jury members sat around a table.
For the next thirty minutes Tiffany answered questions from one woman, who must be acting as foreman. She schooled her voice to be kind, but Tiffany faltered as she answered. The girl showed how tired she was as she stumbled over words and timelines.
Jaime split her time between watching Tiffany’s nonverbals and those of the grand jurors.
With each answer, the grand jurors’ frowns deepened. One woman pressed a hand to her stomach as if for relief from pain.
Finally the questions ended, and Jaime hoped it was only a matter of time before Corey Bowman would be behind bars for sexual assault. Tiffany would be okay because the girl was a fighter with a voice that would not be silenced.
The lights glared in his face, but he kept a serene look pasted in place. His life had led with deliberate pacing to this moment. He had earned the opportunity and no one would take it from him. He would make certain of that.
The young woman across from him rested a legal pad on her knee.
What would it be like to get closer to her?
He reined in his thoughts.
Not now. He would have only the bearing and comportment of the officer he was. The one he would be as soon as the farce of the hearings ended. He locked gazes with Senator Langdon, who’d arranged this little parlay with the media. The coward hadn’t once indicated he was in support of Dane’s appointment. That was fine. Dane had a long memory and had as much dirt on Langdon as Langdon thought he had on Dane.
It wouldn’t be a fair fight, but the good senator didn’t understand that.
The journalist glanced down at her notepad. Something about her reminded him of a younger Jaime. The worldly edge tinged with vulnerability reflected his niece as a teenager.
The man behind the camera jarred the room with a loud voice. “Ready when you are.”
The woman glanced at him. What was her name? Kathy? Karen? Carmen? It didn’t matter. All that mattered was the way she used her beauty to lure him in. Little did she know the power was his. He had learned that years ago with a subject much more appealing and innocent.
“Mr. Nichols.”
“Colonel Nichols.” He’d earned the rank through years of dedicated service.
She inclined her head toward him. “Colonel Nichols, tell us why you should be the army’s next brigadier general.”
He answered, the question so softball he didn’t need to think. The conversation pinged back and forth, him keeping his gaze locked on her, ignoring the cameras pointed at him from two positions.
“Do the charges filed by the Commonwealth’s Attorney of Virginia concern you?”
He schooled his features, kept them controlled. “What charges?”
“The ones that allege you molested your niece.” There was steel undergirding her smile, as if she knew she’d caught him off guard.
Not nearly as off guard as he’d make his niece. So far he’d only toyed with her.
No one messed with his career.
No one.
CHAPTER 48
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20
The day was rainy and cold, the breeze slicing through Jaime when she ran outside for a few minutes. Her head still felt clouded from the long day at court the day before, but she was so proud of Tiffany. Now she needed to clear her head and get ready for her own testimony on Tuesday. She called Caroline as soon as she was back in the warmth of her apartment.
“Are you still planning on that picnic at Fort Hunt?”
Caroline sighed. “We’re moving it since the weather isn’t cooperating. How about we meet at your apartment at three? I can drive.”
“All right.” Jaime settled on details with Caroline and then spent the next couple hours making a list of every question she could anticipate. She needed to do this so she could relax and enjoy the time with friends—a much-needed break between the stress of Tiffany’s testimony and her own.
The drive was pleasant enough, but in the opposite direction of Fort Hunt park. “Exactly where are we going?”
“We’ve moved it to Almost Home. If the weather cooperates, we can still be outside and have a bonfire. If not, we have the community center to claim.”
They chatted about Caroline’s apartment. “The fumes are terrible.”
“You can always move back in with me.”
Caroline shook her head. “I can’t sleep on your futon indefinitely.”
When they turned into the parking lot of the group home, there were several cars, but only a few that Jaime recognized. Caroline handed two cake pans full of chocolate chip cookies to Jaime, then picked up two more pans filled with cupcakes to carry herself. The icing was piped to perfection with a smattering of fall leaf accents on top.
“Did you make those?”
“Of course not.” Caroline shifted the cupcakes and pushed a smile out. “I might be a fan of the Food Network, but I’d need about three days to get something to look this good.”
“I’ve eaten your cooking and it was great.”
“Cooking a meal is not the same as baking.”
Jaime thought about it a moment. “My birthday cake?”
“Store-bought.” Caroline shifted the pans in her arms. “It was a busy week at the court. Please don’t tell Brandon these aren’t fresh from my kitchen though the cookies are.”
“Why?”
“He believes every woman should bake as well as his dear grandmother.” Caroline sighed. “Can I help it if I want that man to see me before he decides my worth based on my lack of a flaky piecrust?”
Jaime couldn’t resist the laugh that burbled up at the image. “We’ll find baking classes.”
; “Sure. But not tonight.” Caroline moved across the stone parking lot with a speed that was surprising for her size.
“Are things serious with you two?”
Caroline skidded to a halt and turned blazing eyes on Jaime. “Of course not. We barely know each other. We’re just friends. Anyway, his life is too stressed with things here to worry about me.”
But as Caroline’s words collided and slid against each other, Jaime could see into her friend’s soft heart. She was invested in this man, one Jaime had barely glanced at on the rare occasions their paths overlapped. She’d need to make sure he was acceptable for her friend. Caroline didn’t do anything halfway and would easily give her heart away before Brandon considered it anything more than a buddy friendship.
When they reached the long building surrounded by smaller cottages, Jaime slowed. “How many kids live here?”
“Too many but not enough. He’s had to close a couple cottages due to budget issues. I couldn’t believe it when I came and met a couple girls I used to babysit. They’re barely teenagers, and it breaks my heart they’re here.”
“Why?”
“Why does it break my heart?”
“No, why are they here?”
Caroline shrugged. “Brandon told me they were a little wild after their dad died in a car accident, and no one would take them on. Their caseworker brought them here.” She started moving again. “If we don’t get in there, we will freeze, and I’m not sure what that will do to the cupcakes.”
Jaime followed her friend inside but hung back as Caroline started greeting everyone. Instead, Jaime looked for familiar faces. Andrew and Hayden stood near the fireplace while Emilie and Reid sat at a table surrounded by preteen boys. Emilie looked slightly out of place but very happy, her gaze fixed on Reid as he interacted with the boys. Jaime could practically feel the hero worship from where she stood. As she watched the men her friends loved, she wanted to believe they had found lasting happiness. If they could, there was hope for her.
Caroline set her container of cupcakes on a table, then waved Jaime over to do the same. She introduced her to a hulk of a man. It took everything in Jaime to stand in place and not turn and run, yet as she stayed rooted to the floor she could sense a softness to him. And the look in his eyes as he watched Caroline? She didn’t need to worry about her baking ability dissuading the man.
“I’m glad you could come, Jaime.” Brandon waved a friend over. “I’d like you to meet my friend Chandler Bolton. Chandler, this is Caroline’s friend Jaime.”
Jaime froze as she looked at a man she knew well. There was a nervous energy to him in the way his fingers clenched and unclenched and his knee bounced. He looked like he might dash out of the building at a moment’s notice, but not because he was nervous or unsettled. Instead, it was like he had so much energy he couldn’t begin to contain it in a space so small.
“Jaime and I know each other.” He gazed at her in that familiar way that peered behind her walls, and she felt exposed. Vulnerable. Uncomfortable. Understood. “Can you believe we live in the same complex?”
“Thank you for everything you did for Tiffany yesterday.” She turned to Brandon and Caroline. “Chandler’s dog, Aslan, was a godsend.”
“Tiffany did great.” Chandler smiled, and her breath about stopped. “How long have you known this bear of a man?”
“You mean Brandon?” Jaime glanced at Caroline. “I think we’ve met once.”
“That’s long enough to become part of this crew.” Chandler shoved his hands in his pockets, and Jaime realized she liked seeing him with his friends.
Brandon slapped Chandler on the back. “Something tells me you two are gonna be just fine. Though rumor has it Jaime has been Caroline’s friend longer than I’ve known you.”
Caroline slipped back into the group with a pixie grin. “Better believe it. Jaime and I met in the first few minutes of orientation at George Mason. She’s been stuck with me ever since.”
“Has that been a hardship duty?” Chandler quirked an eyebrow as he said it.
“Not so bad. Caroline liked to bring the snacks. Her cupcakes are delectable.” Jaime grinned as Caroline shoved her lightly.
“I am about more than food.” She smoothed her hands down her waist, then turned away from Brandon. “I see Emilie waving us over. We’d better go see what she needs.” Before Jaime could even say good-bye, Caroline had dragged her across the large common room. “I cannot believe you said that.”
“Of course. That’s what friends are for. To say the things we won’t but need to, or to tease until we do.”
“Well, this is not the setting. He does not need that.”
“Why not? He clearly likes you. A lot.”
Caroline quickened her pace as if she could run. “Don’t tell me things that aren’t true. Besides, didn’t your mama ever tell you the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach?”
“Um, no.”
“Well, you missed a key part of a Southern gal’s upbringing. If it ain’t fried and dipped in butter, it’s probably not real cooking.”
“Then why aren’t you the size of a barge?”
She shrugged. “Because my mama taught me all about the kitchen—and portion control.”
Caroline kept Jaime away from Brandon the rest of the night, but it didn’t mean Jaime’s gaze didn’t stray to Chandler every other second. There was something about the slightly scruffy five o’clock shadow that matched his shadowed eyes.
Ciara and Daniel Turner walked in, Daniel holding baby Amber against his shoulder as if it was the most natural thing. Ciara’s eyes lit with adoration as she watched her husband with their daughter. A flicker of envy blazed through Jaime as she watched. What would it be like to build a family with someone you loved?
She saw Hayden and Andrew share a quick kiss in one corner, and Reid lead Emilie to sit in front of the fireplace. These men knew how to care for their women. It was sweet and oddly touching to watch them cherish her friends.
There was a genuineness to the caring . . . that felt like the way Chandler cared for her.
“How are things with Caroline?” Chandler took advantage of a moment alone with his friend to ask the question.
“I get the sense we’ll be buddies for a long time.” Brandon shifted his stance. “Until I can get this place back on solid footing, I can’t get distracted.”
“Seems lonely.”
“Says the pot.”
“If the shoe fits.”
A man Chandler had met a couple times walked up, his khakis pressed and stiff. “Reid.”
“Good to see you again, Chandler.” Reid turned to their mutual friend. “I think I might have another lead for you. Client needs a write-off.”
“Unless it’s a million dollars, I’m not sure it’s enough.” Brandon sighed as he glanced around the room. “I’ve already had to close two cottages, and I’ll close the next two as soon as I can move the kids.”
Chandler watched Brandon. He’d never seen the man this down. “Can I do something?”
Reid shook his head. “We don’t have funding yet. I’ve got a few ideas, and this client has a construction company. Maybe he can bring in a couple crews to work their magic.”
“Maybe.” Brandon looked across the grounds. “There’s a lot the state wants done, and all I can think about is the kids we could help. Instead, cottages sit empty while I scramble to find money.”
“We’ll get there.”
The evening passed with Brandon firing up a monster grill and the guys hanging out with him as he cooked piles of food. Chandler shivered through a game of Frisbee with a few of the preteen boys while Reid and Andrew passed a football with a couple others. When they went inside, the women had set out bowls and plates filled with more food. A feast compared to his usual bachelor fare.
Brandon called everyone together, and they gathered in a circle. “Let’s pray.” The man looked up and peace settled on his features. “Father, thank You for who You are and all th
at You’ve provided. Thanks for these friends, this time, and Your love.”
Chandler sensed the person next to him shift and glanced to his left. Jaime wore a settled expression of hope.
“May all that we say and do be to Your glory. Amen.”
The group broke for the food, but Jaime stayed rooted in place.
Chandler leaned against her shoulder. “We good?”
“Yeah.” Her smile would rival the sun. “I’m still trying to feel my way through faith. It’s pretty new.”
He took her hand in his and tugged her close, feeling her breath on his chin. He loved how tall she was. The way she fit perfectly with him. And he angled down. Paused to test her reaction. Then leaned in until his lips touched hers. Paused. She didn’t move, and then she tipped her head and he deepened the kiss. It was everything he’d hoped and more.
No, she was everything he’d hoped and more.
CHAPTER 49
MONDAY, OCTOBER 22
On Monday Jaime headed to Daniels, McCarthy & Associates in time for lunch. Bella brought in salads and sandwiches from La Madeline down the street, and then Savannah, Emilie, and Hayden joined Jaime in the conference room they’d set up for testimony prep.
The moment they finished eating, Hayden brushed the crumbs off her hands and turned to Savannah. “Time to put Jaime through her paces.”
The next hours felt like her friends were determined to force her to answer every possible question twice and the highly unlikely ones three times. Then Caroline joined them at four, and they started again.
At six Jaime gave up as her head pulsed with tension. “I’m done. I’m heading home.”
Emilie pushed to her feet. “You okay?”
“Sure. Tomorrow I’ll expose my deepest secrets to a roomful of strangers and probably a dozen cameras.” If she was lucky it would only be a dozen.
Hayden stood and walked to her. “We’re going to pray for you.”
And they did. They prayed with a power and urgency that humbled Jaime and made her long for that same connection. “You’re going to have to teach me how to pray. Right now I feel like Edmund confronting the White Witch, only without Lucy standing by with a magical elixir that will save my life if I fail.”
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