Another Chance with You

by Jacquelin Thomas

“Call me Blaine.”

  Jadin gave a slight nod. “What happened, Blaine?”

  “We had gone out to dinner... I guess it was around seven o’clock. We came home and sat down in the media room to watch a movie. Milli opened a bottle of Pierre Pierot Cristal Brut. After a couple of glasses, Milli started to feel bad... One of her migraines. She went upstairs... I fell asleep. Next thing I hear is Rosa screaming and feeling like I was in a fog.”

  She stopped writing. “Your wife was fine during dinner?”

  He nodded. “Milli really enjoyed her meal. We had a great time.”

  “Blaine, I have to ask this question... Do you know if your wife was happy? Could she have found out about your affair?”

  “If Milli knew anything about Sandra, she would’ve said something. She wasn’t the type of woman to keep quiet and suffer in silence. I would’ve been served with divorce papers already.”

  “Is it possible that she was seeing someone?”

  “I guess it’s possible, but I’m pretty sure that she wasn’t. Like I said, Milli wasn’t the type of woman to sit still on something like that. If she wasn’t happy with me, she would have left.”

  “What would she have gotten if she filed for divorce with no real justification, such as abuse or adultery?” Jadin asked.

  “Five million dollars, the house in Hilton Head and the vacation home in Maui.”

  Jadin knew that Blaine was worth billions. He was one of the top ten richest men in the country. “Millicent’s murder could not be about the money,” she reasoned. The amount involved, though admittedly large, was peanuts to a man of his wealth.

  “Where does Sandra live?”

  “She lives in Savannah. I haven’t seen her in a couple of months. It’s over between us.”

  “Has she ever been in your house?”

  “Only once,” Blaine responded. “Milli was in Hawaii with her friends. The minute I brought her here, I knew it was wrong, so we left. I took her to a hotel.”

  A cheating husband with morals.

  As if he could read her thoughts, Blaine said, “I know what you must think.”

  “It doesn’t matter what I think,” Jadin stated. “I’m here to represent you and I’m going to do just that.”

  “How long have you and Landon Trent been married?”

  “Five years.”

  “I had no idea that you had a husband.” He pointed at her left hand. “You don’t wear a wedding ring.”

  “We were separated.”

  “So, you’ve decided to work things out, then?”

  “Yes, we have.” Jadin looked down at her notes. “Are you normally such a heavy sleeper?”

  “That’s what is so strange about that night. Usually, I wake up at the slightest sound. When I travel, I use earplugs or I’ll be waking up all through the night.”

  “Even when you drink?”

  Blaine scratched his cheek. “It depends on how much I’ve had. Milli and I had several glasses of champagne that night. We’d had some at the restaurant, then opened the bottle that Milli said came earlier in the day from one of my business associates. Milli loves champagne, but when she drinks too much, she will sometimes develop a headache.”

  “Who sent you the champagne?”

  “I’m not really sure,” Blaine responded. “Milli opened the box when it arrived.”

  When Jadin had first met with Blaine, she was not entirely sure she believed in his innocence, but it did not matter. She was hired to defend him and even if he were truly guilty, she would do her job. But now, she had to admit that she had some reservations regarding his guilt.

  He had been unfaithful, but Jadin believed that he loved his wife.

  “How did your meeting go?” Landon asked when she returned home.

  “It was pretty good,” she responded. “I didn’t expect to be gone as long as I was, though.”

  He kept her company while she ate.

  “Do you often have meetings this late?”

  “Not really,” Jadin said. “But this is one I had to take.”

  “Blaine Herndon,” Landon responded. “You met with him.”

  “He’s my client.” Jadin thought she detected a bit of jealousy in his tone. She bit back a smile.

  “He may be guilty of murder.”

  “Landon, he may also be innocent,” she pointed out. “We met at the firm. I had security and coworkers surrounding me. I wasn’t in any danger.” She finished off her iced water. “I appreciate you worrying about me, though.”

  “I care about you, Jadin. That has never changed. Not for me anyway.”

  She reached over and covered his hand with her own. “Landon, I care about you, too.”

  His eyes roved over her seductively. “I’m so tired of taking cold showers.”

  “If it makes you feel any better, I’m really enjoying our time together. I actually look forward to coming home to you...”

  Landon smiled. “That makes me feel a whole lot better.” He kissed her. “Thanks, sweetheart.”

  When he walked into the family room, she studied his lean, muscled body and whispered under her breath, “Lord, I can’t keep this up much longer.”

  * * *

  Landon stood behind the center island, waiting for his coffee to brew. He was still wearing his running shorts and T-shirt from his morning run.

  He smiled at the unexpected sight of her. “Morning, Jadin. What are you doing up so early?”

  “I need to take care of some things at the office.” She took an orange from the refrigerator and started to peel it, holding the garbage can open with one foot as she tossed the peels. When she was finished, she climbed onto one of the bar stools at the kitchen island.

  “Can you meet me at my office around eleven?” Landon asked. “I want to discuss the Herndon case.”

  “Are you thinking about putting a deal on the table?”

  “My boss wants me to—he doesn’t want this case tried in the public and played out in the news.”

  “I’ll be there.”

  She stepped down and said, “I need to get ready to get out of here.”

  The scent of her was beyond description. Somewhere between heaven and bliss, Landon tried his best to inhale her when she walked past him. He watched Jadin leave the kitchen and realized he could not live with this woman for a year and not be able to make love to her.

  He left for work minutes after Jadin.

  Landon intended to offer Herndon a sentence plea deal—it would guarantee him a conviction and Herndon would have the death penalty taken off the table. However, he would have to serve a minimum of thirty-five years in prison with no parole or reduction in time served. It was the best Landon could offer, considering the first-degree murder charge.

  He spent part of his morning with his boss, who wanted the Herndon case to go away. Millicent Witherspoon-Herndon’s murder was a heavy weight hanging over Charleston.

  “Knock...knock...” Jadin said from the hallway. “Can I come in?”

  Nodding, he gestured for her to enter.

  “Landon, Blaine didn’t kill his wife,” she said as she sank down in the chair facing his desk.

  “How can you be so sure?”

  “Because they were going on a second honeymoon. This man loved Millicent. I could see it in his eyes.”

  “I know about the tickets and he could’ve purchased them to cast suspicion off him.”

  Disagreeing, Jadin shook her head. “I’m not going to advise my client to plead guilty to something he didn’t do, Landon. You don’t have any evidence to support this murder charge. He is a self-made billionaire who generously gave his wife whatever she desired. This crime wasn’t about money. I’m sure you have her bank records. He gave her a very nice allowance each month.”

  “You are aware that he had a prenu
p.”

  “She would have gotten millions,” Jadin said. “And two homes.”

  Landon shook his head. “None of this is making any sense.”

  “I agree.”

  He looked at her. “The only deal I can offer is thirty-five years minimum. If he goes to trial, Herndon could end up with a life sentence.”

  “You know I’m not going to agree to this. I will mention it to my client, but I’m positive we will take our chances with the jury.” She picked up her tote. “I’ll see you at home.”

  “Don’t hold dinner for me. I’ll probably be here pretty late tonight.”

  “Oh, okay, then.”

  * * *

  Jadin felt a prick of disappointment that he wouldn’t be home when she got there. She looked forward to sharing meals with him.

  She ran into her brother outside the building that housed the DuGrandpre law offices.

  “Where are you coming from?” Austin inquired.

  “Landon offered a plea deal. If Blaine confesses to murdering his wife, the death penalty and life sentence are off the table. He’ll get the minimum.”

  “Thirty-five years?”

  Jadin nodded. “If I believed he was guilty, I’d advise him to take it, but I don’t think he did it. He loved his wife.”

  “I heard you met with him last night.”

  “We went over that night again.”

  “Has his story changed?”

  “Not at all. They went to dinner, drank champagne...went home and drank more. His wife had a headache and went to bed. He fell asleep in the media room. Woke up to the housekeeper screaming. One thing he said to me was that when he travels, he takes earplugs with him because he’s a light sleeper.”

  “That’s doesn’t mesh with him not hearing anything that night.”

  They took the elevator to the fourth floor.

  “It almost sounds like he was drugged or something,” Jadin murmured.

  “Did the investigators go over everything?” Austin asked. “They were drinking, so maybe he was drunk. Who would have drugged him?”

  “The bottle of champagne came from one of his business associates—that’s what Millicent told him. It had been delivered earlier in the day.” She looked at Austin. “That bottle should be tested.”

  He followed her into her office. “So, you really think that they were drugged?”

  “Think about it, Austin. Blaine never heard his wife scream. What if she didn’t? Maybe she was too drugged to even know what was happening to her.” Jadin picked up her phone. “I need that bottle. We can have our investigators test it.”

  “That’s if the police didn’t take it.”

  “Blaine, this is Jadin. Can you tell me what happened to the bottle of champagne from that night?”

  “I think the police have it. Why?”

  “Do you know of anyone who would want to see your wife dead?”

  “No. Everyone loved Milli.” He paused for a moment, then asked, “Jadin, what’s going on?”

  “I think you may have been drugged,” she responded. “A drug like Rohypnol is tasteless, odorless and can knock you out. The other thing is that it can also cause amnesia. This is the only thing that makes sense to me, especially if you’re normally a light sleeper.”

  “I can go to my doctor and get tested if that will help.”

  “Yes, please do that,” Jadin said. “But it will be a long shot since this drug doesn’t stay in your system for longer than seventy-two hours.”

  “Is that why you want the bottle of champagne?”

  “Hopefully, once they test it, that will confirm my suspicions. However, we are still without a suspect. Unless you kept the packaging it came in.”

  “I don’t think so. Milli probably threw it away.”

  “Will you look anyway?” Jadin said.

  She called Detective Solomon next. “Mike, hey... It’s Jadin.” She and Mike had grown up together on Sullivan’s Island. His parents were close friends of Etienne and Eleanor.

  “Hello. What can I do for you?”

  “I need to know if the champagne bottle that was in the Herndon’s media room has been tested for prints or anything else.”

  “Why?”

  “Mike, that bottle was a gift. It was delivered earlier in the day to the house. Millicent told Blaine that it was from one of his business associates.”

  “Are you trying to tell me that you think the person who sent the champagne should be considered a suspect?” He laughed. “You’re kidding me, right?”

  “Mike, I think Blaine and his wife were drugged. Have the bottle tested.”

  “Jadin, I think you’re reaching on this one.”

  “Mike...”

  “Okay. I’ll check it out.”

  She hung up. “I guess we’ll see if any of this pans out.”

  “Jadin, trust your instincts,” Austin recommended.

  “I’m glad you’re working this case with me. This is the biggest case of my career. I don’t want to make any stupid mistakes.”

  “This is the biggest case of Landon’s career, as well.”

  “I know,” Jadin said. “If I can prove Blaine is innocent and point him in the direction of the real murderer, we both win.”

  Shaking his head, Austin chuckled. “Looks like Landon is gonna stay my brother-in-law.”

  She grinned. “If everything stays the way it is now, I agree.”

  * * *

  “Hey, Mama...”

  Jordin broke into a grin. “I’m so glad to see you. I’m starving for some adult conversation.”

  “They are just so adorable,” Jadin murmured as she gazed at her niece and nephew. “Oh, my goodness. I could stay here and love on them all day.” She looked back at her sister. “You are so lucky, Jordin.”

  “I love my babies so much, but I’m not used to being home all day like this. But I don’t want to leave them, either.”

  “Your hormones are all over the place.”

  Jordin agreed. “I think I’m driving Ethan nuts. One minute I’m fine, then the next thing I’m crying.” She glanced up at her sister. “So, how’s married life?”

  “I don’t know. I feel like Landon and I are just roommates. We get along great. We always have.”

  “So, you don’t feel anything for him...like sexual?”

  “I didn’t say that, Jordin.”

  “Then what’s the problem?”

  “He’s sleeping in the guest room.”

  “I know Landon didn’t want that,” Jordin said. “That’s all you.”

  “I suppose you think I should have just let him into my bed from the moment he moved in.”

  “He is your husband, Jadin. You don’t feel married because you two aren’t acting like a married couple. I hope it’s not because of Michael, because he should be a nonfactor at this point.”

  Jadin gently stroked Erin’s silky hair. “You are such a sweetie,” she whispered.

  “Are you listening to me?” Jordin asked.

  “I heard you.” Jadin looked up at her sister. “I’m still very much attracted to Landon. I look forward to seeing him when I get home. We have so much fun... It just feels right. But then I think about Michael.”

  “And?”

  “And I realize just how different he and I were,” Jadin responded. “Landon and I are more kindred spirits. I’d forgotten what that feels like.”

  “Then why don’t you give your marriage a real chance?”

  “You’re right. I really haven’t been fair to Landon. He’s been so wonderful and patient.”

  Jordin grinned. “So do yourself a favor and give the man a treat.”

  Her sister’s words stayed at the forefront of her mind for the rest of the day.

  That evening, when she walked in and saw L
andon in his gym clothes, it was a lot more than Jadin could handle. His T-shirt looked soft and comfortable, as if it had been washed hundreds of times. It was well-worn and threadbare with see-through spots that gave a hint of the skin underneath. It was still slightly damp from his workout, so it clung to his abs, showing off the cut of each muscle on his stomach.

  It would be impossible to say whether it was the shudder that ran through Jadin, her tongue moistening her full lower lip or the tiny moan low in her throat that precipitated what happened next.

  As Landon’s lips touched hers, it was like oxygen to the fire that had been smoldering for weeks.

  “I’ve... I’ve been thinking that it’s time for you to move into the master bedroom.”

  “Are you sure about this?” he asked, staring into her eyes.

  “Yes,” she whispered. “If we want a real marriage...”

  “That’s what I want.” The words came out in a rush.

  Before she realized what was happening, Landon had picked her up and was carrying her through the house and up the stairs.

  In the room, he laid her on the bed.

  Landon sat down on the edge. “I need to know if this is what you really want, Jadin.”

  Jadin sat up against a set of pillows. “We said we were going to try to make this work. We can’t do that in separate bedrooms. I see that now.”

  “I’m glad because I was feeling more like your roomie than your husband,” Landon said.

  She gave him a playful pinch. “Why didn’t you say something?”

  “Jadin, I didn’t want you to feel pressured.”

  “I’ve been so unfair to you, Landon. You have been so sweet and loving... I’m not sure I deserve you.”

  “I love you, Jadin. I’ve never stopped.”

  “Come here,” she told him.

  He climbed all the way into the bed.

  Landon’s arms encircled her, one hand on the small of her back.

  Jadin settled back, enjoying the feel of his arms around her. “I can’t begin to tell you how much I’ve missed you.”

  “Don’t tell me... Show me...”

  * * *

  Passions spent, Landon and Jadin lay in bed, legs entwined.

  “Why didn’t you come after me sooner?” she asked.

  “Because I knew I’d have to choose between the job I loved and you,” Landon replied in earnest. “Sweetheart, I wasn’t ready to do that.”