Shadows and Dreams (Dream Series Book 2)

by Braxton Hicks

  He leaned down and kissed my lips several times.

  “What’s with the earrings and necklace?” he murmured softly against my lips.

  “Is it too much?” I inquired looking up at him.

  “You’re too much, baby,” he replied, kissing me again.

  “I know you think this whole thing with the names is weird and meaningless Trey, but at the very least, we get to spend some quality time together and I'm looking forward to seeing you in action.”

  “Baby, you see me in action on an almost nightly basis.”

  “I meant in the court room, counselor.”

  Trey and I ate breakfast at the hotel. We decided to walk the few blocks from the hotel to the Russell B. Long Federal Building on Florida Street. It was a sunny and pleasant November day. I was excited about this excursion.

  Once at the courthouse, Trey went to the clerk’s office to sign in and confirm which court room was assigned for these oral arguments. Trey said it was on the third floor. We took the white ornate railed staircase instead of the elevator to the third floor. There were already plenty of attorneys milling around in the hallway, their cell phones up to their ears.

  We found the double doors to the court room and went inside. There was still ample sitting room available. I told Trey I wanted to sit as close as possible to the bench. The seating reminded me of church pews. We took a seat in the best available spot, which was second row front.

  I hadn’t worn a coat because the weather was so pleasant. Trey took his suit jacket off and left it folded on the seat next to me. “I’m going out in the hall with my laptop. I’ll be back before court convenes,” he whispered.

  “Why are we whispering like we’re in church?” I asked him.

  “Courtroom protocol,” was his response.

  Trey returned about thirty minutes later and took his seat next to me. The courtroom had filled up significantly. I was glad I'd persuaded Trey to get here early. I couldn’t imagine it was easy getting up and arguing something in front of a panel of judges. Trey said there was a twenty-minute limit and that equal portions of that time had to be divided up between all parties.

  “Did you put your cell phone on vibrate?” he whispered to me.

  “Yes. Did you?”

  He rolled his eyes at me, smiling and putting his suit jacket back on, just as the bailiff came out instructing everyone to rise.

  The seven federal judges garbed in long, black robes filed out of a side door near the front and took their seats at the bench. Each judge had a nameplate in front of their seat. I quickly saw Judge Tylar. His seat was the third from the left.

  I nudged Trey and nodded toward Judge Tylar as he took his place in his chair. Once all of the judges were seated, the judge that was the chairman told everyone to be seated.

  I saw the light that Trey had told me about. It was exactly like a traffic signal having a green, yellow and red light. Trey had explained that when the yellow light illuminated it meant there were thirty seconds left on the clock and the attorney speaking needed to wrap it up.

  We spent the next two-and-a-half hours listening to various oral arguments on cases involving anti-trust issues and conspiracy to commit treason; there was one Title VII class action case that involved a third-party administrator over employee health insurance for several major U.S. companies whose plaintiffs spanned seventeen states.

  Occasionally, one or two of the judges on the panel would ask questions of the attorney presenting. So far, Judge Tylar had remained quiet. He seemed bored with the whole thing.

  The oral argument taking place right now was boring the hell out of me. Something to do with a monopoly that involved aluminum recycling equipment.

  Trey’s docket number illuminated on the schedule board that was located on each wall of the courtroom. He'd be next up after this long-winded attorney speaking now finished. I could tell this lawyer was going to ride out his full twenty minutes. He'd yet to pause to take a breath. I watched as several minutes later the traffic light finally went to yellow.

  Thank God! Only thirty seconds more of this wind-bag, I thought to myself. The case totally sucked anyway. Opposing counsel on his case had waived appearance on oral argument. He or she probably figured they wouldn’t have gotten a word in edgewise.

  The light flashed to red and the attorney was still going strong. I looked over at Trey who was poised to rise from his seat as soon as the windbag finished. He looked over at me, shrugging his shoulders. Finally, Judge Tylar used his gavel to rap on the bench. It did no good.

  “Mr. Louderdick, you've exceeded the maximum time allotted. This isn’t a filibuster,” Judge Tylar said firmly.

  “If the court permits,” Louderdick said, unruffled, “there's much more to consider in my oral argument today than the time would allow, Your Honor.”

  The judge was obviously not happy, glaring at the attorney.

  “I ask the court’s indulgence in allowing me a bit more time to outline the particular complexities on this matter, which very well might set legal precedent if remanded to the Ninth District—”

  “Bailiff,” Judge Tylar called out, “Please escort Mr. Louderdick from this court room immediately.”

  Wow - this is so cool.

  Mr. Louderdick was still not getting the message, even when approached by the bailiff and told that he needed to shut the hell up!

  “Your Honor, all I'm asking—”

  I saw the disbelief on Judge Tylar’s face as he bellowed out to Louderdick once again. “One more word counselor, and you'll be found in contempt of this court!”

  He slammed his gavel down and the courtroom was immediately hushed with total silence, with the exception of the very loud, unfortunate giggle that escaped from me.

  Holy shit!

  Trey’s head snapped around to look at me in shock and disbelief. I put my hand up to cover my mouth in embarrassment, lowering my gaze from Trey. I felt him leave our pew to approach the bench. I looked up and saw Judge Tylar studying me. I felt my cheeks flush warm with embarrassment. What if he instructed the bailiff to remove the ‘giggling idiot’ from the court room? He continued to stare at me, but his stern expression had softened somewhat.

  The bailiff read Trey’s case number and the names of the parties involved. It was noted that opposing counsel had waived appearance for oral argument, but had filed papers stating their opposing position. Trey was instructed that he could use the full twenty minutes for his argument, if he chose.

  “If it pleases the court, I won’t take the full twenty minutes in light of the over-run on the last argument,” Trey said to the panel.

  Several of the judges smiled at him, including Judge Tylar.

  “The court appreciates your sensitivity, Mr. Sinclair,” Judge Tylar responded. “You may begin your argument now to the issue.”

  I listened intently as Trey argued the merits of his Motion to the panel in his smooth and silky voice. He briefly summarized the fine points covered in his Memorandum in Support of his motion to consolidate the case to the Eleventh District Court for the purposes of pre-trial management.

  My eyes were glued on him as he spoke to the panel and made his argument interesting and factual, citing a couple of case references.

  I continued to notice that Judge Tylar glanced at me several times throughout the ten minutes that Trey was on the floor. He wrapped it up and the next case was called to the floor. He took his seat next to me and I didn’t dare look at him, acting as if I was totally enthralled with the next case up.

  I felt his hand on mine and looked over. He wasn’t angry with me. I saw a hint of amusement in his eyes as he squeezed my hand in his. At the conclusion of the last oral argument, the bailiff announced that the panel would break for lunch and oral arguments would resume at 12:30 p.m. Everyone was instructed to rise as the seven judges filed out the side door.

  “Let’s go, Chuckles,” Trey said, as he took my arm and guided me out into the aisle.

  Once we got into the
large hallway, I turned to him. “Trey, I'm so sorry,” I said apologetically. “I don’t know what got into me in there.”

  He continued to stare at me and I couldn’t tell if he was angry with me or not. I continued, on a roll.

  “I think it was the way Judge Tylar was talking to that windbag attorney and his name being ‘Louderdick’ and all, it just struck me funny all of a sudden and it was out before I realized—”

  “Tylar, hush,” Trey said softly, leaning down to give me a kiss. “It’s okay.”

  “So, you’re not mad at me?”

  “No, I'm not mad at you. I found it kind of comical as well. I have to admit that it was a first for me.”

  “You mean an attorney being escorted out by the bailiff?”

  “No, the first time that somebody laughed out loud in a hushed courtroom with seven federal judges in attendance.” I smiled back at him, giving him a hug.

  “So, when will you find out how the panel rules on your case?”

  “It usually takes about six or eight weeks for them to rule.”

  “What now?” I asked.

  “Well, how about you and I go and get some lunch and then head back to our hotel for a nice nap before we have to check out and get to the airport?”

  “I like the way you think, counselor,” I answered him smiling. “I need to use the restroom first, though.”

  I found the ladies restroom in the courthouse and Trey said he was going to find the men’s room and to meet him back near the staircase. The hallways in this old courthouse seemed to wind around like a maze.

  After I'd finished up in the restroom, I headed back down the hallway. When I turned the corner to where the hallway opened up to the area outside the courtrooms on the third floor, I realized that it wasn't the same hallway as before. I'd taken a wrong turn somewhere. I turned around and headed back the other way. As I approached the corner of the hall where it turned to go back to where the restrooms were, I collided with a man coming around the corner from the opposite direction.

  “I’m sorry,” I said, looking up at him.

  He wasn’t wearing his robe, but I recognized Judge Tylar immediately. “Are you alright?” he asked, studying my face.

  I nodded affirmatively. He had the same amber-colored eyes that I did. His eyes dropped to my earrings and then to my necklace.

  “Marley?” he said, his gaze locking with mine.

  “Pardon?” I asked.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, shaking his head. “I thought for a moment you were someone that I'd known a long time ago, which is quite impossible. Please excuse me.”

  He walked past me down the long corridor, his footsteps echoing in the empty hallway.

  Trey was waiting for me by the stairwell. He must've been worried because I saw a hint of relief on his face when he spotted me.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “Trey,” I said, “You aren’t going to believe me, but I know that, in some way, I'm related to Judge Tylar.”

  After I verbalized what I'd felt from the first time I'd seen the man’s name in print at the firm, to the collision that had just taken place in the hall, the tears rolled down my cheeks.

  Chapter 28

  Trey and I arrived back at the apartment by nine-thirty that night. Jean said that Preston had been perfect for her. She'd put her to bed about forty-five minutes prior to our getting home. Trey was going to drive Jean home, since it was so late.

  After they left, I went to the bedroom and changed into a pair of my silk pajamas. I then went into the nursery and pulled Preston out of her crib. She yawned and stretched in my arms before her eyes fluttered opened and she saw me. I was immediately rewarded with a dimpled grin.

  “Hi sweetie,” I cooed to her, hugging her close. I took her into our bedroom and pulled the covers back on our bed, climbing into it. I grabbed the remote, turning the flat screen on and settled in with the pillows propped behind me. I cuddled her against me as we snuggled down together in the bed.

  My cell phone chimed from the nightstand. It was Gina. “Hey, girlfriend, where are you?” she asked. I could tell by the background noise she was at the club.

  “We just got in a little while ago. Trey's taking Jean home. I’m cuddling with Preston.”

  “Preston's up this late?”

  “Well—I kind of woke her up.”

  “You did? Why?”

  “I don't know, I just missed her, I guess."

  “So how'd things go down there?”

  “Gina, I'm so positive that Judge Tylar's related to me in some way; it's possible he could be my father.”

  I provided her the details of the day in court and then, literally running in to him in the hallway, and what he'd called me.

  “Wow,” she said, “What now?”

  “I think it’s time I pay Maggie a visit in jail.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Yes I am. I need some answers. She's got nothing to lose by giving them to me now.”

  “If you trust a sociopath, I suppose,” she replied. “Hey, not to change the subject, but Tristan called today and he'll be back in Atlanta for Thanksgiving.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep. He liked what he saw on the financials, I guess.”

  “Apparently so,” I replied, silently smirking. “Was Preston a good girl for Aunt Gina?”

  “Except for the green shit explosion, she was great.”

  “The what?”

  I sat up straighter in bed, disturbing Preston who had dozed back off. I was awaiting Gina’s explanation.

  “I think it was all those pureed green beans. She may not be ready for that particular vegetable just yet.”

  “Gina! You fed her a whole flippin’ jar of them at one sitting.”

  “Got to go; my break's over. See you tomorrow.”

  Gina clicked her cell phone off, not wanting to deal with me. I had to smile at the thought of her having to clean the mess up. Served her right.

  I gazed down at my beautiful daughter, wondering if the judge that I'd seen today knew he was a grandpa. I didn’t care if Trey was skeptical about the connection. It was similar to what Nigel had told Tess; the heart knows what the heart knows. In my heart, I knew that Judge Preston James Tylar was my father.

  When Trey got back, both Preston and I had fallen asleep in the bed. I felt him lift her from me.

  “Let her stay, please? I haven’t seen her in nearly two days.”

  “We're not starting that habit again. Besides, I have some plans for this bed tonight that no one under the age of eighteen's permitted to witness," he replied, giving me his devilish smile.

  He cuddled her to him and carried her back to the nursery. He was showered and in bed within ten minutes. He pulled me to him, gently taking my pajama top off and lowering the silk pants. I hadn’t put panties on once I'd changed, so he had a clear field.

  “Is your diaphragm in, baby?” he asked.

  “No, Trey, it isn’t.”

  “Do you want to rectify that situation now?”

  “I don’t know why I should. My period's two weeks late as it is.”

  “What? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  “I think I just did.”

  “Tylar, for Chrissake, are you pregnant for sure? Why are you being so cavalier about it?”

  “I don’t know anything for sure. I know that when a woman breast feeds, her cycles can be irregular. I also know that I haven’t had enough of it just being ‘Preston Only’ time before we bring another baby into the mix, and that’s not fair.”

  “What do you mean, sweetie?”

  “I mean that I want to enjoy Preston’s firsts without having another baby on the horizon. Her first words, her first steps.”

  “Her first date?” Trey asked.

  “That’s not fair Trey, and you know it! I want more children. I just want them spaced apart so we can enjoy the individuality of each of them.”

  “Sweetie,” he said, pulling me into his arms and kissi
ng my hair and my face, “If you're pregnant, that doesn’t take away from any of Preston’s firsts.”

  “I just love her so much. I don’t think I could ever love another child like I do her.”

  “I think all mothers probably think like that, babe. I mean I can’t say for sure, but maybe it’s something you could ask Mom about?”

  I looked up at him and saw his beautiful caring face. Of course, he was right. It was easy to see how much Susan loved all of her boys. Nigel and Tristan were barely two years apart and I couldn’t see any partiality with the way she treated them. He lowered his face to mine, kissing me sweetly and lovingly. I laced my arms around his neck, pulling him closer to me, loving the feel of his naked body against mine.

  I pushed him back against the mattress, suddenly hungry for the feel and taste of him. I straddled him with my nakedness and began a slow, sensual path with my tongue on his lips. We kissed gently at first, allowing the passion to build up. My breasts rested against his chest and I felt his hands massaging and capturing my nipples in a pleasurable and painful grip. My sex was wet for him and only him.

  I raised myself up and lowered myself down onto his engorged shaft, loving how it felt within me. Trey placed his hands on my hips and gently raised me up and then lowered me down on his shaft over and over again. He moaned with pleasure each time I fully possessed his cock within me. I moved my hips in a circular motion, as Trey continued the rhythmic up and down lifting of me onto his shaft.

  “Baby, you feel so good,” he moaned with pleasure, increasing the rhythm a bit. I could feel the swelling of my G-Spot; my contractions were squeezing his cock into sweet release. I leaned over, allowing my breasts to brush against his face. His hand reached out and captured one. He placed his mouth on the rosy peak and he suckled hard from it, drawing pleasurable moans from me. I rocked harder and faster, back and forth on him. “God baby, I can’t hold it—I need to come…”

  I felt Trey tense up and I knew to stop my movements as I felt his cock pulsate within me; his thumb found my clitoris and lightly rolled it back and forth, drawing my orgasm out to its full potential. I moaned in pleasure as both of my orgasms unfolded at once.