Their conversation turned back to Harper.
“I tried to talk to him,” Jake said, “but you know that Harper and I are like oil and water.”
Marissa chuckled. “You two just need to put away the measuring sticks.”
He broke into a grin. “All right. I’m going to let you get away with that, Marissa. I’d better get back to my desk. I’m expecting a phone call from Morton.”
Marissa got up and walked over to Jillian’s office.
Her sister glanced up from her computer monitor. “What’s going on?”
She placed the packet on Jillian’s desk. “Griff arranged for me to take a day off and spend it at a spa.”
Jillian smiled. “That’s so sweet.”
“This spa is different, Jillian,” Marissa said. “It specializes in prenatal spa treatments.”
“Really?”
She nodded. “Jillian, he’s been so good to me. We have a great time together.”
“So, what is the problem?”
“The problem?” Marissa repeated.
Jillian leaned forward in her chair. “Why won’t you marry this man if he’s so wonderful?”
Marissa met her sister’s gaze. “Because Mr. Wonderful has not mentioned that he loves me. I have to make sure that this is just not about the baby.”
Their conversation was halted when Jacob and Frank walked into the office.
“How are my two girls?” their father asked.
“Fine,” Marissa and Jillian responded in unison.
Frank smiled at Marissa. “I’m hearing good things about you, young lady.”
“Thank you,” she murmured. “I’m doing my best.”
Marissa rose to her feet and quickly excused herself. She was not ready to be anywhere near her uncle. She did not understand why her mother had been unfaithful, but Marissa really did not get how Frank could betray his own flesh and blood—his own brother.
Chapter 18
The media were everywhere.
News vans were parked outside the courthouse and reporters filled the steps, milling around in front and on the side of the building.
Pulling her jacket closed to brave the winter air, Marissa walked with Jillian and her cousin Shawn. They were going to be in court for most of the day to watch the proceedings. Her brothers Anthony and Marcus would come over when they had some time away from their own cases.
Griffin was already in the courtroom with their client, Jake and Harper. Her father and uncle were still at the office, but Marissa was sure they would venture over at some point. Just as they entered the building, Albert Clark appeared behind them.
They entered the courtroom and took their seats.
Griffin glanced at Marissa and she smiled.
“I saw that,” Jillian whispered. “So did Marcus and Anthony. You’d better be careful.”
“I don’t care,” Marissa whispered back. “I love Griffin. To be honest, it’s really hard to keep my feelings to myself.”
“So, what are you two waiting for?”
“I guess for the right moment.” Marissa gave her sister a sidelong glace. “I just want to make sure that Griffin feels the same way I do. I know that he cares for me, but I want to know without a doubt that he loves me, Jillian.”
Her sister nodded in understanding.
Marissa’s eyes traveled to Harper. Her cousin was staring off into space. She was not sure that he was aware of his surroundings. She rose to her feet and went to talk to him.
“Hey, you.”
“Marissa, I didn’t know you were here.”
“I don’t think you are aware of anyone—not the way you were just staring off into space.”
He looked embarrassed. “I had something on my mind.”
“Harper, what can I do for you?”
He smiled at her. “I’ll be fine. I’ve had some tough decisions to make, but I know what I have to do—what’s best for me.”
It was almost time for the trial to begin, so Marissa quickly returned to her seat.
She noticed Harper lean over and whisper something in Jake’s ear before he moved to sit at the end of the table beside Griffin.
Harper had just removed himself as lead attorney. Marissa could hardly believe her eyes.
“What is going on with Harper?” Jillian asked in a low whisper.
“I don’t know,” Marissa murmured. “Maybe he is not as prepared as he would like to be, so he thinks it’s best to remove himself.”
Jillian turned to Harper’s brother, Shawn. “Do you know what’s up?”
“He’s been unhappy lately,” Shawn said. “He said he was about to make some changes in his life. Maybe this is part of it.”
“I don’t think it’s anything to worry about,” Marissa said.
“You and Mom,” Jillian said. “Harper and Uncle Frank… What in the world is going on in my family?”
Marissa stiffened in her seat. “What do you mean?”
“You and Mom are at odds and the other night when I was leaving the office, I heard Harper and his dad arguing. Something about living a lie.”
She froze. “What else did you hear?”
“That was pretty much it. I didn’t stick around to listen, but just the little bit that I heard was pretty intense.”
Everyone settled down and the courtroom became silent as the judge made his entrance.
Marissa stole a peek at Griffin, who seemed to be going over his notes. Her gaze traveled to Harper.
He glanced in her direction, his expression bland.
A few seats down, Blaine Morton looked as if he were about to face a firing squad. Marissa almost felt sorry for him.
She was mildly surprised when Griffin gave the opening statement.
Marissa soon realized that it was strategy on her brother’s part. Griffin was not a Hamilton and because of his humble background, the jurors would easily identify with him. She had to admit, Griffin was brilliant and engaging.
I love him so much, she thought.
* * *
The next day Harper did not show up in court.
Marissa stepped out in the hallway and placed a call to his cell phone. It went to voice mail. “Harper, where are you? You’re supposed to be here at court.”
She tried Azure next. When she answered, Marissa asked, “Where is Harper?”
“Marissa, he has taken this thing with his father real hard. He needs some time.”
“Is he okay?”
“For the most part,” Azure said. “I’m sure Harper will give you a call soon.”
“I just wanted to make sure he was okay. Thanks, Azure.”
Marissa hung up and returned to the courtroom.
“Did you find him?” Jillian asked. “Did you talk to Harper?”
She shook her head.
Jillian gave her a look of disbelief. “What is going on with him? I can’t believe he would do something like this—especially now.”
Marissa knew that her cousin was having a hard time, but to just not show up for court like this… This was not like Harper.
It was time for the proceedings to begin.
Marissa listened as several victims told their stories of how they had been scammed of their life savings. The stories were heartbreaking.
Griffin was very sympathetic and understanding of their plight.
Marissa could not help feeling a sense of pride as she listened to Griffin. His questions were deliberate, but he did not badger or make the witnesses feel as if they had done anything wrong.
She stayed in court until noon and then returned to her office.
“I was hoping we could have lunch together,” Griffin said from the doorway. “You left pretty quickly.”
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“I needed to get back here,” Marissa said. “Have you or Jake spoken to Harper?”
Griffin shook his head. “I left him a voice mail.”
“He’s still having a hard time with…”
Griffin nodded in understanding. “Sweetheart, how are you holding up?”
“I’m fine. I just feel terrible for Harper.”
“He will get through this, Marissa. Both of you will.”
“Griff, I hope you’re right. Things are better between Mother and me, but I have not really forgiven her yet.”
Jacob knocked on her door.
“Daddy?”
“Do you know what’s going on with Harper? Shawn doesn’t seem to know anything. You and Harper have always been close. Has he said anything to you?”
Griffin excused himself, leaving Marissa and her father alone.
“I haven’t talked to him.”
“Frank can’t seem to catch up with him either. I have never seen Harper just skip out on a trial like this. What’s wrong with the boy?”
Marissa could not help wondering how long before Jacob discovered the truth about Jeanette and Frank, and about her and Griffin. He would feel betrayed by all of them—she was sure of it.
What would happen to the firm when all of the secrets came out?
* * *
As the case progressed, Marissa found her resolve weakening when it came to Griffin. She loved him deeply.
Would it be so terrible to marry Griff?
Maybe he did not love her now, but the baby had brought them closer together. Marissa was even beginning to think of them as a family. If only she could be positive that he would not come to view them both as a burden.
Later that evening, Marissa and Griffin cuddled on the leather sofa in his living room.
“I’m so proud of you,” she told him. “You were wonderful in court today.”
“Thank you,” he murmured. “I enjoy being able to look over and see you there.”
Marissa reached over, took Griffin’s hand and laid it on her belly. “Do you feel that?”
His eyes widened in surprise. “Was that a kick?”
She smiled. “I think so. It felt like a little thump.”
“It’s incredible,” he said. He laid his head against her stomach. “Hello, baby girl,” he whispered. “What are you doing in there?”
Marissa laughed. “I can’t wait to meet her.”
He gazed up at her. “Neither can I.”
The touch of Griffin’s lips on hers was a delicious sensation, and Marissa returned his kisses with reckless abandon.
Marissa breathed lightly between parted lips. She did not say a word, but she was sure that Griffin could see her desire in her gaze.
No words were spoken from their lips; they communicated only through their hearts.
The baby kicked again.
“I guess she doesn’t want to feel left out,” Marissa said with a grin.
Griffin kissed her stomach. “You will never have to worry about that, little girl. I am going to make sure you and Mommy know just how much I adore you both.”
He glanced up at Marissa. “I promise.”
Chapter 19
“You’re done for the evening?” Griffin inquired when they met in the hallway of the law firm the next night.
Marissa nodded. “Yes, and I have to tell you I’m so glad. I’m tired.”
He walked Marissa out of the building and through the parking deck to her car. “It’s too bad you’re tired,” Griffin said. “It’s a Friday night and I was thinking about seeing a movie. I thought maybe you could join me?”
Marissa broke into a grin. “Sure. I’m actually in the mood for a movie. I can handle that.”
“Great. Do you want to leave your car here and ride with me?”
“I’ll follow you. But I need to freshen up a bit,” Marissa said. “I’ll only be a few minutes. I keep some clothes in my office.”
Ten minutes later, Griffin met Marissa at the elevator. She had changed into a pair of jeans and a sapphire-blue sweater paired with silver flats, which complemented the white-gold fashion necklace she wore around her neck.
“Ready?”
She gave a slight nod. “Let’s go.”
Griffin escorted Marissa to her car and then went to his. She followed him a couple of blocks to the movie theater.
They were shocked when they ran into Roberta and her family.
“Your girls are getting so big,” Marissa told her assistant.
She and Roberta talked a few minutes more before going their separate ways.
Marissa surprised Griffin by laughing. “You know we’re acting like a couple of nervous kids who have been caught with their hands in the cookie jar.”
Griffin chuckled. “You’re right.”
“We’re just two people here to watch a movie,” Marissa said. “We have nothing to hide. We are friends…”
He shook his head. “We are more than friends.”
She glanced up at him. “You’re right.”
They were much more than friends, Marissa acknowledged. It was time that she started looking at Griffin in a different way. Things had changed between them—in a way that she had dreamed of from the first moment she had ever laid eyes on Griffin. She was about to enter uncharted territory with this man, and if she was truthful to herself, she was nervous.
She was grateful for the movie and the two hours of silence and darkness to examine her thoughts and still her nerves.
When they emerged from the theater, Griffin gestured toward the ice-cream parlor in the next block. “Interested?”
“Sure,” Marissa answered.
A few minutes later, they sat in one of the booths eating ice cream.
“I’m going to have to do another mile on the treadmill,” announced Marissa. “I don’t mind, though. I haven’t had an ice-cream sundae this good in a while.”
“I know exercise is good for you and the baby, but make sure that you are not doing too much.”
“I’m not overdoing it. I’m actually in a prenatal fitness class.” Marissa checked her watch. “It’s getting late. I should probably be getting home.”
“Why don’t you come home with me?” Griffin suggested.
“As much as I would love that, I can’t. I’m not quite ready to take what we have to the next level.”
Griffin did not try to convince her otherwise.
They left the ice-cream shop and headed to the parking deck, hand in hand.
* * *
Over the weekend, Griffin saw Marissa when he could—in between prepping for the next week of the trial. He hated for the evenings to come to a close but he was glad she’d agreed to have lunch with him Monday.
He knew exactly what he planned to tell her.
“Marissa, I think that it’s time we stopped hiding.”
Marissa had just sat down in the restaurant and she looked up to meet his gaze. “What are you saying, exactly?”
“We’re together,” Griffin said. “We’re a couple. Let’s act like it.” He reached across the table and took her hand in his own. “Are you okay with this?”
Marissa nodded.
“After the charity ball, I would like to tell everyone about the baby,” Griffin said. “Hopefully the trial will be over and so will the fundraiser.”
“Mother has enough to worry about with the ball,” Marissa said.
“There is something that I have been meaning to tell you,” he said.
“What is it?”
“Maybe we should order first.” He watched her as she looked over her menu.
Marissa gasped. “Griffin…”
“Yes?”
Inside
her menu was a section that was titled Marissa. She read the wording beneath.
You mean the world to me and I tried to think of a special way to tell you what has been in my heart from the first moment I met you. Marissa, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life showing you just how much. This menu features all of your favorites plus something special: our wedding feast. Would you please do me the honor of becoming my wife in the very near future?
A waiter walked over to the table carrying a covered tray. He opened it to reveal a small velvet box.
“Will you marry me, Marissa?”
Stunned speechless, she met his gaze.
Griffin opened the ring box to reveal a stunning two-carat cushion-cut emerald flanked by a channel row of diamonds on each side. “I love you.”
Marissa wiped away a tear. “I…I never expected… I thought we were just going to have lunch.”
“Will you marry me?” Griffin asked a second time.
She nodded. “Yes, I’ll marry you.”
The dining room exploded in applause.
“This is just the beginning,” Griffin told her as he placed the ring on her finger. “I have a very special evening planned for us tonight. We have to celebrate.”
“You really know how to surprise a girl,” Marissa said with a smile.
* * *
Griffin was on top of the world.
He and Marissa were going to be married and he was ecstatic at the idea of having her as a wife. Griffin was looking forward to waking up beside her every day for the rest of their lives.
He was glad they had decided to go public with their romance—it was time.
Marissa was getting larger. She would not be able to keep the pregnancy a secret much longer, despite the loose clothing, jackets and oversized handbags.
She was growing large with his child.
It was an incredible thought.
His assistant walked into his office, bringing him back to the present. When she left a few minutes later, Griffin’s thoughts returned to Marissa.
He could hardly wait for the evening to come.
Griffin had ordered a romantic dinner to be served at his apartment. He had also ordered a dozen roses for Marissa.
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