Yes, I knew he was right, because I am a damn good lawyer. I will make this happen for Shane, and then finally a long overdue debt will finally be paid.
“Thank you, your honor, for seeing me today,” I said to Judge Clayton.
“Well, to be honest, your call intrigued me, and Raymond Steele assured me that it would be worth my while.”
“Yes, that’s one way of looking at it.”
“So, I can’t say I wasn’t impressed after reading your file. You had quite the run of successful cases back in New York. What made you leave it all behind?”
“Who says I have?”
“I stand corrected. I wasn’t sure if the gladiator was still in there.”
“She’s never too far away, so let me get to the reason why I’m here.”
“Go on.”
“Here,” I said and handed him a file. “Before I say any more, why don’t you have a look?”
He let out an exasperated sigh and began reading the file. His eyebrows rose as he continued to read on. He closed the file and looked back at me, slamming down to the desk.
“Where did you get this?”
“How I obtained that information is not important. What you should be asking is what I intend to do with it?”
“And what might that be?”
“A few weeks ago, a little boy went missing from Cathedral Home for Children and was missing from that facility for over two weeks.”
“And? What does that have to do with me?”
“It has everything to do with you. You see, your honor, his disappearance was handled through your jurisdiction. Why wasn’t an Amber alert issued? Not even one headline in a local or statewide newspaper. Can you explain that?”
“I’m guessing you already know.”
“Yes, I do, and with the knowledge I now have, I am prepared to bury you, and I won’t lose a night of sleep over it.”
“Tenley…” he warned.
“You may call me Ms. Fairchild.”
“What will it take for this to go away?”
“Corruption never really goes away, now, does it, your honor? Let’s just say I have begun to pave the way to clean house, and I will begin with Cathedral. The children that reside in that group home will be assigned to loving families by the end of the week, or you and your wife will be brought up on a multitude of charges that I will personally bring to the State Attorney’s office.”
“Ms. Fairchild, please, you don’t understand.”
“Enlighten me, I have the time. I appreciate your problem, and your intentions may have been sincere when it comes to protecting your wife and her grave errors in judgment, but her duplicity also put every child under her charge in danger, especially Wyatt Jacoby.”
“I can assure you I have taken the necessary steps to handle my wife.”
“That may be, but it’s not enough, not by a long shot. I still intend to pursue everything I have already disclosed to you.”
“And? If that’s true, then why come to me at all?”
“Because I need a favor, one that will benefit the two of us.”
“So, this entire speech of you being the big crusader of the greater good, you’re really here to blackmail me?”
“Oh, I still intend to kick ass for the greater good, and blackmail is such a dirty word. Let’s call this a negotiation.”
“Fine! What do you want?”
“I want Wyatt Adam Jacoby placed in permanent custody. I have a family willing to adopt him.”
“Okay, that can be arranged. I will sign off on the paperwork and get everything started for you.”
“No, you misunderstand. Let’s skip all the laps and cross the finish line with a hearing and a granted petition for adoption. This boy has been through hell and has to endure more disappointment and heartache than anyone should have to. I have two people who were meant to be parents who already love him and will give this child an amazing life. I need a signature and a time-slot on your Monday morning calendar.”
“And? What do I get in return?”
“For one, you, your honor, get to still remain on the bench with your wife kept out of jail. I can take down the house without burying her along with it. It’s your choice. There is no time left on this offer. What’s it going to be?”
“Done. I’ll see you Monday morning at 9:00. Does that work for you?”
“It does. Thank you for seeing things my way.” I grabbed my things and opened the door to his chambers.
“Oh, Ms. Fairchild, one question, please?”
“Yes, your honor?” I enunciated those words very slowly, because once upon a time, he actually had that.
“Did I really have a choice to not grant your request?”
“You read my file. What do you think?”
I chose to return to my office in town instead of going back home to the ranch. I needed some time to allow the adrenaline to subside and clear my head. I never wanted a drink so much in my life, but I knew I wasn’t going to do that.
As I predicted, Raymond phoned me shortly after my visit with Judge Clayton. “So, you really did it. You used the file against Clayton.”
“Did you believe I would just sit on something that explosive?”
“I taught you better.”
“Yes, you did, but you also taught me that sometimes as much as the law works, there are loopholes in it and people get hurt sometimes. I had the opportunity to save someone today, and I absolutely would do it again and again.”
“Somehow, that’s what I thought you would say. You know, he’s not a bad man. He just made some bad decisions.”
“Well, today he made a good one. Thank you, Raymond. I won’t forget this.”
“You know I would do anything for you.”
“I do know that. I love you too. Listen, someone just walked into my office, I’ll talk to you soon.”
I hung up my phone, and it felt like déjà vu all over again, but this time I wasn’t in New York.
“Hi, Wendy.”
“Hi, yourself, Tumbleweed. By the looks of you, I’m guessing rough day?”
“It wasn’t too bad when you consider it will have a happy ending?”
“For you?”
“No, for Shane.”
“Are you okay?”
“No, but I will be.”
“Come on, Tumbleweed, I thought you let that go a long time ago. It’s ancient history.”
“Wendy, it may have seemed that way but it wasn’t, and I was recently reminded of that fact. When I came back home after the years I was away, all I could do was focus on Jagger recovering from his accident, and as you know, I was still carrying around a lot of emotional baggage. You should know, Wendy. You had a front seat to all the carnage I left behind. I hurt Jagger, and then my foolish mistake hurt their friendship, and they both hated me in the end.”
“That’s not true, and you know it. This is not a trip down memory lane that I want you to take. That time in your life is in the past, and that’s where it will remain. If what you did today was your penance for something that you did back in college, then you have more than made up for it after what you did for Shane and Shelby today. Come here, sweetheart.” Wendy had her arms open wide for me to walk right into for one of her best hugs.
“Wendy, I guess it goes without saying that this conversation is between us, right?”
“Keeper of secrets, right?”
“That you are. I love you, Wendy.”
“I love you more, Tumbleweed. Now, you have your cowboy and your mini cowboy in training waiting for you.”
I drove home with a lighter heart. As always, Wendy was right. The past is the past. We have so much to be grateful for. I smiled knowing how true that was, and now today, Shane has everything he always wanted.
Yeah, I can live with that.
Thank you, readers, for taking the time to read Shane. I hope you enjoyed my cowboy as much as I loved writing his story. Although this novel is standalone, the characters originated from the nov
el All Roads Lead Home. I received many messages asking me to write more for Shane but at the time, I felt his story was complete with getting his happily ever after with Shelby. It took me some time to reach a decision, and once I began to outline his story, I knew I couldn’t stop at that point. These characters are very special to me, especially Jamie. I know I put them through a lot but in the end, I hope I delivered the ending you wanted.
Please go to the retailer where you purchased this book and write a review. Even if it’s just a line or two, it’s the best gift you can give back to an author. They are always welcomed and appreciated.
Thank you for supporting my work.
Thank you, God, for giving me the ability to create my art.
Thank you, to my family who love me unconditionally.
Thank you, to my friends who never let me fall.
Thank you, to the talented professionals that make my work come to life.
Thank you, Joe Marron. My editor. You get me, and I love you for that.
Thank you, Julie Titus, @ JT Formatting. Your creativity knows no bounds.
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And…
Thank you, to my readers. You mean so much to me. I truly appreciate you reading and supporting my work. Thank you, to my blogger friends. You work incredibly hard for authors in this community. Thank you, for always sharing the love. Writing has become an essential part of my soul, and without it, I would be lost. I am forever thankful for the gift I have been given. Thank you, for sharing this incredible journey with me.
Other Books by Mary A. Wasowski
Forever Series
Forever: Book One
Second Chance at Forever: Book Two
Our Forever Promise: Book Three
Happily Forever After: Book Four
Forever More: Book Five
Standalone novels
A Changed Life
All Roads Lead Home
An Unfinished Life
Return to Kildare
Revive
You Belong to Me
Run
Broken Dove
Mary A. Wasowski is a best-selling author who writes adult contemporary romance. Best known for her Forever Series, Mary loves creating sexy alpha book boyfriends for you to swoon over. When she is not writing her happily ever after love stories, she is an avid reader of all romance.
A romantic at heart, she shares her zest for life with her husband, Henry, and their three sons. Proud to be an indie author, she lives in North Carolina and works as a full-time writer.
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