by E. M. Shea
“Sergeant Bellamy said you’re the best lawyer out there for this kind of thing,” Colin said as he washed down a second burger with a large glass of lemonade.
“He said that?” She couldn’t be sure if Nick meant it as a compliment or complaint. But given his recent warming up to her professional talents, she went with the former. His easy grin in her direction seconded her guess.
For the next twenty minutes, Dani went over the major points that she had already covered with Nick—how Colin’s honest rendering of the drug-purchasing incident should work in his favor, especially with Nick, Boys Club Director Phil McGuire and several of Colin’s teachers already on board to serve as character witnesses.
“Should I tell the judge that I want to be a police officer once I finish school?”
Nick turned to Dani, awaiting her answer as eagerly as Colin.
“I think you should,” she replied. “Any good judge will take that into consideration when deciding whether to expunge the incident from your record. Plus, you can explain how seeing your mom struggle over the years from illegal drug use has made you want to help others avoid falling into the same trap.”
“Yeah,” Colin said, nodding slowly. “I do feel that way.”
After explaining the typical juvenile court hearing process to Colin and answering his questions—along with a few from Nick—Dani felt satisfied that Colin was as prepared as he could possibly be under the circumstances.
“Okay, then.” Nick decisively slapped the picnic table, then stood up and grabbed a football that was resting beside him on the bench. “No picnic can be complete without a few throws of the football. Come on!” He nodded to an open area about 50 feet away from their wooded spot.
Without missing a beat, Colin bolted up from his seat and started running towards the grassy field, turning with his arms outstretched. “Toss it here, Sarge!”
Nick did as instructed, his muscular arm effortlessly heaving a perfect spiral that sailed into Colin’s grip. “I’ll be there in a sec,” he called out before turning back to Dani. “Thanks,” he said as she rose from the bench.
“No need to thank me,” she replied with a smile. “He’s a good kid, and I can see why you’ve grown close to him.”
She was tempted to add that he’d make a terrific father some day, but thought better of it. No need to wander into those muddy waters—to comment on his future parenting skills, when she wouldn’t be the other half of that equation. That she was even thinking this way made her uneasy. But spending this time with Nick and not having to hide her livelihood—a source of such antagonism between them before, and now at the crux of their shared goal of helping Colin—well, it felt good. Plain and simple. But she couldn’t kid herself that this was the new normal for them. Next week, they could be facing each other in court—or he could merely learn that she was defending someone who in his mind was automatically guilty—and the present truce would unravel in an instant.
In an effort to divert from unpleasant thoughts, Dani began cleaning up the remnants of lunch on the picnic table. She stacked the used paper plates, halting when a solid hand firmly encased her own. Nick moved closer, lifting her chin and staring into her eyes before pulling her into a passionate kiss.
“I need to warn you,” she said breathlessly once their lips were finally parted. “If you try that with the judge next week just because you’re happy with their decision, it might not go over too well. Especially if the judge has a beard.”
Nick grinned. “I’ll keep that in mind. But I didn’t just kiss you because you’re helping Colin.”
“Oh?”
He moved in for a follow-up kiss, this one even longer and deeper, before explaining further. “I kissed you because you have the softest, most beautiful lips. Which I kind of knew the first time I saw you.” He paused, his eyes locked onto hers. “But what I didn’t realize before—you know, back when you were running circles around me in court—is that you’re pretty damn beautiful on the inside, too.”
Dani half smirked as she looked down at the ground, most definitely liking what she was hearing, but still equally filled with apprehension. “You might change your mind the next time one of my clients is someone you personally arrested.”
“Well, just make sure you’re representing someone who’s innocent, and there won’t be a problem.”
Dani sighed. “Nick …”
“All right, all right. But I can hope, can’t I?”
“Let’s not ruin what has otherwise been a really nice afternoon.”
This time Nick kissed her gently on the forehead. “Agreed, counselor.”
“What are you two doing?” Colin called from afar. But apparently not far enough.
“Oh, geez,” Nick said in a low voice. “I got so caught up in the moment that I forgot he was waiting. I hope he didn’t see me kissing you.”
“Busted,” Dani replied. “Hmm … I like the sound of that word. Maybe I should be a cop, too.”
“Very funny. Come on—let’s go play some catch.”
“What’s that on the ground?” Dani asked as she pointed behind her. As Nick turned around, she gleefully yelled out, “Race you!”
And with that, she was off, with Nick in close pursuit. He pulled up next to her, his leisurely paced jog the equivalent of her lung-busting sprint. She knew he could easily surpass her, but instead, he kept pace beside her as they headed into the open field. It seemed like a good sign. But she couldn’t help but wonder: Was she reading way too much into things? That’s like asking if gophers dig tunnels in fields. Two seconds later, she stepped into a hole and was about to kiss the ground with her nose when Nick grabbed her arm and pulled her back up in mid-stride.
So it was a ‘yes’ on the gophers. But the jury on her situation with Nick was still out.
Chapter Nineteen
Dani turned to Colin as he sat next to her at the juvenile court defense table. His face was tense with worry, and she squeezed his hand for reassurance. “Hang in there,” she said quietly as she leaned in to ensure a private exchange. “I have a good feeling about this.”
Though she didn’t want to falsely get his hopes up, her powers of courtroom observation coupled with a bit of “lawyer’s intuition” told her that the judge hearing the case was indeed sympathetic to Colin’s situation. A handful of strong character witnesses—no doubt the most impressive being Nick—a video testimony from Colin’s mother and a statement of remorse read by Colin himself all seemed to bode well in his favor. But as Dani had learned the hard way over the years, never say never when it came to courtroom rulings.
“Will the defendant please rise,” the judge announced. As Colin complied, Dani turned her head to glance at Nick in the front row of seats. Their eyes locked for a moment, and she pursed her lips in a manner that was just short of a smile. She hoped it would discreetly convey her cautious optimism for the decision that was about to be announced.
“I’ve been presiding over juvenile cases for almost fifteen years,” the judge began. “And many of them drug-related offences. But I have to say, I have never come across a situation like the one before me today. Here we have a fifteen-year-old defendant, with no prior record, by all accounts a good kid who has tried hard to rise above some unfortunate circumstances in his life—perhaps the most consequential of those being a mother who has been in and out of the prison system due to drug use and related crimes. All of the testimony provided today is in agreement that the defendant’s effort to help his mother directly led to his illegal actions, specifically, the purchase of heroin. Of further note, the defendant wishes to pursue a career in law enforcement, and as his counsel has made clear, there is a concern that any blemish on his record from this incident could severely curtail his chances of doing so.”
The judge paused, looking up from the paper that he had been reading from, and slightly repositioning his horn-rimmed glasses as he set his sights on Colin. “I share this concern, but I do want to ascertain that the defendant continue
s to head in the right direction. Therefore, it is the decision of this court that the defendant, Colin Joseph Wheeler, is hereby ordered to attend weekly counselling sessions for the duration of three months. These sessions will include, but not be limited to, drug-related counselling, along with any issues that may arise from these discussions. At the end of these court-appointed sessions, providing that the defendant has not incurred any additional legal offences, all charges related to this current offense will be permanently removed from his record.”
Colin dropped his head with an audible sigh of relief, then swooped back up and engulfed Dani in a tight hug. Feeling his racing heart pound against her, she whispered in his ear, “It’s all going to be okay, Colin. You did good.”
◆◆◆
Once the judge announced his ruling, Nick couldn’t get to the defense table fast enough. In the span of several seconds, he was at Dani’s side, clasping his arms around both her and Colin.
“Sorry to interrupt your hug.” He gave Dani an extra squeeze before releasing his grip. The degree to which he felt relief by the outcome of the hearing was matched in intensity only by his gratitude. “Thank you,” he continued, adding with a grin, “I think I’ve said those two words more in the past couple of weeks than I have all year.”
Dani smiled. “I’m just glad everything turned out the way it did.”
“Thanks, Ms. Scott,” Colin said as Nick gave him a gentle slap on the back.
“You’re very welcome. And I thought I told you to call me Dani.”
He gave a sheepish shrug. “You did. Sorry, Ms.—I mean, Dani.”
Dani laughed, then turned to Nick. “I hate to run, but I’m meeting with a new client in half an hour.”
“No problem. Let’s head out together, and I’ll walk you to your car.”
“Fall is definitely in the air,” Dani observed several minutes later as they exited into the parking lot.
Nick nodded as he surveyed some nearby trees in the earliest stages of color, then breathed in the nippy air. He turned to Colin. “Hey, why don’t you head to my jeep, and I’ll be there in a minute. Here’s the key.”
“Sure you trust me not to drive off?”
Nick laughed. “You better not. One court appearance is enough.” He nodded to Dani. “Plus, you can’t be certain you’d have the best possible lawyer like you did today.”
Dani rolled her eyes, but it was clear she appreciated the compliment. “Take care, Colin. And if you ever need anything, you have my number.”
“Thanks, Dani. For everything.”
As Nick was about to speak, Dani put her index finger to her lips. “No more thank you’s.”
“What makes you think I was going to thank you?”
“Just a hunch.”
He pointed toward her Acura MDX, then walked beside her as they approached the vehicle together. “Actually, I was going to say that we should get dinner tonight. You know, celebrate today’s happy ending in court. Although it may include a thank you or two as well.”
As they reached the SUV, Dani leaned against the driver side door and faced Nick. He searched her eyes, tiny golden specks dancing against a dominant shade of green in the afternoon sunlight, and waited for her reply. The fact that it wasn’t immediate made him think—or more accurately, hope—that she was doing the math in her head to see if she could fit it into her schedule on such short notice. Yeah, that’s what the holdup is. Hang tight.
“I’m not sure that’s a good idea, Nick,” she finally said.
It was a figurative punch to the gut, but Nick still swallowed hard as though it were an actual wallop. In fact, he almost preferred a basketball to the nuts again. “Oh,” was all he could manage to say. “But I thought …” He stopped and cocked his head to the side. “I’m sorry. I guess I must have read too much into things. It’s just that the last couple of weeks …”
“I know,” Dani said quietly, somehow finishing his sentence without actually revealing anything more. “I think we both temporarily overlooked the issues between us while we were trying to help Colin.”
“Every relationship has issues,” he said, wanting to almost squirm under his clothes as the “r” word spilled out of his mouth.
“True. But not every issue is a deal-breaker. And I would say that having someone hate what you do for a living pretty much qualifies as that.”
Nick sighed, knowing too well where this was going. After all, he had no one to blame but himself for the fact that she felt this way. “Look, I’ve had a chance to see things differently after what you did for Colin.”
“I know that—and I’m glad. But what happens the next time I take a case … I don’t know, say it’s defending someone against serious charges who—for whatever reason—I feel is innocent, or deserves a second chance, and it turns out that you’re the one who arrested him?”
“I mean, what are the chances of that happening? You represent clients from all over New England. Even further than that, I’m sure. The odds are pretty small that it would be someone who was charged in town.”
“It’s already happened a couple of times,” Dani replied earnestly. “And by the way, since we’re on this subject, I just want to let you know that I’m leaving Schulman, Heinz and Associates.”
Nick’s eyes bulged at the precise moment that he nearly choked on a breath. “Seriously?”
Dani nodded. “It’s a bit of a long story, but the condensed version is that I came to realize Schulman is no longer a good fit for me. I’m actually starting a part-time position as legal counsel at the Women’s Center, and starting my own practice on the side.”
Nick shook his head, not as a negative reaction to Dani’s announcement, but as a literal double-take. “I … wow! When did this all happen?”
“I’ve been thinking along these lines for a while. But I only took the plunge a week ago. And by that, I mean giving my notice at Schulman and accepting the position at the Women’s Center.”
“That’s great, Dani. Really, really great.”
“I’m still going to be a defense lawyer in my own practice,” she added, as though anticipating his next question. “But this way I can personally choose which cases I’ll take on. In the end, I guess I just decided that I prefer being my own boss.”
Nick wanted so badly to say more, to bring the conversation back to the two of them, but it was clear to him that Dani was ready to move on.
“Well, you take care,” he finally said, kissing her gently on the forehead.
“You too, Nick.”
He stared one last time into her eyes, nearly certain that he saw a hint of the yearning that he felt in his own heart. But he was fooling himself into seeing what he wanted to see. He turned and headed to his jeep where Colin awaited, suppressing the urge to look back.
Just keep walking, Buckaroo. This isn’t the movies. She’s not going to run after you. And if she does … it will probably be just to move you forward with a swift kick in the ass.
Chapter Twenty
Gus leaned forward across the diner booth to get a better look at Nick’s half-eaten lunch. “You gonna finish those fries? Because if not, I can take them off your hands.”
Nick raised an eyebrow. “You mean take them off my plate.”
“Right. Same thing.”
Nick was about to point out that they were in fact two very different actions, but thought better of it.
“So,” Gus began, the tail end of a fry protruding from the side of his mouth before disappearing for good. “Still pining over Dani?”
“Please. I don’t pine.”
Gus appeared unconvinced. “Okay, still moping.”
Nick shot him a perturbed glance. “Nor do I mope.”
“Really? So you’re just in a run-of-the-mill bad mood, then?”
Nick sighed. “Yeah, something like that.”
Gus shook his head. “You should’ve listened to me.”
“Oh? And how would that have made a difference? Given that you’re an expe
rt in relationships and all.”
Gus seemed undeterred by the dig. “You could have—should have—done more to convince her that you’re the guy for her.”
“Well, I pretty much flat out told her as much. Or at least enough that she could put two and two together.”
“I’m talking shock and awe, man. Shock and awe.”
Nick’s eyes narrowed. “Excuse me?”
“You heard right. You need to do something over the top to get her attention. Something … explosive.”
“Yeah, well, I wanted to show her I’m the right guy for her. Not send her to the emergency room. And let me guess. Another gem from Doctor Love Rocket?”
“Hey, don’t knock it till you Rocket. Get it? Knock it till you Rock—”
Nick signaled ‘halt’ with his hand. “Yeah, I get it.”
“Well? I bet it’s not too late. And I’m willing to actually help.”
“Oh, gee,” Nick deadpanned, grabbing the last fry off his plate a split second before Gus took a swipe at it. “Why am I not jumping at this opportunity?”
“Because you don’t know what’s good for you.” Gus turned his head side to side as though scoping out the busy diner for eavesdroppers. Satisfied that no one was wearing a long-distance wiretapping device, he turned back to Nick and said in a low conspiratorial voice, “So here’s what we’re gonna do.”
◆◆◆
Dani gripped the steering wheel firmly with both hands as she headed down Route 1A South, a main thoroughfare on the outskirts of Cedarville that led to her newly rented law office. It was late Sunday morning, and though she felt three-quarter parts elated and one-quarter part anxious to be venturing out on her own as an attorney in private practice, she nevertheless knew with every fiber of her being that she had made the right decision. Plus, with her newly expanded role at the Women’s Center, it wasn’t like she was starting out from scratch. Sometimes, you just had to jump into the fray, knowing that the details would work themselves out in time.
