But that had been a decade ago. Drew and Molly had accepted their hard-won degrees and built the legal careers they had always talked about. His in the public sector in San Francisco. Hers in private practice in Los Angeles.
If he’d ever thought of encountering Molly McKinney again, he always assumed it would be inside a courtroom as opposing counsel.
Two more paralegals and a junior attorney from the same firm gathered around Molly. Awe and reverence on their faces as they officially met top-notch criminal defense attorney, Molly McKinney. Her reputation clearly had transcended the Los Angeles county lines.
A reputation Molly had more than earned.
As for Drew’s reputation, his was more than dented.
We can assure the public that we will be pursuing charges against Drew Harrington to the full extent of the law. We considered Mr. Harrington one of our own and his actions are a betrayal to everything the district attorney’s office stands for.
The district attorney’s quote had been printed minutes after the accusations against Drew had been announced a week ago. Every news outlet in the state had been more than eager to post, print and repeat Cory Vinson’s words in its coverage.
Unease pricked at the back of Drew’s neck.
If he was a scapegoat, as he’d begun to believe he was, he wanted to go down completely alone and keep his coworkers and friends, and especially his family, from becoming potential targets too. That included Molly McKinney.
Drew started down the stairs, veering away from the side of the rotunda where Molly continued to capture the attention of her admirers.
“Drew.” Molly’s no-nonsense voice extended like a drawn-out echo around the rotunda. “Drew Harrington!”
Drew slowed, but considered the closest exit. Twenty feet. He’d charged longer distances inside a maul on the rugby field to score for his team in college. But he refused to retreat now. He had nothing to hide from. Drew turned around to face her.
Molly excused herself from the group and walked over to him, clearly confident in her expensive heels and matching silver-gray business jacket and skirt. Her hair fell straight past her shoulders, not one strand disobeying the sleek styling. Molly looked polished, professional and put together. She’d always worn the look of success well. It’s important to always look like the person you want to become, Drew. He’d lost count how many times she’d repeated that mantra to him over the years.
He touched the wide precise knot on his new tie. He always preferred the formal knot and a dark colored suit in the courtroom. Today was no different. He knew who he was and had to remember that no false accusation defined him. “Molly. It’s been a while. I heard you were moving to the city to expand the law offices of Loft and Concord. I didn’t know you were already in town.”
“I know I used to warn you about the danger of believing every rumor you hear.” Molly adjusted her briefcase on her shoulder.
“If that’s only a rumor, what’s the truth then?” Drew walked beside her toward the exit.
“I needed a fresh start and relocated to your city.”
Drew sensed there was so much more in her suitable though not quite believable answer. But he pulled back from asking for more details. Definitely not his business. This was not a reunion. Merely a chance encounter at the courthouse. One he’d anticipated, but under different circumstances. He held the door open for her. “How’s that fresh start working out?”
“A bit more bumpy than I’d anticipated.” She brushed at a brown stain on the sleeve of her tailored jacket.
The stain, small but still noticeable, surprised him. She’d always been meticulous about her appearance. Yet the waver in her voice drew him closer. He opened his mouth, ready to offer his help.
But he was poised to lose his career, he reminded himself. What could he offer one of the best attorneys in the state? Besides, she hadn’t asked for his aid. He motioned toward the coffee shop across the street from the courthouse. “It’s been good to see you, Molly, but I have a standing appointment that I can’t miss.”
Molly twisted slightly and glanced over her shoulder. “Is this appointment at Roasted Vibes Café by chance?”
“It is.”
“I could use a decent cup of coffee.” She smoothed her hand over her hair as if acknowledging she wasn’t 100 percent her usual self. “Mind if I walk with you?”
Throughout law school, they’d walked miles together back and forth across campus, arguing, discussing, debating and laughing. The details of their conversations had faded. Yet the remnants of the connection they’d once shared tugged at him. Drew shook his head, moved toward the crosswalk and away from his past.
At the intersection, Molly paused. Her deep brown eyes settled fully on him. “Drew, how are you?” she asked, a note of concern evident in her voice.
Her gaze had always been clear, clever and fearless. But it was the warmth in her eyes now that pinned Drew to the sidewalk and made him consider Molly as more than a peer. More than simply an old classmate.
Her plea softened her words. “And please tell me the truth.”
The truth. That required a certain level of trust. Drew had trusted his former boss, the district attorney, no less, and now Drew could lose everything, including the fine reputation he’d spent the last decade building. Now, his entire future was at stake and he could not risk trusting the wrong person again. “It’s been bumpier than I ever expected.”
“I’m serious, Drew.” She crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. “How are you?”
Alone. He stood alone on his own proverbial island. Isolated. That justice he’d worked so tirelessly to uphold every day was now someone else’s job. Someone else’s purpose. Drew clenched the handle of his briefcase and nudged aside the loneliness that threatened to surround him like a cold embrace. “I’ve got everything handled.”
“It’s okay if you don’t.
