“You’re thinking this is all too good to be true. That it’s been too easy.” Brad returned to his keyboard and computer screen. “Drew will not like this.”
“Drew’s life is at stake.” Molly set her palms flat on the desk and leaned toward Drew’s brother. Determination fueled every inch of her. “I don’t have time to consider his feelings.”
“Just wanted to be clear. Make sure we’re both on the same page.” Brad stilled and stared at Molly. “Drew will be mad about this. He’ll be mad at me, but he’ll blame you.”
“I know the risks and accept the fallout.” Molly pushed off the desk and stepped away. Just as she understood the risks of falling for Drew and why she wouldn’t accept that fallout. “I will not lose this case. Or watch Drew’s livelihood shatter when Gina or someone else on the sidelines might’ve been able to change the course of the hearing so that the right decision was made. The same applies to overturning Van’s verdict.”
Brad pressed a button on his keyboard. His attention never veered from Molly.
Molly crossed her arms over her chest and tipped her chin up. “If you won’t do it, I’ll find someone who will.”
“I like you, Molly. I really like you.” Brad rose. A wide smile stretched across his face. “And that twenty-four-hour surveillance is already done. Set it up while we were talking.”
Molly’s shoulders released. “Just like that.”
“Yeah.” Brad picked up the folder on Gina and set it on a shelf behind him. “You’ll let me know if you want this.”
Molly nodded and exhaled. In another life, she would’ve welcomed Brad as a friend. And an ally. But she knew his loyalty would always remain with his brother. “What about Drew?”
“My brother believes his way is the only way. He’s a lot like our mother. Though he’d argue just the opposite.” Brad motioned to the open doorway. “But I’ve learned that other ways are not always wrong. And if it comes from the heart, how can that be wrong?”
From the heart. No, Molly relied on her mind. She’d put an unbreakable wall around her heart. She followed Brad into the hallway. “You know Drew is a client. And I’ve built a career on leaving my heart out of the courtroom.”
“But you technically aren’t in the courtroom.” Brad stepped around the corner and paused. He tipped his head toward a glass wall, separating a large break room from the offices and cubicles.
Inside the break room, Hazel removed Drew’s baseball cap, handed it to a laughing older woman who passed it back to Drew. He settled the hat back on his head and the cycle was repeated. Hazel laughed and squealed. And Molly’s heart, the one with the unbreakable wall, squeezed.
Brad opened the door to the break room for Molly to enter.
Drew turned and smiled. “Come on in and join us.”
Drew thrust his free arm out to his side as if inviting Molly to step into his embrace. As if welcoming Molly into his inner circle.
As Molly passed by Brad, he murmured, “Are you sure Drew is only a client?”
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
OUTSIDE BRAD’S OFFICE building, Molly paused Hazel’s stroller and shoved her sunglasses on. The polarized lenses filtered the sunlight, reduced the glare off the sidewalks and concrete buildings, but failed to do anything about her concern.
She wanted to rush back inside, take the elevator to Brad’s floor and convince Drew’s brother that, Yes, Drew is definitely only a client. She wanted to argue until she removed all doubt from Brad’s mind and her own.
“Hazel and I want ice cream.” Drew leaned forward and adjusted Hazel’s headband.
Molly blinked and focused on Drew. More specifically the one corner of his mouth tipping into his cheek. Boyish and charming. She shouldn’t be enchanted. Crossing her arms over her chest, Molly arched one eyebrow. “Hazel told you that she wants ice cream?”
“What kid doesn’t want ice cream?” Drew straightened and stretched his arms to his sides. His voice was good-natured, his smile ratchetting into captivating. “As if she needs to tell me.”
“Why ice cream?” Molly asked.
“It’s a little early for cocktails.” Drew dropped his chin the tiniest of notches and settled his gaze on Molly. “And I really don’t think we should bring Hazel into a bar. Bad form and all that. Baby blue here will have too many hearts breaking when she gets older as it is. It’s better she learns to avoid bars now,” he teased.
Molly adjusted her sunglasses and her surprise. “You’re serious?”
“Every day I swear her blue eyes get brighter and wider.” Drew grabbed the stroller and spun Hazel around to face Molly. He motioned to Hazel as if in a courtroom presenting newly discovered evidence. “Haven’t you noticed that?”
No. Hazel’s blue eyes had always been the most prominent feature of her face and reached right into Molly’s heart. But she had noticed Drew was much more animated whenever he talked about Hazel, as if she somehow energized the world he saw. Hazel had changed Molly’s view, but that was expected, since she was her daughter. “So, we should have ice cream, not cocktails, because...”
“Because I feel like I want to celebrate.” He held his hands up, palms out. His tone was buoyant. “I know we have a lot of work to do. I know nothing is settled. But it’s the first time I have real hope. That’s worth celebrating.”
She wanted to celebrate too. With Drew. As if she shared that same full hope. But she couldn’t lose her professional objectivity. Attorneys and clients shook hands and retreated to their own homes once their business concluded for the day. Brad had given Drew and Molly the information they needed to contact Reuben Cote. Their time together was now officially concluded. “We can’t join you for ice cream.” At Drew’s frown, Molly quickly added, “I have interviews with potential nannies already booked this
