“Just that they might be in touch,” Heidi said miserably. “Apparently Clay himself will be getting on the stand, and they’re worried about him being able to charm the jury. They think their best shot is to discredit him on a personal level. Make him seem not only a thief, but, well . . . a callous jerk.”
But he’s not.
Damn it.
Brooke hated that that was her first thought—to defend the man who’d broken her heart. It was just so damn hard to erase the memories she had of Clay. Of the man she’d known. Loved. That Clay might not have been real, but their time together was. Her memories were. Her happiness with Clay . . . that had been real to her, even if it had ultimately also been an illusion.
“I haven’t heard from her,” Brooke said quietly. “Let’s hope it stays that way.”
“So you wouldn’t testify?” Heidi pressed.
“I don’t know. I don’t think so,” Brooke replied, spinning around the cup of her now-cold latte. “But if Dad wants to, I don’t have a problem with it.”
“You’re sure? Because, honey, you know that we did like Clay. It’s just . . .”
“He took all your money, Mom,” Brooke said, still trying to wrap her head around the betrayal. “I more than understand that he needs to face the consequences of that.”
Just leave me out of it.
“I know that your brain gets that. You’re a smart girl. It’s your heart I worry about.”
“Mom,” Brooke interrupted, trying to keep her voice gentle and patient. “This is why I moved to New York. So that I could get away from all of that.”
Brooke heard footsteps behind her and turned to see Alexis backing out of her office with an apologetic wave.
Sorry, Alexis mouthed.
Brooke waved her apology away. In fact, her boss’s interruption made for the perfect excuse.
“Mom, I’ve got to go. Work calls.”
“Okay, sweetie. Will you call me later? Your dad hasn’t committed to testifying yet, so if you change your mind, it’s really not a problem for either of us. We would completely understand.”
“I’m not going to change my mind. Tell Daddy to go for it. Really.”
“But, sweetie—”
“I love you, Mom. Tell Dad I love him, too.”
Brooke hung up, knowing by now that it was literally the only way to end a phone call with her mother, who seemed physically incapable of saying the word bye to her only daughter.
“Come in,” Brooke said in a bright tone to her boss. “Unless you’d prefer I come to your office?”
Alexis entered and sat down. “What is it you wanted to talk to me about?”
Well. So much for small talk.
“I’m sorry about the personal call,” Brooke blurted out, knowing she was stalling big-time. “It’s just . . . moms,” Brooke mumbled as she dug around in her drawer for the emergency Hershey’s Kisses she kept stashed.
“I understand. I’ve got one of those, too,” Alexis said, her voice uncharacteristically kind.
“Yes, but do you have a criminal ex-fiancé for your mother to fret over?”
Alexis let out a sharp laugh that hinted at hidden pain. “No. But honestly, I think my mother would prefer me to have a con man than no man.”
Brooke popped a Hershey’s Kiss in her mouth and held one out to Alexis, who shook her head. Of course not. No chocolate for this one.
Still, Alexis’s face looked happier than usual, her body language just a little more relaxed than Brooke was used to seeing. The result of spending time with a certain accountant, perhaps?
Excited to see another side of her boss, however slightly, Brooke smiled and kept up the small talk. “Is she one of those moms that sends you articles about freezing your eggs?”
“Oh, so you’ve met her?” Alexis said with a wry smile. She held out her hand, apparently having changed her mind about the candy. “My comfort food is usually Fritos, but I suppose this will work in a pinch.”
Brooke tilted her head to the side, and tried to picture the delicate-featured, classy brunette eating salty, greasy corn chips. “Nope. Can’t picture it.”
Alexis chewed her Hershey’s Kiss slowly and methodically, the way she did everything else. “Yes, well. Let’s just say that my chip breakdowns are few and far between, and I ensure they happen in private.”
“Do these breakdowns ever have anything to do with a certain sexy Brit?”
Alexis blinked. “What?”
Uh-oh. Too far.
Still, it was too late to backpedal.
“Oh, come on,” Brooke said lightly. “You can’t tell me you have private, early-morning meetings