I think we should take some time and discuss your case before I speak with him.” My almost father-in-law doesn’t waste time. He’s a brilliant defense attorney. I’m incredibly fortunate to have him on my side, but I don’t like how he’s taking over.
“Evelyn is welcome to stay here,” Asher says.
“That’s incredibly considerate, but it’s best if she keeps a place for herself. We need to manage her public image.” Prescott dismisses Asher’s offer.
I really want to say something, but I’ve seen Prescott work his cases. Image is everything. It shouldn’t be, but it is. Cases should be decided by the preponderance of the evidence, but Prescott understands how juries work. He’s not so subtlety telling me I need to keep my nose clean and project a pristine image. That’s not going to happen if I’m seen shacking up with the firefighter that rescued me. Everything in my life needs to be beyond reproach.
For this reason only, I concede to Prescott’s plans.
I grip Asher’s hand. “Thanks for letting me stay last night.”
“You’re welcome to continue staying here. No need to rent a room in town. The guest room is yours.” He says that for Prescott’s benefit, but we both know I won’t be staying in any guest room.
“I’ve already rented the house. We should get going. I have a meeting with Judge Simon at noon, and I don’t want to keep him waiting. Evie, why don’t you grab your things?”
“There’s not much to grab. I lost everything in the fire.”
“Oh, sweetie, that’s horrible.” Gracie grabs my hands. Her eyes light up with excitement. “That just means we get to go shopping. Now, while Prescott is talking with the judge, you and I can hit the stores. I’ve been itching for a shopping trip, and you can definitely use some retail therapy. We’ll get you something nice. None of that wretched hiking gear,” she continues on, pulling me toward the car.
Their driver stands by the passenger side door, tall, impassive, and unmoving until Gracie draws close. Before I know it, he opens the door and I’m staring inside the luxurious car. I pull to a stop and disengage myself from Gracie’s overly eager grip.
“I need to go back inside, grab my purse, and say my goodbyes.” There’s no way I’m going to leave Asher without a proper goodbye. In many ways, I feel as if Prescott is pulling me away from Asher. Which he is, but only for my own good.
I hate how that sounds.
But that’s the thing with Prescott, he thinks he knows what’s best for me. He thought so after the accident, but I went and did my own thing. It’s my belief he’s hanging on to me. I lost my fiancé in the accident, along with my entire family. He lost his son.
Holding on to me, I believe, is his way of holding onto his son. I was a day away from becoming his daughter-in-law and I don’t think he’s moved on.
That’s how I got myself into my current situation. I needed space and he smothered me with paternalistic love. Why he did it is something I understand, intellectually, but emotionally it’s too much. He tried stepping into my father’s shoes too soon when my grief was too raw.
For now, I’ll have to play along with his plans, at least a little, if only because he really is a fantastic criminal defense attorney. I’m not going to bite that gift horse in the mouth.
“I’ll be right back.” I pull away from Gracie and head back to the house.
“Would the two of you like to come inside?” Asher offers his hospitality. “We were just finishing breakfast, but there’s plenty to share.”
“We ate on the way over,” Prescott says. “We’ll wait here.”
Asher grabs my hand and tugs me inside. The moment the door closes, he spins around. “He’s a tough nut to crack.”
“You have no idea.”
“You really want to leave? You can stay here. You don’t have to go.”
“I know, but he’s good at what he does. It may not make sense, but he knows what he’s doing. I guess he wants to show me off as the girl next door, someone everyone loves, and who would never in a million years set a forest fire.”
“Ah, I see, but you can still stay here. The thought of you all the way in town is killing me, especially when I want more time to savor you. We didn’t exactly take our time last night.”
“Hun, what’s going on? Who is that outside?”