important as we ate, and before long, I’d consumed every last bite of food. I patted my stomach. “Thank you. That was perfect.”
Crosby leaned over and pressed a kiss to the corner of my mouth. “Anytime.”
“Have you talked to Zoe recently?” With all the craziness, we hadn’t been out to visit her lately, and I didn’t want her to feel as if we’d abandoned her.
Crosby nodded as he set his coffee mug down. “We video chatted yesterday. I told her a CliffsNotes version of what’s been going on. She gets that things are going to be busy for a while. She seems to really be settling in at the Wilsons’. Ingrid said she even had a friend from her soccer team sleep over.”
Warmth spread through my chest. “That’s a great sign. I still want to get over there as soon as we can.”
Crosby gave my thigh a squeeze. “We will. I don’t think this trial will last more than another week or two.”
My stomach twisted at his words. The trial would be over, but did that mean I would be out of a home? I let my eyes fall closed and took a deep breath. I had to stay positive, send out every hope that the judge would see through the Abbots’ concerned family act to their grasping greed.
Crosby’s hands cupped my face. “I’m optimistic. I really am.”
I pressed my lips to his. “You’ve done an amazing job with this case.” He’d searched out teachers and neighbors I never thought he’d find to cast doubt on Janet’s testimony. He’d found medical experts to support Dr. Kipton’s statement of Harriet’s state of mind. He’d given everything he had to try and help me keep my home. “I love you” was on the tip of my tongue again, but I held it back.
“Thank you.”
One of his hands slid down my face to squeeze the back of my neck. “Anything for you.”
Not quite. I hated that the thought even entered my mind, but it didn’t make it any less true. Crosby would give me anything but a promise of a future. A family. And there was a little voice inside me that wondered if I could live with that. I pushed it aside, opting to kiss him instead.
“I’ll take that as payment for legal services any day.”
I laughed and began gathering up our dishes. “Isn’t that against the rules somewhere?”
“I could get disbarred, but it would be worth it.”
I grinned down at the dishes as I crossed to the sink. “You’re incorrigible.”
Crosby followed behind me, pressing a kiss to my neck. “And that’s just how you like me.”
It was true. The boyish energy that used to drive me up a wall was now one of the things I loved most about Crosby. It was as if he saw the world as his playground in the best way possible. He wanted to see and experience everything. And he could turn the simplest of activities into the grandest of adventures.
“So, what are your plans for the day?” he asked.
I rinsed our plates, sticking them into the dishwasher. “I’m going to head to the realtor and see if there are any office spaces for rent in town. Hopefully, I can check a few out.”
Crosby handed me our empty coffee mugs. “Sounds good… Be careful, okay?”
My hands stilled in the sink. “You’re that worried about Grant?”
Crosby scrubbed a hand over his stubble that had grown to the point of almost being a short beard. “I’m probably being overly cautious, but I’d rather be too careful than reckless. He’s going to get more desperate the worse this case gets for him.”
I shut off the water and wrapped my arms around Crosby’s waist. “I’ll be careful. I’ve got my phone. I’ll call if he shows up anywhere.” And if Grant gave me any more trouble, I had a nice can of pepper spray in my purse just for him.
39
Crosby
“I’m going to grab a sandwich from The General Store. You want anything?” I wasn’t even that hungry after Kenna’s and my monster breakfast, but I needed a break. I’d gone over and over my cross-examination for Janet, the questions I had for the other witnesses who would be on the stand tomorrow. I needed some fresh air to clear my head.
Penny looked up from her computer. “I’m good, hun. Got the world of leftovers from everything I made for the knitting circle last night.”
My lips twitched as I eyed Penny. “You struggling today? I know how wild and crazy those