“It’s been great to see you again, Rita. I miss your dad.” Her words are like a final stab to my chest. He was respected by those who entered his courtroom, but I miss him a million times more than anyone else because he was my father.
“Yeah. Me too,” I mutter as Parker rubs a sympathetic hand down my arm before excusing herself. I watch as she walks away before turning back to the gathered crowd, hoping to find Jake among the mass, only to find Nolan on the periphery a few yards from me, watching me.
Firemen started fires to save jobs. The words come back to me in Jake’s voice when he explained the judge’s reasoning behind a motive for Jake’s actions. The actions he didn’t make.
Oh my God. I didn’t like what I was thinking.
22
Jake
“Rory,” I call out around the cluster of people. I’d gotten Nolan out of the fray, pushing him to the edge of the sprawl of graduates and families who trickled outside before I headed back through the crowd to find his son.
Rory turns as he hears his name and waves at me. We both work our way around bodies before we connect then I drag his body into a hug.
“I’m so proud of you, little man,” I say as I slap his back.
“You know you can stop calling me that,” he teases, pulling out of my embrace but keeping an arm around my shoulder. It hits me at the moment how much I’ve missed this kid, who is no longer little, and how much I’ve missed out on with him in the past seven years. His graduation from high school and college. His senior moments like prom and parties. His college fraternity weekends for families. His meeting Brynne.
A petite blonde stands off to the side when Rory spins out of our embrace.
“Uncle Jake, you remember Brynne.” My nephew’s voice is infused with his love for this girl who smiles shyly and offers a hand in greeting.
“I hear we’re going to be family again.” Clutching her offered hand, I step forward and press a kiss to her cheek. I decide it’s not her fault she’s a Dunhill and related to Lisa.
“Still the charmer, I see.” My back straightens at the sound of my ex-wife’s voice. Lisa’s still stunning with raven black hair and deep-set dark eyes, but her tone reminds me how ugly she turned. Standing beside Lisa is her older sister, Brynne’s mother, Monica.
“Monica. Lisa,” I state, a bit surprised at their attendance. “I didn’t know you’d be here.”
Rory clears his throat. “Lisa and Brynne are close.” The unspoken is heard loud and clear. Brynne was raised by her aunt, almost like Rory was raised by me as his uncle. Brynne’s mother was a single parent just like Nolan. Connections become clear to me. Rory and Brynne understand one another.
“It’s great to see you again,” Lisa states, but I’m certain she’s lying. Her eyes roam up and down my suit-clad body. “You look good.”
Unease washes over me. I’m not playing games with my ex-wife. She wanted to dissolve our marriage. We’d called it irreconcilable differences as she wished, but the truth was she cheated on me with a chief in the department. They had an affair, and I’d caught her.
Glancing away from her, I search for Nolan, who I didn’t think I’d easily spot, but the crowd is thinning as people move about the campus for pictures. Rita stands near my brother. The two of them are facing one another, and Nolan wears an expression of irritation. His lips move rapidly while Rita stands before him, hands clasped together near her belly. Her head is bent forward as if she’s listening intently or taking a verbal beating.
“Excuse me,” I say, mindful of Lisa watching me but keeping my eyes focused on my brother and my girl. Drawing near, I slip my arm around Rita as Nolan clamps his lips shut.
“What’s going on?” I question, looking from Rita to my brother, who has a fine sheen of sweat along his upper lip.
“Rita was just telling me about an old friend,” Nolan states.
“I wouldn’t say she’s a friend,” Rita mutters, and I stroke my hand up her back.
“You looked pretty cozy,” Nolan accuses, and I glare down at my brother.
“Who did you see?” I ask, shifting my gaze to Rita.
“Parker Avery,” Rita states, turning her head so I meet her blue eyes through those glasses I love on her.