Fox’s eyes light up as Bub smiles wider than a Cheshire cat. “I’m so glad to hear this.”
“We need to see Finley. Are you guys okay to care for the kids while we head out and deal with this?”
Bub picks Lucas up, popping him on her lap, and he immediately cuddles into her. Lucas laughs as she fusses over him. “I think we can manage some overdue time with our grandbabies.”
“Thanks, Bub.”
We turn to head off, but Fox calls out, “Kevlar…” We peer over our shoulders. “I’m proud of you, son.”
Kevlar bobs his head at his father-in-law, then turns back to me with a wink. Then we’re off. We hop on his bike, and I swear I will never get sick of being on the back of this thing. The rush I get while being wrapped around Kevlar, holding onto him like he’s my world, is the best feeling there is. Not to mention the rumble of the engine and the wind whipping at my face is the most energizing, uplifting, emotionally-charged thrill ride you could ever imagine.
I never want to go a day without being on the back of his ride.
Pulling up at the law firm, I’m a little nervous. If Finley can’t help me, then I’ll have to start all over again, that is, if the college will take me in at all. If not, it will be back to bar work and look where that got me last time—in a back alley with my father aiming a fucking gun at my head.
We walk into the tall office building—the sleek lines and polished floors remind me of something from Suits. I imagine myself as Meghan Markle right now. She was a paralegal on the show, then in real life she found a prince who stepped back from the monarchy for her. I’m going to apply to be a paralegal for Finley, and I’ve found a prince who left the police force—not for me per se, but for love. That shows the kind of character Kevlar is, and the lengths he’ll go for the woman he loves.
Kevlar might not be Prince Charming riding in on a white steed, but I know I’d rather have a king on a black and chrome Harley any day.
The television on the wall catches my attention. I see Rush taking center stage, and I stop, pulling Kevlar with me. “Look!” He turns to the television, which luckily has subtitles switched.
It reads—Rush is doing a tour of Texas, including Houston, San Antonio, Dallas, and Austin.
My eyes widen as I spin to face Kevlar. “I wonder if he’s doing this because of Sav, or if it was already planned?”
“Tours are usually booked way in advance. I’d say that’s why he didn’t mention it. So, he didn’t get Sav’s hopes up.”
“Sav is having so much fun at the club. Honestly, I think Rush is nothing but a blip on her radar now. But I’d love to see him, though. I wonder if we can catch up while he’s in town?”
Kevlar shrugs. “You never know?”
Well, at least that distracted me for one moment.
We make our way up to the fourth floor, then to the front desk. The receptionist picks up her phone before we even reach her. By the time we get to her, she bobs her head. “Ms. Knight is waiting for you in her office. You can head on up.”
Kevlar tilts his head. “Thanks, Dani.”
I turn to face Kevlar, and he waves his hand toward the hall. “Thank you, kind sir.”
He chuckles as I walk, straightening out my shirt. I should have worn something more professional. Something more suited to a job interview. I’m better than this. I’m normally far more prepared, but Kevlar caught me off-guard before we left with his swoon-worthy kissing.
I sigh, touching my lips.
God, that kissing.
Focus, Jovie!
We reach the end of the hall, and Kevlar moves past me, knocking on the door. “Come in!”
“You ready?” he whispers.
Nervously, I nod my head once. “No,” comes out though, my thoughts betraying me.
Kevlar takes my hand in his. Leaning in, he presses a gentle kiss to my forehead. Then he opens the door, walking us inside. The sheer size of the office takes my breath away. It’s bigger than my bedroom was back in San Antonio. My eyes widen, taking in the view overlooking the McKinney Street Children’s Playground. It’s a calming environment with a warm atmosphere. She’s really made this space hers.
Behind her large desk, the wall is one massive bookshelf filled to the brim with reference books. My heart does a little flutter seeing all the law books waiting to be explored. I want to run my hands over them, reading every page. A potted plant with lush green leaves stands tall in the corner. The whole room is open and fresh.
Awards and certificates line the wall showing me just how respected Finley is in the industry. My respect for her grows even more.
“Kevlar, good, you’re here. Take a seat, we have matters to discuss,” she blurts out, not even looking up from her laptop.
I close the door behind me.
Does she even know I’m here?
Should I say something?
Introduce myself?
We walk over to the two oversized white leather armchairs, then sit.
“Fin, this is—”
She holds up her hand stopping Kevlar from talking mid-sentence. She continues to type, then picks up her coffee, takes a long sip, then types some more. A swoosh sounds, signaling the sending of an email, then she closes the lid of her laptop and looks up. Finley shoves her hand out across the table toward me. “Jovie Hannon, it’s nice to meet you. Your scores at St. Mary’s University were impressive before you left.”
I lean across her desk to shake her hand. Her grip is super firm. I try to meet it but don’t grip too tight, letting her be the dominant one in this handshake. She lets go, sitting back in her seat, her red hair hardly even moving when she shifts. It’s styled perfectly.
The woman is flawless.
It’s kind of intimidating.
“Thank you. I worked extremely hard. Law is my passion, and—”
“Let me stop you right there! Is law your passion because you believe in justice, believe in the system, or because you’re doing it for a reason, based on an event… some sort of life trauma?” My heart begins to race as I glance at Kevlar. “Don’t search for guidance, Jovie. I need your honest answer, or I can’t help you.”
I turn back to her, my palms sweating as I wipe them on my jeans. “I want to be an attorney so I can put my father in prison.” Finley pushes back further in her seat. Now she’s assessing me. “I’m sorry if I’m not doing it for the right reasons, I just—”
“Stop! Stop trying to impress me, Jovie. Just relax, be yourself. The thing about law… not every case is structured. Not every case is textbook. It’s fluid. There are moving parts. Just because on paper someone appears guilty, it doesn’t mean they are. It’s your job to be able to find the truth, and sometimes it means being able to break the rules. There are two types of attorneys. The ones who are in it because they’re sticklers, those who follow the rule book, who love the law, look at everything in black and white… there’s nothing gray in the world. Then there are attorneys like you and me, who want to do this because we have something to fight for, which means we see the gray. Hell, I’ve been in this long enough to know there’s a whole fucking rainbow out there to look at… a good example is sitting right next to you.” Kevlar raises his brow.