Claire smiles and softly says, “Sure.”
“Thanks.”
“See you both inside.”
Time passes slowly, almost as if it intentionally wants to keep my mom in custody longer. Harper tries to engage me in conversation, but it doesn’t help much. Her phone rings.
“It’s Cindy. I forgot to call her.”
“Go ahead and pick it up. We’ve got lots of time.”
She answers. “Hey, Cindy. I’m so sorry I didn’t call you yesterday. There’s...there’s been a lot happening.”
I stroke Harper’s hand then lace my fingers through hers.
“I want you to know how much I appreciate the offer, but I’m going to decline. Everything sounds fantastic, but the big issue is the travel requirement. I went all over the world the last few years, and I’m looking to find something that keeps me in Chicago.”
I know Harper decided not to take a position that required her to be away from me, but hearing her say it selfishly makes me happy. Now she’s in my life, I can’t contemplate her not in it. If she left for weeks or months at a time, I think I might go crazy missing her. Something about her seems to keep me sane, even through the ridiculous chain of events we’ve already experienced.
“You would?” Harper’s face brightens. “If it works for you and you’re sure, I’ll say yes right now.”
My stomach flips faster, unsure what is happening or if I should be happy or freaked out right now.
“Great. I’ll call you tomorrow and we can talk further. Thanks, Cindy. I’m looking forward to working with you.” She hangs up, and she turns to me. Her eyes twinkle, and she grins.
“Well?” I ask her.
Be supportive. Don’t be a dick if this is what she wants.
“She said she figured I was going to turn her down due to the travel. Her jobs in Chicago keep growing. She said she thinks we would work well together, so if I didn’t want to be gone, I could work with her on her Chicago photo shoots. The rest she will utilize a traveling assistant.”
“Wow! Harper, that’s great.”
“Isn’t it?”
I kiss her. “I’m so proud of you. And totally relieved you aren’t going to live somewhere else for months on end.”
She softly laughs. “You were a bit worried there, weren’t you?”
I groan. “Was it obvious?”
“A little. But I’m glad.”
“You are?”
“Yeah. It feels nice to have someone want me.”
I cup her cheeks. “You’ll always be wanted.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.” I kiss her, and there’s a knock on the window. The door flies open, and Quinn slides into the seat with Jamison.
“Eww,” Quinn teases.
“You need to learn to knock and wait,” I reprimand her.
She rolls her eyes. “Whatever.”
“Where’s Hope?”
“Anna is watching her.”
“She hasn’t gone back to New York?” I ask.
“No.”
“Good. I hope she kicks that douchebag to the curb.”
“Speaking of dickheads, did you hear what Matt did yesterday?” Jamison asks.
The hairs on my arms stand up. I sternly reply, “No, what?”
“He ran into Anna. She went to the florist to buy some flowers. They were going to Sunday dinner at Vivian’s parent’s house.”
“And?”
“He hit on her. Tried to give her his number.”
“You’re kidding me?” Harper mutters.
“Nope.”
“Wow. He never knows when to stop, does he?” I grumble.
“Nope.”
My alarm rings on my phone. “We should go inside.”
We get through security at the courthouse and take our seats behind Claire. Quinn and I sit next to each other, and Harper and Jamison are on the other sides of us. Jamison leans over. “Don’t you think it’s a bit strange this isn’t on the news, and there aren’t any reporters here?”
An uneasiness creeps up. “You’re right. This should be all over the headlines.”
“How many people would need to be paid off to keep this under wraps?” Jamison asks.
“Everyone, including the FBI,” I mutter.
He nods and sits back.
The judge says, “Everyone, please clear the courtroom. The next case will be closed to the public.”
“What?” Quinn gasps.
Claire turns. “Wait outside.”
“Can they do this?”
“Yes. Don’t talk to anyone and go.”
The room clears out, and we are the last to leave. I hoped to get a glimpse of my mother to see how she’s handling things, but she never appears. The next ten minutes are excruciating, and I spend it pacing the hallway.
Claire finally walks out.
“What’s going on?” Quinn asks worriedly.
“We’ll talk in the car.”
We follow her outside, and Ted pulls up. Quickly, we all slide in.
“Her bail is set at one million.”
“What? That’s insane,” Quinn cries out.
“We’ll cover it,” Jamison assures her.
Claire hands him the paperwork. “You can have this processed in thirty minutes.”
“Why did they make us leave?” I ask.
“They are keeping it under wraps so the media doesn’t find out. My guess is the judge, and FBI, are all under the governor’s orders.”
“He’s done this to force me into working for him, and no one will know he wrongfully incarcerated my mother. He thinks she’ll run back to him since no one knows.”
“She probably will,” Quinn mumbles.
“She better not,” I hiss.
Harper puts her hand on my arm.
Quinn’s eyes glisten. “How many times has she let him get away with treating her like dirt, Steven? All he does is manipulate her. He’s still in control, even when she’s behind bars. What makes this any different?”
“She knows he’s a criminal now. It has to change something,” I insist.
“I hope so but don’t expect a miracle, Steven,” Quinn quietly replies.
“This is different.” As the words come out, I can’t help but wonder if it’s true, or if Maximillion will sink his claws into her again.
“How long will it take to release her once bail is paid?” Quinn asks.
“It can take up to twelve hours but normally within four to eight hours.”
“Maximillion said she’d be in his bed tonight,” I blurt out, and my nausea grows.
“Ugh,” Quinn cringes. “He’s so disgusting.”
“He won’t let her sit. I bet she’s released sooner.”
“I’m going to go in. Steven, come with me,” Jamison directs.
We go inside and wait until we can post the bail. Jamison takes care of it, and within minutes, as I expected, my mom walks out the door, in her clothes from the day she was arrested. As soon as she sees me, her face crumples. I quickly pull her into me and hold her as she sobs.
“Shh. You’re okay. Let’s get out of here.”