Remember the Night: a Heroes of the Night military romance novel (17 page)

Even you. How could two words cut so deeply? She'd basically just lumped him in with her cheating ex and high-maintenance mother. He didn't mind being grouped with her sons. They were okay in his book. Wanting a few extra moments before he engaged in the conversation with her, he returned to the kitchen and poured their coffee. Ironically, he happened to enjoy creamer in his coffee. A quick check of the fridge revealed skim milk. Better than nothing.

Cups in hand, he extended the mug with the straight-up coffee to her. "Here you go. You can probably use some of this about now."

The cloudy blue of her eyes locked on his face as she offered a weak smile. "Thanks."

She enjoyed the warm, strong brew. He might not be a gourmet cook, but he knew how to make a good cup of joe. Life in the military required good coffee, even if you didn't have the best beans or grounds to work with. Evelyn, of course, had only the best, including a personal grinder for the coffee beans. After enjoying a few swallows, he decided against a direct approach.

Placing his mug on a coaster, he retrieved his portfolio. "Can we talk shop for a minute?"

A small glimmer of light diminished the dullness Nathan's visit had caused. "Sure." Her gaze flitted to the portfolio. "You're not wanting to do another sketch, are you?"

His grin emerged again. Regardless of the situation, this woman found a way to make him smile. "I could spend years sketching you, sweetheart, and would love to do so again sometime soon. My creativity spikes when I'm around you. What I want to show you, though, is business."

Her blush warmed his heart and banished the images flashing in his mind of all the different ways, places, and various state of undress he could sketch this woman in. Opening up the portfolio, he started placing one picture after another on the coffee table. From the corner of his eye, he watched her reaction.

She lifted each canvas one by one, studying them intently. He watched as her pupils dilated and she leaned forward, a smile evident on her face. "These are amazing. You're incredibly talented."

Air filled his lungs, puffing his chest out a couple inches. No matter how many times an artist heard sincere praise, the self-doubt you carried about your work always made you relieved another person saw the beauty in your creation. He needed to stay on point, though. He'd relive the pride in her voice and face later. "Look on the back, please."

She turned each one over and scanned the back. He pointed to the sketch closest to him. "Here, in the corner. That's how I sign every original work I do, along with the date I completed it."

Less than a minute transpired before she looked up, a triumphant gleam in her eyes. "With the original of the sketch you did for your sister, we can prove it was your design, your creation, and you weren't employed at the time. This is fantastic."

"I'm glad you're pleased. You're actually the reason I remembered this and thought of the angle."

"I am?"

This time his cheeks heated. "I was looking at the picture I drew of you in India the other night. I fell asleep," he grinned, "to hot, smoking dreams, no less. When I woke, I found the picture upside down on the floor, which brought my attention to the initials and, more importantly, the date I'd sketched it."

The rim of the coffee cup hid her smile, but he saw the pride—and embarrassment—on her face from what he'd shared. "What will be our next step from a legal standpoint?"

"When is the first hearing?" Back to business again.

"Wednesday in Judge Winhold's courtroom, Cook County Courthouse. Nine in the morning, I believe."

She nodded. "I'm familiar with both him and his courtroom. Monday morning, we'll file a motion asking to be granted access to all copies of the sketch, which they probably made your sister submit as evidence when they filed their cease and desist order. Once we have access, we can locate the original. I'll demonstrate precedence with these sketches, then we'll finish them off by showing the judge the back of the original, thereby proving ownership belongs to you. Well, to your sister since you gave it to her. As long as the date was after you ended your employment with Alpha Design, you can prove they had no right to sell it without your permission."

She narrowed icy blue eyes in his direction. "There's no chance you gave them permission, did you?"

How many times would she ask the same question in different ways? "As I've told you before, the design was a going away gift for my sister."

Evelyn chewed on her bottom lip. He could almost see the wheels turning inside that remarkable head of hers.

"I still don't understand how Alpha came into possession of it then. We need to close that breach for an airtight case."

Another long draw of his coffee, weakened by the milk, left a bad taste in his mouth. Or maybe the direction of their conversation. Either way, he directed a semiglare in her direction. "One problem at a time. I found the proof you requested. Maybe a little positive reinforcement or encouragement?"

"I don't like to lose."

Stifling a groan, he fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Tell me something I don't know."

His statement seemed to fire her up again. "My clients appreciate that character trait in me. As you want this problem to go away, my guess is you want me to win, too." The ice in her eyes hardened even more. "See, that's the problem. Everyone wants a winner representing them, but they don't understand what type of personality it takes to do that over and over again. It's not a switch I can flip on and off at will. This is who I am, twenty-four seven."

Thankfully, he wasn't easily intimidated. She wanted to play direct. He could play too. Ensuring his voice remained level, he locked his gaze on the steely blues and offered a one-word reply, "Bullshit."

He kept her pacing form in sight. Absently, he wondered if she knew how incredibly sexy she came across while arguing her position as though addressing a courtroom full of people dressed in nothing but a silk robe.

"You better explain yourself right now, or get the hell out of my house."

"Nothing to explain, really. You're not like that twenty-four seven. I can count a number of hours when I've witnessed your softer side. You do it with your kids, your sister—even me, especially with me. Therefore, Counselor, your claim that you are guns a-blazin', all you do is win, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week is bullshit."

The look on her face reminded him of the expression, "If looks could kill…" Thankfully, the expression didn't hold true. Otherwise, the daggers from her eyes would've left more holes in his body than an automatic weapon with a full clip.

"Get out."

He stepped back as though she'd slapped him. What the hell? He'd pushed her before. She'd never pushed back so hard. "Ev? Come on. I'm just…"

Her lips barely moved when she cut him off, but the words and meaning were crystal clear. "Get your things, and get the hell out of my house."

One last time his gaze held hers, willing her to understand this wasn't necessary. Wanting her to see how much she meant to him. She neither blinked, flinched, nor showed any signs of softening.

Finally, he nodded in surrender. "You win."

"You win." Those were his parting words. After all they'd shared, secrets confided, and intimacies explored, he'd gathered his things without another word and done exactly what she'd asked. Rubbing her throbbing temples with her fingers, she couldn't believe the one person she
didn't
want to listen to her rants—actually did. The teeter-totter swings of her life needed to stop, or her head might spontaneously combust.

Curling up on the couch, she pulled her robe tighter around her body. Why did she snap like that? Every time Cody got close, either life pushed him away or she did. A shiver ran through her body as a reason occurred to her. She was scared.

Life had never been scary for her before. She'd always had a plan and known the best way to proceed. Then her marriage crumbled, and her relationship with her children and her mother became troubled. She'd made selfish decisions that hurt Cody. Hell, even the safety of her job—the one thing that had always been a surety in her life—was now being threatened. Nathan's visit had been a tipping point, and she'd taken it out on Cody.

She glanced at the clock. Nine in the morning. She had the whole weekend ahead of her…and she was all alone. She could've spent the entirety of each day in Cody's arms, smiling and making love to her heart's content. Not going to happen now. Only one thing left to do—work. She was running away from her problems, no doubt about it. For a little while, though, she needed to regain a small measure of control until she could figure out how to banish the fear and reclaim her life.

A short ninety minutes later, the comforting surroundings of her corner office in downtown Chicago welcomed her. She'd found a little peace seated behind her stately, hand-carved mahogany desk—a gift from her mother when she made partner. Fresh brewed coffee rested next to her right hand, and the stack of never-ending files at the other. Oddly, all of this brought a bit of respite in the midst of chaos. Time to get to work.

Four hours later, the coffee had gone cold, and she could swear the stack of files hadn't decreased by even an inch. How the hell was that possible? She pulled up her calendar to see when she might be able to put in some extra hours over the next week. Appointment after appointment filled up each day. On Wednesday, she noticed Cody's name, and her chest tightened, making it difficult to breathe. Regardless of what happened between them this morning, she'd made a commitment to represent him, and she would do nothing less than her very best to ensure the suit against his sister and him was dropped.

She needed to be prepared, which meant reviewing all the details the other side had presented and getting her name on the docket for representing the defendants. Offense often proved the best defense in cases like this, even if Cody and his sister didn't want to countersue. The temptation to call or text Cody gripped her resolve and pulled hard, but the hurt in his eyes this morning made her want to give him a little more time before she resumed a "business as usual" approach in their interactions. He already thought she was a cold-hearted shark. No need to give him additional evidence. She compartmentalized her emotions, whereas Cody wore his on the edge of his sleeve. Both approaches had advantages and disadvantages. Email would be the best way to handle this—professional yet including a bit of a personal touch.

The only problem with that approach? She didn't have his email.
I really am unprepared when it comes to this case.
A small lightbulb lit up in the front of her brain. Melodie would have the information she needed. Picking up the office phone, she dialed her number.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Mel, it's Ev. I need Cody's email address." She quickly added, "It's for the case."

"Hi. Yes, packing is going great. Thanks so much for asking. You want to come over and help since Nathan has the boys this weekend? That's so sweet of you to volunteer. Yes, five will be great. I'll order pizza."

What the hell was wrong with her sister? It took a minute, fifty seconds longer than it should have, for her to figure out the not-so-covert message Mel had been giving her. Damn, she was losing her edge.
Curves and edges…
Banishing the thought of Cody's assessment, she lowered her voice. "He's there, isn't he?"

"Yes, that's right. I want to get as much of the Chicago deep dish before Daniel forces me to move to a city where they don't understand pizza. You'll bring wine and beer? That's fantastic. Yes, see you then."

Evelyn shook her head. No consideration given to what she needed or wanted. She'd stop at a liquor store, as expected, on her way to Mel's apartment tonight where she'd be forced in close proximity with the one person on earth who wanted to be as far away as possible from her at the present moment. Another fun-filled weekend. Despite her best efforts to stop it, a sigh escaped. "Red or white wine?"

Her sister actually laughed. "Oh, I think you need to bring at least one of each."

"That bad, eh?"

"See you at five."

She hung up. All she had wanted was an email address. Now she had a "fun-filled" evening ahead of her. The throbbing in her temples picked up the tempo again, a faster cadence worthy of a drum and bugle corps performance. Maybe two bottles of each color were in order. Or, maybe she'd forget the wine altogether and go straight for the tequila.

A final check of the clock revealed she had time to finish up a few loose ends before heading back to the burbs and making the stops necessary to arrive at Melodie's by five. Her phone rang again. "Evelyn Alexander."

"Why are you using your maiden name?"

The drum line in her head upped their tempo. They were definitely going to set some kind of record at this point. "I'm no longer married, Mother."

"A temporary setback. You and Nathan are perfect for each other."

"Perfect didn't get it done this time. We're moving on. It would be easier on everyone if you would do the same." Evelyn felt a pang of sympathy for all the phone calls Melodie had endured over the years.

"Since when have you been interested in easy? This is why you need Nathan's influence in your life. He keeps you focused and centered."

She really didn't have time for this right now. "Can we talk about this later? I'm finishing up some work, and I'm helping Daniel and Melodie with their packing this evening."

"Speaking of Melodie, you are planning on attending the reception we're throwing for her, aren't you? I hate that it had to be on a Wednesday, but with them starting their move over the weekend, there was no choice." Marie's words were technically a question, but the tone of her voice indicated a statement of fact.

"Of course. Should I bring the boys?"

"Yes. Anastasia will be in attendance. Jason will be helpful in keeping her occupied She's a sweet girl but possesses a great deal of energy."

Evelyn smiled. Her mother had a soft spot for the little girl, even if she would never admit it out loud. "You're going to miss her when they've moved permanently to Mississippi, aren't you?"

A long pause—too long for comfort—extended before her mother spoke. "Certainly. She is a part of our family. I care for her."

"I'll miss her too."

"Nathan will be at the party. I expect you to be his escort for the evening."

Just like her mother to sabotage a sentimental conversation with her personal agenda. "Your expectations aren't going to be met. I'll be cordial and promise you we both will be on our best behavior."

"You cannot attend the function without an escort. People will talk."

Translated, Evelyn would be an embarrassment to show up divorced
and
unaccompanied. "I have a date."

"Oh? Do tell."

"I'll introduce you to him at the party." She had four days. She could find a date in that amount of time, couldn't she? Her stomach flip-flopped. The real question—could she convince Cody to forgive her and accompany her in that amount of time since his arm was the only one she wanted to be attached to?
Yeah, good luck with that.

"Very well. Don't forget an appropriate gift."

Evelyn rolled her eyes, an irrelevant gesture since no one could see, but it made her feel better. "This isn't my first party, Mother. I understand proper protocol."

"Normally, you are the one receiving the gifts. I don't expect we'll be celebrating you anytime soon if you don't get your act together."

Get my act together?
She focused on each word, not wanting her mother to hear the tremor in her voice. "I need to get back to work. I'll see you next week." Evelyn hung up the phone before Marie could say anything else. Ever since Daniel had fully brought to her attention how Marie's words affected Melodie, Evelyn had made a conscious effort not to repeat the same parenting mistakes. A bitter laugh escaped into the quiet of her office. Marie Alexander would never admit to making any mistakes.

She shut down her computer and locked everything up, arranging the files on her desk in priority order for tomorrow. The picture of her sons captured her attention, bringing a small smile. Of all her accomplishments, they were the ones that created the greatest sense of pride deep within her heart and soul. Somehow, she had to find better balance to make sure they knew and understood how much she loved them. Balance between pushing them to be their best yet supporting them even if their choices didn't match hers. Time to break the cycle. Time to find a way to earn Cody's forgiveness…if that were still possible.