Remember the Night: a Heroes of the Night military romance novel (20 page)

"Relax. You were young. She took advantage. Not your fault."

"Kind of you not to judge my past mistakes, especially those involving romance and dating."

"Remember who you're talking to here. I've made more than enough mistakes in that department. Zero judgment from the recently divorced gallery. We're seated next to the peanut gallery, in case you were wondering where to find us."

Gratitude filled his wounded heart. "Come to the farm for a visit. I'd love to show you the place. I'll wait to introduce you to Dad until his heart is stronger. You're a lethal combination of smart and sexy that wouldn't be good for his health." His smile had returned. Yet again, he'd confessed to some pretty messy mistakes, and she'd not only overlooked them but also refrained from adding to his misery by agreeing with his self-incrimination.

"I'd love to, but I can't."

No "Let me think about it" or "I'll see what I can work out." Nothing except "I can't."

"Okay, I understand." He didn't, but now wasn't the time to address it. Later, at the party, maybe, when they had a quiet moment.

"I'll call you tomorrow evening with updates and to see how your dad is doing."

He needed to end the call before he undid all the progress they'd made. If they'd actually made any. "Thanks for answering the phone, and good luck tomorrow."

"I'm glad I did, too. Sweet dreams."

His dreams of late were always of her. Tonight they'd be bittersweet, plagued by the realization she preferred to keep him at an arm's length. In her life but not really in it. He wasn't ready to call the game, not yet. But there were only so many innings a man could play before he had to take his spot on the bench. "Good night, Ev."

Evelyn hated being late, especially on a Monday. Cody's late-night call had her mind jumping between the information he'd shared and what he didn't say. The change in the tone of his voice after she'd turned down a visit to the farm had been unmistakable. It's not that she didn't want to go. There were just too many priorities clamoring for her attention. A weekend trip away, as nice as it sounded, would put her behind at work. With the other senior partners breathing down her neck, it was a luxury she couldn't afford right now.
I should have explained it better to Cody.
She would try and explain the next time they had a chance. It wasn't a solid no, just a not yet.

Because of the less-than-normal sleep, she'd hit the snooze twice on her alarm, sending the day down the slippery slope of suffering from the moment she cut herself with the razor in the shower. The boys had been slow to rise and battled her every minute. Nathan was late picking them up. If the silly grin on his face provided any indication, his morning had been spent in Monique's willing arms. Men!

"Glad you could join us today, Evelyn." Nevil's snide tone pricked at her patience and forced her to bite hard on the retort pressing to escape her colorless lips. A stop at the lady's room would be necessary to pull her appearance together before her first client meeting at nine.

"It's eight fifteen, not like I took a half day. I didn't see you here over the weekend. Feeling nice and refreshed after spending the last two days relaxing?" Normally she wouldn't sink to the petty level of her male counterparts, but the constant criticism wore on her already thin nerves.

His expression morphed from embarrassment to snide condescension. "Learn to take a joke, will you? Must be your time of the month."

He walked away. She allowed herself a brief moment to imagine Lorena Bobbitt removing the extra few inches of his body that he thought made him better than everyone else. She exhaled slowly, trying to dispel the negative energy before she ended up on an episode of
Snapped.

Once at her desk, a small measure of calm lined the clouds of tension swirling and following her every step. On the train, she'd retrieved Cody's late night email and made a note of the opposing counsel's name and number. Time to take out some of her frustration on someone who deserved it.

After three rings, the receptionist answered.

"Julie Adams, please."

"May I tell her who's calling?"

"Evelyn Alexander, attorney of record in the case she's filed on behalf of Mega Music against Janice and Cody Jenkins."

"One moment please, Ms. Alexander."

Adrenaline coursed through her veins, excitement settling low in her gut—a tiger ready to pounce. This might be her favorite part of the job. "Thank you."

After almost three minutes, a desperate tactic designed to demonstrate power and control of the situation, Ms. Adams finally graced the conversation with her presence. "Evelyn, what an unexpected surprise. Are you calling to make a settlement offer?"

Evelyn smiled. "I'm sure you'd like that, but it's not going to happen."

"To what do I owe the pleasure of a phone call from my esteemed colleague?" The sarcasm dripping off every word indicated this conversation would be anything but pleasurable. Evelyn's reputation preceded her. If she called opposing counsel prior to a hearing, the case would soon be a mark in the win category for her firm.

"I'm extending a courtesy call prior to the hearing to let you know your client was sold the image they're claiming trademark infringement on under false pretenses."

"What the hell are you talking about? That's a serious allegation!" Julie's sarcasm fled from the conversation, replaced with a hint of fear.

"One I wouldn't make without being able to prove it."

A long pause transpired before the other woman spoke. "I'm listening."

Evelyn's spine straightened, ready to move in for the kill. "I intend to file a motion asking for your client to produce the original artwork of the design. Before you ask, they won't be able to deliver. Want to know why?"

"Why?"

"Because neither they nor their advertising agency, Alpha Design, are in possession of the original. The defendant, Janice Jenkins, would have had the original, a gift from her brother, the other defendant, Cody, a former intern at Alpha. They illegally obtained, reproduced, and sold his image."

"How do you know he didn't create the design for Alpha before giving it to his sister? If he was an intern, they would have the rights…"

Evelyn cut her off, "Former intern. Pay attention. He'd left their employ by the time the image was created. He headed off to serve his country in Afghanistan, and your client took advantage. They should be ashamed. He was shot twice and, now that he's home, he's forced to deal with all of this."

"How can you prove when the design was created?"

Nice try, Counselor, but won't work. "I can establish precedence with other pieces of artwork he created. There's a signature and date on the back of each piece. Of course, if your client had the original from the beginning, you would know that."

This time the long pause ended with a sigh. "What do you want?"

"I want you to dismiss the case—today. I also want a formal letter of apology sent from both your client and Alpha Designs to the defendants. This apology should be accompanied by two checks. One for my attorney's fees and another as compensation to my clients for the pain and suffering they've endured as a result of this frivolous lawsuit. I suggest the check be generous enough to help me convince my clients not to file a countersuit."

"I'll need to verify the information you've alleged."

She nodded, even though the other woman couldn't see. "I'd expect nothing less. You have until noon to verify, or I'm filing the motion, and your client's antics are exposed in open court. Once that happens, the stakes get much higher. Fair enough?"

"Do I really have any choice?"

"Pleasure doing business with you."

"I hope your firm appreciates you. If you ever want to leave the big testosterone fish pond and come to a smaller one where girls hang out…"

This was what Evelyn loved—the respect of her colleagues. Which begged the question, why did she stay at a firm where she wasn't respected? At least, not like her male counterparts. "Thank you. I appreciate both your consideration and kind words. Your firm has a great reputation, even if it is filled with estrogen." She made sure the tease in her voice could be heard for her last words.

"Just not the reputation of Tatum, Shaw, Grayson & Walters, the biggest and best. I suppose I see the allure. Looks good on a resume anyway, right? I'll call my client and email you with the terms of their offer for settlement once they confirm what you've said."

"Thanks, Julie. Always a pleasure." She disconnected the line. Julie's final statements rang in her ears.
Biggest and best.
That explained it. Her unwavering drive for perfection had her spending some of the best years of her life at a firm that didn't fully appreciate her unless she closed million-dollar deals and spent every waking hour toiling to fill their platinum-lined pockets. First Nathan and now her employer. Men were sucking the life right out of her.

Not Cody.
Her eyes closed as she thought of the man, the enigma, the unwavering champion of the woman hidden far behind layers of pretend and pretense.

"If it won't disturb your nap, Grayson would like to see you in his office." Nevil's sarcasm grated on her final remaining nerve.

Leaving her eyes closed, she delivered an equal dose. "Don't you have real work to do, or is messenger boy part of your job description now? It might be hard to fit 'Ass-kissing Messenger Boy' on a business card, but maybe if they make the font tiny, you can squeeze it in." She stopped herself short of suggesting his familiarity with fitting tiny things into places. That would be going too far.

"Enjoy the corner office while you can."

What a sniveling, annoying little man. She couldn't prove it but knew he'd been the origin of the
Evelyn slept her way to partnership
rumor that circled the ranks the first few months after she received the promotion to senior partner over him. With only working fifty hours a week, no way would his sarcastic, slimy personality ever sit in her seat.

She locked her computer and headed to Grayson's office. The admin nodded her through. A quick knock on the door later, she entered the inner sanctum. "You wanted to see me?"

His back remained to her as he stared out the window. "The partners will be voting on your status this Friday. There's concern your billable hours have dropped to a level that no longer support your status as a senior named partner. I wanted to inform you as a courtesy."

With each word, her organs started a rapid descent to the floor. Heart to stomach. Stomach to her feet. All the while, her brain started on a never-ending ride of a tilt-a-whirl as her knees dissolved to jelly. A courtesy? More like time to pack her desk and look for another job. The rest of the partners consisted of men with trophy wives who wouldn't understand responsibilities outside of work if you skewered the message through their cold hearts. "I appreciate the courtesy. Is there anything else?" She had to get out of there before she collapsed or murdered someone—either scenario possible at the moment.

"I appreciate everything you've brought to the firm over the years."

Anger, disbelief, and underlying horror at the realization she would most likely not have a job in less than a week loosened the control she held on her tongue. "Just not my ovaries and uterus. I get it. No further explanation needed."

She slammed the door on her way out. Completely childish, but she didn't care. She needed a strategy, a way to fight back, a way to make them pay. Blinking rapidly, she made a detour to the ladies' room before returning to her office. First things first: the emotions had to be dealt with. Then she'd figure out starting over again.

"You keep pacing and you'll wear the carpet out."

Cody shot an irritated glance at his sister. "How can you sit there? My nerves are firing more than the Afghans in an ambush."

"Cody!"

He stopped short at his mother's harsh tone. "Sorry, Mom. I didn't mean it like that."

"You leave the war over there, you hear me? We're a peaceful family." The accusations and implied judgment drove hot pokers through each scar he bore defending the peace his family loved so dearly.

The worry lines creased around his mother's grey eyes kept him from starting the tireless debate they'd engaged in since the moment he signed his name on the enlistment papers.

"Again…sorry."

"That damn war changed you. Now that you're home, we'll get you set straight again. Nothing like some farm work to re-center you and give you purpose again. Right, Janice?"

His jaw clenched as he bit hard enough on his tongue to draw blood. He closed his eyes in an effort to stem the rising tide of anger. His mother meant well, but today wasn't the day. Not when dad's life hung in the balance, and the uncertainty of everyone's future maintained a predatory watch on the vigil they kept while the surgeons worked their magic.

Janice came to his rescue. "Mom, please. Not today. We'll make those decisions after Dad is home and feeling better again. Okay?"

His mother's accusing eyes softened when they turned to his sister. She'd always been the golden child. Not because of anything she did, more so because of what she didn't do. Didn't leave Wisconsin. Didn't leave to pursue her dreams. Didn't disappoint her parents on a regular basis. "Of course, dear."

All momentary irritation with his sister fled. She'd been the buffer between him and his parents for years now. She deserved his consideration and respect.

He nodded in her direction, conveying his thanks. "I'm going to step outside for a minute. When I come back, I'll check with the nurses to see if they have any updates."

"Thanks, Bro."

The moment he stepped outside, his phone buzzed. Voice mail. The brick wall supporting the hospital provided a perfect spot to lean on. The cool fall air whispered across his face, easing some of the turmoil and uncertainty. He'd tried to talk to his parents about the horrors of war, without specific details, but they'd not wanted to hear. The gleam of pride in their eyes snuffed out completely when he came home after being shot a second time. No medal for bravery this time. He'd left out the minor detail about killing a man at point blank range. They'd never understand. Hell, he didn't understand. What in God's name was wrong with him? It was self-defense. That was what he kept telling himself, despite the anger in himself and others for not reporting the private's odd behavior. Thank God the review board had finally called and concurred with the self-defense assessment. At least one small area of trouble had been erased.

It's what you were trained to do.
Evelyn's words brought a small measure of comfort to his troubled soul. She understood.

He needed to remember to share the review board results with her as well. A quick vibration reminded him of the voice mail. Pressing the icon for voicemail on his phone, he listened to the messages.

You have two new messages. First message received eight a.m. today. Good morning, Private Jenkins. This is Lieutenant Jeffrey Donaldson, commander of the army recruitment office in Milwaukee. I'm just calling to confirm the details of your new duty assignment. We expect you to report for duty next Monday at oh six hundred hours. We'll do an orientation and then get you started on your assignment. We look forward to having you serve out your tour with us here.

He pinched his eyes together, not wanting to think about reporting for duty again. Less than two months left. He'd hoped, after being shot twice, they'd give him an honorable or medical discharge, and he could get back to his life. No such luck. He pressed nine to save the details. Still better than prison.

Next message received two p.m. today.
He checked his watch, three o'clock. They'd already been at the hospital for nine hours. Longest day ever.
Hi, Cody, it's Evelyn. I'm sure you have your phone turned off or no signal in the hospital. Hope all is well with your dad. Wanted to let you know the papers to dismiss the case have been filed with the court this afternoon. The thorn we've been dealing with is now lodged solely with your former employer and their client. A letter of apology along with a sizeable check for your trouble should arrive at your parents' home by messenger tomorrow afternoon. They also covered my fees. I wasn't going to charge you but decided to gouge them for the max possible billing. Take care, and I'll see you Wednesday for the party.

Damn, she was good…and right. She'd told him if he could remember
how
Alpha got his sketch, she could use that to win the case. Not only did she get it dismissed but added a check and an apology. If it took an entire paycheck, he'd treat her to a dinner she'd never forget. And, he amended, allowing a small bit of fantasy to weave into his gratitude, he'd happily feed her every morsel from the expensive meal. The way her tongue slid across his fingers… Subject change. The hospital totally wasn't an appropriate venue for such carnal thoughts.

His energy renewed and faith in humanity restored, he noticed an extra bounce in his step as he made his way back to the surgical ward. Finally, he could be the bearer of good news.

All joy drained from his frame at the sight of his mother and sister huddled in a hug, tears running down their faces. The doctor, who they met earlier and performed the surgery, stood by silently, a grave expression on his face. Figured he'd stepped out for less than ten minutes and news, bad news, had been delivered. Dammit, once again he wasn't there for his family.

"What's going on?"

Janice turned to him, the tears streaming down her face tore at his very soul. "Dad's heart was worse than they thought. He almost died twice on the table."

Almost. She'd said almost. Nothing else mattered as long as the word "almost" remained in the sentence. "He's okay now?" His attention turned to the doctor.

"Not out of the woods completely but stable for the moment. I just shared with your mother that his days of working on the farm are over. Time for retirement or a less physically demanding job."

A myriad of emotions warred for first place in the reaction contest. The hopeful yet desperate look in his mother's eyes told him she needed him to honor the family legacy and return to the farm to take his place in the operations. A discussion for another day. "No worries, Doc. We'll make sure he takes it easy and find a way to force him into retirement."

The doctor smiled. "I've spent a little time with your father. Good luck with that."

"Thanks, Doc. We'll be sure to call you if we need some sedatives for him or us when he gets irritable."

"He won't be in any condition to argue with you for a while, but with proper rest and care, he will be back to his ornery self soon enough."

Cody flashed a quick glance in his sister's direction. She'd received the message loud and clear. The wide grin on his mother's face indicated she wouldn't be prepared for the long recovery period. Dad had always been her stalwart of strength—the center of the family. It would be a big adjustment for everyone. He shook the doctor's hand before he left to tend to other patients or maybe take a well-deserved break. Cody held a new appreciation for both legal and medical professionals today. "How about I buy both of you beautiful women lunch to celebrate Pop while we wait for him to wake up from recovery?"

His mother nodded. "As long as we're not gone too long. I want to be here when he wakes up."

"The food downstairs is served cafeteria style. Quick and easy." Janice smiled and gestured toward the door of the waiting room.

Cody winked at his sister. "Cheap dates, you both are."

Janice's expression darkened. "We need to watch our money anyway. Things aren't great on the farm right now and with this lawsuit hanging over our heads…"

He'd been so caught up in the teeter-totter of emotions with his father, he'd not shared the news yet. "No more, little sis."

The dark green of her eyes flashed, and his mother moved closer. "What do you mean? We have a hearing this week."

Cody shook his head. "Daniel's sister-in-law, Evelyn, the attorney I told you about, left a message. I checked my voice mail while outside. Not only did she get them to dismiss the suit, but they're issuing a formal letter of apology and sending a check for damages."

"Shut up!"

The grin on his face wouldn't be stifled, even if they were still in the surgical waiting room. Thankfully, no other families were there at the moment. "I wouldn't lie to you, Sis."

"I'd like to meet this friend of yours." His mother joined the conversation.

All of the elation filling his lungs disappeared with the pinprick of her statement. "She's a high-powered attorney in Chicago, Mom. No time to visit the rolling countryside in Wisconsin."

"Invite her up for the weekend. Only farmers work on the weekend. We could use an extra set of hands, with your dad out of commission."

The thought of Evelyn in a pair of ripped blue jeans, a plaid farmer shirt with the sleeves rolled up, and a pair of work boots tickled him until the chuckle escaped. "First, other professions work weekends. Ev works most weekends and lots of late nights. You don't get as good as she is without putting in the time." His chest puffed out with pride, like he was her boyfriend or something, "In fact, she's the only female partner at her law firm. Second, she has two sons. What free time she has goes to them."

"She can bring the boys. The more hands the better. Ask her." With her final command, she excused herself to the bathroom located in the back of the waiting area.

Janice elbowed him. "Ev? Sounds like more than a professional acquaintance to me."

The scowl returned to his face. "Don't go there. I've already asked her to come. She said no."

"Ask again. Since when did you take no for an answer, especially after only asking once?"

"We don't have time for me to go chasing after her. She has a life, and I'm needed here."

Janice's expression sobered. "We'll figure it out. I know you don't want to be here."

"I can't be here, not for a little while, anyway. Have to finish paying my debt to Uncle Sam and serving out my time. After that, I'll come home and pay my debt to our family. High time I did that. Sorry you've had to shoulder that responsibility alone." He really was sorry he'd been able to pursue his dreams full-time while Janice could only give what crumbs of energy remained after seeing to the responsibilities of the farm.

"Stop beating yourself up, big brother. I have no regrets. You shouldn't either. We make our choices and need to find our happiness in those choices. You've not had an easy go of things either." She nudged him again. "At least none of the cows have tried to shoot me."

He recognized the statement for what it was—an effort to make him smile. He opened his mouth to reply when their mom rejoined them.

"Are you going to feed me or not?"

He extended both arms to escort them. "It would be my honor."

Later that night, after visiting hours had ended, he stared at the ceiling of his childhood room. After an indeterminate amount of time had passed, he dialed Evelyn's number. He'd wanted to call earlier, but with the meddling women in his family, there was a grand fear one of them would snatch the phone from him. He didn't need that kind of embarrassment which prompted him to use extra caution and wait until they turned in for the night.

"Hello?"

"Hey, sweetheart. Sorry to call so late again. Been a long day."

"How's your dad?" Anxiety and worry laced each syllable of the question.

He kicked himself again for not calling her earlier with an update.

"Rough time in surgery, but he's a tough ol' bird and is now in critical but stable condition."

"Good. I've been worried."

Guilt, raw and uncensored, poured into his heart. She'd done so much for his family. He was an ass. "God, I'm sorry, Ev."

"Hey, no apologies. You were focused on your family. That's the way it should be."

Wanting her to know how much her call earlier in the day had meant to him, he smiled. "Speaking of family, you're the hero of the day."

She chuckled. "Pretty sure the surgeon or your dad should fill that spot."

"Okay, they can be the hero. You're the heroine. Thanks for doing what you do and doing it so damn well."

"Just doing my job."

"Maybe, but your clients are very grateful. I want to say thank you with a fancy-shmansy dinner, one befitting your heroine status." His mother's voice urged him from the corner of his mind.
Ask her again.
"I want to buy you dinner. Mom and Janice want you and the boys to be our guests on the farm."

"That's very sweet of them, but…"

"You can't. I know." The irritation in his voice surprised even him.

"But I want to. I really do. I have so much going on right now. I just can't be away. Please. I promise to try to find some time to come see where you grew up. I'm sorry."