Page 56 of The Beautiful Mess

Kerry’s dark eyes glittered with fury. “This should make our deposition on Monday even more fun.”

“Thanks for coming to the deposition with me today,” Kerry said. Finding support hadn’t been hard. He’d turned down several kind offers to join him, but Kerry reached over the console and laced his fingers with the only person he’d wanted by his side.

“There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” Keegan replied.

“Hands at ten and two,” Lucinda instructed from the back seat.

His mother was the only one Kerry hadn’t been able to persuade to stand by for updates. Watching Keegan and Lucinda go several rounds of insisting the other sit up front with him had been amusing. The whole thing reminded Kerry of when he’d learned to drive. His mother had wanted to be included, but she’d been too nervous to ride in the front passenger seat. Lucinda volunteered Steven to ride shotgun and grip the oh-shit handle while she called out instructions from the back seat.

“Yes, Mother.” Kerry exchanged a quick smile with Keegan lest he earn a lecture about keeping his eyes on the road. A glance in his rearview mirror earned an approving nod, but it would be hard to get on Lucinda’s bad side after she noted Keegan’s radiance when they picked her up. Steven had already left for work and would meet them at Bozeman’s attorney’s office for their noon deposition. Like Lucinda, Steven insisted on being there for moral support.

“How long do you think it will take Vinny to shred Bozeman and his ambulance chasers?” Lucinda asked. “I say fifteen minutes.”

“I hope you’re right,” Kerry said, but he wouldn’t bet on it. The opposing counsel wasn’t up to Vinny’s level of brilliance, but they weren’t likely as inept as Lucinda hoped. Kerry didn’t care how long it took, as long as Bozeman dropped the case against him. Vinny was confident of that outcome after their phone call on Sunday afternoon. He’d been just as impressed with Sven’s sleuthing as he’d been with Dom’s, and he’d started referring to Bozeman and Chuck asBeavis and Buttheadby the end of the conversation.

Chuck was supposed to be deposed at the attorney’s office, but he was still in county lockup. The least of the charges was the minimal damage he’d managed to a Hart’s Creek Rescue vehicle. He might’ve been released the next morning for that, but he’d taken a swing at a police officer with a crowbar, and his breathalyzer test came back as over the limit. Good ole Chuck had an arraignment to attend instead of the deposition, though it was unclear if Bozeman and his attorneys knew that yet. He really hoped not. Kerry wanted to see their expressions when Vinny produced evidence that the primary witness for Kerry’s supposed negligence was actually a coconspirator in the scam to fleece Kerry out of money. No matter the deposition’s outcome, he would not offer a settlement. He’d take the case all the way to trial if necessary and put his financial fate and reputation in the hands of strangers before he shelled out a penny of his hard-earned money to those fraudsters.

Ryker, Free, and Halbert’s office was in the newest commercial development that combined retail stores, business offices, and restaurants in a complex that mimicked a city within a city.

“Could they make these parking spaces any tighter?” Kerry groused as he dismissed one spot after another, looking for enough room to accommodate his vehicle.

“We’re totally going to the Cheesecake Factory after this is over,” Lucinda announced when Kerry finally found a spot he liked. “Good thing you parked three miles from the building, so I won’t feel guilty about the carbs I plan to devour.” The distance was a great exaggeration, but she raised him to have better manners.

Kerry met her gaze in the mirror. “I should’ve dropped you both off before looking for a spot. We’re here early, so I can drive you back up.”

His mother rolled her eyes and waved off the notion. “I’m just keeping you humble.”

“We’re attending a deposition because I’m getting sued,” Kerry reminded her. “How much more humbling do you think this day could get?”

“But you woke up next to this one,” Lucinda said, patting the back of Keegan’s chair. “How much luckier do you think this day could get?”

Keegan’s eyes went wide, and his cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink.

Kerry gathered his hand and raised it to his lips. “She’s right, though she’s only guessing about the overnight part.” It was a safe bet since Keegan stayed over more nights than he spent at the ranch.

“No guessing necessary. Mothers know everything,” Lucinda said as she unbuckled her seat belt and reached for the door. “Was I correct when I said you’d never let your special person go once you found them?”

Kerry smiled as he stared into Keegan’s eyes. “You were.”

She leaned forward between the front seats. “And didn’t I tell you Keegan was your person the first time I saw the two of you together?” She made explosive gestures with her hands that made Keegan giggle. “Fireworks.”

“Yes, and now who needs humbling?” Kerry grumbled.

“Oh, there’s my honey!” Lucinda exclaimed like it had been months since she’d seen her husband instead of hours. “See you inside, boys.” With that, she was out of the truck and heading toward Steven.

“Did she really say those things?” Keegan asked.

“Yes,” Kerry replied. “When people expressed concern that I hadn’t settled down by thirty, she pointed out that I hadn’t met my person yet. And she pulled me aside the first night Sven brought you home to meet the family and announced that you were my person.”

Keegan radiated so much joy that Kerry expected beams of light to shoot out of his ears. “Is that why you resisted even harder?”

Kerry tilted his head and considered. “But did I? Okay, maybe a little, but it’s not like I made myself scarce every time you came around, and I could’ve easily used work as an excuse. You enthralled me then, and you do even more now.” He cupped Keegan’s neck and leaned into his space. “I can’t touch you, kiss you, or hold you enough.”

A tapping at the window behind Kerry cut him off. He turned and found his parents smiling like twin lunatics. Steven gave him the wrap-it-up gesture, then pointed to his watch. They still had a solid twenty minutes before the deposition, and Kerry could accomplish a lot in that span. But perhaps not in a public parking lot.

“Hey,” Keegan said when Kerry moved to exit the vehicle.

Kerry held up a forefinger to his parents, asking for a minute, then made a shooing motion at them to get some privacy. He could tell by the slight quiver in Keegan’s voice that he had something important to say. Kerry gave him his full attention again. “What, baby?”

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