Page 103 of Christmas with Three Cowboys

“I’m home,” I tell him softly.

“Yeah. Yeah, you are,” he says.

And I believe him.

32

Melissa

As spring comes rolling over the hills of Nebraska with cherry and apple blossoms aplenty, I find myself preparing for a whole new chapter of what has already been a rather eventful life. Melting into my seat, I gaze out the window of the courtroom. In the distance, past the town, I can see the hills with their patches of crude green and pale pinks, whites, and yellows galore. The world is coming out of a long and heavy slumber, and so am I.

“Your Honor, we’d like to call one last witness to the stand,” my attorney, Mr. Wilkes, says.

His voice pulls me out of my thoughts, my mind having wandered somewhere far over those beautiful hills. I should be more focused on what’s going to be my full exoneration, but I’ve been so strung out over the past few years, I’m actually glad I’m able to let my mind fly away like this. It’s been three months since I’ve had a panic attack. It’s amazing what true peace can do for a person.

I glance across the courtroom. The prosecutor, Mr. Vaida, gives me a long, regretful look. It’s better than the contempt withwhich he treated me the last time we met—the day I was sentenced to five years in prison for a crime I did not commit. Time has not been too kind to this man. His brown hair is thinning. His eyes seem more tired than ever.

“Laurel Buchanan,” my attorney replies.

“Wasn’t she a witness for the prosecution?” Judge Hennesy mutters.

Ethan leans in and whispers in my ear. “Keep cool, baby.”

He’s not alone. Mitch and Colton sit with him, right behind me, and it’s the greatest feeling in the world to be here and know that I have their full support. Cradling my growing bump, I give him a soft, over-the-shoulder smile. “I’m as cool as cucumber,” I whisper back.

“Yes, she was,” Mr. Wilkes says. “She has, however, recanted her testimony and agreed to a deal with the prosecution in exchange for leniency on the perjury charges.”

“I can confirm,” Mr. Vaida sighs deeply. “This case was an absolute sham. We have no objection to Ms. Buchanan’s revised testimony.”

“Then you may call your witness,” Judge Hennesy says.

I hear the courtroom doors open and glance back and watch Laurel as she enters the courtroom. She combed her red hair in a tight bun, and she picked out a simple but neat black outfit for this occasion. She looks at me for what seems like forever—just enough time for me to see the regret, the guilt swirling deep within her soul.

“Here we go,” Colton mutters.

Laurel takes the stand, and the bailiff swears her in. This time, I know she’s telling the truth. Mr. Wilkes gets up and begins his questioning while the judge and the prosecutor watch in silence. There’s no jury for this hearing. There are hardly any people in the courtroom, except for my men, a handful of town reporters taking notes, and a couple of lawyers who knew about my case from the papers. It’s fine, though. I don’t need an audience for this.

Laurel gives her testimony, and the prosecutor nods his approval.

“We rest our case, Your Honor,” Mr. Wilkes says, giving me a quick but confident smile. “And it is hereby our most ardent request that Melissa Carson’s sentence be vacated, effective immediately, and all charges removed from her record altogether.”

“The prosecution seconds that motion.”

“Of course you do, Mr. Vaida. This was your mess to begin with,” Judge Hennesy scoffs, then nods my way. “Miss Carson, I cannot begin to express how sorry I am that you had to spend three years in prison for the crimes of another. The justice system may be flawed, but it worked with the evidence and the testimony available at the time. While we cannot give back the time you lost, we can only offer our sincerest apologies and immediately proceed to vacate your sentence. As of right now, you are a free woman, clear of any and all charges.”

Suddenly, an ocean of relief washes over me.

I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long that I didn’t even register its magnitude and its importance until now. As I take a deep breath and stand up, I can feel every ounce of fear andmisery, every sliver of anger and sadness leave my body. It’s over. It’s finally over, and all I can do is smile and nod and let Mr. Wilkes shake my hand.

“Congratulations, Melissa,” he says.

“Thank you,” I mumble, tears filling my eyes.

Colton is the first to take me in his arms, while Ethan and Mitch give Mr. Wilkes their thanks. He’s one of the ranch’s top lawyers, of course. They wanted to make sure I had the best representation after everything that happened with Jake and the cartel.

“Well done, honey,” Colton says to me. “You made it to the end of the tunnel, huh?”

“It’s so bright and warm now.” I am laughing and crying at the same time.

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