Page 95 of Defend Me

“Nice suit.”

“Von had it made for me,” I say woodenly. He steps inside as Penny comes padding up to him.

“You okay?” he asks.

I shrug.

“Ever since Thanksgiving, you and Von have been acting like someone died.”

His words hit me like an anvil.

“The people in this town believe in you,” Caden says confidently. “Hell, I think most of them believe in Von now too. Did you know she’s helping Mrs. Greerson with her will?”

I nod. I’m so damned proud of all the good Von has been doing for the people of Magnolia Bay.

He claps a hand on my shoulder. “Theycan’tconvict you. You’re innocent.”

He sounds like I used to—always confident the justice system will work out in the end. I just nod again. We don’t really know what will happen.

It feels like reality is careening toward me at the speed of a freight train, and I can’t tell if I’ll be flattened beneath it or live to fight another day. I wish I could tell Caden about my suspicions of the sheriff. And how I’m falling for Von. I never thought I’d keep so many things from him.

When all this is over, one way or another, I’m going to tell him the truth. Even if I have to do it from behind bars.

I hear the familiar clicking of high heels on the flagstone path as Von approaches the guesthouse. She wears a big belted black coat with red trim, her briefcase clutched in one hand. Her breath steams in the December chill like wisps of smoke.

“Ready?” she asks me.

“The whole family will be there to support you,” Caden promises. “Every day of the trial.”

“Dad will be one of their first witnesses,” Von says. “Will you remind him to be as…” She searches for the right word. “Non-combative as possible?”

Caden gives a brittle smile. “You think he’ll listen to me?”

“Better you than me.”

I grab my coat and follow Von out to the car. Once we get intothe backseat and Alex starts down the drive, she puts her gloved hand on mine.

“Look at me,” she says softly. I stare into her eyes and see the fire in them. “I amnotletting them win. You are innocent. The jury is going to see that.”

I press my lips together. I can’t say all I want to—not with Alex present—so I just give her a curt nod.

She cocks one eyebrow. “You look great in that suit by the way.”

I let out a breathy chuckle. “Some total snob had it made for me.”

Her grin widens. “Does she live on an island shaped like a skull?”

I give a real laugh at that, the tightness in my chest releasing a fraction. But my good humor vanishes as we see the press swarming the steps of the courthouse. Von slips on her classic oversize sunglasses as Alex turns to me.

“Good luck,” he says.

I grimace. “Thanks, Alex.”

“Ready?” Von says.

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

We get out of the car as the press surrounds us.

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