Page 64 of Can't Get Over You
“Is there a problem?” the attorney asked.
“No, it’s just… That’s Judge Adams. I have history with him.”
“Anything I should know about?” she asked.
“In high school, Jude was the getaway driver when his friends stole a car,” his dad said.
“That’s right. High school.” That was twelve years ago. The judge would be a dick to hold that against him.
They all headed down the center aisle, parting when his dad, Ava, and brothers sat in the first row, and he took his seat beside his attorney. He barely registered the formalities of the bailiff announcing that court was in session and everyone rising as the judge entered, because he was preoccupied with his attorney’s advice to keep his cool and be respectful, not defensive.
And the hope that, maybe, the judge had forgotten about him.
It’s been twelve years. He’s seen hundreds of cases since then.
Once finished, Judge Adams peered over his glasses. “Mr. McKenna, let’s catch up. In the twelve years since you last stood before me, I became the Wyoming chess champion two years in a row, a grandfather of seven, and, if I may brag, quite a good pickleball player. What have you accomplished?”
“Your honor, I’ve served eight years in the Marines.”
“I thank you for your service. And how have you filled the remaining four years?”
“I’m a bartender, currently residing in Key Largo.” He wished he had a more impressive résumé, but he’d still done well for himself. “I also flip bars. So I’m comfortable financially.”
Judge Adam held Jude’s gaze, his expression unreadable. “I’ve read Mr. Rossi’s affidavit. I’m curious why he chose you.”
“I grew up with his grandson, Marco, Cody’s father.” It was true Jude didn’t share much, but if he wanted to win over this judge, now was the time. “I don’t have a lot of memories from before I moved to Calamity. I remember a big pile of presents under a Christmas tree, and my mom reading books to me before bed.”
She’d had soft hair and a soothing voice, but he’d long forgotten what she looked like. His only recollection was how she’d made him feel. “I remember the shock of moving into the bike club when I was six. The specific age sticks with me because I’d just started kindergarten and had a crush on a blue-eyed, blonde girl named Melissa and didn’t want to move away from her.”
Laughter in the courtroom had Jude pausing, but the judge didn’t crack a smile.
So he drew in a breath and continued. “Anyhow, I’d just moved into the club, and I remember being outside with a bunch of kids. We heard gunfire—something I’d obviously never heard before.” In his peripheral vision, he saw his dad stiffen. Yeah, he’d never shared that one. “Scared the life out of me. Turns out, some of the members were drunk and shooting bottles lined up on a wall. But it was Marco who grabbed me and brought me to his hideout, a place he went when things got too crazy. And it was Marco who protected me at school when kids made fun of the way I dressed.”
“Are you making excuses for your dangerous and reckless behavior as a teenager?” Judge Adams asked.
“No, sir. I’m trying to explain my loyalty to Marco.”
The judge made a gesture with his hand.Go on.
“I know I did a lot of stupid things, but that ended by the time I hit high school because I had a dad who cared. Who disciplined me and had expectations of my behavior.”
For a moment, the judge’s hard mask softened.
It gave Jude hope. “Marco didn’t have any of that. I’m the man I am today because of my father, and Marco turned out the way he did because he was raised without parents in the club. I want to give Cody the life Marco should’ve—no,deserved—to have.”
Judge Adam’s head tilted as he gave him an assessing look. Something that looked like approval registered in his eyes. “Besides your family, who will you spend time with while you’re in town? Your former friends from the club? If they need a getaway driver, for example, will they call you?”
This is bullshit. I’m not that kid anymore. “No, sir. I’ve cut ties with everyone. Look, I understand that I’m set in your memory as a troublemaker, but I’m not the same man at thirty that I was at eighteen. And there’s no one better to be this boy’s guardian than me because I won’t let him take the path I took.”
The judge nodded. “You’re right. Youareset in my mind as a troublemaker, and after three decades on this bench, I’ve come to the conclusion that most people don’t change. Because it’s not your circumstance that matters. It’s how you handle it. You’ve shown me your character, and it doesn’t give me confidence in your ability to raise a five-year-old boy. Frankly, I’m not convinced the best choice is a single bartender whose motto is ‘live full throttle.’”
Before he could articulate his defense, he heard a rustling sound, and a familiar voice filled the courtroom.
“Your honor, if Jude’s single, then he’s got some explaining to do.” Everyone swung around in their seats to find Finlay holding up her left ring finger. “Because we’re engaged.”
Chapter Twelve
The tensionin the room snapped like a live wire.
