Page 128 of Silent Partner (Pine Falls 3)

“It sounds about right to me.” He gave me a good squeeze. “I hate to say it, but we need to go. Dad ordered a private car to take all of us.”

I took a few deep breaths before we headed down to meet his parents in the lobby. I was surprised to find them looking so calm, even among the stares and occasional pointing from the people in the opulent foyer that seemed to be carved out of marble. Sheridan, I mean Mom, wore a demure-looking blush pantsuit, while Dad looked stately in a navy suit.

We were ushered out the revolving doors by our security team to the waiting Mercedes-Benz with blackout windows. DC traffic was insane, but it didn’t take long for us to arrive at the Senate Office Building where the hearing would take place. There was already a crowd of people there, including members of the press.

A look passed between all of us that said, “Let’s do this.”

We stepped out into the spotlight. The humid, chilly morning seemed to seep right through my cream sheath dress. Shouted questions were being lobbed our way, but they all sounded jumbled to me. I felt as if I hardly blinked before we were inside the grand building that made me feel as if I had been transported to another place in time. The halls loomed large, and I could smell the history of the place. But when we came face-to-face with the Copelands, reality came crashing down on me.

They, with their team of lawyers, were standing near a set of large closed wooden doors. I had to say, they didn’t look too hot. The press had beat them up ten times worse than our family. Jill had been ousted from her job, and by the grave look on Edward Copeland’s face, I had to think he didn’t have any favors left to call in. Dani had warned me that Edward looked like the devil himself with his translucent skin, dark beady eyes, and white hair. She hadn’t been lying. Though it was Jill who looked positively evil in her fire-red dress that matched the flames in her eyes when she noticed our arrival.

I thought she would be somewhat abashed after all she had been caught doing, but she was obviously unhinged. She marched herself toward our group. And to my surprise, Brant took my hand and led us straight to meet her in the grand hall with, yes, portraits of people on the wall.

She stopped with her fists clenched and looked between Brant and me. Her face was so red, I thought it might pop. She went to open her mouth, but Brant stopped her dead in her tracks.

“Jill, I’d like you to meet my wife.”

All the blood drained from her face while her mouth fell wide open.

That was all that was said. She turned and stomped away, and I smiled as I watched her go.

At that moment, the chamber doors opened, and all became still. Brant clasped my hand more firmly, gazed down at me, and mouthed, “I love you.”

And, truly, that was all that mattered. Whatever happened behind those doors would never change that. Because together we would walk in, and together we would walk out. And for the rest of our lives, no matter which doors we faced, we would do the same. Always. Together. Forever.

Epilogue

Four Years Later

“Mommy, Mommy, Mommy, look what I drew for Grandpa.” Eleanor came running into the restaurant’s kitchen, where I was adding the finishing touches to the cake celebrating Dad’s homecoming.

I placed the final chocolate-covered strawberry on top of a layer of deep dark chocolate before I knelt and picked up my vivacious three-year-old mini-me dressed in a frilly pink dress. Her daddy had gotten his wish to have a girl with hair of gold and eyes of deep brown. Actually, he’d gotten double his wish. Brant trailed behind Eleanor holding Ava, all of thirteen months old, who preferred to be carried everywhere even though she could walk. I couldn’t blame her. I liked it when her daddy held me close too.

Before looking at Eleanor’s drawing, I smiled at Brant and took a second to appreciate how good fatherhood looked on him. I was especially loving the subtle gray that was now dancing among his dark hair. He flashed me a sexy grin that always got us in trouble. Hence, I was already four months pregnant with number three. I swore all he had to do was give me that smile and my ovaries were like, “Let’s get this party started.” Thankfully, I had easy pregnancies. My guess was this one was a girl too. Which was fine by Brant; he loved being a girl dad. We had joked that maybe we should change the name of the restaurant from Two Girls and a Guy to A Lot of Girls and a Guy.

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