Page 63 of Love and Order

“Finn and Hailey, you delivered on the Tovar case, both proving you could put the firm and your client’s needs first. You won the case and worked as a team. Each of you possess the qualities we seek in our junior partners, and we hope you’ll both stay once we announce our decision,” Baxter said.

Mrs. Stewart stepped forward, and Finn smiled knowing they’d made the right decision.

“Hailey Adams, congratulations on being selected as the new junior partner at Baxter and Stewart. We hope you’ll accept this offer.” Mrs. Stewart held out her hand to Hailey.

Finn turned to see the initial shock and awe on Hailey’s face, the elation of success after years of work quickly replaced by a polite smile. Stepping forward, she shook Mrs. Stewart’s hand.

“Thank you, I accept. I have to say, Finn was the ideal teammate.”

The group cheered, and he couldn’t help but beam at her success. He wanted to hug her but didn’t risk upsetting her carefully established lines at work. After the festivities, she disappeared into Mrs. Stewart’s office, and he decided to take advantage of the moment to meet with Baxter alone to turn in his resignation.

“Sir, no hard feelings at all, but I think I underestimated how much I’d miss the Navy, and I wanted to let you know I plan to meet with JAG about a new commission.”

Baxter shook his hand. “I admit I wondered if you were ready to settle into corporate law or needed to practice law with a bit more grit. I support you one hundred percent.”

“I think JAG will be a great place to figure that out,” Finn said.

“I agree, but there will always be a desk for you in the rookie bullpen if you change your mind. I’m happy to write you a recommendation letter and speak to anyone over there,” Mr. Baxter said.

“I’ll finish out my current caseload before I make any moves. I have an update for Admiral Maddox. I’m just waiting for him to phone me back.”

“I appreciate that, Finn. I hope you can help him find some kind of closure.”

There was no need for him to out Hailey as Maddox’s heir. It was up to the two of them on who they wanted to know and when.

The rest of the day, he only saw Hailey once, when she returned to the rookie bullpen to retrieve her few things and move up to an office on the partner floor.

Several of the rookies congratulated her, and their tones were already more reverent with a tinge of nervousness. He managed to catch her eye briefly, but she was all business. Now she’d had two major life changes in less than thirty-six hours, so he was going to try to give her the space if she needed it.

Maddox phoned him back and they had a decent conversation about what Finn had learned, and he was honest in telling him that Hailey knew and had made partner. He cautioned Maddox to let Hailey decide when she was ready to meet. Maddox was appreciative and stunned to know he had already seen his own daughter and not realized it. He thanked Finn and said he would give Hailey time and space but asked that all of his inheritances be drafted with her as his sole heir.

*

By Sunday afternoon,his patience was wearing thin. Although she’d responded to his texts, Hailey was clear she needed more time to absorb everything that was going on. He hadn’t even had a chance to tell her he was resigning, but he assumed she would be relieved. There was no reason they couldn’t be together now.

Restlessness had him driving to his parents’ house well before the traditional family dinner. His mom was at the farmers’ market but he found his dad out back, attempting to train his attack dog, Biffy, using a pillowcase filled with straw as the target. The small white fuzz ball looked confused and unimpressed.

“Dad, do you really think she can stop an intruder?”

“Care to be a live test dummy?” his dad asked with too much enthusiasm before giving him a big hug.

“No chance, the last thing I need is stitches from a powder puff.”

Leading Finn up to the back porch, his dad refilled Biffy’s water bowl and had a seat.

“What brings you over so early? Shouldn’t you be out to brunch with Hailey?”

Finn sat and joined his dad in the shade.

“It’s complicated.” Finn sighed.

“I take it you mean your relationship with Hailey?”

He nodded. Of course his folks knew he was interested in Hailey the moment he’d introduced her. Not only because he’d never brought another woman home, but it was impossible for him not to gush about her. He’d filled them in on her background too.

“Hailey seemed to have a sordid past, not of her own making, but in my experience, a person doesn’t just move on from trauma. It forms the way they view relationships, and their place in the world. You’ve seen that with your own teammates,” his dad said.

“I know, and just like war trauma, she needs to be ready to deal with it on her own time. The thing is, I think she just needs to accept how far she’s come and what she’s accomplished. She’s been grinding it out so long, she doesn’t recognize she’s already made it. Even now, after she won the partnership.”

---