Chapter Twenty-One
Jack
––––––––
T HE MIRROR’S STILL fogged from Jack’s shower. I’m sitting on the toilet seat in Aggie’s bathroom watching Jack shave. He’s got a towel wrapped around his waist looking every inch a Hollywood model. I stare at the suit Jack hung up last night. It’s not his—Aggie bought it for him. Said he couldn’t show up to court looking like a “scruffy bar singer,” which is... honestly, fair. Jack might be devastatingly handsome but he doesn’t exactly own anything that screams “respectable adult man making a serious courtroom appearance.”
He doesn’t complain when she hands it to him, either. Just nods and takes it like he’s still not sure he belongs here or anywhere.
The suit is dark gray. I can’t wait to see him in it. Aggie must have guessed his size perfectly, which is a little terrifying and also kind of impressive. She just showed up yesterday, handed it to him, and said, “Try this on.” And Jack being Jack, he did. No questions. I love their relationship. I love that my aunt loves him like he’s her own.
That has to be a good sign.
“You’re staring,” he says.
“I’m enjoying the show,” I smile.
The bathroom door is open and I can hear Aggie walking around. I came over here bright and early because the two of us trying to get ready in my tiny house was just never going to work. Aggie’s already dressed, walking around in her heels that are clicking across the floor. She looks amazing. Her dress is a deep blue to match Jack’s tie, her pearls catching the light, hair swept back in this sleek bun. It hits me suddenly how much I need her with me today.
“Jack, if you’re not dressed in five minutes,” Aggie calls out.
“Yeah, yeah,” he mutters back.
I stand up, kiss his cheek that isn’t covered in shaving cream, and touch his shoulder. “I’ll let you get dressed.”
“Two minutes,” he says.
Aggie is dusting. Of all things... dusting. I know she’s nervous.
“Thank you for doing all of this for me,” I say. “Helping Jack. All of it.”
“Honey, you don’t have to thank me. I can’t wait to get up there and look that smarmy little vermin in the eye.”
I laugh. “Okay.”
“Help,” Jack calls out.
I peek around the corner and catch him holding up the tie. I try not to laugh, because the rest of him looks unfairly good. The suit fits him perfectly, highlighting his shoulders and lean frame.
Hot damn. That’s my man.
Aggie appears behind me and pushes past without a word.
“Never thought I’d see the day you wore pearls,” Jack says, a lazy grin tugging at the corner of his mouth.
“And I never thought I’d see the day you’d wear a suit,” she snaps back, already reaching for the tie. “Hold still.”
Jack stands there obediently, letting her fix the knot. I watch them, appreciating their relationship. And admiring him. Something about the way he stands so still, eyes flickering toward me just once, makes my chest ache. There’s a boy in there still, underneath all the stubbornness and swagger. A boy who never learned how to tie a tie because life came at him too hard, too fast.
“There,” Aggie says, adjusting the collar. “You almost look like a grown-up.”
“Almost?” Jack grins at her, then glances at himself in the mirror. I see him straighten a little. He looks older, surer. Like a man stepping into something real.
“You clean up nice,” I say quietly.
He looks at me, and for a beat, neither of us says anything.
Aggie ruins the moment by clapping her hands. “All right, let’s get going. I want to be there early.”
I grab my bag and follow them out to Aggie’s car. Jack opens the door for me, his hand brushing mine for a split second. It’s ridiculous how much that tiny gesture calms me. My nerves are buzzing like live wires, but his presence grounds me. There’s no way I could do any of this without him.
We don’t talk much on the way to the courthouse. Jack drums his fingers lightly on his knee, probably working out a rhythm for some song in his head, though I can’t imagine how his brain has space for music right now.
I just breathe. Try to breathe. The courthouse isn’t even that big—just a small building with white columns and a flat roof, tucked in near the center of town. But it might as well be a monster the way my stomach churns when we pull into the lot.
Jack steps out first, straightening his jacket before opening my door. He offers his hand again. I take it without thinking, letting his fingers wrap around mine.
“You okay?” he asks.
I nod, but it’s not totally true. My heart’s hammering, and my palms are already sweating. But I’m here. And I’m not alone.
Aggie marches ahead, not bothering to look back. We trail after her. She’s my protector. She’s ready to go to battle for me. We pass through security without any issues. My attorney is waiting for me. After a two-minute conversation we go into the courtroom. The room is small. There’s no dramatic jury box, no imposing benches—just a judge’s seat, two tables, and some chairs.
Jack slides into the seat beside me and takes my hand again without a word. “You got this,” he whispers, leaning close enough that his breath tickles my cheek.
I want to believe him.
I don’t say anything. I can’t. If I open my mouth, I might throw up, cry, or both.
“You’re gonna do great,” Jack says softly, leaning in just enough for his breath to brush my ear.
The door creaks open, and a clerk steps out with a clipboard. Mr. Langley looks at me. This is the part where I have to let go of him. I move to sit at the table next to my attorney. Jack and Aggie are sitting directly behind me.
I hear the door open behind me. I don’t turn around. I don’t have to.
It’s him.
Sam looks clean-cut, like always. Crisp suit, confident posture, a smug little smile like he’s already won. He catches my eye, lifts one brow in challenge. He thinks he’s already won. And now I know what he was after the whole time... and it wasn’t me.
It was the land.
His attorney finally made the demand to my attorney. It was a last-minute attempt to get me to settle before court. Not happening. The asshole isn’t going to get the land. Not to mention, it’s not mine. I’ll inherit one day, but it’s not mine right now.
Don’t let him get in your head, I remind myself. He’s an asshole. I have a good guy sitting right behind me. A guy who would never use me for anything. I know Jack cares about me.
The judge introduces himself—Judge Walker. He seems kind, soft-spoken. Middle-aged, gray hair, no-nonsense vibe but not intimidating. He explains that this is family court, not a criminal trial. There won’t be a jury. He’ll be hearing everything himself and will make a decision after both sides present their case.
That should make me feel better.
It doesn’t.
Mr. Langley stands, buttoning his jacket smoothly. “Your Honor, we’d like to begin by calling our first witness—Ms. Agatha Greenfield.”
Aggie stands from the bench behind me and walks confidently to the front. I glance back at Jack. He gives me a subtle nod and a tiny smile. I think it’s meant to be reassuring. I’m not sure if it works. I feel like there’s a butterfly disco party in my belly.
Aggie takes the stand and is sworn in. Her voice is clear and steady.
“Ms. Greenfield, can you tell the court how you know my client?”
“She’s my niece,” Aggie says.
“And were you aware of her marriage to Mr. Sam Crawford?”
“Only recently. I met Sam a few times, but I wasn’t aware he dr—” She stops herself. “I wasn’t aware the two had got married.”
“Did you have any thoughts about Mr. Crawford at the time?” Mr. Langley asks.
Brace yourself.
When Aunt Aggie has thoughts, she doesn’t hold back.
Aggie pauses. “I didn’t like him,” she says flatly. “He gave me bad vibes from the start. Controlling. Possessive. He never let Jinnie just be herself. I pointed it out once, gently, and she brushed it off. But I saw the signs.”
Sam’s lawyer, a sleek-looking woman with perfect posture and a slightly-too-sweet voice, stands up. “Objection, Your Honor. Speculation.”
“Ms. Greenfield is testifying to her observations,” Mr. Langley counters. “They’re relevant to character.”
Judge Walker looks between them and nods. “Sustained in part. Ms. Greenfield, please stick to direct observations.”
Aggie continues without missing a beat. “I saw how uncomfortable Jinnie looked when Sam was around. She didn’t laugh as much. She wasn’t as free. I know my niece. Something was off. And when she finally told me what had happened—what he did—I wasn’t surprised.”
“Did she tell you about the wedding?”
“As I said, I only learned about the marriage in the last week.”
“And what was her emotional state when she told you?”
“Embarrassed. Anxious. Ashamed. Like she knew it had been a mistake and was afraid we’d think less of her.”
I swallow hard. That last part hits too close. Aggie isn’t wrong.
Sam’s lawyer doesn’t object again, but I can feel Sam fuming. His jaw twitches slightly. He shifts in his seat.
Aggie wraps up her testimony with a direct statement aimed right at Sam. “She’s not trying to scam anyone. She’s just trying to fix a mistake. And he’s the one trying to drag this out for his own benefit.”
When she steps down, she shoots me a glance. I mouth the words “thank you,” but I don’t know if they’re enough.
Mr. Langley turns to me. “Jinnie, you ready?”
I’m not. Not even a little bit. But I nod anyway.
He warned me Sam’s lawyer is a pit bull with rabies. I got the impression he was a little intimidated by her. He said she was really good, but he’s just going to be better. I hope manifesting his abilities to kick this chick’s ass are working. Because I cannot be married to Sam another minute. And I will not let him take an inch of my family’s land. This whole thing will turn into a criminal trial if that happens. Sam has never seen me mad, but I have it in me. I might come from parents who very literally wouldn’t hurt a fly, but when it comes to protecting them and their home, it’ll get ugly.