Chapter 26
Cole
The hearing for our lawsuit with Gabriel was going just the way we wanted it.
Tess, Josie, and I were in a small courtroom in the East Village.
The judge who’d reviewed the file had asked all parties involved to be present when she gave the verdict.
She was fiftysomething with black hair cropped short, and her bullshit radar was on point.
The room was too stuffy for my liking, so I popped open the top button of my shirt. I’d dressed to impress, in a two-button suit. Next to me, Tess was also calm. My sister rarely wore suits, but now she had a deep-purple-colored one on. She kept picking lint off her skirt.
“In conclusion, I am choosing to dismiss the case altogether. It is a poor attempt to discredit a solid foundation for personal gain. In my experience as judge, this only happens when one party hopes the other will give in to any demands in an attempt to avoid any hassle.”
Gabriel wasn’t looking so smug anymore.
“In conclusion, I am ordering Mr. Lyons to write a check for damages. You’ll find the sum in the printed document. Consider yourself lucky that I am not putting you under investigation for blackmail.”
“Fuck no,” Gabriel exclaimed, rising to his feet.
“And that just earned you an additional fine for swearing and raising your voice in a courtroom. Ms. Winchester, Mr. Winchester, you will be reimbursed the fees of your lawyer. That is all.”
“Thank you.” I shook her hand. Tess and Josie did the same. Knowing my sister, she was barely keeping herself from breaking into a dance.
Yeah, I was smirking. And yeah, I was gloating as I looked at Gabriel.
The scumbag deserved it. No one messed with my family and got away with it, not if I could help it.
When the judge ordered us to clear the courtroom, I was planning to approach the opposing counsel and gloat some more, but Tess and Josie pulled me out.
“I’m so glad we didn’t want to settle,” Tess said once we were outside. “You were wonderful, Josie.”
“Thanks so much,” I said. “You did a great job.”
“We were also lucky with the judge. She didn’t want to draw this out and saw right through his bullshit. It could have taken months longer with some of the others.”
“Don’t downplay your part,” I said. “Should we go to celebrate?”
“I can’t,” Josie said. “I am on a deadline for a client.”
Tess shook her head. “Maybe a little later. Our sales associate just texted me that we’ve got a huge delivery and no space in the storage room.”
“Well, I’m in the mood to celebrate.”
“You know, I’ve never seen you so pissed off about anything,” Tess said.
“I agree,” Josie added.
“I just don’t like anyone messing with the family.”
“Clearly,” Tess said. “Well, I’m off or my associate will have a meltdown.”
“Tess, we can share an Uber,” Josie said. “I need to go to Soho too.”
“Perfect.” After the girls left, I debated what to do. I could go back to the office. In all honesty, I probably should, but I didn’t feel like being stuck at my desk.
I just wanted to celebrate, and I knew exactly with whom I wanted to share this victory: Laney. Her shift wouldn’t be over until late in the evening, but if I remembered correctly, she only started in an hour.
I texted her.
Cole: I’m on top of the world. The judge ruled in our favor.
Laney: OMG congrats.
Cole: Are you still at home?
Laney: I’m with Isabelle in the hospital cafeteria. I was too nervous to be home by myself during your hearing.
This woman, damn. The way she cared about me just brought me to my knees.
Laney: Do you want to come to the hospital? Google maps says you need forty minutes. That still leaves us with twenty minutes. Enough for some cute, PG-rated kisses.
Cole: Woman, I’ve just come out of a courtroom. I deserve more than that. How about a supply closet and deep, dirty kisses?
Laney: You could talk me into that :-D Is that incentive enough to get your perfect ass to the cafeteria?
Cole: On my way already.
Josie had been right. I’d never been so pissed off about anything—or more euphoric about an outcome.
This was important to me, and as I headed to the hospital, I realized why: it wasn’t just that this was a family issue.
One could say the galas were our legacy, and I wanted our legacy to be intact for future generations.
The recognition was startling, because I’d never given that any thought, and I knew without a doubt that having Laney in my life had made me consider things that hadn’t even been on my radar before.
Laney
“Laney, this was genius. I’m so happy we’re having lunch,” Isabelle exclaimed.
I’d had a stroke of genius this morning, when we’d been trying to find a time after my shift that worked for both of us, and I’d thought, why not before?
Having lunch in the hospital cafeteria was the perfect compromise.
Isabelle was bubbly and cheerful again, and her optimism was catchy.
Her red hair was styled in loose curls that bounced around her face.
“Me too.”
“I’m so excited about signing the contract for my practice. The touring company signed me up for more tours, so it’s all working out. I even have my first New York client. I need about thirty more to afford life here, but one step at a time. It’s a big day for both of us.”
It was huge. I was attending a very difficult surgery with the chief, and I was super nervous.
“Who keeps texting you?” Isabelle asked.
“Cole. He’s gonna crash our lunch date.”
“Good for him. I knew why I liked Cole.”
Cole: I’m gonna be late. Traffic.
Laney: How late?
Cole: Ten or fifteen minutes.
Laney: Boohoo. But this will only leave us with 5 minutes. That’s just enough for a super quick kiss.
Cole: Or you can change now and earn us a few minutes.
Laney: Already did that, so I’m in my scrubs with my pager on me.
Cole: Stop talking dirty to me.
Giggling, I just pushed the phone away, focusing on Isabelle again.
She was smiling at me. “Damn, Cole’s good for you girl.”
“I agree one hundred percent.”
“Oh, forgot to tell you. Lisa got married.”
Lisa had been one of our best friends growing up, but we’d drifted apart in college.
“No, way. Do you have pictures?”
“There are a ton on Facebook.”
“I forgot my password, so I can’t log in again. I hate resetting it too, since I have so many security questions and I don’t know what the heck I put for those.” I gave my friend the pouty face because it was true. I suck with social media things.
Isabelle got out her phone, obviously feeling sorry for me, tapping on the screen before turning it so I could see.
“Oh, she’s so beautiful. And they both look so happy.” Lisa had always been gorgeous, but with the white dress and the flowers, she just radiated joy.
“Remember when we used to sneak in each other’s houses and cause trouble?”
“Oh, yeah.”
We took a walk down memory lane that went on about ten minutes, and it was astounding how many details we remembered.
“Let me see more pics,” I said, holding her phone and scrolling to the right. I was immensely happy for our friend. I was also relieved that looking at her gorgeous white dress didn’t freeze me up, though I did have this strange feeling in my stomach that I couldn’t place.
“Looking at that makes me so nervous,” I said.
“What makes you nervous, beautiful girl?” Cole asked, lowering himself in the seat next to me.
I jumped a little because I hadn’t seen him coming. Isabelle took the phone from my hand. The movement caught Cole’s attention, and his eyes widened the second he glimpsed the screen.
“Hey, Cole. I’m off, don’t want to steal any of your time together. You only have a few minutes left anyway.”
“You sure? Good to see you, Isabelle,” he said.
After she took off, I expected Cole to jump my bones, or at least joke about finding a service room close to the cafeteria.
“What were you two talking about?”
“One of our childhood friends got married, and we were looking at pictures, remembering some shenanigans we did as kids.” I half turned to him. He took both my hands in his, holding them together.
“When you said it makes you nervous… you meant the wedding?”
I bit my lip. “I don’t?—”
He shook his head, bringing my hands to his mouth, kissing them.
“Laney, wait, I want to get something off my chest. I’d planned to wait a while before saying this, but the longer I wait, the more it weighs on me.
” He squeezed my hands a little tighter, looking straight at me.
There was a lump in my throat. Even if I wanted to talk, I couldn’t.
“I absolutely don’t want to put you on the spot.
I know you have a big surgery you need to focus on.
This isn’t an ultimatum or anything, but I want you to know that—” His voice was uneven.
I squeezed his hands right back, holding them tightly.
“—I feel very deeply about you. I fell hard and very fast, and I wouldn’t change one thing about that.
You’ve become a huge part of my life these past months.
I think I started to really fall for you when Skye had that scare and we brought her here.
And yes, I’m aware how crazy that is. The closer we’ve grown, the more I’ve imagined how our lives could be in a few months, then a few years…
I have a very vivid painting in my mind.
Very detailed. I want—” His voice broke.
He took in a deep breath. “I know you said that you dream about certain things, but you’re also afraid of that.
I just want to know if you think there is a possibility you might want the same things I do.
If not now, then at some point.” He grinned, but his eyes were still full of emotion.
“In the not-so-distant future. My deepest fear is that you won’t, and I… I just want you to think about it.”
“Cole, I love you?—"
He shook his head and pressed two fingers over my lips.
“Don’t say anything now. I want you to think about it. Really think about it, okay?”
My throat was still clogged and feeling as if I had a stone at the base of it.
I started to nod when Magda, the cafeteria manager, called out. “Miss Laney, what do you think you’re doing? Your shift is starting.”
A fraction of a second later, my pager beeped. Cole got to his feet. I wanted to tell him to sit back down, or even better, go with him. He just kissed my forehead and whispered, “Good luck with the surgery,” before leaving.
I didn’t want to go to my stupid shift at all! I wanted to go after Cole.
“Missy, don’t choose today of all days to be late. Chief has asked you to go into surgery with him.”
“Oh, give me a break, Magda. I know.”
She jerked her head back, looking after the door Cole just walked through.
“Young women these days,” Magda muttered, loud enough for me to hear her. Most residents were more afraid of Magda than the chief. She was the unofficial hospital policeman, making sure no one was slacking (as if). I was all jittery, and my stomach rolled as if I was about to be sick.
Cole, Cole, Cole!
This was far too short notice to switch shifts, but on a regular day, I’d ask one of my interns to do the initial checkup round for me.
Today of all days, I had surgery first thing, and with the chief, no less.
There was no way I could get out of the hospital right now.
God damn it, I’d never ever wanted to leave it so badly.
With a sinking feeling in my belly, I speed walked to the surgical unit, barely able to focus on the upcoming task. This was a complicated surgery, and I needed to be sharp. It would last at least three hours.
But my mind kept bringing my amazing, funny man to the forefront.
My very brave man who’d just bared all his emotions to me.
I hadn’t been prepared for all his beautiful words.
They touched me so deeply that my eyes were misty.
What exactly was I going to tell him when I saw him, besides how much I loved him?