Alone with You

Chapter Thirty-One

Gwen

T he air was stale with the scent of old wood and faded varnish as I nervously shook my foot. The cramped courtroom was even smaller than I’d imagined in the minuscule Belton courthouse. Two worn tables stood in front of the judge’s bench, each with a pair of mismatched chairs tucked behind them. A waist-high, wooden partition separated the front from the gallery, where three narrow pews lined the back of the room.

Angela was seated beside Dylan and Lucille in the front row. She leaned forward and gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. “It’s gonna be okay.”

I wanted to believe her. But it didn’t matter what happened from that point on. My son’s life would never be the same. I’d sworn not to put Nate in the middle of my relationship with Jeff. We were two adults. Our child shouldn’t have to deal with jealousy or revenge stemming from of our failed marriage. However, it seemed I was the only adult in this situation.

Jeff had every right to be upset about the way Truett had acted. But there were ways to handle difficult situations without dragging our child into the middle. He could have taken it up with the cops and used his legal connections to find out why they hadn’t charged Truett with more. That wouldn’t have been my personal preference, but at least it wouldn’t have involved Nate.

Or we could have had a discussion when he’d called me after Truett was arrested. However, that would have required him not to call me names and scream into my ear.

If the task had been too difficult to calm himself that day, then he could have spoken to me when I’d picked Nate up from his house to ask face-to-face if Truett had moved in with me.

But no, Jeff had decided to use our son as a pawn to get his revenge on Truett—and, in turn, me.

I would never be able to forgive him—or forget.

Dylan slapped me on the shoulder when Jeff walked into the courtroom. My jaw fell open as he strutted in sporting an oversized bandage on his nose and a brace around his neck. He hadn’t needed either when I’d seen him two days earlier. And just to add salt to the wound, Taggart Folly entered one step behind him.

“You have got to be shitting me,” I whispered, a rancid mix of nerves and rage churning in my stomach.

“Ignore him,” my attorney, Marcus Cooper, ordered. Well, really, he was Truett’s attorney.

Marcus had called me less than ten minutes after Truett had set out on his journey to “fix this.” I still had no idea what that meant or if he’d figured out anything. But he’d sworn he was going to be there, and while there had been no sign of him yet, I had faith he’d keep his word.

“Is that neck brace a joke?” Dylan sniped entirely too loudly. I was sure Jeff heard her almost as much as I was sure that was the point.

Lucille crossed and uncrossed her legs. “That man is a joke. If we can call him a man at all.”

“Hey, keep it down,” Marcus scolded. “When the judge gets in here, I don’t want to hear a word no matter what he says or does. Judge Clavet is no nonsense, and from what I’ve heard, he is not happy about Jeff pulling strings to get this in front of him so quickly. We are presenting a calm and supportive collective front. Do not give him a reason to believe there may be some truth to the accusations about Gwen’s parenting.”

The three of them immediately clamped their mouths shut.

I sagged in my chair. How was this happening? My parenting? Really? Jeff had done nothing when Nate was a baby. He was always busy at work or social engagements, trying to level up his career. He hadn’t worried about “my parenting” then. It wasn’t until Nate was around four and went from being a baby to take care of to a little person to have fun with that Jeff decided to be an active dad. I didn’t always agree with his parenting style, but I’d never wanted to take Nate away from him.

“Ho. Lee. Shit,” Lucille breathed, catching my attention.

I followed her gaze to the courtroom doors. Truett walked through the doors like it was a high fashion runway wearing a navy-blue double-breasted suit that fit him like the world’s sexiest glove.

His chin held high.

His shoulders resolute.

A confidence so thick it cloaked the air around him.

He was flanked by five men. I recognized Daniel at his left, but not the others. The two behind them were in military dress uniforms, and a pair of police officers pulled up the rear.

It looked like a parade, but as hope surged inside me, it felt like the answer to my prayers.

Truett West was back.

And there was nothing he wouldn’t do to protect his family.

“Hey,” he whispered, leaning over the partition to kiss the top of my head.

“Who are all these people?” I asked.

He winked. “Reinforcements.”

“All rise,” the bailiff called out, silencing the conversation.

A bald man with a thick gray beard in a black robe took his place behind the bench. We were seated, and then he began a myriad of formalities, including reading Jeff’s emergency motion aloud. When he was satisfied he’d checked all the required legal boxes, he set the paperwork down, took his glasses off, and leaned back in his chair.

“Mr. Weaver, I’ve reviewed the evidence you have provided to support your claims today, though I still find myself with quite a few questions about your allegations against Mr. West and the perceived danger to your son.”

Jeff stood up, holding his neck as if his head might topple off without the brace. “Yes, Your Honor. I’m happy to answer any questions the court may have about—”

“I’d like to speak to Mr. West. If that is okay with you, Ms. Weaver.”

Jeff went solid and my heart lurched into my throat. I mentally gagged when he called me Ms. Weaver and swore right then and there that, before I left the courthouse, I’d get the required paperwork to legally change my name.

Unsure how to properly address the judge, I stood with shaking legs. “Um, yes, sir.”

When he smiled, he looked like Santa Claus. “No need to be nervous. Nobody’s on trial here. We all just want to figure out what’s best for your son.”

I nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“Okay, then. Mr. West, thank you for coming today. Do you mind if we have a quick talk?”

Truett stood up behind me, but it was Marcus who spoke first.

“Your Honor, before we proceed any further, I’d like to point out that there is a member of the media in the courtroom with us today. The man seated behind Mr. Weaver is Taggart Folly, a producer with Flat Line Productions who has been harassing my client in an attempt to gain her participation in a documentary he is filming on the tragedy at The Watersedge Mall. My client and Mr. West lost their daughter that day. Due to the sensitivity of this matter and Mr. West’s hopes to speak freely without it being documented for entertainment purposes, we ask that Mr. Folly be removed from the court.”

Folly had the audacity to look offended.

Jeff scowled before slapping on the fake confidence that made him such a successful attorney. “I assure you Mr. Folly is not here as a member of the media today. He was a witness the day I was assaulted by Truett West.”

The judge arched his brow. “From inside the building? Because I watched the video you submitted and there was no sound and the sun was reflecting off the windows, making it next to impossible to make out who’s who. The only thing I could tell for sure was that there was a scuffle inside, and then Mr. West was led out in cuffs. He was released later in the day with nothing more than a trespass notice. I believe I’ve already seen everything he can add to this case. Mr. Folly, please see yourself out of the courtroom.”

“That’s not fair!” Folly protested. “There’s nothing that states a member of the media can’t attend this hearing.”

“I just did. Out!” Judge Clavet boomed.

Marcus grinned—a huge grin—as Folly grumbled and shuffled out.

The hinges on Jeff’s jaw ticked, his ego no doubt taking a hit.

Truett’s hand landed on my shoulder from behind, but I was too damn nervous to find any comfort in it.

The judge searched around his desk, shuffling through a stack of papers. “Okay, here we go. Mr. West, I have been supplied with images taken in front of Ms. Weaver’s home.” He paused and looked at me. “To avoid confusion, may I call you Gwen?”

“Please do,” I replied, and he flashed another one of his holiday best.

“As I was saying, there are pictures of you arriving at Gwen’s home with a duffel bag of sorts. Are you currently residing at her residence?”

“No, sir,” Truett answered.

“Have you been in contact with Nathan Weaver?”

“Yes, sir, I have.”

“Can you tell me a little about that?”

Truett drew in a deep breath. “Gwen cooked dinner on Wednesday night and I met him for the first time. We ate wings and then watched old family videos of my daughter. It was only for a couple hours before a friend came by and invited him to spend the night. He left and I haven’t seen him since.”

“So it was a friendly evening? No issues or problems?”

Truett smirked. “Well, he was a little disappointed with the flower pressing kit I gave him as a gift. Apparently, it was an inside joke between him and his mother, but it ended up as a joke on me. I think I redeemed myself by getting him one of those disgusting jellybean games. You can’t go wrong with gross when it comes to boys.”

The judge chuckled. “You don’t have to tell me. I have two grandsons. Boys are a different breed these days.” He cleared his throat and then sat up straighter in his chair. He swung his gaze between Truett and Jeff. “I’m going to level with you two. I did not want to take this case today. I tried to pass it off to every colleague I have. But it seemed we all had the same problem. I know who you are, Truett. I know what you did.”

My back shot straight in my chair. Suddenly, I was terrified of where this was going.

The judge continued. “I remember the day when we found out about that horrible, horrible tragedy at the mall. We were all scrambling, calling our family and friends in Watersedge, checking to make sure everyone we loved was accounted for.”

My stomach wrenched, and I flicked my gaze to Truett. He was standing stock-still, his arms at his sides, his face unreadable.

I tugged on Marcus’s arm to get his attention. “Don’t let him talk about this. Anything but the mall.”

He looked at me like I had three heads and hissed, “Relax. It will be fine.”

It wasn’t going to be fine. If Truett had willingly put on a suit, I knew he’d committed to the cause ahead of us, but there was no telling what would come out of his mouth if the judge made his way down the path I feared he was headed.

And much to my horror, he did exactly that. “Your name and a picture of you in uniform was plastered all over the newspapers for weeks. It made national news, but no one could get a single comment from you. I want to personally say thank you. I’m sorry about the loss of your daughter. From one father to another, I feel for certain she would be proud of the hero you were that day.”

Oh my God.

Thank you.

Proud.

Hero.

It was the trifecta of trigger words.

I shot to my feet. “Please stop talking.”

The judge sliced his gaze to me. “Excuse me?”

There was a rumble of whispers through the room, including an arrogant laugh from Jeff.

“I’m sorry,” I rushed out. “I wasn’t trying to be rude. It’s just—”

Truett moved forward until his lower body was flush with the partition, and he hooked his arm around my shoulders, pulling my upper body against his chest. I went willingly, hoping that whatever calm he claimed I gave him would keep him from losing his head and me from losing my son.

Surprisingly, his heartbeat against my ear was slow and his breaths even. “I’m sorry, Your Honor. That was my fault too. If I may level with you as well, Gwen knows I haven’t always liked the word hero . But over the last few days, I’ve done a lot of soul searching and reflection. I’m starting to think fighting the label has been more damaging for me than just accepting that my action saved the lives of others.”

In utter shock, I tilted my head back to peer up at him. I looked for any sign that he was uncomfortable or maybe pretending again. However, the brown eyes that flashed down to me were free of clouds and storms of the past.

He released me, but only long enough to fold his hand around mine. “You see, I was already a broken man the day I walked into that mall. I was struggling with trusting myself after I’d lost my team overseas. I had considered taking my own life—planned it, even. But then, this little girl—” He brought our intertwined hands up to rest over his chest. “ Our little girl reminded me why I needed to live. Why I needed to get better. I worked hard to be the father she deserved, all of it culminating in that day when we were at the mall as part of my exposure therapy. I walked in broken, but I walked out demolished. It’s a hard pill to swallow to be called a hero, because I failed the only person I was supposed to protect.”

Tears spilled from my eyes, and I brought our joined hands to my mouth to kiss the back of his palm, knowing that, if his words were shredding me, they had to be wrecking him.

He continued. “It’s been confusing for me over the last few days, as I’ve thought about how I chose to live my life after I lost my daughter. I shut myself off from the world because of the things I thought I did and did not deserve. I tried to keep her memory alive, albeit not in the healthiest of ways, but I wasn’t ready to let go.” His lips curled into a warm smile. “And then I met Nate.”

I sucked in a sharp breath.

Jeff scoffed. “Your Honor, is this really necessary? The only part of his story that is pertinent to this case is when he made the choice to viciously attack me in my place of business.”

Judge Clavet never tore his eyes off Truett as he barked, “Sit down, Weaver.”

Lucille laughed and I leveled her with a glare, silencing her immediately.

“Carry on, Mr. West.”

Truett gave my hand a tight squeeze. “Seeing him, my daughter’s brother, got me thinking about all the lives that were affected that day. As I sat in that mall, frozen and lost, bombarded by the chaos, while trying to process that my daughter was gone…” His voice got thick, and he used his free hand to grip the partition as if he were having trouble keeping his knees from buckling. “I saw Gwen pounding on the glass doors. I was engulfed by the fear that she could be next. It was only then that my mind thawed enough for me to act.”

I slapped my hand over my mouth, a sob escaping my throat. When I’d seen him through the doors, I’d had no idea that Kaitlyn was already gone. But I, too, had been engulfed in fear when I saw him rise to his feet. A piece of my soul withered as he mouthed the words, “ I’m sorry ,” before taking off after the gunman.

If she had still been alive, he never would have left her side.

And if she hadn’t been alive, he wouldn’t care to be, either.

I’d thought I was going to lose them both.

Truett paused, offering me a reassuring smile. “I have no idea what would have happened that day had I not gone after that monster, but I can now clearly see what happened because I did. Nate happened.”

“Truett,” I whispered, warmth blooming in my chest.

He looked back up at the judge. “My brother survived that day, later making me an uncle to two incredible boys. I found out recently that Officer Don Hutching’s sister survived and went on to become a driving force in New Jersey’s senate. There are doctors and architects, children and grandchildren, husbands and wives, who are here, in the present, because of my actions that day. It’s been eighteen years and the domino effect of the most heartbreaking day of my life is still happening. I believe one of those dominos is exactly why we are all here today. I don’t think that Mr. Weaver’s claims have anything to do with Nate’s safety.”

Truett once again brought our joined hands to rest over his heart. “I’ve made a lot of poor choices in my life. One of which was being stupid enough to let this woman slip through my fingers. Jeff Weaver reaped the benefits of that mistake and is now unable to accept that Gwen and I are back together. This is an act of jealousy, not concern.”

Jeff let out a loud laugh. “Your Honor, you can’t be seriously entertaining this nonsense.”

Judge Clavet’s bushy eyebrows drew together menacingly. “The only nonsense I hear right now is your outburst. One more and I will hold you in contempt.”

The pure joy I felt watching Jeff get his ass handed to him momentarily dried my tears.

“Okay, Mr. West. Let’s get to the point.”

Truett nodded. “Yes, sir. As many regrets as I have about losing Gwen, I’ve seen the way she looks at her son, and Nate could never be one of them. Gwen is an incredible mother. I got to witness that firsthand for six years with our daughter and only one night with Nate. But I can confidently say she would never knowingly put her child at risk. I admit that I let my emotions dictate my actions when I went to Mr. Weaver’s office, but I assure you, I have no criminal record and have never and will never be a danger to society. My mental health has been a difficult journey over the years, but violence has never been a part of that. My doctor, Lieutenant Colonel Nunnery, and my therapist, Major Wright, have been with me for years and were gracious enough to come here today to speak on my behalf should you have any concerns about that. I assure you I am not a violent man.”

Finally, losing his grip on control, Jeff rocketed to his feet. “Not violent? Your Honor, as much as I’ve enjoyed this little story time, it’s irrelevant. I don’t want him around my son. The man headbutted me. I’m pretty sure that is still a crime in Belton.”

The judge nodded. “You are correct. So is obstructing justice.”

“Obstruction of justice?” Jeff shot back incredulously.

The judge lifted a paper in the air. “Did you think that, because you tried to rush this emergency hearing through in less than two days, I wouldn’t take the time to prepare? I watched your useless video and your meaningless pictures, but I also read the police report. It’s not lost on me that the arresting officers have not only joined us today, but are also sitting behind the defendant .”

He put his glasses on and leaned forward, the paper still clutched in his hand. “It says here that you were instructed by officers not to speak multiple times, and instead, you continued to argue and provoke Mr. West. In all my years of sitting on this bench, I’ve heard a lot of things that turned my stomach, but never have I been more disgusted than when I read that you used the senseless death of another man’s child to insult him.”

I gasped, rage burning my throat as I fought the urge to throw up. He’d brought up Kaitlyn. My Kaitlyn. He was lucky Truett only headbutted him. I would have done far worse.

“This is bullshit!” Jeff shouted, his voice echoing through the small space. “I’m the victim here!”

“Enough,” Judge Clavet snapped, slamming his gavel. “Bailiff, please take Mr. Weaver into custody.”

A familiar arrogance flared in Jeff’s face. “Are you fucking kidding me? Why does everyone in this Godforsaken town want to suck Truett West’s dick?” His rabid gaze slid to mine. “What is wrong with you? He left you after he killed your brother and your daughter. And you’re just going to run back to him? You really are that desperate and pathetic, aren’t you?”

Truett’s hand painfully gripped mine as he barely held himself back.

Jeff’s insults were nothing new to me. I’d spent a lot of years wilting under his abuse, convincing myself that keeping my family together was all that mattered. But, eventually, I had been forced to look in the mirror and accept that I mattered more. He could call me names all day long, but his words no longer held power over me.

So, as Truett fought to maintain his composure and the judge wildly banged his gavel, calling for order, I smiled as a pair of cuffs were clicked around Jeff’s wrists.

“You are a disgrace,” the judge spat. “I’m holding you in contempt of court. Maybe you should spend less time worrying about your ex-wife’s personal life and reflect on how you can be a better father. I find no reason to grant your request for emergency custody of Nathan Bryce Weaver. Your motion has been denied .”

Relief flooded my veins as the room busted into a flurry of quiet celebration. I slapped a hand down on Truett’s arm, my fingernails biting into the fabric of his suit, waiting until I could launch myself into his arms.

The judge let out an exasperated sigh. “Anything more from you, Mr. Cooper?”

“No, Your Honor. Thank you for your time,” my virtually useless attorney replied.

He lifted his gavel, but Truett quickly rushed out with, “May I say one more thing, sir?”

He arched an eyebrow. “Go ahead.”

“I think you were right.” He stepped over the partition dividing us and pulled me into his side. “My daughter would be proud, and as hard as it is to admit, she probably would have called me a hero too.”

With gentle eyes, the judge smiled. “You were her father. On the good days, the bad days, and every single one in between, you were always her hero.”

Truett’s breathing shuddered, his arm tensing around me, as another wave of tears filled my eyes.

“Thank you,” Truett rasped.

The judge nodded, banged his gavel, and then dismissed the court.

Dylan, Angela, and Lucille cheered and clapped as Daniel, his doctors, and even the cops Truett had brought with him that day hurried to the front, patting him on the back.

But he only had eyes for me. “I’m sorry that took me so long. All of this.”

We had so far to go. So much healing to do. But our future together was only a blink away.

“Welcome to the present, True.”