Without You by Mary Lynn Baxter

Author:Mary Lynn Baxter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: MIRA Books
Published: 2012-01-15T00:00:00+00:00

Twenty-One

Hallie had produced; under the present circumstances that translated into a miracle. So many things were going on in her personal life and at the firm that she felt like she was running in water, getting nowhere.

Still, today she’d made headway in several of her cases, closing two of them out. If only she could settle the Dryer case, but so far her client was still waffling on what she wanted to do. At least it seemed both parties were now trying to reach a peaceful resolution.

The case she dreaded, the one she kept putting on the back burner, was that of the Nerrens, the couple whose child was the pawn. That court hearing was coming up soon, and Hallie expected it to be as nasty as they came. Although she realized she should be getting prepared, she just couldn’t bring herself to even open the file.

However, she refused to feel guilty. She’d done more than enough work for one day. Anyway, it was nearly time to go home, something she both looked forward to and dreaded. While at the office, she felt obligated to work, not let her personal problems intervene.

At home, it was a different matter. Gone was the hustle and bustle of the office. She had only herself for company. Until lately, that had been her salvation. Now, she wasn’t so sure. Her structured, picture-perfect life had been turned upside down.

Her missing delinquent sister weighed heavily, as did the partnership hanging in jeopardy. Then there was Jackson. He remained front and center in her mind, both professionally and personally.

The personal problem was the immediate one. She couldn’t seem to keep her distance; nor could he. It should have been so easy to turn down his invitation to go with him to the Kids’ Club. She’d had every intention of doing that—only, she hadn’t. At the last minute, she couldn’t handle being alone, fearing the walls of her home would close in on her, especially when she couldn’t stop thinking about Darcy and what might have befallen her.

When she had called Jackson and told him she’d go, the surprise and excitement in his voice had been evident. Was she sorry she had gone? Not for one minute. The evening, though it had passed quickly, had been an eye-opening experience, one that she would remember always.

Jackson was the reason for that memory.

She’d never seen that side of him. When they had been engaged, he hadn’t been involved in any charity work, other than to write a check here and there. To learn that he’d become actively involved with under-privileged children was a shocker. She would never have picked that as something he’d be interested in, though she had known he wanted children.

Now, three days later when she thought back on that evening, she still felt warm and fuzzy all over. Yet those emotions brought about other, more mixed feelings because they were tied directly to Jackson.

“So what do you think?” he’d asked after they arrived at the new center that housed the club.

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