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“A little shaken, but I’ll be okay.”
“What happened, Son?” my dad finally asked once he and Cal had hugged us and expressed their concern. We recounted most of the details, but Maddy held back on sharing that the woman who pushed me out of the way was her sister. I knew she was struggling to come to terms that Charly had come back in her life just to be lost forever immediately.
Another knock and John McCloskey stepped inside the room. “I’m sorry to interrupt. I wanted to see for myself that you’re okay.” My family cleared a path so he could shake my hand.
I was surprised to see one of the other partners, Barnes, follow in his path. I’d been around Barnes, of course, but most of my direct interaction had been with McCloskey. Much to my displeasure, his niece Misty trailed behind. Her eyes were red as if she’d been crying. Shit. This infatuation of hers has to stop.
“I’m glad you’ll be okay,” she said softly. She looked at Maddy, who was curled back up against my side. “Both of you.”
John cleared his throat. “We’ve held them off as long as possible, but the police are here to interview you, Holt. I’ve already represented Maddy, not that there was a problem, but Vic is going to act as your counsel.”
I started to protest, but John held up his hand. “I don’t anticipate any trouble, but we’re not taking any chances.” He gestured to Maddy that she should follow him, and after glancing at my family gave me a shy kiss on the cheek.
“I’ll be back soon,” she promised.
“Maddy,” Misty called. Her voice sounded strained. “I need to talk to you.
”
I couldn’t imagine what Misty might need to say to Maddy, but Maddy seemed to think otherwise.
She nodded. “Yes, I believe we do,” she answered, some of the old snark back in her voice. “I’ll meet you in the waiting room.”
Misty and all the others except for Vic and Maddy left.
She glanced nervously at Vic, who smiled in return. “Go ahead,” he said. “I think the cat was let out of the bag several days ago.”
She grinned and leaned over and gave me a proper kiss this time on the lips. “I’ll be back soon,” she promised.
I settled in to get the interview over and wait for Maddy to return, and once she did, I was never letting her go.
39
Maddy
It didn’t take me long to find Misty in a quiet corner of the waiting room, looking distinctly nervous.
She ought to be, I thought as I sat in a chair near her.
“Okay, Misty. I’m here. But I’m going to warn you I’m not up for taking any crap from you. And if you have any questions about Holt and me, I’m not answering them except to say, yes, we’re together, and by together I mean in every way. We love each other, and that’s all you need to know.”
She flinched slightly, either from my tone or my open claim of Holt, I wasn’t sure, but she nodded and bowed her head to stare at her laced fingers in her lap. This humble side of Misty caught me by surprise since it was a far cry from any other behavior I’d seen from her, but I wasn’t yet ready to lower my guard around her.
“First, I’m sorry I’ve been such a bitch to you,” she started. I had to strain to hear her. She took a deep breath and continued in a stronger voice. “I was jealous of you before I even met you, and then when I saw how everyone at the firm spoke so well of you, and I saw how Holt looked at you, it just cinched it. It felt like you had everything I ever wanted.”
Well, butter my butt and call me a biscuit! She was jealous of me? She looked like she came from everything I wanted, yet she was envious of me who came from nothing.
“Wait, you said ‘before you even met me.’ That doesn’t make sense.”
Misty nodded. “Just let me get this all out, and then I’ll answer any questions you have.”
“I’ll try.”
“Charly is…was my best friend. I’ve known her for almost six years.”
I gasped, but held my tongue.
“We met at a home for unwed pregnant girls a couple counties over. They helped us with medical appointments, gave us a safe place to stay, helped the younger ones get their GED or assisted the rest of us with some community college classes. I…I miscarried my baby, but Charly gave birth to a beautiful baby girl, Lily. Her birthday’s Oct. 5. She just turned six on her last birthday, and she’s in first grade. She’s the youngest in her class, but she’s a good student. Charly always said Lily was more like her Aunt Maddy than her.
