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He’d come to the trial even though he hadn’t been scheduled to testify today? Her heart fluttered at the proof of his caring. The support warmed her in spite of the swirl of tangled emotions at the sight of him—guilt for leaving, hunger for his touch, regret that she might never feel his kiss again.
He wore a gray suit today, his white dress shirt unbuttoned at the throat while he made himself comfortable at the end of a bench. A moment later, his dark gaze met hers, as if he’d felt her watching him.
What did he discover written in her face, she wondered? She didn’t know how she felt about seeing him, so she couldn’t imagine he could glean any more understanding about her feelings than she had herself. Her belly tensed with nerves.
As the lawyers finished their debate, Lark returned her focus to Ryder on the stand. After prompting from the judge, Ryder continued to speak.
“Mateo Barclay went on to tell me that his mother had disinherited him because of how he’d treated his ex-wife,” Ryder explained, giving what Lark considered to be the most important piece of evidence in the defense.
Because Ryder’s testimony proved that Mateo knew nine years ago that he wasn’t receiving an inheritance from his mother.
More questions followed from Mateo’s lawyer, but Lark didn’t pay much heed to the back and forth. The key statements had been made for their case, so now they needed to trust the process. That the court would find Gran’s will valid and Crooked Elm would rightfully belong to Lark, Jessamyn and Fleur.
If the judge decided in their favor, they’d be able to kick Josiah Cranston off the land for good, and they could send their father packing.
And whether or not the judge decided in their favor, Lark had done all she could here.
Once the decision was in she’d be free to leave Catamount—and Gibson—right after Jessamyn’s wedding. Lark would be able to say she’d made progress toward healing her relationships with her sisters, and she’d done what her grandmother would have wanted by spending time here with them for the summer.
There was nothing left to keep her here. Right?
Surely, that knowledge should bolster her as she started the next chapter of her life alone in Los Angeles once again. Or maybe it would if she could look herself in the mirror and feel like she’d been honest with Gibson, too.
She really did owe him the truth she hadn’t been able to share during their marriage. He would be angry. Rightfully so. But that didn’t excuse her from something she should have confided to him long ago. Maybe then, she’d be able to leave town with a clear conscience.
Too bad she’d also be leaving with a heart more tattered than ever. Without thinking, she squeezed Jessamyn’s hand again. Taking comfort for herself when she should have been giving it.
“How are you doing?” Lark whispered to her to cover the action.
At the same moment, the judge announced a short recess for lunch, then rose to leave. The participants in the case began conversations of their own, gathering bags and keys in preparation for the break.
Jessamyn nodded quickly, sliding her hand free from Lark’s. “I’m okay, thanks. I just hope Ryder’s testimony is enough to prove that Dad knew Gran’s wishes long ago.”
“Me, too.” Standing, Lark’s gaze went to where Gibson had been sitting, but there was no sign of him now. “But we’ve worked hard to find as many people as possible who knew what Gran wanted. Now we need to let the legal process play out.”
Even as they moved toward the exit, Lark’s eyes scanned the room for Gibson. She should be relieved, perhaps, since she’d been the one to flee his house the morning after their amazing night together, telling him she’d see him on their date for Jessamyn’s wedding. Implying, of course, that she wouldn’t be seeing him before then.
Yet she couldn’t deny the twinge of disappointment at his absence.
He’d come to support her family, perhaps. But now she realized it hadn’t been to see her.
Cursing herself for being sad about getting exactly what she’d told him she wanted, Lark stuffed down the pain her chest and told herself to get over it.
Especially as Fleur and Drake paired up in the corridor outside the courtroom. And then Ryder and Jessamyn did the same.
Leaving Lark very much alone.
Gibson stared at the desk calendar in his home office, mentally checking off how many days he’d managed to stay away from Lark since she’d vanished from his cabin.
Five.
Five endless days of scarcely seeing her face except for their brief acknowledgments of one another at the courthouse, surrounded by other people. He’d continued to attend the sessions in case he was needed to clarify a point of his testimony and also to show public support for the Barclay sisters. At least the media interest had died down after Dex had issued a statement to the press that Gibson was committed to retiring, but a few stubborn freelancers still stuck around Catamount, hoping for a story.
The coverage of the estate case had slowed down too, and that was just as well since Lark hadn’t been pleased at Gibson’s efforts to involve the media. Yet another way she hadn’t wanted what he’d had to offer. Still, he could see her point since the intrusiveness of the cameras and questions bothered him more than it used to. He understood why it had upset her so much during their marriage.
He just hoped the judge in their case reached a decision soon. And he hoped like hell Lark and her sisters would receive the lands Antonia had intended for them.
“Gibson, are you in here?” His mother’s voice called to him from the annex on the far side of his kitchen.
