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Judge Peters seems satisfied with her response. He has her sign in two more places before he turns to me.
“Gareth Worthington, do you agree to assist with legal counsel regarding Ms. Ainsworth?”
Not even being in law school yet causes me to hesitate. Still nowhere close to being a lawyer, I look over my shoulder at my father. His only response is to raise an eyebrow at me. Placing one hand on my shoulder, he squeezes hard. Not that anyone else could tell. He narrows his eyes, looking pointedly at the desk before I turn around to face the judge.
“I do.”
“All right then. You need to sign next to Kennedy, here and here.” He points to two lines right next to Kennedy’s name as he speaks.
Callum, Ashton, and Rodney all sign as witnesses, stating we were not coerced and that they were present. Judge Peters gives my father a copy and explains that his assistant will file these. Once filed, they can get a cease-and-desist injunction against John Robinson. Shaking hands and thanking Judge Peters for his time, we exit the office and the building.
Once outside, my father mentions grabbing a bite to eat. Kennedy tries to decline, but he persuades her to come along. He places emphasis on the fact that we are in the same car that he paid for. I resist rolling my eyes at his posturing.
Kennedy is in no mental state to go up against Dad right now. No doubt she wants to crawl into bed and hide from the world.
CHAPTERFORTY-FOUR
It’s obvious as to why Abraham Worthington was involved today. Why Callum’s and Ashton’s fathers were involved, that’s anyone’s guess. When Mr. Worthington mentions getting something to eat, I break out in a cold sweat, and my body starts to tremble. Our go-to restaurant is the steak house. I haven’t considered stepping back in there since my father passed away.
My stress drops as we arrive at an upscale Italian place just down the street from the courthouse. We have been here before, but Dad was more of a meat-and-potatoes guy.
Stepping inside, the strong scent of garlic is overwhelming at first. The hostess escorts us to a private section of the dining room. Neatly dressed waitstaff bustles between tables, dropping off full plates and removing empty ones.
Lagging behind the group, I am the last one in the room before the hostess closes the door. An oblong table, sitting in the center of the room, is set for our group.
Mr. Worthington has Kennedy seated on the far side of the table. Gareth sits to her left, and Ashton sits on her right. Callum sits to Ashton’s right. Mr. Atwater and Dr. Delroy each sit across from their sons. Mr. Worthington takes the chair opposite Kennedy, putting me across from Gareth.
Gareth gets his take-charge personality from his father, which is apparent when Mr. Worthington takes charge. He disregards the fact not all of us are of legal drinking age.
“Miss, can we please have seven drams of Balcones Blue and a glass of the house Riesling for the lady…” The waitress doesn’t even question him.
Tuning out Mr. Worthington as he orders several appetizers for us, my focus is solely on Kennedy. The tension in the room ratchets up once the waitress leaves and the doors close, giving us privacy. Kennedy is sitting with perfect posture, napkin draped across her lap and her hands folded on top.
Ashton leans over, whispering something in her ear. Kennedy’s only response is a slight shake of her head. Her face is void of expression, mask firmly in place. Kennedy’s eyes are vacant, staring off as she tunes out everything. Knowing from first-hand experience that as soon as she lets her guard drop, she is going to crumble.
As the meal continues, Kennedy becomes more withdrawn. She has taken only a few bites of food, merely pushing it around her plate to make it seem like more. Kicking Gareth in the shin under the table, my head bobs in Kennedy’s direction.
He glances at his oblivious father, giving me a one-shoulder shrug. Despite knowing that Gareth loves his father, Mr. Worthington can sometimes be a bit overbearing.
As the dishes start getting cleared away, Mr. Worthington stands, and the room falls silent. He has his lawyer face firmly in place. Mr. Worthington has his left hand in his pants pocket as she starts walking around the table as he speaks.
“Kennedy, Gareth mentioned that you wish to go back to Pennsylvania. As your lawyer, I advise against it. While Judge Peters would have gotten the paperwork filed this afternoon, it will take several days for everything to be filed and for John Robinson to be removed from handling your accounts. If you go up there, and he has put the house up for sale, your being there can cause issues. He can go as far as having you arrested for trespassing.”
A myriad of emotions flash across Kennedy’s face. She does well to hide it, but we know her tells after spending so much time with her.
Gareth puts his arm across the back of her chair, running his fingers along her shoulder. Forcing down my spike of jealousy, I tune back into what Gareth’s dad is droning on about.
“As soon as the funds’ transfer goes through, you will get a debit card, so you have access to money, should you need it. However, I advise that you don’t go on any major shopping sprees. We will still need to go to court. We want to prove that you can be trusted with access to that much money and not spend it frivolously.”
Kennedy’s back stiffens, but she gives Mr. Worthington a slight nod in acknowledgment. It’s the only outward sign that she has been listening. He drones on for another twenty minutes. Finally, Gareth cuts him off, ending the lecture.
“Dad, can we get Kennedy back to the dorm now? It has been a rough twenty-four hours, and she didn’t sleep much last night.”
Mr. Worthington seems caught off guard by being interrupted. He takes a good look at Kennedy. Something crosses his face as if it’s the first time he has truly looked at her. After he agrees that she needs rest, he settles the bill.
We exit the restaurant. Gareth and Ashton flank Kennedy as Callum, and I walk behind them. Making the short trek back up the street to where the car is parked, my heart is heaving for many reasons.
Pushing my personal issues aside, we help Kennedy into the car. Right after Gareth is seated, he has Kennedy sitting sideways in his lap, her legs dropped over his. Her head is resting on his shoulder, and Gareth wraps his arms around her, holding her in place.
