He led the boy a few feet away and plopped him down in the sandbox. “Stay here.”
“Slide, slide, slide.”
“Not yet.” He clicked on. “Hello, Rina.”
“Anthony Johnston moved the meeting to 8:30.”
“I can’t make it. Call him back and tell him I’ll be there by nine which was on the original schedule.”
“He’s not going to like it.”
Fuck him. “Do it anyway.” He clicked off.
Taking a deep breath, Nick went back to the sandbox and squatted down. “What would you like to do now, honey?”
“Slide. Slide. Slide.”
“I think that slide’s too high for you. You come down too fast.”
“Fun, fun, fun.”
His phone beeped again. “Stay here a few minutes longer.”
The boy scowled as Nick answered. “Nick Redmond.”
“What the hell, Redmond? I pay you a retainer three times what other lawyers charge soyoudon’t set the time of our meetings.”
He stepped away from others and turned his back to them. “I refuse to be at your beck and call, Anthony. You pay me what all my clients pay.” Because he was the best in the city.
“You have to be kidding me. I don’t have to take this shit.”
“No, you don’t. If you want an inferior lawyer handling this merger, go ahead.”
A long silence.
Anthony said something at the same time he heard the screams. Nick circled around. Oh, my God. Oh, my God. He dropped the phone and raced to the slide. Scotty lay prone fivefeet away from it, a huge red bruise on his forehead. Nick saw the steel pipe from the jungle gym just ahead of his son.
Who lay still as death.
Chapter 1
It was a joyous affair. Stephanie Giordano was dressed in a taupe knee-length sheath with flowers in her hair. Pax Barry wore a navy suit with a paisley tie. Both were smiling effusively.
Camille Rousseau, Steph’s best friend, stood next to her, looking like a literal doll in a dark pink suit. Jackson Kane, the best man, was dashing in his own blue suit as he flanked Pax.
Pax leaned over. He kissed Steph on the lips. “I love you Stephanie.”
“I love you, too.”
The minister, Caleb Shepherd, cleared his throat and said sternly, “None of that yet.”
Laughter filled the room. Which was good. The weight of reality—the lawsuit against Pax—was not present today, even though his lawyer was among the guests.
“We’re here today to celebrate the marriage of Pax and Steph. Like most of us…” here Caleb gazed fondly at his wife Gemma “…the path was not easy for them. But hard-won love mostly makes people thankful for what they have and I know for a fact these two are very grateful to be here.”
Both bride and groom smiled again.
“Pax. You asked to recite your vows first.”
