Overruled(97)

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May, Sunshine, Mississippi

Jenny’s truck pulls up the drive of my parents’ place, and as soon as the tires stop, Presley bursts out of the passenger side. “Hey, Daddy! Hey, Sofia!”

She hugs us both long and sweet.

“You look like you’ve grown three inches since I saw you last.” That was over spring break, when she stayed with us in DC.

With her arm over my daughter’s shoulders, Sofia looks down at her and asks, “You want to go horseback riding?”

Presley nods, and I just grin, teasing. “Someone thinks she’s quite the equestrian.”

Sofia twists her middle and pointer finger together and adorably insists, “Blackjack and I are like this. We have a whole mental thing going on—he understands me.”

I’m still laughing as I jog to the truck to help Jenny out. “Hey.” I kiss her cheek and give her a hug. Or, as close to a hug as I can, considering the size of her stomach. “Damn, Jenny, you’re gigantic.”

She frowns. “Why don’t you go to hell and die, Stanton? What kinda thing is that to say to a pregnant woman?”

“A truthful kinda thing. I don’t remember you bein’ so big with Presley. You sure there’s not two in there?”

She rubs her eight-months-pregnant belly. “No, just the one. One’s enough—and I’m gettin’ drugs this time.”

I chuckle. “Not if Nurse Lynn’s there, you’re not.”

Sofia hugs Jenny in greeting. “We would’ve come to your house to pick her up.”

Jenny waves her hand. “Nah, it’s good for me to get out. I’ve been nestin’—the floors are so slippery clean, JD said he’s gonna put up hazard tape.”

We catch up for a few minutes, then Jenny leaves and we head to the stable. Presley walks in front of us, and I hold Sofia’s hand as she walks beside me.

“So . . . you ever think about that?”

“About what?”

I jerk my head in the direction Jenny just left.

“A baby?”

“A baby,” I say.

“You and me?”

“Well . . . I’d be pretty pissed if it was you and someone else.”

She laughs. “Stanton, I’m trying to make partner.”

“I know.”

“And you’re trying to make partner.”

“True.” We walk silently. Then I lean closer to her, guessing, “So that’s a yes, then?”

She grins. “Yes . . . I’ll think about it.”

I give her her favorite lopsided grin. “Good.”

Sofia holds up a finger. “But not now.”

“No.”

“Make sure your sperm is aware of that. It has a history of going rogue.”

I nod. “I’ll send the sperm a memo and CC your ovaries.”

She nods. “But soon.”

“Soon is good.”

I swing our joined hands. “We should probably get married first.”

Sofia stops, staring at me. “Are you asking?”

I turn, cupping her jaw, tracing her beautiful lips. “Darlin’, when I ask, you won’t be wonderin’ if I’m askin’.” Then I kiss her sweetly. “But it’ll be soon.”

She smiles, big and blinding. “Soon is good.”





Jake Becker loves his career as a hard, powerful defense attorney in DC. So there’s no way a twenty-six-year-old raising her six nieces and nephews would capture his heart . . . right?


Don’t miss the next installment in New York Times bestselling author Emma Chase’s Legal Briefs series





SUSTAINED



Coming Summer 2015 from Gallery Books!





Wednesday is a slow day. I lean back in my desk chair and look out the window at the sunny street below. A frustrated dog walker struggles with three four-legged clients as they tangle their leashes, fighting for the lead. A double-decker tourist bus rumbles past, leaving a cloud of black exhaust in its wake. A jogging father pushes an orange-colored running stroller, nearly taking out one of the yapping dogs, turning onto the grass at the last second.

Maybe it’s the baby in the stroller, maybe it’s the long-haired, ruglike dogs—maybe it’s the fact that I haven’t gotten any in two weeks—but the enticing image of Chelsea McQuaid slides into my mind.