For The Right Reasons. Kara Lennox

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СКАЧАТЬ bring your wife, too. Make it a family outing. Tuckerville is a charming little town.”

      His features hardened. “I don’t have a wife. Look, I’ll be there. I said I would. But don’t get your hopes up.”

      “Fair enough.” She stood and gathered her things. She’d sold jewelry to help pay her living expenses in college, and she knew that when she’d made the sale, it was time to leave—before she ruined it. She was frankly surprised that Eric had agreed to meet Philomene at all. “I’ll see myself out.”

      “I’ll walk you to the door. If I don’t, Celeste will eat me for lunch.”

      “Let me guess. The lady at the front desk?”

      “That would be the one. The first thing they told me when I walked through the door yesterday morning was to do what she says, or else.”

      They retraced their steps to the lobby. Now that she was less on edge, Bree was able to take in her surroundings more. The hallway was floored in a beautiful parquet pattern, and original oil paintings lined the walls. The light fixtures were real chandeliers.

      They parted ways at the front desk. Bree shook Eric’s hand again. “See you tonight.”

      Just as she hit the door, she heard Celeste say in a loud stage whisper, “You work fast.”

      Then came Eric’s rapid denial. “It’s not a date.”

      Of course it wasn’t a date, Bree thought as she tried to remember where she’d left her car. She didn’t spend much time in the city and wasn’t used to having to park blocks away from her destination. But her heart felt lighter knowing she’d once again pulled Kelly’s case out of the ashes of destruction and blown the embers to life. And maybe because tonight she’d be seeing a certain dashing single-dad lawyer again and would find out why he was making up lies about Kelly.

      Then she was going to make sure he knew the meaning of the word justice.

      * * *

      “DADDY!” THE MOMENT Eric hit the front door of his brother’s house in Timbergrove, MacKenzie launched herself at him like a cat on a very large mouse. He scooped her up into his arms and reveled in the sweet little-girl smell of strawberry shampoo and crayons. She clung to him like a burr.

      “Hello, angel-cakes. How’s my big girl?”

      “I’m good now that you’re home.”

      Judging from the chatter going on in the kitchen, and the smell of garlic and tomatoes, his brother, Travis, was already home from work and making dinner with his wife, Elena. Between the two of them, Travis was the better cook, but Elena could whip up a few Cuban dishes from her homeland.

      He hoped they weren’t going to too much trouble, given that he was going to miss dinner.

      “Uncle Trav is making spaghetti,” MacKenzie said as Eric slid her down to the floor. She didn’t seem to want to let go of him. Once upon a time, MacKenzie had been a bright, inquisitive, fearless child. But ever since a lowlife named John Stover taught her that there were things to fear in the world, MacKenzie had been a different person—shy, timid, withdrawn. During those few times she’d been allowed to visit Eric in prison, she’d barely said a word.

      She was starting to come out of her shell now that she had her father back, but she had a long way to go. For one thing, she was excessively clingy and wanted to know where Eric was every minute. He’d warned her that he wouldn’t be home until after five o’clock, that he’d started a new job, but she’d still had a meltdown when she’d arrived home from school and found him gone. Elena, who was watching MacKenzie after school, had called Eric, and he’d been the only one who could calm her down and reassure her that he wasn’t back in prison and that he would be home soon.

      It almost killed him that he had to leave again—and all because he’d been suckered by a pair of eyes as deep as the ocean. Philomene Switzer could say whatever she wanted, but Eric wasn’t going to change his mind.

      He told himself he’d agreed to Bree’s proposition because it was the only way to get her out of his hair. She’d promised to back off if he did this one thing, and he was going to do it. He couldn’t afford for Daniel to devote any more time, attention and effort to the Ralston case. Because if he looked into it very deep, he’d find out Eric was lying. Daniel’s investigator could talk to other prisoners, cell mates, friends and relatives on the outside, and he’d discover that Kelly had never confessed his crimes to anyone. In fact, tough and mean as he was, he’d always vehemently proclaimed his innocence.

      Eric still believed he’d done the right thing. And the proof was this little girl, clutching his hand with complete trust. Ralston had said he could get to her even from prison—that if Eric ratted him out, he could count on never seeing his daughter again, one way or another.

      Eric hadn’t said a word to the warden. He hadn’t even sought medical treatment for the cut, not until the infection got so bad that a guard found him unconscious in his cell. Still, when questioned, he’d refused to name Kelly Ralston.

      Somehow, though, the warden had found out, and Ralston had gone into solitary for a week, pretty much guaranteeing that his upcoming parole hearing wouldn’t go well.

      So far Ralston hadn’t made good on his threat. But if he were free, taking his revenge against Eric and his family would be child’s play.

      MacKenzie dragged Eric into the kitchen. “Daddy’s home,” she said proudly, as if she had personally caused him to appear. In a way, she had. If not for her, he probably would have just headed for Tuckerville right after work.

      Travis grinned. “Hey, how was your first staff meeting? Did Daniel kick your— Um, did he give you any trouble?”

      Travis and Daniel Logan had a rocky past, but they’d come to terms.

      “I only saw him on a video screen. How much damage could he do?”

      “Plenty,” Elena answered. She had been Daniel’s personal assistant until recently. “I’ve seen him reduce a grown man to tears over video conferencing. But he wouldn’t have any reason to be on your case.”

      Oh, wouldn’t he? How about if he knew Eric had told a big fat lie?

      “Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes,” Travis said. “You want a beer?”

      “Maybe later. Unfortunately, I have to leave again.”

      “What?” MacKenzie shrieked.

      “I have to go out. It’s important, or I wouldn’t.”

      “But you just got home! I haven’t showed you the picture I colored or my homework papers I got an A on.” MacKenzie was in a near panic.

      “You can show me later, okay?”

      “When?”

      “I should be home about nine-thirty.”

      “I have to go to bed at eight-thirty. No, Daddy, don’t leave.” She was about to have a full-blown tantrum. Already little tears were squeezing out of her eyes, and she was holding on to him with the grip of a lumberjack on his ax.

      “Where СКАЧАТЬ