Justice for All (14 page)

Van shifted in his seat and glanced at the open curtain to their box seat, wondering what was taking Kay so long. He finished off his bag of peanuts, took a drink from his soda and then got up to go check on her. The ladies room was on the other side of the theater from the snack bar, and he found the foyer empty. Concern rippled along his spine.

Just as he was raising his hand to tap on the bathroom door he heard a scuffle within and what sounded like a woman’s whimper. Concern turned immediately to alarm, and he swung the door wide to go inside. The room was dark and just as his hand reached for the switch he heard Kay’s shaky voice.

“Help me!”

When light flooded the room he saw her pinned against the far wall, Thomas struggling to hold her hands as she fought to get away from him. The blood on her cheek was what sent Van into a rage. He growled low as he leaped for them, grabbing the guy at his collar and yanking him away from Kay.

Once free, she staggered on unsteady feet to skirt the two of them. Van gave her a once-over to be sure she was really okay, then he released all restraint and began to pound on the guy with both fits. Thomas was crying now, flinching and using his hands to protect himself just like the coward Van knew he really was.

Van wasn’t sure how far he might have taken things if someone hadn’t pulled him off. He punched air a few times as two men dragged him back, then he sagged in surrender when he saw several uniformed policemen grab Thomas and slap cuffs on him.

“Kay!” He looked around, wrestling free of the hands holding him. “Where’s Kay?”

“She’s fine, dude. She’s out here, and they’re putting some ice on her while we wait for the paramedics.”

He hurried into the foyer, his eyes scanning the crowd for her. She was seated on a bench, doing her best to slap away the hands trying to treat her injury. His mother was beside her, and from what he could tell, Ginny Sue looked to be holding her down with all of her energy.

“I told you, my son can take care of himself. Stop trying to get up, or I’ll slap you on your other cheek.”

“But Ginny Sue, he had a knife. Please let me check … Van!”

He watched Kay’s beautiful blue eyes light up with relief when she saw him, then her expression cracked and tears filled her eyes. He approached them, and when his mom let her go, Kay jumped up from her seat and fell into his arms.

The paramedics arrived, and much to her chagrin, decided Kay needed to go to the hospital for stitches.

“I’m not riding in the ambulance. Van can take me there just as well as they can.”

After some arguing, he finally decided she wasn’t going to give in. If he was ever going to get her to the hospital for treatment, he’d have to do it himself. So with a rag full of ice to her cheek, he helped her into the front seat, fastened her seat belt and did his best not to speed during the short trip to the emergency room.

“Rawley residence.” A woman with an unusual accent said when he dialed the number he found in Kay’s cell phone.

The doctors had taken her back for x-rays and scans, just to be sure the blow to her cheek hadn’t fractured her orbital bone. Even though she hadn’t asked, he felt obligated to let her family know what had happened.

He wondered briefly if it would be best to tell her father directly or someone else. “Yes, is Jeremy there?”

“May I say who is calling, sir?”

“I’m a friend of Kay’s. My name is Audrick Van Buren.”

While he waited, Van saw his mother approached him from down the hallway. She handed him a cup of coffee, then smiled and sat down to wait. She’d always been a trooper under pressure, and this evening had been no different. As he watched her flip through a magazine, he realized how incredibly lucky he was.

“This is Jeremy.”

“Uhm, yes, my name’s Audrick Van Buren.”

He heard some movement on the other end of the phone and a child’s giggle. “Jareth, I told you to go into the game room. I’ll be back in a few moments.” After a pause, Jeremy spoke into the phone again. “I’m sorry, Mr. Van Buren. I know your name. Kay works for you, right?”

“Yes, she works for me. No, actually, it’s more than that. We’re sort of seeing each other…”

Alarm sounded in the other man’s voice, “Is something wrong? Is Kay all right?”

“She’s going to be okay, but she’s been hurt, and I thought you all should know what’s happened.”

It took him a while to finish his story. Jeremy was patient and didn’t interrupt too much. He imagined that was part of the man’s upbringing. According to Kay, her brother had been groomed to take over the earldom. He had an air of nobility about him even through the telephone.

“May I talk to her?” he finally asked, his voice soft.

“Of course. I’m just waiting for them to bring her back in.” No sooner had he said the words than Kay came down the hallway in a wheelchair. Her face was bandaged up, but she smiled at him as she approached.

“You two can stop worrying. No broken bones and just fifteen stitches. I’ll be good as new in no time.”

Van stood and slowly walked over to her. When he bent down and kissed her forehead, he knew that he could have lingered that way with his skin to hers for hours. Touching her warmth meant that she would truly be all right. His stomach flip-flopped a little when she reached a hand to cup his cheek.

When he withdrew she had a tender grin on her face. He handed her his cell phone and she answered it with a confused, “Hello?”

Her expression broke and she cried when she heard the voice on the other line. She dropped her forehead into her hand as she talked to her brother, assuring him she was all right. Van looked over at his mom who was watching them. When her eyes met his she winked, smiled and then mouthed, “I love you, son.”

Kay leaned her body against the door frame and then tilted her head to the side and watched in awe. Larra Rawley giggled, smacking her husband’s hand away as a blush crept up her cheeks. She was doing her best to button James’s shirt, but the Earl of Arrington kept nuzzling his face into her chest.

This was a side of her parents that was completely foreign to Kay. At least it had been until several months ago.

When her father left them in Durma so that she could finish her Season, Kay had pretty much convinced herself that her parents would spend the rest of their lives apart. Divorce wasn’t normally done in their family, and Larra seemed to enjoy the old country enough that she might as well have stayed there.

And then the call came from Jeremy telling them that James Rawley had been in an accident and might not survive. They had taken the first plane back to the States and found Kay’s father in critical condition after being thrown from his horse. Now, several surgeries later, her father was on the road to recovery, and her mother had miraculously blossomed into her role of nursemaid.

It was almost unnerving to watch.

As soon as her mother stepped away from him, Kay tapped on the door and entered the room.

“Ah, Kay, my dear. Aren’t you up early this morning?” Her father grinned, slipping back onto the chair he liked to sit in these days. His leg was up on an ottoman, still encased in a thick cast all the way up his thigh. The stiff cast on his arm had been exchanged for a softer wrapping about a week ago, so he now had use of both hands. Apparently her mother still liked to help him button his shirt though.

“I was wondering if I could talk to you two.”

Larra finished putting away some things and then approached James’ chair, sitting on the edge and putting her arm around him. “What is it, Kay?”

“I know we talked about returning to Durma sometime next year. Kevin’s kept in touch, but,” She hesitated, chewing her bottom lip as she searched for the right words. Even though her parents had clearly changed in some way, she still worried that what she had to say would be a disappointment. “But I don’t think marriage is what I’m interested in now.”

“You want to go to school.” James nodded in understanding.

With a shaking hand, Kay leaned over to hand him the acceptance letter she’d received. Her mother glanced at it, then stood and approached the window. She studied the woman’s stiff spine and felt her own stiffen in reaction.

“Congratulations, my girl!” James exclaimed, “I’m so very proud of you. There will be plenty of time for marriage, right, Larra?”

With bated breath she waited for her mother to look at her. Finally, Larra glanced over her shoulder, and when she did Kay saw a radiant smile and watery blue eyes. “Plenty of time. If this is what you want, then you should have it. And I’m proud of you too, Kay. Very proud.”

Kay’s hands trembled, and she dropped the two envelopes onto her desk as if they might bite her if she held them any longer. Her lower lip slipped into her mouth, and she gnawed at it while considering which to open. A knock on the door brought her attention back up, and she smiled when Van entered.

“Tamara told me what was in the mail. I assume I’m to call you counselor now.” When he got to her desk, he saw the envelope from the state bar still sat unopened before her. “What are you waiting for? Aren’t you going to open it?”

Kay shrugged, but there was a silly grin on her face. “You open it.” She tried to hand it to him.

“Oh, no.” He waved his hands and sat down, crossing one leg casually over his knee. “That, darlin’, is
your
job.”

A nervous giggle welled up in her as she reached for her letter opener and tore into the envelope. When she saw the words she’d been dreaming of seeing, her entire body began to tingle with excitement. “Counselor it is.”

Van clapped his hands together once, stood and rounded the desk to pick her up for a big circling hug. “Congratulations. I had absolutely no doubts you would pass.”

Taking the bar had been probably the least exciting part of the last few months. With Thomas’s attack and subsequent conviction and incarceration, what should have been the most difficult task seemed more like a walk in the park. She gave Van a big, loud smack on his lips.

“Hey you two, this is a law office, you know,” Tamara remarked from the door way. “I guess this means we passed, huh?”

“We did!” Kay exclaimed as her friend also embraced her.

By the time Tamara left the room, Kay noticed Van sitting in her chair with a cock-eyed smile. “There’s another envelope there.”

She looked and felt her cheeks go hot. She lifted it but didn’t open it. After staring for a few moments, she dropped her gaze to his and took a deep breath. “This may or may not be a letter of acceptance to the University of Texas at Dallas.”

He drew back, surprised. “Which department?”

“Behavioral Sciences.”

“Psychology? Whoever put the idea in your head that a lawyer needs a psychology degree?”

Kay dropped into his lap and looked down at his arm, rubbing her hand against his chest. “I want to help kids, Van. What Mrs. Faucett told me earlier this year has stuck with me. I’m going to do what I have to do to get on the court appointment lists. I’m going to learn to be a true advocate for kids who need a voice. I just figured studying a little behavior science might help with that. Crazy, huh?”

“Willful, perhaps in some strange way. Most people would think a juris doctorate degree should be sufficient. But not Kay Rawley. And you know what?”

“What?” she asked, her blue-green eyes searching his.

“That’s the reason I love her. Because she’s smart, beautiful, and willful. But especially, this.” He traced his hand along the spot just above her right breast. “She has an amazingly big heart.”

“You love me?”

Van laughed, then kissed her. “Yes, counselor, I love you. Now get off my lap and get back to work before I have to close the door and take care of this itch you’ve started.”

She could feel that “itch” throbbing beneath her backside. But she stared at him a bit longer before cupping his cheek affectionately. “I love you too, counselor.”