“To Garland Stone-Dancer, best lawyer ever!”
More clinking, more drinking.
Adam should have been there celebrating with them, almost certainly would have been had Dean Smith not forced him to drop out. Matt felt the ache of his absence as if he were staring at a photo with an Adam-sized hole in it, the kind with a phantom hand on someone’s shoulder.
Adam was never far from Matt’s thoughts. They still had not consummated their relationship. Matt had only seen him twice since New Year’s Day. The first time Matt had driven to Ponca City, and Adam had sneaked out of his house long enough for them to walk in some park and steal a few kisses.
The other time, they’d contrived to meet in Stillwater and eat at Eskimo Joe’s. PG-level petting in Matt’s Jeep afterward. Matt had driven home with blue balls.
“Stuffed mushroom?” Bradley held out a tray. “They’re made with panko and pecorino.”
Matt didn’t know what either of those things was but smiled and took a bite. Savory juices squirted into his mouth. His tastebuds thanked him.
He snagged another mushroom before Bradley got away.
William tapped a spoon against his glass, drawing everyone’s attention.
“Dahlings,” he said, when they had stopped talking, “I’d like to toast the most infuriatingly self-assured person in this room—and no, Garland, I’m not talking about you!”
Everyone laughed.
“That person,” William continued, is the reason we’re all here tonight. He’s the one who saw the need for Pa-Robert’s name change. He pushed us to deal with Colton Langley, painful as that was for me to accept. And he brought Bella into his scheme, which is how she catapulted onto the national scene!”
All eyes turned to look at Matt.
William raised his glass. “To Matthew ‘Mustang’ Griffith—my friend!”
Everyone cheered and clapped.
Matt felt his cheeks turning red. His eyes misted. “Infuriatingly self-assured” was how they saw him—and yet loved him all the same. They had no idea about his inner demons, but that was his own fault.
Theparty resumed.
Matt waited a few minutes, then caught Garland’s eye, nodded towards the kitchen. They needed to talk.
They reconvened in the little breakfast nook at the rear of the home. It was maybe 9”X 9,” with windows on 3-sides overlooking the backyard and its koi pond. Matt had backyard envy—whole house envy, actually.
“Any news on Adam’s case?” Matt asked.
“You just can’t help yourself, can you?” Garland said.
“I promised Adam he would be back in school by the fall. There’s too much at stake here.”
Garland sighed. “You’ve put me in a difficult position. On the one hand, you don’t want Adam to know about your involvement in any of this. On the other hand, you’re staying frustratingly involved. And, like I keep telling you—ethically—Adam is my client. Not you.”
Matt leaned towards Garland, his eyes the color of hardened steel. “Adam wouldn’t be your client without me. Don’t forget that this—all of this—was my plan. I figured out how to get rid of Colton. I figured out that since Colton had been Adam’s sole accuser, MCU’s justification for expelling him would evaporate.”
Garland shrugged. “I can’t ignore my ethical obligations under the Code of Professional Conduct. I can’t disclose confidential information to a non-client.”
Matt set his wine glass on the table. He needed a clear head for this discussion. He had hoped they could skip the sparring for once and just get down to business, like they always, ultimately did. But, no, Garland had to trot out the rule book and treat it as though it were holy writ, paying it lip service, all while dancing around its edges, probing for a comfortable loophole.
“I’m not asking you to reveal any of Adam’s confidences,” Matt soothed. “I’m just asking for updates on the case.”
“I appreciate that,” Garland said. “Please understand that I can’t discuss any of the particulars of the case with you.”
Matt nodded. Message received. “Particulars” was the key word. Last time it had been “hypothetical.”
Garland looked past Matt, as though contemplating the koi pond. “Generally speaking, any private, Christian college must be mindful of its donors. These places go bankrupt all the time. Does anyone remember Cordell Christian College? Phillips University is circling the drain, ready to follow suit.”
