Used to be.
The three words reverberated through him.
Garrett was set for life with his investments, so he no longer needed the salary. Fame had done nothing but bring threats and put him under the press’s microscope. He didn’t need more of that. Prestige had brought clients to him, ensuring the firm thrived.
Aren’t you licensed to practice in other states besides California?
Yes, but I’m a partner in the firm. I need to be in L.A.
Did he need to be in L.A., or was that what he’d told himself?
The truth was, he didn’t have to be at the firm 24/7 to bring in clients. He could lighten his caseload, not retire, but limit his participation in trials and do more consulting.
And he could do that from…anywhere.
Ideas swirled.
Would this work?
“I’m the government’s scapegoat. Pure and simple.” Jed sat ramrod straight. “Bundling debt isn’t illegal. It’s not my fault they changed the rules. Investors were aware of the risk, but if they ignored it, that’s on them.”
Garrett focused his attention on Jed. He rarely drifted when he was with a client. “Everyone remembers what happened with junk bonds.”
“Your firm is the only one that brought it up.”
“Then you made the correct choice in who to represent you.”
“I did, but…” Jed hung his head. “I don’t want to go to jail. What are my chances?”
“No outcome is one hundred percent guaranteed, but we’ll do everything in our power to prove your innocence.”
Tension melted from Jed’s face. “I am innocent.”
The conviction in his voice was unmistakable, so was his body language.
“You are. But it’ll take work to break down the case against you.”
“Whatever you need to do, do it.” Jed’s jaw jutted forward. “I have a wife and four kids, who’ve I ignored for far too long to make more money. I didn’t let them know what they mean to me, so I lost them. I’m ready to be a better husband and father for us to be a family again, but it’ll be hard to do that from prison.”
Jed’s raw honesty sliced into Garrett, both professionally and personally.
“I canceled our meeting last week so that I could watch my youngest’s T-ball game. That’s the first event I’ve had in…years. My wife kept the kids away from me, and I can’t blame her. But I don’t want to miss another game or dance recital or band concert or nightly dinner.”
Garrett wanted to help the guy so he could reunite with his family. Everyone deserved a second chance—even a third one.
As he remembered the one Taryn gave him, a lump formed in his throat. He swallowed it. “Jenn must have gone over what we do, but our first step is to get the charges dropped. Avoiding court completely is best, but if that doesn’t happen, we’ll put together a rock-solid case to prove your innocence. Family is everything, and you need to be with them.”
Jed’s gaze softened. “How long have you been married?”
“I-I’m not.” The question caught Garrett off-guard.
“Oh.” Jed’s brows furrowed. “The way you sounded… Well, when you fall in love, here’s some advice. I learned the hard way. Don’t put your work first. Make sure your special person knows they matter and is your priority. No matter what. That must sound contradictory when I’m asking you to do that for me. But this is more important.”
It was.
Garrett felt it deep in his bones. Except…
He clutched the chair’s armrests to keep from falling over. He hadn’t done that.
