Joshua arched his brows, a soft, sheepish look crossing his face — the one he only wore after saying something to Colin that cost him. “Takes me a while to get up the courage, but… eventually I get it out.”
Their fingers intertwined—warm, solid–the steady pulse of one heart echoing another.
Colin’s phone buzzed on the table beside them, the screen lighting up with a message:“Lunch tomorrow? Noon? I’d like to discuss something with you. —Merritt”
Joshua glanced at the screen, eyes narrowing, recognizing the name of Colin’s Criminal Investigations professor and his sponsoring attorney when he took his oath of office. He met his husband’s eyes. “What’sthatabout?”
Colin shrugged, staring down at the message, still holding Joshua’s hand. Still thinking about the fire.
“Not sure,” he murmured, then quickly texted Merritt back. “Guess I’ll find out tomorrow.”
The restaurant wasone of those quiet, old-money places tucked into a side street off the downtown mall: white linen, dark wood, and a maître d’ who greeted Merritt like royalty. Colin couldn’t help smirking as he was led to the back corner, where his former professor sat with a scotch and a copy ofThe Atlanticfolded neatly beside his plate.
“Still terrifying the staff, I see,” Colin said, sliding into the seat across from him.
Merritt looked up over his glasses, expression unreadable. “Only the ones who deserve it.” He waited for the server to retreat before speaking again. “You look good,” he said, then added with an arched brow, “Restless. But good.”
Colin shrugged. “My exile to the land of misdos has finally ended. Esther tossed me a couple felonies.”
“And how did that feel?”
Colin didn’t answer right away. The server returned with water and menus. After she left, he leaned forward slightly. “Like I remembered who I was.”
Merritt took a sip of his scotch, watching Colin over the rim of the glass. “You know,” he said casually, “you talk about misdemeanors like they’re beneath you.”
Colin shrugged. “They’re… fine. But they don’t exactly get your blood pumping.”
Merritt nodded as if agreeing, then set the glass down with a quietclink. “Tell that to the woman whose husband has finally been arrested for domestic assault. Or the shop owner whose shoplifter finally saw consequences. The small casesarethe law,Colin. They’re the kind of law that affects real people every single day.”
Colin looked down, chastened but not defensive.
Merritt’s tone softened. “I don’t mind that you crave the fire. If I weren’t proud of you, we wouldn’t be sitting here. Just don’t forget—the embers matter, too.And glad as I am that you’ve found yourself again, I’m about to ask you to turn into a whole different person.”
Colin stilled. “That so?”
Merritt folded his hands over his glass. “The law school’s in need of an adjunct. Criminal Procedure. Someone with courtroom fire, not just theory. You were the first name on my list.”
Colin blinked. “You want me toteach? Teachlaw? AtUVA?”
“I want you to mentor. To stand in front of students and show them what justice actuallylookslikewhen it’s not just case law and precedents in a textbook.”
Colin leaned back, his expression astonished. “Julian, honest to God?Me? Alaw professor?ME?”
Merritt’s lips curved. “Hell,yes, you.” He sipped his drink, amused now. “What do you think weare, Colin? Me, Meyers, Aimsbridge! All of us whose pictures hang in the faculty library! We’re just people—who never stopped loving the law.”
Colin shook his head. “Jesus H. Christ, Josh is gonna have a coronary.”
Merritt scoffed. “Josh is going to jump up and down and cheer. You think heenjoyswatching you tap dance from one evil, ugly trauma to the next?” He fixed Colin with a look, brows arched. “Please don’t forget, I know your husband. I taught him when he studied forensics.” He shrugged and sipped again. “This won’t pull you out of the fire—but at least you won’t be standing dead center with the flames licking up like Joan-of-fucking-Arc.” He leaned closer. “So… do youwantit?”
Colin sucked in and exhaled a long, slow breath, then picked up his drink and finished it in one long swallow. “I have to talk to Josh, but Jesus Christ, Julian.” He swallowed hard. “Iwantit.”
Julian studied him a moment longer, then added, his voice dropping, “There’s more.”
Colin froze. “More?”
Merritt folded his hands, tone still measured. “We’d also like you to teach Trial Advocacy.Fall semester. The mock trial program’s been sagging—we need someone with courtroom clout and judicial passion. Real-world experience.”
Colin blinked. “That’s two classes.”
