In the other room Matt laughed at something Jack said.
He’s in love with you. You know that, right?
Don’t be silly, Derrick. We’re just good friends. Best friends.
Finley shook off the memory and grabbed one of her rattiest tees. She finger combed her hair and reached for a hair tie. She checked her reflection and headed back to join the others. She paused at the window. Frowned. Helen Roberts stood in the middle of her yard, her dog under one arm, the water hose in her other hand. She stared at Finley’s house.
Maybe she was lost in thought and wasn’t even aware she was staring.
Strange woman.
“We can have pizza delivered for lunch,” Finley offered, returning to the living room.
Matt stopped pouring paint into a smaller plastic bucket. He smiled. “Sounds good to me.”
Jack was across the room on his cell.
“The Judge,” Matt said as he reached for the paint pan next, “mentioned the firm in a conversation with the trinity yesterday.”
“Really?” Finley could imagine any remark she made was a less-than-complimentary one.
Matt nodded, passed her the pan filled with paint. “She said Metro and the city owe the firm a debt of gratitude.”
Finley almost dropped the pan. “You’re lying.” Which was ridiculous because Matt never lied.
Matt grinned. “Those were her words. I heard them myself.”
“Oh. My. God.” Finley laughed. “The world is ending.”
“Hope not,” Jack announced, joining the conversation. “We just landed the biggest client in Music City, and he’s in one hell of a fix.”
There will always be another case, Fin. And you will always win. Because you’re the best.
Derrick was right about that first part anyway. There would always be another case. She wouldn’t have time to be looking back.
Only forward . . . at least for a while.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I’ve taken the liberty of giving some of the characters, particularly attorneys, in this series a few shady traits. Made them a little self-serving and sometimes a lot uncaring. These characters are wholly fictional and not based on anyone I know. One of my dearest friends is an attorney, and I adore her completely. She is a wise and strong woman I would trust with my life. Another of my favorite legal eagles is a guy who represents the epitome of a brilliant attorney with a heart that makes him a simply awesome human. You know who you are.
The relationship between Finley and her mother （a.k.a. the Judge） is tough, but sometimes mothers and daughters go through difficult times. It’s how you fare in those times and the end result that matters. Life is not perfect, and sometimes we hurt the people we love most. I look forward to this journey with Finley and the Judge.
Nashville is one of my favorite cities. A perfect blend of old and new, amazing and daunting. A place filled with inspiration. I love exploring the settings for my stories, and I most often take the inspiration found and create something fictional with only the slightest basis in fact. It’s important to me that my characters live in real neighborhoods, so I search the perfect places to suit each one. Anyone who knows me will tell you one of my favorite hobbies is exploring houses.
My thanks to Nashville Metro Police Department, the Davidson County District Attorney’s Office, and the Davidson County Mayor’s Office. You have my utmost respect.
Last but never, ever least, I am always blown away by how my amazing editors, Megha Parekh and Charlotte Herscher, are able to help me reach deeper and stretch further, ultimately taking my stories to the next level. Thank you for all your hard work!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debra Webb is the USA Today bestselling author of more than 150 novels. She is the recipient of the prestigious Romantic Times Career Achievement Award for Romantic Suspense as well as numerous Reviewers’ Choice Awards. In 2012 Webb was honored as the first recipient of the esteemed L. A. Banks Warrior Woman Award for courage, strength, and grace in the face of adversity. Webb was also awarded the distinguished Centennial Award for having published her hundredth novel. She has more than four million books in print in many languages and countries.
Webb’s love of storytelling goes back to her childhood, when her mother bought her an old typewriter at a tag sale. Born in Alabama, Webb grew up on a farm. She spent every available hour exploring the world around her and creating her stories. Visit her at www.debrawebb.com.