Karen Young - Private Lives

“Maybe so, but I know he’ll try to take Jesse.”

“And Maude will argue that he’s been a sorry excuse for a father.”

“Nothing will stick,” Gina said bitterly. “Trust me. Somehow his lawyer will make me out to be a…a slut or something. And probably unstable, too.”

Although Elizabeth believed that was a very real possibility, she wouldn’t say it. As it was, Gina was dangerously close to meltdown from the stress of the breakup. In spite of the fact that Austin was cruel, insensitive and violent, there was clearly something about him that drew Gina.

Eight years ago, Gina had been hired as a paralegal at the law firm where Austin’s father was a senior partner. Why he had fallen for her was understandable. Gina was beautiful, a dark-haired, vivacious person with a sharp wit and ready smile. She was good at her job, too. In fact, Elizabeth had tried to persuade her to go to law school, but that would have meant time away from Austin. Still, it wasn’t long before Austin’s controlling ways and ungovernable temper took some of the bloom off the romance and dashed Gina’s rosy expectations. He wouldn’t marry her, but he wanted her. Their life together was stormy and unpredictable, up one day, down the next. Crazy. Why she’d stayed in such a relationship still mystified Elizabeth. But now, because he was Jesse’s father, it made sense to tread carefully.

“Who is his lawyer?” Elizabeth asked.

“Wait’ll you hear,” Gina said gloomily. “It’s Ryan Paxton.”

“So? Who is he?”

“Just the best that Leggett, Jones and Brunson has when it comes to winning in court.” Gina got up to pace, rubbing her forehead and frowning. “I told myself it couldn’t be Ryan, at least I didn’t think he’d take on something like this. He’s not exactly a friend of Austin’s. In fact, I always got the feeling that he disliked Austin, or at least that he found him kind of…well, he didn’t have much respect for him. He knows Austin got into the firm through his father while everybody knows that Ryan is where he is because he’s smart, he works like a dog and he brings in a ton of clients.” She stopped and grabbed Elizabeth’s phone. “I’m calling Maude back. I need to warn her just how formidable Ryan can be in the courtroom.”

Elizabeth watched her dial, then listened as she spoke to Maude Kennedy. The conversation was brief and when she hung up, she knew by the look on Gina’s face that Maude had failed to reassure her.

“I’m in big trouble, Lizzie. Maude says she knows Ryan’s reputation and I’m right to be concerned. She wants me to think about what to say on the stand, but it’s hopeless. Ryan will wipe the floor with me.” Gina gave a choked cry. “The man’s a barracuda! He never loses.”

“Every lawyer loses once in a while.”

“Then for Ryan, it’s once in a very rare while. Frankly, I don’t recall him losing even once since he’s been with the firm.”

Elizabeth stood up. “Actually I see an advantage here, Gee.” She gave her a little push toward the door. It was time for lunch. Jesse had half a day at kindergarten and was now playing in the yard under Louie’s watchful eye, but she would be coming inside soon. She didn’t intend for the child to get wind of any stress, especially regarding her contemptible father. “If Paxton has been in the firm that long, then you’re hardly a stranger to him. No matter what gossip he hears, it’s facts he must present in court.”

Gina was still wringing her hands. “I can’t count on that. I was a paralegal, not a lawyer, and I worked exclusively for Austin. When it comes to taking the side of some lowly ex-employee at LJ and B over someone whose father is Curtiss Leggett himself, guess who’ll come out on top?”

“Austin forced your resignation from the firm, Gee. When he realized you planned to demand child support for Jesse, you had to go. Just as he forced you to move out of the house where the two of you have lived together for eight years. Maude will reveal all that in court. When this is over, you should file a civil suit against the firm. You have every right to bring your own case.”

“Hah! That’s all Austin is waiting for,” Gina said bitterly. “I can’t bear to think what he’ll do if I don’t just shut up and let him have his way.”

“Does that include handing Jesse over?” When Gina’s eyes filled with fresh tears, Elizabeth felt a pang of remorse. Gina knew what was at stake without being reminded. “I don’t think you need to worry too much about Paxton digging up dirt on you, Gee. He’ll be aware that you’ve been a conscientious employee. Knowing this, he’ll hardly go for your jugular.”

“You don’t know him.” Gina looked defeated. “Wait and see, he’ll destroy me.”

“I don’t care how you do it, just destroy her.”

Ryan Paxton placed his pen on the legal pad and leaned back in his chair, watching his fellow colleague stalk about the office, tight-lipped and furious. “That’s a pretty harsh statement, Austin.” Ryan glanced at the notes he’d taken. “Nothing you’ve said so far is going to give a judge sufficient cause to deny Gina compensation after a live-in arrangement that lasted eight years.”

“That’s why we have to destroy her.”

Ryan sighed with frustration. Austin Leggett was his client only because Curtiss Leggett, senior partner at Leggett, Jones and Brunson and Austin’s father, had approached Ryan and asked him to represent his son in “a delicate matter.” Curtiss wanted a quick, quiet and final resolution to a sticky situation without a hint of any unpleasantness to the firm. Ryan studied his notes. Making that happen was going to be tricky. Gina D’Angelo had been a paralegal at LJ and B and Austin had been shacking up with her for eight years. They had a child, a little girl, five years old. Now Austin wanted out of the relationship and he didn’t want any expensive consequences. Tuning out Austin’s ranting, he briefly considered telling Curtiss he wanted no part of Austin’s sleazy life. But as a partner in the firm, the reputation of LJ and B was as important to Ryan as it was to Curtiss. Too bad Austin didn’t have the same concern.

“I guess you didn’t consider the firm’s policy of non-fraternization when the two of you became lovers,” Ryan said to him now.

Austin shrugged. With his hands stuffed deep in his pockets, he looked like a petulant teenager being forced to discuss a misdemeanor. “We had some good times. In the beginning.”

“I hope it was worth a couple of thousand a month in palimony, buddy. Because that’s what I’d expect from you if I were her lawyer, plus child support.”

Austin was shaking his head, dismissing the possibility.

“Not a problem. The attorney she’s hired is some bleeding-heart female who specializes in family matters. You can run rings around her without half trying. Name’s Maude Kennedy.”

“I know Maude Kennedy. I’ve seen her in court where the only bleeding is from wounds inflicted by Maude herself. No, Austin, you’ve got to have something more than hostility and wishful thinking to get out of this one with your assets intact.” Ryan rested farther back in his chair, crossing his arms behind his head. “Frankly, it’s the kid that complicates everything.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if you didn’t have the little girl…” He moved forward, paged back in his notes, found a name. “Jesse, is it? If you didn’t have Jesse, Gina’s case would be a lot weaker. Come on, Austin, she’s your flesh and blood. You want to do the decent thing for your daughter, don’t you? It’s Gina you’ve fallen out of love with, not Jesse, right?”

Scowling, Austin resumed pacing in the cramped office. Ryan had a tendency to stack material on any empty surface, including the floor. Case files littered the thick carpet along with reference books, computer printouts and—Ryan winced—the empty pizza box from last night’s take-out when he had been burning the midnight oil on a real case, and not some irritating domestic dispute between two former lovers who now hated each other. But if the clutter hampered Leggett, or if he even noticed, he gave no indication. He was too intent on coming up with a strategy to stiff Gina, even if it meant his own daughter’s quality of life suffered.