Deborah Fletcher Mello - A Stallion Dream

There was a purity in her expression, and something very refreshing in her appraisal of him. She hadn’t seemed at all impressed, neither the reputation of his family name nor his looks swaying her attention. Usually women fell all over him, influenced by one, the other or both. Women his father and uncles had often told him to be wary of.

While there had been a few who had been excessively attentive to him, London had appeared genuinely disinterested until those moments they’d locked gazes and held on. And when they’d connected, it wasn’t what he saw but more about a feeling that singed the edges of his spirit as heat coursed up his spine. There’d been fire in the dark orbs of her eyes and it had ignited something deep in his core that was still simmering on a slow burn.

Perry suddenly stood in the doorway, gesturing for his attention, an index finger waving as if it was unhinged. “Collin, if I can grab you for minute, please.” He shook a manila file folder in the other hand.

“Certainly,” Collin said, rising from his seat.

He followed as Perry led the way to London’s office. Perry knocked before he pushed his way inside.

Collin paused at the entrance, and when she gestured with a polite smile he felt a quiver of something he couldn’t quite name billow through his midsection.

London greeted them both warmly. “Gentlemen, please, have a seat. How can I help you?”

Perry looked from her to him with a raised brow. “They’ve set a trial date for the Jerome James case. It’s been decided that Collin will sit second chair with you.”

* * *

Although his internships had given him a wealth of experience, Collin couldn’t help feeling like he might be out of his element. The boxes of case files that littered his office seemed to be growing exponentially as he shifted through the multitude of folders that detailed everything about Mr. Jerome James, a former community activist incarcerated for the murder of his wife. James had always maintained his innocence and had become somewhat of a legend in the community. Affording him a new trial had taken the innocence coalition eight years of one court motion after another to secure. Countless hours and the efforts of a large task force had laid the foundation for what would soon come. Collin blew a soft sigh, moving yet another folder of documents to his completed pile as he pulled one from the to-be-read pile. Leaning back in his seat, he made himself comfortable.

He’d been reading for a good hour when he looked up to find Attorney Jacobs staring at him. She stood in his doorway with her arms crossed tightly over her chest, a curious furrow on her brow. Amusement pierced his spirit as he stared back. She hadn’t had much to say to him since he’d been assigned to work with her. For the last few weeks, the little conversation between them had been limited to polite chatter and her admonishments for him to update himself on the details of the case as she dropped yet another box of files onto his desk. That she was standing there, looking like she was interested in a real conversation, was clearly progress.

“Good morning,” he said, his eyes lifting with his bright smile.

“Good morning. Weren’t you in that same position when we all left you here last night?”

He chuckled, “I probably was. I need to make sure I’m up to speed, so I left late and came in early.”

“Interesting,” she said, the word coming on a low gust of air past red-tinted lips.

“Why is that interesting?”

She ignored his question as she glanced down to her wristwatch. “Mr. James was transferred to county jail yesterday. He’ll be held there until his trial is over. I’m headed over to talk to him about his court date. Would you like to join me?”

Collin’s smile widened. “I’d like that. I’d like that very much!”

* * *

An hour later, the two were on their way to the Lew Sterrett Justice Center of Dallas. Despite his offer to drive, London has insisted on taking her own car, so he settled back against the leather seats of her SUV and tried to enjoy the ride. He’d tried to pull the woman into conversation, but London wasn’t interested in talking. He’d listened as she’d taken phone calls, the Bluetooth connection echoing through the car interior. Then she’d hummed along with the radio, completely lost in her own thoughts. By the time they pulled into the parking lot of the correctional facility she’d done everything imaginable to keep from conversing with him.

“Are you always so rude?” he asked.

London shut down the car engine as she turned toward him, the question surprising her. Because she had been rude. She just hadn’t expected to be called out on it and there was no way she could explain to the man that he had her feeling like a high schooler with her first crush. She took a deep breath. “Excuse me?”

“Rude. Are you always so rude?”

“I didn’t realize...”

“You have gone out of your way not to speak with me despite my efforts to talk to you and maybe discuss the case. You’ve talked to your secretary, some friend named Joan and your mother. But you’ve barely said three words to me since we left the office.”

London’s eyes danced across his face. Something she didn’t recognize surged through the pit of her stomach, like an electric current stuck on high. “I apologize. It was never my intent to be rude to you.”

“Except you were.”

She took another deep breath, filling her lungs with air and then blowing it out slowly. Her gaze was still flitting back and forth over the intense stare he was giving her. “Why are you here?” she suddenly asked, an air of attitude in her tone. “What are you trying to prove?”

His brow shifted upward. “I’m not trying to prove anything. I’m just trying to do the best job I can.”

“But why here? There are hundreds of attorneys who apply and are denied, and you slide in on your family name and no doubt a big donation from Mommy and Daddy. You barely have any litigation experience under your belt!” She threw her hands up in frustration.

Collin bristled, the comment hitting a nerve he hadn’t known he possessed. There was no denying that the Stallion name opened doors that might have otherwise been closed. Although he had never purposely used his family connections to garner favor, admittedly it did happen sometimes. But when challenged, he was more than capable of holding his own against the naysayers. He shifted his gaze from hers, finally breaking the connection that he’d been holding with no effort.

A moment passed between them before he answered. “So maybe I do have something to prove. Maybe it’s about what I’m able to accomplish, in spite of my name. I like to think I’m a good attorney, even with my limited experience, and I’m here because I believe in what the firm stands for. I want to help, and I had hoped to be able to do that without people judging me before they took the time to know me.”

London suddenly felt foolish. Her eyes flitted back and forth, and she struggled to find the words to apologize and not dig herself into an even bigger hole. “I’m sorry,” she said finally, her tone dropping low. “You’re right. I should not have judged you. If it’s okay with you, I’d like to start over.” She extended her hand to shake his. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Attorney Stallion. I look forward to our working together.”

Collin smiled sweetly as he gripped her fingers against his palm. He gave her a slight nod of his head. “Thank you, Counselor. I appreciate that. I know I can learn a lot from you and I’m grateful for the opportunity.”

* * *

With his court case pending, their client had been transferred from the state’s maximum-security prison in Ferguson, Texas, to the county jailhouse in Dallas. Back in his day, Jerome James had been a popular community activist, known for frequently going toe-to-toe with local law enforcement. His frequent protests and rallies against the legal vanguard he alleged was corrupt and immoral had made him more enemies than friends.