Closing arguments had gone well, and the jury had taken only one hour longer than she expected to reach a verdict of not guilty. Her client walked out of the courthouse a free man. She could ring in the New Year with a clear conscience. So why didn’t she feel like celebrating? Why did she feel as if she’d tear up any second? This trial hadn’t been any more difficult than others she’d worked tirelessly on throughout the years. Her workload had been eased after resigning as a prosecuting attorney a few years back, but it had taken time and hard work to build a successful private practice. She propped her elbows on the desktop and rubbed her eyes, her temples…not even glancing at the unopened envelope on her desk or looking up when her office door opened. “I said I didn’t want to be disturbed,” she muttered to her secretary, “and didn’t I tell you to take off already? Go home. Spend the holidays with family—” “You should take your own advice, Counselor.” Jon’s deep, rich voice had her head snapping up with surprise.
