If We Dare to Dream (17 page)

Ian had taken up residence in her spare bedroom following her testimony, preferring to keep a close eye on her while the trial was still in session. He began to accompany her when she went out after her name as the smoking gun witness had been released, and he feared retribution from opponents to Andrew’s retrial. Though nothing untoward had happened, she happily accepted Ian’s overprotectiveness for the first time ever. Not only was he a comfortable distraction, but his presence at her house kept George at bay, too.

At that moment, she was glad to have a burly, intimidating cop standing close by her side. The courthouse was packed with curious onlookers and members of the media, and when they entered on the third afternoon of deliberations everyone was abuzz with the news that the verdict was about to be read.

They had arrived just in time.

With Ian’s help, they were allowed to pass through security and gain access to the hallway outside the courtroom doors. She gripped her brother’s hand tight, so tightly that he warned her to calm down.

“Everything will be fine,” he said over the excited murmurings in the hallway.

Steering them to a corner by another courtroom door, he stood beside her as she leaned against the wall. Like an elastic band stretched to the breaking point, Jamie felt as though she would buckle at any moment. Releasing Ian’s hand, she instead wound her arm through his and leaned against him to help her keep her balance.

“Please, please let him be released,” she whispered.

Ian stared down at her, for once not reminding her in his no-nonsense way that she needed to relax. She saw compassion in his dark eyes as his gaze met hers. They were close enough that he knew without her saying how she would feel inside if he was convicted again. “Don’t think about the alternative right now.”

A hush fell over the crowds as the whispers made their way down the hall. “The jury’s coming in.”

Jamie held her hand to her breast and took several deep breaths. “Here we go.”

In an attempt to distract her, Ian leveled her with his steely stare. “If they find him guilty again, what are your plans as far as continuing this fight on his behalf?”

She swallowed. There was no way he was guilty, and she firmly believed the jury would feel that way, too. “In all honesty, I hadn’t really thought about it. I guess I’ll go on with my life.”

“And put all of this behind you?”

“Yes.”

His brow raised in suspicion. “I’m not sure I believe you, Jame.”

“Like I said, I hadn’t really thought about it. I still don’t believe he’s guilty.”

At that moment a sharp cry went out among the crowd. “Not guilty on charge one!”

Jamie’s eyes went as wide as saucers, and Ian reached out for her as she swayed on her feet. She felt the blood drain from her face and was overcome by full body tremors for the first time in her life.

Keeping hold of her arm, Ian murmured. “Easy, kiddo.”

“Not guilty on charge two!”

She fell back against the wall as down the line the whispered voices continued. Not guilty on all charges, from murder in the first degree to breaking and entering. Just like that, Andrew Sheehan had been exonerated. Jamie closed her eyes in relief, aware of the sharp sting of tears behind her lids. Pressing her hands against her lips, she bit back her happy cry and stared at her brother.

“Damn, brat… You did it,” he whispered.

Ian’s voice sounded so far away. Jamie struggled to open her eyes, aware that the tears were spilling over her lids. Ian’s thumb reached out to brush a tear away, and when her vision cleared she could see that he was smiling at her.

“Yes, we did,” she said brokenly.

A cheer went up in the hallway, despite the bailiff’s demands for quiet. With growing concern, more guards arrived, and the crowds were urged outside to wait for everyone to exit. Falling in step behind them, Jamie allowed Ian to guide her back down the hallway to the doorway.

“Well, we’ve heard the verdict firsthand. What should we do now?”

Jamie glanced around. The media vans were everywhere, and crowds of people mingled all around, eager to catch a glimpse of the man set free after nearly five years in prison. To approach him now seemed too public for her tastes.

“Not here… not now,” she said with a shake of her head.

Once again, Ian seemed to know exactly what she meant. “Should I slip him a note?”

“Can we do that?”

Ian glanced around. “I’m not sure I could make it over there, but I’ll try.”

“No, let’s just go.”

At that moment, all she wanted was to escape, to go somewhere private where she could relish in her pride. Of all the problems she had faced over the last few years, she knew that for once she had made the right choice. She had helped a man in need. It was quite possibly the greatest triumph of her life.

They were approaching the funnel of bodies waiting to exit near the metal detectors when she heard her name from somewhere behind her. The shout took her off guard, and both she and Ian turned on their heels. A tall, dark head stood above most of the crowd, and Jamie froze with her heart pounding in her throat. It was Andrew and his team making their way through the throng.

“Oh boy,” she muttered.

Ian reached out and took a hold of her arm, steering her away from the line of people around her. They waited as the two men pushed through the last of the remaining onlookers. Andrew was wheeling his grandmother’s wheelchair, and several other people followed behind them, including the remainder of Darren’s team and the woman she saw sitting with his grandmother the day she testified.

Ian shook his head in sympathy. “So much for sneaking out of here… sorry, Jame.”

“I didn’t want anyone to see me cry,” she said.

As surreptitiously as possible she wiped at her eyes, hoping to erase all traces of her unexpected tears. Unfortunately, she only had a moment to compose herself before they were standing in front of her. She greeted Darren first, taking note of his smile that spread from ear to ear.

“Jamie, Ian, did you hear?”

Nodding her head, she smiled tremulously and turned to Andrew. It was the closest she had been to him since that night all those years ago, and she could not help but feel a little intimidated by his sheer size and reputation as a dangerous militant. As though the shock of the verdict still had not sunk in, his eyes were wide and vacant, almost lifeless like before. However, she quickly noticed that he was alert enough for his gaze to sweep her from head to toe. She shifted uncomfortably under his scrutiny when she realized with some alarm that she hoped he liked what he saw.

“Congratulations,” she said softly, holding out her hand.

At the sound of her shaky voice, the stunned look in his eye disappeared almost like magic, and he stared down at her hand in amazement. Once again the niggling fear that he resented her for not coming forward sooner crossed her mind. Fearing the worst, her eyes lowered and she was about to drop her hand when he suddenly stepped forward and grasped her shoulders. Pulling her up against his very broad and very hard chest and holding her so tightly she felt her breath leave in a loud rush, Andrew bent over her and engulfed her with his body. Despite having four overprotective brothers, she could not remember a time when she had ever been hugged so tightly. She had forgotten that he was such a big man, taller even than Hayden, and he leaned over her as though she were nothing more than a child.

With her head pressed against the broad expanse of his chest, she could hear the violent pounding of his heart beneath her ear, and full body tremors shook him from head to toe. Like a leaf in a strong breeze, he trembled as every muscle in his body vibrated with shock. His shaking was a stark reminder that he was just a man, a man with feelings, hopes and dreams despite his formidable past, and Jamie’s intimidation eased slightly. She relaxed against him and allowed him to continue to cling to her as though she were a life preserver, her own rampant emotions running wild. After another moment he buried his head in her neck and began rocking slightly. Raising her arms, she awkwardly patted his back in an attempt to be reassuring although her own racing heart made her lightheaded. Knowing that they were exposed and that people were watching, Jamie managed to hold in the rising flood of tears. There was so much she wanted to say, but it was neither the time nor the place.

As though reading her mind, Darren tugged on Andrew’s sleeve gently, almost apologetically. “They’re waiting for you.”

She heard him inhale raggedly against her neck, and his grip on her loosened. Still, he was slow to release her, forcing Ian to loudly clear his throat. The noise seemed to bring Andrew back to the present, and he took a step away from her to focus on her brother. Another head to toe scan followed, with a bemused frown appearing on Andrew’s face. His sharp gaze travelled from brother to sister before he swung his head back toward Darren.

“Okay.”

His voice was still low and calm, but Jamie knew that inside his body was reacting to this new shock with a violence that matched or beat her own. Blinking rapidly, she stood aside so that they could pass. Darren held out his arm to allow her to precede him, but she shook her head. “I’d rather not.”

While Darren nodded in understanding, Andrew was again staring at her. Taking advantage of this final opportunity, she reached for his hand and gripped it tightly. Her voice shook with guilt. “I am so sorry I wasn’t here for you sooner.”

Among the startled gasps of his companions, Andrew immediately flushed. His jaw clenched for a moment, and then he shook his head emphatically. Returning her tight grip, he spoke in his deep voice.

“You apologize to no one, Jamie,” he said tightly. “No one.”

Hot tears spilled over her lashes, and she no longer trusted herself to speak. Nodding quickly, she turned away from his piercing gaze and took a step toward Ian, but Andrew’s grandmother reached out and grasped her free hand.

“Ms. Morton, Andrew and I cannot thank you enough for coming forward,” she said in a deceptively strong voice.

Jamie again nodded, too afraid to speak.

“I’d like to meet up with you when things settle down to thank you properly,” she continued. “Darren, would you set something up for us?”

Darren was distracted but smiled in agreement. “Of course. Now let’s keep moving everyone so we’re not blocking the hallway.”

Ian reached out and put his arm around Jamie’s shoulders, supporting her as the group moved away. When Jamie looked up, she noticed that her brother’s eyes appeared slightly damp as well. One of her brows rose in question as she reached up and pointed meaningfully.

“That was intense,” he said in explanation.

“Definitely,” she agreed.

Jamie watched Andrew being led away with a sense of loss. There was so much she had wanted to say, still wanted to say, and she hoped she would be given the opportunity to do so. Maybe when things settled down, as his grandmother had mentioned. Right now he had other things on his mind. “How do we get out of here?”

“Let’s wait until he’s swarmed. Then we can slip off to the side.”

They did not have to wait long. Though Andrew still moved as though he had been shell-shocked, Darren conducted himself like a true professional and took control of the situation. His group exited into the bright afternoon sunlight, and he immediately grasped Andrew’s hand and held it high in victory. People swarmed, curious onlookers as well as media professionals, and she and Ian watched for a moment until the soft sound of sobbing reached their ears in the now quiet hallway. Ian looked over his shoulder and stiffened. His arm dropped away from her.

“Kit’s family is coming,” he whispered.

“Please, let’s just go,” she said.

While Andrew had obtained his freedom and Jamie was happy for him, the decision obviously had devastated the family of the victim. For five years they had lived with the belief that the man who had brutally attacked and murdered their daughter, sibling and friend was in custody. Whether they believed Andrew was innocent or not no longer mattered. All they saw was that the man that had stolen away their daughter was a free man. Jamie could imagine their anger, but she felt fear. Who was the man and where was he now? Had he watched the trial? Was he scared now?

Hurrying away from the group, Ian and Jamie made their way back to the exit, and fortunately for them most of the crowd had dissipated. They slipped out the doors, studiously avoiding the small circle of people crowded around Darren and Andrew.

Someone had set up music outside, and the sound of Israel Kamakawiwo’ole’s “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” was booming in the background. Ian glanced back at Jamie with a brow raised in amusement. “Appropriate for today, huh?”

“I suppose.”

She followed Ian down the steps and out into the parking lot, feeling the weight of Andrew’s stare the entire time. It was the strange heated feeling she remembered from that fateful night so long ago. She turned back one last time, seeing his tall head above all the others. That expressionless stare lingered on her, but instead of frowning like she had the first time they met this time she raised a tentative hand in acknowledgement. Ian drew her attention away before she could see his response, but she wondered if he remembered her scowls from that night, too.