“Mr. Archer, we have been waiting here for twenty minutes and I am losing my patience. Where is your client?”

I glanced at my watch nervously and then across the courtroom at the empty respondent seat.

“I’m sorry, judge but she is not answering her phone.”

Judge Bateman scowled.

“And I don’t suppose you know what happened to opposing counsel and her client either?”

“No, your honor. I spoke with Ms. Viera this morning in fact and she was on schedule to be here.”

Worry was beginning to tickle my stomach.

I had never known Yve to be late for anything in her life, let alone a court appearance.

“Try to call again,” the irate arbiter ordered. “If they have not shown in ten minutes, I am holding Ms. Viera in contempt and charging your clients a fine for wasting the court’s time.”

“I assure, judge, this is highly unusual. Ms. Viera and Mrs. Sterling are both very punctual. I imagine there must be traffic or – “

“I don’t need excuses, Mr. Archer, just find them.”

I bit back the desire to snap at him that something was obviously very wrong.

It wouldn’t serve anyone a bit of good if I got held in contempt too.

I jumped from the petitioner’s chair and pulled out my cell phone to text Yvette again as I headed into the hallway.

No sooner had I opened the door when she appeared hurrying down the hall.

“Where the hell were you?” I demanded, relief coloring my face. “Judge Bateman is about to birth kittens he’s so mad.”

“Never mind, come on,” she replied, grabbing my arm and steering me back into the courtroom.

“Where is Sterling?” I asked but she threw open the doors and rushed up the aisle toward the head of the courtroom.

“Apologies, your honor,” she started.

“Oh, Ms. Viera, how nice of you to join us,” he replied caustically. “Don’t you own a cell phone?”

“I do, your honor and I was on it with my client. I have some good news and bad news.”

Bateman’s growl deepened.

“Do I look like I’m in the mood to play games, Ms. Viera?”

“No, sir,” she said smoothly. “I’ll give you the good news first.”

“Wonderful,” he spat.

“The Sterlings have decided not to terminate their marriage after all.”

“What?” I gasped. “What do you mean?”

The judge eyed us.

“You’re certain of this, Yvette?”

“Yes, judge. Mr. Sterling sends his sincerest apologies for wasting your time and assures me he will attend to the necessary paperwork to forget this ever happened.”

“And what about Mrs. Sterling?” I asked sarcastically. “Was she going to call me and let me know?”

Yvette shrugged and grinned.

“She wanted me to pass along the message.”

I rolled my eyes and inhaled.

“What’s the bad news, Ms. Viera?”

I had almost forgotten about that.

We stared at her expectantly.

“The bad news, sir, is that I will never be heard before you in this courtroom again. I have retired from divorce law.”

Judge Bateman groaned.

“Court is adjourned,” he barked. “In the future, young lady, no matter what judge you’re standing before, make sure you call.”

He rose from the bench and disappeared, leaving me to gape at her uncomprehendingly.

“What do you mean you’ve ‘retired from divorce law’?”

She sashayed toward me, slipping her arms over my broad shoulders.

“I have been offered a job as Ryerson’s in-house counsel at Ryerson Media,” she explained, her eyes bright with happiness.

A combination of warmth and worry seized me as I looked at her.

“That’s incredible!” I choked, hoping I didn’t seem dismayed. “Congratulations, babe!”

I wasn’t sure how to process the news exactly although a thousand questions were flooding my mind.

She nodded, holding my gaze.

“Thanks. The pay is two and a half times what I’m making now and that’s just to start.”

I swallowed quickly as I thought of how much money that would be.

We could have a great life together without any worries, I thought, warming to the idea instantly. We always talked about a house with a pool –

A stab of uncertainty hit my heart as I studied her face.

What does that mean for me?

“He wants you too,” she continued as if my question had been spoken aloud, and I felt my heart quicken.

“What? Really? Why?”

The words spilled out before I could stop them, and Yvette laughed.

“For some reason, he thinks you’re a good lawyer. I tried to tell him differently, but his wife wouldn’t back me up.”

My eyes almost bugged out of their sockets.

“Angeline spoke for me?”

The idea that Angeline had anything nice to say about me seemed suspect, but Yvette nodded.

“She did. She said something about how you made her realize that her husband wasn’t such a bad guy after all.”

I didn’t know what to say.

“They are waiting for us at the Four Seasons,” Yvette continued. “They have a mound of paperwork for us to sign.”

I continued to blink at her, disbelievingly.

“Are you all right?” she asked and suddenly her face turned white. “You don’t want this job, do you? I should have checked with you first. I’m sorry, I just got so excited by the opportunity and we had talked about getting out of divorce law and – “

I chortled, holding my hand up to stop her rambling.

I then reached down to seize her by the waist, spinning her around while she squealed at the unexpected gesture.

“Of course I want this job!” I howled, kissing her lips with fervor. “It’s exactly what we were talking about!”

Yve seemed to relax slightly but her dark eyebrows still knit.

“It’s a big step,” she said cautiously, and I nodded enthusiastically.

“Yes,” I agreed. “It is. Are you having second thoughts?”

She shook her head.

“No,” she answered. “But…”

I stared at her expectantly, but I already knew what she was thinking.

Still, I waited for her to speak.

“Is everything moving too fast?” she whispered, and I saw a slight doubt in her eyes.

My heart melted at the vulnerability in her face and I stepped forward to wrap her in my arms.

“Too fast?” I murmured into her hair. “We have worked like cavemen to get where we are today. How many all-nighters have we pulled? How many abusive clients have we cajoled? We have earned a spot at the grown-up table.”

She peered up at me.

“And us?” she asked. “Are we going to survive working together like this?”

I laughed.

“We haven’t killed each other thus far,” I replied. “In fact, I think we make a pretty good team.”

She nodded and slowly the cloud began to lift from her eyes.

I was saying everything she needed to hear, and it made me feel good to know I was alleviating her doubts.

It was high time that someone was there to lift her up for, despite her icy façade, Yve was a sensitive soul.

I was so grateful that I was the one she had chosen.

“What is it, darling?” I asked, sensing that there was something else she wanted to say.

“Are you happy, Drave?” she breathed, and I could see the answer terrified her.

My face exploded into a smile of pleasure and I nodded, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as I peered into her face.

“I might be too happy,” I replied, our eyes locking.

She eyed me cynically.

“Too happy?” she echoed. “How is that?”

“I have everything I ever wanted suddenly, and I feel like it’s too good to be true!”

Her shoulders seemed to fall, and she giggled.

“I know how you feel,” she sighed.

“It’s like a dream, isn’t it?” I asked, and she nodded her smile broadening. I couldn’t resist sweeping her into my arms again.

The urge to be near her, to touch her at every opportunity was more than I could stand sometimes.

“Just don’t pinch me,” Yve joked but the look in her eyes melted me and I placed her on her feet gently.

“I can pinch you,” I told her tenderly. “Because while it is a dream, it’s our dream and we’re never going to wake from it.”

“I love dreaming with you,” she murmured, nuzzling my neck.

“And I love you,” I breathed.

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