Caitlin was left alone to follow.

She felt like an appendage, but then, she had known when she'd gotten

into this that it wasn't going to be easy.

She'd deal with hurt feelings later.

Right now, there was a judge to convince.

Judge William Henry Harrison was sitting at his desk when they walked

in, completely oblivious to their entrance.

He had the ability to shut out everything except what he was concentrating on. At the moment he was reviewing the notes on the Redhawk custody case that had been compiled by his clerk.

The judge was a sober-looking man whose mouth turned down naturally.

If it hadn't, the nature of his work would have made it so.

He believed in man's inherent goodness and in the ability of the world

to easily corrupt that goodness.

He'd been married twice and widowed twice.

His only daughter had run off at an early age and he had lost track of

her by mutual consent.

Over the years, optimism had receded from him and it was not his long suit.

To look at him now, it was difficult for Caitlin to reconcile her

father's stories of their first-year escapades as fledgling lawyers.

According to her father, Harrison's nickname had been Wild Willie and he had more than lived up to it.

Maybe he had devoted his life to living it down, she mused.

They took their seats.

Jake reached for her hand and clutched it.

Caitlin gave him a reassuring look.

"It's to be fine," she whispered in his ear.

-"You'll see."

, going The judge kept them waiting as he made a couple of last-minute

notes.

The computer that his'secretary had insisted on sat dormant and vacant on the side of his desk.

H'arrison wrote everything longhand and left computers to'the younger

generation.

Finally laying down his pen, he peered over the top of his glasses at Zach.

"And where is the other couple?"

"Right here, Your Honor," a deep baritone voice called out.

Caitlin turned and saw two men and a woman entering through the door

they had just used.

Both men looked as if they had stepped out of the same high-priced showroom, impeccably dressed in suits that bore exclusive labels.

The taller of the two, a thin, dark-haired man, was escorting the

woman.

So this was Celia.

Caitlin couldn't help glancing at Graham, looking for a telltale sign

of emotion.

He hadn't told her that Celia was beautiful.

A distant part of her felt relieved when Graham's expression didn't

soften.

If anything, it hardened.

Their lawyer preceded them, perfunctorily shaking hands with Zach and

offering a flurry of apologies to the judge.

"The traffic was unusually heavy."

The judge didn't seem interested.

Excuses either bored or irritated him.

Caitlin saw only Celia.

The woman was petite and she seemed born to the expensive tailored suit

she wore.

Her thick black hair was bound and twisted into a chignon.

Unable to block it, Caitlin felt the unmistakable prick of jealousy.

She could see why Graham had turned to Celia when he thought that she

had rejected him.

Celia's dark eyes flickered over Caitlin, dismissing her as if she were just part of the furniture. They lingered longer on Graham, but it was the boy who was the object of her interest.

"Jake," she cried in surprise.

It was obvious that she hadn't expected him to be here.

She opened her arms to him eagerly.

Jake hesitated, then sank deeper against his father's side.

Harrison looked at Zach sharply, displeasure thinning his lips.

"Mr. Neubert, what is this boy doing in my chambers?"

He pointed toward his door.

"Have him remain with my secretary until these proceedings are

completed."

Panic entered Jake's eyes as Zach reached for his hand.

"It's his fate being decided," Caitlin said quickly.

"His father thought he should be present."

Judge Harrison's frown deepened as he looked at her, his eyes narrowing

beneath iron-gray tufted brows.

"Young woman-" He paused suddenly, his mind rummaging through a thousand faces, searching for a match.

He found one.