Ford knew exactly what was at stake in the interview Emma had promised to arrange. Her face had been a mirror of her emotions. She was terrified that she was making a mistake, yet she had weighed the odds, struggled with her own biases and, in the end, decided to trust him. He didn’t take that trust lightly, because he knew what it had cost her. If he failed her—or even if she only perceived that he had—it would destroy them.
A part of him chafed at being put to such a test, but another part understood it. Her ex-husband and the reporter who’d conspired with him had given her good cause to be wary of journalists.
His interview with Sue Ellen had been scheduled for two o’clock. In the meantime, he spent his morning writing out questions, reading through the stack of books he’d accumulated on battered-wife syndrome.
When he was as prepared as he could possibly be, he went on the Internet to do a few last searches for information. And while he was there, he called up the archives of the Denver papers in search of the story that had almost destroyed Emma’s life.
It wasn’t that difficult to find amid the list of references to her name. Only one had a screaming headline about a breach of ethics. He read that and the story that had preceded it, the actual news story that suggested Emma had leaked confidential information.
The reporter had been clever, Ford would give him that. His wording had been precise, relying on innuendo rather than explicit statements that could later be pointed to as libelous. As she had told him, anyone reading it casually would get the distinct impression that Emma was the source for the inside information about her client. Only a more thorough scrutiny would prove that the reporter had never actually said that.
Indignant on her behalf, he called the paper and asked for the city editor, listed on the masthead as Clay Jennings. When the man came on the line, Ford explained who he was.
“I’m wondering if a reporter named Guy Northrup still works for you,” he said.
There was a hesitation, then the editor said, “No, he left about three years ago.”
“Was he fired?”
“No, he resigned,” Jennings said.
“In the wake of the Emma Rogers debacle, I imagine.”
The man didn’t even try to hide his surprise. “You know about that?”
“Yes.”
“What’s your interest in it?” he asked. “Guy’s not looking for a job with you, is he? I thought he’d pretty much given up on getting a job in the newspaper business. We certainly haven’t given him any references.”
“Not a chance,” Ford said. “I just wanted to see if the man got what was coming to him.”
“Last I heard, he was selling fertilizer at one of those mega-home stores. Seemed to me like it was a job right up his alley,” Jennings said wryly. “By the way, isn’t Ms. Rogers handling a case up your way now?”
“As a matter of fact, she is.”
“Keep an eye on her. She’s damned good at what she does.”
Ford found himself grinning at the admiration in the man’s voice. “I know that. Glad to hear you recognize it down there.”
He hung up, feeling better for some reason he couldn’t precisely explain. He wasn’t even sure why he had made the call other than to be sure that there had been no lasting damage to Emma’s reputation and that the man who’d harmed her had paid by losing his job. As for Kit Rogers, he was pretty sure that losing Emma would have been punishment enough for him. He was probably still reeling from the discovery that she had been strong enough to walk away.
Ford didn’t intend to make the same mistake.
* * *
Emma was more nervous than she would have been if she were the one being interviewed. The minute the words had left her mouth the night before, she’d wanted to retract the offer. How could she put Sue Ellen’s fate in Ford’s hands?
How could she not?
As a result of the internal struggle, she hadn’t slept a wink all night. Instead, she had played through different scenarios, trying to figure out ways she could leap into the middle of the interview if things started to go awry. An image of Ford’s indignant expression if she did just that was the only thing that gave her any reason to smile.
When she could stand her own company no longer, she went into town and headed straight for Stella’s. Lauren had flown in again the night before and had promised to meet Emma to lend her some much needed moral support.
When she walked into the diner, she found not only Lauren, but Karen, Gina and Cassie, as well.
“I see you’ve rallied the troops,” she said to Lauren, managing a weak smile as she sat down.
“Only because you sounded as if you needed us. We all know you made the right decision,” Lauren said with absolute confidence.
“Oh, really? And how do you know that?”
“Wisdom,” Karen said, grinning. “We are getting older and wiser, you know.”
“It doesn’t have anything to do with us. We have faith in your judgment,” Cassie corrected.
“And confidence in Ford,” Gina added.
“You sound so sure,” Emma said wistfully.
“Everything is going to work out, not just for Sue Ellen, but for you and Ford,” Cassie insisted. “I’ve never seen two people better suited for each other.”
“Or who make more sparks fly,” Gina added with a grin.
“I can’t even think about that,” Emma responded. “There’s too much riding on this interview.”
“Well, I recommend hot-fudge sundaes all around,” Lauren said. “Nobody can be depressed when they’re eating all those gooey calories.”
“I thought you were back on carrot sticks and yogurt,” Gina said, regarding her curiously.
“Yeah, well, things change. If I want hot fudge, I can have it.”
“Of course, you can,” Karen soothed, then beckoned for Stella and placed the order.
They were still indulging when Ford strolled in and came straight to the table in the back. He nodded at the others, but his gaze locked on Emma’s.
“Moral support?” he inquired lightly.
“Yes,” she said unrepentantly.
He sighed. “You don’t need it, you know.”
“We’ve been telling her that,” Gina said, reaching for another chair and pulling it over. “Join us.”
Emma scowled, but she scooted over to make room for him. He sat down, then gazed at the empty sundae dishes. “It must have been a heavy conversation if it required hot fudge.”
“It was,” Emma said tightly.
“I need to get back to the ranch,” Karen said suddenly.
“I’m coming with you,” Lauren added.
Gina and Cassie stood up as well.
“Where are you going?” Emma demanded.
“Things to do,” Gina declared.
“Cole’s waiting for me,” Cassie explained with a shrug.
“He wasn’t waiting five minutes ago,” Emma complained.
“Nope. It’s later now.” Cassie grinned, then gave her a kiss. “You’re in safe hands.”
“I wish I believed that,” Emma said.
Ford watched the hurried departures without comment. Emma frowned.
“You certainly do know how to disrupt a party,” she grumbled.
“Is that what it was? The atmosphere didn’t seem very festive.”
“How could it be under the circumstances?”
“Emma, if you still have a problem with me interviewing Sue Ellen, we can call it off.”
“You know I can’t do that,” she protested. “I need people to see her side of things.”
“There are other reporters,” he pointed out. “I can hire a freelancer to do this interview if it will make you less uneasy.”
She shook her head at once. She might not be sure she was doing the right thing, but she did know that she was better off with Ford asking the questions than a total stranger.
“It has to be you.”
“Not if it’s going to ruin our chances of being together,” he said. “You mean a lot to me, more than I ever expected anyone to mean. I want us to have a future.”
When she was about to argue the point, he held up a silencing hand. “Look, I know what’s on the line here. If I fail you, if I get this story wrong or misquote Sue Ellen, whether it’s right or wrong, you’re going to use it as an excuse to end things between us. I know that.” His gaze locked on hers. “I also know that if I don’t do this, you’ll never know in your heart if you can trust me and we won’t stand a chance then, either. Talk about a rock and a hard place…but that’s okay. I have no intention of giving you any excuse to break things off.”
She swallowed hard. He had pegged it exactly right, and even she could see how unfair she was being.
“I’m sorry it has to be this way.”
“So am I. Let me ask you something. Are you aware that Guy Northrup resigned in the wake of what he did to you?”
She regarded him with surprise. “How do you know that?”
“I checked into it. I suppose I wanted to be sure he had paid for what he’d done.”
“Paid? You call that paying?”
“He lost his job.”
“He resigned. He wasn’t fired.”
“But I got the sense that he would have been, if he hadn’t quit. And the city editor down there reports that he’s working at some home improvement store, that he can’t get a job for a legitimate paper. Doesn’t that reassure you at all that responsible journalists weed out the bad apples?”
“I’m relieved to know that he hasn’t merely moved on to wreak havoc on someone else’s life,” she conceded. “But what he did was a crime for which he’ll never pay.” She regarded Ford sadly. “Where’s the justice in that?”
Judging from his silence, he didn’t have an adequate answer to her question.
Emma stood up. “Let’s get this over with.”
Ford stood beside her, but when she would have started from the restaurant, he held her back. “I won’t let you down, Emma. You might not like every word I write, but I swear to you it will be evenhanded and fair and accurate.”
His words weren’t nearly as reassuring as he clearly intended them to be, but she knew they were the best she could hope for. “I know you’ll try. If I didn’t believe that with all my heart, we wouldn’t be doing this.”
At the jail, Ryan met them and escorted them into his office. His gaze locked with Ford’s. “I’m counting on you,” he said grimly.
Emma’s gaze was on Ford’s face, and she saw the anguish in his expression. In that instant, she knew just how deeply he cared not only for her, but for his friend, and how deeply he was hoping not to let them down while still being true to his own ethics and values. They were putting him in a potentially impossible situation, but all three of them knew that there was no other way. She also knew that Ford would do what he felt was honorable and right, no matter the cost to him—or them—personally.
“I’ll get Sue Ellen,” Ryan said.
It was several minutes before he returned. Sue Ellen had been allowed to wear a dress for the interview, and she had taken time to brush her hair. She wore no makeup, though, and her expression was haggard. Her gaze darted from Emma to Ford and back again.
“Sue Ellen, you know Mr. Hamilton,” Emma said quietly. “He wants to ask you a few questions.”
Sue Ellen twisted her hands in her lap, but she nodded. Ryan put a reassuring hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. For just a second she seemed to lean into his touch, but her gaze never left Ford’s face.
“I’ll do my best to answer them,” she whispered.
Emma had spent an hour the night before and another hour this morning briefing Sue Ellen. Emma had advised her client to go into as much detail about what living with Donny was like as she felt comfortable doing. She was going to have to get used to telling the sordid story anyway, because the prosecutor would be eager to punch holes in it.
Emma sat back silently as Ford asked his questions, his tone gentler than she’d expected, his expression faltering as the grim picture emerged. She watched his hands bunch into fists, heard his barely contained gasps, saw the color drain from his face at Sue Ellen’s matter-of-fact description of her life with the man who’d vowed to love, honor and cherish her.
“Was your husband always like this? From the very beginning?”
Sue Ellen nodded, silent tears streaking down her cheeks.
“Why didn’t you leave?”
“I loved him,” she said simply. “Besides, where would I have gone?”
“Surely there were family members or friends who could have helped,” Ford said.
Sue Ellen swallowed hard. “I was too ashamed. Besides, Donny said no one would believe me anyway.”
“But there must have been bruises, cuts, broken bones? A doctor would have known.”
“I only went to the doctor once. I told him I’d been injured in an accident.”
“Show him your arm,” Emma instructed gently.
Sue Ellen held out her right arm where the bone had clearly been broken at one time and not set properly.
“He broke your arm?” Ford said, his face pale.
“Yes.”
“Did you get treatment?”
She shook her head. “Donny put a splint on it. He said it would be fine.”
Ford muttered a harsh expletive under his breath. “Had he ever threatened you with a gun before that night when he died?”
“All the time,” she said in a whisper. “He had at least three in the house that I know of. One night…” Her voice broke.
Emma reached for her hand even as Ryan rubbed her shoulders. “It’s okay. Tell him.”
“One night he held it to my head and made me have sex.”
Ryan turned away, but not before Emma saw the fury in his eyes, the heartache on his face.
“He raped you?” Ford asked.
Sue Ellen started to shake her head. “He was my husband,” she began, but this time Emma cut her off.
“He raped you,” she said fiercely. “I don’t care if he was your husband, that’s what it was.”
Sue Ellen broke down then. Covering her face with her hands, she wept. Ryan was at her side at once, kneeling beside her, whispering encouragement. Sue Ellen’s gaze locked with his as if he were her lifeline. Emma couldn’t help wondering what was going to happen when Ryan had to testify about the shooting in court. Would Sue Ellen feel betrayed yet again? Or would she understand that Ryan was just doing his job?
Emma sighed. Would she be any more forgiving when Ford did his?
“I think that’s enough,” she said quietly.
Ford nodded.
And without another word to any of them, he got up and walked away. Emma had seen how shaken he was. She prayed that would somehow come across in whatever he chose to print.
Over the next couple of days she watched as Ford visibly waged a war with himself and the values he held so dear. He was so alone. He sat by himself in Stella’s, refusing all offers of company, including Emma’s. The isolation was so uncharacteristic that Emma began to worry. If Ford wouldn’t turn to her, couldn’t turn to her, surely there was someone he could talk to. She went to Ryan.
“I think you need to spend a little time with Ford. He won’t talk to me. I’m pretty sure he thinks it would be wrong under the circumstances, but he’s obviously upset. He needs a friend.”
“Would I really be any better?” Ryan asked. “He knows where I stand on this.”
“Try, please,” she pleaded.
Ryan patted her hand. “You’re in love with him, aren’t you?”
“No, I…” Her voice trailed off.
“Emma,” Ryan chided. “Be honest with me. You and I go back too far for you to lie to my face and get away with it.”
She swallowed hard and forced herself to say aloud what she hadn’t even permitted herself to think. “Yes,” she said softly. “I love him. I don’t know how it happened, or why, of all the people in the world, he had to be the one, but he is. I’m just so afraid that we won’t survive this.”
“Want some advice from an old friend?”
She grinned. “As if you’re an expert.”
“Maybe not an expert, but I’ve waited a very long time for the woman I love to take a second look at me. In all this time, my love for Sue Ellen has never wavered, not once. That should tell you something.”
“That you’re a masochist?” Emma asked, only partly in jest.
Ryan frowned at her. “You know better,” he chided. “It proves just how powerful love is. It doesn’t bend or break so easily. It’s something that just is, something so strong that nothing can destroy it unless you permit it to.”
“Ryan, you’re a romantic,” she said with some surprise.
He shrugged. “What can I say? I had a good example. You know any couple in town more solid than my parents? They were childhood sweethearts, and I still catch them making out when they think I’m not around. They’ve taken some tough knocks over the years—my dad losing his job, my mom’s miscarriages, my sister’s pregnancy with Teddy—but they’ve survived because they both believe with everything in them that they’re better together than they would be apart. That’s the way I feel about Sue Ellen. I just pray when this is all over, she’ll let herself feel the same way about me.”
“She counts on you,” Emma said. “I can see it in her eyes and in the way she turns to you. There’s a whole lot of respect there.”
“Respect, yes,” Ryan confirmed. “But how does a woman who’s gone through what she’s gone through ever believe in love?”
Emma thought about the faint flicker of hope she’d seen in Sue Ellen’s gaze when she was with Ryan. “Give her time. She’ll get there,” she said with conviction.
And if Sue Ellen with her tragic past could make such a tremendous leap of faith, then how could Emma not be just as strong when it came to Ford?
She gave Ryan a hug. “Thank you.”
“It’s going to be good to have you home again,” Ryan said.
Startled, Emma simply stared. “Home again?”
“When you and Ford get together,” he said.
“But…” The protest died on her lips, when she realized that a part of her was ready for just such a move. It had been happening slowly but surely for weeks now.
With school about to start, now would be the perfect time to make the decision final. Caitlyn would be ecstatic. Matt and Martha would have her place in Denver to themselves to get their marriage back on track. And she and Ford would have time to explore their feelings without distance separating them.
Ryan was grinning at her stunned silence. “You’re going to do it, aren’t you? You’re going to move home?”
She nodded slowly, her own smile spreading as she accepted the decision she’d been avoiding for far too long. “Yes, I am.”
“I knew it,” he gloated.
“Oh, go suck an egg.”
He wrapped her in a fierce hug and spun her around. “Now that I know you’re staying,” he said, “I think I’ll go tell Ford the good news.”
“Shouldn’t I be the one to tell him?”
“He’s not talking to you right now,” Ryan reminded her. “And I think this news will definitely cheer him up.”
“Just don’t make too much of it. I’m not moving back because of him.”
“Yeah, right.”
“I’m not,” she protested, then sighed at Ryan’s knowing expression. “Not entirely, anyway.”
He chuckled. “Like I said, this is definitely going to improve his mood.”
A good thing, Emma supposed, because her own mood was turning decidedly sour as she contemplated all the gloating that was going to go on among her friends and family.