Navy Blue - A Second Chance Romance (Complete)

Navy Blue: Chapter 26

Restless, Finn paced outside the courtroom, waiting for Lieutenant Casey to exit. Duty had called and Finn had donned his dress blue uniform, dragged himself to the tribunal and given his testimony. Now it was Casey's turn, hers the last of the day. The last of the court-martial.

The door swung open and a somber-looking Lieutenant Casey strode through, a beaming Lance behind her.

Her brown eyes met his. "It's done."

Finn's chest constricted. The case was out of their hands now. Nothing to do but sit tight for a decision. And then what? Return to normal life? The burning sensation under his rib cage returned with the reminder about the email from the admin office he'd received this morning asking him to come in to discuss his contract. Another four years at sea.

"I don't know about you —" Lance clapped a hand on Finn's shoulder "—but I could do with a drink."

Casey shook her head. "I'm out. I need to call my folks. Give them an update."

Lance cocked his head like an expectant puppy dog. "Don't leave me to drink on my own. People might talk."

Finn suppressed a grin. This man was incorrigible. Did anyone say no to him? Finn recalled their conversation in the kitchen. Emily hadn't. But he hadn't won her heart. No one had.

The revelation Emily might still have feelings for him, that he'd let her slip through his fingers again, weighed on him like an anchor. "Yeah, I need a beer." Or something stronger.

It was a short walk to the bar on Tingey Street. The bright open space was sparsely populated at three in the afternoon. Lance selected a spot on the corner and ordered a scotch. Finn matched him.

"Glad that's over." Lance loosened his tie. "Really could have used Emily."

"Could've fooled me. You had them eating out of your hands."

Lance had surprised him. After crossing the threshold of the courtroom, the man transformed from jovial father to whip-sharp lawyer. Lance ruled the room, not letting any opportunity to press his point slip. From the impassive faces of the panel of judges, it was impossible to tell which way they were leaning, but Finn was hopeful. They had a compelling case.

Thanks to Emily.

"As usual, Emily did all the hard work." Lance ruffled his hair. "She'd figured out the error with the autopilot. Surprised me with that binder of reports from other pilots complaining about the system acting irregularly. That woman is remarkable."

Finn placed his elbows on the bar. "She always was."

"That's what Beth says as well. The Emily of today pales to the Emily before she went to university."

The scotch caught in Finn's throat. "Her father said something similar at Ben's party. He made it sound like she didn't fit in at Yale or something." Or more, that Finn had irrevocably damaged Emily with his actions. The preposterous notion had caught in Finn's mind like a fish in a net, and he couldn't let the irregularity go.

Lance rotated the glass, the amber liquid rolling like a wave in the tumbler. "I don't know the specifics, but she had a rough year. The first few months they thought she'd flunk out. Not because she couldn't handle the work. She didn't go to class. Beth called it depression."

He drew in a painful breath, massaging his sternum. It was impossible to imagine his bright, vibrant Emily depressed. And why? That summer she'd been excited to start university. They'd visited the campus the day they went apartment hunting. She'd shown him where her classes would be, her eyes aglow with curiosity and excitement. He remembered kissing her in an attempt to soak up some of that vitality through osmosis.

"Whatever it was, Mary got her through the worst. Emily feels she owes some kind of debt to Mary." Lance grimaced. "More likely the other way around. That woman is one controlling..."

"Tell me about it." The hairs on the back of Finn's neck itched. "She was a thorn in my side the whole time Emily and I dated. Didn't like the stink of poor on me. Thought Emily could do better."

"That's Mary. I was persona non grata until she found out my father had his own law firm. Overnight the tables turned." Lance shifted in his seat. "Emily never cared about fortune or fame, though."

"No." She even dated a loser like him.

Lance took a swig of his drink. "What am I going to do with the two of you?" Lance drew out the word you and confusion washed over Finn.

"What do you mean?"

Lance's gaze held Finn's. "You. Emily. The case is over now. There's no conflict of interest between you two anymore. What's holding you back?"

The objection stuck on his tongue. Why hadn't this fact occurred to him? If Emily did care for him, the concept was taking over more and more space in his heart. He'd couldn't understand why she'd kept her distance.

What was it she'd said in her office after she'd kissed him? "It was inappropriate of me. I should never have put you in that position."

Finn moaned toward the ceiling. Why had he not thought of that? The conflict of interest? She'd shown him over and over and over again that she cared and he'd blamed her for not running into his arms like he wanted her to. She'd done the best she could without crossing a line.

It can't happen again, she'd said. But she meant while they were working together. She couldn't jeopardize Casey's case. For Casey's sake, for her sake and for his sake.

"Wait." Finn peeked at Lance. "You knew? This whole time."

"I knew, Beth knew. Mary definitely knew and hates the idea of you two together. Only made me more determined to keep trying." Lance took a gulp of scotch, then added, "Mary really doesn't like you."

Finn couldn't agree more.

"Anything to knock that woman off her perfect pedestal." Lance smirked. "Not that I also wouldn't do anything to see Emily happy again." Finn gaped at his new friend. "Why did you think I kept inviting you over?" Lance shook his head. "I thought I'd have to invite you to Beth's baby shower next. I mean, how many times can I try to get you two together without stuffing you in a closet for seven minutes or rigging a game of spin the bottle?"

The flicker of hope that sputtered when Emily left town sparked. Unlike the rest of Emily's family, Lance was on his side. No actively rooting for him and Emily. Which meant he thought Emily had feelings for him, too. Did everyone see this but him? Probably.

Lance's expression hardened and Finn was reminded of his performance in the courtroom. "I don't know what happened between you two back then, but this time you won't hurt her, right?"

Guilt churned in the pit of Finn's stomach. "Never. I swear."

"Good. Cause I like having you around. I'd hate for you to have to disappear." Finn chuckled with Lance, but wasn't sure Lance was joking. "Shall we arrange for one more attempt at Operation Second Chance?"

"Operation Second Chance?"

Lance sipped his beer. "It's Beth's name for all our scheming."

"Sign me up."

"What are you doing tomorrow night?"