The urge to laugh and the urge to cry warred inside me. Love really must blind people. “What you wanted me to be. I’ll never be an attorney like you or dad. I’m like a toddler with a stutter in front of a jury.”
I left out the part about not wanting to defend criminals anymore. We’d talked about that once already, and I didn’t need to throw it in her face a second time like a criticism.
My mom shrugged. “You struggle with your openings and closings. I used to flub the questions when I had hostile witnesses on the stand.”
It felt like she’d said the earth will be destroyed by a meteor tomorrow with the same nonchalance that belonged with there used to be a coffee shop on that corner.
My parents were two of the top defense attorneys in the country. I’d seen my mom question all manner of witnesses on the stand. She was confident. Insightful. She never flubbed anything.
But she was afraid of large dogs, and that was something I also hadn’t known about her before this visit. Maybe it wasn’t so impossible that she hadn’t been perfect when she started out, either.
My mom touched my arm, butterfly-light and then gone, almost like I’d imagined it. “You love being involved in cases. It’s what you’re good at. I don’t believe you’ll be happy if you walk away from being a lawyer, but I also saw how happy you are with Mark. All I did with that job was make it so that you could have both if you wanted it.”
She opened her car door before I could process and slid inside. She rolled down her window. “Your dad will be glad to hear you and Mark are engaged.”
Her window zipped back up, and then she was gone.
Even if I’d had the chance, I wouldn’t have bothered to ask how she knew. She always seemed to know.
And that’s what scared me the most.
Because I had the uncomfortable feeling that she was also right that I wouldn’t be happy if I walked away from being a lawyer.
What will Nicole decide about being a lawyer? Start reading the next book, Capital Obsession, to head to Washington, D.C. with Nicole and find out!
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What we don’t know can hurt us…
The worst way to find out that your boyfriend is already married is to see it on the news. The only way it could be worse than that is if his wife died under suspicious circumstances.
Unfortunately for criminal defense attorney Nicole Fitzhenry-Dawes, that’s exactly what happens. Her now ex-boyfriend insists he’s innocent, and he begs Nicole to find out who really killed his wife. She’d like to simply leave him to his fate, but her sense of justice won’t allow it.
With few clues to go on and her emotions getting in the way, Nicole worries that she won’t figure out the killer in time. And as she begins to unravel the truth, the killer turns the table on her, making it look like Nicole was the one who committed the murder after all…
Sapped is the prequel to Emily James’ Maple Syrup Mysteries series and is available through her newsletter.
Sign up and get your free copy of Sapped at www.subscribepage.com/maplesyrup.
Letter from the Author
When I started writing this series, I didn’t know if anyone would enjoy the books other than me. I wrote the kind of stories I wanted to read.
So it’s been amazing having all of you continue along with me on this journey and hearing how much you’re enjoying the series. Thank you so much!
In the next book, Capital Obsession, Nicole and Mark are headed back to Washington, DC. It’s time for Mark to meet Nicole’s dad (assuming he’ll even talk to them) and for Nicole and Mark to decide where they want to plan their future. And, of course, Nicole can’t stay out of trouble even when she tries. Especially not when her best friend is in danger…
If you enjoyed Deadly Arms, could you please take a minute to write a quick review? Reviews and ratings are incredibly important to writers, and they also help fellow readers know if this is a book they might enjoy.
Love,
Emily
BONUS RECIPE: Microwave Maple Syrup Candies
INGREDIENTS:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
Sea salt for sprinkling (optional)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Find a large, microwave-safe bowl. The candy mixture will bubble up, so it needs sides high enough to keep it from boiling over.
