by Keeland, Vi
Before I could ask anything more, she turned to go in.
“Goodnight, Donovan. Thanks again for everything.”
CHAPTER 10
* * *
Autumn
Ten years ago
“That was a nice gift you gave Lena.” The deep voice seemed to come out of nowhere.
“Jesus. You scared the crap out of me.”
“How long have you been sitting back here?”
“I don’t know.” I shrugged. “Maybe twenty minutes.”
The backyard was pitch dark, but I knew the voice. Braden Erlich. The son of my dad’s newest partner at work. Correction, the ridiculously hot son of my dad’s newest partner at work.
“Are the lights broken?” he asked. “The ones that go on when they detect motion?”
“Not that I’m aware of.”
Braden was quiet for a moment. “So that means you haven’t moved in twenty minutes?”
I smiled in the dark. “It’s sort of a hobby of mine. I like to see how long I can stay still before the motion detectors catch me.”
“What’s your record?”
I detected a hint of amusement in his voice.
“Twenty-six minutes.”
He went silent for a while. “Alright. Let’s see if we can break it.”
I laughed, but I was careful not to move my face too much or let my body shake. “You’re going to stand there and not move so I can break my record?”
“That depends.”
“On what?”
“If you admit that you re-gifted the present I just saw your dad’s fiancée open inside.”
“What makes you think I re-gifted it?”
“My mother gave it to you at your high school graduation party three months ago.”
Shit. Did she? I closed my eyes. Oh my God. I think she might’ve. “Sorry,” I said.
“What are you sorry for? Not wanting a porcelain figurine when you’re eighteen?”
“It’s a Lladro. It probably cost seven-hundred dollars.”
“Didn’t cost my mother that much.”
“How do you know?”
“Because she got it as a gift from my grandmother two years ago.”
My eyes widened. “Are you kidding?”
“Nope.”
I chuckled. “Wow. Now I definitely don’t feel bad.”
“You shouldn’t. You’re too pretty to feel bad.”
Oh wow. I was definitely glad we were still in the dark, so he didn’t see me blush. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
“Did you know there’s a limited-edition Lladro that costs forty-seven-thousand dollars? They only made five hundred of them.”
“So you checked out the value before deciding to re-gift, huh?”
I laughed. “Actually, no. Sometimes I just read up on really random things.”
“Interesting.”
I probably sounded like a complete dork. “I don’t sit at home doing it or anything. It’s just something I do once in a while.”
“I like that. You’re curious.”
A solid minute went by, and neither of us said anything. Eventually, Braden spoke. “Are you still there?”
“I am.”
“Weren’t you afraid Lena would remember you opening that at your graduation party?”
“Lena wasn’t at my graduation party. She and my dad only met on the Fourth of July.”
“That was less than two months ago.”
“Yep.”
“And they’re engaged already?”
“He proposed on their one-month anniversary.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. That seems to be a thing for him. He proposed to his last wife on their six-month anniversary.”
“His last wife? How many has he had?”
“This will be his fourth.”
“What number was your mom?”
“She was the first. She died when I was twelve.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Thank you.”
“I feel bad for making you talk about it. I think I know where I can get a nice Lladro to make it up to you.”
I laughed. “I’m good. But thanks for the offer.”
“Why are you sitting out here in the dark, anyway?”
“It’s all people from my dad’s work inside and Lena’s family. Plus, it’s a clear night, and I like looking up at the stars.”
“Have you ever gone to Long Wharf Park to see the stars?”
“No. Where is it?”
“New Haven.”
I sighed. “My father gives me a hard time about driving on I-95 at night since I only got my license six months ago. Maybe my friend Alley will take me.”
He was quiet for a bit. “I’ve been driving three years.”
My heart sped up. Was he saying he wanted to take me to see the stars?
Before I could answer, he spoke again. “I’ll tell you what. How about we make a little bet? If you beat your record, I’ll give you directions to the best spot to see the stars. But if you don’t, you have to let me take you.”
Ummm… Who cares about the dumb record?
I immediately started figuring out how I could get the motion detector to go off without looking like I’d done it on purpose.
“So…do we have a deal?” Braden said.
I tried to come off nonchalant. “Sure. Why not?”
Five seconds later, the lights came on. I blinked as my eyes adjusted. Had I moved? I didn’t think I had.
I looked over at Braden, who sported an ear-to-ear smile.
“I didn’t budge,” I said.
His smile grew wider. “I know. I swung my arm in the air. The bet you agreed to didn’t specify whose fault it would be that the lights went on, only that they did.” He tilted his head and held out his hand. “Come on, let’s get out of here.”
CHAPTER 11
* * *
Autumn
“Hey!” I smiled at my friend Skye’s face flashing on the screen and swiped to answer. I’d never seen the picture before. Her eyes were crossed and her tongue dangled out adorably.
“I’m starting to feel neglected,” she said. “You don’t call… You don’t write…”
I laughed. “When did you change your photo in my phone?”
“Last time I was over. If I remember correctly, you were ignoring me, busy on your laptop researching the origin of some song you’d heard on a commercial.”
“Ah…yes. ‘Magic’ by The Pilots. They’re from Scotland, you know.”
“Of course I know. You told me that and four hundred other facts you looked up after watching a ten-second commercial.”
A taxi on the street next to me blew its horn.
“Where are you?” Skye asked.
“On my way to meet Blake for dinner. I took an Uber, but traffic was at a standstill so I got out to walk the last two blocks.”
“Blake? That’s the new guy I said sounded boring?”
“He’s very nice.”
“So is my seventy-eight-year-old neighbor, Wilbur. Remind me to set you up if this doesn’t work out.”
“Cute.”
“Anyway, I just called to find out if we’re still on for next week and see if everything turned out alright with the kid of yours who went missing. You were supposed to call me the next day.”
“Sorry. Things have been a little…I don’t know…weird lately. I’ve felt so scatterbrained. I should’ve called. But we did find Storm, and he’s doing okay, and we are most definitely on for next week. I’m dying to know what happens with Kayla.”
“Alright, great. But is everything okay otherwise, though? Something causing you to feel weird?”
“Do you remember a guy I told you about named Donovan?”
“The luggage guy with all the plants whose bones you wanted to hop, but didn’t?”
I smiled. “That’s him.”
“What about him?”
“Well, we ran into each other again.”
“Ooooh—that guy was definitely more interesting than the new one. He had tattoos. I’ve never met a boring dude with tats. Let me guess, Blake doesn’t have any?”
I sighed. “He actually doesn’t.”
“So are you seeing Green Thumb now, too?”
I shook my head. “Not on a personal level, but he is representing Storm, so I guess I will be seeing him.” The restaurant where I was meeting Blake was only a few buildings down. “Listen, I need to run. I’m just about to walk in to dinner. I’ll see you next week?”
“Can’t wait. Have a good night.”
“You, too.”
I swiped to end the call just as I reached the door to the restaurant. Before going inside, I stopped and took a deep breath. I could have used a few more minutes to clear my head, but I was already late, and I didn’t want to be rude. I’d hoped my mood would improve before I arrived, but instead I’d gone from not feeling like going out to dreading it. But I plastered on my best smile as the hostess showed me to the table. Blake was already seated.
He stood and kissed my cheek. “You look gorgeous.”
“Thank you.”
He pulled out my chair, and I sat. “Sorry I’m late.”
“I was starting to think you were going to stand me up.”
“My Uber canceled three times. I should have texted you.”
“I would’ve picked you up from your friend’s house.”
I’d almost forgotten that I’d lied to Blake and told him I was coming straight from a friend’s house to avoid having him pick me up. I’d said it without any thought, really. When he’d told me he’d be at my place at seven, for some reason I panicked and blurted that I’d meet him at the restaurant. Then I’d been stuck making up a reason he couldn’t come by my place. The last few days I’d done my best to avoid thinking about why I’d done it, because deep down, I knew the answer. I didn’t want Blake in my apartment because I couldn’t stop thinking about another man. Which was exactly the reason I had forced myself to come tonight, when I would’ve preferred to sit at home and stare at the TV.
“She lives all the way on the other side of town, and your office is so close to here.”
“You’re worth the inconvenience.”
I forced a smile. The waitress came over with the wine menu. I knew Blake liked red, so I browsed through and said, “Whatever you want is fine.”
“You sure?”
“Positive.”
I’d met Blake on Tinder. We’d gone out for coffee, which was my usual go-to first meeting. That way if it was awkward, or the guy turned out to be a creep, I was put out of my misery relatively fast. But Blake and I had never had a minute of awkwardness since we’d started seeing each other. Our conversation always seemed to flow naturally, and we’d never had an uncomfortable silence...until now. I wasn’t sure if it was in my head or not, but I suddenly felt clumsy, with nothing to say. So I reached for a breadstick to have a reason not to speak.
“How was work this week?” he asked. “You sounded busy when we spoke the other day.”
I nodded. “Our case load is supposed to be eighteen. Yesterday I was assigned my thirty-first active case.”
“Your office sounds like mine. Except more cases means more money for me. It just means extra work for you.”
I nodded. “I don’t even want to think about what I actually make per hour.”
“Did you ever think about going to law school? There’s good money in it, and you can still help people by taking on some pro bono cases.”
I’d never mentioned that I had gone to law school for a year, and I had no desire to discuss it now, for some reason. So I shook my head. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s for me.”
“Speaking of pro bono, how are things going with the kid you needed some help with?”
“It’s going well.” If you count running away a few days after being arrested and then hanging out at a makeshift homeless shelter as going well, that is.
“Good. Let me know if the attorney I assigned you isn’t giving you the attention you need.”
Oh, he’s giving me lots of attention.
I remembered Donovan saying he was up for partner and needed Blake’s vote, so I figured putting in a good word for him might help. It was the least I could do.
“Donovan’s actually been great. This wasn’t Storm’s first time in trouble, so it’s not such an easy case. But he’s definitely working harder than any of the other lawyers I’ve dealt with over the years with my kids.” I cleared my throat. “Has he been at your firm long?”
“A little over seven years. I’ve never been a big fan of his, personally. But he has an impressive track record.”
I immediately felt defensive. “He seemed nice enough to me. What don’t you like about him?”
“He’s got a chip on his shoulder. It’s typical of the kind of guys we hire.”
“What kind of guys is that?”
Blake shrugged. “Spoiled silver spoons from Ivy League schools.”
Clearly he didn’t know his employee very well. But the last thing Donovan needed was his boss’s suspicions to be raised by me defending him. So I put on a plastic smile. “I know the type, but he seems to be doing a great job for Storm.”
The waitress delivered our wine. She poured a sip for Blake, and he tasted it and nodded before she filled both our glasses.
“Decker is up for partner,” Blake explained. “We add two every five years. One guy is a lock; he’s been with the firm twelve years and is solid. So it’s between Decker and half a dozen other candidates for the second spot. But really, it’s between him and one other guy.”
“Oh? Are you leaning toward one more than the other?” I felt anxious waiting for his answer.
“Not Decker,” he said after a moment. “The other guy’s been with us ten years. He’s put in his time.”
My heart sank. “Oh. So it’s more based on seniority?”
“Not always. I made partner after eight. Decker bills more hours than anyone, but he doesn’t need his ego stroked by making it in record time.”
I inwardly sighed. “Well, it sounds like you’ve made your decision, then.”
“There’s still time before the vote.” He reached across the table and laced his fingers with mine. “I have a bet with one of the other partners that Decker fires a client who did something stupid this afternoon. If he can manage to control himself and not do that and he takes good care of you, I might consider swinging my vote.”
***
“My place okay?” Blake buckled his seatbelt and looked over at me for an answer.
“Ummm... I think I’m actually going to just go home. I’ve had a headache coming on all day, and it’s that time of the month, so I could use a good night’s sleep.”
Blake frowned but tried to cover it up. “Of course.”
At my apartment building, he walked me to the door. “Are you free next Saturday afternoon, by any chance?”
“Umm...”
“We have a firm barbecue for the partners. To be honest, it’s usually torture. I could use the plus one. Most people bring their families or a date. Having you by my side would make the day more bearable.”
He read the hesitancy on my face.
“Plus, my partners would like to meet you.”
I was taken aback. “They know about me?”
“I had to mention I was seeing someone in order to get the approval from the other partners to allow me to add a pro bono case after we’d already gone over our allotment for the year. I might’ve bragged about what a do-gooder the woman I was seeing is.”
Damn it. How could I say no to being his plus one when he’d gone out of his way for me? I couldn’t, so I forced yet another smile. “Sure. A barbecue sounds fun.”
Since we’d gone to dinner at seven, it was only nine thirty when I plopped down on my couch wearing my favorite pair of sweats. It was too late to start binge-watching The Bachelor. Plus, I’d promised Skye I’d wait for us t
o watch it together. So instead I scrolled through social media on my phone.
But my mind was elsewhere. It had been ever since Blake and I spoke about Donovan—even before that, if I was honest with myself. I also wasn’t quite sure how to handle the information he’d shared with me at dinner about what Donovan needed to do in order to make partner. On one hand, it would be wrong to share a private conversation I’d had with the guy I was dating. On the other hand, Donovan had gone above and beyond for Storm and me when he’d helped me search for him—not to mention introducing him to Bud and trying to teach him some values. So it felt like I owed Donovan one, and passing along a little inside information as a payback might settle our score.
I sat there for ten minutes, staring at Donovan’s phone number in my contacts while I debated it over and over again. At one point, my phone buzzed in my hand, and when I realized who’d texted me, it was the sign I needed to make a decision.
Donovan: Bud needs to push Storm working for him tomorrow until late afternoon. He forgot he has an appointment.
I typed back.
Autumn: Oh, okay. Thanks for letting me know. What time do you think I should bring him over?
Donovan: 3 should be good.
Autumn: Thanks.
I tapped my pointer finger to my lips for a minute, debating one last time how to bring up what I’d learned. Eventually, I decided it would be a better live conversation.
Autumn: Are you busy? Can you talk for a moment?
My phone rang five seconds later. I picked it up with a smile. “Hello.”
“Haven’t you figured it out yet?” he said. “I’m never too busy for you.”
God, I felt that velvety, deep voice down in my belly. The sound of it and his flirting had my smile stretching so wide, I was surprised my face didn’t crack. “I bet you say that to all the girls.”
“Nope. Just one.”
I laughed. “Listen, this is kind of weird to bring up, but I spoke to Blake earlier, and he asked me how everything was going with Storm’s case. I said everything was going great, and then he mentioned you were up for partner.”