by Anya Nowlan
“I’ve definitely had more than my share of excitement,” Addison admitted, taking another sip of her wine. “I take it you’ve been following the news?”
“Not that closely, but I got the basics,” he replied. “I wasn’t surprised to hear that Reid took the case. The fact that you won was unexpected, though. No offense,” he added with a smirk.
“Oh, none taken,” she laughed. “I didn’t think we would win either. But your brother is a great lawyer. Rourke wouldn’t have hired him if he weren’t.”
Gage’s brow knitted together for a moment, and Addison couldn’t help but wonder what he thought of Rourke going free. Was he aligned with public opinion? Did he also think her and Reid responsible for letting a murderer walk the streets?
The thought worried her more than it should. For whatever reason, Gage’s opinion was important to her.
“Do you think he did it? Killed his wife?” Gage suddenly asked, catching her a little off guard.
Of course she had thought about it, long and often. But she had never spoken of her true feelings on it out loud. Not even to the few friends she had back in Chicago. She had thought no good could ever come of it if she did.
What were her options, anyway? If she told people she thought Rourke was innocent, they would just think it was her job as his lawyer to say that. And if she were to say she thought he was guilty, well… That would make her a terrible person for defending him, wouldn’t it?
The public tended to think so, at least.
But there was no accusation or judgment in Gage’s eyes as he held her gaze, patiently waiting for her response. Addison was already thinking up several ways to avoid giving a straight answer, but in the end, what ended up leaving her mouth was the plain truth.
“I wouldn’t put it past him,” she said grimly. “But the evidence just wasn’t there. Juries these days want no less than the killer’s fingerprint in the victim’s blood with some DNA thrown in for good measure, and it wasn’t that kind of case.”
Addison hated how defensive she was sounding. In the end, a jury had found Rourke innocent, and she had been doing her job, nothing more and nothing less. It wasn’t like she was some rookie attorney, either, she knew how the system worked and her part in it.
It was high time she shake the feeling she had done something wrong, but that was easier said than done.
Gage must have picked up on her tone, or how her mood had changed.
“So maybe he’s just an innocent asshole,” he shrugged. “I hope you’re not letting what people are saying out there get to you. They don’t know what it’s like to be in your position. Some people just thrive on outrage, and would rather see an innocent man in prison than be wrong.”
Addison blinked at him, not really knowing what to say. He had summed it up pretty perfectly, hadn’t he? No one really knew what happened that night except for those involved, so everyone coming up with theories online or speculating on the news were mostly just in it for the scandal of it all. Who cared what they thought?
“Thanks for saying that,” she said. “It’s easy to lose track of the facts when you’re in the middle of it.”
“Well, you’re in the middle of nowhere now,” he replied with a grin. “No place like Black Oak to clear your mind.”
Smiling at him, Addison leaned back in her seat, feeling tension leave her body. Despite Gage being a practical stranger, he made her feel comfortable. And the way he made her heart beat faster was a pretty good at distracting her from Rourke.
She was just about to respond when Gage’s eyes suddenly snapped away from her face and toward the doorway. Addison heard footsteps a moment later, and twisted around in her chair to see Reid walk into the kitchen.
He was still wearing his suit, but without the jacket and tie. Eyes narrowing, he glanced over at the table before turning his attention to Gage. The change of mood in the room was palpable, and Addison’s gaze flicked from one brother to the other, looking for signs that things were going to come to blows again.
“I guess you forgot to tell me it was dinner time,” Reid said, walking over and pulling out a chair.
A low growl echoed out from Gage.
“I haven’t forgotten anything,” he said, his words loaded.
Uh-oh. This can’t end well.
Six
Gage
Gage couldn’t help but glare at his brother as Reid moved around the kitchen, looking for a plate for himself. Had a fist to the face not been a clear enough message that Gage wanted to see as little of his big brother as possible? Barging in on his dinner with Addison made it seem like there had been some serious miscommunication.
But with her sitting at the table, Gage had to restrain himself. She didn’t need to be a part of their family drama any more than she already was. Surely he could make it through the rest of dinner without cursing Reid out or strangling him?
The growl in Gage’s chest said no, but he could at least try.
“Are the glasses still in the top cupboard to the left?” Reid asked.
“Middle one on the right,” Gage replied with gritted teeth.
“Ah, you’ve changed it up,” his brother remarked, setting his own place at the head of the table.
“A lot has changed since you were last here,” Gage said.
It made his blood boil that Reid sat where he did, like he was in charge, or had any claim on their childhood home. After the way Reid had abandoned them when they had needed him the most, Gage would have thought Reid would show some regret, or at least respect. But he was as arrogant as ever.
The great Reid Atherton – incapable of making mistakes.
Noticing how tightly he was clutching his knife and fork in his hands, Gage set them aside, just to be on the safe side, and focused his attention on Addison. She was pretty good at masking her discomfort, but he knew it had to be awkward to be stuck between him and Reid the way she was.
“More wine?” he offered, noting her nearly empty glass.
More alcohol always helps, right?
“Sure,” she smiled, edging her glass closer to the center of the table.
“So, are you a Chicago native?” he asked, filling it.
“Born and raised,” Addison replied.
“And you always knew you wanted to be a lawyer?”
She thought about it for a moment, tapping her nails along the stem of her wine glass. Reid was at least quiet, thankfully, filling his plate. Now that Gage was talking to Addison again, though, his brother could have vanished from the table altogether and he wouldn’t have noticed.
“I’m not one of those warriors for justice from an early age,” Addison said. “Not that I don’t care, but that kind of motivation wasn’t what pulled me in. It was the intricacies of it all, the way a simple sentence could mean whatever you made it mean, that’s what made the law my passion.”
“So you’re saying I shouldn’t get in an argument with you?” Gage joked.
“I promise not to use my powers for evil,” she laughed.
There was a sparkle in Addison’s eye as they looked at each other over the table, caught in their own private bubble. Gage couldn’t tear his eyes away from her, admiring her delicate features. Yet there was also a strength that emanated from her, evident in the set of her jaw and the way she didn’t shy away from his stare.
He had to wonder if she felt the same indescribable pull that he did. She had to, right?
“Oh, she’s tougher than she looks,” Reid chimed in with a chuckle. “I still remember the first cross I let her run. The guy was a forensic dentist, wasn’t he?” he turned to Addison. “He wasn’t sure of his own name after you were through with him.”
Irritated by the interruption, Gage took another sip of his wine before folding his hands on the table. He wasn’t about to chat it up with Reid, like the last ten years hadn’t happened. But he still wanted to know all he could about Addison. So he just waited for her to respond, or elaborate.
Addison’s shoulders st
iffened as she shook her head.
“Bite-mark evidence is a joke and shouldn’t even be admissible in court,” she said sternly. “Half the time the so-called experts can’t even agree if the marks were made by teeth or not. There have been so many cases were people have been convicted thanks to bite-marks, and later exonerated by DNA. It’s a travesty, that’s what it is.”
It was clear just talking about it was getting her worked up. Gage liked seeing that fire in her. He got the feeling she cared a lot more about justice than she had let on, or even realized. Reid just chuckled.
“I’ll take any evidence that points the way I want it to point,” he said.
“You would,” Gage couldn’t help but scoff.
Reid rolled his eyes.
“It was a joke,” he replied. “Lighten up.”
Now that tipped Gage over the edge. He didn’t want to let Reid get to him, but every time he so much as opened his mouth, it tore open old wounds. Reid pushed his buttons, and there was no way of getting around that.
“Lighten up? You show up out of the blue, after you didn’t even bother to come to the funeral, and now you expect me to what, laugh at your jokes and serve you dinner?” Gage demanded, his chair scraping against the floor as he shot to his feet.
Addison was still and silent as Gage glared at Reid. The man blanched a little, the smugness gone from his face, but a stubborn set to his jaw.
“Can we not do this right…” he started.
“I don’t want to do this at all,” Gage shot back. “I said you can stay here, but don’t get in my way. In fact, the less I see you the better. We might be blood, but we’re not family. Not anymore.”
With that, he turned on his heel and stomped away, his hands clenched into tight fists at his sides. No one said anything or tried to follow as he made his way to the master bedroom and shut the door after him.
That was not how he had wanted dinner to go, but he had said what needed to be said. His only regret was that Addison had been there to witness it all. He would probably have to explain the animosity between Reid and him sooner or later.
But that was a task for another day.
Seven
Addison
Pulling on her coat and sliding her feet into her boots, Addison hesitated at the front door. Upstairs, Reid’s voice still echoed out from his room as he got a progress report from back home, making sure his business hadn’t gone under in the day he had spent away from it.
She hadn’t really talked to him after that tense dinner last night, nor had she had a chance to speak with Gage. Having heard the door open and close at around seven in the morning, she figured he was outside, doing whatever it was ranchers did.
Looking down at herself, Addison sighed. Her boots were beige suede, and it had rained during the night. Was she really about to go stomping around out there, looking for Gage on the sprawling estate she knew nothing of?
He had promised her a tour, though, and she wanted to collect on that promise. And see how he was feeling, if she were completely honest. It was clear there wasn’t just anger between him and Reid, there was a lot of hurt, too. Gage’s mention of a funeral only added to the mystery of it all, and while Addison didn’t want to pry, she did want to make sure he was okay.
All right, so maybe there was some curiosity involved as well. But it was her job to be curious, and to dig into every detail. And Gage Atherton was an interesting case, to say the least.
So, she opened the door and stepped outside into a relatively warm fall day. The leaves had barely started to turn color, and the huge oaks spread out around the land stood still in the weak breeze.
The grass was recently mowed, but it was still wet, and the earth sank beneath her steps as she walked, heading for the narrow stone path leading to the back of the house. Head on a swivel, she looked for signs of where Gage might be, while also taking in the beautiful scenery.
Clearly Gage kept his property well-maintained. The trees were trimmed, all the different buildings and sheds freshly painted and even the flat, gray stones she was walking on were smooth and polished.
Gage had mentioned that he had hosted a wedding not long ago, but something about the man made Addison think that had little bearing on how tidy and well-kept everything was.
She surveyed the back of the house, finding a garage and a small workshop there. But there was no sign of Gage. Not one to give up easily, she continued along, setting her sights on what looked like a small barn.
The closer she got, the more she could hear rustling from inside, along with soothing murmurs. Intrigued, she crept closer, as the sound of a horse neighing caught her ear. She stilled for a moment. Having never been a big animal person, and not wanting to disturb Gage as he was in the middle of something, she contemplated whether she should just wait outside until he was finished with whatever he was doing, or maybe go back inside altogether.
“I can hear you sneaking around out there, you know,” Gage called out from inside the building not a moment later.
Hearing his voice put a smile on her face and she carefully stepped closer to the entrance.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she called back. “I’m just taking a walk.”
“Then you must be one slow walker,” Gage teased, popping his head out from behind the barn door.
His cheeks flushed and hair mussed, his flannel shirt clinging to his broad shoulders, he looked even better than she remembered. He threw her a grin that made her forget all about how her boots were being ruined, and filled her gut with giddy anticipation.
“I believe I was promised a tour,” she reminded him.
“Ah, right you are,” he replied. “But it’s a lot of ground to cover and while you look great,” he added, eyeing her up and down, “you’re not exactly dressed for a hike. But don’t worry, I have the solution.”
He gestured her inside and she followed, tentatively. The barn had high ceilings and exposed beams, with brushes, saddles and other things she couldn’t even name hanging on the walls. Stalls lined the space on either side, with most of them filled with hay.
Only two stalls had horses in them, one brown and shiny, the other gray with dark spots. Both looked huge and intimidating to Addison, as the brown one snorted and shook its mane, stomping its front hoof against the ground.
Majestic and sinewy, the horse looked restless as it moved forward and backward in the stall, arching its neck.
Gage flattened his palm against the horse’s nose, rubbing it in a downward motion.
“Is it… angry?” Addison asked.
“No,” he laughed. “Just eager. His name is Ace. That sweet old girl over there is Abby,” he gestured to the gray horse.
She blinked at Addison with dark, calm eyes. Despite her fear, Addison slowly walked closer, tempted to reach out and touch the horse. Abby brought her head lower, tilting it from side to side.
“Go on,” Gage encouraged.
Slowly, Addison reached out, brushing the tips of her fingers against Abby’s neck. Abby nickered, nudging at Addison with her large nose. Stepping closer, Addison pressed her palm against the horse’s smooth coat, sliding it down Abby’s long neck.
“She likes you,” Gage commented. “Then again, she likes most people.”
“I’ll still take it as a compliment,” Addison laughed. “Wait, is this the solution you were talking about? You want me to get on a horse?”
“What, big-shot Chicago lawyer afraid to go on a little ride?” Gage arched a brow at her.
“I’m good at success assessment,” she replied. “And given my lack of experience…” she trailed off, giving Abby a pat before stepping away from the stall.
“I’ll be with you every step of the way,” he assured her, turning to face her. “Abby is the perfect horse for a beginner, and I promise – you’ll be having fun before you know it.”
He was now only a foot away, his face close to hers as he spoke. In a foolish daydream, Addison imagined him reaching out
and touching her, maybe a hand on her shoulder, or perhaps even on her hip…
She didn’t want to admit it, but if Gage were to grab her in his arms and kiss her, she wouldn’t pull away. No, she would lean into his touch, find out exactly how his lips felt against hers. If only he would make that first move…
“Uh,” Addison stammered, trying to clear her head. “Fun. Yes. Fun is good.”
“Great, then let’s get our friends here saddled up,” Gage beamed at her, as she groaned internally.
This wasn’t her. She didn’t lose her mind at the sight of a hot guy. In her life, every pro and con was carefully weighed, every decision made with care and thought. Yet when it came to Gage, it seemed her hormones had taken over, and her ability to form full sentences became unreliable.
And now she was going horseback riding. Her. The woman who just touched a horse for the first time a minute ago.
Yet the opportunity for some alone time with Gage was too tempting for her to back out now.
Here’s hoping my headstone won’t read ‘died trying to impress a hot cowboy’, she sighed to herself.
Eight
Gage
After teaching Addison how to properly saddle and prepare a horse for riding, Gage left Ace in his stall while he led out Abby by the reins. The horse slowly trotted out, calm as ever, while Addison looked more nervous than ever.
“Abby will take great care of you, don’t worry,” he said.
Leading the horse outside, he tied the reins around a post there, and gestured for Addison to come closer. The chill in the air had put a beautiful flush on her cheeks, and now that she wasn’t wearing make-up, he could see a small smattering of freckles on the bridge of her nose.
She looked absolutely adorable, but she also didn’t strike him as a woman who would take that as a compliment, so he kept it to himself. Adjusting her scarf and buttoning up the front of her coat, she put on a brave face as she walked to his side.