Pro Bono Romance

by Shirley Holder Platt

  As he had expected, Polaski was a menace to society. The man’s social media profile was one of a haughty extroverted man with a big ego and a mean streak. He was often in pictures wearing a dirty wife-beater while playing basketball, hunting with a bow, or grilling meat. There were too many pictures of him with his arm possessively wrapped around Rainy’s shoulder. It was obvious that he looked at her as his, and that she was uncomfortable in his arms.

  In high school, the guy had run with a rough crowd, so he hadn’t been a person with which any of the Hart brothers socialized. Gabe pulled a background check to see if the guy had a record, and his eyes almost popped out of his head. How had Rainy gotten involved with this creep? He sat back in his chair and stared at the computer screen. The buzzer for his pizza sounded, so he closed the computer down.

  While he ate, he had his phone by his plate. He picked it up to call Rainy and check on her state of mind. Before calling, he put it down. He told himself that she was fine. He did this several times. The sun was setting by the time he stood at the sink washing his plate. The sky transformed as he watched through the window. Streaks of pink clouds turned mauve then orange, but his mind was elsewhere. He almost jumped out of his skin when his phone sounded with Rainy’s ringtone. Hurrying to dry his hands, he ran to the table where he’d left the phone.

  “Hello, Rainy?” he asked.

  “Gabe,” she was whispering, and he had to strain to hear. “There’s someone in my yard. I’m afraid it may be Martin. Is he out of jail?”

  “I’m not sure, but most likely. Did you call the police?”

  “No. Just you.”

  “OK. I’m calling them for you on my land line. Stay on this line with me. OK?”

  “All right.”

  “Can you see him?”

  “Not now.”

  “They’re picking up on the other line. Hang on while I tell them what’s happening.”

  He could hear Rainy’s breathing. She was frightened, and now that he knew more about her ex-boyfriend, he could understand why. He reported the intruder and told the dispatcher who he suspected it was. She assured him they were sending a car. He hung up.

  “They’re on the way and so am I,” he told her.

  “Oh, Gabe, don’t do that. The police will scare him off.”

  “Yeah, but he might come back.”

  “Are you saying you’d stay here again?” Her shaky voice told him the idea brewing in the back of his head was the best solution.

  “We’ll talk about it after the police leave. Just stay on the line and keep me posted while I drive over there.”

  “But you don’t need to be on the phone while you’re driving,” she said. He noticed that she sounded less panicked. That was good.

  “I’ll have you on Bluetooth. Just keep talking to me. What’s happening now? Can you see anything?”

  “Oh my gosh! He’s trying to get in with his old key.”

  “Which door?”

  “Back. I can hear him cursing. Oh no, I’ve only made the situation worse. Now he’s angry. What am I going to do? How long until the police get here?”

  “Go upstairs, take Samson and Delilah and lock yourself in the master bathroom.” He didn’t ask her to follow his instructions, but roared them into the phone. His heart was pumping, and he needed her to do whatever it took to stay safe.

  “What about the cops? I have to let them in.”

  “They’ll check the premises. I’ll be there soon. You’ll know when I’m there, because I’m not hanging up. I’m here for you, Rainy. It’s going to be OK.” He could hear her talking to Delilah and imagined the little dog quivering in fear as they ran up the stairs. He heard a door closing.

  “OK. I’m locked in. I can hear sirens.” She was whispering, and the dog whimpered loud enough for Gabe to hear over the phone.

  “Good. Stay put. I’m almost there.” He kept up a running patter to keep her calm until he pulled into her driveway behind a patrol car. The patrolman in the front yard shone his flashlight into Gabe’s eyes and told him to stand with his hands up.

  “I’m the one who called in. Rainy’s upstairs, locked in with her animals. I’ve got her on the phone. Let me tell her what’s happening. Have you found anyone?”

  “Saw some signs of an attempted break-in at the back door. Sirens must have scared the perp off. Put your hands down and let me see some ID.” The guy was doing his job, but Gabe wanted to shake him and tell him that he needed to get to Rainy. Instead, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. The cop shown his light on the offered driver’s license and handed it back.

  “OK, Mr. Hart. Tell the lady to come down and open the door.”

  “Did you see these footprints?” Gabe pointed to the muddy ground leading up to Rainy’s front door.

  “Just let us do our job. We need a statement from Ms. Daigle.” The officer gave no indication that assured Gabe he’d noticed the obvious signs of an intruder as he stood with a poker face waiting for Gabe to send Rainy to him.

  “Rainy?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m here with an officer. Can you come open the door? He wants a statement.”

  “Coming.”

  Gabe was amazed to see how put together Rainy appeared when she opened the door with a squirming Delilah in her arms. The woman may have been frazzled, but the police officer would never know it. After the two officers asked their questions and drove away, Rainy leaned against the door and let out a sigh.

  “Thank you for coming to my rescue, again,” she said. “I should have called the police first. I wasn’t thinking straight.”

  A sense of pride swelled up in Gabe’s chest at the idea that he had been her first thought when she needed someone. He stuffed the urge to pump his chest like a caveman. She didn’t need to know how her words affected him.

  “I’ve been thinking on the way over here,” he said.

  “About?” She ran her hand through her hair, noticed that her ponytail was sagging, so she took the band off and let her hair fall around her shoulders. Using her fingers, she straightened it and pulled it back into place with the stretchy band. It was the first time Gabe had seen her with her hair down, and he wanted to see it that way again. He wanted to feel the silkiness, smell the shampoo scent.

  “Gabe?”

  “Sorry, I spaced out there. It’s been a long day.” He thought that was a good excuse to cover his roving thoughts and spaced out appearance. “Anyway, I was thinking. What if he comes back? Do we really want to be here? How dangerous is he? I didn’t bring my handgun. Should I get it?”

  “I don’t know. He was always selfish and volatile. Only in the last few months did he start showing signs that he could get violent.” She hugged Delilah to her chest so tightly that the dog started to whimper.

  “Maybe you shouldn’t stay here.”

  “You think I should let him run me out of my home?” Her stance told him he’d hit a nerve.

  “I’m not saying you should do anything. I’m suggesting it may be safer elsewhere.” He held his hands out in a surrender position to make her understand that he wasn’t pushing her.

  “No. I’m staying.”

  “Look. I’m tired. I’d sleep so much better if I knew you were safe. Martin doesn’t know where I live. I think you should stay at my place tonight. Let the cops follow up on the information you gave them.”

  Chapter Seven – Rainy

  If it hadn’t been her day off, Rainy would have called in sick. Of course, she owned the place and there was no one to call, but she would’ve called in a replacement. She sighed as she sat across the table from her friend, Sophie, and sipped her cappuccino.

  “I can’t believe you stayed at Gabe’s,” Sophie said as she stirred her drink. She lifted the cup and looked across it to see Rainy’s reaction.

  “Me either. One minute, I’m telling him all the reasons I’m not leaving my house, the next, I’m packing a bag and the animal carriers up. The man has persuasion
down to an art.” She frowned into her cup, wondering how he’d managed to talk her into such a crazy idea. She didn’t really know him that well, and now she was staying at his house. Somehow, he’d managed to get her to agree to another couple of nights. She wasn’t telling Sophie that part, though. It was embarrassing enough to admit she’d let the fear of Martin, the skunk, run her out of her home.

  “Well, he is an attorney. They learn to be persuasive. And, he’s one of the best prosecutors in the metropolitan area. His father is lucky to have him working at the firm like he is.”

  “Zeke doesn’t like his dad much. Does he?” Rainy hoped to steer the conversation away from her messed up life. Martin wasn’t the first guy she’d dated that ended up being a loser. Her track record was not good.

  “They’re better lately. Now that Zeke is doing his own thing, he has let go of some of the resentment. Working for his father at Hart Construction was the worst thing that could have happened to their relationship.” Sophie shook her head as she spoke.

  “That’s down to you.” Rainy blew across her cup and took another sip of the delicious brew.

  “Thanks for saying that. I think it’s all Zeke’s doing.”

  “Nope. He wouldn’t have had the courage if you guys hadn’t happened. I’m sure of it.”

  Sophie’s smile lit up the whole room. The woman was in deep with Gabe’s brother. Who would’ve thought it? Rainy could remember numerous times that the two had gone loggerheads at one another in her café not that long ago. Now they were the most photographed couple in Hartford. Hoping to keep the conversation on Sophie and Zeke, Rainy came up with another question.

  “I’ve often wondered, where did the name Hartford come from? I mean, I know it’s from the Hart family being early settlers, but ford? Was there a ford on the river?”

  “You don’t want to talk about Gabe. I get it. OK. We can do this,” Sophie said. She had never been one to pull punches, and that was one of the reasons Rainy liked her, but right now? She wished her friend was a little less perceptive and blunt.

  “There was a ford on the river back in the late 1800s. Some old man had one of those barges with a long pole. He would take people, horses, and supplies across for a fee. The river flooded at some point and he lost his barge. The Harts came along just before that, and decided sticking “ford” after their name had a good ring to it. That’s Zeke’s version, anyway.” She looked across at Rainy’s distant stare and wondered if the woman had heard a thing she’d said. She shook her head and decided to push a little.

  “So, does he snore?” Sophie asked.

  Rainy nodded her head before she had time to think about answering.

  “Ah, I knew it. Did you guys sleep together?”

  “What? No!” Rainy pushed her chair back, stood up, and started pacing. “That’s what everyone is going to think, isn’t it? Oh, I should have stayed home last night. The café will be buzzing, and I’m not there to defend myself.”

  “Who cares what the gossips say?”

  “I do. Do you have any idea how hard I’ve worked to get people in this town to accept me? I don’t want to be the town floozie. All I did was sleep on his bed.” She raised her hand to stop the reply forming on Sophie’s face. “He took the couch. Wouldn’t hear of me sleeping there, even though his feet hung off, and I would’ve fit comfortably. He was a real gentleman.”

  “He must really like you. The Harts aren’t famous for being womanizers for nothing. He really didn’t make a move on you?” Sophie looked puzzled, as if this were incomprehensible to her.

  “He really didn’t. But he does snore. I had the door shut and could still hear him. And he has adorable bed hair when he wakes up.” She realized she’d said too much and snapped her lips shut. Sophie laughed.

  “It’s all right for you to notice a hot guy, you know. You need to find one that’ll treat you right. I wouldn’t have believed you if you’d told me I’d fall for Zeke, but look at me now? The guy is good as gold, and he makes me so happy. Gabe could be a godsend for you. Martin sure wasn’t.”

  “Let’s not talk about him. My momma used to say that if you talk about the devil, he will appear,” Rainy said as she made the sign of the cross. She didn’t want to think about her momma either. The woman was a whole other piece of work.

  “I hadn’t heard that one in ages. So, how’d he get out of jail so fast?” Sophie asked. She hadn’t expected an answer, but Rainy had one.

  “That girlfriend he had on the side, the one he’s shacking up with now, must have posted bail. I wouldn’t have done it. He could rot in there for all I care. Matter of fact, that would be ideal for me.”

  “Huh, what a creep,” Sophie said. “Enough about him. Let’s talk some more about Gabe.”

  Rainy took another sip of coffee, set the cup down and shook her head. “Let’s not.”

  “Spoil sport.” Sophie’s pout was funny.

  “That’s me.” Rainy grinned at Sophie, refusing to let her friend goad her into telling more than she wanted to. There was a part of her that wished she had some good juicy stuff to dish. The guy was built for love. No one had ever looked at her quite the way he did last night, either. It scared her, but at the same time made her heart race in a very good way.

  Rainy was her persistent self and said, “You don’t have to say much. That smile on your face tells me quite a lot.”

  “Drop it, Sophie!”

  “OK. I will. Want to hit the stores now? I need some new shorts. Do you mind stopping at the trophy shop? I’ve got an order of shirts with Zeke’s logo that should be ready for pick up.”

  “Sounds good. I could use some retail therapy.”

  They piled into Sophie’s car and drove with the music blaring. Thankfully, Sophie couldn’t keep up the barrage of questions. Rainy laid her head against the head rest and closed her eyes. What was she going to do about Martin? She couldn’t stay at Gabe’s forever. He didn’t have pets. Of course, the place was a typical man cave.

  He’d decided to ask her to stay at his place on the spur of the moment and hadn’t planned to have company. She hoped that’s why the house was such a mess. If there was one thing Rainy needed, it was a sense of cleanliness and order. Her dad had been a drunken slob. When she was old enough to leave, she swore she’d never live in a pig sty again.

  “Want to go in with me? It’ll only take a second to pick up the shirts,” Sophie asked.

  The interruption of her mental trip down memory lane was exactly what Rainy needed.

  “No way am I staying in the car. It’ll be over a hundred degrees in two minutes.” She opened the door and stepped out into the muggy air. “Thank the good lord for air conditioning,” she said.

  “Amen, sister.” Sophie opened the door to the shop and both women stepped into the cool air quickly. Sophie inspected the tee shirts with a careful eye. When she was satisfied, she paid and led the way back to her car. Rainy opened the trunk for her and closed it with a loud bang.

  “Got a little aggression to get out?” Sophie asked.

  “Honey. I’ve got enough to tackle a rhinoceros and come out smiling.”

  “Don’t think you’ll find one of those around these parts,” Sophie said. “I know about a place that might help, though.”

  “What place?”

  “The new gym has a kick-boxing class. Want to go?”

  “When?”

  “Right now. Olivia told me about it the other day. I looked online, and they have day and night classes. I hear the instructor is a hottie.”

  “I don’t have the right clothes.”

  “We can swing by and get them. Class starts at eleven. We can have lunch afterward. Hey, maybe they have a punching bag. Wouldn’t that be fun? I want some of those gloves. I can float like a butterfly, sting like a bee.” Sophie did a pretty good imitation of Mohammed Ali in his glory days.

  “Great idea. Let’s do it. I will have to go at night most times.”

  “I can’t wait to hit a punching ba
g.” Rainy held her fists up and jabbed at the air.

  “You are going to love this class. I can already tell.”

  “Oh, yeah. Bring it.” As she changed into workout clothes, Rainy’s mind was filled with thoughts of kicking and punching Martin if he ever dared to come in her home uninvited again. The fact that her animals were elsewhere ticked her off even more. She would be ready for Martin if he showed his face in her world again. How dare he throw flour all over her kitchen. She knew why he did it, and the knowing only made her more determined to learn to fight.

  Chapter Eight – Gabe

  Gabe shuffled through the paperwork piled on his desk. He punched his assistant’s intercom number into the phone.

  “I need your help.”

  “Coming, boss,” Barbara said. She was the only thing holding him together lately. The amount of work threatened to swamp him. He’d thought working for his father would be easier than this. But he’d had no idea how many irons the company had in the fire. Thank goodness, Barbara was organized and young enough to have the energy to keep up with him.

  “I can’t find the file on the Hilldale property,” he said as he ran his hands through his hair. He picked up a page and three pages under it slid off his desk onto the floor.

  “Stop,” Barbara said. She held her hand out facing him. It was an order, and it took him by surprise. She was usually calm and cool. “Just watching you is making me nervous. Why don’t you take a break and let me straighten your desk?”

  “Are you kidding? If you move everything around, I’ll never be able to find anything.” He had a system. Well, a sort of system. Mostly he worked on the files Barbara pulled. The problem was, he’d been working on three major projects when Rainy asked him to help with Martin. He couldn’t concentrate and ended up moving paper more than reading or working. He exhaled loudly and looked at the ceiling.

  “Boss, the thing is, you hired me to assist you. Let me do my job.”