by Lea Coll
Would he come to his senses and change his mind? I pressed a hand to my chest to ease the ache at the thought of not seeing him again. I felt invested in his case, in getting Declan what he deserved.
He pulled open the door, walking out.
I didn’t follow him. I couldn’t believe Griffin Locke was in my office, lived in our building, and needed my help.
A few seconds later, Dylan appeared in the doorway to the conference room, arms crossed over her chest. “How did it go?”
“Is he gone?” I asked carefully.
She glanced down the hallway toward the reception area. “He just left.”
Technically what we’d talked about was protected by attorney-client privilege, but I could discuss the legal issues of his case with a partner. “He asked me to handle the life insurance investigation, but it sounds like he has a host of other possible legal things going on.”
Dylan’s eyes widened. “You’re going to represent him?”
“Yes. He told me he lives in this building.”
She cocked her head to the side, her mouth falling slightly open. “You’re kidding me.”
“That’s what he said. He got notice of the insurance investigation in the mail and immediately walked to our office.”
Her forehead wrinkled. “He didn’t say anything about the new carpet or paint?”
“Not a word. His brother recently died, so I think his mind is on other things.”
She shook her head. “I can’t believe we’re representing Griffin Locke. I thought for sure we’d be on the opposite side of the courtroom from him one day for a breach of contract case.”
“Me too.” The situation was rattling. Griffin, usually gruff and angry, was unguarded and grieving. I didn’t want to let this side of him change my impression of him, but it did.
I wasn’t sure how much I should share with Dylan, but I had to tell someone. I trusted her as a co-worker not to share any confidential information, but I was a little concerned she’d see how much the meeting affected me. “His brother appointed him as the personal and financial guardian of his nephew.”
Dylan’s brow raised. “Somehow I can’t see him taking that on.”
“He doesn’t want to. He’s looking at other options in the family.” At first, I was upset, but the more I thought about it, he was being prudent, ensuring he was doing the right thing. If he’d never contemplated being a parent or a guardian before, the reality had to be a shock.
She nodded. “Didn’t his brother ask his permission?”
I shook my head. “Of course not. I think they hoped it wouldn’t come to that.”
Dylan rested a hand over her heart. “Griffin Locke caring for his nephew would be sensory overload for my ovaries.”
I hadn’t thought about it like that, but she was right. I was attracted to Griffin, his voice, his confidence, the way he commanded a room, but Griffin, the caring uncle, the one who’d take on his nephew, no questions asked, that was a man I couldn’t resist.
“Did he go back on his threat to kick us out after our lease is up?”
My chest tightened. I was so caught up with why he needed my help, I hadn’t thought about it. “No. He didn’t bring it up.”
“Was it a good idea to help him without an assurance about the lease?” Her soft voice indicated to me she didn’t think I’d done anything wrong. She was curious.
“He was upset about his brother. I couldn’t—I didn’t even think about it. I’m sorry.”
She dropped her hands to her side, shifting on her heels. “No. It’s fine. A client is a client, even if he’s your grumpy landlord.”
I opened the firm a few months ago with Dylan and Hadley. I’d gone to law school with Dylan. We’d asked another law school friend, Taylor, to join us but she’d moved to New Orleans, started dating someone, and hadn’t wanted to move back. Instead, she recommended her co-worker, Hadley. We were equally invested in the firm being a success. It was slow-going until Hadley’s nonprofit, Kids Speak, made the news. We still needed more clients to continue to grow.
“Why did he ask for you?” Dylan turned to leave before pausing.
I wanted to know the same thing. “I don’t know. He didn’t say.”
“Interesting.” Dylan’s eyes were thoughtful.
“Maybe because we’ve spoken on the phone before. He feels like he knows me.”
Dylan’s brow furrowed. “I thought you do nothing but fight on the phone?”
“We do.” I usually avoided confrontational people, but as soon as his voice came over the line, my heart rate picked up. At first I thought it was because he was argumentative, then I realized it was a visceral reaction to his smooth voice. Having a face to go with the voice was going to increase my sexy dreams or make them disappear. I wasn’t sure which one I wanted. “We got along fine today. Maybe because his brother died, he was different.”
I wanted to handle this one thing for him despite how difficult he’d made things for us since we’d opened. I couldn’t without admitting that I was attracted to his voice and now him. He was good looking, gruff, broody, but sensitive, and even if he didn’t want to, he was caring for his nephew. He was trying to fight for Declan’s life insurance. He was protecting him.
“You like him.” There was no playfulness or teasing in her tone. She said it like it was a fact.
There was no way I could admit to liking the man who’d made my life difficult since we opened the firm. “I do not. He’s been nothing but a pain in the ass since we signed that lease.”
“That’s true, but you still like him.”
I didn’t have to admit to how much his vulnerability mixed with his gruffness circled my heart and squeezed, but I could give her a small nugget of truth. “I’m attracted to him. Who can resist that sexy voice combined with his looks?”
She narrowed her eyes on me. “He’s attractive in a ‘I have you by the balls’ kind of way. He can kick us out at the end of the lease. I think this is a terrible idea.”
“What’s a terrible idea?” Hadley walked down the hall with mail in her hand, her briefcase on her shoulder as she was coming from court.
Dylan looked from me to Hadley. “Griffin Locke hired Avery to deal with an insurance issue.”
Hadley’s eyes widened. “Did he come into the office?”
I crossed my arms over my chest, knowing I was outnumbered. “Yes.”
Hadley lowered her voice as if Griffin was still here. “Did he notice the new carpet and paint?”
“No. I think he was distracted.”
“I don’t know if representing him when he hasn’t extended our lease is a good idea.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t even think of it. He was upset. His brother just died. I was busy trying to wrap my brain around the fact Griffin Locke wanted to see me.”
A small smile took over Hadley’s face. “Ah. I get it. You like him.”
Dylan nodded in my direction. “Told you it was obvious.”
“Ugh. You two are impossible. Griffin Locke is insufferable.” I threw up my arms, my voice rising with my last declaration.
A throat cleared from the reception area. I closed my eyes, my face heated. It was him. How much had he heard? I’d made a connection with him before ruining everything with my big mouth.
Dylan hid her laugh behind her hand as she ducked into her office.
“I’ll go,” Hadley whispered to me.
I sighed in relief, not ready to see him again so soon, especially not after what I’d said.
“Hi. I’m Hadley Winters, one of the partners here. Can I help you?” Hadley’s voice carried down the hall where I held my breath, hoping he wouldn’t ask to see me.
“Griffin Locke. I was just in a meeting with Ms. Arrington. I forgot to get a copy of the paperwork I gave her.”
That voice. It was him. I leaned against the wall, closing my eyes. I should apologize, maybe over the phone, somewhere I couldn’t see his face.
Hadley came back down the
hall on her way to the conference room. “I’ll grab the copies from the file.”
I closed my eyes, leaning against the wall, wondering if he’d decide not to use my help.
Hadley passed by me. I could hear the rumble of Griffin’s voice as he said goodbye. I opened my eyes when her heels sounded on the wood floor. “Did he hear me?”
Hadley crossed her arms over her chest. “You were loud.”
I winced. “Did he let on that he heard?”
“There was a muscle ticcing in his jaw right here.” She pointed at her cheek.
“That’s not a good sign.” I let out a slow breath.
“He didn’t fire you. Yet.”
I didn’t mention that he hadn’t hired me either. We never discussed or signed an attorney-client agreement and I hadn’t set a fee. I wasn’t prepared for him. For the first time in my life, I acted on instinct. He needed my help. I gave it to him without strings attached.
“Let it be known I said it was a terrible idea,” Dylan called from her office.
Chapter Two
Griffin
I saw red when I opened the letter from the insurance company indicating they were opening an investigation into Julian’s death. Even though it was probably standard procedure, it raised questions about how much I knew about Julian. Did he have mental health problems I didn’t know about? Should I have moved back to Maryland sooner? Could I have prevented his death?
When I’d gotten the call from the police, his boat was found abandoned, they were looking for his body, I thought it was a mistake. My next thought was I was supposed to be there. If I’d been where I was supposed to be, Julian would be alive. I would still have my brother. Declan would have his father.
Then I focused on the one thing I could control, giving Declan what his father wanted him to have.
If Julian had bothered to ask me to be his guardian, I would have said no. I was a poor substitute for his father.
Logistically, it made sense for me to move into Julian’s house until I could locate a more appropriate guardian. After reading the insurance company’s letter, I jogged down the steps, rounded the building, opening the door to Arrington, Gannon & Winters. In California, I had attorneys on call for this sort of thing, but I didn’t trust them anymore.
I didn’t trust Avery Arrington either. When I discovered the discrepancy in her firm’s lease, I thought she had to know she’d screwed me over. She claimed it was my mistake but she sounded hesitant. I decided to press my point, threatening legal action, but she was an attorney, a good one at that. I hoped she’d back down, agreeing to an increase in rent, instead she claimed breach of contract.
With every confrontation, she was feisty, quick to spar with me, but today she was different. I didn’t want anyone’s pity, but it was almost as if she cared about me and what I was going through, which was ridiculous.
I’d been an asshole to her from the beginning. No matter how angry she made me, something about our conversations was satisfying.
I was upset, distracted by the letter, reeling with the implications, overwhelmed with one more legal issue resulting from Julian’s death. Everything slowed when she greeted me. She was petite, her long dark hair almost black, her creamy white skin, long eyelashes over blue eyes. She was perfection.
She looked nothing like the fierce girl I sparred with on the phone. She looked fragile, breakable. I wanted to know who the real Avery was, the feisty woman on the phone or the caring woman who helped me without question?
She never once mentioned her lease during the meeting. Instead, she asked insightful questions, bringing up other legal issues, offered to help me with all of them, and it wasn’t in a ‘I want you as my client’ kind of way. It was more ‘I want to help you because you’re my friend.’ Except we weren’t.
We weren’t anything, which was made clear when I returned for a copy of the insurance paperwork, overhearing her conversation with the other attorney. Griffin Locke is insufferable. I couldn’t dispute her observation even if I thought we’d set aside our differences in that conference room. I felt a connection with her, a bone-deep understanding between us. Instead, she’d only helped me out of pity.
I swore she wanted to reach out and touch my arm, comfort me, except I didn’t need comfort. The legal and financial details surrounding Julian’s death were mounting.
I needed to pick up Declan from camp. I needed to make dinner. I needed to find someone who was better equipped to be his parent. The first thought I’d had when I learned my ex cheated on me, was relief we didn’t have any kids. I moved home, a month later Julian died, naming me Declan’s guardian. I wasn’t a good choice. Why had Julian trusted me to raise him?
Declan’s mother left when he was only a few months old. She hadn’t planned on a baby. They weren’t in a relationship. Julian said she had big plans for her life that didn’t involve raising a kid.
After Julian died, I had her investigated. She moved from place to place, from one guy to another. She never worked for long. As soon as she found a man, she quit her job, relying on him to support her. When she burned through that guy, she moved on again. No other kids. She’d never been married. She wasn’t the staying type. The responsible type.
The important thing was Julian stepped into the single-parent role. I admired him for it. Now I was being asked to do the same. I wasn’t sure I was the man for the job. I knew nothing about kids. I’d only lived here a month or so before Julian died. It wasn’t long enough to bond with Declan.
I pulled into the pick-up line for camp. Inching forward until I was in front of a tired-looking Declan, he opened the door, climbing inside, sighing as he threw his lunch bag on the seat next to him.
I pulled away from the curb before greeting him. “How was camp?”
“It was okay.” He looked out the window. After Julian’s death, Declan’s personality was muted. He didn’t seem to feel things. He didn’t smile. He didn’t get excited. In the spring, he went to school, did his homework, went through the motions of life. It was heartbreaking I couldn’t fix it for him.
“It will get better.” I didn’t know if I was saying it to myself or to him. We were both grieving my brother’s death, adjusting to this new life without him. I felt like a boat with no rudder, spinning aimlessly in the wind.
Declan didn’t respond, pulling a book out of his bag.
Would he be happier with my parents? Was I doing him a disservice by taking care of him? “Would you want to move closer to Grandma and Grandpa?”
He finally moved his attention from his book to me. “What? No. I don’t want to change schools. I have friends here.”
He did have a good friend, Ian, whose family invited Declan over for dinner and overnights giving me a reprieve when I was overwhelmed.
I’d done some research online and it did say to keep things as normal as possible. Same school. Same house. But eventually we needed to move out of Julian’s house. I couldn’t continue to live among his things. I’d have to make a decision about Declan. The more time we spent together, the less I wanted to disrupt his life again. If he went to live with a different relative, it would be one more change when he’d already have enough upheaval to last a lifetime.
I’d gone from only thinking about myself to carefully considering how every move would affect Declan. It had only been six months since Julian died, but it seemed like a lifetime.
Chapter Three
Avery
Champagne Fridays became a tradition when we painted the office and celebrated the opening of the firm. Take-out containers were spread out over the table from our favorite Chinese restaurant. It was time for us to talk about the week, our cases, and touch base about Kids Speak.
Hadley placed her pen behind her ear, looking down at her agenda for the meeting. “The fundraiser is scheduled in a couple of weeks. We’re hoping to raise awareness about Kids Speak, inform the public about our services, but also spread the word that we’re looking for athletes to get involved.”<
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Hadley started Kids Speak in New Orleans with her father’s financial backing, but he’d recently withdrew his support, so we were looking for ways to continue to be viable and expand into Annapolis. I organized the fundraising events. Dylan drummed up publicity. Hadley was the face of the organization since she created it, but she also developed relationships with the schools, hired speech therapists, and implemented the program.
The publicity we received after our gala in New Orleans sent new clients our way. We received a lot of inquiries about obtaining services through the schools for children with individualized education plans. It wasn’t one of the areas of law we anticipated practicing, but it made sense due to our association with a speech impairment nonprofit.
Her brother, Colin’s idea was to involve athletes like himself, who also experienced speech issues, who could speak to the kids, be a mentor.
“I called the press offices for all of the local teams, minor league and professional, inviting them to attend. I started with Baltimore, but we could expand to Washington D.C. if we don’t get any takers,” Dylan said.
“Do you think it will work?” It was a great idea to bring in professional players. I wasn’t sure they’d want to partner with a small nonprofit though.
“It would be easier if we had a personal connection to a player. It doesn’t matter which sport. Once one gets involved, the others will follow. It’s like a domino effect.” Dylan pushed up her sleeves, her tone determined.
“Do you think we’ll raise enough money to get off the ground in Annapolis?” Hadley asked.
“I hope so.” I speared the last piece of chicken with my fork, biting into it. If we couldn’t generate enough interest locally, we wouldn’t be able to expand like she wanted. The firm’s success and Kids Speak were intertwined. If Kids Speak didn’t gain traction, I worried the firm wouldn’t either.
“We’ll find an investor or an organization willing to get involved. Trust me. It’s just a matter of time. Once we get one person with influence involved, others will too. They won’t want to miss out,” Dylan said.