by Lea Coll
Vanessa huffed.
Cade was different from the first time we met. Then he’d been subdued. Now he took in everything—my body, my actions, and his eyes lingered on my lips when I talked. My blood pumped faster, in anticipation of what, I wasn’t sure.
I wanted to ask if he was okay but not in front of Vanessa. I’d been worried about being so close to him since I was attracted to him, but I hadn’t accounted for the fact that another woman liked him—and probably had for a while. Vanessa concluded there was something between Cade and me. She’d pegged me as her competition when I wasn’t.
“Let’s get you a uniform. Come back to my office.”
I felt the animosity rolling off Vanessa in waves as I followed him to his office. The belt around his waist accentuated his trim waist and broad shoulders.
He stopped in front of the shelf with neatly folded uniforms. “I’m surprised to see you here so soon. I thought you’d think about it for a few weeks, or I wouldn’t see you at all.”
“I planned to think it over longer, but things changed.” I didn’t want him to think I was desperate to see him.
“How so?” He flipped through the uniforms on the shelf.
“You know, family stuff.” I hoped he was distracted and wouldn’t ask any follow-up questions.
“This one should fit.” He handed the carefully folded uniform to me, my fingers brushing his, sending a charge through my arm.
“Thanks.”
“I’ll grab you a belt.” He pulled a box out of the closet and rifled through it. “What’s this family stuff you mentioned?”
“I came here to get some distance from my family—they can be a little overbearing at times.” I smiled to show him it was no big deal.
“Overbearing to the point of moving across the country for space?” He held the blue-colored belt out to me.
My mouth dropped open slightly at his accuracy. “Why do you ask that?”
“I was curious about why you moved here.”
I wasn’t ready to tell him everything. I barely knew him, and it was too personal for our attorney-client relationship. “My co-worker told me about her friends starting a business here. It seemed like a good opportunity.”
He raised his brow like he didn’t believe me.
“Where can I change?” I held my breath, hoping that he’d let it go. I already felt vulnerable around him because I was attracted to him. I didn’t want him to know about my father and the way I’d let him control me over the years.
“I don’t have a locker room. There’s a bathroom upfront that will be packed since class just ended. Feel free to get dressed in here. The door locks.” Then he was gone.
Should I have told him about my family? No, he was my teacher and my client. My issues were none of his business, just like his past was not my concern.
I locked the door to get dressed. Cade’s desk was empty, but there were books on the shelves. I stepped closer to check out the titles. A few were instructional books on teaching Hapkido to adults and kids. I traced the spine of one with my finger, How to Handle Grief, What to do When a Loved One Dies. Why was it in his office?
I quickly stepped back, feeling like I’d been snooping when he’d trusted me in his space. Questions flew through my head. Was this why he’d seemed so sad when we met? Was he grieving a family member, a girlfriend, or a wife?
The discovery made him more off-limits than ever. I shook my head to clear it before walking out of his office to see that class had started without me. I quickly stowed my clothes and shoes in one of the cubbies. I waited at the entrance to the mats and when I met Cade’s eyes, he nodded. I bowed before entering.
The students were lined up, going through stretches. I stood on the opposite side of the room from Vanessa. There were a few older men, older teens—two boys and a girl.
As we ran through the stretches, Cade asked each person how their day was—Vanessa talked so long he never got to me. She spoke about her fudge and ice cream shop on Main Street, how busy it was, she needed some work done, and could Cade help her. I stared at the ground to hide my disgust at her transparency.
He said he’d be happy to talk to her outside of class. I saw the flash of disappointment she quickly covered before moving to the next stretch.
I was relieved he’d reined her in. I didn’t want to listen to her flirt with him any longer.
After the warm-up, we moved into pairs to practice our kicks. The older man held out a paddle in front of him. Before I landed my first kick, hands landed on my shoulder. “Let’s see your fighting stance first.”
I shifted on my feet trying to remember what Cade had shown me the other day.
“Good. Do ten sweeps.” Cade stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, his arms crossed over his chest.
My palms felt sweaty even though they were fisted tight in the proper stance as I lifted my leg to punch the paddle. The resounding smack was satisfying. As I jumped back into position, I checked Cade’s reaction.
“Where’s your aye?”
“Sorry.” I kicked again, yelling aye. Between the elimination of the word from my mouth and the smack of the paddle, I settled into a good rhythm, barely noticing that Cade was still observing us. When I’d completed ten repetitions, we switched positions.
I held out the paddle to my partner as Cade leaned over so that his words whispered over my ear. “Good job.”
I drew in an unsteady breath at his proximity, his breath hot on my skin. I turned to respond, but he’d already moved onto other students.
“Are you ready?” my partner asked.
“Sorry.” I braced myself for the impact. I should have worked with Vanessa; her kicks were probably not as strong as this man’s.
At the end of class, Cade approached me. “Did you like it?”
Before answering I took stock of my body—my headache dissipated at some point over the hour, I had an endorphin rush from the work-out, and my chest felt clear. “Yes.”
“Good. How’s your wrist?”
I rubbed it. “It hurts a little.”
“Next time, partner with Vanessa.”
I nodded. We were better matched strength-wise. I didn’t bother to mention she’d probably hate that arrangement.
Chapter Eleven
HADLEY
“Hey, are you going out tonight?” Avery asked, stopping by my desk at five p.m. on Friday.
“I wasn’t planning on it.”
“Well, we could go out if you want.” She looked uncertain. “I don’t have a ton of friends. Most of my friends from high school moved away after graduation. Taylor lives in New Orleans.” She shrugged like it was nothing. “We could go out for dinner, if you want? No big deal if not.” Avery chewed her lower lip.
I usually made friends easily. Since I’d moved, I hadn’t done much besides work, settle in my new apartment, and karate, which I had gone to two more times this week. I’d kept my distance, but I desperately needed a connection here that wasn’t Cade Morrison.
“Sure. I need to go home and change out of my suit, though.”
A relieved smile spread over Avery’s face. “Okay, I’ll send you the address of a restaurant by the water. If we get there after the dinner rush, it shouldn’t be too busy.”
Cade
I had a lot to make up for with Nolan. Now that I was standing in front of the entrance to the restaurant, I wasn’t sure I was ready. Laughter and voices rang through the door as people came and left.
Nolan: Are you going to come in?
I looked through the large glass window to the bar where Nolan sat glass in hand, his brow raised as he watched me. I couldn’t go home, not with him standing there watching me.
I sighed and took the few steps to open the heavy wooden door. I ignored the small hostess stand to my left and headed straight for the empty barstool next to my brother.
“I wasn’t sure you were going to come in.” Nolan’s lips curled in amusement.
“I’m here, aren’t I?�
�� I settled into the stool. The last time I was in a bar, it was to see if I could forget about Caroline by being with another woman. It hadn’t worked.
“What can I get you?” The bartender stopped in front of me, bracing his hands on the counter.
“Whatever you have on tap is fine. You pick.” For the most part, I felt like I’d moved forward with my life since Caroline died even though it still felt weird to go out. I couldn’t shake the twinge of guilt.
“I’m happy you’re here,” Nolan said.
I shifted on the stool to face him slightly. My strained relationship with my family was my fault. “I’m trying. I know I haven’t been good company for a long time.”
Nolan nodded in acknowledgment.
I had things to make up for with Nolan and my parents. We were quiet for a few seconds until the bartender slid my beer over to me. “Do you need menus?”
“I’ll have the crab cake sandwich,” Nolan said.
“Me too.”
“Have you made any more progress on the house?” Nolan asked.
“I have. I started ripping out the guest bath upstairs.” Thinking about the progress I’d made in a short time felt good.
“You’re demoing everything at once? How will you live there if it’s all ripped up?”
“I’ll save the master suite for last. I’m the only one living there. It will be fine.”
“It’s not like you cook anyway.”
“That’s true.” I’d eaten a lot of takeout after Caroline died.
“Look.” Nolan tilted his beer to point out two women who were seated a few feet from us at the bar and for a few seconds, it was like before I’d met Caroline and we were hanging out as two young single guys. We’d scope the bar—he’d approach and flirt, while I’d always sit back and assess the situation first.
The memory of who I was before Caroline shook me a little. I would never be that guy again, young and carefree. But maybe there was room for me to have more in my life.
One of the women was petite with long brown hair that curled at the ends. The other one had red hair and I couldn’t help but think of Hadley. Their heads were tilted toward each other as if they were deep in conversation, unaware of anything going on around them.
When the bartender stopped in front of them, both women faced him, and I could see their faces. I drew in a sharp breath when I realized the one closest to me was Hadley.
“What, you know them or something?” Nolan asked, drawing my attention to him.
My heart thumped in my chest. I wasn’t ready for anyone to know I was attracted to Hadley. At least, not while we had a professional relationship. “The one with red hair is my attorney.”
“Your what?” His brow furrowed and he placed his beer down on the counter.
“My attorney. I hired her to collect overdue payments on the contracting side and to draft membership contracts for the karate studio.”
Nolan nodded, respect in his eyes. “It’s about time you took your businesses more seriously.”
I shifted on the barstool, so I was facing Nolan. I didn’t want to interrupt Hadley’s evening out.
When the bartender took their menus and walked away, I heard her say my name, “Cade?”
I turned on my stool to find Hadley standing next to me, her elbow leaning on the counter—her friend was gone.
“Hey, what are you doing here?” I winced. My questions were so lame. Clearly, she was out with a friend for dinner and a drink.
“I’m with a friend. You met her at the firm. Avery?” She shrugged. “I don’t know many people here yet.”
“Right.” I tipped my beer to my mouth, feeling her gaze follow the movement.
“Are you going to introduce me to your friend?” Nolan asked as he shifted forward on his stool, probably to get a better look at Hadley.
I leaned back so she could see him. “Hadley, this is my younger and more immature brother.”
My voice was light and almost flirtatious. Hadley smiled, reaching past me to shake hands with Nolan. Her hair brushed over my forearm. She was so close to me I could smell her fragrant shampoo. I tried not to think about how close she was to my dick.
“Nice to meet you, Hadley. You work for this asshole?” He dropped her hand and gestured to me.
She looked at me and then my brother, a conspiratorial smile playing on her face. She stood so close to me, it was difficult to breathe. “He hired me to do some work for him. I can’t talk about it. It’s protected by attorney-client privilege.”
“Of course not,” Nolan said. I looked in time to see him wink at her. He saw something between us. It must have been my reaction to her leaning over my lap. “You’re welcome to join us.”
“Oh, I’m here with a friend. I wouldn’t want to intrude.”
“Nonsense. We can move to a high-top table.” Nolan grabbed his glass, moving to a table before I could protest.
Given my attraction to Hadley, I wasn’t sure it was a good idea to hang out with her in more social situations. It was hard enough to keep a distance from her in karate.
“Sure.” Hadley went to talk to Avery, who’d returned, presumably to tell her they were joining us.
“Why did you do that?” I asked as I moved to sit next to him. At least the table would be between Hadley and me.
“You’re interested in her.” I opened my mouth to argue, but he held his hand up. “It doesn’t have to be anything or lead anywhere but live a little.”
The idea of dating again made me feel older than my thirty-three years.
“Thanks for letting us join you. This is Avery, my co-worker, and partner at the firm. Avery, this is Nolan, Cade’s younger brother, and you remember Cade.”
Avery smiled shyly at Nolan, shaking his hand before moving to sit across from him. “Of course, I remember Cade. How could I forget our first real client?”
“I didn’t realize you were their first client. We should celebrate.” Nolan waved a finger at the waitress to ask for a round of shots.
I wasn’t confident I could hide my attraction to Hadley sober, much less after drinking.
“Shots?” I asked when the waitress left with his order.
“Relax.” Nolan shook his head at me before focusing back on Avery. “Are you from here?”
Gone was the weary brother who tried to pull me off my couch and out of my house. In his place was the Nolan I remembered from before, lighthearted and fun.
“Sorry, I’m late guys.” A woman dropped her purse on the empty chair next to Avery. “Hi, I’m Dylan.” She held her hand out to me and then Nolan while Avery introduced us.
“Nice to meet you. I’m the third partner at the firm. I’m just finishing up my last couple of days at my old job.” Then she turned to the other women. “I thought we were getting together tonight to talk about Hadley’s nonprofit.”
“Nonprofit?” My gaze bounced from Dylan to Hadley. I remembered Hadley mentioning a speech therapy nonprofit during our first meeting, but she hadn’t mentioned it was hers.
“Yeah, it’s something I started in New Orleans and I’d like to expand it to other cities.” Hadley straightened.
“Specifically, in Annapolis,” Dylan said, all business.
“I’d love to hear more.” I shifted in my seat and rested my elbows on the table.
“Right. It’s called Kids Speak. I work with schools to identify kids who need help with their speech but don’t necessarily qualify for assistance. Speech therapists work with them after school. Kids with speech impairments like lisps or stutters are less confident and more likely to avoid saying words that will trigger their impairment to avoid teasing.” Hadley shrugged like it was no big deal, but I wanted to know why she’d chosen that particular issue. Had has she been the object of bullies for a speech impairment?
My charity grew from my experiences. I knew firsthand how difficult it could be to have a disabled or ill person in a home and try to fit in ramps, hospital beds, and equipment, which is why renovating ho
mes to make them handicapped accessible was so important to me. “Why literacy?”
Hadley looked at each of us as if gauging interest before responding. “My brother, Colin, had a stutter when he was younger. He was teased in school, so my dad pulled him out and had him tutored until it stopped.”
I could feel the others’ eyes on us, but I couldn’t look away from Hadley. The way she’d straightened in her seat when Dylan mentioned the nonprofit. The way she’d glanced down at the table when she’d mentioned her dad’s reaction to her brother’s stutter.
“I think it’s important that kids have access to more services. Schools and teachers are overwhelmed with large class sizes and some parents can’t afford extra tutoring. We work with the schools to identify the kids who could use extra help and work with them in after school programs. It’s not just about speech therapy. It’s also about building their confidence, so they’re not afraid to answer questions in class or read out loud.”
“That’s amazing.” Her passion and drive were impressive.
“Thank you.” Hadley’s face flushed pink.
The waitress stopped at our table to take Dylan’s order. When she left Dylan said, “We wanted to brainstorm ideas to help with funding to make expanding Kids Speak a possibility here.”
“Cade runs a charity, Morrison Construction Rebuilds, so he might have some ideas. I convinced him to invite the local media to our next home reveal to gain attention and hopefully, more funding. We like to make a big production when the family sees their home for the first time,” Nolan said.
“I love that. What a great idea to gain attention.” Dylan leaned her elbows on the table.
“In the beginning, I funded it mostly myself. Adding small things to someone’s house was something my company could easily do, but then I go into full home renovations and that takes more money than my company can absorb on its own.” I loved talking about the Rebuilds program, brainstorming ideas to make it more successful and reach more people.
“I need to research the schools in the area and find out what their specific needs are first. Then once we have that information, we can approach possible donors,” Hadley said, thinking out loud.
