The Christmas Cabin
Page 1
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Titles by Susan Hatler
Do-Over Date Series
Million Dollar Date
The Double Date Disaster
The Date Next Door
Date to the Rescue
Fashionably Date
Once Upon a Date
Destination Date
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The Wedding Charm
The Wedding Catch
My Wedding Date
The Wedding Bet
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Blue Moon Bay Series
The Second Chance Inn
The Sisterhood Promise
The Wishing Star
The Friendly Cottage
The Christmas Cabin
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The Holiday Shoppe
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Better Date than Never Series
Love at First Date
Truth or Date
My Last Blind Date
Save the Date
A Twist of Date
License to Date
Driven to Date
Up to Date
Déjà Date
Date and Dash
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Christmas Mountain Romance Series
The Christmas Compromise
‘Twas the Kiss Before Christmas
A Sugar Plum Christmas
Fake Husband for Christmas
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Treasured Dreams Series
An Unexpected Date
An Unexpected Kiss
An Unexpected Love
An Unexpected Proposal
An Unexpected Wedding
An Unexpected Joy
An Unexpected Baby
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Young Adult Novels
See Me
The Crush Dilemma
Shaken (Mind Reader Series, 1)
Linked (Mind Reader Series, 2)
The Christmas Cabin
Susan Hatler
The Christmas Cabin
Copyright © 2016 by Susan Hatler
All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise) without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this book. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, brands, media, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.
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License Notes
This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author’s work.
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Cover Design by Elaina Lee, For The Muse Design
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Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Epilogue
The Christmas Cabin
Susan Hatler
Chapter One
Some might find working as a divorce attorney during the holidays depressing, but I loved helping my clients move on to better things. After all, hadn’t they struggled enough being in an unhappy marriage? I mean, if making a decision on where to put the Christmas tree could push a couple to file divorce papers then their relationship wasn’t exactly stable in the first place.
As I leaned back in the conference room chair at MacArthur and Associates, I noted that it was five days before Christmas and my client list only seemed to be growing. This fact made me extra thankful that I was single this holiday season and didn’t have to deal with any relationship hang-ups. I’d been working hard and felt ready for my scheduled vacation days after I finished this last meeting—if the opposing counsel ever decided to show up, anyway.
I glanced at the doorway. Empty. Gabriel Hart’s legal secretary had informed us that he’d be a few minutes late to the meeting. A few minutes currently meant twelve. Sigh.
I gazed out the window at the stunning view of Blue Moon Bay. Sunlight glinted off the cerulean water in sparkling flashes of white. Gentle waves lapped against the long stretch of sandy beach in a soothing rhythm that might’ve put me to sleep if it hadn’t been for the four cups of coffee I’d consumed so far this morning. I’d moved to Blue Moon Bay three years ago—just after law school—and the beauty of this quaint California coastal town still filled my chest with warm tingles, as if I’d always been meant to live here.
As I started to smile, my client, Noelle Jacobson, shifted in the chair beside me. She fiddled with the pen between her fingers and then began tapping it against the shiny mahogany table with a repetitive click-click-click heard throughout the otherwise quiet room. The irritating noise made my neck muscles tighten, bringing me back to the task at hand: getting this couple divorced.
“How long are we supposed to sit here and wait, Harper?” Noelle asked, glancing up at me with her wide blue eyes.
“I’m sure the attorney will arrive soon and then we’ll be done with this process for good,” I answered, using a soothing tone. I didn’t blame Noelle for feeling anxious. We’d been working for months to reach this settlement with her ex. I wasn’t going to let anything deter the process from continuing, especially not an attorney who couldn’t be bothered to show up on time. We would wait, then we would sign, and then she could put this all behind her.
My favorite part of the job was getting justice for a client who had been so grievously wronged by their spouse. We were only two signatures away from this victory. I hoped Noelle would sign her name with a flourish, just to show her lousy soon-to-be-ex-husband, Riley Jacobson, that he may be divorcing her but she wasn’t down or out.
Riley sat across the table from us, staring out the window at the same scene I’d just been taking in. He probably wished he were out there surfing, or playing volleyball on the beach, or any other of the many activities he enjoyed that seemed to prohibit him from maintaining a full-time job. Thus, leaving the respo
nsibility of earning a steady income to his wife. Well, soon to be ex-wife. His lawyer appeared to be just as irresponsible as his client as he was now fifteen minutes late to the meeting, which was taking place at his own office. Highly annoying.
I caught sight of my reflection in the glass mirror on the wall. A few strands of dark hair had escaped the French knot at the base of my neck. I tucked the piece back into place, just as a figure appeared in the conference room doorway.
“Sorry I’m late.” Gabriel Hart strode in, wearing a suit and tie. His sandy-brown hair was tousled, and his chocolate-brown eyes looked bedroom-sexy. As always, I understood why many of my colleagues found him attractive. He was tall with broad shoulders, had an obviously muscular physique, and possessed an indescribable quality that made it hard for me to breathe.
I intentionally kept my expression blank, though.
“Hello, Mr. Hart.” I stood, shook his hand, and refrained from commenting on his tardiness. He had a nice, firm handshake and his long-fingered hand all but caressed mine. Shiver. We sat down in our respective seats, then he greeted his client.
Noelle made a mewing sound.
I leaned toward her, and whispered, “Don’t worry. It will all be over soon.”
“Okay.” She nodded, her gaze fixed on a vague point on the opposite wall. She must be more nervous than I’d realized. Maybe she worried that she wouldn’t get a fair division of the assets, but I had already assured her we were firm on our position.
“Now that we’re all here, let’s get down to business,” I said, feeling like I couldn’t be blamed for one measly comment on opposing counsel’s tardiness. I mean, fifteen minutes late and no explanation? So rude. I flipped open the file folder in front of me. “Once both parties sign the papers, we’ll file the document with the court, and put this whole thing in the past. Noelle would like to confirm that—”
“Wait!” Riley interrupted, slapping his palms against the table. His cheeks turned pink and he looked like a little boy who had been caught stealing cookies before dinner.
“Yes?” I arched a brow, hoping he and his attorney didn’t have some kind of strategy planned to negotiate further. I was fully prepared to protect my client.
“I’m not ready for us to be over, Noelle.” Riley clasped his hands together, bit his bottom lip, and stared at his wife. “Please reconsider.”
Okay, I hadn’t seen that one coming.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Jacobson.” I gave him a sympathetic smile. “But everything has already been decided. We’re here to sign papers, so you can both move on, and—”
“I still love you, Noelle,” Riley blurted.
Oh, brother. Was he seriously pulling this right now?
I turned to Gabriel Hart. “Would you please control your client? My client has been through more than enough emotional turmoil thanks to your—”
“You still love me?” Noelle’s voice came out in a squeak.
My mouth nearly dropped open. Who cared if he claimed to love her? Didn’t she remember all of the times she cried in my office over him? She’d promised to stay strong during interactions with her ex, but clearly he was getting to her, and not in a good way. I glanced at Gabriel, who seemed to be enthralled by the exchange that was happening between the husband and wife. Was I the only one who saw this desperate plea as a possible manipulation for the storage shed Riley claimed to want so badly?
“I’ve always loved you,” Riley went on. “I always will, too. I know I’ve been immature in the past. But I don’t think that’s a reason to give up on us.”
“Not a reason?” I asked, suppressing a sigh. I turned to Noelle. “Just last week you said Riley ranked his bowling team higher on his priority list than you. Isn’t that right?”
“I didn’t mean it like that,” Riley protested. “That counselor guy twisted my words. He did help me see, though, that I must communicate my needs better. I know I’ve always been bad at talking and stuff, but I can improve if you give me a chance.”
“You can really change?” Noelle’s forehead wrinkled and she closed her eyes. Then her face puckered as if she’d eaten something sour. “You’re not the only one at fault here. I could’ve been a lot more understanding of your hobbies outside of our marriage.”
Okay, now I was in shock. She needed to be more understanding of his extra-curricular activities? The dude jet-skied on her birthday and forgot to show up for her pre-planned party. Silence filled the conference room, and there seemed to be an unsteady feeling flowing from person to person. I needed to get things under control or this agreement would fall apart.
“Why don’t we go over the division of assets we had such a difficult time agreeing on?” I suggested lightly. “You know, your grandfather’s watch that Riley insisted on keeping?”
“Let’s give our clients a moment to consider their options, Ms. Avery.” Gabriel Hart’s firm tone sent a ripple of irritation through me.
I bit back a sharp retort, and turned to Noelle. “Don’t you recall how Riley tried to sell your parents’ boat and keep the cash?” I tapped on the open file lying on table. “You said all you wanted was to keep your family’s things safe. Remember?”
“I behaved like a selfish fool.” Riley shook his head. “Tell your parents I’m so sorry.”
Noelle glanced over at me. “He does seem sorry . . .”
“Did he seem sorry when he bought that motorcycle with your mortgage money?” I asked, trying to bring her back to reason. My poor client was getting ambushed!
“Everyone makes mistakes.” Gabriel’s voice seemed to come out of nowhere.
I looked deep into those chocolate brown eyes, wondering if his comment was a ploy on behalf of his client, or if he really was that naïve. Either way, the conference room was starting to feel too hot to me. I reached for my water bottle, and took a big swig to cool myself off.
“Mistakes are one thing,” I said, my mouth still feeling dry. “But Riley has made a fool out of Noelle one too many times. She doesn’t need to get hurt again.”
“Riley just apologized,” Gabriel explained, as if I hadn’t been sitting right here when he’d claimed he was sorry. “Maybe it would be a good idea to let the couple talk alone for a few minutes.”
“Can we talk in the hall, Noelle?” Riley asked.
“Okay.” Noelle nodded, her eyes widening and the ghost of a smile playing around her lips. Equal parts frustration and righteous indignation warred within me. Somehow Riley had managed to get past all of our carefully constructed defenses, and if things continued in this manner then the whole negotiation would soon be void.
As Riley and Noelle hurried out of the conference room, I noticed Riley put his hand on the small of Noelle’s back, and she seemed to lean into him. That was so not a good sign that she still planned to put her disastrous marriage behind her.
Gabriel Hart seemed to expand even more to fill the space left by our clients. Everywhere I darted my gaze seemed to come right back to him, and that threw me off.
“We’re on a time crunch here,” I said, making a point to look at my watch.
“Let them have a chance to talk without us interfering,” Gabriel said. There was a weighted pause. “Can I ask you a question?”
“I suppose,” I said, trying to get a peek of my client in the hallway to see if she’d had enough. Unfortunately, the office window blinds were closed and they’d shut the conference room door on their way out so I couldn’t see anything. Sigh.
“What do you have against second chances?” Gabriel asked.
Letting out a sigh, I shrugged. “Nothing at all.”
“You’re just against marriage then? True love, too?”
“Look,” I said, leaning forward, pressing my fingertips into the tabletop. “True love only exists in fairy tales. But, no, I’m not against marriage. A good marriage is when you have an amenable contract that is abided by both parties. In the case of my client, your client has clearly not lived up to his end of the agreement.”
I couldn’t hold my surprised laughter inside. “Honestly? If he wanted to fix his so-called mistakes, then he shouldn’t have tried to start that scuba diving business last month that cost Noelle twenty-thousand dollars.”
“She agreed to start that business,” he quipped.
“Against my advice,” I shot back.
The corner of Gabriel’s mouth lifted. “I’m sure you gave her what you felt was good advice. But maybe she saw the venture as a viable business opportunity as well. After all, we do have the greatest bay on the California coastline.”
“Just because we live by the coast doesn’t mean just anyone can open up an ill-planned business and expect it to succeed.” I shook my head. “He flushed Noelle’s hard-earned money down the toilet.”
He shook his head. “I like to think that Noelle said yes because deep down she loves Riley, and believes he can do anything he sets his mind to.”
“I prefer to think that if Riley truly cares about Noelle then he’ll stop taking her down with him on each fool-hearted project that inspires him in between his golf lessons.” I stared into those chocolate-brown eyes across from me, and watched a line form between them. It was too bad a man this smart and good-looking believed in fairy tales. I’d had enough of this ridiculous banter, which was getting us nowhere. I stood. “I’m going to get our clients back in here, so we can move this process along in a beneficial way to my client.”