Legally Tied

by Chelsea Dorsette

  Legally Tied

  By: Chelsea Dorsette

  Legally Tied

  Copyright © 2014 by Chelsea Dorsette. All rights reserved.

  First Print Edition: July 2014

  Limitless Publishing, LLC

  Kailua, HI 96734

  www.limitlesspublishing.com

  Formatting: Limitless Publishing

  ISBN-13: 978-1500234294

  ISBN-10: 150023429X

  No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in violation of the author’s rights. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons—living or dead—is entirely coincidental.

  Table of Contents

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Epilogue

  Chapter One

  It didn’t take more than five minutes for Lyndsay to know she was going to buy the rundown English Tudor style bungalow that was located right on the end of Main Street. It had been abandoned for years and the town residents had all but given up hope that someone would buy it and nurse it back to its once quaint and charming beauty. Even though it was badly in need of repair and landscaping, Lyndsay saw the great bones of its structure and fell in love with it immediately. She had always adored the bungalow style homes that were popular in the early 1900s, but she hadn’t seen one this special in a long time. As she stood on Main Street staring at it, she couldn’t contain her excitement thinking about her plans for restoring it. Calling the phone number on the realtor sign that was propped up against the dilapidated picket fence adorning the front yard of the home, Lyndsay set up an appointment with the realtor to do a complete walk through the next day. Getting back into her car, Lyndsay rejoiced at her good fortune at finding this diamond in the rough and she couldn’t wait until tomorrow to begin the process of what she hoped was a successful new beginning in Bristol, the beautiful seaside Rhode Island town that had captured her heart. As Lyndsay pulled away from the curb, she cast one more sideways glance at the house she had fallen in love with and hoped it would finally be the healing touch and the new beginning she so desperately needed.

  ***

  Lyndsay knew at an early age that she didn’t want to have children when she grew up and got married. Boyd, her dad, always chuckled when she announced this and replied with the utmost confidence, “Oh honey, you’ll change your mind. Having you kids has been the biggest joy of my life. You just wait and see.”

  Upon hearing this, Lyndsay would just snort and roll her eyes. Secretly, she loved hearing her dad say that she and her brother Carl made him so happy, especially since they had lost their mom at an early age. Kathryn’s unexpected death had been tragic. It happened when Lyndsay was only five years old and Carl was seven. The autopsy showed that the car crash was caused by an undiagnosed brain aneurysm that ruptured while her mom was driving home from the grocery store, causing a stroke and subsequently a fatal crash. To this day, Lyndsay will never forget two Providence, Rhode Island police officers coming to the front door and talking quietly with her dad. She remembered how grim their faces were and knew instinctively that something was very wrong upon hearing them saying her mother’s name. The minute her father closed the door and turned around, the expression on his face confirmed her worst fears.

  Running up to him with tears in her eyes, Lyndsay had clung to him while crying out, “What’s wrong, Daddy? What’s wrong with Mommy?” As she wept uncontrollably in her father’s arms, she could see her brother Carl standing in the hallway looking helpless and scared as he watched them both crying. Even now Lyndsay’s memory of that horrible day, the funeral that followed, and the temporary turmoil that ensued afterwards still felt like it all happened yesterday. Yet somewhere along the line, Lyndsay had come to terms with the fact that some wounds will never heal and that she would be taking this one to her grave.

  If it hadn’t been for her father’s lust for life and devotion to her and Carl, the passing of her mom could have been permanently devastating for Lyndsay. But all through their youth, he made sure they were happy, well taken care of, and nurtured. He was strict but also loving and kind. He made home cooked meals, got involved in their school activities, and took them on fun outings every weekend. More often than not, there was laughter in the house, and despite the huge void in their lives from having lost Kathryn, Lyndsay was so grateful that her dad wanted to make damn sure his kids had as normal an upbringing as possible. Perhaps it was seeing how much he did for them in addition to working a full time job that turned her off to the idea of having children, or maybe it was because she couldn’t bear loving and losing again. Nevertheless, Lyndsay never wavered in her feelings about not wanting kids. She just chocked it up to not having a maternal instinct.

  At 16 years old, Lyndsay’s world was rocked yet again when her brother Carl announced right after his high school graduation that he wanted to join the military. So many of those latent fears and feelings of helplessness that Lyndsay had when her mom died came swarming back and she begged Carl to reconsider. She was infuriated that her father was supporting Carl’s decision to enter the Armed Forces in the Marines Corp and she didn’t speak to either of them for days. All Lyndsay could see was that her brother was intentionally putting himself in harm’s way and she was absolutely terrified at the risk she felt he was taking.

  “Why do you want to do something so dangerous?” Lyndsay asked after giving him the cold shoulder for almost a week. “How could you do that to us? Please, Carl, reconsider.”

  As hard as she tried to make Carl change his mind, he was steadfast in his decision and knew beyond a doubt that going into the military was the right thing to do for himself and his future career. When Lyndsay knew she had lost the fight, she felt drained and depressed. They had been very close growing up and Carl was her best friend. Perhaps if Kathryn had not died, they would have been more like typical siblings, squabbling all the time. But in a strange way, their mom’s death made them almost inseparable. Lyndsay felt like her heart was being ripped out of her chest, and for the weeks leading up to his going to boot camp, there was no consoling her. Lyndsay knew that Boyd was extremely proud that Carl wanted to serve their country, and although she knew he had his own fears about his son eventually going into potentially dangerous situations, as usual, he was right there backing his kids with one hundred percent enthusiasm and support. The day Carl left for training in his beat up second hand Ford pickup truck, Lyndsay knew the house would feel empty. Of course she loved her dad, but now that she was older and had long hours at school and an after school job, she didn’t see him much more than a couple of hours at night. Now with the absence of Carl coming and going, she worried that she’d feel lonely and alone. As she and her dad waved goodbye and watched Carl drive away, it felt like a second huge loss to Lyndsay, and just like so many years before, she stood clinging to her father and sobbing.

  The next two years in high school seemed to fly by and the next thing Lyndsay knew, she was enrolled and ready to begin her freshman year of college at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence. Lyndsay had always been ve
ry creative and she enjoyed painting, decorating, and played around with clothing design, but what fascinated her most was interior design. Carl used to always tease her about how often she moved furniture around the house to try new arrangements. She loved it when they all went to weekend flea markets so she could find wonderful treasures to decorate with. In lieu of this, it came as no surprise to her father or brother when she graduated four years later with an interior design degree. Carl had flown all the way back to the States from his deployment in Iraq just for her graduation but this time, the tears she shed were ones of joy at seeing him again. Although Lyndsay was every bit as scared and frustrated when he chose to do another tour of duty, she could tell the military suited him. Not only was he filled out and looking strong and healthy, she could also sense a quiet confidence and inner peace about him.

  With her usual teasing good nature, this time when he left to return to Iraq, Lyndsay said while giving him a sisterly punch on the arm, “Don’t be getting all cocky over there, Bro. You might end up getting shot in the ass!”

  Bantering back, Carl replied, “Yeah, well if I do get shot in the ass, I’ll let you come and decorate my hospital room, deal?” With one final hug, they said goodbye again, and although she was going to miss him terribly, it was time for Lyndsay to look to the future and begin the next chapter of her life.

  Chapter Two

  There were no two ways around it. Nick Olson was what women liked to refer to as a bad boy. And his looks fit the image perfectly! Standing six feet tall, Nick had dark brown hair and mesmerizing green eyes. He was slim, but all muscle and masculinity. Although he liked to come off as a goofy, fun loving, not very bright guy, he was in fact, sharp as a tack. He could disarm you with his looks, but totally disable you with his intelligent mind and quick wit. Nick always knew he was going to be a lawyer almost since the day he could talk. His penchant for challenging, arguing, and holding people intellectually accountable was daunting. Although his sexual hookups were rampant during law school, he never let his libido get the better of his smarts and always took precautions with birth control and his dalliances never interfered with his studies.

  At first, his college professors at Harvard University would underestimate him by his easy going, carefree nature. They would immediately think at first blush, “How did this guy get into Harvard?” And they would usually conclude that he wasn’t going to make it, but it was never long until they realized just how wrong they were. Their first impression thinking he was a spoiled, rich, not very bright playboy very quickly turned into admiration and respect. Nick was at the top of his class all four years, and when he wasn’t steam rolling through his assignments, he was enjoying everything college life had to offer.

  What most people didn’t know about Nick was how much volunteer service he performed in and around Cambridge when he wasn’t studying. His parents had drummed into him growing up that for all the gifts he was blessed with by being smart, handsome, and raised with many advantages, it was incumbent upon him to give back to the less fortunate. Although Nick would not admit this to many people, he loved his volunteer service and it made him feel good knowing he was making a difference in people’s lives. He had been privileged to have grown up in a family where his father Wayne, also an attorney, made a very good living and could provide Nick and his two sisters with vacations, music lessons, a big beautiful home, and all of the niceties that a kid could ever want. Even though Nick was outgoing and someone who joked around a lot, he was in fact a very introspective and humble young man. What people liked most about him was that he didn’t have an arrogant bone in his body. Nick was just one of those guys who enjoyed life, worked hard, played hard, and gave as much as he received.

  In his senior year at Harvard, Nick decided he wanted to be a prosecuting attorney. He felt very strongly about bringing people who did bad things to justice for their crimes. It infuriated him that so many innocent people in life got hurt by the nefarious actions of others, whether it was being attacked, shot, robbed, or killed for no reason other than for being in the wrong place at the wrong time. It was these innocent people Nick wanted to avenge and if he could help right a wrong by putting a criminal in jail, then that’s what he wanted to do. In a strange way, Nick considered this another form of public service to the less fortunate. Although he wanted to make a good living like his dad and be able to one day offer his kids the advantages he had been given, Nick also knew without a shadow of a doubt that he would also do a fair amount of pro bono work. Providing his services for free was the only way he could sleep at night and make himself feel like he was continuing with his parents’ tutelage on the importance of volunteer service.

  Finally after years of hard work studying toward his law degree and passing the bar on his first attempt, his parents, Wayne and Connie Olson, and his sisters threw a huge party and invited all of their family and friends to a beautifully catered outdoor event being held in the backyard of his parents’ stately home in Providence, Rhode Island. Nick had lived in this house his entire life up until going to college in Massachusetts. During the celebration, when Nick announced that he had been asked to join Stettler and Stettler, a locally based Providence law firm, his parents rejoiced, knowing he was coming back to Rhode Island to stay, at least for now. With fifty arms raised in a congratulatory champagne toast on this beautiful sunny day in May, Nick was ready to begin his new life as a prosecuting attorney.

  Chapter Three

  “Damn it,” Lyndsay mumbled under her breath. Upon opening the box of lamps that had just been delivered, she discovered much to her dismay that the shades were the wrong ones. Now she was going to have to call the client and tell them it was going to be a bit longer until they could come pick them up. As Lyndsay dialed the number to the wholesale lamp company, she was going to insist that the correct shades be sent via overnight delivery at their expense or she wasn’t going to give them any more business.

  Upon graduating the Providence School of Design, Lyndsay had landed an interior design position at Deacon’s Nest, one of Providence, Rhode Island’s largest furniture and interior design stores. The owner, Allison Deacon, had started the business over 30 years ago as a one woman shop and now at 63 years old, she had grown Deacon’s Nest into a multi-million dollar business. To say that the store had clout with their vendors was an understatement. Reps from all the major furniture and accessory lines knew how popular the store was and wanted their products to be sold there, as that would increase their sales exponentially. To have Deacon’s Nest as an account and then to lose it would be devastating to their bottom line, so they all worked hard to keep Allison Deacon and her design staff happy. Lyndsay loved working for Allison and with the customers who patronized the store. She also worked with a handful of independent interior designers who had their own clients, but wanted to buy home furnishings and accessories directly from Deacon’s. Because of the store’s huge success, Lyndsay worked tirelessly. Often times if she was working on a design scheme for a customer, she would bring it home, because during the day the store was so busy with walk-in retail customers she had no time to sit down and work on it. It was because of Lyndsay’s tireless dedication to her job and to Allison, that after just a few years of being hired, she was promoted to senior designer and was given a small office just off the showroom floor. Lyndsay had been thrilled with the promotion because now she could dedicate most of her time working one-on-one with clients who hired them for interior design services versus trying to juggle that with selling furniture. Lyndsay couldn’t have been happier with how her career was progressing and she couldn’t wait to see what new challenges lay ahead for her.

  ***

  “Foreman of the jury, what say you?” the judge demanded in a tone that cautioned, “You better have gotten this verdict correct.” Judge Sheffield had been a presiding judge on the bench for over twenty years and had seen how some cases which appeared to him to be an obvious innocent or guilty verdict, go exactly the opposite way. It was rare th
at he overturned a verdict as he wanted to let democracy work the way it was intended to, but he had learned over the years to not take anything for granted from jurors.

  As Nick watched the forewoman’s hand shake slightly as she was about to read the verdict, his heart pounded. Jim Stettler, the managing partner of Stettler and Stettler, had given him this case because the other lawyers were swamped. When Jim had given Nick this seemingly uncomplicated case of a woman being shot and dragged behind some bushes in a local Providence park, it wasn’t long until Nick discovered that this case was not as simple as it originally appeared. Through his confidential sources, some eyewitness accounts, along with a lot of digging to get to the truth, Nick learned that she had been the girlfriend of one of Providence’s very powerful, married state officials. It became evident she had been murdered because she had threatened to go public with their sexual relationship and expose his proclivity to frequent private BDSM clubs.

  The minute the political angle came into play, the whole case mushroomed in intensity and the media swarmed all over it for weeks. Even though Nick had presented solid damning evidence against the Senator in the form of recorded telephone conversations that were found between his office and the hit man, if he didn’t get a conviction against the Senator for conspiring to have the woman murdered and guilty of hiring the hit man, his reputation and that of his firm would be sullied. The media attention on this case had been at a fever pitch for weeks as the trial unfolded and for Nick, everything was hanging in the balance of this one verdict. He was still a junior level lawyer with the firm, and although he had a great winning track record thus far, he had not overseen a case this big for Stettler and Stettler.