by Jade Kerrion
He was sacrificing his career over a woman who did not want him.
Right after he figured out that he was in love with her.
A muscle twitched in his cheek. Taste. A+. Timing. F-.
He stared down at his computer notebook and at the paper files on the table. He loved his work; he even enjoyed the place where he worked, most of the time.
But Daniel was right. There was a choice to be made, and Brandon had run out of time.
Chapter 14
Shannon did not hear from her lawyer until the following evening. Her cell phone rang as she stepped into her townhouse. Fumbling with her keys, she dug into her handbag and pulled out her phone. “Yes, hi, Tom. What’s up?”
“Good news,” Tom said without preamble. “I just heard from Daniel Lewis. Turns out my nerves were stronger than his.”
“It’s so nice to know that our legal system consists of school boys playing chicken.”
Tom laughed. “Anyway, he said that his client would like to settle.”
“How much.”
“Fifteen thousand.”
Shannon’s jaw dropped. “From two million to fifteen thousand?”
“Actually, he wanted thirty. I talked him down to fifteen.”
“That’s wonderful, but what happened to all those zeros at the end?”
“They were pushing their luck, trying to see what they could get away with. I had a feeling they didn’t want to go to court. Fifteen thousand still isn’t pocket change, but your insurance will cover it and I don’t think your rates will go up all that much.”
“Oh, that’s amazing. I can’t thank you enough. How long before it’s all settled?”
“There are still seven hells’ worth of paperwork, to make sure that what we agreed on verbally is signed off by you and his client, and then the insurance company needs to make the payment. You’re about six weeks from the finish line, but at least it’s in sight.”
“So…can I talk to Brandon now?”
“Let’s not chance it. Not until we’ve got everything signed and settled. After all, he’s—”
“On the other side?” Shannon sighed. “All right. I get it. Thank you, Tom. I really appreciate everything you’ve done.” She hung up, and a small smile crept across her face. For the first time since she tore open that registered mail envelope, she drew a deep breath without heavy pressure crushing down on her chest.
Her phone rang again, and she glanced at the number. Her brow furrowed, but she accepted the call. “Hi, Brandon.”
“Hey, Shannon. I wondered if you’d like to go grab a drink.”
“Uh…I don’t think it’s a good idea, not right now. Perhaps in a month or two, with this case behind us.”
“Just one glass,” he said. “I could use the company and the good wishes.”
“Good wishes?” Shannon glanced over her shoulder at the buzzing doorbell. “Someone’s here. Can you wait for a moment?” She slid back the blot and flung open the door. Her heart tripped in her chest. “Brandon?”
He grinned as he disconnected the call and slid his phone back into his pocket.
Shannon stared blankly at her phone for a moment before putting it away. “What are you doing in Westchester on a weeknight?”
He held up a bottle of wine. “I found a magnificent Moscato, sweet enough for your tastes. I thought we could share it in front of your fireplace.”
“I don’t have a fireplace.”
“If you have cable TV, channel 107 is a screensaver of a fireplace, complete with the crackle of flames and pop of logs settling.”
“Isn’t that a little cheesy?”
“I can do romantic in Tuscany with a real fireplace. Here, in Westchester, I’ll settle for cheesy, as long as it’s with you.”
His words made her heart ache, but it drew a smile on her lips. “Brandon, I wish I could. It’s just…not yet. Your timing isn’t good. Our timing, in fact, has been terrible.”
“On the contrary, our timing couldn’t be more perfect. You see, I’m looking for someone to share a toast.”
“A toast to what?”
He stepped into her townhouse and walked to the kitchen where he expertly uncorked the wine and poured two glasses. He handed one to her with a faint smile. “And here’s to me.”
Shannon chuckled. Oh, that was so Brandon. “All right, here’s to you.” She raised her glass.
“And my job search.”
Her eyes flared wide, and she almost dropped her glass. “Your what?”
“I resigned from Lewis and Hammerstein this morning.”
“You’re not…” She studied him. “You’re serious.”
“Very much so.”
“But you were going to make partner.”
“Yes, I was. Then Daniel Lewis reminded me that I needed to prioritize my long-term goals. I think he meant the partnership, but he wasn’t explicit. And with lawyers, you always have to be clear or we’ll just make our own assumptions.”
“So what did you assume?”
“That he meant happiness, in whatever form it takes.” His smile was tender as he stroked her cheek with the back of his other hand. “So I chose happiness.”
“But your partnership?”
“When I handed in my resignation letter, I felt only relief, but do you know what I felt that day when I heard you on the phone with Tom, talking about the case?”
Shannon shook her head.
“Angry frustration that burned a hole inside me. I knew what to do. I could have advised you on the best thing to do, but I couldn’t, because I was…” He sighed. “If not on the other side, then trapped in the middle. And when you told me that you didn’t want advice, that all you wanted was to be able to talk and know that I was listening…it drove me crazy that I couldn’t even do that one simple thing for you. Do you have any idea what it’s like to love someone and not be able to do the most basic thing to keep your relationship alive?”
“So you quit your job? Because of me?”
“Because of us.” His smile faded into a faint curve of his lips—wistful yet hopeful. “If there can still be an ‘us.’”
Brandon studied the flicker of emotion through Shannon’s expressive eyes. Her lips were slightly parted, as if with shock, and her wide eyes betrayed a vulnerable core beneath the strength and humor that made her one of the most amazing women he knew. Her mouth slowly shaped a smile. “I was so afraid to talk to you about the case. I didn’t want you to think that I was another Cynthia.”
“I could never mistake you for Cynthia, not when you chose to push me away instead of demand help from me. Ironically, your decision to leave solidified mine to do something about the situation. I was going to wait it out and see what happened, but when you walked away, I realized that life was too short to just wait for everything to work out perfectly.”
“So you quit?”
“So I simplified the situation by removing the complication—the case and the fact that we’re on opposite sides of the table. I don’t want anything between us, Shannon. Not the malpractice case. Not anymore.”
She huffed her breath out quickly. “They asked for a settlement—fifteen thousand dollars.”
“That’s good.”
“You’re not surprised.”
“Daniel Lewis panicked this morning when I turned in my resignation. Hammerstein was furious, as much with him as with me. I think he’d heard of the bickering between me and Daniel.”
“Bickering?”
“We could call it philosophical differences, but really, we were just bickering. He wanted to win the case with a large settlement. I wasn’t going to help him.”
“He put pressure on you? You mean like Cynthia did?”
“Not too different.”
Shannon shook her head. “What kind of world do you live in?”
“It’s not as shady as it sounds, but all it takes is a few rough cases to sour anyone on the practice of law.”
“You’ve been burned twice.”
<
br /> “Once, with Cynthia.”
“You gave up your chance of partnership twice.”
“On the contrary, I consider myself lucky that I left before buying into the partnership. I’ve already got two interviews scheduled with firms in New York, and one here in Westchester.”
“Really? Here?” Her voice lilted with hope. “You chose me over your career.” She bit down on her lower lip, and her voice trembled. “I never imagined someone like you would do that.”
“I’m gambling on happiness—yours and mine.” He raised her hands to her lips and breathed a kiss upon her fingertips.
“You swore that you wouldn’t take that kind of risk again.”
“I reevaluated.” He grinned. “Figured you were good odds.” He paused. “Are you?”
Her eyes fluttered close as she raised her lips to his. The kiss held all the promise of tomorrows. Her breath was sweet with hope. When she finally broke the kiss, she leaned against his chest instead of pulling away. “So we can talk—really talk—about the case and about anything else now?”
He nodded.
“And if I don’t feel like talking?”
He tapped the rim of his wineglass against hers. “What else did you have in mind?”
“You said you didn’t want anything between us, but as far as I can see, there’s still something big—two big things—between us.”
He frowned. “What is it?”
Her smile turned impish. “Your clothes and mine.” She set her glass down. “Make love to me, Brandon. Our timing’s absolutely perfect.”
Chapter 15
As Tom Lancaster had promised, the malpractice case settled and closed within six weeks. To celebrate, Shannon, Brandon, and Andrea met at one of Westchester’s finer dining establishments. A dark-haired server introduced herself as Larissa, and took Brandon’s wine order before leaving her customers to flip through their menus.
Shannon leaned over, her shoulder brushing against Brandon’s. “If I order the duck and you order the lamb, I’ll give you a taste of mine if you give me a taste of yours.”
Brandon chuckled. “I wonder if the chef will be offended if I take a snapshot of his menu.”
“Probably not.”
Andrea laughed. “Are you still working on perfecting the roast lamb chops?”
Shannon nodded. “He’s got lamb shanks down to utter perfection, but he’s determined to concoct interesting flavors for lamb chops that don’t include rosemary.”
“I like rosemary,” Andrea said.
“See?” Shannon threw Brandon a quick smile. “There’s a reason the classics remain classics.”
“Besides demonstrating a profound lack of creativity?” Brandon retorted.
Andrea smiled. “I’m sure your upcoming European trip will provide more fine dining inspiration. Are you two going anywhere, other than Italy?”
Brandon shook his head. “I offered Shannon the grand tour of Europe, but she said she wanted to go back to Tuscany.”
Shannon slowly sipped her water before speaking. “When we were there the first time, I was convinced it was the wrong time, the wrong place, and the wrong guy. Well, Brandon has now proved me wrong on all those counts, so I want to go back and set those memories right.”
“It’s the best reason I’ve ever heard to visit Tuscany,” Andrea said. “Not that there could ever be a bad reason for visiting Tuscany.” She looked at Brandon. “I’m surprised you’re taking vacation so early in your new job.”
“I negotiated it before signing the employment papers.” Brandon grinned. “Advanced planning—lawyers are good at that, too.”
“So good that I might consider keeping one around indefinitely,” Shannon said as the sommelier brought the bottle of wine around for Brandon’s inspection.
At Brandon’s nod, he proceeded to fill the wineglasses at the table. Shannon waited until the sommelier departed before reaching for her glass of wine. A Riesling, she thought, fruity and yummy; Brandon had selected it just for her. Smiling, she raised her glass to the man she loved. “Here’s to the second vacation of a lifetime.” And what I hope will lead to a lifetime of vacations with you.
THE END
Life Shocks Romances Collection 1
Aroused ~*~ Betrayed ~*~ Crushed ~*~ Desired
AROUSED
Recently divorced, Dr. Vera Rios is too busy navigating the potholes of single parenthood to look for Mr. Right, but along comes a man who cherishes her, adores her daughter, and helps her find her sexy groove. The only problem: Mr. Perfect is an escort.
Rowan Forrester conceals many other secrets, one of which threatens the happiness he finds with Vera. Can love find a way or will Vera have to choose between her beloved daughter and the man of her dreams?
BETRAYED
Marguerite Ferrara wows audiences on the haute couture catwalks of Milan, Paris, and New York, but whenever she’s face-to-face with Drew Jackson, she feels like a gawky thirteen-year-old, in love with a superstar who will never see her as more than his younger brother’s ex-girlfriend.
Drew’s superstar days are long over. A car accident shattered his knee, destroyed his football career, and crushed his hopes of winning Maggie’s love. How can he, a desk-bound financial advisor, compete against the celebrities Maggie whirls through one-night stands or Tyler Lamarck, the social media maverick who sweeps the woman Drew loves off her feet?
CRUSHED
Cody Hart, the daredevil black sheep of the esteemed Hartwell clan, should never have made it to his twenty-fifth birthday. What he hadn’t counted on, though, was his best friend dying instead of him.
Emotionally devastated and financially ruined by the death of her brother, Felicity Rivers is down to her last hundred dollars when Cody offers his help, at a price. She’s out of options, but nothing on earth could possibly entice her into the arms of the man who killed her brother.
DESIRED
At seventeen, Gabriel Cruz and Valeria Trevino exchanged promise rings and agreed on the grand plan for their life, including marriage, children, and a happily-ever-after. Twenty years later, “The Plan” is on track, and a key milestone—Gabriel’s partnership in a law firm—is within grasp, but Valeria derails their shared lives by demanding a divorce.
Valeria can’t explain her decision, but she is compelled by a desperate need for something more than they had agreed upon. What can they do when the foundation of their grand plan crumbles beneath them?
Life Shocks Romances Collection 2
Ensnared ~*~ Flawed ~*~ Graced ~*~ Haunted
ENSNARED
The two Falconer boys, Raphael and Michael, were named for the archangels. Lily Herald knows that they are anything but. At twenty-two, she married Raphael, the first Falconer boy. By twenty-five, she was divorced, having traded in her wedding ring for two near-fatal bullet wounds—the best damned trade of her life.
No one, especially not Michael Falconer, knows why she’s returned home, to the place of so many shared and painful memories, but he’s determined to find out before she destroys what’s left of his family.
FLAWED
Aspiring actress Ariel Falconer is out of dreams. Disillusioned and burned-out, she heads on a lavish, all-expense-paid vacation, determined to enjoy herself one last time before facing up to the fact that life has dealt her a big flat zero.
Professional beach volleyball player Jake Hunter is full of dreams. He holds a winning hand, but only if he can find a wealthy sponsor to finance his modest lifestyle while he trains for Olympic gold.
Their mutual attraction is immediate and scorching, but neither is ready for the emotional complications of false impressions and clashing expectations. Can Ariel and Jake escape unscathed, or will their conflict shatter their dreams and the promise of love?
GRACED
Noelle Langford’s ambitions have always been bigger than the little town of Havre de Grace, but when her father’s heart attack summons her home, she finds the town little changed, except that Connor Bradle
y, the high school nerd, is now the town’s doctor, a Grade-A hunk, and a widower with two young children.
Connor doesn’t have time for distractions, not while juggling single parenthood and his clinic on five hours of sleep a night. He most certainly doesn’t have time for Noelle, the high school flirt, who is prettier and more irresistible than he remembers.
When her father’s heart attack derails Connor’s plans for his first Christmas without his wife, Noelle wants to save the day for his adorable children, but can she also find her way into Connor’s guarded heart?
HAUNTED
Holly Langford has given up on love, but the Christmas season unexpectedly ignites her bleak and solitary life with three men who represent her past, her present, and her future.
Peter Warren, her high school and college sweetheart, who shattered her heart but rules her dreams…
James Kerrigan, the principal of Havre de Grace Elementary School and her boss…
Brandon Smith, the dashing New York City lawyer, who promises an escape from the confines of her small town life…
Which man offers the gift of true love and happily ever after?
Life Shocks Romances Collection 3
Inflamed ~*~ Jilted ~*~ Kindled ~*~ Lured
INFLAMED
Debra Martinez doesn’t believe in happy endings. Even if she did, she knows she doesn’t deserve one, not after betraying her best friend in the worst possible way. Eight years into single parenthood, her life is a grind of exhaustion in between spikes of fatigue—an endless struggle to make ends meet—until Sean Orr, Havre de Grace’s newest firefighter, shows her and her son, Aidan, a new and beautiful kind of “normal.”
But the happiness can’t last—not for Sean who is on the run from his past. When it catches up with him, will it bring Debra’s fragile normality crashing down around her, or will she find the strength to define her own happy ending?
