by J. H. Croix
“Good to have you back. Shall we review your schedule?”
Garrett ran a hand through his hair and eyed Elaine. “How about we start with an update?”
A while later, Elaine sat across from him, her lips pursed. “I don’t know how I feel about this, Garrett. While I must admit, I think it’s best for you to find a change of pace, I’m getting the feeling you won’t be my boss for much longer. I’ll miss working for you.”
Garrett’s throat was tight. He flipped a pen back and forth between his fingers. “I don’t intend to quit practicing in Seattle completely, Elaine. As far as I’m concerned, I’d love for you to keep working for me. Things will definitely be different though. You won’t have to deal with any more Carltons. I’ve had my fill of that.”
Elaine grinned. “I occasionally enjoy sparring with Carlton. So fill me in on how you plan to do this?”
“We’ll funnel all the corporate cases to the other partners. Becca’s already filling up my email with referrals for bleeding heart cases. I keep telling her I’m not cut out for prosecution, so she’s finding me all kinds of consulting work for non-profits. Once I get things more settled here, I need to get my law license set up in Alaska. I don’t know how much work I can get there to start. It’s easy enough to work from a distance these days. The flight to Seattle is only four hours. If you agree to stay on for me, you’ll run the show here, and I’ll come down when I need to.”
Elaine tilted her head to the side and smiled softly. “Sounds like you’ve worked it all out. So tell me, who is she?”
Garrett laughed. “Damn, you cut right to it, Elaine. What gave you the idea there was a woman involved?”
“I actually didn’t guess. I might have if I’d seen you, but it was Becca. She stopped by to pick up your mail a few times and mentioned she thought you’d finally met your match.”
“Ah, should’ve guessed. What did Becca have to say?”
Elaine smiled softly. “Not much really. I think she was hoping for the best. She’s bossy, you know. For once, she wasn’t telling me what she thought you should do.”
Garrett chuckled. “Probably because I already asked her what to do.”
“She didn’t mention her name. She just said she thought you were in love.”
“Delia. That’s her name.” His heart clenched at merely saying her name aloud.
“Is Becca right?”
Garrett arched a brow. “About what?”
“Do you love her?”
His heart thumped, almost painfully, in his chest. He’d yet to dredge up the nerve to say the word. But he knew it to be true. His mind replayed the moment at the lodge when Delia told him she thought she was falling in love with him. He’d frozen and fumbled that completely.
He met Elaine’s eyes and sighed.
Her eyes widened slightly. “So you love her, but you don’t have the nerve to tell her?”
He groaned and rolled his head back. “That obvious, huh?”
“I’ve been around a lot longer than you. Been there myself. Want some advice?”
“This will be the second time since I met Delia I’ve asked someone to tell me what to do.”
Elaine grinned. “I’ll keep it simple: don’t be stupid. If you must, practice.”
“Practice what?”
“That word.”
“Love?”
“Keep saying it. Eventually it will get easier.”
***
Delia pushed through the lodge door into the cold, starry night. She was the last one to leave tonight, as had been the case almost every night since Garrett returned to Seattle. As she approached her car, she stopped and looked up at the sky. Stars stretched across the sky—a glittering glory of patterns. She spun around slowly. Her breath caught when she spied the shimmer of northern lights above the mountains across the bay. They were faint, but even then they awed her. She remembered nights when she was a little girl when her mother would wake her to go outside and see the dancing lights. She took a deep breath, savoring the biting air.
Tears pricked at the back of her eyes. Garrett’s absence hit her with a sharp pang. He’d been gone a week now. He called every morning and every night and texted her throughout the day. She was entirely unaccustomed to the kind of attention he bestowed upon her, even from a distance. It was both endearing and unsettling—and she missed him so. Her father had pointed out this morning that she was working too hard, but it was the only way she could manage herself. Work grounded her and helped pass the time.
Without it, her mind ran laps on the track of its worries. She couldn’t help but think that once Garrett settled in at home he’d change his mind.
She shook her head sharply and took another gulp of air before she finished crossing the parking lot. The snow crunched under her feet. She took one last look at the sky before climbing in her car and driving home alone in the quiet night.
The next morning, Delia woke to the sound of Nick’s footsteps pounding down the hallway. There was a loud banging on her door.
“Mom! I missed the bus!”
She kicked the covers off and leapt out of bed. “Coming!”
She took a three-minute shower and tossed on her clothes. She raced into the kitchen, grabbing her purse off the counter. “Ready?” she asked, glancing to Nick. “Where’s your granddad by the way?”
Nick threw his backpack over his shoulder. “He said he had to leave early for some deliveries at the lodge.”
After a swift drive on icy roads, Delia watched Nick jog into school right as the bell rang. She leaned her head against the steering wheel and sighed. Mornings like this made her feel as if she was always one step behind, skidding along the rails of her life barely keeping her balance. She sat up and leaned back, debating whether she should head to the lodge now, or go later. She knew if she went in this morning, Harry would roll his eyes and tell her he was worried about her. Though Garrett was calling every day, more than once, she still didn’t really know what his plans were beyond a vague idea.
She jumped when someone knocked on her window. She turned to find Ginger waving at her on the other side of the window, her breath billowing in the cold air. Delia hit the button and her window whirred down.
“Let’s get coffee,” Ginger said by way of greeting.
“I should probably go to work.”
Ginger arched a brow. “Seriously? You don’t need to go to work this early. Marley said you’ve been working yourself to death and hardly talk to anyone.”
Delia chewed her lip and sighed. “Okay, okay. Let’s get coffee. Misty Mountain?”
“Of course! If it were summer, I’d say Red Truck Coffee, but that’s a no go in the winter. Meet you there in a few.” Ginger whirled away and jogged across the street to her car.
A few minutes later, Delia walked into Misty Mountain. Ginger was waiting for her just inside the door. She hooked her hand through Delia’s elbow. “Coffee’s on me.”
The tight feeling started to ease in Delia’s chest as they waited in line. Misty Mountain was bustling with the soft hum of conversation. The scent of fresh baked goods drifted through the café. She glanced around, her eyes coasting over familiar faces. The sharp ache in her heart from Garrett’s absence softened slightly.
Moments later, they sat down with coffees and pastries. Ginger took a sip of coffee and gave her an assessing look. “So, how’s the long-distance thing going?”
“What do you mean?”
Ginger rolled her eyes. “Oh my God, don’t be ridiculous. Here, let me spell it out. You and Garrett are in a relationship, even if you don’t want to say it out loud. According to Marley, Garrett is only down in Seattle long enough to sort out his practice and then he’ll be back. As far as I’m concerned, you hit the jackpot. He’s sexy as hell, rich, and heads over heels in love with you from everything I’ve heard. Meanwhile, you’re running scared.”
Delia’s stomach felt hollow, as if she was falling. “I’m
not…”
“Yes, you are. I don’t blame you. You’ve been doing this alone for so long, I imagine it’s pretty hard to think about believing in someone else. Of all people, you know I understand. But it sounds like Garrett is the real deal, even if he didn’t fit what you had in mind.” Ginger’s voice softened and she reached across the table to give Delia’s hand a squeeze.
Delia took a sip of coffee and traced the edge of the table. Ginger would certainly understand why it might be difficult to trust. She’d married her college sweetheart only to have him stay rather busy with his wandering eye. Ginger’s warm, sunny and trusting disposition had absorbed the blow of a bitter divorce. In the years since, she’d yet to take the plunge into the dating pool. That didn’t stop her from sharing her opinions about the love lives of her friends. She was overprotective to a fault, so if she was encouraging Delia to be open to the possibilities Garrett represented, then Delia might want to sit up and take notice. If her relentlessly hopeful heart could be heard over the din of the spinning tracks of worry in her mind, maybe she could consider it.
“He definitely wasn’t what I imagined. Not that I’m complaining, but that’s part of the problem. He could have his pick of women. He’s a wealthy corporate lawyer. How the hell did I end up with him? Why would he want me?”
“If you focus on the surface of his life, you’re going to drive yourself crazy. So what if he’s a corporate lawyer? Gage is his brother, and Gage is an awesome guy. Why wouldn’t his brother be halfway decent too? And stop acting like you’re not worth Garrett’s attention. You’re gorgeous. You’re just a busy, single mom who forgot how cute you were. Working yourself to the bone doesn’t help.”
Delia took a gulp of coffee and glanced out the window before turning back to meet Ginger’s gaze. “Maybe you have a point. I just don’t know how this is going to work out. He’s down in Seattle doing his lawyer thing. He says he’ll be back, but I don’t know when. What if…”
Ginger cut her off. “Don’t start with the ‘what ifs.’ You’ll drive yourself completely insane. I’m not saying there’s a guarantee you and Garrett will work out, but how about you try to stop manufacturing things in your head that haven’t even happened? What’s happening now?”
“Well, he calls me…”
“How often?”
“In the morning and at night.”
“He calls you not once, but twice a day, and you’re freaking out. Do you know how many women would pay good money to have someone call even just once a day?” Ginger was incredulous. She sat back and crossed her arms, glaring at Delia.
“Ginger, it’s not that simple. Don’t get me wrong, I think I’m freaking out because I still can’t quite believe it.”
Ginger’s glare faded and she grinned softly. “Maybe I’m being a teensy bit too hard on you. Since I haven’t been lucky in love, I get a little crazy if I think my friends are letting a good thing pass them by.”
Chapter 21
“What the hell do you mean we should consider settling? This is bullshit. I want to talk to Garrett. Now!”
Garrett stood by Elaine’s desk outside the conference room. Olivia was in there getting a taste of Carlton’s behavior. Garrett shook his head slowly. The door flew open and slammed against the wall. Carlton stomped, literally stomped, to Garrett’s side. “Did you hear that? This won’t work. I need…”
Garrett took a step back and buttoned his suit jacket. “Carlton, Ms. Brooks is a damn good attorney. You should appreciate the fact she’s willing to tell you the truth. You can’t fight everyone and certainly not just because they happened to purchase health insurance from your company and had the gall to use it.”
Olivia walked out of the conference room. She was a younger version of Elaine at a glance—navy suit, sleek hair cropped close to her head, and brown eyes. She appeared entirely unruffled by Carlton’s outburst. She caught Garrett’s eye with a barely perceptible smile. He nodded as she continued to her office, ignoring Carlton completely.
Carlton cleared his throat, and Garrett turned back to him. “If you’re back to work, why can’t you handle my cases?” Carlton asked, his tone bullish.
“Because I don’t plan to continue corporate work. I’m scaling back my practice here and will be relocating to Alaska sometime soon.”
Carlton’s mouth dropped before he snapped it shut. “Are you crazy? You’re leaving a lot of money on the table. Why would you walk away from corporate work?”
Garrett stared at Carlton for a few beats and abruptly decided he had nothing to lose by being honest. “Because I’ve had my fill. I’d like to do more work that matters.”
Carlton sputtered, his face turning red. He started yammering on about why various cases mattered. Garrett lost patience quickly.
“My decision’s been made. Like I told you, you’re welcome to take your business elsewhere, but Ms. Brooks is an excellent attorney. You’re lucky to have her.”
At that, Garrett turned away and strode into his office. He checked the urge to slam the door and closed it slowly. He sat down at his desk and spun around in his chair to look out the window. His office was in a high-rise building in downtown Seattle. Puget Sound was visible in the distance. The sky was slate gray and a soft mist fell.
He missed Delia—every day. Phone calls and texts weren’t enough. He couldn’t shake the feeling that Delia didn’t quite believe he’d return to Diamond Creek. Meanwhile, he was up to his ears in work here. Winding down his corporate work was, well, work. He was finding it hard to focus on anything new because he wanted to be able to close this chapter of his life.
Restless, he stood abruptly and grabbed his raincoat. Once outside, he threaded through the other pedestrians on his way to Becca’s office. Her office was only a few blocks away from his, but it felt like an entirely different world. It was crowded and noisy in the waiting room. When he finally made it through the crowd to the back, he found Becca in her office glaring at Aidan McNamara.
Aidan was an old friend of Gage’s and a former Navy SEAL colleague. He ran a private security firm in Seattle and occasionally crossed paths with them in his work. Becca stood in front of him, hands on her hips, her blue eyes snapping and her mouth twisted with a frown.
“Just because you think I need to pay better attention to security doesn’t give you the right to show up here unannounced.”
Aidan towered over Becca. He towered over most everyone, to be honest. He crossed his arms and eyed her. “You may not like it, but Gage would never let me forget it if I didn’t check on you after hearing something like this. The woman you’re representing is involved with a dangerous man. You need to consider some safety measures…”
Becca threw her hands up. “I specialize in cases involving domestic violence. Almost every case I handle involves a dangerous man!”
Becca hadn’t noticed Garrett yet, but Aidan had. He nodded in Garrett’s direction.
Garrett looked between them. “Becca, what the hell is going on?”
Becca turned to him, her eyes flashing with annoyance. “My job is going on. That’s all this is. I don’t know why…” she paused and waved a hand toward Aidan “…Aidan thinks he needs to help me.”
Aidan turned to Garrett. “A buddy of mine who does some security for the courthouse gave me a heads up that the perp on one of Becca’s cases is a special kind of crazy. I stopped by to give Becca a heads up.” Aidan shifted his gaze to Becca. Contrary to what you think, I was only trying to help.”
Becca turned away and sat down at her desk. Her gaze bounced to Garrett. “What brings you here?”
“Came by to see if you wanted to grab some lunch.” He waited a beat, assessing her level of irritation. Becca was a brilliant prosecutor with the softest of hearts underneath her prickly exterior. If Aidan was concerned enough to stop by and check on Becca, there was probably reason to worry. But if there was one thing Garrett knew very well about his twin sister, it was that she responded to
pressure by generally going in the opposite direction. He elected to gloss over the moment. He nodded in Aidan’s direction. “You could join us if you’d like.”
“Did I mention I could go yet?” Becca asked, her tone heavy with sarcasm.
Garrett shook his head with a grin. “No, but you need to eat and I’d bet money you didn’t bother with breakfast. Come on, let’s go grab something at the Thai place next door.”
Becca grumbled, but she stood and grabbed an umbrella and her purse. Aidan held the door as they passed through. The rain had picked up in the few minutes since Garrett had entered Becca’s office, so they dashed through the showers and into the restaurant. Once they were seated, Becca turned to Aidan.
“Have you heard Garrett’s news?”
Aidan shook his raincoat out and hung it on his chair before sitting down. “Heard from Gage you might be moving to Diamond Creek.”
Becca caught Garrett’s eyes. “Might?” she asked archly.
Garrett shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He was saved from having to answer immediately when a waiter arrived. After they ordered, Becca got right back on point.
“How does Delia feel about this ‘might be moving to Alaska’ situation?”
Garrett rolled his eyes. “Nothing’s changed. I’m just not sure when I’m going. I can’t walk away from my practice here, so I’m working on getting cases transferred and finishing up on a few. Once that’s taken care of and I’ve got my feet under me for the move, it’ll happen.”
Aidan angled his head and grinned. “First Gage and now you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Like Gage, I figured you’d stay single forever. Next thing I know, you go for a visit to Diamond Creek and suddenly you’re in love.”
