She sucked in a breath. “Ralph Freeland?”

  “Yes. This upcoming case is going to take a lot of our time with research and paperwork. They are going to bury us in documentation.”

  She knew how it went. “I don’t want Ralph to win and if I pass this to someone else, they will brush it off.”

  “I understand. You have to pick your battles and your fights. I’ll give you a few weeks to get this taken care of or we’ll prep Michael to take it over.”

  “Michael is fresh out of college.”

  “And can handle this. He can win it and will because he’s eager to please. He won’t like the case, but he will do the work and get the outcome that you would have. You know that.”

  She did know that. Just because Michael wouldn’t have the compassion she did with the clients didn’t mean he wouldn’t do the right thing.

  “Okay. I’ll try to close what I can in the next week and get everything else ready to pass off to others if I can’t.”

  “Good. Glad to have you onboard for this.”

  By the end of the day, she’d been running so much she’d forgotten about her car and calling Nathan.

  She figured he’d be up by now since he’d have to be to work in an hour so she decided it was the best time to call.

  16

  More Attention

  Nathan wasn’t sure it was possible to be this pissed off.

  He’d gotten up and made food, showered, and started to pack up some clothes. He figured he’d get a start on it before Brina came over and helped finish up for the move this weekend.

  Normally he had a text from her when he woke up but was surprised there was nothing. He’d thought of calling her but figured she had to have been busy if she didn’t reach out to him.

  When she finally called and asked if he could give her a lift, he wasn’t real happy to find out the reason why and made it clear to her in his SUV.

  “Why didn’t you call me this morning when you noticed it?”

  “Because you were probably sound asleep. It’s not your jurisdiction anyway,” she said.

  “I cover all of Albany County. All you had to do was call me and I would have made a call to someone. Knowing it was me calling it in would have gotten it more attention.”

  Which he’d never done before and was shocked he was considering it now.

  “I don’t need special attention. My father is already upset over it. He tried to hide it as best as he could but it was obvious.”

  “I can understand that,” he said. And this was why he didn’t get in relationships. The worry and stress he hadn’t had in years were creeping up on him like a mugger in a back alley.

  First the whole business with rushing on the house, his cash flow, and now Brina getting her tires slashed.

  He’d already felt guilty he couldn’t give her the time he wished and hoped that things would slow down in the next week or so that he could pay more attention to her.

  “It’s fine. I’m sure I know who did it, but I could be wrong. Either way, I won’t be on that case anymore so if it is him, he’ll move onto someone else.”

  “What do you mean you won’t be on it anymore? Did they take you off because of this?” He’d never heard of that before.

  “No. I’m being put on something bigger and better. I’m torn because I hate not following through, but I know the results will be the same in the end. The partner that I report to is pulling me in on something huge. She could have asked so many others—probably better than me too—but she came to me.”

  “I’m sure you’re damn good at your job. What is it and why do you think she asked you?”

  He listened to what she said and realized that it was probably perfect for her. Something she could sink her teeth into and give it more than most others would. Not for the money, that she barely mentioned, but for the principle.

  For justice.

  And wasn’t that what he was drawn to the most of anyone in life? That he never seemed to find?

  “It’s going to take a lot of time, but in the beginning I won’t be as busy as I’ve been.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “It means I’m always so busy and ramming because I’m working on different cases and clients all the time. I’m always juggling things. But this is my priority. I’ll have other clients, but they are going to be minor things. Paperwork and phone calls, not really court cases. It means that I won’t be putting in sixty to seventy hours a week until we get closer to trial. Right now it’s all about data and finding facts and a history of things. Carol is the lead so I’m assisting. Court dates for now will be on her.”

  “So what you’re saying is you’ll have more time outside of work rather than less.”

  “That is what I’m saying,” she said. “So you should smile and not frown over my tires.”

  He was trying to forget about the tires but her bringing it up didn’t help. He’d push it aside for now. “Once I close next week, it will be the same for me.”

  “Would you look at that?” she said. “We might get on the same wavelength. That’s something to celebrate. Too bad you’ve got to go to work tonight,” she said, her hand moving over on his lap. He was already in uniform since he’d just go into work once he dropped her off.

  “Tomorrow is my last night, then we can celebrate.”

  “I’d like that,” she said. “And Friday night I said I’d help you pack the rest of everything up before you have the moving truck there on Saturday.”

  “I started packing my clothes this afternoon before you called.”

  “Sorry,” she said. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”

  “I’ll hold you to it,” he said and wondered why he was making plans like that when he never did before.

  Brina felt like she’d dodged a bullet with Nathan.

  She knew right away by the look on his face he wasn’t a happy camper about her tires. She didn’t understand it though. She was the one handing over her credit card, not him.

  At least he didn’t lecture her like her father tried to do. And wasn’t that what she wanted from a man? Someone that didn’t watch over every little thing? That didn’t tell her what to do and what she should do?

  By the time she got home, she was ready for a glass of wine and some food. She was going to celebrate in her own way on the case that Carol pulled her in on.

  What she didn’t expect to see was Nathan on her front porch with some tools in his uniform when she’d thought he’d gone to work.

  “What are you doing?” she asked, marching forward.

  “Putting a new camera doorbell on for you.”

  She wanted to growl, but the other part of her was oddly touched he cared enough. “I didn’t ask for that.”

  “Nope, you didn’t. And if you said no, I wouldn’t care. You’re getting it. If you’d had it already, it would have shown who did that to your car too.”

  She knew that but hated the invasion of her privacy. She always hated these things but understood the reason many got them too.

  “So if I remove this when you leave, then what?”

  “If you think you can, go at it,” he said, not looking at her.

  She’d touched a nerve and put her hand on his shoulder. “I’m sorry I snapped. It’s been a long day and you should be at work.”

  “They know I’ll be a little late. I’m almost done. You’re smart, you can figure out how to get this set up on your phone, I’m just installing it.”

  “How much do I owe you for it?” she asked, realizing there was no use arguing at this point. Sometimes she understood she had to just bite the bullet.

  “Nothing. This is peace of mind for me. I need it.”

  “So you care or are just doing your job?”

  He stood up and gripped her shoulders forcing her to look him in the eye. “Make no mistake of me doing my job and or caring about your safety. I’m pissed off this happened, but I also know there has been an influx of car break-ins and damage in your area.”

  “I didn’t know that,” she said.

  “You’d have no reason to, but I looked into it. Do you want me to help you move the crap in your garage to put your car in there before I go into work?” he asked.

  She didn’t know what to make of his demeanor right now. She wanted to say no she could handle it but then figured it might be a pissing match. The fact he asked was telling rather than stating he was doing it anyway.

  “If you’ve got time, we can just shift a few things. It won’t take much.”

  He nodded his head and then gave her a quick kiss on the lips. “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For not fighting me as much as I know you really wanted to.”

  “Why bother? I can compromise just like you are by not yelling at me as much as you’ve wanted to.”

  He let out a laugh. “Guess we know each other well.”

  When Nathan was gone twenty minutes later she was back to thinking of the case Carol put her on. Anything to take her mind off of what happened today.

  Normally she didn’t get excited like this and she wondered if the money was part of it. If they won this, she hoped she didn’t get greedy.

  Nah, it wasn’t in her to do it, but what she loved was that when she thought no one had her back, she realized that people really did.

  That her coworkers might give her shit, but those that mattered knew what she was about and could appreciate the work she did.

  She was just opening her bottle of wine when her phone went off. She picked it up to see a text from Nathan. Don’t get pissy with me over this statement. But I worry about you. Make sure your doors are locked up tight right now.

  How could he know her so well to know that she’d get ticked off if he hovered over her? Or that he still was hovering from earlier.

  She poured her wine, took a sip, then went to the front door with her phone and snapped a picture of her locking the front door. Then one of her locking the door to her garage.

  She sent them both to him saying, Happy now? All tucked in for the night.

  Almost immediately he replied back, Now enjoy your wine.

  How did he know she was having a glass? She’d always had beer with him. Then she remembered he’d made a comment in the past about her bottles on the wall. She didn’t have a lot of decorations, but she had a wine rack and then was all over his coffee bar and wine fridge addition to the new house.

  She snapped a picture of the wine and sent it with, Wishing you were here with me.

  The minute she hit send she wished she could have pulled it back faster than a rubber band snapping her fingers. Did that sound clingy? Did it sound needy?

  But did it even matter after he went out of his way to make sure she was safe and secure earlier? That he was annoyed that he was stressing over it and needed some peace for himself.

  That should be telling enough.

  In her mind it sounded like all the things she hated in other women and told herself she’d never be.

  When her phone buzzed she looked down to see, Me too. Then smiled.

  Guess she worried for nothing.

  17

  Meets The Definition

  “You didn’t wait for me,” Brina said when Nathan opened his door Friday. She’d snuck out early, ran home and changed and came over with an overnight bag to help Nathan finish packing up his house.

  They hadn’t been dating long, but she wanted to help him. Anything to spend time with him.

  She didn’t even mind helping him paint his new master suite last week one night after work. She was a little OCD about things in life—being on time not one of them—so she could understand his need to have one part of the house completely finished before he moved in.

  “I wasn’t having you pack up my underwear,” he said, tugging on her ponytail.

  “Why? I’ve seen it before. Cute boxer briefs that you fill out mighty fine.”

  “You see the good ones. Maybe I’ve got some holey ones in my drawer.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “Really? They might need to be thrown out.”

  “I’m a guy. We’ve got old holey clothes that we work in. No reason to ruin the good stuff.”

  “I hope you’re kidding with me,” she said, following him into his bedroom.

  “About old holey clothes? No. But I don’t think my jockeys are in that bad of shape. I just had time on my hands and wanted to get it done. I left the kitchen for you.”

  “Because I’m a woman?” she asked.

  “Because you wanted to help and I tackled this end of the house first.”

  “And we are sleeping on a mattress on the floor, I see.”

  “It was easier to just take the bed apart. Then when I get the moving truck in the morning I can start to load those things before Josh gets here.”

  “Is he the only one helping you? Besides me?”

  “Yeah. I didn’t want to ask, but he kept telling me to let him know when I was moving. Since his fiancée is my realtor, he knows the closing date is this week, so he figured I’d do this this weekend. There was no avoiding it.”

  “Why don’t you like to ask for help?” There was nothing to do in the master, she could see. Then she opened up his closet. “Ahh, I can pack your clothes in here.”

  “No,” he said. “They stay on the hangers. I’ve done this enough in my life. The clothes stay in the dresser, those on the hangers. I lay them on cloths in the truck and cover them up. Then all I need to do is bring them to the new closet and hang them up.”

  “Smart,” she said.

  “Again, I’ve done this enough times. And no, I don’t like to ask for a lot of help. I don’t like to feel indebted to anyone. But I helped Josh do a lot in his house and he feels like he still owes me.”

  “Because that is what friends do,” she said.

  “Yeah, I know.”

  “And girlfriends,” she said.

  He closed one eye at her. “Is that what you are?”

  She pinched his arm. “I don’t know,” she said and wished she hadn’t. She was the one that said she wanted fun and he agreed. What was she doing putting a status on what they had?

  Of course him installing security doorbells on her house with a snarl while he told her he cared for her pretty much sealed the deal. She supposed it was just words at this point.

  “It’s fine with me. If you looked it up in the dictionary what we have meets the definition,” he said, grabbing her side and giving it a little squeeze. She loved when he was playful like this and it was just another thing that reminded her what she had with Nathan was far more than she’d thought it was going to be.

  “We said just fun,” she reminded him.

  “And we do have it.” He looked around the room, then laughed. “Sometimes. Packing and moving isn’t all that much fun. Sorry about that.”

  “You can make it up to me later.”

  “I fully expect to. So we’re good?” he asked.

  “Yeah. I’m good with what we’ve got. Happy ever after isn’t something I’ve got my eye on.”

  “Me neither.”

  “Why?” she asked before she could stop herself.

  “Let’s just say I watched my parents’ marriage go from below average to nasty in a heartbeat.”

  “What happened? When did they divorce?” she asked. “You never talk much about your mother.”

  “I don’t know everything. She wasn’t faithful to my father when we were younger. I’m not sure how often, but they tried to hide it. My father is a forgiving man and they stayed together. But when Cassie died...she turned into a whore and pretty much made my father look like a fool.”

  “I had no idea.”

  She figured that’d go against everything he stood for and would explain why he might not have the best relationship with his mother now.

  “As if that wasn’t bad enough, she left my father and then tried to take him for everything. Her lawyers tried to dig up dirt on him and sully his good name.”

  “Ah, now I know why you hate lawyers so much.”

  “Not all lawyers,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “Some of them are pretty awesome people.”

  “Yes, we are,” she said, “but I know plenty that aren’t. Still, I hope she didn’t win.”

  “Not what she would have wanted. It cost my father a pretty penny in legal fees, but he managed to keep the house and custody of Dylan. I was in the service at that point. Dylan a senior in high school.”

  “I couldn’t imagine what your family went through. As if it wasn’t horrible enough losing Cassie, then the divorce.”

  “I was gone,” he said. “I felt for Dylan, but I couldn’t stay either. He couldn’t leave. We all have to do what works for us.”

  She wondered why he said he couldn’t stay. If it had to do with losing Cassie or the turmoil of what the family was going through. Or if it was something else he wasn’t saying.

  If there was one thing she’d learned about Nathan, it was that he didn’t say much and she was wondering why he was now.

  “And you came back,” she said.

  “I did.” He moved out of her arms. “You can only run so much. It didn’t change anything and my father and brother and I are close. Or as close as we can be. I guess they needed me as much as I might have needed them.”

  “You don’t see them often, do you?”

  “No, but that doesn’t mean we don’t care for each other. Or that we don’t still have a bond and connection that only the three of us have.”

  Honorable again. “Does Dylan talk to your mother?”

  “More than me, I’m sure. I don’t ask and he doesn’t offer. He’s forgiving like my father even though my father doesn’t talk to my mother. He tries to make excuses for her and I’ve made him stop over the years. Once a whore always a whore.”

  “Yikes. Have you said that to your father?”

  “No. That’s harsh even for me to say to his face. He loved her and he wanted to make things work. Even after what she did, he tried. She decided she couldn’t live in the house any longer after Cassie.”