take a step back and really evaluate what’s happening,” Tucker said. “I think you’re painting Angel with the wrong brush.”
Justin shook his head. “Trust me. I’m not. You may be disappointed, but you’ll thank me later.”
“Thank you?” Tucker shook his head. “Highly doubtful. You’ve got to get past this hang-up. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life just looking at your naked ass. I have a bad feeling we’re making a mistake here.”
“The biggest mistake we could make is not hiring a shark and end up losing everything.” Justin pounded his fist on the filing cabinet, his rage barely controlled. “If it turns out we’re wrong about Angel, we can always try to patch things up later. And that’s a big if.”
“Here’s another one,” Tucker told him. “ If she’s still interested.”
****
Angel drove back to the office so blinded by tears she could hardly see where she was driving. But the tears were nothing compared to the sharp pain in her heart. She could hardly believe they’d been so quick to turn against her. Where was the trust, she’d asked them, Apparently, all on her side because if the situation were reversed, she’d believe in them. If only they’d given her the time to tell them they meant more to her than any job. She was a good attorney. She could quit Martinez & Devlin. She was sure other firms would hire her.
But Justin, the deepest of the twins, had let his anger get the best of him and that was that. There had to be something more behind his stubborn refusal to listen, but she hadn’t been in any mood to beg and plead with them for answers. They had their pride, and she had hers. Right now, hers was in shreds. This was far worse than the Brad and Hal episode. Because this time she was really in love.
She managed to get to her office without anyone stopping her, closed her door, and collapsed on the couch. She just couldn’t seem to stop crying, a totally foreign situation for her. And she was still a sodden crumpled mess when Kari barged in more than an hour later.
“Jesus, Angel.” She stopped in front of the couch and stared at her friend. “What the hell’s going on? Masterson said you were supposed to see him in his office, and he’s been raising holy hell. I was in there just now, going over some depositions with him, and he finally all but ordered me to come find you. I didn’t dare tell him you’d left the office. What’s the deal?”
Blowing her nose and wiping her eyes, Angel explained in halting sentences what had happened with the lawsuit and the scene with the twins. She couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down her face.
Kari brought her a glass of water from the pitcher near her desk and sat down next to her on the couch. “First of all, I think you should go home. To hell with Masterson. I’ll tell him you’re sick. You certainly look like it.”
“But—”
“No buts.” Kari’s voice was firm. “And I’m taking you out the back way. No argument,” she added when Angel started to protest. “Are you okay to drive?”
Angel nodded. “I’m not that far gone.”
“Okay. Go on home. I’ll cover things here. And fix yourself a good strong drink. That always helps.”
But Angel knew it would take more than a drink to fix this mess. And to mend her broken heart.
Chapter Eight
“I just don’t know what to do.”
Angel sat in the living room of the Halliday ranch with a very pregnant but sympathetic Katie Reece and an equally sympathetic Liz Wright. These women had become her close friends so she turned to them in her anguish. She’d called into the office to tell them she was sick, not caring if Masterson had a fit or not. The truth was, she really was sick. At heart.
Kari had stopped by every day, but she didn’t have the kind of advice Angel needed. She needed to talk to people who knew Justin and Tucker. Who understood the complexities of the the two men and could give her good advice
Justin shook his head. “Trust me. I’m not. You may be disappointed, but you’ll thank me later.”
“Thank you?” Tucker shook his head. “Highly doubtful. You’ve got to get past this hang-up. I don’t want to spend the rest of my life just looking at your naked ass. I have a bad feeling we’re making a mistake here.”
“The biggest mistake we could make is not hiring a shark and end up losing everything.” Justin pounded his fist on the filing cabinet, his rage barely controlled. “If it turns out we’re wrong about Angel, we can always try to patch things up later. And that’s a big if.”
“Here’s another one,” Tucker told him. “ If she’s still interested.”
****
Angel drove back to the office so blinded by tears she could hardly see where she was driving. But the tears were nothing compared to the sharp pain in her heart. She could hardly believe they’d been so quick to turn against her. Where was the trust, she’d asked them, Apparently, all on her side because if the situation were reversed, she’d believe in them. If only they’d given her the time to tell them they meant more to her than any job. She was a good attorney. She could quit Martinez & Devlin. She was sure other firms would hire her.
But Justin, the deepest of the twins, had let his anger get the best of him and that was that. There had to be something more behind his stubborn refusal to listen, but she hadn’t been in any mood to beg and plead with them for answers. They had their pride, and she had hers. Right now, hers was in shreds. This was far worse than the Brad and Hal episode. Because this time she was really in love.
She managed to get to her office without anyone stopping her, closed her door, and collapsed on the couch. She just couldn’t seem to stop crying, a totally foreign situation for her. And she was still a sodden crumpled mess when Kari barged in more than an hour later.
“Jesus, Angel.” She stopped in front of the couch and stared at her friend. “What the hell’s going on? Masterson said you were supposed to see him in his office, and he’s been raising holy hell. I was in there just now, going over some depositions with him, and he finally all but ordered me to come find you. I didn’t dare tell him you’d left the office. What’s the deal?”
Blowing her nose and wiping her eyes, Angel explained in halting sentences what had happened with the lawsuit and the scene with the twins. She couldn’t stop the tears from rolling down her face.
Kari brought her a glass of water from the pitcher near her desk and sat down next to her on the couch. “First of all, I think you should go home. To hell with Masterson. I’ll tell him you’re sick. You certainly look like it.”
“But—”
“No buts.” Kari’s voice was firm. “And I’m taking you out the back way. No argument,” she added when Angel started to protest. “Are you okay to drive?”
Angel nodded. “I’m not that far gone.”
“Okay. Go on home. I’ll cover things here. And fix yourself a good strong drink. That always helps.”
But Angel knew it would take more than a drink to fix this mess. And to mend her broken heart.
Chapter Eight
“I just don’t know what to do.”
Angel sat in the living room of the Halliday ranch with a very pregnant but sympathetic Katie Reece and an equally sympathetic Liz Wright. These women had become her close friends so she turned to them in her anguish. She’d called into the office to tell them she was sick, not caring if Masterson had a fit or not. The truth was, she really was sick. At heart.
Kari had stopped by every day, but she didn’t have the kind of advice Angel needed. She needed to talk to people who knew Justin and Tucker. Who understood the complexities of the the two men and could give her good advice
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