“I’m sorry.”
“Prove it.”
Adam lifted an eyebrow in surprise. “Someone’s getting tough.”
“I’ve always been tough. You just haven’t wanted to deal with it.”
Adam looked impressed. “I admire your tenacity. And your self-confidence.”
Sinead tried to ignore the little voice in her head saying, He does like me! But the voice abruptly shut up when Adam, still smiling, said, “As your client, I forbid you to use the info that I’m helping Rick.”
Sinead was taken aback. “You forbid me?”
“You can use the rink, if you have to. I think that’s enough.”
“And I think that if your case goes to court, the fact that you value family can only help,” Sinead countered.
“You’re being insensitive.”
Sinead cocked her head, surprised. “How so?”
“Rick is a proud man. Think how he’s going to feel when it gets out that his little brother is helping him out financially. He’ll never forgive me. Our relationship is already rocky. You use that, and I’ll lose him.”
“I didn’t think about that,” Sinead admitted. “All right. I’ll leave it out. For now.”
“Thank you,” Adam said, looking relieved. “I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.”
For the first time since they’d “chatted” at her family’s bar, Sinead felt like he was letting down his guard just a bit.
Adam was staring at her quizzically. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Depends on what the question is, Mr. Perry.” Shit, did that sound flirty? She hoped it didn’t.
“Do I get any say in the info you intend to use for my case? Because as you may have deduced by now, I may not want you to reveal certain things.”
“Even if they’re things that could keep you out of jail? Or help insure your career doesn’t end?” Sinead leaned toward him. “I know what I’m doing, Adam,” she reiterated, hoping to reassure him. “I assume Ray called you after I left.”
Adam snorted. “Of course he did.”
“You look resentful.”
“Picking up on that, are you?”
Sinead bristled. “No need to be sarcastic. In my defense, let me start by pointing out that Ray could have turned me down when I asked to talk to him. So if you’re angry, be angry at him.”
“I am. Actually, pissed off would be more accurate.”
Sinead wanted to knock on the side of Adam’s head to see if it was hollow. He was being deliberately difficult. “Don’t you understand how significant it is that he spoke with me, even though he knew you wouldn’t like it? That says something.”
“Really? What does it say?”
“It says he loves you. He doesn’t want to see you get into legal trouble.”
Adam shrugged. “That doesn’t make me any less pissed off at him.”
“You want to talk about pissed off?” Sinead returned, trying to keep her temper in check. “I’m pissed at you . I asked you back in the beginning if there were any skeletons in your closet, and you said no. Sorry, Adam, but paralyzing your best friend is a pretty big skeleton.”
“It’s no one’s business,” Adam maintained stubbornly.
Sinead suppressed a growl of frustration. “It’s my business.” She paused. “Ray told me everything,” she said quietly.
Adam tensed. “What does that mean?”
“How you wanted to stop playing after the accident, because you thought it wasn’t fair you’d be the only one doing what you both dreamed of doing. He said you contemplated changing your style of play, but he talked you out of it.” She held his angry gaze. “He even told me how you help him out.”
Adam glared at her. “All of that stays between Ray and me, okay?”
“He was helping me get a better handle on who you are, Adam.”
“I’m the brutal bastard who paralyzed him,” Adam snapped. “What else is there to know?”
Sinead was taken aback by his self-loathing.
“He doesn’t hold it against you. You know that.”
“He’s a saint. If it were me, I’d hold it against him, believe me.”
“No, you
“Prove it.”
Adam lifted an eyebrow in surprise. “Someone’s getting tough.”
“I’ve always been tough. You just haven’t wanted to deal with it.”
Adam looked impressed. “I admire your tenacity. And your self-confidence.”
Sinead tried to ignore the little voice in her head saying, He does like me! But the voice abruptly shut up when Adam, still smiling, said, “As your client, I forbid you to use the info that I’m helping Rick.”
Sinead was taken aback. “You forbid me?”
“You can use the rink, if you have to. I think that’s enough.”
“And I think that if your case goes to court, the fact that you value family can only help,” Sinead countered.
“You’re being insensitive.”
Sinead cocked her head, surprised. “How so?”
“Rick is a proud man. Think how he’s going to feel when it gets out that his little brother is helping him out financially. He’ll never forgive me. Our relationship is already rocky. You use that, and I’ll lose him.”
“I didn’t think about that,” Sinead admitted. “All right. I’ll leave it out. For now.”
“Thank you,” Adam said, looking relieved. “I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.”
For the first time since they’d “chatted” at her family’s bar, Sinead felt like he was letting down his guard just a bit.
Adam was staring at her quizzically. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Depends on what the question is, Mr. Perry.” Shit, did that sound flirty? She hoped it didn’t.
“Do I get any say in the info you intend to use for my case? Because as you may have deduced by now, I may not want you to reveal certain things.”
“Even if they’re things that could keep you out of jail? Or help insure your career doesn’t end?” Sinead leaned toward him. “I know what I’m doing, Adam,” she reiterated, hoping to reassure him. “I assume Ray called you after I left.”
Adam snorted. “Of course he did.”
“You look resentful.”
“Picking up on that, are you?”
Sinead bristled. “No need to be sarcastic. In my defense, let me start by pointing out that Ray could have turned me down when I asked to talk to him. So if you’re angry, be angry at him.”
“I am. Actually, pissed off would be more accurate.”
Sinead wanted to knock on the side of Adam’s head to see if it was hollow. He was being deliberately difficult. “Don’t you understand how significant it is that he spoke with me, even though he knew you wouldn’t like it? That says something.”
“Really? What does it say?”
“It says he loves you. He doesn’t want to see you get into legal trouble.”
Adam shrugged. “That doesn’t make me any less pissed off at him.”
“You want to talk about pissed off?” Sinead returned, trying to keep her temper in check. “I’m pissed at you . I asked you back in the beginning if there were any skeletons in your closet, and you said no. Sorry, Adam, but paralyzing your best friend is a pretty big skeleton.”
“It’s no one’s business,” Adam maintained stubbornly.
Sinead suppressed a growl of frustration. “It’s my business.” She paused. “Ray told me everything,” she said quietly.
Adam tensed. “What does that mean?”
“How you wanted to stop playing after the accident, because you thought it wasn’t fair you’d be the only one doing what you both dreamed of doing. He said you contemplated changing your style of play, but he talked you out of it.” She held his angry gaze. “He even told me how you help him out.”
Adam glared at her. “All of that stays between Ray and me, okay?”
“He was helping me get a better handle on who you are, Adam.”
“I’m the brutal bastard who paralyzed him,” Adam snapped. “What else is there to know?”
Sinead was taken aback by his self-loathing.
“He doesn’t hold it against you. You know that.”
“He’s a saint. If it were me, I’d hold it against him, believe me.”
“No, you
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