Steal My Heart

Chapter 12

“ARE YOU sure you’re okay? I know I’ve been gone quite a bit, and I don’t want you to think I’m abandoning you.”

“I’m fine. I have my shows to watch. Besides, I’m happy you’re seeing someone and getting out of the house. You need a life of your own.”

“I know. But I don’t want you to spend all your time sitting in your chair with nothing to do.”

She waved at him. “I’m fine. The night is clear, and it’s going to be pretty. I may sit outside and look at the stars. I don’t get to do that very often. The dogs will be here after you walk them, and if there’s anything I need, I always have the telephone. Now go on and have yourself a nice evening.” Gran turned back to the television, but Brian stayed where he was. “Is something wrong?”

“I don’t know. Hill says that he’s going to take the state bar exam so he can practice here, but he still hasn’t said if he’s staying.” He sat down across from her. “Am I being really dumb? He could be leaving in a little while. It isn’t like he has anything to keep him here, and he could practice law back home. I’m starting to wonder if I’ve already let myself get in too deep and I’m going to end up shattered if he doesn’t decide to stay.”

Gran set down her cup on the table next to her. “But what if he does? You like him, and you two get along. What if he passes the exam and decides to open a practice out of the house? He could do that. The town could use a lawyer here. Usually we have to go to Ukiah or Fort Bragg for anything like that.”

“I know. But….” He was suddenly so unsure. “I mean… am I being stupid for not being more careful?”

Gran chuckled softly. “Do you know what happens to men who are careful when it comes to love? We have a word for them: bachelors. They may meet the right person, but by the time they decide and make their move, it’s too late. I don’t want you to be too late.” She leaned forward. “I can also tell you that hearts heal and people move on. The ones filled with regret are those who didn’t take the chance at all.” She patted his hand. “Go on and have yourself a fun night. Don’t worry about the doubt and stuff. Just let yourself be happy. You deserve it.” She smiled and released his hand. Brian thanked her and left the house, taking the dogs with him, walking down the street and over toward Hilliard’s.

THE DOGS pulled harder as he got closer, their excitement growing. They knew Hilliard was a soft touch for treats. Brian knocked on the door. All the lights were on, so he opened it and peered inside, calling.

“Hilliard?”

“Come on in,” he called.

“I hope it’s okay. I needed to take the dogs for a walk. They haven’t been out of the house much and—” He continued through the living room but stopped when he saw a strange man with an arm thrown over Hilliard’s shoulder. “I’m sorry….” He had no idea who this guy was. Maybe he should just leave.

“Of course the dogs are welcome.” Hilliard moved away and knelt down. Poppy and Gigi hurried over to get their pets and of course a bit of dog treat. “Hey, girls, are you being good for Beverly?” he crooned gently, and they swarmed over each other to give him kisses, generally in doggie heaven. Eventually Hilliard straightened up. “Brian, this is Al. He and I went to college together. Not to be confused with Alan. This guy isn’t a complete asshole.”

“Gee, thanks.” Al smirked.

“How long are you staying?” Hilliard hadn’t mentioned anything about having guests.

“I had a meeting in San Francisco with clients for a few days, and they got done early. So I figured I’d look up Hill here and see what he was up to. I had no idea the place you inherited was hours away from civilization. My God, it took forever to get here. There were times when I figured the guys from Deliverance were going to jump out of the trees at any moment.” He grinned as though he had made a joke. Brian didn’t get it. “I got a room at the Hill House for the night, and I’ll drive back to the city tomorrow.”

“Seems like a long way to say hello,” Brian said softly. He didn’t know why he was so suspicious. Maybe it was the way Al watched him with big dark eyes. The guy reminded Brian of a shark.

“Not really. I heard Hill inherited this house and figured that by now he had to be going stir-crazy.” He sipped from a glass of white wine. Brian was starting to wonder if he should go, except he didn’t trust this guy for a second and didn’t want Hilliard alone with him. This was a smooth talker who was used to getting whatever he wanted. Brian had met people like him in jail—guys who seemed all smiley, but behind your back, they would steal anything they could get their hands on.

“Like you said, it’s a long way to go.” Brian accepted a beer and thanked Hilliard. The dogs patrolled the kitchen, probably to see if there were any wayward snacks, before heading to the living room.

“You make it sound like I’m in the middle of nowhere,” Hilliard said. “Did you get a look at the view as you drove up? It’s gorgeous here, and though it’s a ways from the city, this town has everything I need.” Hilliard met Brian’s gaze with a slight wink. “Go on into the living room and I’ll be right in.”

Brian went in to find the dogs on the sofa, watching him. He sat down, and Gigi lay down to his right with Poppy on his left. They watched Al but made no effort to get his attention.

“How long have you lived here?” Al asked.

“Most of my life. I have my own business and help care for my grandmother,” Brian answered. “What do you do?”

“I’m a lawyer like Hill. He and I did prelaw together. We went to different law schools but took the bar at the same time.” Al looked toward the kitchen and called out, “I’m still trying to figure out how you got a better score than me.” The guy was teasing, but there was an edge in his voice, like he thought he should always be at the top of everything. “Hill clerked after law school, and then he and Alan opened their own practice. I joined a firm, and now I’m a partner.”

“Carter and Garrett,” Hilliard said as he came into the room with a plate of cheese and crackers that he set on the coffee table.

“Yeah. I’m doing a lot of work at the federal level now.” Like that meant anything to Brian, but it sounded impressive. “I heard about you and Alan.” He set his glass on the coffee table. “You know, when you come back to Cleveland, you should stop by and see me. I already talked to the other partners at my firm, and they would be interested in making a place for you. They all know your work, and a number of them have stood against you in court. They were more than a little impressed.”

Hilliard sat down. “They were good and well prepared.”

“But you still beat us more times than not,” Al said. “You won cases that you shouldn’t have a few times. Got the judges to see things in a slightly new way.” He sat back, one leg crossed over another as though he owned the world. “That got the attention of the rest of the firm.”

Brian felt the room go cold. This guy was here to offer Hilliard a job—and a good one, if Brian understood right. He should have known something like this would happen.

“I’m flattered, and I appreciate the offer….”

“This is what you’ve always wanted, remember? We both wanted the partnership in a big firm. You have clients who will come over just as soon as you return to the city. You’d be an asset. We all know it.”

Hilliard didn’t say yes, but he didn’t say no either, and there was a slight smile on his lips, and he leaned forward as though he wanted to hear more. It was the curiosity that caught Brian’s breath in his throat. He had always known somewhere deep down that Hilliard would be called back to his own life. There wasn’t all that much here for him, if Brian was honest. This was a small town tucked away on the rugged north coast of California, hours away from the things Hilliard would have come to expect. There were limited opportunities here, and now one had just come knocking from the outside. Brian couldn’t blame Hilliard for being interested.

“I do appreciate the offer,” Hilliard said with a smile.

“Then when I get back, I’ll talk to the others, arrange to fly you back so you can meet everyone, sit down, and talk some business. I think it would be a great change for us to work together, and you’ll like the firm. It’s everything we always wanted.” Al smiled again, and Brian stood.

“I think I should be going. There’s no need for me to interrupt your time together.” The truth was, he needed to get the hell out of here, and he couldn’t do it fast enough. Brian called the dogs toward the door and put their leashes on.

“Brian, I—” Hilliard began, but Brian cut him off.

“You have a good visit,” Brian told Al. “And I’ll see you.” He opened the door and stepped out into the night before striding home as quickly as he could.

brIAN HAD jobs lined up all day, and his clients didn’t need to see that he was more tired than before he went to bed. He drank his second cup of coffee and filled a large thermos with the rest of the pot before leaving the house and heading to his first job before he got interrogated about what happened… again. Gran was still in her bedroom, though he had heard her get up. He called to her from the door, and she told him to have a good day. Then he climbed into his truck and headed off toward his job in Little River, a few miles down the coast.

It was funny how a simple job could turn into more. He did all he could for Martin before he left, then made a list of additional items to complete on a return visit. After shaking Martin’s hand, he packed up and called his next client to let them know he was on his way.

As he approached the turn off the main road, his phone dinged with a message. He continued down the winding private drive, watching the numbers, before turning off and going up a steep incline to a home situated on the only bit of level ground. He climbed out and checked the message from Hilliard.

Do you want to meet for dinner? I have something to talk to you about. It was followed by a smiley face. Brian sighed and sent a thumbs-up before shoving his phone in his pocket and going to meet his client. This job also took longer than expected. Brian was glad he didn’t have spare time, because when he gave himself a moment, all he did was think about Hilliard and the fact that he was leaving.

By the time he finished his final stop of the day, twilight shone over the water. He made his way back toward Mendocino. It had been a long day, but profitable. He stopped just off the main road and messaged Hilliard that he was getting to town and going to clean up before coming over. Then he headed to Gran’s.

“Who kicked your dog?” Gran asked.

“What?”

“Why the long face? What happened—did someone cancel or give you a hard time?” Gran sounded about ready to kill.

“My jobs went fine.” Brian went right to the kitchen to grab a bottle of cold water, which he downed in a few gulps before tossing the empty into recycling.

“So it’s something else. Hilliard?” Gran asked.

“Just stay out of it.”

Gran smiled, following him with her eyes as he returned to the room. “So it is him. What happened?”

“A friend of his is in town to offer him a big job at his firm… back in Cleveland.” He made a face and wished he had just gone upstairs, because Gran was not going to let this go.

“Did he say he was taking the job?” Gran asked.

Brian shook his head. “But you should have seen his face, Gran. It was like Al was offering him everything he ever wanted, and all I could do was sit there. I felt like a fool. There’s nothing I can offer him here. It’s a small town, and….” He huffed. “I knew this would happen.”

Gran rolled her eyes. “Is Hilliard gone?”

“No.”

“Has he said he’s leaving?” Gran asked, and Brian shook his head. “Then you don’t know squat. So some guy came in here with a job offer. If you ask me, you need to give Hilliard a reason to stay and not come back here with your tail between your legs. If you want Hilliard, then win him. That’s what Chester did for me.”

“How?”

Gran wrinkled her nose. “First thing, go upstairs, shower, and get cleaned up, because you stink. Then put on something nice and maybe a little sexy. Then go over there and give him a reason to stay.” She winked.

“He said he had something to tell me.” Brian just knew it was something he didn’t want to hear and was trying to put it off.

“Then go clean up and find out what it is. You’re just assuming that you know and catastrophizing. Stop it. Go over and see what he has to say.” She shook her head. “It may be something good. Now go before my nose decides to run for the hills, because you stink.” She waved him away, and Brian trudged upstairs and went right to the bathroom.

Gran was right: he stank. As soon as he stripped off and got under the water, he started to feel better. At least he was clean and could get his heart broken without smelling like a swamp.

“TAKE THE dogs with you,” Gran said as Brian got ready to leave. She was still sitting in her chair, and Brian wondered if she was in pain. Sometimes she barely got out of the chair, and he was getting worried that if she didn’t get up and move around more often, she wouldn’t be able to at all. “And stop in the garden to cut some flowers to take with you.”

“Gran,” Brian said, rolling his eyes. “That’s so… predictable.”

“Then do things your way,” she said. “But take the dogs. They need to go out, and a walk will do them good.” She slowly got out of her chair and headed toward the kitchen.

“I can make you something to eat before I go.”

“I’m fine. You go and have some fun. I’ll have a light dinner.” She waved him off, and Brian got the leashes, admonishing the dogs that tangling them around his legs was not nice, especially when Poppy decided to immediately try running in circles around him.

“Stop,” he said sharply. Poppy sat, looking up at him with her big eyes, probably wondering why he had paused her fun. She blinked while he untangled the lead and then got Gigi’s on. “Bye, Gran.”

“Have fun, sweetheart,” she called back, and he stepped out into the cool, slightly damp evening air.

“Come on. Let’s go see Hilliard and find out what he wants.” He led them down the street, the dogs half prancing with excitement. As soon as they caught sight of the house, both dogs began pulling, trying to tug him closer. As Brian approached the front door, Hilliard opened it, and Brian let the dogs run right up to Hilliard, who lavished them both with attention.

He waited for Brian and ushered them all inside, then took off the leads and let the dogs roam the house. “I guess they’re excited.”

“They were in the house most of the day and needed some exercise.” Brian smiled as Hilliard swept him into a hug and then kissed him. Within a fraction of a second, all his concerns flew from his mind as Hilliard held him tightly, deepening the kiss until he couldn’t think straight.

Brian held still, holding Hilliard in return, hoping like hell that his knees didn’t give out. “What was that for?” he asked when Hilliard backed away a few seconds later. “I mean….”

“I missed you, and….” Hilliard’s breath came in pants, and Brian smiled. He loved the way Hilliard’s eyes glassed over and the way he tilted first to one side and then the other like he was off-balance and his head spun as much as Brian’s did.

“Okay. I like that you did.” He rested his head on Hilliard’s shoulder. Then he straightened up. “How did the visit go with your friend?” Brian needed to know what was happening there, and he was already bracing for bad news.

“Okay. We talked, and then he went back to his inn for the night. He and I had breakfast this morning, and then he headed back to the city.”

Brian nodded. “I wasn’t sure how long he was going to stay.” He might have said, but Brian’s mind had been on other things, like Hilliard’s job offer and him moving away. “Do you have calls and stuff scheduled?”

“What for?”

“His job offer?” Brian felt confused.

“God, I would never work with Al. He would drive me crazy. Way too competitive, and not in a good way. Every case that he won would be compared to the cases I won. It would be a dick-measuring contest for the rest of my life.” Hilliard grinned. “And we both know that mine is bigger.” Brian snickered, because that was something he couldn’t argue with. “Besides, yeah, I think I’d have loved working at a large law firm with their resources, but I got too used to being my own boss. I liked calling the shots and deciding if I wanted to take on a client or not. I did pro bono work because I believed in the client, but all that would be up to the managing partner instead of me.” He sighed. “Big firms have their advantages, but in the end it’s all about the bottom line.”

“So you aren’t leaving?” Brian asked, finally allowing himself the chance to voice his real concern.

“Not to work with Al. He’s a good friend, but nothing more than that, and I’m not going to take a job with his firm. Yeah, I bet they’d like to have me, and that feels pretty good, but I’m still trying to figure out what would make me happy.” Hilliard held Brian’s shoulders in his big hands. “If I’m honest, being here with you makes me happy, but if I stay here, I’m going to spend the rest of my life writing wills and doing property deeds. I loved being in the thick of things, arguing cases, because that’s what I’m really good at.” He looked around the room.

“Then you need to go where you can get what you need,” Brian said, darkness closing in around his mood.

“That’s just it—I don’t know if there is a place like that, so I’m trying to figure out what I want to do. I know I need to make a decision soon….” He sighed and pulled away, walking toward the kitchen. “This probably sounds really stupid, but so far things have just happened as far as my career. It was Alan’s idea to open the firm, and he was the real force behind it. I wanted to build a firm, and together I thought we would both get what we wanted. It didn’t work out that way.” He stopped. “I love it here, and I love the people here.” Hilliard kept his gaze glued on Brian to the point that he tugged at his collar. “I just want to make sure that I make the right decision.”

Brian could understand that. “So is this… whatever is between us just filler until you figure out what you want?” It always seemed like his life was on hold because of what someone else wanted or did.

“No,” Hilliard said firmly and closed the gap between them. “That is not what’s happening. I would never do that to anyone. I just need a chance to get my crap together. Okay?” Damn the man and his puppy-dog eyes. “Anyway, I have some good news. There’s a festival this weekend, and I have it on good authority—mainly from Ruth—that Violet’s son Frank is going to be staffing one of the booths for the local baseball league, and I thought that we might be able to get a few minutes to talk to him. I also think that if he’s there, then it’s likely his kids will be as well, and maybe we can talk to them and their friends.”

“How are we going to do that? They aren’t going to want to have anything to do with me.”

“No, they probably aren’t. But once we talk to Frank, maybe we can talk to the other parents. They’ll all be there.”

“And they’ll be busy,” Brian countered.

“True. But word has definitely gotten around, and I have a few tricks up my sleeve.” He grinned. “Besides, I have a way of getting people to open up. Remember Violet? Just leave it to me.”

“Do you even want me there?” Brian asked. “Maybe they’ll talk to you if I’m not around.”

Hilliard shook his head. “I want them to look you in the eye and tell their stories. Someone here robbed Violet and pinned it on you. I want to see who flinches first.”

“Okay,” Brian said. “Are we going to have dinner?”

Hilliard pulled him until they were chest to chest. “I was thinking we could start with dessert.” He kissed Brian hard, making the earth move under his feet, before backing away and leading Brian toward the stairs.