Game On (Entwined Hearts) (18 page)

“My God.” Jenny’s smile was wide and honest. “For real?” She waved her hands in the air. “All three of you?”

Angela nodded, uncertain of what to say.

“That’s awesome. And greedy.” Jenny let out a deep sigh. “You broke a hundred hearts, you know. Plenty of women had their eyes on both of them. And you snatched them away all for yourself.” She went to the side table and picked up the folders. “I’m envious.”

Angela watched her head for the file cabinets. “That’s it?” She frowned. “You’re not going to pepper me for details?”

Jenny yanked hard on a drawer. “Why would I?”

“Because—” Angela stood up and crossed the room. “Because some people would find it rather unusual.”

“Not me.” Jenny pushed a folder down. “Remember, I was the one who brought it up to you first.” She paused. “Is that where you got the idea?”

“Maybe,” Angela admitted. “It did factor into my decision.”

“Cool.” Jenny closed the top drawer and knelt to pull the second one open. “If it works for you, who am I to judge? Besides”—she gave Angela a sly wink—“sets a precedent for me to point to if I find two good men. If you three can make it work, why not the rest of us?”

Angela paused, taken aback by the honest reply.

Why not indeed.

It was the first real snowfall of the season, and of course it had to be on her moving day.

Angela scowled as she stood on her mother’s porch and looked up into the gray sky. “You have got to be kidding me.”

Jake walked past her, carrying one of the boxes he’d taken into the house months ago. “I know. Snow in November? What madness is this?” He laughed as he headed for the moving truck.

“Don’t you start.” She wagged a finger after him. “You know I’ve never been a big fan of snow.”

“I don’t remember that,” Hunter said as he came out, lugging a pair of suitcases. “I remember you loving to play in the snow.” He leered at her before walking down the steps.

“No, you liked that. Getting to cop a feel under the pretense of trying to clean it off my front.” Angela wrapped her arms around herself and shivered despite the thick cardigan she wore.

Mary-Ann came out of the house and stood beside her. “It’s not all bad. And you’re only going over a few streets. Not like you’re driving to another city or state.” She looked up into the sky. “Piffle. This is nothing compared to the Thanksgiving blizzard in 1993.” One hand went out to pull Angela into a tight hug. “Still means I’m going to miss you.”

“I’m going to miss you, too. Even though we’re within walking distance.” Angela bit her lower lip to try to keep her emotions at bay. “Are you going to be okay?”

“Me?” Her mother laughed, rubbing her eyes with one hand. “I’m looking forward to a little peace and quiet. Forgot how damned noisy it is having you around. Not to mention having these two dropping by at all times of the day and night to say hello and ‘check in’ on you when they’re not taking you out to dinner.” She looked over as Jake and Hunter continued to pack the truck. “At least you didn’t try to sneak the pair of them up into your room.”

Jake let out a rough laugh as he passed them. “You didn’t tell her?”

Angela held her breath, hoping Mary-Ann hadn’t heard.

The older woman shook her head. “I don’t want to know. There’s only so far my imagination can take me, and then my mind shuts down.” She smiled. “Don’t be a stranger. You’re all coming over for the holidays. Hunter,” she raised her voice, “can you sign your father out for a meal or two? Would he be okay coming for Christmas? Love to have him join us.”

“Sure can. I’ll mention it to him when I go over tomorrow. He’d love to visit.” The dark-haired man wiped his forehead, which was wet from sweat despite the light snow falling. “I’ll talk to his doctor, but the new medication is working out. Don’t see why he can’t come out for a day.”

“Good.” Mary-Ann kissed Angela on the cheek. “I’m going to go put the kettle on for tea. When your men finish up, come on in for some pie and a drink before you leave.” She raised a finger before Angela could answer. “And I won’t take no for an answer. You’ve got the truck rented for the entire day. You can afford a few minutes for a decent snack.”

“Like I’m ever going to refuse a piece of pie.” Hunter grunted as he took another box from Jake and put it on the truck. “Maybe we can get the rest to go. Have something to nibble on later.” He waggled his eyebrows at Angela, enjoying her shocked expression. “Why, what are you thinking of?”

Jake let out a series of choked laughs as he passed by the two women.

Mary-Ann groaned and turned, her face already scarlet. “Maybe I should give you a pair of leashes and dog collars for Christmas.”

Angela raised one eyebrow and looked at Hunter.

He blew her a kiss and barked twice.

“There’s the last of it.” Jake wiped his hands together as he came down the stairs. “How did you end up with less to move in than I did?”

Angela looked up from the couch. “Better packing.” She kicked off her running shoes and stretched out the length of the black leather cushions. “God, my feet hurt. Been sitting in a chair too long.”

Hunter took a seat at the end and began massaging her feet, his body heat surging at the simple touch. “You’ll be better after a good soak in the tub.” He looked at Jake. “Be an excellent time to test out the snorkel equipment.”

Angela paused, unsure if they were kidding or not.

Jake was the first to break, a wide grin revealing the joke.

“Perverts.” She let out an exaggerated sigh, fanning herself. “I do believe I may have to reconsider my sleeping arrangements. I’m not sure I’m the right woman for what you might have in mind.”

Hunter’s thumbs hit a sensitive spot on her sole, and she moaned in relief.

“You’re the right woman,” he said in a low, hungry voice. “Jake, get the water running.”

As Jake headed up the stairs with a laugh, Hunter peeled off one sock and then the other, tossing them onto the floor.

His fingers ran along her feet, edging up onto her ankles and under her jeans.

Angela raised an eyebrow. “You’re not going to get anywhere like that.” She placed one foot against his crotch and wiggled her toes. “Although this position has its advantages.”

His gasp fueled the desire building in her, kindled by the sensual foot massage.

Hunter took a firm hold on her ankle. “Seems to me we’ve failed to welcome you to your new home properly.” His eyes narrowed as he pulled her toward him. “You haven’t seen the upstairs yet.”

“I’ve seen the bedroom,” she replied.

“Yes. Yes, you have.” Hunter got to his feet and tugged her up against him. “But I was referring to the bathroom.” His hand went to the back of her neck and caressed the soft skin. “We all need to clean up, and there’s no better time than the present to baptize the new additions.”

As if on cue, Jake appeared at the top of the stairs. “Water’s running.” He scowled at Hunter. “She’s still wearing her clothes. Do I have to do everything?”

Hunter laughed and pulled Angela’s Penn State shirt over her head before tossing it to the ground. He followed suit before nudging her to the stairs, where Jake stood, still shaking his head.

“Lousy pass, Coach. My turn to make the play.” Jake reached out for her. “May I help you out of your clothing and escort you into the bathroom?”

Angela took his hand and allowed him to lead her into the bedroom.

“We’ve got a few minutes while the tub is filling.” Jake placed his hands on her hips. “It’s good to have you here.”

“Good to be here.” She wriggled as he undid her jeans. “Feels like home already.”

“I agree.” His hand cupped her through her panties.

“Don’t you dare start anything!” Hunter’s shout came from the bathroom. “The tub’s almost full, and I don’t want to waste it.”

“Killjoy,” Jake grumbled as he withdrew his hand.

He stripped Angela of her remaining clothing in less than a minute, not giving her time to speak or do anything other than throw her hands onto his shoulders for support.

“I’m waiting!”

Jake shucked his own sweaty clothing and took her hand again. “We’re coming.”

“Damned well better not be.” The answering growl had her giggling.

Angela opened her mouth to say something but was struck dumb as they walked into the bathroom.

She’d had some input into the design, but the execution was miles away from the scratched-out lines on the page.

“It’s—” She took in the setting, unable to articulate her thoughts.

The large ceramic tub was still there from her first visit but now stood in a corner, raised on a marble dais. New shelves held a variety of beauty products, all ones she knew and loved, ready to be used.

Hunter’s voice came to her from the side. “You liked it so much, we figured it’d be a lovely place for you to relax when you’re not with us. Give you a little private space.” He came into sight, pointing at the pale pink shower curtain tastefully tied to one side. “You can pull this around you and have a bit more, if you want.”

She reached out and drew her hand along the smooth porcelain surface.

Jake cleared his throat. “And the new shower stall has multidirectional jets, so you can get hammered from all sides.”

Hunter let out a groan.

Angela looked at the renovated stall. It’d been tripled in size and had new white-and-black tiling. “Where did you get the room?” The washroom had doubled in size, possibly tripled with the renovations.

“We took out the linen closet in the hall and stole a little from the bedrooms,” Jake said. “Added enough space for everything we wanted.”

Angela walked over to the new bathtub, a massive structure set in another corner. It was filled to the brim with steaming water, white foam covering most of the surface. The pleasant aroma of her bubble bath hung in the air as she studied the triangular tub, each corner set up with a low seat.

“This way.” Jake came up behind her and put his hands around her waist. “We can all sit and bitch about our day together. Or”—he walked her forward—“two of us can have some fun with plenty of room to spare.”

She clapped her hands, giddy with the sight. “It’s wonderful. I can’t wait.”

“Let’s not.” Hunter stepped up and climbed into the water, having shed his clothing sometime earlier. He reached out his hand. “Come and relax.”

“At your command,” she murmured as she stepped into the heated water and went to one corner to sit down.

Hunter took the second seat.

Jake scrunched up his nose as he settled into the third seat. “Not sure I want to smell like this when I go in to work.” His expression changed. “Oh, wait. I won’t.” He leered at Angela. “I’ll smell like you.”

She laughed and flicked water at him. “Maybe I won’t let you do anything.” She stretched out her foot and teased his leg, much as she’d done downstairs with Hunter earlier. “Maybe I’ll sleep alone tonight.”

“Not going to happen.” The feral growl from Jake froze her in place, and she swallowed, remembering how intense he could be.

Hunter grunted as he sank in the water, the steam rising to cover them with a thin sheen of sweat. “Rest now.” He winked at Angela. “Fun later.”

The next morning she woke up disoriented and alone.

It took her a second to realize where she was and where they had gone. Angela recalled a faint kiss on her cheek as Jake had murmured his good-byes on his way to a morning shift.

Hunter had an early practice scheduled and had done the same, leaving her alone in the large bed.

A glance at the bedside clock, and she sighed.

Time for work.

She stretched out, reveling in the extra space. Even a king-size bed could seem small when you had three people in it.

Angela winced as some muscle aches surfaced, evidence of their first night together as housemates.

She chuckled, remembering the fun in the tub that had carried over into the bed. It’d taken an effort to throw down towels to sop up the overflow of water later on, the trail of soggy cloth leading to the bedroom door.

Now that no one had to leave, she could look forward to many, many more nights of shared baths and enjoyable evenings.

Angela dug herself out of the blankets and headed for the shower, running her fingers through her long, tangled hair.

Time for work.

Then time for play.

She smiled, realizing this was now the norm for her.

For the rest of her life.

A month later, Angela hummed a holiday tune as she finished cleaning the tiny bathroom mirror and tossed the soiled rag in the garbage bin. She had come in early to clean up the premises—she couldn’t afford a cleaning service, and she’d be damned if her visitors walked into a filthy office.

First impressions were everything. If a lawyer kept a messy office, dirt and grime everywhere, it didn’t reflect well on the lawyer’s abilities to serve her clients well.

At least in Angela’s mind.

It didn’t take long to dust and sweep, make sure the bathroom was pristine, and keep the toilet paper supply topped off. A fresh pot of coffee with new creamer and clean mugs, and she was ready to face the day.

Angela walked to the front and flipped the
CLOSED
sign on the door before unlocking it. A light smattering of snow had fallen overnight, creating an idyllic small-town portrait outside her window.

She knew it wasn’t going to last. In the next hour, the snow would be ground underfoot and turned into a gray slush, soaking her boots and rendering the picture-perfect scene into something akin to a horror movie. Her car, parked nearby, had already accumulated a white coat, thanks to blowing snow coming from the roofs of nearby buildings, and she’d have to brush it off before driving home.

Now she had to deal with the inevitable question of what to buy Jake and Hunter for Christmas.

The tiny bell over her door rang as it opened, drawing Angela up and away from her thoughts. “Good morning,” Angela automatically said as she got to her feet, not recognizing the stranger.

He stood about six feet tall with short dark hair, the light blue dress shirt countering the black suit and matching tie. He had about twenty years on her, in his fifties with the crow’s-feet around his eyes giving him an air of wisdom. The man carried a briefcase and looked slightly off-kilter, as if not expecting to find her working as her own receptionist.

He looked at her, and she resisted the urge to run her fingers through her hair and check she hadn’t dribbled syrup on her light yellow blouse, courtesy of Hunter’s breakfast pancakes.

“Can I help you?” she asked.

He nodded, the inspection over. “I hope so. Are you Angela Kenzie?”

“Yes—yes, I am.” She motioned him to a chair. “Please. May I offer you a coffee?”

He paused, and she saw the mental wheels turning, the gentle offer being evaluated and weighed. “No, thank you.”

Angela put on her best smile. “What can I do for you today, Mr.—?”

“Kittnany. Gordon Kittnany.” He opened his briefcase and took out a business card, which he slid across the desk to her. “I represent Kittnany, Kittnany, and Brown.” One edge of his mouth twitched upward. “You may have heard of us.”

Angela picked up the gold-embossed card and studied it, her curiosity piqued even as her heart raced at the revelation. “I have. A family business going back five generations. One of the bigger legal firms in the United States with main offices based in Baltimore, New York City, and Los Angeles.” She gave him her best smile. “Yes. I’ve heard of you.”

His stoic face gave no indication he was impressed with her knowledge. “You know we’ve built a reputation on supporting the common man, giving him a voice against the corporations. Civil lawsuits that give our clients financial and emotional stability, knowing justice has been done. We’ll work a case for years until it’s finished and do our best by those who hire us to stand for them in the courtroom.”

It was hard for her to listen to his pitch, her mind trying to create scenarios that would bring a man of his stature into town. This wasn’t a firm that dealt with drunk driving charges or fought speeding tickets.

Why the hell are you here in Glen Barrow?

She kept the question to herself.

“But enough about us.” Gordon surveyed the small office before turning toward her again. “I’d like to discuss your time in Philadelphia with Bentley and Forsythe.”

Angela fought to keep her voice stable, a flash of fear racing through her veins at the mention of her old firm. “Excuse me?”

He cleared his throat. “I’m sorry. I guess I should lay it out a bit clearer.” He smiled at her. “You’ll have to forgive me. Usually we send someone else to make contact like this, someone local who’s familiar with the area and the people.” Gordon glanced out the window as snow fell, fogging up the view of the street. “But I was curious about what drew you back to your hometown and out of the big city. Now that I’ve been here overnight, I can see the appeal.”

“You came in last night?” she asked.

“Yes, drove in yesterday after finishing up work and got a room at the Touchstone Hotel. It came highly recommended by one of our clients.” He laughed. “I’ll admit I dropped a few coins at the slot machines before I drove out this morning.”

She nodded, trying hard not to think about what came to mind when she remembered that particular hotel.

“I can see why you came home after leaving Philadelphia. Glen Barrow is a charming little town. But I’m curious why you decided to open up your own business.” He arched an eyebrow. “Your clientele would seem to be very different from what you were used to dealing with at Bentley and Forsythe.”

It took only a few seconds to compose her answer. She wasn’t worried about impressing this man.

“I saw a niche that needed to be filled.” She pointed at the front window and the street outside. “People here had to travel out of town to find a lawyer, and most of the time, they’d end up being overcharged and underserved because of a lack of local connections. Here, I know the judge, the prosecutor, the man working the parking booth. It makes it easier to get work done when all sides know and respect each other.” Angela smiled. “People know me or know of me, so they trust me to do what’s right by them. They know I’ll get the best deal I can and do what’s right for all involved. And I won’t charge them an arm and a leg for it. At times I’ve accepted casseroles as partial payment for my services.” She rapped her knuckles on the table. “Here, I serve the little guy, take them through a system that’s sometimes hard to understand and difficult to navigate. Justice is for everyone and should be accessible by everyone, no matter if you’re rich or poor.” She caught herself, embarrassed by her long speech. “Excuse me. I tend to ramble on at times.”

Gordon chuckled. “No, no. It’s in line with what we heard about you, about your personality.” He cleared his throat. “Did you know your ex-fiancé has been fired?”

She blinked, taken aback by the mention of Eric. “No. No, I did not.”

“It seems he chose the wrong woman to have a liaison with—the senior partner’s daughter. Once his indiscretions became known, he was immediately let go. However, I’m not here to discuss his broken reputation.” He withdrew a blue file folder from his briefcase and placed it on the desk. “I’m here to offer you a job.”

“Excuse me?”

Gordon entwined his fingers and placed them on one knee. “Miss Kenzie, my brothers and I have been watching you since you passed the bar near the top of your class. We considered making you an offer, but we wanted to see how you handled yourself in the real world, away from the academics.” He waved one hand in the air. “People have different levels of social skills. They can be excellent when it comes to research but unable to articulate a case in front of a jury, maybe able to do an excellent job at cross-examination but awful when it comes to relating to the client. This doesn’t mean they’re bad lawyers, but it does restrict where and how they can fit into our firm. The best way, we’ve found, is to sit and watch as someone’s career progresses and their strengths develop, overshadowing any flaws or correcting them. You—” He looked at the file. “You were good from the start. Before we could prepare an offer, you disappeared, went off our radar and everyone else’s in Philadelphia. It was as if you hadn’t existed. Your firm covered up your departure with some weak excuse about you coming back to take care of your sick mother.”

Angela worked hard to contain the blaze of anger surging through her veins. “My mother was, and is, healthy and fine.” She clenched her jaws, forcing herself to stay calm. “I left due to personal issues.”

“Yes. We know.” He locked eyes with her, keeping her in place. “We did our research on you and your current situation. You’ve done an excellent job for your clients. You care about your people and you do what you can to the best of your abilities despite being hampered by”—he gestured at the nearby walls—“your resources.” Gordon held his hand up before she could reply. “It’s not meant as an insult.”

She placed her hand on the blue file folder to keep her fingers from trembling. “You said you wanted to offer me a job.”

“Yes. In Baltimore. One of our people is retiring, and we’re looking for some fresh blood, someone who gets right back up after being knocked down. A person who doesn’t mind working on the cases that aren’t going to generate sound bites, get their pictures on the daily news feed. A person who puts their clients ahead of their personal needs. And we think that person is you.”

He stood up, and Angela instinctively did the same.

“We’d like you to start in January. That’s six weeks from now, depending on how long it takes you to wrap up your current caseload. If you need more time, we can discuss an extension.” He gestured at the folder, which was still under her palm. “All the details are inside. I’ll be staying at the Touchstone Hotel for the next two days before returning to Baltimore. We’d like a decision within the week. If you have any questions or need clarification on the details, please call me.” Gordon turned and strode to the door. He stopped and looked back. “We hope you’ll take us up on the offer. Our firm would greatly benefit from a woman as strong and as determined as you are.”

She gave him a polite nod before he walked out, leaving her confused and bewildered. Angela opened the folder and looked at the typewritten pages. She blinked, her mind fogging up like a bathroom mirror during a hot shower.

I can’t—

This is—

She closed the folder and forced herself to breathe as slowly as she could. A car engine started nearby, and Angela knew it was Gordon’s, the rental car taking him back to the hotel and out of Glen Barrow.

But not out of her life.

She looked around the small office, sensing the walls closing in on her. A year ago, this would have been a glorious offer, a dream job. Now—

Now she had a choice to make.

Angela knew one thing: This wasn’t a decision to be made lightly. Or alone.

It took a few minutes to close her laptop, turn off the coffee machine, place a fast phone call to Jenny, and tell her not to come in today, feigning illness as the reason.

She didn’t want to try to explain this to her enthusiastic protégée. Not before she talked it over with Jake and Hunter and figured out a course of action.

She flicked the lights off and locked up the office with trembling fingers, the blue folder safely tucked inside her briefcase.

It was hard not to think of Eric and enjoy the news about his firing. Angela couldn’t help laughing as she made her way to the car, imagining the smug bastard’s face as he cleaned out his desk and was shoved out into the street, all his worldly possessions in a cardboard box.

Sometimes you do get to see karma kick someone in the nuts.

The momentary glee disappeared as she returned to the decision at hand.

Angela went to her car and swept her arm across the snow-covered top, not caring if she soaked her coat sleeve. The chill on her skin helped throw things into a sharp focus, keeping her grounded for the time being.

“Holy—” Hunter looked up at her, the pages spread out in front of him on the desk. “Is this serious? For real?”

Angela had gone straight to his office, breezing past Sally to interrupt Hunter’s meeting with an assistant coach. One look at her face, and he’d sent the man away without her having to say a word, telling Sally to hold all his calls.

“This is—” Hunter waved a hand over the pages, his eyes skimming the details again. He let out a low whistle. “—a whole lot of money. More than you’ll make here, taking care of drunk drivers and the odd drug-possession charge.”

“I know.” Angela paced around the room, bouncing from one wall to the other with short, skipping steps. She couldn’t stop moving, the meeting with Gordon sending her nerves into overdrive. “But it means giving up everything I’ve worked for here in Glen Barrow.”

“Not everything,” Hunter said. “It’s the hard work you did here that got them interested in you. Don’t forget that.”

She pulled a stray strand of hair from her mouth. “True. I just can’t believe they came looking for me.”

“I can.” He stood up and walked around the desk to take her hands in his. “You’re a damned good lawyer, Angie. What you do here in town is important, and it’s good that it’s been noticed by the big boys.” Hunter squeezed her hands. “What’s Jake got to say?”

“He’s on patrol until six this evening, remember?” Angela let go of his hands. She continued to orbit around his desk. “I thought about calling him, but I didn’t want to interrupt him and take his mind off work. You know as soon as he heard about this, he’d be distracted for the rest of his shift. I figure it’s better if we can talk about it in person.” She drew a sharp breath. “But you’re here, and I can bug the hell out of you without feeling guilty. What do you think?”

Hunter returned to his chair. He leaned back, the chair letting out a shrill creak as the hinges protested his position. “I think I want to know what you think.” He gestured at the pages. “This is what you went to Penn State for. What you went to Philly for. To make a difference.”

“Yes.” She continued her orbit around the office. “But now I’m here and with you two. I’m happy where I am, doing what I’m doing.” Angela shook her head. “I’m—I don’t know what I want anymore.”

“Sure you do. You have to be quiet and the answer will come to you. Remember how we used to go out to the Point?”

Angela threw him a naughty wink. “And make out like rabbits? Of course I do.”

“Well, yeah. That, too.” Hunter stood up. “You used to talk about helping people, making your mark in the world by doing good. You hungered to get out there and right the wrongs we saw around us. The law appealed to you back then and carried you all the way through Penn State.” Hunter closed the folder. He walked around the desk and handed it back to her. “Go talk to your mother, go home and take a bubble bath and relax. Don’t worry about dinner. I’ll pick up Chinese—extra egg rolls, and I’ll get the large container of wonton soup. When Jake comes home, we’ll talk it over.”