Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen
Tristan
E verything about Rochelle Winslow’s lobby felt like it belonged on the ground floor of a Manhattan high-rise, not tucked away in a single floor building in the middle of our small rural town.
I didn’t know much about interior design, but from where I stood, it was obvious this Rochelle woman had some taste. The whole place screamed class and sophistication.
“Tristan,” Merritt whispered my name. “I don’t know about this.” I turned from the decor to the woman standing beside me. Apprehension was pouring off of her in waves, uncertainty swam in those pale sage eyes.
“Hey.” I reached out and took her chin between my fingers, gently turning her head to meet my gaze. “If you’re not ready for this, that’s fine. We’re moving at a pace you’re comfortable with here. Just say the word and we’re out.”
I’d accepted the fact that there wasn’t anything I wouldn’t do for this woman. Even if it meant cancelling our appointment with one of the top family lawyers in the area. As much as I hated the idea of her remaining married to that fucker for longer than absolutely necessary, I’d do whatever she felt most comfortable with.
“No, it’s not that. I’m ready for this, believe me.” My shoulders slumped with relief. “It’s just...” Her gaze darted from mine as she admitted, “I don’t think I’ll be able to afford this woman.”
My thumb traced along her jawline. “Dandelion, that isn’t somethin’ you need to worry about.”
Her eyes flared, then narrowed. “Of course it’s something to worry about. People tend to get upset when they don’t get paid for a job they’ve done,” she snapped at me.
I chuckled, happy to see a bit of that fire in her return. Even if it was directed at me. I’d let her burn me day after day if it kept that fire going and prevented her from closing in on herself again. I couldn’t stand the thought of her reverting back to the shell of the Merritt when we first met.
“I mean, you don’t have to worry about it because it’s already being taken care of.”
She stepped away from my touch and slammed her hands down on her hips. “Tristan Fanning. What did you do?” she asked in a tone that was scarily reminiscent of the one my mom used on me more times than I could count growing up.
“It wasn’t only me,” I defended. “It was Blythe too.” I held up my hand before she could argue. “And before you say you can’t accept, or that it’s too much, or find any excuse not to let us help, you should know, it won’t matter. The retainer’s already been paid.”
And it was a small fortune. But there wasn’t any amount my sister and I weren’t willing to shell out to get Merritt free of that monster. Rochelle Winslow was the best, and Merritt needed the best. I had no doubt Warren was going to try and make this as painful as possible, and my girl needed someone capable and willing to go to the mat and fight for her so she didn’t have to do it herself.
She scowled, doing her best to remain mad, but I could see she was wavering. “I can’t believe you’d do that. I could never ask?—”
I took one long stride, closing the distance she’d put between us and cupped her cheeks in my hands, bringing my face close to hers. “That’s the point, sweetheart. You never would have asked. You would have worked yourself to the bone and sacrificed to try and do it yourself. But you don’t have to do that. You aren’t alone anymore, Merritt. You have people who want to help, who care about you.” My throat worked on a swallow. “ I care about you,” I stressed, my voice gruffer than normal. “I don’t regret what I did. I’d do it again a million times over. And so would Blythe.”
The way she melted into my touch made it so hard not to lean in and kiss her the way I’d been dreaming of for weeks. It sparked to life the part of me I’d struggled to keep snuffed out, that part that wanted her more than I wanted my next breath. Keeping that in check had been a battle since the moment I met her, but it had gotten so much worse since the morning I woke up with her in my arms. That one night with her in my bed was all it had taken for me to become addicted, and I hadn’t slept for shit without her in the two weeks since.
That candied orange peel scent that lingered on my sheets and pillow had helped, but once the smell of her faded away, I spent my nights tossing and turning. I had it so damn bad I’d considered sneaking into her room to find her perfume, so I could spray it all over my bed.
“You just keep getting better,” she said on a quiet breath.
“What?”
“Every time I think you couldn’t possibly get any better, you do something like this to prove me wrong. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Keep searching for something hidden beneath the surface. But there isn’t anything hiding, is there?”
It broke my heart that she’d suffered so much she now struggled to trust the good in people... in me . But I couldn’t deny that it felt damn good to know she was starting to trust her gut when it came to me.
“No, Dandelion. There’s nothing there. This is just who I am. But you take as much time as you need to believe it. I’m not going anywhere.”
Her hands came up and her delicate fingers wrapped around my wrists. “I think I already believe it.”
Christ, she was killing me. I started to lean in, her lips calling to me like a siren, when a throat cleared from behind us and broke the spell.
A string of curses colorful enough to make a sailor blush flew through my head on fast forward as I gritted my teeth and lowered my hands from Merritt’s face.
We turned together to face the woman standing a few feet away, and just like the lobby, Rochelle Winslow dripped with class. The bold red of her skirt suit complemented the dark brown of her skin, but it also managed to make a serious statement, and what it said was power . Her heels cost more than one month’s paycheck. Tight dark brown curls framed her face and jawline. Her makeup was flawlessly applied, and her expression gave absolutely nothing away as she studied the two of us like a specimen beneath a microscope. One perfectly arched brow rose as she asked, “Ms. Bell, I presume?”
Merritt cleared her throat and stepped away from me like we’d got caught making out in the school library. She wiped her palms on the thighs of her slacks as her cheeks pinkened under the woman’s scrutiny.
Fuck, even I had to admit, she had me more than a little intimidated, but I managed to keep from squirming and held my stance.
“Yeah. Yes. Sorry. I’m Ms. Bell. I mean Merritt Bell. But please, call me Merritt. Everyone does. Because it’s my name.” She let out a manic laugh that only made her discomfort that much more noticeable.
I couldn’t watch her flounder and not do something to help. Reaching out, I took her hand in mine and brushed my thumb over the rapid pulse in her wrist. “Hi. This is Merritt, and I’m Tristan Fanning. I’m the one who called to make the appointment.”
Ms. Winslow watched me for one heartbeat. Then two. I got the impression she was taking my measure.
“Of course. It’s good to meet you both. If you’ll follow me, my assistant has prepared the conference room. We’ll get right to it.”
She turned on her heel without another word, expecting we’d follow. Merritt met my gaze and bugged her eyes out, mouthing, “ Wow ,” in a dramatic way that made me smile as we followed Merritt’s new attorney, hand-in-hand.
Apparently, preparing a conference room consisted of ordering a large assortment of pastries and coffee, along with water, juice, and soda. The table seated at least twelve, however the rest of it was untouched, except for the seats closest to the door. There was a folder in front of the rolling chair at the head of the table and another by the first chairs on either side.
She waved a hand at the table. “Please, take a seat. And feel free to help yourself to something to eat and drink.”
I knew Merritt well enough to know she’d be too anxious to eat, so I reached across the spread to pluck up a bottle of her favored grape juice and passed it to her. Her eyes flared with surprise in that way they always did when I did something or took notice of something in a way she hadn’t expected.
A small part of me liked being able to surprise her like that, because it meant I’d made her happy. But a bigger part bristled every time I saw it, because that selfish son of a bitch had neglected her to the point that she was more used to fading into the wallpaper than being noticed.
I helped myself to a cheese danish and a cup of coffee before plucking up the folder on the table across from Merritt and moving around to take the chair beside hers.
Ms. Winslow watched the whole thing, not that I could tell what the hell she was thinking with that blank look on her face.
“Before we go any further, I need to know exactly what’s going on between the two of you.” She looked our way, pointing her finger between Merritt and me.
I felt Merritt stiffen, her back shooting straight. “W-what do you mean?”
“I mean, are you together? And if so, who all knows? Did this start before or after you left your husband”—she flipped open the folder in front of her and took a quick glance—“roughly three and a half months ago and moved to Maryland?”
From the corner of my eye, I could see Merritt’s cheeks go from pink to pale. “No. We aren’t together. We’re friends.”
Ms. Winslow lifted that brow again. “But you are living together.”
“Y-yes, but?—”
I cut in, the discomfort the woman was causing setting my blood to a simmer. “Merritt initially left Hope Valley to escape a husband who had been abusing her for years,” I clipped, anger clear in my tone. Merritt noticed too, because she reached under the table and placed her hand on my knee to offer comfort. “She moved in with me when she was ultimately forced to return in order to care for her nephew after her brother overdosed and eventually ended up behind bars. She had no other place to stay, and given that she was important to my sister, I offered up my home for two reasons. The first was that I simply wanted to help. The second was that I wanted to keep her safe.” That was at least partially true. But I didn’t think this woman needed to know I’d been just a bit obsessed with Merritt from the start.
Ms. Winslow sat back in her chair, doing that thing again where she took silent stock before coming to a decision or a judgment. It was disconcerting, to say the least, but I imagined it worked like a charm in court.
“Mr. Fanning, I assure that I mean no disrespect in my line of questioning. I don’t care one way or another if you two are involved. Personally, given the animal your husband appears to be, Ms. Bell, I’m kind of hoping there is. I only need to know everything if I’m going to represent you to the very best of my abilities. That means no secrets that could pop up and blindside me. I must warn you, I’m not a fan of being blindsided. It tends to make me cranky.”
I had a feeling this woman was not someone you wanted to fuck with when she was cranky.
“Would it be a problem if there was something happening between us?” I asked, the words spilling free before I could stop them.
Merritt’s gaze whipped to mine, her eyes wide with surprise at my question.
I cleared my throat and tugged at my collar. “I mean, for the sake of argument.” I hadn’t meant to say the words out loud, but now that they were out there, I was desperate for the answer.