Chapter 3
CHAPTER 3
Gretchen
“Natalie!” I smile with my arms open as I walk toward her.
I love this girl. She’s funny, smart, sweet as can be, and despite having a shit sandwich handed to her, she smiles a lot. Then again, if I got to look at her husband all day, I’d smile too.
“Ahh!” She squeals as she gets out of her chair. “I heard you were coming to join this...group of idiots. I’m so glad you’re here.”
“Me too, I needed it. How are you? How is Liam and the kids?”
“They’re good, you’ll have to come by and see them.”
“Once I get settled, I’d love that. For now, I’m just trying to get a hold on my life and new job here.”
She touches my arm. “We’re happy to have you. Mark needs all the help he can get. Plus, another girl in the office of testosterone will be much welcomed.”
“How is our favorite minister?”
Mark Dixon is one of the best people on the planet and got himself ordained over the internet. He continues to claim he’s a man of the cloth and we go with it because it’s easier. He’s insane. Basically, he’s the penis-attached version of Ashton. They’re both sarcastic and he’ll keep me feeling like I’m home.
“He’s fine. I love his wife, Charlie, and she beats him up when he acts like an ass—which means every day.”
“She really is the best. I met her at Catherine’s wedding and we talked a lot.”
“Oh! I forgot about that. She’s the best. Truly. She’s probably the only woman alive who could deal with that man.”
We both giggle.
“If it isn’t Jilted.”
Speak of the devil and he shall appear.
“You are not going to call me that, asshat.”
“Oh, now that I know it bothers you, I totally am.”
Great. It’s like giving a dog a bone with these guys.
“Whatever you say, Twinkle Toes or was it Teeny Peenie? I can never remember your call sign.”
His eyes widen and Natalie bursts out laughing.
“I can kill you, remember that,” Mark warns.
“You could try, but your wife likes me and she’d kill you.”
He grumbles about women under his breath.
Natalie claps her hands. “God, this is going to be the best place to work again.”
For the first time since the wedding, I feel like I can breathe. My lungs don’t hurt and there’s not this dull pain in my chest. The issue is that I’m not sure if I’m more upset that Harold and I are over or that I lost my job.
“All kidding aside.” I smile and put my professional face forward. “I’m really happy to be here. Whatever I can do to help, I’m up for the challenge.”
“Mark,” a deep, throaty voice says from behind me. “I have the next?—”
I turn, and he stops.
Everything stops.
The world. My breathing. My heart. Time.
It just...dissipates.
I’m at a total loss for words because this man is gorgeous. He’s at least six-foot-four with huge arms and a broad chest. There’s a dark stubble on his face that makes him look both scary and yet trustworthy. The most important feature on a man, in my opinion, is his hands. This man has perfect hands.
But there, underneath the ridiculously sexy body, are eyes I remember. Ones that seem to know me too.
“Gretchen?”
Well, Ben has grown up and...wow. “Ben?”
He smiles and that boyish look is still the same. “Catherine said you were coming down to work here, but she didn’t mention...”
“Mention what?”
He shakes his head and scratches the back of his neck.
I know my best friend failed to mention that he is sex on a stick and I shouldn’t just dress cute, I should’ve dressed for any possibility of seeing GI Joe on crack.
“Didn’t mention you’d be working together on the client Ben is heading?” Mark finishes. “Or that you’d want to undress her six ways till Sunday when you saw her?”
Natalie slaps his chest. “Really, Mark? Idiot.” She steps forward. “Gretchen, I’ll show you to the office you’ll be working out of.”
Ben puts his hand up. “I’ll show her. No need to have you do it, Lee.”
My heart accelerates a bit. Totally just nerves. Yup. Nerves.
“You’re such a good guy, Ben. Unlike the other tools!” Natalie yells and they all grunt or groan. “Don’t let any of these boys get an inch with you, got it?”
I’ve worked with men before, but I have a feeling this is a little different caliber of men . “I won’t. Thank you. Maybe we can do lunch?”
She nods. “I’d love that.”
Ben turns and I take my cue. We walk down the hall in silence, and then I clear my throat. “So, a SEAL?”
“I did my time in college, hated wearing a suit, and one of my buddies said he was joining the Navy. One thing led to another and I was following him right into my first commission.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah.” He cracks his neck. “I figured if I was going to join, might as well try it all.”
“How long were you in?” I ask as we stop in front of the door.
“Not as long as I would’ve liked.”
I crinkle my eyes, confused because if he wanted to stay in, why didn’t he?
“Well, thank you for your service.”
Ben smirks with a laugh. “If you say that to everyone who served in this area, you’ll lose your voice.”
I nudge him with my arm. “Still, thank you. If I lose my voice, that’s the least I can do to show my appreciation.”
“Well, thank you for thanking me.”
“I think you’re missing the point of the thank you.”
“I guess I am.” Ben shrugs. “Tell me about your job...”
The first thing that comes to mind is my ex. My disgust rises as I think of him. Stupid asshole. But then comes disappointment, not because he’s my ex, but because I love practicing law. I enjoyed researching, making lists, checking things off knowing that rules would work themselves out because of the laws people before me determined to be just.
Never in college did I think some man would be what I thought of first.
“Hmm…” I say the word slowly. “I was a contracts and litigation attorney. It’s truly as fascinating as it sounds. Lots of reading, studying, reading over old cases and then coming up with a plan.”
“Oh, I remember how much you love plans.”
“I do.” I smile.
“I would bet that you still keep lists for everything too...”
“You would be correct.”
Ben shakes his head and I remember how much he thought I was a headcase for them. “I’m glad that some things haven’t changed.”
There’s a look in his eyes that makes my heart race.
“Well, unlike you.” I tuck my hair behind my ear, feeling really uncomfortable and shy. “You changed a lot.”
He nods. “That I have.”
“Not too much, though. You still have that mischievous look about you.”
Ben chuckles. “Here we are.”
He opens the door and I’m not sure what I was expecting, but it’s more of a conference room than an office. There are two small desks and then a round table in the middle. I didn’t think I’d have a corner office, but I wasn’t really thinking I would share either. It’s cozy, though, and for Jackson, hopefully I can help.
“Is there someone else that will be in here?” I ask.
“Yes. Me.”
Well, shit.
“I see.”
“We’re sharing this office for now. Jackson thought since most of the work will require us both to bounce the info, no point in us having to walk back and forth. My office is usually right down the hall, but it’s too small for another desk.”
“Sounds very...” Stupid. Close. Intimate. Dumb. “…efficient.”
He chuckles once. “Yeah. Good word.”
“I’ll take the left side if that’s okay?”
“Sure. I don’t really have a preference so whatever works.” I put my purse down, grab a note pad and pen. “So what is the client you’re working on and what do you need my legal knowledge for?”
Ben makes his way to the table, putting a bunch of folders together. “It’s a foreign dignitary and his family. The dignitary is one thing, but his son is an...idiot. A total fucking moron. He keeps screwing up, getting his father into trouble, and we really needed a lawyer on payroll to help us when he screws up again.”
“What has he done?”
“What hasn’t he done? The issue isn’t even the crap he pulls, it’s what he hasn’t gotten caught doing.”
Makes me think of Ashton when we were kids. My mother didn’t worry about what we were caught doing, it was the things we got away with. “Is there something he’s into now? Some reason Jackson was urgent about me coming right away?”
Ben rubs his hand down his face. “Seventy-two hours ago, he disappeared.”
“As in missing?”
Ben nods.
Jesus. What the hell kind of shit pile did I just willingly walk into? I’ve always known what Jackson does is dangerous. The man was shot, for Christsake. Then of course Aaron died—ish. Mark was kidnapped—then found.
This pep talk is really not helping.
I take a few cleansing breaths to slow my nerves. I’m not going to be in danger, I’m just here for legal help.
The key to crisis management is being level-headed. Which is what I will be.
“Have you alerted the authorities?” I ask.
“No. We can’t.”
“ What ?”
“We can’t. We’re operating as the authorities.”
“Well then,” I huff. “Why aren’t you all out there looking for him? Why are you here with me?”
“I would love nothing more than to be out there doing something instead of being stuck in this office, but life doesn’t give us what we want. I would only hinder the operation, furthering Cole Securities to be held liable for this fucking mess.”
“I’m confused.”
He pulls his pant leg up, showing me his prosthetic. “IED. So, here I am. Sidelined.”