*“Thank you for asking me to come in, Mr. Milton.” Sadie shook his hand and sat in the chair opposite his big mahogany desk. She smoothed her skirt down again and straightened her back. This law firm was a step above what Layla had before she moved to Marietta. Even though some of her clients were top-notch, her offices weren’t as upscale as this. The senior partner’s office took up the entire corner of one of the tallest high-rise buildings in Denver, with 180-degree views over the city. The internal glass walls gave him constant contact with his team and a sense of light and exposure that threw her off balance for a moment. He looked so much more formidable in his office than he did when their paths crossed at the country club.
“Let’s dispense with the formalities first, keep it professional, then we can catch up with family.” He smiled and leaned forward on his desk. “I’ve looked over your résumé, and I have to say I’m impressed. Tell me, Sadie. Why do you want to join our firm?”
“It’s what I’ve always strived for.” Her practiced spiel kicked in. “To join a top team of the best litigators in town. I’ve watched you build your firm over the years, and to be honest, there’s nobody I admire more. I think you have a lot you can teach me. I can bring youth and enthusiasm to the team. I don’t give in easily if it’s something close to my heart, so you know you’ll always get the best out of me. And I’m very dedicated once I set my mind to something.”
“That’s good to hear.”
“And, I’ve wanted to pursue a career in law ever since I can remember.”
He put his hands together and smiled at her. “So I understand. Your father was most insistent that you’d be the perfect fit for the firm.”
“As much as my father likes to push me forward and speak for me, I’d rather I got the position on my own. Let my track record speak for me.”
Mr. Milton reached out and picked up a sheet of paper in front of him. “You’re working in, where was it, Marietta?” He peered at her over his black glasses.
“Yes. I owe Ms. Cox quite a bit. She’s responsible for my love of the courtroom. I’ve watched her ever since I started studying and was lucky enough to intern for her after I passed the bar, when she worked here in Denver. She’s been a great mentor for me.”
“But Marietta. Surely it offers nothing to stimulate someone of your intellect? I have to admit to being surprised when James told us you were working there.”
“You’d be surprised. I know I certainly was. It’s a small town, for sure, but it’s interesting. Merely on a smaller scale than what I’m used to. I also believe in seeing the law from both sides of the coin. Limiting myself to the wealthier side of town doesn’t give me a true picture of life in general.” A niggle of unease trickled down her spine. “I felt I owed it to Ms. Cox to fill in while she was on maternity leave when she asked. It’s also a good opportunity to see how I manage on my own.” And she’d surprised herself by enjoying it more than she would have thought possible, winning small cases and bringing in new clients.
A tray with an expensive brand of scotch sat on the cabinet behind him, the light shining through the amber liquid shooting golden rainbows up the wall behind it. Sadie could imagine him drinking with colleagues after winning big cases. She celebrated with Emily’s coffee and homemade chocolate chip cookies, and it certainly felt more real, more comfortable, than what she was interviewing for now.
“And, your verdict about being in charge?”
“I’ve coped well. Brought in new business and taken care of day-to-day problems. Obviously nothing like you’d experience here, but as I said, all good learning material. Not all of our big clients will always have big issues.” She smiled across the table. “Sometimes small issues can cause as much pain.”
“Too true. I gather you’re open to bringing in new contacts for this firm, too, if you’re successful today. Perhaps some of your old clients and those Ms. Cox left behind? Her billable hours and retainers must be considerable.”
“They are. Some of them have gone to other partners, but I did retain a couple of contacts. Not that I’ve had to do anything lately, of course, but they’re still in my logbook and we’re on good speaking terms.”
He nodded, watching her over the rims of his designer glasses as if wondering how far she’d go to extract a promise for their continued loyalty. “When does your contract in Marietta run out?”
Too soon it seemed, something that hadn’t crossed her mind until now. “A month.”
He stood up. “It was good of you to come in, Sadie. I’ll talk this over with the other partners and get in touch. Say hello to your parents for me. It’s time we got together over a meal at the club, get you and James together and talk future plans. Maybe next time we do, we’ll have something to celebrate.”
“Thank you, sir.” She stood up and followed him to the door, where she shook his hand and left. As Sadie walked out toward the elevator, she glanced around and tried to imagine herself working here. This was who she was and everything her dreams were made of. The glossy timber, shiny steel, and expansive glass was nothing like the office she had in Marietta. The two receptionists manning the front desk here could’ve been out of a Dior collection. Just as she imagined.
So why did she have a case of butterflies in her stomach? Was it because she was so close to getting her dream, or was it because she was terrified of making the wrong decision?
Later that night, she voiced that same question at the dinner table. “I’m not sure I want to jump in and make a mistake, Daddy.” She put down her crystal wine goblet and smiled at him, ignoring the raised eyebrow. “I rather like what I’m doing now, and I don’t want to lose that and find out it was what I wanted all along.”
“I hardly think that will be the case. This was everything you had your heart set on.” He dabbed at his mouth with a napkin. “You only went out to that place as a favor to Ms. Cox. Nobody will think anything of it if you leave early and take up the opportunity being offered to you.”
“But I won’t do that until my contract has run out. You know I’m not the type to walk out when someone needs me.”
Her mother put down her wineglass and leaned forward. “But, darling, you need to be cutthroat to make it in this world. Being a top litigator in the firm is all about taking care of what or who matters most. I’ve seen you in the courtroom.”
“Mother, please. In the courtroom things are different. I have to fight for my client because it’s the job I chose to do, but Layla is more like a friend. I’m not going to let her down when she’s put so much trust and faith in me. Don’t forget, she took me on when I first started out wet behind the ears and full of enthusiasm and little experience. Heaven forbid, what kind of message would that send out to the world if I walked out on the one person who stood up for me?”
Her mother tipped her head toward her. “I suppose you’re right. If anything, you’re the fairest person I know.” She glanced across the table at Sadie’s father and smiled. A smile that worried Sadie because it was full of innuendo and secrets.
While they were talking over coffee, she found out what that smile meant. “Sadie, we invited James Jr. for dinner tonight because I know he wanted to see you again and you’re only here for a couple of days. Unfortunately, he had a prior engagement but did say he’d be here shortly. You can go out for a drink and reacquaint yourselves. I’m sure that when you take up the partnership with his father’s firm, the two of you will get to work together often.”
So this was what they were up to. “I wish you’d mentioned something earlier. I’d planned a quiet night with you and Daddy.”
Her mother preened. “That’s generous of you, darling, but you’re young. And I’m more than happy to lose you to James if it means rekindling the friendship between the two of you.” She put down her glass and gave Sadie an earnest look. “I know we didn’t encourage a relationship between the two of you when you were in law school, but your father and I wanted you to concentrate on your studies. Now that you’re at the partnership stage, we think you need to rethink that part of your future.”
She glanced between her parents, dread creeping down her spine, leaving her cold. “You’re not trying to orchestrate a marriage of convenience here, are you? Because I’ll tell you now, that isn’t going to happen. I’ll choose my own husband.” She might have been more manageable as a younger woman but not now. Sadie was old enough to decide her own path.
Her father took over, waving his wife and daughter to silence. “Don’t go worrying yourself about that now, Sadie. He’s a good man and it would make sense for the two of you to make a match. Comes from a good family, he’s a hard worker, and from what I hear, headed for the top. Might even make a good candidate for the senate later on.” He winked at his wife across the table. “Made quite the impression in London from what I hear. He’s going to be senior partner when his father retires, you know, and the future is bright for the both of you. You want the same things, I’m sure of it, and you know this is the way our kind do things. We think of the future.”
Sadie sat fuming quietly as her father lorded the charms of James Jr. as if it were as easy as selecting a bloodline for Jethro’s cattle.
“Go out with him for a drink, and promise me you won’t make any rash decisions. You need to think logically with your head, not your heart. You’ve worked hard to get where you are. Your mother and I don’t want to see you lose this opportunity because you chose the wrong husband. The glitter of first love dies eventually, whereas your career is a different matter.”
“You’re so cold and analytical about it, Daddy. I don’t think that’s the way I’m going to choose my husband.” She sipped her water. “I wish you’d mentioned this earlier.”
“James is important in the scheme of things, in my opinion. Your mother and I will catch up with you for breakfast.” He gave her a no-nonsense stare. “I expect a good report on your evening.”
“Seriously. Anyone would thing you’re trying to marry me off, not merely get me a partnership.”
He didn’t even attempt to disagree with her, which cut to the bone. He’d never been this pushy before. What’d happened to make him change? “What if I am? You know your mother and I have only your best interests at heart.”
But it didn’t make it right. “Let me choose my own husband, thank you.”
“You haven’t fallen for anyone in that little hick town, have you, Sadie?”
The shock on her mother’s face was almost comical if her suggestion didn’t cut right to the quick. “I don’t know what I want, Mother. I need more time. This has all come out of the blue, and I haven’t even had time to process it.”
The doorbell rang and the butler came in. “Mr. James Milton for Miss. St. Martin.”
“Thank you, Ryan.” Sadie stood, put down her napkin on the table. “Tell him I’ll be right out.”
“Very good, miss.”
Her mother stood. “Don’t be in too much of a hurry to make a decision. Go out, have a drink, a chat, and see how you feel. Promise me to at least give him a chance.”
*
Jethro lay back in bed with his cell phone in his hand. Why hadn’t she replied to his text? Was she out with friends, male friends doing the things she used to do before moving to Marietta? He got up, disgusted with himself, put the phone on the bedside cabinet, and padded out to the kitchen to get a drink.
He poured a cup of lukewarm coffee and stood looking out the window into the inky darkness while his mind churned over what he already knew. He wasn’t good enough for her. That was fairly obvious, considering rumor had it that she was being courted by some big law firm in Denver. A chance meeting with Emily when he drove into town earlier that day had brought it all home. Of course Sadie would want to go back. Bitterness rose up in his throat. She should’ve been upfront and told him the truth. He could take it. At least that would be the face he’d show her when they spoke again. A small-time rancher wasn’t good enough for her. He knew it but hadn’t wanted to face up to that fact. The dream was good while it lasted.
Sex with him had been a diversion to the quaint world she’d found herself in. Rich girl sowing her oats with a poor cowboy before settling down to involve herself in the well-ordered life of a Denver socialite. Otherwise, why would she be going back for meetings?
Of course, Marietta was different from what she knew; he got that. The city had much more to offer than the little town he called home. Layla had made it work, but she’d had more incentive than just a poor cowboy. There’d been a baby involved, and that trumped a roll in the hay any day.
Denver had restaurants, theatre, and a buzz she couldn’t find in a small rural town, if what he read was true. He’d go check out the town himself if given the chance, but that wasn’t his life. It was hers. At least that was what he told himself.
There wasn’t anything in Marietta to bring her back. Even the part-time job Layla was rumored to be offering her wouldn’t be a patch on what she could get in the city. He’d looked up her old firm. The flashy décor, the perfect office in the perfect building in the middle of a bustling metropolis—all so different to what she’d been thrust into here. No wonder Sadie was so shell-shocked when she got pulled into the delivery suite. None of it bore any resemblance to what she’d left behind.
And now she had the opportunity to go back and have it all again, and more. Her estimated income ten times what he hoped to make out of the ranch and that was once he got on top of things. Jethro turned around and let his gaze wander around the room. He’d never worried about the peeling paint on the walls before, the water stain on the ceiling, or the fact that the doors never closed properly on the pantry or they couldn’t shut the bathroom window in the damp weather.
They’d clung to everything that remained of their mother, too scared to throw anything away. But over the years the sound of her voice had gone, her smell too. All that remained were a few photos and her collection of old but pretty mismatched china. Surely, that wasn’t enough to tempt even the most intrepid woman, no matter how much she initially liked the shift in scenery.
It was the place their mother brought them to for safekeeping when her useless husband had run out on her and left her weak with illness, with no opportunity to build a future for her three young sons. Grandpa was the only lifeline she’d had, and she’d grabbed it with both hands, dragging them across state lines to the only chance they had of surviving in the best place she knew. At least before she’d died, she’d known her three sons would be safe.
Today, the house was old, rickety, and in desperate need of upgrading. But it was still home. It was where his grandparents had forged a life together, brought up their children. It was all Jethro had, and nobody was going to make him feel ashamed that it wasn’t better than it was.
If Sadie decided she wanted more, so be it. He’d let her go and wish her well. The short time they’d had together would be a pleasant memory he’d hang on to for as long as he could, then move on. Build up the ranch, make it pay for itself, and go about deciding what he wanted out of life. Find himself a local girl who didn’t yearn for the bright lights, designer clothes, and upmarket restaurants of the city.
Someone who was used to the animals and wide-open spaces, who loved the freedom of the range, the big, blue sky, and the opportunities ranch living offered. Someone who didn’t remind him of Sadie with every waking breath. Someone who wouldn’t break his heart like she would.