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  “I thought you didn’t take those kind of cases anymore. Breaking up marriages made you sick, or some such nonsense.” Griff snorted. “If you ask me, anyone who hires you for a case like that is halfway to a divorce already.”

  Ryan shook his head. “Still cynical as ever, I see.”

  “Like I don’t have a reason,” Griff muttered.

  Ryan cocked an eyebrow. “Back to the all-women-are-alike mentality?” he asked.

  “Aren’t they?”

  “I don’t know. Was your sister-in-law anything like Deidre?”

  That gave him pause. He’d always liked his brother’s wife. Never once during the frequent family dinners and nights he’d shown up unannounced had he ever sensed a similarity between his aloof fiancée and the warm, loving woman his brother had married. Nor had he seen a comparison to his mother, who’d earned the name only by giving birth to two children.

  “No,” he reluctantly admitted. “Shannon was unique.”

  “She was special, but not unique,” his friend said with a smug grin.

  Griff couldn’t help thinking of Chelsie. She was Shannon’s sister, and blood counted for something. If the past few weeks were any indication, Chelsie might well be more like her sister than like her wealthy, selfish parents.

  “Maybe you just haven’t found the exception of your own,” Ryan suggested.

  Maybe he had and wasn’t ready to accept it. “Don’t you ever get tired of spouting advice?” Griff asked. “Maybe if you didn’t spend every night on surveillance, you’d have a life of your own and could quit worrying about mine.”

  Ryan didn’t answer, a rarity in and of itself.

  “So what were you doing last night, anyway?” Griff asked.

  “Family favor.”

  “Your sister?”

  “Yeah. For once, I didn’t mind the boredom. I came up empty.” He formed a zero with this thumb and forefinger.

  “Guess she appreciates you more now than when we used to tag along after her,” Griff said. “Even Jared grew up to appreciate his pain-in-the-butt older brother.”

  “Yeah. After he got over the fact that we tailed him home from school to protect him and ended up blowing his first chance at scoring with the girl of his dreams,” Ryan said on a laugh.

  With his little brother gone, the times when Griff, Ryan, and Jared had stuck together through school, sweat-filled summers on the streets, and a rough neighborhood seemed like distant memories. But to Griff s surprise, Ryan’s recollection made him smile instead of gripping him with grief.

  There were moments, Griff was sure, when his little brother had resented Griff and Ryan’s constant interference, but all three of them had benefited from the closeness they’d shared.

  “So how’s the squirt?” Ryan asked, changing the subject.

  Griff leaned back against the plastic seat cushion. The diner across from the local courthouse wasn’t known for comfort or good food, just quick service. “Actually, Alix is great.”

  “Sleeping?”

  “Not through the night, but for longer hours at a stretch.” Coincidence or not, Griff appreciated the pre-bedtime hours Chelsie gave to his niece. She might not have children of her own, but the woman definitely had mother potential. Some man would be lucky to get her.

  “What’s with the scowl?” Ryan asked.

  “Nothing.”

  “So what do you think made the difference?”

  Griff had avoided this subject for the past two weeks. But Ryan had been a true friend when he needed one, so Griff decided to level with him and accept the consequences.

  “I’ve got help.”

  “Anyone I know?”

  “Chelsie Russell.”

  “I knew it.” Ryan smacked his hand on the table and paused to gulp the remainder of his coffee. “Well, I hope things work out for you.”

  “That’s it?”

  Ryan placed a hand over his heart. “You wound me. I’m a sensitive guy. I know when to keep my mouth shut.”

  “You’re a pal.” Griff stood. “I’ve got to get back.”

  “Listen, if things are serious, I could do a little digging on Chelsie. See what turns up.”

  “No!”

  “Touchy.”

  “Just don’t do me any favors,” Griff said. “Leave things alone.” Chelsie’s business was her own. As long as she looked out for Alix’s welfare, Griff had no problems. And if he learned anything about Chelsie, he preferred it come from the woman, herself.

  * * *

  Chelsie popped in a DVD for Alix and settled the little girl on her lap. Alix snuggled against her chest, obviously tired after a long day. Normally, Griff would already be home, and they’d spend this time together. Like a family, her heart said. She squeezed Alix tighter, causing the child to squeal in protest.

  “Sorry,” Chelsie murmured.

  She shook her head to dispel any fantasies that might be brewing and rubbed her eyes to alleviate their burning. Thanks to the time she spent with Griff and Alix each evening, she had a backlog of work and was short on sleep. Still, she hadn’t broken her self-imposed promise. She’d kept a careful distance between herself and Griff. Despite the attraction, which had grown from a spark of desire into a tangible entity all its own, she’d managed to rein in her own needs whenever he was around. Until Griff’s absence this evening, she hadn’t realized how much she enjoyed his company.

  But as she’d feared from the beginning, where Alix was concerned, Chelsie had already lost her heart. The best she could do was to avoid emotionally dangerous situations. So she hadn’t put Alix to bed and she hoped that wasn’t about to change. When Mrs. Baxter received an emergency phone call from her son, Chelsie saw no need to detain her. As soon as Griff returned, he would tuck Alix in and Chelsie would head back to the office.

  She glanced at her watch and silently prayed he’d be home in time. She couldn’t allow herself to get any more attached to either Griff or Alix. If she did, she’d open herself to hurt far greater than any her husband had inflicted. After that experience, she’d fought to regain both her pride and her inner spirit. She’d won.

  She hated to think of the damage loving and losing a man like Griffin Stuart would cause, not to mention losing another child. She shuddered and buried her face in Alix’s curls. She’d begun to enjoy her time with Alix and Griff. Too much, because she knew each day brought her closer to the end.

  She gnawed on her lower lip and checked her watch again. “Ten more minutes till bedtime, squirt.” Where was backup when she needed it?

  * * *

  Two weeks ago, Griff had shaken Chelsie’s hand and this crazy arrangement had begun. Tonight, as he drove home from a long day in court and a last-minute meeting with a client, their arrangement didn’t seem so unusual. Even if he hadn’t admitted it to Ryan, he liked knowing she’d be waiting when he got home.

  The evenings she volunteered at the shelter were the longest he’d known in a while. That included the all-nighters he’d put in with Alix. With Chelsie gone, he’d putter around the house, forcing himself to concentrate on work or searching for something interesting to occupy his time. Not a good sign for a man determined to remain detached, he thought wryly.

  A loud crash of thunder followed by a streak of lightning shattered the night. Raindrops pelted his windshield. Though he had to squint, he made out a yellow sign ahead. A detour alerted him to change his usual route home. Heeding the sign, he switched directions, accepting that he’d be home even later than planned.

  Why didn’t he heed the warning signs that Chelsie gave out? No matter what chores they shared, no matter how much time they spent alone or together with Alix, she kept a careful distance between them, withholding a part of herself. Probably the most important part.

  But he’d begun to care for her more than he should. And that made the wall she’d erected especially frustrating. Though Ryan’s offer had been tempting, Griff’s cynicism didn’t entitle him to delve into a past Chelsie wasn’t ready to
reveal.

  If he allowed himself to get involved, he’d leave himself open to heartache that surpassed any inflicted by his ex-fiancée. Deidre had wounded his pride. Chelsie had the ability to destroy his soul.

  * * *

  Griff knelt down beside Chelsie. In sleep, she appeared as innocent as his niece. Looks could be deceiving, and yet a deep desire brewed inside him. He wanted so badly to believe.

  Hadn’t Ryan offered him a way towards acceptance? With the cases Ryan took and the bad marriages he’d seen, he had as much reason to be cynical as Griff, yet he held out hope. He not only liked women, he trusted. Griff only needed to give Chelsie a chance.

  He glanced at the woman curled into his oversized chair. Dark shadows circled her eyes, shadows he could only attribute to his own selfish need to have her near. She provided invaluable assistance, but after the past two weeks, Mrs. Baxter could probably handle things. The thought lay like lead in his stomach, and not just because of Alix.

  He could never explain to his niece why her aunt no longer spent each evening with them. Nor did he want to try. The child’s face lit up each time the doorbell rang. He’d be a fool to take that sense of security from her now.

  He needed to assure himself Chelsie wouldn’t walk out of their lives. When she woke, they had important matters to discuss. He wasn’t sure he was ready, but he had no other choice. Not if he didn’t want to lose… what? A possible future? He shrugged. He had no idea.

  “Chelsie.” He whispered, hoping not to startle her. He’d already seen how she reacted when frightened, and he had no wish to put her through that again.

  She didn’t stir. Exhaustion had finally caught up with her. He brushed his hand gently beneath her closed lids, tracing the slight shadows with the pad of his thumb. Her eyelids fluttered open and long lashes tickled his skin.

  His gaze locked with hers. Seconds passed, with no sound but their own breathing. Griff had no desire to break the silken silence that surrounded them or the fragile trust they’d begun to share. The slightest noise would have shattered the peace, so he did the only thing he could.

  He levered himself up to face her, his elbows resting on the arms of the chair. Their faces remained only inches apart. Her scent drifted around him. Slowly, so she would know exactly what he wanted and have ample time to resist, he lowered his lips to hers.

  In his gut he knew they’d been building towards this moment. He only hoped she felt the same. He began with a gentle exploration of her soft mouth. When she didn’t pull back, he cupped the back of her head with his hand, threading his fingers through the dark mass and pulling her closer. Not only didn’t she resist, she fully participated. For Griff, distrust, grief, even the pain of the past, faded in importance. Nothing mattered except the woman in his arms. Stopping was the last thing on his mind.

  Chelsie parted her lips in a faint sigh and welcomed him. His lips, warm and soft against hers, created a sense of belonging he’d never before experienced. As she pulled him closer, need pummeled at him from all sides.

  Once relaxed from sleep, her breathing came in shallow gasps. When she exhaled a soft but urgent moan, the knowledge that he wasn’t alone fueled his desire.

  With her moist lips caressing his, Griff was lost. Warmth, wet heat, and a deep caring consumed him… and confused him. He tried to push aside the doubts and concentrate on his desire and the need to possess her, but finally heeded his confusion.

  He pulled back slowly and Chelsie followed his lead. She ran a trembling hand through her hair, a movement he stilled by lacing his fingers through hers. He needed the connection as much as he wanted to relax her.

  He cleared his throat, wondering how to broach this subject after the intimacy they’d just shared. “We need to talk.”

  The corners of her mouth turned up in a smile. “I think we just expressed ourselves quite clearly without words.”

  He acknowledged her statement with a nod. “This isn’t about that.”

  “Okay,” she said, suddenly wary. “What then?”

  He touched her face again. Before she could pull back, he stroked her cheek. “You’re exhausted, and I’m the cause.”

  “You didn’t force me into anything I didn’t want to do. Anyway, my work and my life are cyclical. The hectic times will pass.”

  “Maybe. But what if I could guarantee that even the hectic times wouldn’t be so bad?”

  “Have you looked into a crystal ball, or are you planning on stealing my clients?” she asked with a grin.

  “What if I said the latter?”

  Curious now, she sat up straighter in her seat. “What are you getting at?”

  “I’m proposing a way for you to continue to see Alix, to lighten your work load, and to take on more clients, all at the same time. You might even get some sleep out of the deal.”

  “Impossible.”

  “Nothing is impossible if you have an open mind. I’m proposing a partnership.”

  He forestalled her argument with a wave of his hand. “I know we got off to a rough beginning and I didn’t make things easy on you. I don’t blame you for resisting the first time I offered to take some of your caseload.”

  “Thank you for admitting that.”

  He shrugged. “Alix needs the attention you’re giving her but I can see by the last two weeks, alone, that this addition to your schedule has been rough.”

  “Like I said, it’ll pass.”

  “Maybe it doesn’t have to. We can help each other here. This isn’t just a selfish thing, though that’s what this arrangement has been from the start.”

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself,” she chided. “But what did you have in mind?”

  “You’ve already said you’re referring more cases than you’d like. I need to build a client base. Working together, you no longer dole out cases to other attorneys and I start a solid practice.”

  “Sounds like you’ve thought this through.”

  “Truthfully, I haven’t. But talking this out is as good a means as any for finding flaws.”

  “What if we don’t get along all that well? I’d call that a major flaw.”

  He glanced down at their hands, still intertwined. His thumb created circles on her soft skin. “After what just happened, I’d have to dispute that statement, counselor.” He reached out and brushed a strand of hair off her cheek. He let the slight tremor that shook her, pass without comment.

  “Do you make it a practice to mix business with pleasure?” she asked, slowly removing her hand from his.

  He chuckled aloud. “No, but I am glad to know you’d label that kiss pleasure.”

  She groaned.

  “Look, Chelsie, I work out of the house. I’m always around for Alix. This way, you would be, too.”

  “Low, counselor. Even for you.” She jumped out of the chair, nearly knocking him over in the process. “I’m not that child’s mother. Installing me in this house as if I were is unfair to her.”

  “And to you?” he asked in a low voice.

  She didn’t answer.

  He stood, ignoring the cramping in his legs from remaining in a crouched position for so long. When he turned, she stood facing the fireplace. He reached out a hand to grasp her upper arm. “Turn around and look at me.”

  She pivoted slowly, her reluctance evident in her stiffened muscles and the way she kept a definite distance between them.

  He met her solemn brown eyes with a serious stare of his own. “I would never do anything to intentionally hurt you or your relationship with Alix.”

  She sighed. “I know that.”

  He released his hold, but she didn’t move away. “I’ll admit things between us are strained sometimes. But I’m also willing to admit something’s brewing.”

  “Okay.”

  “It has to be easier to share ideas with someone than talking to the walls.”

  “Okay.”

  “And you’ve got the experience dealing with real people. Mine is with institutional clients. I could
learn from you.”

  She tried, unsuccessfully, to suppress a grin. “Cut the humble act. From what I’ve heard around family court, you talk circles around the most seasoned pros. So you can dispense with the I-need-you routine.”

  “How about a plain I want you?”

  Heat rose to her face, causing a pink flush to tinge her cheeks. But instead of backing off, her soft hands grasped his chin and turned him to face her. “I said okay. If you’d stop rambling long enough to hear me, you’d realize I gave in a long time ago.” She laughed. “And to think you called me long-winded.”

  He laughed. But he wasn’t foolish enough to think all his problems had been solved. An uphill battle awaited him. His roller-coaster emotions were not going to be easy to deal with. Neither, he suspected, was his new partner. “You won’t be sorry,” he said.

  “That, counselor, remains to be seen.”

  SIX

  “Did you weight these damned things with rocks?” Ryan dropped the large box onto the floor with a grunt.

  Chelsie laughed. “You should have seen me in law school. My bookbag outweighed me.”

  “That I can believe. Is that the last of them?”

  “Yes, and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the help.” She glanced at Ryan, wondering more about the man Griff chose as his closest friend. Dark hair ended the similarities between the men. Ryan had harder planes and angles to his face than Griff, but his loyalty to those he cared for appeared to run just as deep.

  “Anytime. Griff always volunteers me for the jobs he can’t handle.”

  “I was wondering…”

  “Excuse me.” The sound of another voice in the room startled her and ended her chance to learn more about the Stuart family. Just as well, she thought. Curiosity could only lead to more intimate knowledge and even stronger feelings.

  She turned to see Griff watching them, a scowl etching his handsome face. Though he’d offered to help her move things from her office, Alix had come down with a cold and he didn’t want to leave her. Ryan had shown up in his place.

  “Like I said, he’s the brains, I’m the muscle,” Ryan said.

  “I did go to law school, remember? I know what those books weigh. And,” Griff said, looking his friend over, “you could use the workout.”