Icebreaker (13 page)

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Authors: Deirdre Martin

Tags: #Women lawyers, #Contemporary, #Legal, #General, #Romance, #Hockey players, #Fiction

BOOK: Icebreaker
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“Blow a gasket at me? Or you?”
“Both, probably. And I was worried that I’d feel on edge. Adam told me you were kind of uptight.”
Sinead’s jaw set. “Those were his actual words?”
Ray looked panicked. “Uh . . .”
“Tell me. I promise I won’t bust you.”
Ray still hesitated. “He said you were kinda snooty. That you go digging around for facts about him, but you don’t want to tell him about yourself.”
“Why does he need to know about me? I’m his attorney, not his friend.”
“True. I hope this doesn’t offend you, but you’re as good-looking as he said you were.”
“Surprised, not offended.” Sinead covered her momentary thrill as she concentrated on finishing her water and stood. “Thanks so much, Ray.”
“When you heading back to New York?”
“Tomorrow morning.”
“I coach the peewee team here in town. You should come watch the game tonight. My boys are on fire.”
“Maybe I will,” Sinead said. She almost committed her earlier faux pas of extending her hand to shake his, but she remembered in time and did not embarrass herself.
Ray wheeled over to the front door with her. “Drive safe now,” he said as the door opened for her.
“Thanks again, Ray,” Sinead said gratefully. “This has really been an immense help.”
“No problem. Call me if Adam gives you a hard time. I’ll set him straight.”
Sinead laughed. “I’d pay to see that.”
“Oh, it’d be ugly, believe me. Bye now.”
“Bye, Ray.”
The wind had died down to just a breeze. Sinead loved how fresh the air smelled, how pure the sun looked in the distant sky. Maybe she’d drive around for a while before going back to the hotel and reorganizing her materials.
Sinead wasn’t a big believer in fate, but right now, she couldn’t shake the feeling that it had been fate she found out about Ray. Of course, Adam wouldn’t see it that way, the stubborn, uncooperative, maddening, caring, compassionate, handsome pain in the ass.
Ray thought
he’d
be the one to set Adam straight if need be? Wrong: that was going to be Sinead’s first order of business Monday morning. And if her client didn’t like it, that was just too damn bad.
9
“Thank you for
taking time from your busy schedule to meet with me.”
Sinead tried not to sound too sarcastic as she motioned for Adam to sit. His expression matched his voice on the phone last night when she’d called to set up a meeting: wary and annoyed. Sinead knew Adam was hoping that when he said the only time he could meet was seven a.m., she’d back off. Clearly he’d yet to grasp how seriously she took her job. If he’d said two a.m., she’d have been here. The sooner he figured out she was the one calling the shots, and that he couldn’t keep her at arm’s length any longer, the better.
Sinead had carefully applied her makeup to cover the dark circles under her eyes before leaving her apartment. She’d spent the night tossing and turning, worrying about slamming against a wall of resistance and resentfulness when she met with Adam. She also realized, as she watched the hours tick by, that Oliver had been right all along: she wanted Adam to like her. This new, somewhat unnerving realization at three a.m. ruined any chance of sleep. Sometimes Oliver took a nap in the middle of the day after a sleepless night. Sinead decided that if she was still drooping after lunch, she might try it to see if it worked. In the meantime, she’d rely on her old faithful friend, caffeine.
Adam sat down. “How did your fact-finding mission go?” he asked. The displeasure in his voice was unnerving.
Do your job. Focus on the job.
“Things went well.”
Adam didn’t respond.
“I didn’t realize Claresholm was so small,” Sinead continued conversationally.
“Mmm.”
No chatting today,
Sinead thought.
Not encouraging
. She sat down, crossing her legs. “We need to talk about my visit.”
Adam waved a hand disdainfully. “Talk away.”
“Let’s start with Rick.”
“Who you could have easily talked to over the phone.”
“But then I’d never have learned you were helping pay his bills or that you were the one who footed the bill for the town’s new ice rink.”
Adam scowled. “Rick told you that?”
“No, his wife did.”
“Shit.”
“This info could be important to making your case, Adam.”
“It’s irrelevant.”
“No, it’s very relevant. Why didn’t you tell me about the rink, at least? Everyone in Claresholm knows you’re the one who paid for it. And while we’re at it, why did you pay for it anonymously?”
“I did it because I wanted the focus on the rink, not on me as some big philanthropist. End of story.”
“It shows you have a big heart. That you care about community.” Adam gave her a dirty look, but Sinead continued, undeterred. “I don’t care how much you hate it. I’m using the info.”
Adam looked angry. “Even if I don’t want you to.”
“Even if you don’t want me to,” replied Sinead, holding her ground. “I’m building this case to
win
, and if you don’t want to help me, fine. Why you’re cutting off your nose to spite your face is beyond me. You are, without a doubt, the most uncooperative client I’ve ever had in my life.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. And I don’t appreciate it.”
Adam actually looked embarrassed. “I’m sorry.”
“Prove it.”
Adam lifted an eyebrow in surprise. “Someone’s getting tough.”
“I’ve always been tough. You just haven’t wanted to deal with it.”
Adam looked impressed. “I admire your tenacity. And your self-confidence.”
Sinead tried to ignore the little voice in her head saying,
He does like me!
But the voice abruptly shut up when Adam, still smiling, said, “As your client, I forbid you to use the info that I’m helping Rick.”
Sinead was taken aback. “You forbid me?”
“You can use the rink, if you have to. I think that’s enough.”
“And I think that if your case goes to court, the fact that you value family can only help,” Sinead countered.
“You’re being insensitive.”
Sinead cocked her head, surprised. “How so?”
“Rick is a proud man. Think how he’s going to feel when it gets out that his little brother is helping him out financially. He’ll never forgive me. Our relationship is already rocky. You use that, and I’ll lose him.”
“I didn’t think about that,” Sinead admitted. “All right. I’ll leave it out. For now.”
“Thank you,” Adam said, looking relieved. “I appreciate it.”
“You’re welcome.”
For the first time since they’d “chatted” at her family’s bar, Sinead felt like he was letting down his guard just a bit.
Adam was staring at her quizzically. “Can I ask you a question?”
“Depends on what the question is, Mr. Perry.” Shit, did that sound flirty? She hoped it didn’t.
“Do I get any say in the info you intend to use for my case? Because as you may have deduced by now, I may not want you to reveal certain things.”
“Even if they’re things that could keep you out of jail? Or help insure your career doesn’t end?” Sinead leaned toward him. “I know what I’m doing, Adam,” she reiterated, hoping to reassure him. “I assume Ray called you after I left.”
Adam snorted. “Of course he did.”
“You look resentful.”
“Picking up on that, are you?”
Sinead bristled. “No need to be sarcastic. In my defense, let me start by pointing out that Ray could have turned me down when I asked to talk to him. So if you’re angry, be angry at him.”
“I am. Actually, pissed off would be more accurate.”
Sinead wanted to knock on the side of Adam’s head to see if it was hollow. He was being deliberately difficult. “Don’t you understand how significant it is that he spoke with me, even though he knew you wouldn’t like it? That says something.”
“Really? What does it say?”
“It says he loves you. He doesn’t want to see you get into legal trouble.”
Adam shrugged. “That doesn’t make me any less pissed off at him.”
“You want to talk about pissed off?” Sinead returned, trying to keep her temper in check. “I’m pissed at
you
. I asked you back in the beginning if there were any skeletons in your closet, and you said no. Sorry, Adam, but paralyzing your best friend is a pretty big skeleton.”
“It’s no one’s business,” Adam maintained stubbornly.
Sinead suppressed a growl of frustration. “It’s
my
business.” She paused. “Ray told me everything,” she said quietly.
Adam tensed. “What does that mean?”
“How you wanted to stop playing after the accident, because you thought it wasn’t fair you’d be the only one doing what you both dreamed of doing. He said you contemplated changing your style of play, but he talked you out of it.” She held his angry gaze. “He even told me how you help him out.”
Adam glared at her. “All of that stays between Ray and me, okay?”
“He was helping me get a better handle on who you are, Adam.”
“I’m the brutal bastard who paralyzed him,” Adam snapped. “What else is there to know?”
Sinead was taken aback by his self-loathing.
“He doesn’t hold it against you. You
know
that.”
“He’s a saint. If it were me, I’d hold it against him, believe me.”
“No, you wouldn’t.”
“Oh really?” Adam looked scornful. “Tell me more about myself, Counselor.”
“I found out a lot about you this weekend, Adam.” Sinead edged a few inches toward him, affected by how distressed he looked. The urge to comfort him was strong. “I found out you’re generous. And loyal.” Sinead paused thoughtfully. “You know, no one I’ve interviewed has had one bad thing to say about you.”
“I’m sure you could find a few if you kept digging.”
“I’m sure, but the point is, people think you’re a great guy. What Ray said about the incident—that you were just doing your job, that it could happen to any player at any time—is the foundation of our argument. The fact that he’s your best friend and holds no malice toward you is huge.”
Adam looked disturbed. “Please don’t tell me you want to put Ray up on the stand.”
“If a jury heard about all you do for him—”
“They’ll think I’m just trying to assuage my guilt,” Adam finished for her bitterly. “And they’d be right.”
Sinead moved close enough to put a tentative hand on his knee. “I can’t imagine what it was like for you,” she said sympathetically. “What it still must be like for you.”
“Screw what it’s like for me! Think about what it’s like for him.” Adam scrubbed his hands over his face. He looked exhausted, and the day hadn’t even begun.
“Ray said it turned you into a loner.”
“Look,” Adam said sharply. “I refuse to go through that again. Keeping a distance is fine by me.”
“And what about people who don’t play hockey? Do you ever get close to them?”
Adam looked skeptical. “Do you get close to people outside of work?”
Sinead was momentarily caught off guard. “Uh, my family—”
“Doesn’t count. Do you have
any
friends?”
“I’m very close to Oliver,” Sinead retorted.
“Doesn’t count. He’s your colleague.”
“It counts,” Sinead insisted. “Why do you want to know?”
“Turnabout’s fair play, as I told you that night we were at your parents’ pub. I give you personal info, you give me personal info.”
“We’ve already exchanged information.”
“Well, I want more.”
Sinead licked her lips nervously. The conversation had veered off Professional Avenue and was now driving slowly down Personal Info Lane. Which was okay, if it helped draw Adam out, or so she told herself. “Like you, I’m very private. The more someone knows about me, the more vulnerable I feel, and I don’t like feeling vulnerable. I’m a control freak.
“I can relate to your trying to avoid personal ties,” Sinead continued. “My divorce was a very drawn-out, painful affair. It made me very apprehensive about getting involved in something that could cause me deep personal pain.”
“That’s why you stick to Oliver.”
“Yes.”
“By deep personal pain, I assume you’re talking about a relationship.”
Sinead felt uncomfortable. “Yes.”
“Don’t you ever get lonely?” Before she could balk, she realized she had asked him the same question, and he was now firing it back at her.

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