Page 18 of Rescued Love
“He Bernie Madoff-ed them,” he questions before adding on, “allegedly.”
I give my grandpa a sad smile and nod slowly. “I’m not supposed to assume guilt or innocence on a personal level. I’m there to mount a defense.”
“But you couldn’t do it,” he surmises.
“Not effectively,” I admit, “not when the client basically admitted to being guilty without saying it outright. All I could think about was someone taking advantage of you in the same way. It pissed me off and it was negatively impacting my work.” I scrub a hand down my face, hating to admit this while also being glad to not be talking about Kimball anymore. “Unfortunately, the person working on the case with me is also my biggest rival. I’m sure he’s loving how I got pulled and given time off and he’s lead on the case now.”
“This rival of yours,” Grandpa muses, “he doesn’t have the same conscience issue you were having; I take it.”
I snort out a laugh, but it sounds unamused, even to my ears. “Hell no. He’s devious and cutthroat. We’ve been competing against each other since law school. Our feelings toward each other are entirely mutual.”
Grandpa chuckles softly and shakes his head. “There’s always that one person who both pisses you off and pushes you to do better.” He tilts his head to the side and studies me. Something about his gaze makes me feel like a kid again even though I’m a grown ass man. “I remember when your parents told me about you graduating college and going to law school,” there’s a wistfulness in his voice that has me wincing—mostly because I wasn’t the one to tell him about my plans when I should have been.
I’ve been an asshole for a lot longer than the internship.
“When they mentioned criminal defense, it surprised me,” he prods me gently.
“I think my competitive drive got the better of me,” I admit. “I’m not even sure how it happened. Law school was like one giant competition. We knew we were competing for jobs from the moment we were accepted. I let it go to my head and I wanted to be on top of the heap when all was said and done.”
He nods as he watches me for a moment before letting out a long sigh. “Nathan, you have to apologize to Kimball. She didn’t deserve your misplaced worry about me. She’s not like the people you’ve been defending. Honestly, considering the strings she’s pulled and the favors she’s done for my animals proves how she’s put herself out there because of her love for animals. It’s just who she is.”
“Yeah,” my voice cracks a little and I clear my throat to try and get my emotions under control. I learned a long time ago to get that shit under wraps because you can’t show weakness to those around you; you’ll be eaten alive. “I’ll track her down and apologize. It’s the least I can do.”
“Track her down?” Grandpa snorts. When I shoot him a curious look he rolls his eyes. “She’s not hard to find. There are only a few places Kimball could be and the first place I would look is the shelter.”
For some reason, my chest aches at the same time that it fills with warmth because of Grandpa’s words. I really did her a disservice by judging her without knowing a damn thing about her. It was fucked up and I wish I could change it now.
I can’t, but I’ll try and make it right. If she’ll let me.
“I’ll go by the shelter tomorrow,” I assure him as I glance at the clock, “since I’m sure they’re closed now.”
“She might still be there,” Grandpa’s eyes are dancing with amusement. “But I do think it’ll be better if you wait until the light of day.” There’s a beat of silence between us before he asks, “Did I hear that you’re meeting the boys at The Goose tonight?”
“I am. Dixon kept talking about the burgers and they invited me to get a drink.”
“It’ll be good for you. It can’t be fun to be cooped up with an old man like me for your entire vacation. You should get out and see more of the town.”
“You’re not an old man,” I admonish him, hating him thinking that I want to be anywhere other than with him.
“I am,” he chuckles, “but I’m supposed to be. I’ve lived a long, happy life, Nathan. I earned every year under my belt.” He points a finger at me in a way which could be menacing if he weren’t grinning from ear to ear. “You’re young. You need to take advantage of it while you can.”
“I’m not that young,” I shoot back at him.
The sound of his guffaw filling the room has me smiling. I know he’s been lonely out here, and I don’t blame him for it. I don’t think I’ve ever been in love the way Grandpa and Grandma loved each other. Then for him to lose her?
That is a pain I don’t want to imagine.
I wouldn’t mind having someone in my life like he had though. Someone to lean on when the days are long and rough. Someone to hold and soothe when needed. Someone to walk this life beside and find strength with while also feeling safe to be more than what the outside world sees.
Yeah, I wouldn’t mind it at all.
Kimball’s face flashes in my mind and the ache in my chest intensifies. She’s exactly the kind of woman I could see myself with. But I don’t think it would work out with her; there are too many hurdles in our way now.
First, I was a giant dick to her. Even after I offer her my apologies, she might not accept them. I wouldn’t blame her for it either.
Then there’s how I don’t live in Sweetwater Valley. Considering how tied to this place Kimball is, I can’t envision her uprooting her life and leaving. Because it wouldn’t just be leaving the town. It would be turning her back on the animals she’s given so much time and effort to.
You could stay and build a life here instead of going back to the city.