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Expecting an older man in a vintage suit with a fifty-dollar haircut and a pot belly, I didn’t immediately register that the man who’d just walked in was heading my way.
Tall and slender, but if the forearms exposed by his rolled-up shirtsleeves were any indication, very fit, with an almost military-style haircut and piercing blue eyes. The man was in dress slack, fancy shoes, and a button-up shirt, looking more like a man ready to relax at home after a long day’s work than a lawyer ready to conduct business.
But when he sidled up next to me with a smile, hand outstretched, I realized that’s exactly who he was.
“Branson Braswell, Ms. Horton, but you can call me Bran.”
I looked from his hand to those eyes, a little tongue tied, then pulled myself out of my musings and shook his hand.
“Lila, please, call me Lila,” I replied, then gestured to the empty bar stool next to me.
Bran took his seat, and when the bartender came by he asked for a water, then turned his attention back to me and asked kindly, “How are you doing, Lila? I’ve seen the news, read the paper, so I know you’ve been through an incredible ordeal. Are you holding up all right?”
It seemed strange for him to ask such a personal question, having just met me, but for some reason, I knew it came from a genuine place.
Don’t ask me how, just a gut feeling.
“The attention has been overwhelming, but I’m doing okay.”
“Nightmares?” he asked gently, and my eyes whipped to his face.
“Yeah, how did you know?”
“I was in a similar situation as a child,” Bran replied vaguely, then shifted in his seat and changed the subject. “I don’t want to take up too much of your time, Lila, so I’ll get right to it. As I said, I was Samuel … eh, Moose’s, lawyer, and I’ve been trying to get a hold of you to go over the contents of his will.”
“You have? His will? I’m sorry, things have been crazy lately, I haven’t gone through all of my messages yet.” I looked down at my finger, which was making little circles on the bar, then looked up and saw that he was watching my finger as well.
“I know, that’s what I figured, and I didn’t want to push, but it’s been a few weeks and you need to know what was in his will,” Bran said patiently, and I realized his voice had a real soothing quality to it.
“Oh? Did he leave me something?” I asked lamely. Obviously he did, or else Mr. Hot Guy Lawyer wouldn’t have been leaving me messages and tracking me down in a bar.
“Everything,” he said oddly. “Moose left you everything. His house, his firm, everything…”
“What?” I cried, spinning on my stool so my legs bumped his as I brought my body around to face him.
Bran nodded.
“He has no family. Parents are both dead, never married, no kids. You’re the closest to him.”
“That’s so … sad,” I said softly, thinking what it would be like to have no one. Then a vision of me smashing Moose’s kneecaps hit me and my hand flew to my mouth. “Oh, my God … But I … and he…” My eyes filled with tears.
Branson must have understood the look on my face, because his hand covered mine on the bar and he said softly, “That wasn’t your fault, Lila. You were under the influence and had no control over what you were doing. Moose knew that, and I know he wouldn’t blame you for what happened to him. He knew fully well the kind of men he was getting involved with when he accepted Carlos Chavez as a client. Why do you think he came to me and made up that will?”
My brain was trying to make sense of everything, when I felt Bran squeeze my hand.
“If you ever want to talk … about what happened, or anything at all, just give me a call,” Bran said, eyes intent so I couldn’t mistake his meaning.
I was about to respond when I felt a large, warm arm hit my shoulders and Cade’s gruff voice say, “She’s good.”
I looked up to see Cade glaring down at Bran, then turned to see Branson grin and lift up one shoulder.
“You can’t blame a man for trying, Wilkes.”
Cade continued to glare and replied, “As long as it only happens once.”
I looked from Cade, his long dark hair wild and unruly around his scowling face, to Bran, who was handsome in a casual, clean-cut way, and was grinning madly at Cade’s scowl, totally unperturbed, and wondered how in the hell I’d gone from taking an impromptu snapshot of my cheating ex to this moment right here.
Branson rose from his stool and laid his business card on the bar in front of me, then threw down enough money to cover both our drinks and a tip and said, “Call me and we’ll set up a time for you to come down to the office, sign the papers, and make everything official.”
