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Would her heart be able to handle it?
* * *
Damn. She looks good.
Santiago pushed the thought aside and offered a smile to Ainsley’s secretary. The woman blushed prettily and nodded before turning to leave. Normally, he’d take such a reaction as a compliment, maybe even an excuse to invite her to dinner. But now that he’d seen Ainsley again, he only had eyes for her.
Had it really been five years since their breakup? Five years since he’d left to chase his dreams in New York City, opting to prioritize his career over his personal life? In some ways, it felt like a lifetime ago. But standing in Ainsley’s office, watching the play of emotions on her face as he drew closer, it suddenly seemed like only a few hours had passed since he’d made his choice.
She looked different now. Her brown hair was shorter, falling to her shoulders instead of down her back. God, how he’d loved to wrap those strands around his hands! Her hair had always felt like silk on his skin, a soft caress that had driven him mad. Even now, just thinking about it gave him goose bumps.
Ainsley watched him approach, her blue eyes guarded and her delicate features arranged in a carefully neutral expression. Her skin was still pale, a testament to the amount of time she spent in her office. She sported some fine lines at the corners of her eyes, and he hoped they were from laughing and not frowning. He’d always wanted the best for her, had always wanted her to be happy.
Which was why he’d left.
He wasn’t husband material—never had been, never would be. It was something he’d always known about himself, and given his family history of miserable marriages, he wasn’t looking to take on that particular role.
So he’d left, before he could disappoint Ainsley with his shortcomings.
Santiago forced himself to smile as he came to a stop in front of her desk. His arms ached to embrace her, to have her fill the Ainsley-shaped hollow space in his soul that he’d lived with over the past five years. But he could tell by her apprehensive air that such an overture would not be welcomed.
“Ainsley,” he said. Just saying her name gave him a kind of relief. After he’d left, he’d done his best to push all thoughts of her to the side. He’d thrown himself into his work, and his efforts had paid off. He’d made a name for himself, first in New York City, then in Phoenix. Coming back to Arizona had never been part of his plan, but when the firm had called a year and a half ago, they’d made him an offer he simply couldn’t refuse.
So he’d packed his things and moved back to the land of sun. And Ainsley. He hadn’t expected to hear from her—after
all, things hadn’t ended well between them. Even so, he couldn’t deny he’d felt a spark of hope when he’d seen her name on his phone screen. He knew it had taken a lot for her to reach out to him. And while he knew she had zero interest in seeing him again in a personal capacity, part of him wondered if they couldn’t find their way to being friends again.
“Hello, Santiago.” She didn’t offer her hand, so he didn’t either. It was clear she didn’t want him to touch her, and he always respected a woman’s boundaries.
She gestured to the seat behind him. “Please, make yourself comfortable. Would you like something to drink?”
“No, thank you,” he replied, lowering himself into the chair. He made an obvious show of studying her face. “You look wonderful,” he said simply.
If she appreciated the compliment, she didn’t show it. “Thank you,” she said flatly. She leaned back a bit in her chair, evidently conducting her own appraisal. “I’m surprised you’re in town,” she said. “What’s a big fish like you doing in such a small pond?”
Ouch. He tried not to wince at the barb. He hadn’t used those exact words, but that had been the gist of his argument when he’d left five years ago. “I can’t grow my career here,” he’d said, gesturing to the window to encompass Mustang Valley. “I’m not going to spend the rest of my life working on drunken assault cases and DUIs.” He’d needed to move to New York to take on the kind of high-profile cases that interested him. Given his childhood, he’d known marriage wasn’t in his future. He hadn’t enjoyed hurting her, but there had been no other way.
“I’m here on family business,” he said, running his hand down the length of his tie. But he didn’t want to talk about that just yet. First, he wanted to hear her story. “Why don’t you tell me how I can help you?”
Ainsley pressed her lips together, and he got the impression that calling him had been a last resort. Worry flared to life in his belly. What was going on? Was she in some kind of trouble? He’d assumed she’d called him on behalf of someone else, but in the face of her obvious reluctance, he had to wonder if he’d been wrong.
“You know I’ll help you,” he said quietly. He’d never stopped caring for her, probably never would. He’d made it clear when he’d left that he would always be there for her. And even though he’d never expected her to turn to him again, he was pleased that she had now.
She nodded, emotion flashing in her eyes. “It’s my brother,” she said finally.
Bit by bit, she told him the whole story. The email to the company’s board, the DNA test, her father’s shooting. And the gun they’d found today in Ace’s condo. He’d heard some of the details before, thanks to news coverage of the story. But she’d filled in several gaps in his knowledge and he realized how convoluted the whole thing actually was.
“He didn’t do this,” she said, leaning forward a bit. “I know it looks bad right now, but I also know my brother. He’s not capable of doing something like this.”
Santiago didn’t argue. In his experience, people were often very capable of doing shocking things, and often for less motivation that what she’d just outlined. But he wasn’t here to argue with Ainsley about the darker aspects of human nature. He’d only met Ace a few times before; he didn’t know the man well enough to form an opinion on the matter.
“So are you asking me to advise you?” She wasn’t a defense attorney, but he knew she could handle this case if she wanted to, especially with a little help.
She shook her head. “No. I’m asking you to take the case.”
He leaned back, considering. What he’d told her earlier was true—he was in town on a family matter. But perhaps he could kill two birds with one stone?
“All right,” he said slowly. “I’ll take the case.”
