Page 70 of The Sweet Life

She put hers in his. “I don’t think I can take any more surprises tonight, Jake.”

“I have a feeling you’re going to hear about this sooner or later, so I want you to hear it from me. It’s nothing bad,” he said, tightening his grip on her hand. “Trust me.”

“I do. I’m just tired.” She rested her head on his shoulder. “And confused.”

He let go of her hand and put his arm around her. “I’m sorry if I made it harder on you. I was just worried you were too close to the situation, too emotionally involved to see through Abbott. But you’re smart and one hell of a good divorce attorney, so I should have known you’d see through him if he tried anything.”

She sighed. “The thing is, you were right about the car. He could have played with the wires, and I wouldn’t have known.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll check his rental out later and see if he was on the up-and-up. But you were right, Sage. Even if he’s got a hidden agenda, it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t want you in his life. He’d be an idiot not to.”

“Don’t be sweet. Not tonight. I’m too emotional.”

His gaze roamed her face. “You’re right.” He stepped back and once again took her hand. “Let’s go back to the house. We can do this another day.”

“Really? You think I’m going to be able to let that go?” She gestured to the one-track road he’d been leading her toward. “Let’s go. Show me what you want me to see.” She held back. “Wait. You’re not taking me to see the stone memorial you made for Alice, are you?”

“No,” he said slowly.

“Okay, that wasn’t a hard no.” She stopped walking and crossed her arms. “Tell me what we’re doing out here. At night. In the woods.” A bird swooped past them, and she ducked. “I didn’t think birds were out this late. Owls are, though, right? It must have been an owl.” She narrowed her eyes at him. “Why are you smiling at me like that?”

“It’s cute the way you’re trying to convince yourself that you saw an owl and not a bat.”

“That was a bat?” she asked, from where she crouched on the road with her hands over her head.

“No. I’m pretty sure it was an owl.”

“Jake!”

He fit his hands under her arms and lifted her to her feet. Then he drew her close, wrapping her in his arms. “With some help from Flynn, I’ve figured out why Alice bought the farm.”

She tipped her head back. “Flynn knew Alice?”

“He did, and I’ll get to that in a sec.” He rested his chin on the top of her head. “Alice saw me in Kendra. She comes from an abusive home, and Alice took her under her wing just over a year ago, and you…” He leaned back to look down at her. “Alice saw herself in you. The way you defend women who suffer from abuse and neglect. The work you do pro bono at the shelter. It’s why she left the farm to us, and why she asked Flynn to build a home for abused women and children here. She wanted us to continue her work but on a bigger scale. She didn’t just want me to take over her legal practice; she wanted us to be partners in all of this.”

He wanted it too. She could see it on his face, and she closed her eyes, a tear sliding down her cheek. The last thing shewanted was to disappoint him, or Alice. But her life, her position at the firm… She wouldn’t give up her dreams to make someone else happy. She knew all too well how that story ended.

“It’s okay.” He dried her tears with the backs of his knuckles.

“I’m sorry. I wish—”

He placed a finger on her lips. “Don’t apologize. I don’t expect you to give up your dreams to make Alice’s come true.”

She groaned. “Jake!”

“I’m sorry, that came out wrong. But you know Alice would feel the same.”

“Obviously not, Jake. You’re right. It’s exactly what she wanted. You and me doing this together.” She gestured to the woods, the pond, and the lavender fields. “It makes so much more sense why she bought the farm now. It would be the perfect place for both women and children to recover and thrive.” She searched his face. “Tell me the truth. You want to do it, don’t you?”

He stepped back and looked around, and then he nodded. “Yeah, I do. And if you give me some time, I’ll buy you out of the farm and the practice.” He moved his head from side to side. “Even with my share of the house on Ocean View Drive, it might take me a while to pay you back.”

“That’s okay. It’s not like I need the money.” She winced. “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded.”

“You don’t have to be embarrassed that you make good money, Sage. Not with me.”

“I know, but it’s not just about my paycheck. I lead a simple life. I don’t go out, and I have a small apartment and I’m rarely there, so I just bank my money.” She narrowed her eyes at him.“You don’t have to look at me like that is the saddest thing you’ve ever heard.”

“Not the saddest thing, but it ranks pretty high.”

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