Cathy Thacker - Lone Star Valentine

Gannon gave her a barely perceptible nod, ripped open his chips and unwrapped his sandwich. “They want you to know they’re going to play hardball unless you immediately give them everything they want.”

She studied the disheveled strands of Gannon’s dark brown hair. The cool appraisal in his midnight-blue eyes. “You don’t think I should,” she observed.

“I don’t compromise in situations like this,” he told her. “I go full throttle, and I advise my clients to do the same.” He took a bite of sandwich. She forced herself to eat a little, too.

Her glance fell to the court summons she’d faxed over earlier. “Did you have a chance to read the petition?”

Another nod and grim narrowing of his eyes.

Lily pushed her mostly untouched lunch to the side. Stated unhappily, “He’s alleging that I have prevented him from seeing Lucas more than once a year for the past fifty-two months.” She knotted her hands into fists and leaned toward him, her fury mounting. “It’s not true. All Bode had to do was ask and I would have allowed it.” Lily swallowed around the lump in her throat. “He didn’t ask.”

Gannon paused to make a note.

“The petition also alleges that I refused to let Bode take Lucas on his annual vacation two days ago. But he never asked for that, either!”

Gannon tilted his head to one side, looking matter-of-fact enough for the both of them. “I expect his team to point out that’s only because you threw them all out before they had a chance to get down to the specifics of the request that day.”

Lily gasped in indignation and leaped to her feet. “Bode only came here because he wanted half custody of our son to help improve his public persona!”

Gannon grimaced. “That may be how you viewed it, Lily.” He paused to let his words sink in. When she would have moved away, he reached across the table and caught her hand in his. His warm touch engulfing her, he continued pragmatically, “ Their take is that they were just trying to get you to understand how difficult the future was going to be for Lucas if you and Bode didn’t start co-parenting your son immediately. And directly counter some of the ugly public assertions that have been made that insinuate Bode does not care about Lucas. When clearly—” Gannon gave an affable shrug “—of course he does.”

Lily wrenched her wrist from Gannon’s grip. She shoved her chair back and stalked away from the conference table. Though not one to ever condone violence, she wanted to slug him. “Whose side are you on?” she demanded emotionally.

The uncomfortable silence between them lengthened.

His regard softened slightly. “Yours.”

Lily scoffed and planted her hands on her hips. She felt as if she was suffocating in her trim red suit and heels. “It doesn’t sound like it!” she said.

He stood and walked around the table to her side. “Just giving you a taste of what the other side is likely to hurl at you.”

Was that a hint of protectiveness she saw on his face? Her attorney radar on full alert, she drew in a quavering breath, quipped, “Making sure I’m tough enough?”

Gannon slid his hand beneath her chin, and her heart pounded at the warm assessment in his eyes.

“You’re the toughest woman I know,” he said gruffly.

Their gazes locked, the moment drew out and Lily’s imagination ran wild. Her nipples tightening, she wondered. Was this what it would be like if they ever did kiss—with the air around them charged with tension and excitement?

Was it her imagination, or was he feeling the pull of attraction, too?

The darkening of his irises, the faint but unmistakable pause in his breath said yes. The way he abruptly dropped his hand and stepped back said no. Not yet. Not here and now, with so very much at stake.

All business once again, Gannon slid her a steely look. Warned softly, “It’s going to be a bumpy ride unless you can get your emotions under control.”

His seemed locked up tighter than a drum.

Lily worked to slow her racing pulse. Her knees suddenly felt a little wobbly, so she leaned against the wall and folded her arms in front of her.

This wasn’t like her.

It had to be the threatening crisis that had her wanting him—and the stark masculine protection he offered—so badly.

“Meaning I can’t spout off like that in court.”

He followed her to the windows that overlooked Main Street. “Or any time you’re dealing with your ex, or anyone associated with Bode, for that matter.”

Another tense silence fell.

Gannon studied her for another long beat, then gave her a slow, steadfast smile, the kind that said that as long as she let him call the shots, everything would be all right.

Vowing that she was not going to be one of those women who turned to her lawyer for personal comfort, Lily closed her eyes. Swallowed. Instructed herself to use every ounce of common sense and treat him like the extraordinary lawyer he was, nothing more.

Recognizing that it would be a mistake to lean on him in a more intimate way, she opened her eyes, returned to the conference table and pointed to the sheaf of papers she had been served that very morning. “Back to the request for a modification to our custody order.” She forced herself to sit down calmly once again. “What’s our battle plan?”

“I’ve already filed a request, asking for an extension. If we’re granted it—and we should be—that will give Liz roughly forty days to file an answer. I am also going to file a motion for dismissal this afternoon.”

“You think we’ll get it?”

“Probably not. But it will send a clear signal to Bode’s attorneys that you intend to fight this with everything you’ve got. Given everything else he has going on career-wise, that alone may give him pause.”

Deciding everything was well in hand, Lily reached for her bag. She had to get out of here before things turned even more personal. “You’ll let me know?”

He nodded. “One way or another, as soon as I hear. But that likely won’t be until early next week.”

Which meant she’d be spending the weekend wondering and worrying, Lily realized unhappily.

Knowing she’d spent way too much time alone with Gannon in any case, she said sincerely, “Thanks for all your help.” Then made her way for the door.

Lily spent the rest of the day dealing with the fallout over the “fire statue” and working on putting together a weekend work schedule for the upcoming chili festival.

By the time four o’clock rolled around, she was exhausted and ready to call it a day. And that was, of course, when Gannon walked in. She hadn’t expected to come face-to-face with him again today, but truth be told, he was a welcome distraction.

He was still wearing the nicely pressed shirt, tweed wool sport coat and dark jeans he’d had on earlier. She was just as drawn to him now as she’d been before, and in the fading wintry light in her office, she could once again see the inherent protectiveness in his midnight-blue eyes. Except now his dark brown hair was rumpled—as if he’d been running his fingers through the thick, touchable strands. And the hint of evening beard lined his strong, stubborn jaw, further adding to his masculine allure.

Just looking at him made her quiver deep inside.

Oblivious to the sensual nature of her thoughts, he ambled closer and handed her the papers, their fingers touching briefly in the process. “I thought you might like to see a copy of the motion for dismissal for your own files.”

She did, but...seeing him again so soon, being alone with him, was something else entirely. Wishing she weren’t so attracted to him, she swallowed to ease the parched feeling in her throat. “You could have emailed it to me...via attachment.”