Total pages in book: 87
Estimated words: 82888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82888 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 414(@200wpm)___ 332(@250wpm)___ 276(@300wpm)
I start to stand—manners and all drilled into me—but Harlow waves me back down. It’s a relief because I didn’t want to have to endure a hug of greeting.
I’m not the warm-and-fuzzy type these days.
“Good to see you,” Harlow says with a warm smile and takes a seat next to me to go over the paperwork.
She dives right in, and that’s fine by me. She goes through each document, gives me a layman’s overview of what it says, and then points where to sign. I half listen, knowing none of this is really important because she’s the attorney and knows what she’s doing.
I let words like title insurance, escrow, and easements go in one ear and right out the other. I think about refurbishing an old koi pond that sits off the back deck and maybe finishing the basement to make a nicer workout area.
When we’re done, Harlow smiles. “Congratulations, Coen. You’re a new homeowner.”
And what do you fucking know? I smile back. This is the best thing that’s happened to me since the crash.
“Congrats, man,” Stone says, lifting his ass out of his chair to reach across the conference room table to offer me his hand.
I take it and we shake. “Thanks for selling to me.”
“It’s all good. Harlow and I weren’t ever going to use it. Brooks loved that place, but it wasn’t for me. I’m glad a friend of Brooks’s will enjoy it.”
“I need to talk to you about a few things,” Harlow says to me, and then shifts her attention to Stone. “Do you mind waiting in my office, honey?”
“Sure thing.” He leans over and kisses her before heading to the door.
“He doesn’t have to go,” I say quickly. I have nothing to hide.
“Attorney-client privilege,” Harlow says with a wink. “He does have to go.”
He really doesn’t, but I don’t argue. We’re going to talk about the criminal charges, and it’s not a secret. Fuck, Stone’s the one that bailed me out of jail that day.
When the door closes, Harlow taps her pen on the table. “My dad called in a favor to the district attorney.”
My eyebrows shoot up in surprise. “He didn’t have to do that.”
Harlow’s dad is a bigwig attorney here in Pittsburgh and apparently has connections to people in high places.
“Be glad he did,” she says with a chuckle. “They’re going to dismiss the charges against you.”
“Oh, wow,” I say with relief. While I wasn’t facing jail time, I was anxious to have the case over. At least my parents would get off my back. “What do I owe him?”
“A signed jersey would make him happy.”
Christ… I’d rather pay him ten thousand dollars than have to be reminded that even one single person still wants to connect me to the team. But I swallow that shit down and force a smile. “Consider it done. And what do I owe you for that?”
Harlow lifts her chin and her eyes bore into mine. “Don’t quit the team.”
“Not a price I can pay,” I reply without hesitation.
She nods in understanding. “I’ll send you a bill.”
I seriously doubt I’ll see one. She’s the type who will consider me family through our mutual connection to Stone.
“I appreciate all your help. And your dad’s, too, if you’ll pass that on. I’ll get you a signed jersey to give to him ASAP.”
“He’ll love it,” she assures me.
We stand from the table and as we walk to the door, she asks, “Are you selling your place here in Pittsburgh?”
“Yeah. I’ve got a Realtor looking at it. I have to repaint the interior first, but then it will go on the market. I’d love for you to handle the legal stuff, if you don’t mind.”
Harlow laughs. “I never mind making money. Consider it done. Hey… want to grab lunch with me and Stone?”
“Nah,” I say, tucking my hands in my pockets. “I’ve got a long drive ahead.”
Tipping her head, she regards me with a mixture of sympathy and frustration. “Okay. I know he’d love to spend some time with you, but—”
“Truly… if I didn’t have the drive—”
“We both know you’d still decline.” She dips her head and levels me with that look my third-grade teacher, Ms. Vail, used to give me when I was trying to talk my way out of something.
“I appreciate the offer,” I say neutrally, moving toward the door. “Tell Stone I said goodbye.”
“Will do. Take care.”
I nod at Harlow and walk out of her office, now the brand-new owner of a cabin in a sleepy town where I intend to stay lost to the world for a good long while.
CHAPTER 4
Coen
It’s the first week of July, and the summer is in full swing. I holed up during the Fourth of July holiday, forsaking the town’s celebration with fireworks, and watched John Wick for about the tenth time.
The sun beats down on my bare back as I hack away at a rotted stump in my backyard. It’s the only portion of the entire property that gets direct sun since ninety-five percent of the lot is naturally wooded.