Sisters, page 24
She checked her watch, wishing she could.
Where was—she checked the schedule attached to the clipboard hanging on a nail—uh, Maddy Crane. A solo.
Wait—she knew that name.
Maddy Crane? The Maddy Crane?
At that moment, a baby blue vintage convertible—a Jaguar perhaps?—pulled into the yard. The driver waved and climbed out.
The petite woman unwrapped the scarf from her head. She wore patterned jeans and a ruffled white blouse, with turquoise-colored boots that perfectly matched the shade of chunky jewelry at her collar and wrist. She slipped designer sunglasses from her face and tucked them up in her blonde hair, which was pulled back into a fancy knot at the nape of her neck and headed over.
“Sorry I’m a bit late darlin’. I thought I had time to browse that cute little bookstore in town. Big mistake!” She gave Joie a pink-lipped smile and extended her hand. “I’m Maddy Crane. What’s your name, sweet thing?”
Madeline Crane was well known in legal circles. Despite her frilly southern style, opponents had nicknamed her “Mad Dog” for her shrewd litigation skills, which had landed some of the largest damage amounts awarded in the Idaho court system, including a highly-publicized case that involved taking down a predator coach who acted inappropriately with female students.
Joie swallowed, rubbed her palms against the front of her jeans, and took the hand of the woman she so admired. “My name’s Joie—Joie Abbott.”
“Well, so very nice to meet you Joie Abbott.” Maddy glanced at her diamond-encrusted watch. “I hope I didn’t’ hold you up from anything important, darlin’. Shall we get going?”
Joie’s face broke into a wide smile. “Uh—you bet. The horses are all saddled and ready.” She motioned her into the barn. “This way.”
Within minutes, they were mounted and off, making their way up the trail leading to the top of Dollar Mountain. “Ms. Crane, do you visit Sun Valley often?” Joie asked, trying to make small talk.
“Yes, my firm owns a condo. And, please. Call me Maddy.”
A smile sprouted on Joie’s face. She forced a deep breath and met the confident blonde’s gaze squarely. “Okay, sure. Maddy it is.”
“I don’t know why, but my surname always makes me feel so old. Not that I’m a spring chick by any means. Maybe it’s true that life begins at fifty, but without the help of some very expensive cosmetics, everything starts to wear out, fall out, or spread out. And that’s the sad truth darlin’. Of course, like many women of a certain age—” Her eyes sparkled as she coughed lightly into her fist. “–-I’m only twenty-eight.”
They shared a laugh. Not only was Madeline Crane smart as a whip, she was incredibly funny.
At the crest, Joie reined in her horse. “Here’s where we usually take a break. Let the horses rest a minute.”
Maddy nodded. “Sounds good to me, darlin’.”
Despite the fact those boots were no doubt designed more for looks than function, Maddy dismounted like an expert, then whipped her reins over her shoulders and tightened the cinch on her saddle.
“You’ve ridden before?” Joie climbed off her own horse.
“Many times. My thuh’rd husband owned one of the largest horse farms in Kentucky.”
“Yeah?”
Maddy nodded. “Sadly, that ‘ole sweet-talker couldn’t keep his General Lee from marching on the neighbor lady’s battlefield. Especially every time a trial took me out of town.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
Maddy waved her off. “Don’t be. After he fired his musket where it didn’t belong, I marched my dented pride into a divorce attorney’s office, then straight to a jeweler with his checkbook in hand.” She held up her hand to show off one of the largest diamonds Joie had ever seen. “Despite how our marriage ended, we’re still friends. He even came to my fourth wedding.” She shrugged. “Unfortunately, that one died on me and I’ve never remarried.” She patted the gelding’s hindquarters. “But don’t feel sorry for me. The magnolia still blossoms, if you know what I mean.”
Joie offered Maddy Crane a cold bottle of water from her pack filled with ice. Would Andrew’s wife feel as magnanimous when telling her story?
“Thank you, darlin’.” Maddy took the bottle. She loosened her grip on the reins, allowing her horse freedom to duck his head and eat a tuft of grass at her feet. He nickered his appreciation.
“What a glorious view,” she said, taking in the stunning vista below. From up here, a person could see all of Ketchum and Sun Valley, bordered by the jagged Sawtooth and Pioneer mountain ranges.
After taking a drink, she smiled appreciatively and screwed the top back on her bottle. “So, tell me your story.”
“My story?”
“Everybody’s got a story.”
Joie felt instant regret. For one of the first times in her life she wished she had a better opening argument. “I grew up here in Sun Valley. My dad’s a sheep rancher. His ranch is just north of here.” That, she was proud of. The next part was what gave her pause. “I—uh—left home and went to law school.”
Maddy’s face brightened. “You’re an attorney?”
Joie averted her gaze and stared at the valley below. “Yeah. I practiced for a brief time in Boise.”
“At a firm?”
Joie nodded and explained how she’d worked for a firm known for their insurance defense work. “I loved litigation, especially the discovery process. I’ve been told I have an inquisitive mind, but frankly I think I’m just snoopy.” Nothing was more fun than finding the “smoking gun” document or email that changed the course of a case, good or bad. It was one of the few times she’d felt really competent—and respected.
Maddy nodded in solidarity. “I enjoy the fight—every case is like a giant chessboard with moving pieces requiring careful strategy to successfully checkmate the opposing king.”
Joie forced a weak smile, while tamping down a familiar pang. Rarely did she admit to herself, let alone to anyone else, how much she missed being a lawyer—the thrill, the affirmation—all of it.
She made a point of looking at her watch. “Well, I suppose we should get you back.” She screwed the lid on her bottle and slid it back in her pack.
The prosecution failed to rest. “You don’t practice any longer?”
Doing her best to avoid meeting the look in Maddy’s eyes, she slipped her foot in the stirrup and mounted her horse. “Not currently. I’m licensed, so maybe I’ll activate and practice again someday.”
Joie smiled as brightly as she could and eagerly steered the conversation to a safer topic. “Are you planning on going to the ice show tonight? My sister is the director of hospitality for the Sun Valley Lodge. I could get you tickets,” she offered, and for the next while they made their way back to the stables chatting about the upcoming fireworks display and the best places to eat.
When they finally reached the stables, Joie’s phone buzzed.
Where are you?
Without bothering to respond, she slipped the phone back in her pocket and tethered the horses before walking Maddy Crane back to her car. “It was a real pleasure to meet you. I didn’t say it earlier, but I want you to know I’m a huge fan. I followed many of your cases, especially the one with the coach. That was a remarkable win.”
Maddy let a grin form. “Well, technically it wasn’t a win. We settled, but not until we’d emptied the plaintiffs’ bank accounts.”
“I remember. It was on all the news channels.”
At her car, Maddy reached into her bag and retrieved a business card. “Look, I’m a pretty good judge of character. Something tells me you are a smart woman, and might want to step back into the fray someday.” She pressed the card into Joie’s hand. “When you do, give me a call. I have a solo practice, but this twenty-eight-year-old is not getting any younger.” She winked. “Perhaps it’s time I consider taking on an associate.”
Joie felt seared with disappointment, at what could’ve been. She quickly shook her head. “I—I doubt I’ll ever move back to Boise.”
Maddy shrugged. “Well, darlin’, in that case we may have to think about opening a satellite office here in Sun Valley.”
Joie went wide-eyed. “Uh—I don’t know what to say!”
“Say you’ll consider my offer.” Maddy pointed to where Joie’s phone was buzzing in her pocket yet again. “And that guy who keeps texting you? I hope he knows he has a great gal.” She grinned and climbed into her car. “I’ll be in touch. But not for a few weeks. I’m on vacation, you know.”
40
Leigh Ann couldn’t breathe. She coughed and pulled her head from the oven door, gasping for air.
Yes, she had a self-cleaning oven, and a woman who came in every week to straighten her house. But neither scrubbed her Thermador entirely to her satisfaction, so every few months, for good measure, she liked to hit the interior with a blast of spray cleaner and a stiff brush.
With determination, she tucked her head back into the oven and scoured the surface with a particularly vigorous action, hoping to remove the remnants of her latest venture, both cooking and otherwise.
What had she been thinking? Even if what she believed about Mark had been true, she’d nearly taken her life over a cliff.
She’d managed to convince Karyn on the golf course that this whole misunderstanding with Mark had been no big deal. The truth was that the entire situation had shaken her to the core.
First, she’d let gossip and her own proclivity toward looming disaster lead her down a trail where she’d thought the very worst of her husband, that he was having an affair.
And what did she do in response?
She’d decided to fix the situation in the most absurd manner, let her deepest insecurities push her into taking measures that were—well, at best silly and at worst desperate attempts to gain back the control she felt she’d lost. Not all things could be easily fixed, especially on your own.
She circled the scrub brush along the sides of her oven interior.
And then there was Thor Magnum.
God only knew what would have happened had Thor not been a gentleman that day, if he had not had the good sense to stop her from proceeding into the very thing she’d accused Mark of.
Father John would claim the good Lord had protected her from her own foolishness. If that were so, she was extremely grateful. Otherwise, she’d have gone the way of David and Bathsheba and her life would be baked.
Leigh Ann pulled her head out of the oven a second time and wiped her forearm across her sweaty brow.
That’s when she saw Mark standing in the doorway of the kitchen, watching her and smiling.
She immediately felt self-conscious. “What?”
Mark cocked his head. “What in the world are you doing?”
She lifted from the floor and pulled the rubber gloves from her hand. “I’m cleaning the oven.”
A puzzled look crossed his face. “But, don’t we have—,” he paused, letting the rest of the sentence hang in the air unspoken as he crossed over to her. He pulled the scarf from her hair and kissed the top of her head.
Instinctively, she pulled back. “I need a shower.”
He put his finger to her lips. “Shhh . . . ”
His finger trailed along the side of her neck. He lifted her chin. “Listen, there’s something I want to say.”
“Mark—”
“Shhh,” he repeated, this time more insistent. “I want to tell you I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” she whispered.
“I was so wrapped up in my business deal, I neglected to hear you. Without meaning to, I let you think the worst and failed to recognize how afraid you—”
This time she put her fingers on his lips and shook her head. “No, I’m the one who is sorry, Mark. I let my insecurities get out of hand. I thought the worst. I almost made a horrible mistake.”
Like some Disney movie, the sun broke from behind a cloud sending light shining through the window.
She let the gloves drop to the floor as his fingers trailed down her neck, to the buttons on her blouse. He unhooked each slowly and pulled back the fabric, revealing bare skin, and her tattoo.
Breathing heavily, Mark bent and kissed the image of the seal on her shoulder.
A tingle ran through her stomach as she clutched his dark hair and moaned.
In a quick movement, he swept her up into his arms and headed for the bedroom, but not before a car door slammed outside. He hesitated.
“Don’t stop now,” she pleaded, not anxious for this feeling to subside.
“Not on your life,” her husband told her.
Unfortunately, the front door swung open. Colby hoisted his duffle on his shoulder. “Hey, I’m home.”
Mark and Leigh Ann grinned at each other.
Mark set Leigh Ann’s feet on the ground and quickly went for his back pocket and pulled out his wallet. “Hey, kid. Glad you’re home. But, here’s a hundred. Now take off and grab some pizza and head for your Aunt Karyn’s.
Leigh Ann giggled. “Yeah, we’ll meet you at the ice show.”
Their son looked momentarily puzzled. A slow grin dawned and he winked at his dad. “Whatever you say, old man.”
Minutes later, Leigh Ann and Mark were in bed.
He slid over her and pressed his lips to hers with an urgency she hadn’t seen from her husband in some time, a passion that matched her own. It’d been a long time since they had connected like this and she wasn’t about to waste a moment of this unexpected intimacy.
Mark nibbled at her ear, kissed her neck, her shoulder and then pulled the top sheet over his head as he left a trail of kisses on her stomach.
Suddenly, he lifted from beneath the sheet, his eyes wide. “Leigh Ann! What in the world?”
She giggled and pulled him back to her.
41
Joie hurried through the lobby of the Sun Valley Lodge and climbed on the elevator where she rode up to the second floor. She quickly made her way to the room where Andrew waited, and knocked on the door with a huge grin on her face.
The door opened and Andrew swept her inside and into an embrace. “It’s about time you got here,” he said, finding his way to her lips. He had changed into comfortable clothes and tasted of champagne.
She threw her head back and laughed seeing a half-eaten plate of chocolate covered strawberries and an open bottle on the coffee table. “I see you waited for me.”
His room was much bigger this time. A dividing wall with a gas fireplace separated a sitting area with a lovely sofa and desk from the room with a king-sized bed. A balcony faced Mt. Baldy as well as a fantastic view of the ice-skating rink below, where a crowd was gathering for the ice show and fireworks display.
“What in the world took you so long?” he asked. He poured her a glass of pricey Moet and Chandon. “I’ve been in town for hours.”
She grabbed the remote and turned down the volume on the television before taking the offered drink. “I know. I’m sorry. But just wait until you hear who I took on a trail ride.”
She couldn’t wait to tell him she’d met Madeline Crane, and that the feisty and highly successful attorney had dangled an offer for her to consider—an opportunity to practice law again. Not that she didn’t adore the days she spent on horseback and the hours training Fresca, the new gelding she’d been working for months, as well as the horse she and Clint had rescued. She didn’t even mind taking clients on trail rides.
Still, she’d gone to law school and worked hard to pass the bar exam for a reason. Not only did she enjoy the mental challenge the law provided, it was a financially sensible, and highly regarded profession. One she had intended to return to someday.
“Chatting can wait.” Andrew quickly lifted his t-shirt over his head and pulled on the drawstring to his lounge pants.
Joie stepped back and held up her hand. “Whoa, Cowboy!”
“What?” He gave her a wicked grin. “I’ve been waiting for this rodeo all week. Open the gate, I’m ready to get bucked off.” He grabbed her hand and pulled her to the bed, pushed her onto the satin duvet and pulled at the buttons to her blouse.
She escaped his embrace and laughed. “Can I at least get undressed?”
By the time they’d finished and fell back against the pillows, the sun had lowered in the sky behind Baldy. Excitement from the crowd that had gathered at the ice arena below drifted through the slightly open doors to the balcony, along with the first strains of music.
Joie placed her empty champagne flute on the bedside table. She nudged Andrew. “C’mon, let’s get dressed and head out to the balcony. The show’s going to start soon.”
Reluctantly, Andrew pulled himself from the rumpled bedcovers. “I’ll call room service. I’m starved. You want a steak?”
She shook her head. “No, thanks. I’m not hungry.” She pulled a pair of clean jeans from her overnight bag, tugged them on and threaded her belt in the loops. “But you go ahead.”
Joie headed onto the balcony, anxious to catch a glimpse of the opening lineup for this summer’s Sun Valley on Ice show, a truly star-studded event with skating champions in amazing costumes, and choreographed performances that left a mesmerized audience swooning and cheering for more.
Andrew stood behind her, his hands on her shoulders. “Honey, they say it’s going to be at least an hour. I’m going to run down and pick my order up, since it’ll be faster.”
“You’re not one known for patience, are you?” she teased, brushing his cheek with a kiss.
Before pulling away, his lips met hers with a dominance that suggested he’d prefer to skip the steak altogether, as well as the production unfolding below.
“Oh, no sir!” She playfully pushed him away. “I’m not missing the ice show.”
He grinned “Okay, have it your way.”
Andrew moved inside to finish getting dressed, but not before popping her on the backside. “Be back in a jiff,” he called out before shutting the door.
She smiled, not believing her good fortune.
When she’d been forced into a decision in Boise—not even a decision really, because nothing would have allowed her to continue the relationship with Andrew while he was still married—she’d moved home to recalibrate. A few weeks turned into a month, a month to six, and then over a year. The time since moving back from Boise had been deflating, with life veering off-course and taking a trajectory she hadn’t expected, or even wanted.
