Page 104 of A Slice of Summer
That was what Garrett wanted her to do. It was what she wanted too. But she also wanted more.
Taryn opened the door and entered her parents’ house.
Chapter Twenty-One
Garrett sat inhis office. The sky was a beautiful blend of blue, purple, and orange. Others had gone home, but this place was still buzzing with activity. He enjoyed the atmosphere—the noise. His condo was too quiet. Not that it mattered. Whether he was there or at work, Taryn was never far from his mind. He missed her.
Callie and Brandt.
Rex.
Margot.
Angus and Sadie.
The bakery.
Silver Falls.
But he missed Taryn most of all.
The selfies from Callie and Brandt with heart eyes and beaming smiles only made Garrett miss Taryn more. Oh, he was thrilled for his sister. She was living her best life with a great guy who loved her as much as she loved him. Whereas Garrett, who everyone claimed was so successful, was barely going through the motions because of a small-town baker.
I love you.
Even though he’d hung up from her call nearly half an hour ago, Taryn’s words echoed through his brain. He’d been stunned. He hadn’t known how to reply. The obvious answer was to tell her he loved her, except that would feel too quid pro quo.
His assistant poked her head into his office. “Mr. Hoppes is here for his meeting.”
Time to pull himself together. Garrett adjusted his tie. “Thanks. And you’re here late again. Go home.”
“Thanks.”
A few minutes later, Garrett entered the conference room, surprised to see only one man seated at the table. He thought more people would be there.
Jedidiah Hoppes, fifty-four with more gray than brown strands of hair, stood. The billionaire wore an expertly tailored suit, subdued silk tie, and crisp dress shirt. He’d founded an investment firm and was currently out on bail and not considered a flight risk.
“Jedidiah Hoppes, but everyone calls me Jed.” He extended his arm. “It’s nice to meet you finally. I hope you enjoyed your sister’s wedding.”
“Garrett Andrews.” Garrett shook hands. Jed’s grip was strong. “I did. The team updated me on your case. I’m sorry I postponed our meeting last week.”
“That’s okay. Something with my family came up anyway.” Jed sat and glanced around the room with its expensive furniture and artwork. “I was told this was the hotshot firm and the best in L.A.”
“It is.”
Jed chuckled. “Everyone has been wonderful, especially Jenn.”
Jenn, a managing partner, had a genius-level I.Q. and was charismatic enough to have jurists eating out her hand with a smile.
“Happy to hear that.” Garrett took a seat across from him.
Jed steepled his fingers. “I spoke to several firms before signing with yours, but this one came out on top. I’m impressed with the representation I’ve received so far. But I wanted to meet you one-on-one.”
“That’s smart. Not everyone clicks.” Garrett leaned back in the leather chair. “But no matter how we get along, our firm will do whatever it takes. You’ve met a few people with your hearing, but we have our team of assistants, paralegals, investigators to prepare for cases. All understand that come trial time, that is the priority, and we’ll have no life for a while.”
He’d loved the nonstop prep before and the all-nighters during trials to make sure he knew what to say, but thinking about doing that again made Garrett’s stomach roil. It wasn’t like the late nights working on the booth in Taryn’s backyard. That was fun.
Law used to be fun.
