Free Falling for Owen by Jennifer Ryan

hasn’t had a good life. Lord knows being Dale’s wife only brought her pain and hardship. She’s looking for kindness.”
    “She’s found it in you and laps it up like a kitten at a bowl of milk.”
    “Once Dale is back in jail, she won’t have a reason to come around. She’ll feel safe again and fall back into her routine.”
    “She has a thing for you.”
    “She’s my client. That’s all. Why do I have to keep explaining that to people?”
    “I never said she was anything more to you than a client. I’m just warning you that she’s got tender feelings. She likes you and a harsh brush-off may not be the way to keep your distance. In fact, it may do the opposite and make her try harder to get your attention.”
    “I see your point, but after what happened and her showing up here today, I thought firmer words were needed.”
    “How did that work out for you?”
    “She didn’t hear anything I said the way I intended.”
    Janine laughed. “Well, as you said, she’s been through a lot and doesn’t want to give up the one person who has been kind to her. Stick with gentle but firm and eventually she’ll hear you.”
    “Let’s hope.” He took his coffee and drank deeply. Even lukewarm, it tasted like heaven.
    “Thanks for the coffee and muffin.”
    “You’re welcome, but Claire is the one who sent them.”
    She gave him another knowing smile. “How is Claire?”
    He had called Janine early this morning to give her a heads-up that he’d be in to work late.
    “Tired and hurting, but at work, trying her best to put on a brave front.”
    He hired Janine after he fired his last assistant-slash-paralegal because she spent far too much time hitting on him and trying to get his attention. At sixty-two, Janine was looking for a steady job after going from one temp position to the next after a huge firm in Colorado Springs laid her off during the economic downturn that gave the firm an excuse to let go of many of their older staff members. Their loss, his gain. Janine was a whiz with a computer and an even better paralegal. She saved him hours of research and taught him something new every day they worked together. He wouldn’t trade her for ten young, eager, fresh-out-of-school assistants.
    “Do you think she’s pretty?”
    “No.” He kept a straight face, took a sip of his coffee, pretended to think on the matter. “I think she’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.”
    “Took you long enough to notice. How many times have you taken the girls to her shop?”
    “I noticed. She didn’t seem interested in more than serving me tea and cookies.” He remembered his conversation with her last night. “Actually, she thought I was married or at least involved with Rain and that the girls were mine. I set her straight on that score.”
    “I’m sure you did.”
    He bet Janine gave up the fight not to laugh at him any second. “Do you know her?”
    “As well as anyone in town knows her. She keeps to herself. We’ve exchanged small talk at her shop while she puts my order together. She’s smart and kind. She loves children. You can see it in the way she talks to them and plays, the way she’s set up the store to include them. While she sells some pretty knickknacks, nothing is ever hands-off for the little ones. If something breaks, she brushes it off like it’s nothing.
    “She’s worked hard to get her shop up and running. She does a good business, though I think many of the men steer clear because they think it’s all tea parties and ladies clubs. For the most part it is, but she makes some wonderful lunch specials. Her pastries and desserts are to die for.”
    “You got that right. I love her brownies.”
    “You should take your clients there for meetings. It’s quiet and there’s a private table in the back of the book section. It overlooks a small garden she planted out back to make the perfect sitting area.”
    “Really? I guess I never paid much attention.”
    “Well, two little