Maverick vs. Maverick by Shirley Jump

Author:Shirley Jump
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: HarlequinUKLtd
Published: 2016-10-15T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eight

Walker parked his rental car in the courtroom lot, thirty minutes before he was due to be inside. He started scrolling through his phone, ignoring the texts from his father reminding him to step up, be a man and squash this lawsuit, when a familiar car pulled into the space beside him.

Hudson got out, then rapped on Walker’s passenger side window. Walker unlocked the doors, and Hudson slid into the seat beside him. “I wanted to apologize for last night. I was pissed and drunk, and should have handled that better.”

“Yeah, you should have. If you wanted to discuss something with me, you should have scheduled a time when we could talk calmly and rationally.”

Hudson shook his head. “You know, I just apologized. And now you’re sounding just like Dad. Schedule a time, Walker? Seriously?”

“I’m just saying—”

“No. You’re just criticizing.” Hudson let out a gust. “I know I’m not perfect, but neither are you. What happened to the brother I used to know?”

“I’m still your brother.”

“No, Walker, you’re not. You’re this stranger who only cares about business, and not about people. I realize I let you down with the day care, and I am sorry for that. And I will work hard to try and make it up to you—to myself, even. But it’s not like I was sitting in a bar, drinking away the days. I was building a life for myself, for my friend. A life separate from the almighty Jones Holdings.”

Walker readied a retort, then stopped himself. He thought back to his words, to his actions. He had been treating Hudson more like an employee than a brother. Which was exactly the way his father treated him, only with impossible expectations. “I’m sorry. But you have to understand—”

“And there you go again, right back to justifying the way you treat me. One of these days, you’re gonna look around and realize you have nothing except a cold, impersonal business.” Hudson let out a long sigh. “Despite everything, you’re still my brother, Walker, even if you are as uptight as a squirrel in a straightjacket.” He opened the car door. “See you inside.”

Walker watched Hudson walk away, and wondered if they’d ever have a relationship again. Maybe he’d been a fool for trying to combine business with family, because it seemed all it had done was drive a wedge between the two of them. After this lawsuit was over, Walker vowed to try harder to be a brother to Hudson, not a boss.

A few minutes later, Walker sat in the same courtroom, flanked once again by his lawyer, Marty. Instead of arguing a motion to get the case thrown out, they were in trial, defending Just Us Kids Day Care against Lindsay Dalton and the Marshalls. Marty was reviewing his notes, waiting for the judge’s arrival.

Walker, on the other hand, was awaiting Lindsay’s arrival. That alone was a sign he needed to get the hell out of this town. Since when did his interest in a woman supersede work?

Maybe since he’d met a woman who could stand toe to toe with him.

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