Chapter 1

Chapter One

Abigail Carter sat at her desk, the hum of the busy law firm around her fading into the background as she reviewed the meticulous notes for her latest case. Outside her office door, she knew that Winters & Winters buzzed with the quiet energy of legal ambition.

Phones rang, assistants scurried down hallways, and the occasional burst of laughter or frustration broke the monotony. But for Abbie, the world outside her office didn’t exist. It couldn’t. Today was the day that would change everything if all the pieces fell into place. And they should. She’d worked her ass off to see that they did.

Her pen hovered over a highlighted section in her notebook, her thoughts razor-sharp. In fewer than two hours, she’d be delivering her closing arguments in the Henderson trial, a case that had consumed her life for the past four months. This wasn’t just another trial for Abbie—it was the trial . The one that, if she won, would secure her long-dreamed-of partnership at Winters & Winters. It was the culmination of years of relentless hard work, sacrifices, and single-minded focus. The stakes couldn’t be higher. For her and her client.

Abbie sat back in her chair and glanced at the clock. Plenty of time left. She allowed herself a rare moment to reflect, her gaze drifting to the framed photo on her desk. It was taken on the day of her law school graduation, a younger version of herself beaming with pride as her father and grandfather stood beside her, bookends who looked like a younger and older version of the same man. Their arms were draped protectively over her shoulders and their smiles were wide and genuine, but her dad’s eyes—always so full of life—carried a hint of the exhaustion from the chemo that had been relentless over the last year of her law school. The cancer had finally won taking her only remaining parent. Not that her mother wasn’t alive, but—why was it the universe always took the good parent from a child?

“Daddy,” she whispered to herself, smiling softly at the memory of him cheering louder than anyone in the auditorium that day. He had been her rock, her cheerleader, and her fiercest protector for as long as she could remember. Even after her mother’s untimely departure when Abbie was just a child, he had stepped in without hesitation, raising her to be the strong, resilient, resourceful young woman attorney she was today.

Truth be known, he was the reason she had worked so hard, the reason she was here, on the brink of achieving everything she’d ever wanted. He’d been a partner at Winters & Winters until he could no longer do the work and it had been both of their dreams that she would follow in his footsteps. And when she won this case, those dreams would be that reality.

Her phone buzzed, pulling her from her thoughts. She glanced at the screen. It was an unfamiliar number. Her brow furrowed. Damn telemarketer or a robocall all hours of the day. She had no time for distractions today. She silenced her phone and kept working.

A knock on the door interrupted her, and she glanced up to see Missy, her assistant, poking her head in.

“The car’s ready, boss,” Missy said, grinning. “Time to go win your case and make history.”

Abbie chuckled. “Thanks, Missy. I’ll be ready to go in a few minutes.”

Missy lingered, her grin fading slightly. “You okay? You seem… I don’t know, sad.”

“I’m fine,” Abbie replied, her voice crisp. “Just thinking about my dad and running through my arguments one last time.”

Missy nodded and slipped out, leaving Abbie alone with her thoughts once more. She pushed the nagging feeling in her chest aside. Focus, Carter. You’ve got this.

Two hours later, Abbie stood in Courtroom B, delivering the closing arguments she had rehearsed a hundred times over. The jury sat captivated, their eyes following her every move, their expressions shifting with each impassioned point she made. This was where she shined. The courtroom was her stage, and she was the star performer.

When she finished, she returned to her seat, her confidence bolstered by the subtle nods and even a few teary eyes among the jurors. Will, her college-friend-turned-adversary for this case, smirked at her from the prosecutor’s table, but she caught the flicker of worry in his eyes. He knew she’d nailed it.

The judge gave final instructions to the jury, and they were dismissed to deliberate. Now came the waiting—the agonizing limbo where everything hung in the balance. Abbie walked out of the courthouse, her mind already planning how she’d celebrate the win. Dinner at Le Bernardin, of course. A bottle of champagne. Maybe even a spa day. She deserved it.

Her phone buzzed again as she slid into the back seat of the firm’s car. The same unfamiliar number. She frowned but dismissed it once more. Whoever it was could wait until she got back into the office or they could leave a message, although she didn’t need any more car insurance or silicon-coated skillets.

The verdict came a week later: Not guilty on all counts. Abbie’s heart swelled with pride and relief as the judge dismissed the charges and the defendant was released. She had done it. Her client, the old man she had fought so hard for was free, and her path to partnership was all but guaranteed.

Will shook her hand after the proceedings, his smile rueful but genuine. “I’m not supposed to say this, but I’m glad you won. I’m fairly certain the old guy deserved to go free.”

“Thanks, Will,” she said, “Now, about that dinner…”

“I haven’t forgotten,” he replied, laughing. “Le Bernardin it is. Name the date and I’ll set it up.”

The three of them walked outside the courthouse. Will walked away leaving Abbie and Missy waiting in the crisp fall air for the Winters & Winters car to pick them up. She was on top of the world. Everything she’d worked for was finally falling into place. If she was a normal person, she would be planning how she’d spend her afternoon off. Maybe treat herself to a new pair of shoes. Or a massage. A stroll around Central Park. She shook her head. She wouldn’t celebrate because she wasn’t normal. She had a mountain of cases waiting for her undivided attention.

“I don’t have to ask if you’re heading back to the office, do I?” Missy said as they got into the firm’s car for the victorious ride home.

“No, you don’t. But I could use a spa day this weekend. Would you mind finding something for me and schedule the works? Somewhere not too far from my apartment.”

“Of course.” Her assistant pulled out her notepad as the car pulled away from the curb.

“The works.” Abbie laughed. “After four months of tension hunched over a desk trying to save a man’s reputation, I want the works.”

Her phone buzzed again. She pulled it out, expecting to see a congratulatory text from a colleague or even Mr. Winters himself. Instead, it was the same unfamiliar number. This time, something made her pause. She stared at the screen for a long moment before answering.

“Abigail Carter here. How can I help you?”

At first, there was silence, just faint static on the other end. Then, a dial tone.

“Something wrong?” Missy asked, concern etched across her pretty face.

“No, I don’t think so. This same number has called me several times, but when I answered just now, no one was there.”

Missy dismissed the importance of the call too. “Yeah, I get those robocalls all the time. Or telemarketers. They are the worst. Calling at all hours of the day and night to sell you car repair insurance. People. Do your homework. I live in Manhattan. I don’t have a car.”

Abbie laughed. “Yeah, I’m sure you’re right. If it is important, they’ll leave a message.”

Just then her phone pinged. “Oh, they did leave a voice mail.” She punched the button and listened as Missy instructed the driver to drop them to the front of Winters & Winters instead of the garage. “You’re gonna arrive like the rock star you are,” she heard Missy say as the voice message began to play.

“Hey, Abbie, it’s me. Teddy. Van Meter Well, people don’t call me Teddy anymore. It’s Ted Van Meter as in Van Meter Investment Properties. I was noticing that your old place is kinda lookin’ run down and I was wondering if your family might consider finally selling that place. Anyway, give me a call and let’s talk old times.” The call ended leaving Abbie in shock, the words hitting her like a punch to the gut.

“Everything all right?” Missy asked again.

She hesitated before she answered her assistant. “Honestly, I’m not sure, but I’m damn sure going to find out.”

Her phone buzzed again—this time a text from Mr. Winters himself, congratulating her on the verdict and inviting her to a meeting the next morning. It was the call she had been working toward for years. “I’ll be there, Mr. Winters,” she assured him.

“Good. We have a lot of things to talk about.” When the call ended, she sat unmoving in the back seat and yet her mind was busy trying to find answers. Why would Teddy think her grandfather would want to sell the ranch? It wasn’t just a piece of land. It was the Carter family legacy that so many people were counting on.

The horse rescue in itself was important enough, but the horses that could be rehabilitated and were deemed gentle enough for children were used in the children’s trauma therapy the ranch hosted once a week for the last two decades. She knew the horse rescue was sometimes short of money, but the foundation that paid for the children’s therapy always came through with grants, gifts of donations, and anything else the ranch needed to keep the horses healthy and the children happy.

So how could the place be so run down that Teddy would make assumptions her family was ready to sell something that had been in their family for generations? And, more importantly, if things were that bad, how could her grandfather not tell her? It just didn’t make sense.

“We’re here,” Missy announced as the long, sleek luxury car pulled to the curb in front of the massive Winters & Winters high rise and came to a stop. Abbie filed her concerns associated with Teddy’s call to the back of her busy mind and stepped out of the car and onto the crowded Manhattan street. She would place that long-postponed call to her grandfather just as soon as she had a free moment, but right now it looked like the entire firm was waiting in the firm’s lobby to congratulate her on her win and she intended to enjoy every hard-won moment of it.