Icebreaker by Deirdre Martin Page B

was stunned.
    “He’s a good guy,” Susie said warmly. “A really, really good guy.”
    “Yes, I can see that.” She squeezed Susie’s hand. “Thanks so much.”
    “I’ll give you my cell number,” Susie said conspiratorially. “That way, if you have any more questions, you can just ask me and bypass Mr. Crabby Bones.”
    “Thanks again, Susie.”
    “Oh, anytime. Anything to help Adam.”

    Sinead backed down the drive, taking all of it in. So, the only skeletons in Mr. Big Bruiser Hockey Player’s closet were positive: financing the new rink and helping his brother out. That was good, though she wished he’d told her himself; it would have saved her the trip to Alberta. Even so, at least she’d gotten the information. She was slowly getting a sense of who Adam was: a somewhat enigmatic, hardworking guy whom others respected. Someone who’d known early in life what he wanted and went for it, who didn’t need to be lauded for his generosity, who valued family. Someone to whom she was becoming attracted despite his being reserved. How could she not find it attractive, when she herself was the same way outside of work?
    She was just about to pull away from the curb when Susie flew out the front door, waving her arms.
    “Wait!”
    Sinead rolled down her window. “What’s up?”
    “Have you talked to Ray yet?”
    “Who’s Ray?”
    “Ray Milne. Adam’s best friend. You should definitely talk to him.”
    Adam has a best friend? Who he conveniently forgot to mention to me?
    “Could I have his number?”
    “Give me a minute; I’ll get it for you.”
    Susie ran back into the house. All Sinead could hear in her head was Oliver saying, Skeletons, dude, skeletons .
    “Here you go,” Susie said, out of breath.
    “Thanks so much.”
    “Win that case, okay?”
    “We will.”
    Though she suddenly had a strong feeling it might depend on Ray Milne.

8

    Despite priding herself on her professionalism, Sinead was nervous when she called Ray. He was Adam’s best friend; surely Adam had talked to him about the case, telling him about his female attorney whom he didn’t quite trust.
    Her fears were unfounded: she was greeted by a deep, warm voice at the other end of the line. At first he sounded slightly apprehensive about meeting her, but when Sinead pressed home gently that his input could help bolster Adam’s case immensely, he agreed.
    Driving down a rural road to Ray’s, Sinead realized she really should visit her weekend house more. There was something about traveling under the moody blue sky and the way the wheat fields gave way to the mountain range in the distance that calmed her.
    Ray’s house was on a small dirt road off the highway. Must be as social as Adam, Sinead mused. She turned right onto the long, pitted, gravel drive, at the end of which was a small white ranch house. A blue van with a Go Claresholm Hockey! bumper sticker sat parked in front of the attached garage.
    Sinead got out of the car, annoyed that the wind whipping across the fields sent her hair flying in ten different directions. The last thing she needed was to look unkempt and unprofessional. Luckily, she carried a ponytail holder with her at all times. She scraped her hair back and proceeded to the door.
    The temporary calm she felt on her drive over was slowly transforming itself into unease. If it weren’t for Susie, she’d never have known Ray existed. Why was that?
    Sinead rang the bell, straightening her shoulders. A handsome, black-haired, blue-eyed man in an electric wheelchair appeared in the doorway.
    “Ah, Sinead O’Brien, attorney-at-law,” he said with a welcoming smile. “I’m Ray.”
    Sinead smiled politely, hoping it covered her anxiety. “I’m Sinead.”
    Ray pressed a button on the arm of his wheelchair so he could back up to let her in. Once inside, Sinead extended her hand to shake his and then realized, when he didn’t raise his arm, that he was quadriplegic and couldn’t shake hands. “Oh my God,