Lauren brushed the questions aside. She sincerely wanted this principled, well-intentioned woman to understand there was a rough road ahead and there would be unforeseen consequences of following through on this complaint. She wanted her to understand that a sense of justice and fairness was admirable, but it wouldn’t protect her like a magic shield. Instead, it would make her a more visible target.
Joe turned to Maddie and offered a conciliatory smile. “We don’t mean to confuse you. But we took on your case quickly and haven’t had time to get our ducks in a row. You’re brave to bring this inequity to light. All Lauren is trying to say is that she hopes you’ve considered the possible downside. Not everyone will look on your action favorably—even though they should.”
That wasn’t what she had wanted to say. It was a watered-down version. But it was Joe’s firm, and he had the right. Or at least he definitely thought he did.
“I understand,” Maddie assured them. “I really do.”
“I’m sure you think you do,” Lauren pressed on. “But since you’ve never gone through this, you may be unpleasantly surprised. Pursuing this claim will probably upend your life. It’s not too late to think about it more before you go forward.”
Joe shot her another quelling look. Obviously, her blunt, straightforward manner did not seem that attractive to him this morning.
“But we’ll be with you every step of the way,” he said. “We’re the front line, fighting that dragon. You’re very brave to take this on, for yourself and the other women in your field. You should be proud. And you really don’t need to worry,” he added, undercutting Lauren’s advice.
She suddenly noticed how he was gazing at Maddie, waiting for her answer with a soft expression she’d only seen when . . . when he looked at her?
Did Joe have a crush on their new client? She was very attractive; Lauren had already noticed that. And she was clearly intelligent, with degrees from prestigious universities, and surprisingly well-spoken for a math person. During a routine gathering of background information, she had told them she wasn’t married and had no steady relationship.
Even though Lauren doubted that she wanted to be with Joe—especially this morning—she felt stung to realize he could fall for someone else. She could see all the signs.
She had to laugh at herself. It’s not enough that the poor man grovels at your feet and you don’t want to date him. You don’t want him dating anyone else either.
Of course, if Maddie became their client, Joe wouldn’t date her until the case was concluded. Doing so would be really bad form, if not a violation of some ethical rule. It was possible he didn’t even realize his own feelings yet.
“I have given the question serious thought,” Maddie finally replied. “And while I haven’t gone through this situation personally, I can see from the news, and even experiences of women I know, that it’s not going to be easy. I’m prepared for that. Luckily, I just landed a new job at a start-up in cybersecurity. I was totally open with them about what I think of Dendur and what I plan to do about it. They’re fine with it.”
Joe replied with his trademark mile-wide smile. “Just what we want to hear, Maddie.”
He cast Lauren a smug look. “Lauren, do you want to move forward with your list now?”
Lauren kept a straight face, though she wanted to smack him. “Absolutely. Seems like we’re all on the same page. That’s all I wanted to know.”
The meeting went longer than she expected but was productive. Maddie was a huge help in the fact-finding phase and even supplied names and contact information for other women who had left Dendur because of similar treatment.
If they could show a pattern, the company wouldn’t be able to talk its way out of Maddie’s accusations so easily. Lauren’s attention was captured by the case more than she’d expected, and she was enjoying it more than any case in a long time.
Joe strolled into her office in the late afternoon. He had an extra coffee drink in hand and set the cup on her desk. “Cappuccino. With cinnamon on top, as you like it, ma’am.”
She smiled and flipped the lid. “Thanks, I can use this.”
He sat in the armchair across from her desk. “Sorry if I snapped at you this morning. I just thought you came on a little strong. I didn’t want you to dissuade her from going forward.”
She looked up at him. “I was trying to. Well, not entirely. I did want to test her resolve. We’ll be with her ‘every step of the way,’” she said, purposely echoing his promise, “in a deposition room or a courtroom. But Dendur’s attorneys will go at her hammer and tongs, and she’s the only one who can answer. And she’s the only one who will have to deal with whatever gossip and bad-mouthing Dendur spreads about her professional skills and even her personal life. You know how these things go, Joe.”
He didn’t look happy with her answer. “Of course I do. But I think she’s tough. In a quiet, self-reliant way. I think she’ll make an excellent witness, if it comes to that.”
Whoa, now she knew he was smitten, though Lauren doubted he realized it.
“She convinced me, too. I just wanted to make sure she knew the downside going in. It’s only fair. I’m representing her, right? I mean, you asked me to do this? If you want to take the case, it’s fine. I’m happy to play second fiddle and just back you up.”
He laughed, back to his usual good humor. “When were you ever happy to play second anything, Lauren?”
“I’m serious, Joe.” She was, too. “I can see that you’ve taken a special interest. Which is great. But I can’t do my best work with someone watching over my shoulder.”
He looked taken aback by her words. But he didn’t rush to reply. “I understand. I won’t hover. But I hope there will be a . . . synergy? You told me yourself this isn’t your usual territory. I think we need to strategize. Two heads are better than one.”
She couldn’t argue with that. “Of course I’ll be happy to have your advice and input. No question.”
He smiled, looking pleased that the situation was resolved. “So, how did your emergency turn out? The little pig isn’t heading for the sausage factory, I hope?”
She knew he meant no harm by the joke. But she thought of Wilbur as more than a pig, and the gallows humor appalled her.
“It was touch-and-go for a while, but he miraculously survived. We stayed up all night checking his temperature and giving him medicine. Phoebe lost her mother about two years ago,” she added. “It would have been very hard for her to lose the piglet.”
“Wow, that’s too bad. Poor kid,” Joe said with sincere sympathy. “You did a good deed, then. Good for you.”
“Thanks. It was exhausting but worth it.”
She didn’t owe Joe an explanation about her relationship with Cole McGuire, but she wanted him to know that it had been a totally innocent evening.
“You must be beat. Why don’t you leave? It’s almost five.”
She sighed. “It does feel like an unusually long day. I think I will.”
Joe said good night and left her office. Lauren saved her work and snapped her laptop shut, then checked her phone for the umpteenth time.
Still no message from Cole. She wondered if she should send one, asking how Wilbur was doing. But she decided she didn’t want to be pushy. For once.
Had she just imagined they’d grown closer? Maybe that feeling was all on her side. Then again, the day hadn’t even passed. She would give him time to get in touch. It wouldn’t help to seem too eager. Men were like timid woodland creatures. They did get startled easily.
Truth was, she felt a bit blindsided by her sudden change of heart. Had these feelings been simmering under the surface all the while—like a tsunami forming in the depths of the ocean? Maybe Cole felt the same way and was trying to process it. Lauren knew that she was an “adult portion” and not to everyone’s taste. Then again, he had told her that s
he was “refreshing.” Twice. That had to count for something good, right?
* * *
* * *
Lauren was working at her desk on Wednesday afternoon when her phone lit up with an incoming call. The screen said Cole McGuire, and she nearly jumped in her chair.
She took a deep breath and let it ring a few times. She couldn’t sound nervous or even annoyed that he hadn’t called before now. It had only been three days, she reminded herself. It’s your problem if you obsessed about hearing from him every second.
Finally, she decided to grab it before he gave up. “Hey, Cole. What’s up?” she said, trying to strike a cool, friendly tone.
“Lauren? It’s Aunt Jess. I’m at Cole’s house and my phone went dead. But I thought you’d like to know that Wilbur is doing absolutely great. He’s making a super recovery. Dr. Ackroyd was here and she’s amazed.”
Lauren could hear Cole and Phoebe talking in the background. She pictured them in their cozy kitchen and wished she were there, too.
“Wow. That’s great. I was wondering. I meant to call,” she added, purposely vague about whether she meant to call her aunt or Cole.
“I can’t thank you enough, honey. Wait, hold on, someone wants to speak to you.”
Lauren sat back, her heart pounding. She prepared her cool, friendly voice for Cole but wasn’t sure she could pull it off.
“Hi, Pig Lady. It’s Phoebe.”
Phoebe’s sweet greeting almost made up for her crashing disappointment. “Hi, honey. Good to hear your voice. I hear Wilbur is back to his old tricks.”
“He doesn’t really have any old tricks, but I’m trying to teach him some. He’s very frisky. You’d never guess he was so sick.”
“That’s great news. I’m so happy to hear it.”
“When can you come and see us? We can still draw the pictures. Dad said Wilbur doesn’t need a get-well card anymore, but it can say ‘Congratulations!’”
Lauren had almost forgotten about Wilbur’s cards. “That’s a great idea. I’d like to come see him very soon.” But your father needs to invite me was the unspoken truth of the matter. “We’ll figure it out,” she promised, knowing she sounded like her own mother now.
Phoebe simply answered, “Okay,” though she did sound a bit disappointed. “Goodbye.”
“Bye, Phoebe,” Lauren replied, feeling her hurt melt a little.
She waited, wondering if Phoebe was going to end the call. Then she heard the phone switching hands again. Was it Cole now? Please?
“I just wanted to say goodbye, honey,” her aunt said. “Thanks again.”
“No problem, Aunt Jess. Nursing Wilbur was a truly memorable experience.” She offered the line in a joking way, though she meant so much more.
Her aunt laughed and ended the call. Lauren put the phone aside, and a wave of disappointment swept over her.
Cole was there. She had heard his voice. So near, yet so far. Maybe he’d been embarrassed to ask for the phone in front of her aunt?
You wish. Don’t make excuses for him. Face it. You felt something and he didn’t. He’s just not that into you, as they say. Though it sure felt like he was getting there.
She didn’t know what to think. Had she just imagined the attraction and intimacy sparking between them? Maybe he had felt a connection but she’d made too much of it in her mind.
Either way, the pretext she might use to call him—checking up on Wilbur—was off the table now. He’d had a chance to talk to her, but he hadn’t taken it. There didn’t seem to be any moves left for her on the board. Game over, she realized.
* * *
* * *
Two weeks until Christmas, to the day. Lucy was usually done with her shopping by now, but not this year. Her friends, Fran especially, swore by shopping online and the overnight delivery. But Lucy liked to see and touch the gifts she chose. She didn’t like the mall much either, though for some gifts it was a necessary evil. She tried to give the shops in the village and in Newburyport her business when she could, though the prices could be a little higher. It was convenient and even pleasant to walk down Main Street with her list, going from shop to shop. All the store windows looked so pretty this time of year, and they made her feel more Christmassy. Even if the stores might be a little more crowded with the movie fans around and because it was Friday, she had to take advantage of a small window of free time today. She had agreed to cover a few shifts at the hospital next week and was juggling those hours with the appointments for her private patients. She had high hopes of getting most of her list checked off today.
But the carefully planned excursion did not go well from the start. The movie crew was filming at the harbor—how in the world had she missed news of that? She found Main Street blocked to traffic, with signs rerouting drivers. She followed a trail of cars that moved at a snail’s pace through the side roads, all the while wondering if she should just turn around and go home.
Almost half an hour later, she found a parking space several blocks from the village. She grabbed her purse and headed for the shops. My step tracker will look good tonight, she told herself. She had planned to visit Grace Hegman’s antique store first, but she found she was emerging at Bayview, which ran along the shore and intersected Main Street at the harbor and green.
She walked at a fast pace, right past Willoughby’s Bakery & Café, which still had a line of customers waiting. The closer she got to Main Street and the harbor, the thicker the crowd. She could see the movie equipment set up near a dock. There was yellow tape keeping the onlookers back at a safe distance.
Tucker stood by with other uniformed officers, making sure no one snuck over the barrier. She heard someone call her name, and Fran ran toward her from across the street.
“Lucy, did you come to see them filming? They picked some extras for this scene. You won’t believe it. Digger and Reverend Ben. And Sophie Potter.” Fran stood before her, practically breathless. “They’re in full costume and makeup. It’s a riot.”
Lucy could only imagine. The film was a historical one, set in the 1800s. A family story, she’d heard, though she had purposely avoided learning anything more.
“Did you try out? Tell the truth.” Lucy was just joking, but Fran was so starstruck, she may have.
“I did,” she admitted. “They didn’t want me. I don’t have the historical look, I guess.” She shrugged. “Maybe that’s a compliment at our age?”
Lucy laughed. “I think it is. Definitely.”
“Well, enjoy. I have to get to work,” Fran said.
“Really? What’s the occasion?” Fran’s movie fan needs seemed to be her priority lately. Luckily, she’d been at Bowman Realty for ages and more or less made her own hours.
“Very funny. I’m running an open house today.” Fran checked the time and tossed her phone back in her big purse. “But you should watch the filming for a minute or two. You don’t want to miss this. I guarantee it.”
“Maybe I will. See you later. And good luck with the open house. I hope you reel in a big fish.”
“Me, too.” They hugged, and Fran ran up the street and disappeared around the corner, headed for Bowman Realty. Lucy continued toward the harbor and the crowd. Though the wind off the water was cold and sharp, the onlookers, bundled in parkas and scarves, did not seem discouraged by the weather.
Lucy wouldn’t wait in the cold to watch, but since she was walking past anyway, she would stop for a little while. She did want to see her friends and neighbors transformed for the film. There would be little to no chance of running into Craig, she decided. He might not even be there. Even she knew that not all the actors were needed for every scene of a movie. It looked as if the celebrities were being kept at a safe distance from the “little people.”
But as she walked up to the gathering, she heard a woman say, “Look, it’s Craig Hamilton. He’s coming out of his tra
iler!”
Lucy turned and saw him walk down the narrow steps of a long luxury trailer—not your ordinary RV. It was parked in the lot next to the harbor, alongside three others. People around her clapped and called out. Just before he turned to them, she ducked behind a tall older man, though there was little chance he’d notice her at this distance, and in such a crowd.
Craig Hamilton answered his fans with a wave and a smile. Dressed in his costume, with hair and makeup done, he looked dashing, as if he’d stepped out of the pages of a romantic novel. The elegant attire for a gentleman of that day suited him—a black morning coat with tails and a high collar, a burgundy vest, and a white jabot tie. Tan trousers were tucked into high black boots, and a black silk top hat was the crowning touch.
Lucy loved the clothes of that era, for both men and women, though she imagined it was a tyranny to wear such a complicated outfit, and uncomfortable, too. The women’s dresses had stays and impossible undergarments. Thank goodness clothes were much simpler now.
Craig was guided to the dock by a very frazzled-looking little man with a clipboard and headset. The whole crew was running around adjusting lights and other equipment. There were squares of reflective material set up all around, too, and wires and cables everywhere. It was amazing how much was out of sight when you saw a movie. Lucy wasn’t sure she would ever look at a film the same way again.
She saw a camera that was so huge a man was riding on it. It seemed to move on motorized wheels. There was a woman sitting in a tall chair in the back with a large video monitor in front of it. She was having a very serious-looking conversation with a young man who wore his long hair in braids and was paying close attention as the woman spoke. Lucy got the feeling she was the director.
The village residents were in costume now, too. The man with the clipboard gathered them around and gave them instructions. They listened and nodded, but even at a distance, they looked a little nervous, Lucy thought. Sophie wore a bonnet tied with a wide ribbon under her chin and carried a basket over one arm. Digger’s appearance was not changed much at all, except for a long canvas coat and knee-high boots. He seemed to be in charge of a pushcart loaded with fish. Real fish? she wondered. Looked like it.
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