Lined With Silver

by Roseanne Evans Wilkins

  “I’ve already checked the other agencies. Are you sure?”

  “Absolutely. All the flights to DC were diverted here today. We weren’t planning on this volume. I’m sorry. You’ll have to grab a taxi.”

  Sondra was rooted to the spot. She’d placed him. The act of him standing there requesting a car reminded her of where they’d met. It was a stake re-enactment of the handcart trek. He was visiting his grandfather for the summer, who had insisted he join the trek with the other youth in the ward. He had been assigned to her family since he didn’t have one. How could she forget?

  Zachory Lee Carlson had been her secret heartthrob until she’d entered college. When he’d stopped to clean and bandage her bloodied knee during the trek, it sealed the deal. The passage of years had dimmed the memories and her infatuation, but he was even better looking in real life than she’d imagined in her dreams. Who knew the gangly Priest would grow into such an attractive bundle?

  She hadn’t meant to overhear the conversation. Her trip was one for pleasure, and she had no deadlines. Whatever meeting he had was an urgent one by his own admission. As he turned, discouragement clear on his face, Sondra blurted, “Zack Carlson?”

  His look of surprised astonishment would have been amusing had it not been overshadowed by his stress. “Yes?” His brows drew together in confusion. “Have we met? Other than in the plane, of course.”

  She reached out to shake his hand. “I’m Sondra Lytle. If I remember right, we were in the same trek family about sixteen years ago. It took me a while to remember where I’d seen you.”

  His mouth dropped open. “Sondra Lytle?” He held her hand a moment longer than was necessary. “Sondra Lytle? The little freckle-faced Beehive? I remember you seemed to need a lot of watching over.” A delightful half smile appeared. Was that a dimple? She’d forgotten he had one, but maybe she’d never seen it. She couldn’t remember him smiling much. Mostly, she remembered him hovering like a protective big brother. His words broke into her distracted thoughts, “The years have been good to you. I’m sorry. You’ve changed so much, I didn’t even recognize you.”

  Sondra laughed. “I’m sure the braces helped, and the freckles have faded. Where are you headed?”

  “Suburb of DC.”

  “I’m heading that direction myself. Do you want a ride?”

  He looked momentarily nonplussed and then said, “Only if you’ll let me pay for the rental.”

  Sondra’s stubborn streak kicked in. “I’ve got it covered.”

  “I insist.”

  She turned and headed out the door. As she was inserting the key, Zack covered her hand with his. “How about a compromise?”

  Electric fire ran up her arm. She looked up and met his gaze. His intense eyes lit a fire in her she didn’t even know she had kindle for. In all her years as an attorney and at the university before, she’d never had this kind of reaction with any guy. Even in her youthful infatuation with Zack, she never felt a burning flame.

  Sondra’s hormones were a raging mess. Served her right for even considering Nikki’s request.

  “What kind of compromise?” Sondra was cautious. She might’ve known him as a teen—for one week—but he was still a stranger. When the papers announced the death of his grandfather the fall after the trek, she’d never seen him again. No matter how clean cut and admittedly gorgeous, he was still an unknown. Had the years since their first meeting changed him?

  “Will you accept dinner in payment?”

  Sondra’s smile lit up her gray eyes. “Sounds fair.” She paused a moment, staring down at the key in the lock, then looked up to meet his intense dark gaze. “How well do you know DC?”

  “I’ve been there several times.”

  “This is my first visit. I don’t know the freeways around here. You can probably get us there quicker than I can. Would you like to drive?”

  “Sure.” He looked relieved she’d given in so easily and pulled the key out, then walked around the car to open the passenger door. His glance took in her empty hands, her leather shoulder bag, and the ground. “No luggage?”

  Sondra’s lips twitched, amused by his obvious confusion. “This was an unplanned trip. I didn’t bring any.”

  His eyebrows rose in surprise, but he didn’t ask any questions and watched her settle into the passenger seat. He shut the door, then walked around to the back and tucked his own black leather bag into the trunk.

  Sondra watched his hands as he moved into traffic. Capable hands. They looked like they were accustomed to working. They weren’t anything like the soft pudgy fingers of the head of the firm, Jake Andrews. She caught a woodsy scent drifting her way and turned to stare out the window. It reminded her of trek, miles of hiking, and his gentle hands as he cleaned her wounded knee. She had thought the lid to her infatuation had been clamped shut. Disturbed by her thoughts, she watched the sound walls nearly obscured by the falling snow. She switched to a safer topic.

  Her parents were serving a mission in Norway. She wondered what her mom would think of Nikki’s request. She hadn’t wanted to bring her mother into the picture, but maybe it was time to ask. She chewed absently on her thumbnail. Her mother would try to remain neutral. It wasn’t fair to ask her to weigh in on this decision. The decision would have to be hers. It was life-altering no matter which way she went.

  And exactly how did the sealing work? She stopped chewing on her nail and fidgeted with the leather strap to her purse instead. She’d spent too many years trying to keep her nails in shape for the courtroom. Nikki’s request brought back the nervous habit.

  While she bent and unbent the strap, she wondered if she gave birth, would the baby have to be sealed to Nikki and Brad even though the baby was created by them? But then, creating it in a lab was a lot different than the normal process. This added a whole new dimension to figuring out how families were put together.

  Zack’s voice broke in on her thoughts. “So where do you live now? Are you still in Tooele?”

  Distracted from her thoughts, she laughed. “There’s not a lot to do there. I live in Draper.”

  “Draper?”

  “South of Salt Lake City.”

  “Ah. Yes. There’s a temple there now, isn’t there?” She nodded, and he continued, “I live in San Jose.”

  “Layover in Salt Lake?”

  “No. I was enjoying a skiing vacation when I was called.”

  Sondra indicated the trunk with her chin. “That didn’t look like skiing luggage.”

  Zack glanced at her. “I left my skiing equipment behind.”

  “At the hotel?”

  “I own a condo in Park City.”

  “Oh.” Sondra knew how much the condos there were. She’d been pricing them and decided it was something she’d wait on. Even on her income, it wasn’t going to fit in the budget. “Do you go there often?”

  “As often as my work will let me. Usually about once a month. I need time away.”

  “What do you do?”

  “I’m an engineer in a software firm.”

  That could mean a lot of things. She guessed from the looks of his suit and the cost of the condo he was one of the chief engineers, but maybe he was living on family money. His paternal grandfather had owned a ranch near Stockton, if she remembered right. She didn’t think it was much of a money-maker. It was more of a hobby farm back then. But she didn’t know anything about the rest of his family. “Sounds interesting.”

  “It definitely has its moments.” He looked over his shoulder to switch lanes and then asked. “What do you do?”

  “I’m an attorney. Civil law. Mostly divorces, unfortunately.”

  He nodded. “Not a pretty task.”

  “I prefer adoptions.”

  “Happier event, that’s for sure.”

  “As long as we don’t get them back for a disruption.”

  He looked over, startled. “Disruption?”

  “When the adoption is dissolved. It happens more than we would like.”
>
  “Poor kids.”

  “And poor parents. They’ve all been through the ringer.” She paused and stared at the freeway. The soundwalls hid any view. Falling snow glittered in the headlights. Turning back to Zack, she continued, “Until I got involved in a few cases, I felt nothing but criticism for the parents. How can they give up a child they worked so hard to get? But then these kids have been damaged by the system—by their backgrounds. It’s not always what it seems.”

  “I didn’t even know an adoption could be dissolved.”

  Sondra nodded, and said, “I’m certainly not one to judge. I have no idea what kind of background they come from. Until I was introduced to hurting families, I hadn’t thought about it.”

  “It seems tragic.”

  “Tragic. That’s a good word.” Sondra sighed. “Life can be challenging, that’s for sure.”

  “Is your life…challenging?”

  Sondra furrowed her brows. “Why do you ask?”

  His eyes caught hers for a moment before he turned back to watch traffic. “My shoulder was wet.”

  “I slobbered?” Sondra was horrified.

  “No. You were crying.”

  “Oh.” What could she say? She hadn’t seen him since she was thirteen. She didn’t feel like dumping her load. But then again, he’d let her cry and sleep on him and they were travelling companions at the moment. And would she ever see him again after this? Probably not. “I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

  “Want to talk?”

  She sighed. “I haven’t known who to turn to, and maybe talking about it will help me make up my mind.” She bit her lip in indecision and then continued, “I don’t know if you remember Nikki. She was assigned to a different family for trek.”

  “I think I remember her. Is she blond and about 5’3” or 5’4”?

  Sondra nodded and wondered how he could remember Nikki after he’d totally forgotten about her. Maybe it was because Nikki hadn’t suffered from freckles and crooked teeth. Surprised at the twinge of jealousy she felt, Sondra continued, “Nikki’s husband, Brad, is dying of cancer. They froze some embryos before his radiation and chemotherapy treatments. They haven’t been surviving. She’s miscarried six of them. There are six left.”

  “And…” Zack prompted.

  “She asked me to try.” She ran a finger through the moisture forming on the window, the cold a distraction from her pain.

  “What does your husband think about it?”

  “I don’t have one.” She rubbed her hands together to dry the moisture she’d gathered.

  “Oh?” he raised his brows in surprise.

  “Not divorced.” Not that it mattered…

  “No prospects?”

  “No. Not really.”

  “What would your boss do?”

  “I’m an attorney. I don’t think the head of the firm would mind. We have a good working relationship, and he’s been a close friend of my parents for years, but I do have clients who might not like it.”

  Zack’s lips twitched in amusement. “I can’t imagine why not. Although I confess I haven’t seen any pregnant lawyers arguing in court.”

  “Do you go often?”

  “It’s not my hangout spot, but I have had my share of visits.”

  “Divorce?” Sondra felt a sudden desire to slap her hand over her mouth. It wasn’t something she’d meant to ask.

  Before she could spit out an apology, he barked a laugh. “Hardly. Solidly single, I’m afraid. My turns in court have been over legal ownership of software. It’s not as interesting as family court.”

  “I think I’d settle for uninteresting. There are times I want to run out of the courtroom screaming. I’m afraid I’m a bit jaded against marriage. I see the dark side too many times.”

  “You seem young to be jaded.” Zack sent her a searching look before he concentrated on traffic again.

  “As you well know, I’m twenty-nine.” Sondra sniffed. “Definitely old enough to be jaded.”

  “I’m thirty-two. Not jaded, but I haven’t found anyone I’d like to spend my life with, either.” He gave the truck he was passing careful attention, avoiding Sondra’s eyes.

  Sondra lifted her brows in surprise. Deciding not to address his lack of love life, she opted for a safer topic. “So…back to my problem. What do you think I should do?”

  Zack glanced her way and then shifted back to the traffic. “I imagine this is a difficult choice. But I have to say, assuming there is no other option for her, if Jade, my sister, were asking it of me and I had the ability to do it, I’d help her out.”

  Sondra was quiet a moment. “Thanks. Sometimes it helps sort out all the issues just hearing someone else’s opinion.”

  “You’re welcome.” Zack cut through a narrow space in the traffic and moved to an off ramp. A few minutes later, he pulled into a parking lot in front of a nondescript building. “I hope you don’t mind my making a stop before dinner. Do you want to come in?”

  “How long will it take?”

  “It should only be half an hour.” He paused and said with some feeling, “I’ll make it half an hour. After that, I’m free.”

  Since icy cold was already seeping into the parked car, Sondra agreed. They trudged through the fresh snow into a waiting area lined with burgundy leather chairs. It looked a lot like the waiting area in her office. The elegant maple receptionist desk was empty.

  With no sign on the door, she wasn’t sure what kind of office she was waiting in. To her relief, it was comfortable and warm. The furniture looked expensive and had no wear. She couldn’t tell if it was new furniture or just never used.

  She picked up a literary magazine. The choice of reading material revealed the background of those who visited. No sports, gossip, or glamour magazines were in sight.

  As she placed the magazine back with its companions, she heard a door close. She looked up and was shocked to see the pallor in Zack’s face. He was almost green.

  She stood and touched his arm. “Are you alright?”

  He grunted and sat heavily, slumping in his chair. His color is returning, so it isn’t a heart attack, Sondra thought with some relief.

  “Want to talk?” she asked.

  “Not here.” Zack strode to the door, holding it against the frigid air as Sondra stepped through. “I’m hungry. Let’s eat.”

  “Sounds like a plan,” she agreed.

  They travelled in silence. A few minutes later, Zack pulled into a curved drive in front of a restaurant, helped Sondra out under the awning, and handed his key to a valet. The maitre’d greeted them warmly, “Mr. Carlson. What a pleasure to see you again. Would you like your regular table?”

  “Yes, please.”

  Sondra almost missed the casual exchange of funds while they were directed to a secluded table. Couples and groups they passed were dressed in business or formal attire. Conversations were muted and kept private with ample space between the tables and booths. There were no children she could see. They either weren’t welcome or were sequestered in a different part of the building.

  As they were seated, Zack turned his wine glass over, indicating he wasn’t interested in being served alcohol. Since the alcohol steward was heading their direction, Sondra followed his example. The steward headed to a different table.

  Sondra opened the menu and was surprised to see no prices listed. She glanced over the top at Zack to get some help on what to order. He caught her eye and said, “If you like seafood, the steak and lobster is very good. I’ve heard good things about the salmon. I prefer the rib eye steak.”

  His suggestions eased her discomfort with the menu.

  After they’d ordered, Sondra turned to Zack. “Did you want to talk?”

  Zack pursed his lips in thought then said, “I met with my dad’s attorney. Dad is in hospice care and isn’t expected to make it through Christmas.”

  “I’m so sorry.” Sondra whispered.

  “He’s suffered from a heart condition for years. Because he
is a diabetic, he hasn’t been able to qualify for a transplant.”

  “That must be hard.”

  He mimicked her earlier tone. “Life can be challenging.”

  “I did say that, didn’t I?”

  His smile didn’t reach his eyes. “Since I’ve known Dad doesn’t have long to live, I’ve been preparing for it. I wasn’t prepared for what happened today.”

  “And?” Sondra prompted.

  “Through his attorney, he told me he is going to give everything to my sister if I don’t get married before he dies. The lawyer showed me the will. It’s all carefully written out.” He paused a moment, savagely wrinkling the pristine white napkin next to his plate.

  He dropped the napkin on his lap and then continued, “I wouldn’t mind so much, but my sister has sworn she is going to kick my grandmother out of the family homestead if she has any say. She has every intention of putting her in a nursing home. If I am thrown out of the will, I’ll no longer have the right to stop her. We’re the only family left. My grandparents wanted to stay in the home they built with their own hands. My grandfather thought he’d made those arrangements with Dad. He would never throw my grandmother out. My sister will. I know it.”

  Before she could stop herself, the demand, “marry me” blurted out. At the look on his face, she wished she could take the words back. What a stupid thing to say. They were practically strangers, after all. She didn’t know him from—

  “What did you say?”

  Afraid he wouldn’t listen, her words came out almost as one. “I’m a divorce lawyer. I can write up the prenuptial agreement. I can help out my sister without losing my clients, and you can satisfy your father’s request.”

  His reply was measured. “He could go any day.”

  Sensing him softening to the idea, she took a deep breath and said, “We can get married tomorrow morning.”

  “You’re kidding, right?” He stared at her as if she had two heads.

  “You don’t have to be so insulting. I was thinking how it would solve both our problems, and we can get a divorce after your father dies and the baby is born.”

  Zack’s reply was cut off by the arrival of their food. They ate through the meal in silence. Sondra assumed this was the most expensive meal she’d ever eaten, but she couldn’t even taste it. When Zack sat back, Sondra was still swishing a final piece of lobster back and forth through a bit of sauce.