Pro Bono Romance

by Shirley Holder Platt

  “But, you don’t like me,” she said.

  “I don’t?”

  “I can’t talk about this now. I’m at work for Pete’s sake.”

  “Then can we talk about it on a date?” He wasn’t backing down. He was sure she felt something for him if he could get past her walls.

  She cast her eyes toward the ceiling as if an answer hung from the rafters. He held his breath. He’d messed up with her in the past and wanted a second chance like nothing he’d ever wanted before. When she did look at him, he couldn’t read her face well enough to anticipate her answer.

  “When?” she asked. He’d take it, even though she had her arms crossed and was glaring at him.

  He let out the air he’d held back. Relief flooded his system.

  “Friday night?”

  “OK. Pick me up at seven. I don’t close on Friday.” She got up and walked away.

  He took his handkerchief out and wiped his forehead. When had he broken out in a sweat? Burt put a glass of tea on the table. No lemon. Gabe didn’t care. His heart was pounding like it did when he was in high school and asked Amanda Green to dance. He hardly tasted the fancy fish special and couldn’t remember what he’d eaten by the time he got back to work.

  “This is ridiculous,” he said to himself as he sat at his desk.

  “What is ridiculous?” his father asked. Gabe hadn’t noticed the man in the hall. How had he not seen him? He needed to wake up.

  “Nothing. Do you need something?”

  “Just wanted to go over the contract with Smythe and Sons. Do you have a few minutes?”

  “Sure. I’ll come up to your office in about five. Let me get some things together.”

  “Five minutes.” His father had no patience. Gabe needed to concentrate. He couldn’t afford to be thinking about Rainy Daigle while talking to his father. The old man could smell blood better than a shark in the water with chum.

  Gabe picked up the phone and hit the intercom number for his assistant, thanking the gods that Barbara was back from lunch already.

  “Yes?”

  “Get me the file on Smythe and Sons, will you?”

  “Sure thing.”

  He hung up and sat back in his chair. Rainy Daigle said yes to a date with him. He smiled. He still had that silly smile on his face when Barbara came in with the file.

  “Are you all right today?” she asked.

  “Yes. Yes, I am all right today. Thanks for asking. How are you?”

  She didn’t know how to take him. It was obvious by the puzzled look on her face. She stood in front of his desk for a moment before answering.

  “I’m great. Anything else?”

  “Nope. Why don’t you take the rest of the day off?”

  She drew her eyebrows so close together they looked like a unibrow.

  “With pay,” he added.

  “OooKaaay,” she said. “Did I do something wrong?”

  “No. I’m just happy today. Thought I’d spread it around.”

  “Don’t have to tell me twice. I’m outta here,” she broke into a smile and left with a bounce in her step.

  Chapter Twenty-Five – Rainy

  “Could a day go any slower?” Rainy asked Olivia as they watched Carlos working on the last burger for the night. It was almost nine, and a family of five had come in and ordered burgers and fries and chocolate shakes for everyone.

  “When Caden gets old enough for me to take him out to eat, I’ll never wait until after eight-thirty to feed him. Those kids should be in bed.”

  Rainy would have liked to kid Olivia about her conservative attitudes toward raising children when the woman looked like she would be hanging out with a motorcycle gang, but she bit her tongue and simply nodded instead.

  “I am so ready to see Caden. I think I would call in sick if I had a shift at the bar tonight.” Olivia slipped one foot out of a shoe and massaged her toes.

  Rainy stretched her toes inside the ugly, black shoes she always wore to work. She was glad that fashion wasn’t one of her hang-ups. Olivia’s feet were crammed into pointed shoes with a two-inch heel. It made Rainy hurt to look at them. She didn’t want to talk about her evening. She’d spend it watching Netflix and eating popcorn with her animals. At least she had a date for Friday night.

  “What are you thinking about right now?” Olivia asked.

  “Why would you ask that?”

  “Because, you turned a violent shade of pink. I don’t think you were thinking about my feet, even if you were staring at my shoes.”

  “Me? I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Rainy could feel the heat on her face, but she wasn’t about to tell Olivia about her love life, or lack thereof.

  “Uh huh.”

  “Order up,” Carlos said. He was already scraping the grill clean for the night.

  Abigail left at five to watch her daughter in a school play, so Olivia grabbed the plates and took them out to the waiting family.

  “Let’s clean everything up and get out of here as soon as they leave,” Rainy said. Her two employees got to work quickly. They were as ready to get away from the café as she was. It had been a long and grueling day.

  When she pulled into her driveway, she could hear Delilah barking. The poor dog was probably miserable. She hated making puddles in the house, which was good for Rainy, but hard on Delilah. She’d been used to running in the backyard until Martin kidnapped her. Now, she had to spend her days inside. Rainy thought she might take Mrs. Koenig up on her offer to help out with Delilah. It would probably be good for both the dog and the neighbor, and it would keep Rainy from worrying so much.

  Said pup ran between her legs and into the back yard before Rainy had the door all the way open.

  “Sorry, baby.” She waited for Delilah to finish her business and sniff around the yard a bit before calling her back inside.

  As Rainy set out food, Samson ran into the kitchen and rubbed her ankles.

  “It’s good to see you too,” Rainy said. “Did you guys have a fun day?”

  Delilah barked twice. Rainy was sure the dog understood her question. She sat on her haunches and stroked both animals while they munched away. When they were finished and Samson was taking her bath, Rainy left them to take her shower. It was good to wash the smell of the café off her body. She loved the place, but bringing it home wasn’t a good idea. As the warm water ran over her body, she shut her eyes and imagined Gabe’s hands on her shoulders, massaging the knotted muscles. When her thoughts carried his hands to other places, she abruptly shut off the water and shook her head to clear it.

  She blew her hair dry and slipped into a soft chenille robe before heading downstairs for some couch potato time. Samson jumped into her lap, and Delilah turned three circles and curled up on the floor. Everyone was so comfortable, Rainy mentally kicked herself for forgetting to pour a glass of wine. She clicked the remote and found the show she wanted to watch, settling in for the night’s entertainment.

  Half-way through the show, her phone rang. It was in the kitchen. She thought about ignoring it, since no one should be calling her after nine o’clock. Then her heart leaped into her throat as she imagined something horrible must have happened for the phone to be ringing this late.

  She jumped up, spilling Samson onto the floor with a yowl. The cat shot her tail straight up and fled upstairs.

  “Sorry!” Rainy ran into the kitchen and snatched the phone off the counter. Gabe’s picture stared at her from the screen.

  “Why would he be calling me?” she wondered as she swiped to answer.

  “Hello?”

  “Rainy. Sorry to call so late. It’s Gabe, by the way.”

  “I know who it is. What’s so urgent that it couldn’t wait until tomorrow?”

  “Said I was sorry, but I thought you’d want to know this.”

  “Well?”

  “I got a call from the Sheriff’s office tonight.”

  Rainy sucked in a breath, and her free hand flew to her throat.
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  “About Martin? Did they find him?”

  “They did. It’s bad. Are you sitting down?”

  She felt for the back of a kitchen chair and pulled one out. Sitting, she realized she was holding her breath, so she concentrated on breathing normally.

  “Just tell me.”

  “Remember I told you they had a lead on a couple in Arlington?”

  “Yes, but they didn’t have much.” Her heart was racing. Had they found Martin? Was this nightmare almost over?

  “Well, he’s in the hospital along with Toni. He’s in critical condition with third degree burns over forty percent of his body. He won’t be bothering you again for a long time. When he heals up, he’ll go straight to jail.”

  “What happened?”

  “Fire department in Arlington got an anonymous call. Ended up being a three-alarm fire. Apparently, Martin had a meth lab in a friend’s garage. They blew the place to smithereens. Almost killed themselves. Toni must have been outside. Martin got the worst of it.”

  “I’m sorry he’s hurt, but I have to ask this. Will he be prosecuted for the meth lab? I won’t have to take him to court?”

  “Not unless you want to.”

  “I don’t. I want that man out of my life forever. He was the biggest mistake I ever made.”

  “Glad to hear it. I mean, I’ll help anyway you ask me to. But I’m glad to hear that you want him out of your life.”

  “Are you kidding? As soon as I found out about the drugs, I was finished with him. After what he did to my dog and my house, I’d be an idiot to give him the time of day. Thanks for letting me know. I’ll sleep better tonight.”

  “Like I said, sorry for the late call, but…”

  “No. I’m so happy to hear this.” She paused and thought about what she’d said. “I guess that sounds pretty shallow. I mean they’re probably suffering right now, and I’m doing my happy dance.”

  “Don’t feel bad. He brought this upon himself.”

  “Yeah, but still.”

  “You’re a nice person, Rainy. I hadn’t put much thought into how the jerk might be feeling. I was thrilled to know he’s off the streets and out of your life.”

  “Thanks. I guess I better go.”

  “All right. See you Friday night if not before.” He hung up. Rainy sat at the table for a few minutes in a state of shock. Martin wouldn’t be bothering her anymore. Delilah could be outside during the day. Samson would never be terrorized by an intruder again.

  “This calls for a celebration,” she said out loud as she got up and pulled a chilled bottle of Chardonnay out of the refrigerator and poured a glass. She danced around her kitchen in her bare feet, careful to keep her glass level. Her mind went back to her fantasy in the shower earlier, and she smiled in spite of herself.

  It would be nice to have someone to celebrate with, and she found herself thinking Gabe would be her first choice. Not Sophie. Huh. This might need some consideration. Was she getting used to Gabe coming to her rescue? She didn’t want to depend on him, but the man could surely kiss. And he was now associated with so many good memories. It was hard to think she’d only recently gotten to know him so well.

  Delilah came into the kitchen to see what was going on.

  “Want to go outside, girl?”

  “Woof,” and a tail wag was as good as a ‘yes.’

  “Out you go. Enjoy your celebration.” Rainy opened the door and stepped outside with her dog. The night was clear. She could see Orion in the sky and a sliver of the moon was about to set on the horizon. As she sipped her wine, she saw a falling star. Life couldn’t get much better, she thought. If only I had someone to share this with.

  “Come,” she said and patted her leg to get Delilah’s attention. She locked up and told herself she was happy. She’d always been content living alone. Letting Martin in just a little had turned into a disaster. She didn’t need Gabe to be happy. Yeah, it was all good, she thought as she sat down to finish her television program.

  Chapter Twenty-Six – Gabe

  Gabe stood at Rainy’s front door. He wiped his sweaty palms down the side of his trousers. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d felt this nervous before a date. Delilah’s bark signaled his arrival, so he couldn’t stand there like a nervous school boy. He knocked loudly with his knuckles and stood directly in front of the peep hole. The barking continued until Rainy opened the door. She held a leash and kept Delilah from jumping, but the dog was wiggling with excitement. Gabe would normally squat and give the little dog a rub between the ears, but he was mesmerized by the woman standing in front of him.

  She wore a tight, short black dress with heels that made her legs look amazing. Her hair fell in loose curls around her shoulders and silver loops adorned her ears. His mouth watered, and his mind went blank.

  “Do I look all right?” The concerned look on her face snapped him out of his trance.

  “You look fantastic.” He blinked a couple of times and stuck his hands in his pockets to keep from grabbing her right there on her door step.

  “Thanks. I’m ready, but you can come in if you’d rather.” She held the door open wider and struggled to keep Delilah down. He bent and scratched the dog’s head.

  “Let’s go ahead, so she can settle down. We need to be there by seven forty-five. We should just make it.” She nodded and stepped out. He waited as she locked the dead bolt, and he held his arm out. She hooked her hand through and they walked to his car. He opened the passenger door and watched as she slid those legs inside. Everything about her turned him on. He hurried around to the driver’s side of the car and climbed in. The short dress showed a lot of leg, and he liked what he saw.

  “Where are we going?” she asked.

  “It’s a surprise.” He started the car and backed out. His car was a manual, so he had to shift gears. When they got to the freeway, he put it into fifth and reached over for her hand. She didn’t pull away, so he took that as a good sign. They weren’t talking. He wasn’t sure if she liked surprises and couldn’t tell what she was thinking.

  “Penny for your thoughts.”

  She turned to face him. The woman should play poker. He had no idea what was coming.

  “I was just thinking about the kiss we shared at my house and how you flew out of the door immediately afterwards. What was up with that?”

  Well, he’d asked her. He just hadn’t thought she’d be that direct.

  “I tried to tell you. I thought you were in too vulnerable of a place. I didn’t want to take advantage of you and have you regret whatever we did.”

  “Really? That’s not my usual experience with guys. Once they get started, it’s not easy to get most men to stop, and we definitely got started.” He watched as she touched her lips as if remembering the sizzle that they shared.

  “I like to think that I’m not like every other man.”

  “I guess you’re not.” She turned and stared at the road ahead.

  “Is that good or bad?”

  “The jury is still out.” She puckered her lips and said nothing else.

  He pulled into the theater’s valet parking area and put the car into neutral.

  “Shall we?” She nodded and ducked her head to try to read the marquee.

  “Romeo and Juliet?”

  “Is that going to be all right?” The valet opened her door, and Rainy stepped out before answering. The woman was a complete cipher. By the time he took the parking ticket and came around the car, she’d gone up a couple of steps toward the front door. He caught up and laid his hand on the small of her back. She had a tiny waist, and he relished the heat coming off her body.

  “This is the only Shakespeare I know anything about,” she said as he opened the door for her.

  “I took a class in college, but honestly, I didn’t understand much. Poetry has never been my strong suit. My assistant saw this production last weekend. She highly recommended it, so I thought we’d give it a go. Would you like a glass of wine before the show st
arts?” He knew he was babbling, but the earlier conversation had his nerves on edge. Had she forgiven him? He was almost startled when she answered his question about wine.

  “Red.”

  “Coming right up,” he said. He took his hand reluctantly from her back and hurried to the bar.

  “2017 Matchlock Cabernet Sauvignon,” he said as he held a glass out to her.

  She sniffed and smiled.

  “Smells wonderful.”

  “It was on tap. Seems that’s the new thing lately. I hear that it’s a great way to keep wine fresh. They use stainless steel, like kegs for beer.”

  “Yes. I know about that. They used to offer the lowest priced wines that way, but lately, the idea is to offer the good stuff and not have so many bottles to throw away.” She sipped and smiled again.

  “Good?” he asked.

  “Very. Thank you.”

  “It’s a far cry from the kegs at the frat house,” he said.

  “I imagine!” she smiled and that helped calm his nerves. She seemed to be having a good time.

  The lights blinked on and off a couple of times and Rainy looked distressed.

  “Everything all right?”

  “I just wanted to enjoy this,” she said. She took another sip.

  “They usually give a few minutes for everyone to find their seats. We’ll wait till the last second. Go ahead and enjoy it.”

  He finished his in a couple of swigs, set his glass on a round table covered with a black table cloth, and pulled the tickets he’d picked up earlier out of his coat pocket. He’d paid a bundle for third row seats in the middle aisle. An orchestra was warming up and the sounds carried into the lobby.

  “A live orchestra?” She raised her eyebrows in an adorable questioning expression.

  “Barbara says the production is first rate.” He shrugged, hoping his admin knew what she was talking about. Rainy finished her glass of wine, and they headed in as the final lights blinked on and off.