by Stacy Wise
“But?”
“But I’ve been volunteering at the Holden Center. Mom, it fulfills me in a way I never could’ve imagined.” I take a breath. “One of the women is a partner at Ramirez and Nussbaum. She wants me to interview for a position at her firm. They do family law, and…” She unexpectedly smiles across from me. “What?”
“You just reminded me of the day your father told me he wanted to do freelance photography. I was still in school, and though we had help from his parents—your Gran and Grandpa—we wanted to make it on our own. He was afraid I wouldn’t support him and gave me an impassioned speech.”
“It’s a risk.”
“Yes, it is. You have a tough decision ahead. Take the time to make the right one.” She looks at me, taking me in. “You’re all grown up, aren’t you? You’ve done well for yourself. No matter what your decision is, I will support you. You’ve proven yourself again and again. It’s time I give you the credit you deserve.” She touches a hand to my face. “Daddy would be extraordinarily proud of the woman you’ve become. I know I am.”
Tears pool in my eyes. “Thanks, Mom. It means a lot. The best part is, I finally can say I feel proud of myself, too.” In my mind, I cross helpful mother off my list and change it to supportive mother. Just a change in one word, but it makes a world of difference to me.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
I reach the office early Tuesday morning. A burly security guard with an imposing stance is stationed outside of Kenneth’s office. Joseph is embroidered in bright gold across the chest of his black jacket. “Good morning. Everything okay?” I ask, trying to see past him.
“Just fine.”
Kenneth emerges from his office like a hurricane. “Fine? Fine? Ha!”
“Clock’s ticking. You have twenty-three minutes, sir.”
I look from Kenneth to Joseph and back. “What’s he talking about?”
Kenneth smirks and turns to Joseph. “Better get her packed up, too. She’s coming with me.” He steps past him with an exaggerated stride and lands next to me. “Looks like we’re going a little sooner than planned.”
“Wait. What? But why is the security guard here? I don’t understand.”
“Later.” He huffs. “You better get moving. Like he said, the clock is ticking.”
I shake my head, trying to understand what’s going on, but these two are of no help. Without bothering to ask, I move past Joseph and rush to Craig’s office.
Empty.
I hurry past it and reach Thomas’s office. The door is closed, so I knock, reeling in the desire to pound.
“Come in.”
I walk in and barely notice the dead zoo that surrounds me. “What’s going on? There’s a security guard in Kenneth’s office.”
His smile drops into the lines of his face. “When an individual breaches the partner agreement, he goes. Same holds true with an associate. You can’t bad-mouth the firm to clients to woo their business. Things don’t work that way.”
His accusation socks me in the gut. “But I didn’t do anything!”
He raises a bushy brow. “Hammond called me. We had a long talk this weekend. He’s feeling a lot better. Beaten up good, but he’s doing okay.” He folds his rough hands together and rests his chin on them. “Poor guy’s been through a lot. His dad and I are old friends, you know. I guess Kenneth wasn’t aware…” He sits up straight and splays his hands on the polished desk. “Well, he called and asked what the hell was going on with his case. Appears Kenneth has been filling his head with some pretty interesting stories.”
“But—”
He holds up a hand. “I’ve seen the emails. Kenneth has maintained throughout that you are leaving with him.”
“But I’m not. He said I have until the end of the week to decide. I haven’t given him an answer because I didn’t want to walk on eggshells during his last days here. He’d make my life miserable.”
He looks to the still-open door. “Can you close that, please? And have a seat.”
The guest chair is mere feet from the alligator, and I shift it away before sitting.
Thomas leans forward in his chair. “So what you’re telling me is Kenneth spoke for you?”
“Yes. He gave me a plant and assumed I’d leave with him.”
Thomas chortles. “Brazen little bastard. That’s what makes him a good attorney.” He straightens and picks up the receiver of his phone, speaking quietly into it. After replacing it in its cradle, he looks up at me. “We’ll just put a pin in this conversation for a minute.”
The walls feel like they’re closing in on me, but I force myself to remain seated. Seconds later, the security guard steps in, holding the door open for Kenneth, who looks like a rabid dog. “What the hell, Thomas? This is moronic. I was leaving anyway. Why the freaking sideshow?”
He remains seated behind the safety of his desk. “We had an agreement, Kenneth. You broke it. Was Katie involved or not?”
“Involved in what? Talking to my client?”
“Encouraging a Janks and Lowe client to leave with you,” Thomas says patiently.
“No,” he snaps. “She had no idea, okay.”
“Very well.” His grandfatherly eyes are stern. “This is a very delicate situation, Katie. I’ll need to talk with Steven. However, if you would like to stay, we’d be happy to assign you to another attorney.”
Kenneth flaps his arms. His eyes are wild as he looks at me. “Stay here if you want. Stay and work for these greedy bastards. You’ll end up like that wrinkled old lizard, stuck here for years with no real future in sight.” He points to the alligator, which seems like an ally all of a sudden.
I look from one stiff animal to the next. Will I end up trapped like them? Stuck in a job that has little meaning to me? As I look at their sad eyes, I can almost hear them whisper and chant, “Go, go, run!”
“Thanks for the advice, Kenneth, but I won’t end up stuck.” I face Thomas. “I want you to know I really appreciate all you’ve done for me.”
Kenneth beams. “Great choice, Katie. Let them throw us out, but we will rise to the top. The cream always rises to the top.”
Spinning to face him, I say, “You’ve misunderstood. I’m not going with you. I never was.”
“But you—”
“I’m what? Throwing away the chance of a lifetime? God money? It’s a chance I’ll happily take. Because I have my future in sight. It’s become quite clear, thanks to you.” Turning to Thomas, I say, “I’m really grateful for the opportunity you’ve given me. I’ve done a lot of soul-searching since I’ve learned Kenneth is leaving. I appreciate your offer to stay—I truly do—but I’ve discovered victims’ advocacy is the type of law I want to pursue. It’s where my heart is. I hope you understand.”
He gives me a grave nod. “I do. It’s never wrong to pursue your passion. Good luck to you.”
“Thanks. It means a lot.” With that, I walk out the door and down the hall for the last time.
As I drive along the freeway with the lone box of my things riding shotgun, a ribbon of fear tries to sneak in and choke me, but I won’t let it. For the first time in my life, I know I’m heading in the right direction. The road ahead is wide open. My interview with Valentina and Barbara is set for tomorrow afternoon. It might not go my way, but on the other hand, it could be great. I think back to the wish I made on the dolphin. Let it all work out okay.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Craig sits across from me at our favorite Italian deli, and for the first time since the big showdown yesterday, I feel like I can breathe. He tucks into his meatball sandwich as I spoon dressing onto my chopped salad.
“You know how to make an exit, lady. Care to fill me in?”
“It was amazing. Scary at the time, but I feel great.”
“As you should. Congrats.” He takes another bite of food. “I can’t believe Kenneth, though. He apparently contacted clients that weren’t even his. It’s bizarre. He should’ve known better. So what’s next for you?�
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“You know how I started volunteering at the Holden Center?”
He nods. “Yes. You mentioned it once or twenty-five times.”
I laugh. “I didn’t tell you all of it. The woman who ran the training, Valentina, and I clicked pretty much from the start. She and another woman have a firm together, and I’m interviewing there today. They do victims’ rights and family law.”
He whistles. “Whoa. Bold move to quit before you have another job.”
“I know. But I’ve been unemployed before. This time, though, it’s on my terms.”
“Kicking ass and taking names.”
I smile. “It kind of feels that way. I mean, it could all blow up in my face, but I have a good feeling about it. And,” I say, pushing my salad aside, “their offices are a block away from Janks and Lowe. We can still have lunch together if it all works out.”
“Thank God. I need my lunch buddy.” He smiles and takes my hand. “Seriously, you’ve become one of my favorite people.”
I stand and give him a hug. “You’re one of mine, too. You’re awesome, Craig.”
As I return to my seat, he says, “Speaking of awesome men, any dates lately?”
“Yes, as a matter of fact. I’ve started dating someone.”
He widens his eyes, chewing quickly before dabbing his mouth with a napkin. “Seriously? You give me the exciting news when I have a mouthful of meat?”
“That could sound really gross if I had a dirty mind.”
“I know. It was meant to. Who’s the lucky man?”
“Edward Benner.”
He drops his napkin to his lap. “Edward Benner. Really?”
“Yeah. Why do you say it like that?”
He smirks as though I’m missing something obvious. “He’s a little vanilla.”
“He’s a gentleman. It’s refreshing.”
“Lemonade is refreshing. Does he talk about anything besides the law?”
“Of course. That’s just mean. He’s very well-rounded.”
“I can imagine.” He pauses. “I was keeping hope alive you’d end up with your trainer.”
“Never going to happen.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
“Let’s just say I don’t want someone who doesn’t want me. I’ve been there, and it’s not fun. Edward is great.”
“So are you going out with him again? Is this becoming a thing?”
“Maybe. Would it be weird to invite him to Hannah’s wedding?”
“Ah, yes. The wedding. Do you want to invite him?”
I look away, thinking. “I don’t know. I’m pretty sure he’d say yes if I asked, but I don’t know if I’m ready to take that step. There’s something about bringing someone to a wedding that ups the stakes.”
“True.”
I study his face. Craig would be a great date for the wedding. “Will you go with me? We’d have fun.”
He drops the pick from his sandwich onto his plate. “I thought you’d never ask. I’d love to go.”
“Really?”
“Katie, I adore weddings. Where else can you feast your eyes on such a wide variety of fashion faux pas? I’m going to make a coffee-table book one day, dedicated to wedding guest attire no-nos. And you know I’ll be a lot more fun than Edward Benner.”
He may be right. “Thanks, Craig. You’re wonderful.”
My hands shake as I type a text to Craig.
I know we have the wedding soon, but would you like to have lunch next week? I’ll be in your part of town.
Katie! Does this mean what I think it means?
I got the job! They offered it to me on the spot!!
Of course they did. You’re amazing. And yes! Lunch next week. Congrats, sweetie.
Thank you. xo
Chapter Thirty
My phone sits on the nightstand, lit up with a text. There’s no name, just a number, but I know who it is.
Hi. It’s Javier. Which day works for you this week? Let’s get you back in here!
I already used work as an excuse. I suppose it’ll suffice one more time. Next week it’ll be something else. I’ll keep using excuses until he stops texting. Because I can’t be in the same room as Ryan and act like there was never anything between us. It hurts too much.
Edward arrives with a pizza box and a bottle of Perrier, and we settle in at the kitchen table. When he called earlier today to suggest we meet for dinner, I almost said no—not because I didn’t want to see him but because it’s been such an emotional week, and exhaustion has set in. But when he offered to drive down here again, I couldn’t say no.
“You have a nice place,” he says, looking around.
“Thanks.”
As we eat our pizza, his leg bounces up and down, and I wonder what he’s nervous about.
“Are you okay? You seem jumpy.”
“I heard you left Janks and Lowe. Is that right?”
“Yeah. I—”
“Why?”
“It seems absurd, doesn’t it? Thomas and Steven are great.”
His eyes widen. “Are you working with your mom now?”
“No.” Setting my napkin in my lap, I tell him about the showdown with Kenneth, Valentina and Barbara, and my new position.
He frowns, touching a napkin to his mouth. “I’m just playing devil’s advocate here, but do you think it’s a smart move when you don’t currently practice family law?”
“I’ll learn. It’s not like there wasn’t a huge learning curve at Janks and Lowe. It’s expected.”
“It just seems like an unnecessary risk. You could’ve stayed at Janks and Lowe and gotten some experience. They’re heavy hitters, Katie. Do you have any idea how good it looks to have them on your résumé, not to mention the money? I’m talking serious coin. I don’t mean to dash your hopes, but I owe it to you to be the voice of reason.” He gives me an ardent look. “I’m here for you. I like that we can bounce ideas off each other.”
Bounce off or shoot down? I don’t say it, but the thought is there. “Thanks for your honesty.”
“Can I be honest about something else?”
There’s a slight change in the tone of his voice that grabs my attention. “Sure.”
“I want you to be my girlfriend.”
Whoa. That’s so not what I expected. Before I can come up with a response, his lips are on mine. He darts his tongue into my mouth, and I take hold of his arms, moving my head. “You didn’t let me respond.” My voice is quiet, but I know he heard me.
A stricken look crosses his face. “I’m sorry. I thought you were feeling it, too.”
A sigh escapes, and I press my hands together. “Uh, I’m not sure what I’m feeling at the moment.” The hurt is clear in his eyes, and he looks away. “I like you. I know that.” I place a hand on his arm. “But I’m not ready to be in a relationship. Everything that’s happened with work… I’m just trying to wrap my head around all the changes. Does that make sense?”
He moves his gaze back to mine. “So where does that leave us? You like me, but you don’t want to be with me?”
My jaw tightens. Didn’t he hear me? I’m doing my best to deal with all the changes. I’m trying to pay attention to my feelings, and rushing into something feels wrong. “It means I enjoy spending time with you, and I’d like to get to know you better, but I can’t make any promises to you right now.”
“So you’ll hang out with me until someone better comes along? Is that what I’m hearing?”
“Is it so wrong to give this—whatever this is—some time to develop?”
He sighs. “I’m sorry. Maybe I’m being a jerk about all this. I honestly thought you were feeling all the things I am.”
I don’t want to ask what he’s feeling, because I don’t want to know. It’s too much, too soon. “I don’t know what to say. Maybe we should call it a night and talk later.”
“I wish I would’ve stayed home.”
His words hit me like a slap. He’s the one who insisted on coming
out here. Maybe he’s single because he acts like a baby when he doesn’t get his way. “I’ll walk you out.”
He grabs his jacket from the sofa. “I didn’t envision our night going like this.”
“I didn’t, either.”
“Should I call you again? Or is this the end?”
My insides squeeze. I don’t know what I want. I liked the Edward who was at the Omni. But this version of him makes me feel like I can’t breathe. “I don’t know.”
He flashes me a hurt look. “Then I guess I have my answer.”
Chapter Thirty-One
A string quartet begins to play, and a hush falls over the pretty glass chapel. Latecomers rush to find seats, stealing furtive glances around the room as though checking to see if anyone has noticed their tardiness. The song ends and a new one begins. I recognize this melody, though I can’t name it. Guests stand, rivaling the sound of the music with the rustling of jackets and the scraping of shoes against the wood floors. Moments later, the room stills as we await the bride.
“Oh my God, Katie. It’s your boyfriend,” Craig says in a stage whisper.
I roll my eyes and look up, knowing I’ll see an overly hairy dude or an old guy in a swanky suit—Craig’s idea of wedding humor. But it’s neither.
In the doorway, waiting for the cue to walk down the aisle, is Ryan.
Or not.
His hair is wrong—all short and spiky—but the face… I shift my eyes to his knuckles. No tattoos. It has to be his twin. But how? He walks down the aisle with Hannah’s oldest sister on his arm.
The next couple steps forward, and I squeeze the bench back so hard my knuckles turn white. This time, there’s no doubt. It’s Ryan. It’s in his posture and the easy way he holds Isabel’s arm in his. I bet she feels safe, like if one of the hanging light fixtures suddenly fell, he’d protect her. The black tux he wears hugs his broad shoulders as if it’s made just for him. And anyone would notice how muscular his thighs are beneath the smooth fabric. He looks like a clean-cut rebel.