Unconditionally

by Erin Lyon

  “Yeah, you know I can’t walk and chew gum,” I reminded him. “I certainly can’t cook and have a conversation.”

  He rested his forehead against mine just for a second, then pulled back and frowned at my wrist. “I’m sorry.” He reached behind him and tore off a paper towel, which he soaked in the cold water before draping it across my wrist.

  “Adam. Settle down. It’s a little burn. Pretty sure this isn’t going to be the end of me.”

  He lifted the paper towel and looked at my wrist. “I don’t know—this could be serious. It could get infected, turn gangrenous, require an amputation.” He smiled as he walked to the garbage can to toss the wet paper towel in the trash.

  “Uh-oh,” he said, looking into the trash can. “Man down.”

  I walked over and leaned past him to see what he was referring to. Oh. My broken wineglass with the tiger stripes. That was a gift from his mother. That I was still a little bitter at Dave for destroying last night.

  “Oh. Yeah, Dave accidentally knocked that over last night.”

  Adam looked at me and narrowed his eyes a little.

  I made a chuckle. “Just talking with his hands,” I said, gesturing with mine. “That’s all.”

  He nodded. “That’s too bad. I know you love these glasses.”

  “I do. I need to find out where your mom found them so I can replace it.”

  Adam walked back over to me and pushed my hand back under the running water. I gave him a crisp salute with my other hand.

  “Oh no!” Sandy said, coming in through the back door. “What happened?”

  “Kate was cremating chicken and burned herself, with absolutely no help from me,” Adam said. He pulled my wrist from under the water and looked at it closely. “And she did a pretty decent job of it.”

  I pulled my wrist away from his grip and looked at the burn. I had a tidy, straight line of little blisters forming across my wrist. It still stung, but it was a little numb from the cold water, so that was a plus.

  “It’s fine. Oh! I need to turn the chicken over.”

  “I’ll do it,” Adam said. “Back under the water,” he said, pointing toward the faucet.

  I put my wrist back under the cold water, and Sandy came and stood next to me, leaning over to look at my wrist. Adam picked up the fork I had dropped on the floor when I burned myself and set it on the counter. He opened a couple of drawers, found the forks, reached into the oven, without burning himself, and turned the chicken for me.

  Sandy repeated the same thing Adam had done, tearing off a paper towel and soaking it in cold water. She folded it into a narrow band. “Here,” she said, turning off the faucet and wrapping the cold, wet paper towel around my wrist. “I’m sure you don’t feel like standing at the sink all night.”

  I smiled at her and went and sat down at the table.

  She sat down next to me with a smile.

  “So, I understand you had dinner with my uncle?” I asked.

  She smiled her lovely smile and nodded. “I did. He’s such a nice man.”

  “So … any plan of going out again?”

  Sandy smiled at me. “I enjoyed the dinner very much.” She narrowed her eyes, looking more like Adam. “Tony was delightful. But he’s been calling, wanting to arrange another date, and I just want to keep things friendly. Not give him the wrong impression.”

  “Oh. That makes sense.” Tony is screwed.

  “Don’t get me wrong,” she added, with a cool hand on my wrist. “I really did enjoy spending time with him. I just am not looking for anything serious.”

  I nodded. “And he seemed … a little serious?”

  Sandy wobbled her head back and forth. “I don’t know. Maybe a little. Or maybe he wasn’t and I’m just overly cautious. Who knows?” she asked with a shrug.

  “Well,” Adam said, putting his hands on his hips. “My damage here is done. We should probably go,” he said, looking over at his mom.

  “Yeah. We’ll get out of your way. You sure you’re okay?”

  I laughed. “It’s just a little burn. And, not surprisingly, it isn’t even my first.”

  “That, I believe,” Adam said. He walked over to me and dropped a kiss on the top of my head, resting his hands briefly on my shoulders. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  “Bye, sweetie,” Sandy said, with a smile.

  I got up and followed them to the door. As they were walking down the walkway to Sandy’s car, Adam called back over his shoulder, “Try not to burn the chicken. Again.”

  “Redemption chicken.”

  “Right,” he said with a chuckle, as he slid into the passenger seat of his mom’s car, giving a little wave through the window.

  After they drove away, I hustled back inside to make sure Adam’s prophecy didn’t come true.

  CHAPTER 12

  I was booting up my computer the next morning when Mags sauntered into my office in a yellow fitted dress, wearing pumps with little yellow-and-white daisies on them. Mags’s style was more like guerrilla fashion. I envisioned her closet having each outfit with its own pair of perfect shoes and jewelry hanging next to each ensemble. Take no prisoners. Match or be killed.

  She did a hand flourish over her outfit. “Cheery enough?”

  “I feel better already. Maybe you should go by the children’s hospital on your lunch hour.”

  She smiled at me. “Luann will be here at nine a.m.”

  “Perfect. You definitely need to be the one to show her to the conference room, since you are visual Prozac today.”

  “You got it, boss.”

  I was still grinning as she walked back to her cube. I saw Brad approach her, with an even sappier grin, and, after a quick glance around, plant a quick kiss on her lips. So cute. So simple. Sigh. I want “simple” in my love life.

  My cell phone buzzed and I answered it. Without thinking. Until I heard Scarlett’s voice.

  “Kate?”

  “Scarlett. You really need to call the office phone. This is my cell phone.”

  “Whatever. This is an emergency. He’s trying to kill me.”

  I frowned. “Scarlett, if you’re genuinely afraid, you should be calling the police—not me.”

  “I thought I was supposed to call you.”

  “If he’s chasing you with a knife? How would calling me help? Whatever. What’s going on?”

  “He’s throwing peanuts around his backyard.”

  Nope. Not even answering. Too absurd.

  “I’m allergic to peanuts!” she said in a shrill voice.

  Pause. “Why … is he throwing peanuts into his yard?”

  “He claims they’re for the squirrels, but I think he’s hoping that the wind will blow some peanut dust over here and kill me!”

  I pressed my fingers to my temple. “I’ll call Doug Simpson.”

  “Do it fast.”

  I hung up. Damn damn damnity damn.

  I called Doug.

  “Doug Simpson.”

  “Doug, it’s Kate.”

  “Long time, no talk.”

  “Apparently Scarlett is seriously allergic to peanuts.”

  “Bummer. Peanut butter is delicious.”

  “Yep. And Rhett is feeding peanuts to the squirrels.”

  “Well, as long as he isn’t feeding them to Scarlett, aren’t we okay?”

  I sighed. “One would think. But she’s super allergic. And he’s throwing them around his yard. And she’s worried about peanut dust. Any chance he could feed them something that won’t kill his neighbor if she accidentally inhales something?”

  “I’ll call him.”

  “Thanks so much.”

  About ten minutes later, Mags buzzed me. “Dot Hamilton is on the phone.”

  “Put her through.”

  I answered when my phone rang. “Hello, Dot.”

  “Hi, Kate,” she said, sounding particularly chipper. Hm. Curiouser and curiouser. “So, I took your advice the other day and it worked.”

  “What advice?
What worked?”

  “The dating site idea. I went on there and I met the most amazing man.”

  “Dot, I said that two days ago.”

  “I know. There’s no stopping true love.” Oh god.

  “You—you—you’re in love?” I asked.

  “Uh-huh. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted, Kate. It’s like we were made for each other.”

  Oh god. I think I already said that. “Um, Dot. You just met him. Don’t you think that’s a little fast?”

  “Kate, I’ve spent more time talking to Sven in the last two days than I talked to Daryl during our entire contract.”

  Sven? Shit. I hope at least she didn’t happen to mention that she was coming into a few million dollars. “Well, that’s important, but I really think you should pace yourself.”

  “To hell with pacing myself. I’ve spent my whole life being cautious. Time to take some risks!”

  “Okay. I’m glad you’re happy. I just don’t want to see you get hurt.”

  “Sven will never hurt me.” Of course not. Guys named Sven are notoriously good guys. If I’d ever known a single guy named Sven. Which I have not. “Anyway,” she continued. “About the settlement. Daryl can keep Elvis.”

  My eyes went wide. “He can?”

  “Yep. Sven made me realize that trying to hold on to Elvis was the same as holding on to the hurt Daryl caused me.” I tipped my head back and forth a little. Not the worst advice ever … “And he came over last night with a gift.”

  “Dare I ask?”

  “A beautiful chinchilla named Audrey!” She squealed with excitement.

  “Well, that was sweet of him.”

  “I know! So, we need to get this settlement wrapped up so I can officially be single again.”

  “Okay. What about the clock?”

  “Oh, it’s his anyway. So, let’s say he gets Elvis and the grandfather clock and he gives me the big-screen TV from the family room.”

  “Okay. Well, I’ll call his attorney and propose that. You’re sure, Dot? If we settle this and then things go south with Sven, we can’t undo it.”

  “Honestly, Kate, you worry too much.” Well, ain’t that a kick in the head. “Call the attorney now.”

  I sighed so she could hear my reservation. “Okay, Dot. You sure you don’t want to give it a couple of days?”

  “I’ve already wasted too many days. I’m not wasting any more.”

  “Fair enough. I’ll call you later.”

  “Thank you, Kate.”

  I hung up and called Beth.

  “Beth Erickson.”

  “Beth, it’s Kate Shaw. I have a counter that I think you’ll like.”

  “You’re shitting me.”

  “I am one hundred percent serious. I think. My head is still spinning a little.”

  “Well, let’s hear it.”

  “Daryl can keep Elvis and she’ll give him the grandfather clock and all she wants is the big-screen TV.”

  “What the hell?”

  “I have no idea. She met a man named Sven. He bought her a chinchilla.”

  “Figures.” It does? In what world? “Okay. Well, I’m calling him now, before she changes her mind.”

  “Good thinking.”

  We hung up and I looked up to see Mags standing in the doorway, frowning at me, clearly curious for the development on the Dot Hamilton front.

  “Dot fell madly in love with a guy she met online two days ago and is willing to give up the guinea pig.”

  “Okay,” she said with a nod, and turned to walk back to her desk.

  “Oh,” she said, turning back, “I just put Luann in conference room four for you, after being sure she got a full dose of this.” She gestured to her bright yellow dress. “She seems fine.”

  “You’re the best.”

  I scooped up my pad of paper and pen and headed to the conference room.

  Luann stood when I walked in. She was about thirty, almost as tall as me, lanky, and pretty enough, in that “before” photo sort of way. Her hair was medium brown and stick-straight to her shoulders, and her skin was clear and makeup free.

  I shook her hand and smiled encouragingly. “Hello, Luann. I’m Kate Shaw.”

  “Very nice to meet you.”

  I gestured for her to sit back down, and I took the chair kitty-corner from her. “I’m so sorry about the reason you’re here. That must have been just awful.”

  She nodded and pushed her shapely lips together. “Yeah. Pretty sure he can have those sheets.”

  “Oh, god. You caught them in your bed?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. In fact,” she added with a frown, “he can have the bed, too.”

  I nodded sympathetically. “I’m sorry. So, you brought your contract, right?”

  “Yes.” She slid the pile of paper toward me. “I guess this is what I get for not listening to my mom.”

  I glanced at the papers and then back at her. Her brown, almond-shaped eyes were staring off into the distance, beyond my shoulder. Her eyebrows were delicately shaped and her eyelashes were long, despite the lack of makeup. I was rethinking my early assessment of her being plain.

  “Mom didn’t like him, huh?”

  “She liked him. It was hard not to. He was so charming. But he was too good-looking for me. She was just always suspicious.”

  I frowned a little, unsure of what the appropriate response would be in this scenario. “But you’re very pretty, too.” Yeah, maybe not attorney-like, but I always default to honesty. And sometimes I just speak before I think.

  Luann laughed. “Thank you, but he’s like crazy good-looking. He’s a model. But just getting started, so he didn’t have much money when we met.”

  I looked down at the intake form. Luann was a pharmaceutical researcher. I’m guessing that’s lucrative. “So, you make a lot more money than he does, I’m guessing?”

  “Yeah. I think that’s why my mom was so suspicious of every man that seemed really interested.” Luann slouched a little and shrugged with a pretty smile. “But you gotta be willing to take a risk at some point.”

  I nodded and smiled back. “Okay, well, let me review your contract and see exactly what we’re dealing with as far as damages. Does he have an attorney?”

  “Yeah. It was his attorney who drafted the contract. I did read it—I’m not a total moron. But I am a little worried now that I missed some things and that I’m going to end up screwed.”

  “Well, I’ll go over it closely. Where are you staying?”

  “With my parents. I know, super mature. Thirty years old and my relationship goes south and I go home to mommy and daddy.”

  “Lots of us have been there,” I said.

  Her eyes went wide. “Really?”

  “Yep. Just got my own place a couple weeks ago. We’re lucky to have good parents to go home to.”

  “Tell me about it. My mom hasn’t even said ‘I told you so.’ The woman’s a saint.”

  I laughed. “The best moms are.” I held up the contract. “Do you think he’ll deny that he breached? Any chance he’ll lie and try to say you never saw anything?”

  “Not sure, but it shouldn’t matter. The girl he was with, Monica, had no idea he was signed, and she feels terrible. She called me and gave me her name and phone number in case there was litigation.”

  “Oh. That is definitely good. Okay. I’ll give you a call once I’m up to speed.”

  “Great. Thanks so much, Kate. I feel like such a fool.”

  I put a hand against her shoulder. “We all do sometimes. But you’re right—sometimes we have to take a chance.”

  She smiled and nodded at me.

  She walked out of the conference room and I watched her go, head held high, shoulders square. She was kind of my new favorite client.

  I walked back to my office and Mags met me at the door.

  “So? What’d you think?”

  “I really liked her,” I said.

  “Me too. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?” Mags
asked, nodding continuously.

  “I think the odds of that are against us, Mags.”

  She chuckled. “Well, I’m thinking that we need to match her with one of our other lonely heart clients.”

  I frowned. “Okay, (a) this is a law firm, not a dating service; and (b) so far we have angry rednecks and hairdressers not interested in the female persuasion. Not much of a dating pool. And she deserves someone good.”

  Mags nodded. “Point taken. We’ll keep our eyes open for someone worthy.”

  “Well, I’m still on the high of pushing Dot Hamilton into what could potentially be a catastrophic train wreck, so I think I might hold off on any more matchmaking for a bit.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  I walked into my office and sat down. A few minutes later, Joe Markson was standing in my doorway, looking more spry than I’d ever seen him.

  “What did you do?”

  I stood. “Excuse me?”

  “How on God’s green earth did you get Dot Hamilton to settle?” he asked, walking in with a smile and putting his hands on the back of one of the chairs facing my desk.

  “Oh. Well, I’m not certain it was a good thing, actually,” I said, trying to steady my hands, since I talk with them whenever I’m nervous and they’d started waving around with my words. Pressing my fingertips to my desktop, I continued, “I sort of told Dot maybe she should try online dating instead of letting her life pass her by. And she met someone. Two days ago. And did a complete one eighty on the settlement.”

  Joe laughed, thankfully. And I could breathe again. I was more than a little worried I’d get my ass chewed for giving a client too much personal advice.

  “Brilliant, Kate. Beth Erickson just called me to tell me that you had managed the impossible.”

  “Well, in all honesty, I’m a little worried about this man that Dot met. She’s only known him for two days.”

  “Kate, you can’t control people acting crazy. You gave her good advice: Move on and get a life. The fact that she took it to the extreme is not your problem.”

  I gave him a noncommittal nod.

  “You got through to her when no one else has been able to for two years, Kate. It’s a win. Take it.”

  I smiled. “Thank you, sir.”