“Hey, baby,” the voicemail from Paige said. “I just remembered you have court today. I didn’t want you to go in there without hearing from me first. I’m really sorry about our fight, and I want to make it up to you. Call me right after, and we can go eat somewhere. I’ve been starving all day. Bye, babe.”
Jeff deleted the voicemail before he climbed out of his Lamborghini. He’d only driven the thing because he wanted Kyle to see it. Maybe it was chest-pounding at its worst, but Jeff didn’t care. He’d fallen asleep for a couple of hours this morning after talking to Alicia, but he woke up feeling edgy. He guessed court dates did that to a person. And ex-girlfriends calling to make up.
“I was about to call you,” someone spoke behind him. “You’re late.”
Jeff turned to see his lawyer, Dawson Harris. He was dressed in one of his fancy suits, and his wavy brown hair reminded Jeff of a Ken doll. Dawson was only a couple of years older than Jeff but had already made a name for himself in winning several big cases that were written up in the local paper. Dawson’s main office was in the next city over, but he was also a fixture in Pine Valley. He even had a condo at the ski resort.
“I’m only five minutes late,” Jeff said, shaking Dawson’s hand, then letting go.
“That’s late in my book.” Dawson raised his brows. “You’re wound pretty tight. I told you, the case is solid, and the judge will rule in your favor.”
“I hope so,” Jeff said. “Or I’m driving this thing back to the dealership.”
Dawson shook his head. “If I was a betting man, I’d bet that you’ll be taking your girlfriend out tonight in this car.”
“You just lost the bet. I’m a single man now,” Jeff said.
“What? I thought you were dating a lady named Paige.”
“Long story.” Jeff locked the car and walked with Dawson across the parking lot. “Maybe if we have something to celebrate after court, I’ll buy dinner and tell you the gory details.”
Dawson barked out a laugh. “You can buy me dinner, but I don’t want to know the details. I have enough break-up stories of my own to try to forget.”
“I thought you were married,” Jeff said, glancing over at him as they reached the glass doors of the courthouse.
“Was married.” Dawson pulled open the door and waved Jeff to go inside first. “Let’s just say you’re not the only one who’s had a crappy year.”
It wasn’t really the time or place to quiz Dawson more. Besides, after today, and possibly dinner tonight, Jeff hoped he wouldn’t have to see Dawson again . . . at least for legal reasons.
Jeff stepped up to the security station they had to go through before entering the court building. He put his phone, keys, and wallet into a plastic bin. Then he slid off his shoes and put them in a plastic bin as well.
“Your ID, please,” the female security guard with a severe bun said.
“Oh, sorry.” Jeff fished his driver’s license out of his wallet and handed it over to the woman. She took quite a while to compare the picture to Jeff’s likeness.
“I can vouch for him,” Dawson said.
The security guard threw Dawson a glare. “Let me do my job, Mr. Harris, and yours will be much more pleasant.”
“Just trying to help,” Dawson said, lifting his hands as if he was surrendering.
The security guard scoffed, but a small smile escaped.
“You might want to frisk those guys,” Dawson said, nodding his head toward a group of people who had just arrived at the doors.
Jeff glanced over. Kyle was walking in with his lawyers. Did he really need two of them? Behind the lawyers walked Uncle Rick.
Jeff wanted to groan. Why did Kyle have to bring his dad? This had all been hard enough on the family already. Their dads were brothers, and Jeff had told his own parents to steer clear of the court proceedings. Kyle looked like he’d lost weight, and his blond hairline appeared to have receded. Uncle Rick was an older version of Kyle—a little more heavily set and nearly bald.
Jeff moved through the security scanner and, without looking back, put on his shoes and gathered up his things.
“Meet me in conference room number two,” Dawson told him.
Jeff was only too happy to abandon the front lobby and not be faced with any sort of conversation with Kyle or Uncle Rick. Nothing good could come of a conversation before the judge handed down his decision.
Waiting in the small conference room by himself, Jeff scrolled through his phone if only to ignore his nerves. He went to his call log and deleted the evidence of Paige’s phone call. He pulled up the call log from the conversation with Alicia. They’d talked for almost an hour. As he was remembering some of their conversation, a text came through . . . from Alicia.
Crossing fingers for you! Hope it goes well and the judge is a smart man. Or woman.
Jeff smiled to himself. He should probably not respond because Dawson would show up any second. The judge is a man, and Dawson says he’s a fair judge. I’m definitely crossing my fingers as well. But I’m still nervous.
Her reply came seconds later. You’ve done everything right. Hopefully your lawyer will earn his money.
Jeff was still smiling when Dawson entered the room. “Something funny?”
He pocketed his phone. “Just texting a friend.”
Dawson raised his brows but didn’t ask more questions. “Kyle’s attorney says they’ll countersue if they lose the case.”
Jeff exhaled. “Can they do that?”
“Of course, but we’ll see how much money your cousin wants to keep spending, especially if his wages are garnished.”
“I just want it to be over with,” Jeff said.
“The bright side will be that we can keep hanging out together.” Dawson cracked a smile.
“Lucky me,” Jeff said in a dry tone.
“Ready to get this moving?” Dawson said. “The judge should be leaving his chambers in a few minutes, and we need to be seated before he arrives. If there’s anyone more punctual than me, it’s Judge Christensen.”
Jeff rose to his feet. “I’m ready.” He walked with Dawson out of the conference room and into the court room.
* * *
Forty minutes later, Jeff and Dawson strode out of the courtroom ahead of Kyle and his council. They didn’t say a word until they reached Jeff’s Lamborghini.
“I guess I’m buying dinner after all,” Jeff said, turning to Dawson with a grin.
“Yep, I guess you are.”
Jeff stuck out his hand to shake Dawson’s, then pulled him into a bear hug.
Dawson laughed and slapped Jeff’s back. “If Kyle makes good on his threat to countersue, this isn’t quite over yet.”
“I know,” Jeff said, stepping away from Dawson. “But let’s celebrate this victory.”
Dawson grinned. “Sounds good to me. Where are we going?”
“I’ll meet you at the Alpine Lodge at 7:30,” Jeff said.
Dawson’s eyebrows shot up. “You have reservations?”
“Not exactly,” Jeff said. “But I have connections.”
Dawson shook his head with a grin. “Of course you do. See you at 7:30 p.m., and congratulations.”
“Thanks for everything,” Jeff said. When Dawson had walked to his car, Jeff slid into his and roared out of the parking lot just as Kyle exited the building. Jeff didn’t need to look over at his cousin to know that the man was pretty much hating him now.
Payback was bitter, that was sure.
As Jeff headed to his house to change before going into the office, he finally started to relax, and exhaustion took over. If he didn’t have to catch up on work, he knew he could easily fall asleep. Instead, he went home, changed into khakis and a button-down shirt, then climbed into his car again. He didn’t check his phone for texts or emails. For a few minutes, he just wanted to enjoy the moment of victory.
The judge had ruled in Jeff’s favor, and Kyle’s wages would be garnished until the debts were paid back. Jeff’s name was cleared of all responsibility toward the creditors, and his record would be wiped clean by the court. Jeff knew Kyle was going to file for bankruptcy, and there was a good chance he’d countersue. But the lawyer who agreed to represent a bankrupt Kyle would be a fool.
As Jeff headed out of his neighborhood in his SUV, he slowed when he turned the corner and spotted a small florist shop. He had the sudden urge to buy flowers and give them to someone who’d helped him get through the last day. He stopped at the curb in front of the shop and hurried inside. He bought a mixed flower bouquet, then found himself driving to his old neighborhood. There, everything seemed quiet in the late afternoon. He didn’t know what time Alicia’s shift was tonight, but he hoped she’d be home. All indicators were that she was home, since her car was in the driveway.
When he rang the doorbell, he heard footsteps coming from inside. Then there was silence. Alicia or her mother was probably looking through the peephole. Eventually, the door opened a cracked.
“What do you want?” a woman’s voice asked.
It wasn’t Alicia’s voice, so it must be her mom’s. “Mrs. Waters? It’s Jeff Finch.”
The door opened another half-inch. With the darkness of the interior behind her, Jeff couldn’t really get a good look at Mrs. Waters. And she seemed extremely reluctant to speak to him.
“How are you doing?” he asked when she said nothing.
“What do you want?”
The question was harsh, but Jeff didn’t let it deter him. Alicia had told him about her mom’s difficulties, and all he could think of was how he probably didn’t understand how much she’d truly changed. “I’m looking for Alicia. Is she home?”
The woman scoffed, or something close to it. “She’s always gone. Gone to work. Gone shopping. Gone who knows where. I’m not her secretary.” Then, she shut the door.
Jeff stared, unblinking, not sure of what just happened. “Mrs. Waters?” he called out, knowing that she could hear him through the door. “I’ve brought some flowers over. Do you want me to leave them on the porch?”
He waited a moment, then longer. Finally, he was about to set the flowers on the porch when the door cracked open again. Jeff straightened. Mrs. Finch stood there in a blue bathrobe that looked like it had been run over multiple times by a truck. She was folding her thin arms, and her glaring gaze was zeroed in on him. The gauntness of her face and the dark circles beneath her eyes made Jeff think of a prisoner of war victim. In a word, she looked terrible. Not the Mrs. Waters he remembered at all.
“I used to live next door,” Jeff said, scrambling for something to say that might help her recognize him. They’d all changed over the years.
“I know who you are,” Mrs. Waters said, her tone still hostile. “What are you doing here?”
Jeff held up the flowers. “I’ve brought flowers for Alicia.”
“I already know that.” She leaned against the door, keeping it open to only reveal her thin frame, and nothing else behind. “But why are you here? Why are you bothering Alicia? You’ve done enough harm to our family.”
Jeff was speechless. Harm to their family? His stomach felt like he’d swallowed a rock. “I—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”
“Just leave those on the porch,” Mrs. Waters said. “If Alicia wants them, she can bring them in herself.” She shut the door again, and this time Jeff heard the lock slide into place.
He stood on the porch for several moments, truly not knowing what to do. Should he call Alicia? Should he just leave the flowers? Should he take the flowers with him? Finally, he set the flowers on the porch and walked back to his SUV. Would Mrs. Waters tell her daughter that he was there? What had Alicia told her mom about him?
Jeff’s good mood had completely deflated. Especially since it seemed that Mrs. Waters blamed him for much more than being an idiot in high school. Did she really blame him for harming their whole family?
When he was pulling up to his office, his phone rang. Alicia. He hesitated for a second, debating whether to answer it. He was feeling pretty defensive, and that probably wasn’t a good way to feel before answering the phone.
Finally he answered, “Hello.”
“Jeff?” Alicia said. “My mom said you came by with flowers. I can’t believe she made you leave them on the front porch. I’m so sorry.”
“I don’t think she wanted me to leave them in the first place.”
She groaned. “What did my mom say to you?”
The distress in her voice was thawing Jeff’s defensiveness. “Uh, she just wasn’t happy to see me, that’s all. I probably shouldn’t have dropped in like that.”
“No, I mean, yes, it’s all right that you dropped in,” she said. “We don’t usually get visitors . . . I guess you can see why.”
“I don’t know if having visitors was really your mom’s concern,” he said. “I obviously need to apologize to her, too.”
Alicia was quiet for a moment, and when she spoke next, her voice was trembling. “Please tell me what she said. I need to know. She can’t get away with being cruel to my friends.”
The fact that Alicia was still considering him a “friend” was heartening. But he wondered how much truth was in what Mrs. Waters had accused him of. He told Alicia the entire conversation, not leaving out one word or detail. When he finished, he thought he heard her sniffle. “I didn’t mean to upset you or make it worse.”
“I’m so sorry about her,” Alicia said, and Jeff knew she was crying.
He felt awful. “Don’t apologize for your mom. It’s not you, Alicia. She’s responsible for her own actions. But what she said to me made me realize that your mom was hurt over my actions too.”
Alicia sniffled. “She was, but that’s no excuse. It’s partly my fault because I didn’t tell her we were hanging out. I don’t want you to take what she said personally. That’s how she treats everyone, and that’s something we’re working on with her therapist.”
“What can I do to apologize to your mom?” Jeff said.
“You don’t owe her anything.” Alicia’s voice was stronger now.
“I want to make things right,” he said. “I mean, if we’re going to be friends, then I’ll probably run into your mom once in a while, and I don’t want her to be angry at me.”
Alicia sighed. “She’s always angry.” Her voice softened. “The flowers are beautiful.”
“I’m glad you like them,” he said, his spirits starting to lift.
“Why did you get me flowers, and how did your court date go?” she asked.
“I got you flowers because I’m glad we’re friends again,” Jeff said with a laugh. “And the judge ruled in my favor.”
“Wow, I’m so happy for you,” Alicia said. “I knew it! But I’m still so glad it actually happened.”
“Me too,” he said. “Kyle has threatened to counter-sue, but my lawyer isn’t too worried the case will hold water. He thinks Kyle is going to file for bankruptcy, and if that’s the case, he’ll have a hard time retaining a lawyer to represent his lawsuit.”
“Kyle’s crazy,” Alicia said.
“You’re telling me.”
“I guess you have to celebrate today’s victory, right?” she said. “I’ll bet your parents are thrilled.”
“I haven’t talked to them yet,” Jeff said. “I grabbed the flowers for you, and I just got to the office. My secretary is probably sick of me being AWOL.”
“I’m flattered to be the one getting flowers on your big day,” Alicia said. “What are you doing for yourself?”
“Uh, I’m taking my lawyer out for dinner tonight, does that count?” Jeff said.
“Depends on the place.”
It was good to hear laughter in her voice.
“Actually, I was hoping we could get a table at your restaurant,” Jeff said. “Say around 7:30?”
“I see how it is,” she said. “The flowers were a bribe.”
He grinned. “Maybe just a little.”
Alicia laughed. “All right, friend. I’ll see what I can do.”
When they hung up, Jeff turned off the engine of the SUV and climbed out. He walked into his office to find Clara sitting at her desk, on the phone. Clara was a vivacious redhead a couple of years younger than Jeff. She was outgoing and friendly, and although Jeff worked well with her, Clara could also wear him out. Two extroverts wore each other out after a while. She waved at him, and he nodded. Then he settled at his own desk and pulled up his emails.
When Clara got off the phone she came in and sat down. “Well, look at you. I thought I’d have to put out a manhunt for you.”
Jeff turned to look over at a grinning Clara.
“Court’s over, and now I can focus on moving forward.”
Clara raised her brows. “Sounds like court went great?”
“Judge ruled in my favor—”
Clara let out a whoop, and Jeff laughed.
“You’re happy,” she said.
It was his turn to raise his eyebrows. “I’m relieved. I didn’t know what a weight it had been until today.”
Clara nodded, still watching him closely. “It’s something else. More than just the court thing. Are you and Paige getting serious? Is there an engagement on the horizon?”
“No, nothing like that,” Jeff said. “In fact, we broke up last night.” At least, he’d tried to break up. He’d forgotten about her message until now. It seemed he needed to have another conversation with her.
“Oh, I’m so sorry,” Clara said, her forehead wrinkling. She rose to her feet, and Jeff thought she might come over and hug him. Clara was like that.
He waved her off. “I’m fine, actually. I’m better than fine.”
Clara tilted her head, and folded her arms. “Well, I can see that. What’s going on, boss?”
His phone rang, and the timing couldn’t be better. “I should take this.”
Clara pursed her lips, but her eyes were still bright and filled with amusement as she sat back down at her desk.