“Why?” she yelled, to no one in particular. “What the fuck could a total stranger want with my garage? Tell me!” she ordered Will, who’d backed herself into the corner of the room.
“Maybe you should sit down,” Will suggested, navigating Sid around the desk and into the desk chair. Then she squatted so they were on eye level. “I don’t have the answer, Sid. I wish I did. Sometimes life just sucks, and there isn’t much we can do about it.”
Who did she think she was talking to? “I’m not a child, Will. Don’t treat me like one.” Sid blew her nose, making a sound like a dying pelican. “I’m sorry. This isn’t your fault. I was so close, you know? So fucking close.”
Now she would never have her business. And she’d never have Lucas. Not for real. Could life get any worse?
Just then, Daisy showed up at the office door. “You’d better get out here, Sid.”
“Why?” she asked, pausing to blow her nose again. “Did a meteor hit my house or something?”
Daisy’s eyes cut to Will in a look of obvious concern, though for herself or the crazy woman at the desk Sid couldn’t be sure.
“Um, not that I know of. But some idiot just backed into your truck.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Where was Artie? Lucas had left the old lawyer a message two hours ago to meet him at the bank. The documents he’d drawn up were sound, but he still wanted another lawyer to take a look. His parents deserved an impartial review. And the other documents were more complicated, requiring someone familiar with legalities on Anchor.
Pacing the small conference room where the bank manager had suggested he wait, Lucas thought about all he needed to do in the next few days. In a couple weeks he’d be driving back to Richmond, returning to the life that now felt foreign and far away. Which was the problem with Anchor Island. It deluded a person into forgetting about the outside world. Made a man believe life could be simple and satisfying without all the trappings and chaos inherent elsewhere.
Complete nonsense. Life happened in the city. That’s where ambitions could soar. Endless opportunities around every corner waiting to be snatched and wrestled to the ground.
So why did his mind keep harping on the fact that there was no Sid in the city?
“No coffee, Maxine,” Artie said as he was shown into the room. “I’ve had my one cup of the day.” With a smile and a nod, the older gentleman dismissed the manager and turned to Lucas. “Sorry for the delay. Popcorn machine took longer to repair than I’d expected.”
Lucas had been waiting due to a broken popcorn machine? This was exactly the kind of thing that didn’t happen in the city.
“Not a problem,” he lied. “I need you to review some paperwork for me. Everything is in order but as the circumstances involve myself and my parents, I’d feel better knowing their interests were protected by an unbiased party.”
Hands in his pockets, Artie glanced between Lucas and the folders spread out on the conference table. “No can do.”
“Excuse me?”
Artie smiled. “I’m retired.”
“I know that,” Lucas replied, clinging to patience by a thin thread. “But you don’t stop being a lawyer simply because you close your practice. You’re still licensed. You have the knowledge to review these documents and give a legal opinion.”
“I do,” Artie nodded. “But I’m retired.”
Lucas squeezed the bridge of his nose and took several deep breaths before addressing the man again. “I’m asking you for a favor, Mr. Berkowitz. I don’t have the time to find another lawyer in the county, and you’re here. If payment is the issue, I fully intend to compensate you for your time.”
Now the smile tilted a bit, the weathered eyes flashing something akin to disappointment. “This isn’t about money, Lucas. My work was never about the money.” With slow but deliberate movements, Artie pulled out a chair and lowered his considerable girth onto the cushion. With a nod, he gestured for Lucas to do the same.
When both were seated, Artie joined his hands on top of his stomach and spoke. “When I first retired, this happened a lot. Everyone needed a favor. I was right here. I’d been the person who answered all their questions for years. Why couldn’t I just do this one favor? So I gave in. Did the favors and before I knew it, I was working more than I had before hanging the closed sign on the door. Not much of a retirement if you’re working all the time.”
“But this—”
“But this is different?” Artie asked. “This is what every citizen on this island needs, Lucas. A lawyer practicing here.” He shook his head. “I’m no longer that lawyer. No exceptions. This is my life and my time. I’ve put in the work to get here and I’m going to enjoy it.”
Though the smile remained, Lucas recognized the unbending tone in the words. “I’m sorry I’ve taken up your time then,” Lucas said, rising from his chair and collecting the folders.
“Lucas,” his mentor said, halting his actions. “There’s a hole on this island that needs to be filled. No fancy high-rise offices. No ladder to scratch and claw your way up. But there is an opportunity here. A good one. A fulfilling one. Think about it.”
Before Lucas could rebut with what should have been an instant “No thank you,” the older man lumbered out of the room without a backward glance.
Why hadn’t Lucas refused immediately? There was nothing to think about. His career was back in Richmond. That’s where he belonged. That’s what he wanted.
This has been a visit. Temporary. But Artie did have a point. Lucas could help these people. And he would. As soon as he was back in Richmond, he’d find a solid attorney looking for a slower pace. The hole would be filled and he’d be back in Richmond. Everyone would be happy.
Or so he kept telling himself.
Sid woke the next morning, surprised to find Lucas next to her in bed. When they’d changed shifts the night before, she’d explained she wasn’t feeling well. Losing the garage, coupled with the realization she’d fallen too hard for Lucas, made her want to curl into a ball and hide from the world. Add the new dent in her left rear quarter panel, which would be a bitch to fix but doable, and distance from humans in general felt imminently necessary.
She hadn’t actually told him not to come over. Hadn’t even locked her front door to keep him out. She just assumed that dropping the hint there would be no sex would result in no sleepover. But she’d been wrong.
Desperate to be alone, but unwilling to kick Lucas out of her house, Sid slid from the bed, got dressed as quietly as possible, then planned to go for a run by herself. She needed to go back to doing things alone, and a run along the beach with nothing but the birds for company would give her time to figure out what to do next. What to do with the rest of her life, since opening her own boat restoration business on Anchor was now a long lost dream.
“Morning, gorgeous,” Lucas said, handing Sid a cup of coffee as she attempted to sneak out of the bathroom. “Glad you’re up. I’ve got something I want to show you.”
As much as she enjoyed sex in the morning, Sid wasn’t in the mood. “I was heading out for a run. Figured I’d let you sleep since you worked late.”
“Ten minutes,” he said, as if she hadn’t turned him down. “Give me ten minutes to shower and I’ll be ready.”
Shower? Before sex? “Ready for what?”
“Don’t ask so many questions,” he said, dropping a kiss on her nose. “Drink your coffee and I’ll be ready to go in a flash.”
The man seemed chipper about something. And he’d spent the night sleeping beside her without even trying
