“No. It was self-explanatory.” He pushed the signed paperwork across the desk.
I scanned the document before I added my signature under his. I stared at our names on the lines as the knowledge I couldn’t pursue anything with him pierced my heart. I covered my disappointment with a smile. “I’ll make you a copy and drop it by later.”
“What else do you have for me?” He nodded at the rest of the paperwork in the file.
“I drafted membership contracts based on various incentives.”
He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was almost four p.m. I hadn’t noticed it before, but the sounds of talking and laughter filtered down the hall through the door to his open door.
I rose from the chair, gathering my things. “I’m sorry. I’ll go so you can get ready for class.”
“It’s not a problem. I’ll take a look and call to set up an appointment.”
I stepped toward the door when he said, “Did you forget this?”
I turned to find him holding the agreement in his hands.
I flushed and took the agreement. “Thanks for reminding me.”
He put his hands in his pockets, rocking back on his heels. “Have you thought any more about taking classes? I don’t mean to pressure you, but you’re giving me legal services for a reduced rate. A few classes are the least I could offer in return.”
I tilted my head, wondering if he was creating an opportunity for us to spend time together, or he was just nice. “Oh, you don’t have to do that. You’re doing me a favor.”
“Come to my adult class. I teach one at six p.m. Mondays through Thursdays. There are teenagers and adults.”
We wouldn’t be alone. His offer could have been a friendly one. I couldn’t resist seeing him again outside my capacity as his attorney. “Okay.”
“Great.” Then he smiled—the first actual smile I’d gotten from him. I practically stumbled I was so surprised. “Thanks for this. You’re helping me in more ways than one.”
“You’re welcome.” My voice came out strangled. I couldn’t take my eyes off the way his smile made him look younger.
“I’d better get dressed.” His smile turned almost teasing.
“Oh, right. Sorry.” Sorry, I was distracted by the way your smile transformed your face into someone else—someone younger and carefree. And now I was thinking of him changing out of his work clothes into his uniform. I imagined him naked. Heat flooded my face as I whirled out of his office.
I didn’t meet the eyes of anyone who was in the waiting room. I needed to get back to my office where I could analyze the conversation word by word and take a mental picture of his smile to remember it later. I hadn’t known him long, but something told me he didn’t smile often, if at all. Yet he’d smiled at me.
Cade
I followed her to my office door, watching her until she left the studio. Then I softly closed and locked the door so I could change into my uniform. When I asked her to come to a class, I’d held my breath. I’d wanted her to say yes, even if it probably wasn’t a good idea. She was my attorney. We had a professional relationship. Why was I so drawn to her? Part of it was that I got the feeling she was looking for something, or she needed something. In a way, she was lost too. I recognized the need to be seen when I looked into her eyes.
A general feeling of well-being stayed with me for the rest of the day. I’d committed to improving my businesses, my home, and the relationships within my family. I tried not to think about whether this would stick or if I’d slide backward. When I was around Hadley, hope filled my lungs, making it easier to breathe.
Chapter Nine
Hadley
The rest of the week, I busied myself reviewing new cases. I couldn’t stop thinking about Cade’s offer for me to take a few free classes. I didn’t have friends other than Avery or a social life, so I didn’t have an excuse. People said they put kids into karate to gain confidence which was something I sorely needed now.
I was on my own for the first time in my life. I was supposed to be discovering who I was and what I wanted even though I hadn’t made any progress.
The phone rang. I picked it up, hoping it was a new client—someone who’d seen our advertisement and wanted to hire us. “Arrington, Gannon, & Winters, how can I help you?”
“We need to talk,” Dad said.
Ugh. Why hadn’t I checked the caller ID before answering? “I’m at work.”
“The Kids Speak gala is coming up. We were going to announce the expansion to other cities and ask people to invest in your idea. How can we do that if you’re not here?” Dad’s voice was gruff; it was one he used when you weren’t supposed to argue with him.
“I’ll be there.” Frustration crept up my neck. I’d hired a director to run Kids Speak in New Orleans, but I still oversaw it from Annapolis and was the face of the company.
“Permanently?”
“No, we’ve discussed this. My life is here.”
He was quiet for so long I thought maybe he was going to let it go. “If the business goes under, I won’t have the money to invest.”
My stomach dropped. Could I run the charity without his help? Would I get enough donations at the upcoming gala to run it on my own? “I’m not sure what I can do about that.”
“You need to prove to everyone things are good between you and Layton. If you do, Aiden Black will sign the deal, so you’ll have the money for Kids Speak. Think what you can do with both of us backing you.”
Putting me in this impossible situation felt like a vice was squeezing my heart. Support his business and Layton, then my nonprofit would survive. Don’t
