I should have been grateful she’d let it go, but I was oddly disappointed. For some reason, I wanted to see her excited about retaining a new client.
“Did you want to discuss your contracting business too?” Her tone was professional and her eyes held polite interest.
“I started my contracting company four years ago. Customers pay installments as the work is completed, but I’m not great at following up for the final payment once the job is finished. The work is done, so there’s no incentive to pay that final check.”
“There are legal steps you can take. Have you filed a mechanic’s lien on the homes?” She lifted her pen, her expression hopeful as she waited for a response.
“No, I haven’t pursued it. I don’t know what the next step is honestly.” How could I explain that for the first couple of years after my wife died, I’d barely had enough energy to make it through the day much less chase people down for money? I enjoyed working with my hands and finishing a job—making someone’s house a home, but I wasn’t as good about the business side of things.
“I can help. That’s what I’m here for.”
“How much will it cost?” I leaned forward so that my elbows rested on my knees.
“We can work out a set fee for each lien or payment we pursue, and I’ll get an estimate for the membership contract. I’ll confirm with Avery, but I think a few hundred dollars would be enough to draft one. We can also manage the payments and renewal of the contracts if you want.”
I felt the weight on my chest slide and shift. It would be nice to hand these tasks to someone else, but it would also mean meeting with her again to finalize the contracts, to set up the payments, and to provide the overdue contracts for my construction business. Of course, her office was next door, so I’d see her from time to time anyway.
The thought sent excitement flowing through my body. I hadn’t been attracted to anyone in a long time.
“Do you have a list of jobs and contracts for the people who haven’t paid?”
“I do. I keep a file cabinet in my studio for the contracting business.”
She rose from her chair. “Well, I’d love to take a look at them. Since you’re right next door, I could get started right away. I have a feeling some of these contracts are old.”
“Right now?” I asked, remaining seated.
“Right. You haven’t hired me. Sorry, we just opened and I—” She flushed and sat down.
I held my hands out to stop her. “I get it. You want your business to be successful too.”
“Yes.” Her lips tilted up.
That smile, directed at me, caused my heart to clench with an emotion I couldn’t put a word to—hope, longing, desire? If I’d met her before Caroline, I would have acted on this attraction. But not anymore. Guilt slid down my spine, leaving me cold.
“Did you have any more questions for me?”
I tried to focus on the questions I should be asking to determine if she was the right attorney. Not on how beautiful her eyes were or that if she leaned over slightly, I’d see the swell of her breasts under that silky shirt. “How long have you been in business? I know this office is new, but I’m not sure if you moved locations or—”
“The firm is new, but we worked in other jobs before we opened the office.” She looked around sheepishly as if it should be apparent.
“Do you have any clients?” I needed to figure out if Avery and Hadley were fresh out of law school or whether they had some experience.
She slowly shook her head. “You’d be our first real client for this firm. We take overflow cases for the public defender’s office.”
“How long have you been an attorney?” I’d couched this conversation as a fact-finding mission to determine if this was a solid business decision, but it satisfied my curiosity too.
“Five years now. I recently moved here from Louisiana. I worked as a prosecutor for the U.S. Attorney’s office.”
My brows raised. That was unexpected. That would make her twenty-eight or twenty-nine? Not as young as I thought. “Were you in court?”
“Yes. I’m an experienced trial attorney.” She spoke with authority, as if she was proud of her job history.
I wanted to know why she’d moved here from New Orleans. Why she’d leave a government job to start a firm? It was a risky thing to do. It made me want to know more about her.
I rose from my chair with a sudden need to escape. “It was nice meeting you. I’ll be in touch if I decide this is what I want to pursue.”
She stood, nodding, her face a careful professional mask, but I saw the flash of disappointment in her eyes before it was gone. “Of course, and I’ll send over an estimate for the things we discussed. Do you have an email, or would you prefer that I call you with the information?”
I followed her to the front of the office. My heart raced at the idea of seeing her again. “I’m right next door. Why don’t you drop it off? I’m here most weekdays between four and six and Saturday mornings at ten.”
“That would be nice. You can ask me any questions you have, too.” Her tone was strictly professional.
I paused in the front reception area that was now empty. There was no sign of Avery, no one talking on the phone, no clack of keys like anyone was working. I was reluctant to leave despite my desire a few minutes ago.
“It was nice to meet you, Mr. Morrison.” Hadley reached out her hand to me.
I gripped hers, unable to look away from where her soft skin touched my calloused fingers. “You’re welcome to come to my adult class and try it out if you’d like.”
As soon as the
