by Laina Turner
“I’ll let you take my picture anytime,” Hilary teased.
“We can all be guinea pigs. It just takes practice, and you can find ways to learn the things you need to know,” said Claire.
“You really think so?” Kate’s excitement began to build. She started to think that maybe working as a photographer wouldn’t be as crazy of an idea as she had thought when Claire originally suggested it.
“Yes,” Claire urged. She leaned down to grab her purse and rummaged around in it, pulling out a notepad and pen and tossing them over to Kate. “Let’s brainstorm what you’ll need to start, and you can make a list.”
13
The next morning when Zach walked into the office, he caught Rhoda looking at him strangely.
“What?” He was pretty sure that she already heard about his coffee with Kate. He had tried to keep his voice casual, though when he saw Rhoda narrow her eyes, his suspicion was confirmed.
“You’re whistling. What exactly did you have for breakfast? Maybe I need to try it,” she said, and Zach could hear the unasked questions in her voice.
“Oh, please. I’m always cheerful.”
“Not this much. So, spill it.” Rhoda stared at him pointedly, putting her arms on her desk. Though she was a tiny woman, she was a force to be reckoned with. Other than his mother, she was the only person he knew who had ever been able to keep his father in line.
“I had coffee with a friend yesterday. We had a nice time,” he responded, trying to keep his tone casual and relaxed, though when he thought of Kate, he felt anything but relaxed. She made his heart race, and he couldn’t wait until he could see her again. It didn’t matter to him who her ex-husband was. He suspected his father might have a different opinion, though, should he learn of her past. Zach didn’t care because it was none of his father’s business who he was interested in.
“That friend wouldn’t happen to be the woman who hit you in the parking lot, would it? The woman staying with Claire? Kate, is it?”
Zach wasn’t going to bother asking how she knew even though he hadn’t told her. Rhoda usually knew everything that happened in Moonshire within minutes of it occurring. As a teenager, he’d realized rather quickly that he couldn’t keep anything from Rhoda’s watchful eyes. She’d lived in Moonshire Bay all of her life, too, and knew everyone in town.
Zach shrugged, afraid to open his mouth and reveal to Rhoda how much he liked Kate. He didn’t feel ready to admit it to himself yet, let alone to anyone else.
“Well, it’s about time you settled down. You need to start seriously considering your future prospects. You don’t want to be alone forever.”
“I’m not alone. I’m independent. Like you. You know that I’m a confirmed bachelor. We had coffee, that’s it. Don’t start getting any ideas about anything more. She’s a tourist, so even if I was in the market for a serious relationship, she wouldn’t be a good choice.”
“Being independent can turn into being alone and lonely. Trust me, it’s not worth it.”
Her words surprised Zach. He’d never thought of Rhoda as someone who might be lonely, but he sensed something in her voice that sounded like longing. He wondered if she regretted not having a family of her own.
“Is everything okay?” His concern for Rhoda pushed aside his thoughts of Kate.
“Of course it is,” she replied in a tone that didn’t invite any further questions. He knew not to press when Rhoda spoke in that clipped tone, but he still didn’t believe her. He was determined to find a way to revisit the topic, though no matter what the truth was, he knew there wasn’t much he could do about it. “Speaking of Kate, I talked to Chuck over at the insurance company today.”
“Oh shoot, I forgot to have Jet send him pictures and an estimate.”
“Yes, you need to do that, but that’s not why he called.”
“Oh?”
“He called because he wanted to let you know that she doesn’t have insurance.”
“That can’t be. She gave me her insurance information.” He refused to believe Kate would be that irresponsible—or that she would have lied to him.
“All I know is that Chuck said he called the company she gave you, and she’s not insured with them.”
Zach walked into his office and sat down. He stared at the file that Rhoda had set on his desk in preparation for a meeting, but he didn’t open it. Instead, his mind remained focused on Kate. He wondered why she would lie about having insurance and reasoned that there must be some kind of mix-up. He looked at the clock and saw that he had a few minutes before his meeting would start, so he picked up the phone to call Chuck himself and see what the deal was.
“Hey, Chuck,” Zach said when his friend picked up.
“Hi there. Did Rhoda tell you I called?”
“Yeah, that’s why I’m calling you. Rhoda said that you told her that the person who hit me doesn’t have insurance.”
Zach could hear the rustling of papers on the other end of the line.
“Kate Hamilton, registered owner of a 2015 Volvo, black, insurance lapsed just a couple of days ago,” Chuck said as if he was reading off his notes. “Obviously, as an attorney, I don’t need to tell you how to best handle this. We’ll most likely cover everything, but I won’t know for sure until I submit the pictures to the adjustors. If you want to turn her in for driving without insurance, you can. Up to you.”
“Do you know why her insurance lapsed?”
“No, they don’t give out any information like that. She probably didn’t pay her bill. That’s usually what happens.”
“Okay, thanks Chuck.”
Zach set down the phone and thought for a minute. A smile spread across his face as an idea took hold, one that might allow him to spend more time with Kate while also benefiting her.
“What are you up to?” Rhoda inquired, interrupting his thoughts. He looked up to see her standing in the doorway.
“Nothing.”
“Right. I’ve seen that look before, and it usually means you’re up to no good. Jimmy’s here.”
“Thanks, Rhoda. Give me just a minute, then send him in.”
Rhoda turned back to the reception area and Zach picked up that phone to dial Kate’s number. The call went to voicemail.
“Hi, ah, Kate. It’s Zach. Can you give me a call, please?”
Though he was disappointed that he hadn’t reached her, he decided that he would wait a few hours for her to call back, and if she didn’t, he would try her again later. His smiled in anticipation of seeing her once more.
14
Kate was driving back from the post office when the call from Zach came through. If she hadn’t been on the road, she would have closed her eyes in frustration—as well as anger at herself—for not telling him about her lack of insurance while they were at the diner.
She couldn’t fathom any other reason why he’d be calling. She sent him to voicemail, not wanting to deal with the issue while behind the wheel. Disappointment washed over her.
They’d had such a lovely conversation over coffee. She’d hoped maybe they could be friends. However, now that he knew that she’d been lying to him, or rather had been withholding important information, she assumed he probably thought the worst of her. She couldn’t blame him. She’d brought this upon herself.
Kate pulled into Claire’s driveway and parked. Her head pulsated from the anxiety coursing through her. She filled her lungs with a deep, cleansing breath and casually let it out, hoping that her three-count yoga breathing would help to calm her. She lowered her head onto the steering wheel and took a few more breaths, feeling her heart rate start to slow. Once she felt that she could fight the urge to scream in frustration, she lifted her head and picked up her phone. She started to hit the callback button but then removed her thumb and put her phone into her purse. Calling Zach back could wait, at least for a few minutes. She thought she might be ready in an hour or so, after sufficient time had passed for her to gather her emotions enough to act like a functio
nal adult, even if she didn’t feel like one.
A little over an hour later, Kate found herself in the kitchen feeling a little better. After she’d come inside, she’d gone to her room, laid down, and listened to a podcast, just trying to relax. It helped enough that she felt ready to do what needed to be done. She poured a glass of water and stared at the phone where she’d set it on the counter. Taking a deep breath, she picked it up, preparing to return Zach’s call. She figured she might as well get it over with. Even if he hadn’t been calling specifically about the insurance fiasco, she needed to tell him soon, and it would be better to do it now instead of continuing to worry about what his reaction might be.
“Hello,” he answered.
She froze for a moment, then hung up. Her heart was pounding, and she wondered why she had done that. The phone vibrated in her hand. He knew it was her calling because she’d given him her number. She shouldn’t be surprised that he was calling back, and yet it startled her. She didn’t know what was wrong with her today.
“Sorry. I accidentally hit the end call button,” she answered lamely.
“That’s okay.”
“I saw that you called, but before you speak, there’s something I need to tell you first. I should have told you over coffee, and I’m sorry I didn’t, but we were having a nice time chatting and I haven’t had that in a while and didn’t want to ruin it. I don’t have car insurance,” she blurted out. “I didn’t know at the time of the accident. I wasn’t trying to pull a fast one or anything, I just…” She stopped to catch her breath and heard him chuckle on the other end of the line. She didn’t know whether to be relieved that he didn’t seem mad, or annoyed that he was laughing at her. She felt annoyed enough at herself for acting like a babbling idiot.
“That’s why I was calling. When I got to work this morning, I had a message from my insurance guy.”
“Oh,” she said and stopped, not knowing what else to say. What could she say? She was hopeful that he didn’t think badly of her. A little too hopeful, she thought, but it wasn’t like she’d been the first person who had forgotten to pay a bill. Besides, she insisted to herself, what did she care what he thought of her anyway? The lapse hadn’t been intentional, and if he thought her a deadbeat because of it, there was nothing she could do about it. Her mind raced, as it often did, and she tried to ignore all of the thoughts that were swirling in her head.
“Yeah. You do realize that’s a misdemeanor and you could lose your license?”
Her back stiffened. “You’re going to turn me in to the police?” She tried hard to remain calm. Of course, she knew that driving without insurance could mean a fine and that her license could be suspended. Still, she really hoped that he wouldn’t involve the police because not having insurance had been an accident. She’d simply forgotten to pay a darn bill. Of course, because he was an attorney, he was going to make the situation difficult for her.
“Well, it depends,” he said.
“On?”
“What you do for me.”
“Now, wait a minute! Don’t you even think for a minute that you’re going to turn this into a quid pro quo thing,” she sputtered, letting her anger overtake her. Who does this guy think he is?
“Oh no… that’s not what I’m getting at. I promise,” he backtracked.
“What are you getting at then?” she snapped, all thoughts of remaining calm going out the window. She wondered how she had ever thought that he was nice and that maybe they could be friends.
“I need an assistant in my law office.”
“What does that have to do with me?” she demanded curtly.
“You come help me for, say, a month, and I won’t report you.”
“So, let me get this straight. You want me to work for you, at your law firm, and in return, you won’t report the fact that I got in a car accident without insurance?”
“Yep. I’ll pay you, of course.”
Kate snorted. So much for Claire thinking Zach was a nice guy. He was just like Todd, concerned with his own agenda, and only caring about helping himself.
“Can I think about it?” she inquired coldly, not sure what to do in that moment, and furious that she had allowed herself to be put in this position.
“Of course you can. Just call me tomorrow.”
They hung up, leaving Kate fuming. As she ruminated, she heard the front door open.
“Kate, are you home?” Claire called out.
“In the kitchen.”
“Why are you hanging out in the kitchen?” Claire asked as she walked in to find Kate leaning against the refrigerator.
“You aren’t going to believe this.”
“What? Did something happen?” A look of concern contorted Claire’s face.
“I’d say so. Zach, the nice lawyer as you called him, is blackmailing me,” Kate said with audible venom in her tone.
“Wait a minute. What do you mean, blackmailing you?”
“He said that he wouldn’t turn me in for driving without insurance if I came to work for him for thirty days. He said that he’d pay me so it would be a win-win.”
“Okay,” Claire said slowly. “Don’t kill me for saying this, but you do need a source of income. I mean, what’s the harm if you work for him for a few weeks and make some money, and then the insurance issue becomes a moot point?”
Kate wondered if her friend had lost her mind.
“Why would I want to work for someone who is willing to blackmail me? He’s an attorney, Claire, and he’s willing to blackmail me! What does that say about his professional ethics? And you said he was a good guy.”
“He is.”
“Are you kidding me?” Kate’s anger exploded.
“I’ll admit this is out of character for him. I’ve never known, or even heard for that matter, of him being anything other than a straight shooter. Everyone in town would tell you that. Maybe he has a reason for making this bargain.”
“What reason could there possibly be?”
Claire shrugged. “I don’t know. You could ask him.”
Kate just stared at Claire. She didn’t understand how her best friend thought this was okay. Zach’s actions didn’t seem to bother her at all.
“So, what are you going to do? Are you going to work for him?” Claire continued, ignoring Kate’s death stare.
“What choice do I have? I can’t afford to get in trouble with the law. Not only can I not afford the fine, but I can’t handle the stress. Though I wonder if it’ll be any less stressful working for him,” Kate remarked bitterly. “I can’t believe how arrogant he must be to do this to someone.”
“You have the option to say no, but really, what do you have to lose by doing it?”
“Whose side are you on?” Kate asked crossly.
“Don’t be mad. I’m on your side. I always am. I’m simply saying that maybe you should look at this for what it can be. Use it as an opportunity to make some money. You can stay here with me and Jim in the meantime. Then take the month to decide what you want for your future. Think of it as using Zach for your own benefit instead of the other way around.”
Begrudgingly, Kate admitted that maybe Claire had a point. Still, she wondered if she could really work for Zach. Even though she was extremely mad at him, her anger didn’t stop her from remembering how talking to him had made her feel. Either way, she reasoned, she ran the risk of getting hurt. Again.
15
Zach was at his desk the next morning when he heard the office door creak open. Rhoda had left to run an errand at the courthouse, so no one was in the reception area. He hadn’t been expecting anyone but still called out, “Come on back.”
Another advantage of a small town was not having to worry about security. When Zach had worked at the prosecutor’s office, in the city, there had been guards and metal detectors.
Zach glanced up and saw Kate standing in his doorway. He couldn’t have been more surprised. She was the last person he expected to see after how their conversation h
ad gone the previous day. It was clear that she wasn’t thrilled with his suggestion of coming to work for him. He had honestly expected her to tell him to get lost. He really couldn’t blame her if she did, though he hoped the opposite would prove to be true. She had a scowl on her face, but he couldn’t help but notice how pretty she looked in her blue sundress. He debated telling her so, but thought better of it. She didn’t look as though she’d take too well to his compliments right now.
“To what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?” He knew she was mad, but hoped that if he was nice, it might make her a little more friendly.
“As if you really need to ask,” she snapped.
Or not, he thought. It was clear to Zach that she wasn’t going to be swayed by his charms, but he wasn’t about to be dissuaded. Maybe he could wear her down.
“So, you’ve thought over my proposition?”
“You mean your blackmail? Call it what it is.”
“Have a seat, Kate, and let’s talk about this. I don’t want you to see it that way.” He wanted to convince her that working together would be a good thing, for both of them. They would be doing each other a mutual favor. He just needed to help her see it that way.
Kate stood in the doorway. For a moment, Zach began to worry that she wasn’t going to budge, but she finally came closer and sat down in one of the chairs in front of his desk. She perched on the edge, and he could tell that she was anxious.
“I know you’re not thrilled with my proposed arrangement,” he started out.
“Of course I’m not thrilled,” she interrupted. “Why would I be thrilled? You’re threatening to turn me in for making a mistake. Haven’t you ever forgotten to pay a bill?”
“Is that what happened?”
“Yes,” she said, looking down, not meeting his eyes. He could tell she was embarrassed, and he felt bad for having put her on the spot. He couldn’t even imagine what kind of financial mess she was in because of her ex-husband. For a moment, he thought that maybe he should let on that he knew who she was, but then he thought that the situation might become even more uncomfortable for her, so he decided not to. She shouldn’t be held responsible for her husband’s actions.
