Charlie opened his menu, chuckling. “You must have one understanding partner to let you get away that much.”
I laughed, knowing Charlie was only kidding. Both attorneys were hard working and fair, so I couldn’t imagine either of them not pulling their own weight. “That just means you need to plan a vacation, too,” I joked.
“Now there’s a great idea.” He smiled, then his expression turned serious. “How are things at the office?”
I’d forgotten how quickly he could get down to business. No beating around the bush with him. “Honestly, work’s the best it’s ever been. I gave notice today.”
Charlie and Ethan exchanged a look.
Charlie’s brows pinched, like they did when he was thinking hard. “Were you offered a job at another firm?”
I set the menu down, then folded my hands. “Yes, I was offered a position on the partner track at McKenzie, Atkins, Haugan, & Hall.”
For some reason, he looked disappointed. “I hadn’t heard.”
I reached for my water, the lemon slice riding the ice cubes. “It’s actually old news since I turned down the offer this morning.”
Ethan flashed an odd expression. “They’re an amazing firm. May I ask why you didn’t take the position?”
Remembering Ryan’s lingering kiss in his office, I smiled. “Let’s just say I don’t think they’re the kind of firm who would be happy with frequent traveling.”
Charlie grinned. “Since when have you wanted to travel anywhere further than your office? I was waiting for you to install a Murphy bed in there.”
Ethan laughed, covering it with a cough.
“That’s very amusing.” I shook my head, missing the camaraderie of when we’d worked together. “You’re looking at a changed woman. I’m still going to excel in my career, but I have learned to relax in my downtime.”
Charlie nodded, seeming to understand. “Does this have anything to do with Stan giving the Managing Attorney position to Ryan?”
The server stopped by and took our orders, then I placed a napkin in my lap and fiddled with the corner. “It’s definitely what sparked reassessing my life.”
Hard to believe I used to think of that as a bad thing.
“You’re not going to like this, but I feel I should be honest with you.” Charlie cleared his throat. “Ryan Shaw aside, I don’t think Stan would’ve promoted you.”
I was stunned a moment, but then the pieces fell into place. How he’d allowed Jim to put Ryan in his department. How easily he’d believed Frank’s word over mine. How he hadn’t seemed to want to give me a raise. I sighed. “I’m sure you’re right.”
“I believe in the back of his mind, Stan knows what an incredible asset you are to his firm. Or, were.” Charlie’s lips thinned. “But, unfortunately for him and you, I don’t think he would’ve been comfortable treating a woman as his equal.”
Thinking about Stan’s actions and who he chose to be friends with, that certainly fit. Whatever. “Well, that’s his loss.”
“It certainly is.” Ethan chimed in. “And possibly our gain.”
I froze. “How do you mean?”
Charlie reached into his briefcase, pulled out a set of papers that were clipped together, then pushed them toward me. “We’d like to offer you a position at our firm.”
“You seem surprised.” Ethan lifted his hands as the server placed our plates in front of us. “Why do you think we asked you to lunch?”
I blinked, unable to fathom what they had just said. “For the pleasure of my company, I assumed.”
“There is always that.” Charlie smiled, then gestured toward the papers in front of me. “You’re too talented to be working for somebody else. We’d like you to be a full partner.”
Stunned speechless, my gaze flipped back and forth between them as I mentally considered their offer. I already knew that Charlie and I worked famously together. He was honest, hard-working, and one of the best people I’d ever met. Although I’d never worked with him, Ethan appeared to be cut from the same legal pad.
The only thing to consider was if this was really happening. Me? Partner? At 29? That would be even earlier than I’d planned.
Charlie leaned forward. “Not to put too much pressure on you, but we’d like you to start as soon as possible.”
Ethan raised a finger. “And you already know how flexible we’ll be with vacation time.”
“True,” I said, unable to believe this turn of events. “Do you have enough clients lined up to take on a third partner?”
Charlie nodded. “Business has really taken off. Especially with that client you referred to us.”
My forehead wrinkled. “Which client?”
“Mary Ann Nielsen.” Charlie folded his hands in front of his untouched meal. “She works in the corporate office of NGN Properties, who own an onslaught of apartment buildings. Thanks to you, they’ve hired us to manage their claims as they have a half-a-million dollar deductible before their insurance kicks in.”
I browsed the contract quickly. It all seemed in order, which of course it would be straight forward and fair, knowing what my partners were like. . . .
Chills vibrated through me. My partners.
I’d be able to enjoy time with Ryan, while thriving at a firm who appreciated me—who respected me as an equal. I couldn’t have dreamt up a better opportunity.
Ethan and Charlie seemed tense as they watched me, waiting to see if I’d made a decision.
“One more question before I give you my answer.” I raised a finger. “Are we talking Mansfield, Harrison, & Parnell, or the other way around?”
Both men grinned, but it was Charlie who said, “Whichever way gets you to come onboard.”
Completely elated, a brilliant smile formed as I held out my hand. “Then it looks like you’ve got yourselves another partner.”
* * *
When my two weeks notice were up, Roger Gray took me out to lunch at the restaurant of my choice. I automatically chose Takeshi. As we chatted over sushi, at my favorite restaurant, he told me how much he’d appreciated all of my hard work over the years, and that he wished things would’ve worked out differently.
Thinking of Madison, I realized not everyone had the ideal partners, and I counted myself very lucky to have the best of the best. Corbett, Gray, & Shaw had thrown a going away party, but I guessed Stan only offered it due to procedure. But, whatever. I was just happy to be continuing my career in a place where I was valued and respected.
At the end of my party, Valerie gave me an overly dramatic good-bye. Many others, including Scott, said they’d miss working with me. I took it as a big compliment, glad for the positive aspects of my five years at Corbett, Gray, & Shaw.
* * *
After enjoying my birthday lunch at Cherie’s Cafe with Sarah, Ginger, and Patti—I’d embraced thirty and where I was in my life, so definitely no PML here—I walked back to the offices of Mansfield, Harrison, & Parnell and found a dozen red roses waiting for me on my desk.
Lifting the card, I read: Happy Birthday, buttercup! Rez for 6pm at The Melting Pot. Love, Ryan
I plucked a flower from the vase, brought it to my nose, and breathed in the floral scent. I hoped Ryan was still enjoying the new firm he’d started working for on Monday, and I was glad his uncle Jim had been understanding about his reasons for leaving. Definitely didn’t want to upset him, since I had the strong feeling I’d be part of Ryan’s family down the road.
My cell phone rang. I glanced at the number, Mom, and immediately tapped ANSWER. “Hello?”
“Happy birthday, honey!” Mom rambled, sounding relaxed and happy. “Thirty years ago today, your dad bought me a chicken burrito on the way to the hospital, because they never let you eat in there, and I was starving.”
Mom told the same story every year, but I couldn’t smile this time, knowing my dad was at home miserable without her. I’d called her the other day, leaving a long voicemail about how people could change, and I used myself as
an example. I’d been much like my dad, in the opposite sense, going in one direction and missing the entire package. I told her about my new firm, about Ryan, and about Founding Friendships.
If only my mom and dad could find balance in their lives. . . .
“Then out you came, tiny, and perfect.” Mom continued, sighing softly. “Hold on a second. Your dad wants to say hi.”
“Happy birthday.” His cheerful voice came on the line. “How are you?”
“Stunned,” I said, which was putting it mildly. A rush of adrenaline coursed through me. “Did Mom come home?”
He cleared his throat. “No, we’re in South Dakota. Turns out your mom has always wanted to see Mt. Rushmore, so that’s what we’re doing.”
My mouth dropped open. “What . . .? When . . .?”
He chuckled. “She called me yesterday, out of the blue, and said she missed me. I took the first available flight. I’ve been a fool, never noticing how unhappy she was. I’ve promised to make it up to her, and she said people can change when they really want to. But I guess you already know that, Ace.”
My eyes watered. “I’m really happy for you guys. Take care of each other.”
“Will do,” he assured me. “Your mom’s ready to head out, so we have to go. Have a wonderful birthday, and we’ll celebrate when your mom decides it’s time to go home.”
“Bye, Dad.” I hung up the phone, feeling like my entire life had come together.
No, my parents weren’t perfect. But they loved each other. Maybe if my mom had put her foot down years ago, she could’ve saved herself a lot of grief. For the first time in my life, I didn’t feel the need to take sides—and, for the first time, I had faith they could work out a happy solution.
Beep! Beep!
My brows came together as I glanced at the phone on my desk. We were waiting for more revenue before hiring an assistant, so I had no idea who could be buzzing me. “Yes?”
“Partners meeting in the conference room.” Charlie’s voice clipped out.
My stomach immediately clenched, wondering why Charlie would call me in now, when we didn’t have a meeting scheduled until Friday. “Be right there.”
Pushing to my feet, I hurried to the conference room, racking my brain for anything that could’ve gone wrong. I came up blank. So far, the firm seemed to be running smoothly. When I arrived to the conference room, the door was closed. Standing outside, I took a deep breath, before opening the door.
“Happy birthday!” Charlie, Ethan, and Ryan, were seated on the same side of the table. In front of them was a rather large birthday cake with “Happy Birthday, Jill!” written in the corner, and the Scales of Justice was painted in the center with gray frosting. Her scales were perfectly balanced with a pink “3” over the left scale, and a pink “O” over the right scale.
My hands flew to my mouth, and I burst out laughing. “I was having flashbacks of being called to the conference room, and totally thought something bad had happened.”
“It’s a relief that you consider hitting a new decade a good thing.” Ryan came toward me, brushed his lips across my cheek, then encircled me with his arms. “Happy birthday, buttercup.”
I curled into him, gazed up into those sexy hazel eyes, and smiled. “I have the feeling thirty is going to be my best year yet.”
He dropped his forehead to mine. “You can trust your instincts on that one.”
When I glanced down at the Scales of Justice, she was smiling. And, I swear, she winked at me.
THE END
Dedication
This story is dedicated to my wonderful friend and critique partner, Cyndi Faria. Thank you for your encouragement and support during this roller-coaster process we call writing. You absolutely rock!!
About the Author
Susan Hatler
SUSAN HATLER is an International Bestselling Author, who writes humorous and emotional contemporary romance and young adult novels. Many of Susan's books have been translated into Spanish and German. A natural optimist, she believes life is amazing, people are fascinating, and imagination is endless. She loves spending time with her characters and hopes you do, too.
You can reach Susan here:
Facebook: facebook.com/authorsusanhatler
Twitter: twitter.com/susanhatler
Website: susanhatler.com
Blog: susanhatler.com/category/susans-blog
Additional Books by Susan Hatler
LOVE AT FIRST DATE
TRUTH OR DATE
LAST BLIND DATE
BEDDING THE WRONG BROTHER
by Virna DePaul
Prologue
Dalton's Magic Rule #1: Never reveal your secrets.
“Hey, Ladybug.”
Fourteen-year-old Melina Parker's hand jerked at the sound of Rhys Dalton's voice, causing the lizard in her palm to scamper away. Standing, she frowned to hide the sudden flight of butterflies in her stomach. “Darn it, Rhys. It took me almost an hour to get that one to come to me.”
Rhys, who even at sixteen towered over Melina's petite frame, rolled his eyes. He was an identical twin, and it was hard for Melina to believe there were two gorgeous guys with that same shade of honey-colored hair and light green eyes walking the earth.
“Your mom said to tell you to stay clean.” The left side of his mouth quirked up, revealing the slightest hint of a dimple. “Guess it's too late for that.”
Melina glanced down at the dust covering her jeans. Grimacing, she slapped at the dirt and groaned. “She's going to kill me. She's already mad that I wouldn't wear the dress she bought me. You should have seen it, Rhys. It had polka dots. I mean, me in polka dots. Can you imagine?”
“Oh, come on, it makes sense. Plus, I think you'd be cute in a dress.”
At the quiet words, Melina's head jerked up. He couldn't have meant—
No, of course not. He'd been so distant lately. He wasn't even looking at her. Instead, he was staring down at a playing card in his hands, folding it. Nothing strange about that. Like their parents, Rhys and his twin brother, Max, were always fiddling with some kind of magic trick. He was particularly fond of making coins disappear. Sometimes she wished he could make her crush on him disappear just as easily, but first she'd have to admit it to him. That was so never going to happen. She'd seen the types of girls he and Max were attracted to, and plain, chubby tomboys need not apply.
At least he didn’t call her “Four-eyed Porker Parker” the way some of the boys at school did. In fact, when Rhys had heard Scott Thompson called her that, he’d tracked Scott down and given him a warning. Now whenever Melina got close, Scott couldn’t get away from her fast enough.
Nudging her glasses in place, she moved closer, trying to see what Rhys was doing. “Um. So, have you heard from Max?”
His hands paused briefly before continuing. “Just that he doesn't hate football camp nearly as much as he thought he would. Might have something to do with the girls camp next door.”
She snickered. “Bet you're wishing you'd gone to camp when you'd had the chance, huh?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
His gaze met hers. Unlike Max's, Rhys's pupils had a slight amber ring around them. She'd read somewhere that differing eye color in identical twins was extremely rare. The subtle difference fit Rhys's personality. While Max was almost always carefree and playful, Rhys had a quiet calmness about him—as if part of his mind was someplace else, someplace no one else could go.
He shrugged. “Time at home is rare. You know that.”
Melina nodded. She did. It was the hardest thing about being friends with the Dalton twins: the amount of time she had to spend missing them. Unless Rhys's folks were working up a new act, like now, they spent their time traveling and performing. Still, despite having to be schooled on the road by tutors, Rhys and Max always seemed to enjoy going to new places. She certainly envied their chance to see more than this small, university town she called home.
“Poor baby,” she t
eased, plucking a blade of grass from the ground and twirling it. “Getting to see the world with your famous parents must be a drag, huh?”
He frowned, then shook his head. “No, you're right. It's great.” He thrust his hand toward her. “Here. To replace the one I scared away.”
Dropping the blade of grass, she reached out and took the card. Looking down at it, she gasped. He'd folded the card into a shape that clearly resembled a lizard, with one spade as its eye. A smile split her face, and she actually squealed. “It's so cute!”
She looked up, happy to see that his frown had disappeared. A hank of hair had fallen over his eyes, and her fingers itched to push it back. She wouldn't have thought twice about it if he'd been Max, but with Rhys? She couldn't risk revealing how she felt about him. Next thing she knew, he'd pat her on the head and stop talking to her altogether, and that would kill her.
He shoved his hands in his pockets and shrugged again. “I got this book from the library—”
A movement behind his shoulder made her eyes widen. “Max?” She looked at Rhys, whose expression stiffened. “It's Max!”
Running past Rhys, she threw herself at Max. He laughed and lifted her, twirling her around before setting her on her feet. Even to an outsider, the differences between him and his brother would be obvious now. He was tanner, and his hair had grown longer, almost touching his shoulders. She reached out and flipped it. “What's with the girly hair?”
He narrowed his eyes and flicked a finger over her nose. “Still playing in the dirt, are you?”
She slapped his hand away. “You're home early. Rhys said you were having fun at camp.”
“I was. But I wanted to see what Mom and Dad were up to with the act. They're really pushing for something unique for the European tour. Your parents are here helping them?”
“Every day for the past week. Some kind of mechanical thingy.”
Max grinned and flung an arm around her shoulder. “Cool. Let's go check it out.”
“Okay. But first look at what Rhys made me.” She lifted up the paper lizard even as she turned to Rhys. “It's so cool. Rhys, let's—”
Lucky 7 Bad Boys Contemporary Romance Boxed Set Page 88
