What Matters Most

by Longley, Barbara

  Haley smiled lovingly at Sam, who put his arm around his wife’s shoulders. He beamed at each of them. “It’s a boy,” he crowed.

  “That’s wonderful,” Jo managed to say past the lump in her throat. She was going to be an aunt, and she couldn’t wait to meet her nephew. Sam had come a long way too since meeting Haley. He’d been fifteen when their parents had died, and in his grief, he’d closed himself off to anyone other than family and a few childhood friends. “Look at you now, Sam, all mature and about to be a daddy.” She got a little teary. “I’m so happy for you both.” Another envy-laden pang hit her.

  “Thanks, Jo.” Sam turned to face her. “So, you said you wanted to talk about something. What’s on your mind? Does it have anything to do with the condo building? I have a restoration expert coming next week to give us an estimate on repairing the marble floor. I guess the cracks and chips can be filled, which will save a ton of money.”

  “No.” She unwrapped her bundle of silverware and shifted in her seat. “It’s about a client. Monday I unclogged his sink. Tuesday he had me replace his kitchen faucet, and this morning I installed a new laundry room utility sink.”

  “If he’d planned better, he could’ve had it all done in one day, but otherwise that’s not so unusual,” Wyatt said.

  “You wouldn’t think so.” She shrugged. “Except the faucet and the laundry tub he replaced were both only a few years old and barely used. On Friday he’s having me move his water heater an entire six inches from where it is now.” She shook her head and peered at her brothers. “For no good reason that I can see.”

  Haley and Kayla’s eyes widened, while her brothers’ brows both lowered. There had to be some kind of anthropological explanation for the gender differences in their reactions. Testosterone versus estrogen? “Should I worry? It’s weird, right?”

  “Hmm.” Sam leaned back as their server approached. He ordered his beer and Haley’s soda water before turning back to her.

  “Depends,” Haley said, rubbing her slight baby bulge. “Do you get a creepy vibe from him? Always listen to your gut, Jo. If he’s giving off a creepy vibe, next time he requests you, have your uncle send a male plumber instead.”

  “You know him, Haley. What can you tell me about William Prescott?”

  Haley’s mouth formed a comical O, and she blinked a few times before averting her gaze. Hmm. What does she know? Jo studied her sister-in-law.

  “He’s a lawyer at the firm where I work,” Haley said.

  “Well, I knew that.” She snorted. “He told me you recommended Haney & Sons. I mean what do you know about him personally?”

  Their server came back with Sam and Haley’s drinks and to take their orders. Jo requested her usual burger and fries, smirking when Haley ordered a basket of fried pickles. “I win. I guessed right, so you two get to buy my next beer.”

  “Fine. We’re predictable.” Sam aimed another sickening look of adoration toward Haley, before his expression turned to that of a fiercely protective big brother. “Has this client crossed a line, Jo? Has he made any off-color remarks or innuendoes? Because if he has—”

  “No. Nothing like that.” Interesting that Sam would bring innuendoes into the conversation, since he’d once been known as the handsiest handyman in the Twin Cities. Amazing how finding the one could turn a person’s life around. The image of Will’s lopsided smile, and his sexy gray eyes, popped into her head. No. He’s not the one. She wouldn’t fit into his life, and no way would he fit into hers. Another twinge hit her, this one aimed at the lonely spaces in her heart.

  “He chats with me and acts more like an apprentice than a client, handing me tools and asking questions about what I’m doing. He even does the heavy lifting.” She looked around the table at each of them. “Why would he keep requesting me for jobs that don’t really need to be done?”

  “Maybe he’s eccentric.” Kayla’s eyes widened. “Or he’s trying to work up the courage to ask you out.”

  “Yeah, I vote for eccentric.” It had occurred to her he might be angling toward asking her out, but she’d dismissed the thought almost as fast as it came to her. “I doubt he lacks courage. He’s extremely good looking, and he doesn’t come across as shy or insecure. I can’t imagine William Prescott having any difficulty finding women who would gladly fall all over themselves for the chance to date him.”

  “You’d be surprised, Jo,” Haley said.

  She straightened. “Yeah? What can you tell me about him?”

  “Well, let’s see.” Her brow creased. “He comes from old money. I heard one of his great-great-grandfathers made a killing during the Iron Range’s peak years. Then the family moved to Minneapolis and diversified their fortune into a number of other industries. His mom is a Minnesota Supreme Court judge, and his dad is a CEO at a Fortune 500 company, but I can’t remember which one. Something medical, I think.”

  The CEO and Minnesota judge explained why his last name had sounded familiar to her. She’d probably read something about one or the other in the news. “That’s not personal; that’s background information. I want to know about Will.”

  Haley only confirmed what Jo had known all along. William Prescott was so far out of her league their ball fields weren’t even in the same state. The letdown settling over her took her by surprise. Never mind. She’d get over her attraction to him. Didn’t she always recover from disappointments where men were concerned? Jo took a few swallows of her beer.

  If Will were here, what would he be drinking? A twelve-year-old scotch maybe? A martini? She’d never tasted either of those. “I doubt he wants to ask me out. He’s probably bored and tired of the sound of his own voice. He mentioned he’s taking a couple of weeks off, and he lives alone. Why isn’t he off somewhere exotic, hanging out with other old money types?”

  “Is he one of the lawyers you’re assigned to, Haley?” Kayla asked. “Do you know what kind of man he is?”

  Haley picked at a chip in the wood at the edge of their table and shrugged. “I do work with him, and I really like Will. He’s not arrogant or condescending like a lot of high-powered attorneys. He treats me and the rest of our office staff with respect. Fortunately or unfortunately, he’s had a lot of success representing big business. Now he’s pigeonholed into that role in our firm, and I know it really bothers him.”

  She glanced at Jo. “It’s taking a toll, and I feel bad for him. He’s a great guy who is going out of his way to live up to everyone else’s expectations but his own, and I don’t think he’s very happy right now. As hot and as nice as he is, I know for a fact he doesn’t have much of a social life. He’s at the office when I arrive, and he stays long after the rest of us leave. I hear he’s also there on Saturdays. Will has pretty much worked around the clock since he joined the firm, which was right after he finished law school.”

  “Isn’t that what lawyers do?” Jo asked. “Work around the clock and make a ton of money, I mean?”

  “Not all. Cut him some slack, Jo, and be gentle with him. I think you’re right, and he’s making up stuff for you to do, because he’s in desperate need of human contact.” She frowned. “And by human contact, I mean a human being who doesn’t want something from him, or who hasn’t forced him into a shoe that doesn’t fit.”

  Jo bit her lip. Poor guy. “That’s sad.”

  “It is.” Haley nodded. “Like I said, I like Will a lot. He’s one of the good guys.

  “I’m glad you think he’s a nice guy.” Hadn’t Will said he wasn’t sure anymore why he’d become a lawyer? “Still, if he does ask me out because he’s bored and needs company, it would be a mistake for me to say yes.”

  “Why is that, Jo?” Wyatt arched a brow. “What would it hurt to spend some time with him?”

  “We have nothing in common. Our backgrounds are galaxies apart, and I wouldn’t even know how to function in his world. Can you imagine me hanging out with a man whose mom is a Supreme Court judge, and whose dad is a big shot CEO?” She sighed. “Think about m
y wardrobe, Wyatt. Navy-blue twill Dickies for work, jeans and pullover shirts or sweaters when I’m not working. That’s pretty much all I own. What would I wear if he wanted to take me somewhere fancy?”

  Jo shook her head. “I’d stick out—and not in a good way—at a cocktail party with a bunch of lawyers or high-class old money types.” She imagined what it would be like as he introduced her to his friends. Eventually they’d ask the inevitable question, “So, what do you do for a living?” Somehow, she didn’t think telling them she unclogged sewer drains and kitchen sinks would impress any of his friends and coworkers.

  Besides, she couldn’t afford designer clothes and shoes, and she didn’t have much interest in spending her hard-earned dollars on that kind of nonsense anyway. Filling a closet with expensive outfits she’d never wear after she and Will parted ways? Out of the question.

  “Maybe Will would appreciate being introduced to our world.” Haley lifted her chin. “Did you ever think of that?”

  “Nope. You should see where he lives. I doubt he’s interested in slumming it with a plumber.” Their food came, and Jo ordered another beer. Sam told the waitress to put it on his tab. “I was just kidding, Sam.”

  “I know. Can’t I buy my sister a beer?”

  “Of course you can. You can pick up my entire tab if you want. I won’t argue.” She flashed him a wry grin. “Thanks.”

  She glanced around the table at the group of people she loved like crazy and tried to imagine Will as part of her circle. She just couldn’t see him fitting in. As attracted as she was, they had no future. Besides, she couldn’t bear getting her hopes up only to suffer through yet another rejection. She was one hundred percent blue collar; William Prescott was one hundred percent white collar, and if a level above white collar existed, he’d be the poster child. Right now it sucked to be her. She stared at the food in front of her as another damn lump clogged her throat, and loneliness brought a sting to her eyes.

  Will’s cell phone pealed out his mother’s sinister ringtone—his own personal warning system in action. He could ignore her, but she’d respond by calling back in five-minute increments until he answered. Groaning, he picked up his phone and hit accept. “Mother.”

  “William.” Thus ended the extent of their warm and fuzzy greeting. “What is this I hear? You’ve taken two whole weeks off from work? Are you ill?”

  “No, I’m fine.” Exhausted. Depleted in mind, body and spirit, yes, but not physically ill. It had taken his mother longer than usual to find out what he was up to. Who had she badgered at his firm to give up his personal information? “I’ve been putting in a lot of hours, and—”

  “That’s precisely why it’s not a good idea to take time off now. You’ll lose momentum. This is your career, William, your life’s work. You do want to get ahead, don’t you? If you want to run for public office, or try for a judgeship, this is the time to build your credentials. Haven’t your father and I been coaching you on this your entire life?”

  “You have indeed.” Making junior partner wasn’t ahead enough? The familiar strain of never measuring up, of never doing enough to satisfy his parents twisted his insides into his signature knot—a configuration that could easily be the Prescott family crest, their insignia.

  “Listen, Mother, I have a service person coming any minute, and I need to get a few things done beforehand. I’m fine. My momentum is fine. I needed a break, so I took one. Would you rather I drop dead in my early fifties of a stress-related heart attack? Wouldn’t that put a crimp in your plans for me?”

  “Don’t be ridiculous. Both sides of our family have always enjoyed exceptionally good health, and stress is grist for our mills.”

  “For yours, maybe, but—”

  “You’re thirty. It’s time you found an appropriate, equally ambitious wife.” She made a clucking sound. “A wife would enhance your image immensely. Start a family, William. Think of your future.”

  “And ignore the present?” He raked his fingers through his hair and glanced at the clock on his kitchen wall. The high point of his day would arrive any minute, and he’d need time to untie the knot talking to his mother put him in before Josey arrived. “Stop worrying. I’m sure I’ll be president of the United States by the time I’m fifty-five.”

  “Oh, William, I hadn’t even considered …” His mother’s tone turned to hopeful surprise. “I had no idea you were aiming that high.”

  He rolled his eyes. He had no intention of going into politics. Ever. His parents pushing and shoving him in the direction of their choosing was an accurate description of his personal hell, and one of these days he might just push back. He would’ve already, but they were the only parents he had. He was stuck with his mother and father, and his relationship with them was already complicated enough as it was. “How could I not, what with having you and Father backing me?”

  “That’s wonderful news. Meet us at the club for brunch on Sunday, and we’ll discuss your long-range strategy. Be there at eleven sharp.”

  “All right. See you then. I’ve got to go.”

  “Fine. Stop this time off nonsense, and get back to work, William. We’ll talk more on Sunday.”

  As he ended the call, and not for the first time, he wished like hell he had siblings. If he had a brother and a sister, his parents’ controlling tendencies would be diffused. If he had siblings, they could support each other against the onslaught of parental expectation and pressure.

  The more he followed the path his parents had set for him, the emptier his life became. The emptier his life became the deeper his unhappiness. In his current state, he feared he’d stepped onto a one way spiral heading into an pit of endless emptiness. The more he ignored the spiral, the greater the velocity of his descent.

  His doorbell chimed, and an unfamiliar sensation flooded through him. Anticipation? His heart thumped. Blood rushed through his veins, and his breath caught—physiological changes he generally associated with his early days as a litigator. Today he’d ask his sexy plumber out, and if she said no, he’d argue his case until he persuaded her otherwise. He was good at that, just not when it concerned his parents. He knew better than to argue with Mother and Father.

  Will opened the front door. “Come on in, Jo. How’s your day been so far?” Judging by the way her eyes widened, he might have said that a little too enthusiastically.

  “Why, my day has been just fine, Will. How has your day been?” she asked, mimicking his stilted tone. “What’s with you, Mr. Sunshine?”

  He huffed out a breath. “Honestly?”

  “Of course honestly.” She canted her head and studied him.

  Her brown-eyed stare seemed to plumb the depths of his inner workings. Did she see his insignia knot? “I’m trying to recover my equilibrium.” He stepped back so she and her toolbox could enter. He took note of the pile of venting material and copper pipe stacked on his sidewalk. “I was just talking to my mother.”

  She set her toolbox on the floor of his foyer and stepped back out to gather the supplies. “You’re lucky.”

  “You don’t know my mother,” he said, cocking an eyebrow.

  “No, I don’t, but I know what it’s like to be without. I lost both my parents when I was twelve.” She set the supplies next to her toolbox and straightened. Placing her hands on her twill-clad curvy hips, she flashed him a pointed look. “I’d give anything to have them back. Even butting heads with my mom and dad would be preferable to constantly missing their presence in my life. So … yeah. From my perspective, you’re lucky.”

  “I’m sorry, Jo.” He’d sounded petty and selfish—not at all how he wanted to come across to her. “That must have been hell.”

  “It was and still is. I don’t think a child ever gets over a loss like that. Still, I’m lucky too. My grandparents took us in, and I have a huge, noisy, intrusive, obnoxious extended family.” One side of her mouth turned up. “As annoying as they can be, I wouldn’t trade them in for anything.”

  “I’m jeal
ous. I’m an only child. I have an uncle and an aunt. Both are married, and I do have a few cousins. Most of my relatives live out of state, and the only time I ever see any of them is on the rare holiday when we gather. We aren’t what you’d call a close-knit family.”

  He loved the easy, forthright way Josey said what was on her mind, one of the many things he liked so much about her. Her unpretentious open nature put him at ease, and he genuinely enjoyed her company. “Do you want a cup of coffee while you work?” He gestured with his thumb in the direction of the kitchen.

  “Thanks for the offer, but I can’t drink anything with caffeine this late in the afternoon, or it keeps me up all night. A glass of water would be nice though.”

  “Leave the stuff there and come into the kitchen.” He led the way, got out a couple of glasses and filled them both with ice and filtered water from his state-of-the-art fridge. “So, what do you do for fun, Jo?”

  She blinked as if the question confused her. “Well … My brothers and I own three condos in a building in the Mac-Groveland neighborhood of Saint Paul, and we’re contracted by the board for the major renovations. It’s a side job. The big stuff is mostly done. My brother Wyatt and another one of our electricians rewired the entire building after a short caused a fire in one of the apartments.” She slid her hand over his granite countertop. “Can you believe the place was built in the early nineteen hundreds and still had the original wiring?”

  Josey shook her head and tsked, which he found adorable. Everything about her charmed him.

  “A couple of our apprentices and I are almost done replumbing the entire building, and—”

  “Let me restate the question, Jo.” He chuckled and handed her a glass of ice water. “What do you like to do in your leisure, non-work-related spare time for the sole purpose of having fun?”

  “Oh.” She frowned and pursed her lips for a second as if the question required considerable thought. “Why do you ask?”

  “I was thinking it might be fun to go down the street to Lucky’s 13 Pub, have a few beers and maybe grab something to eat. I know there’s always something going on there, like bingo or Trivial Pursuit. Would you be interested?” Josey averted her gaze and bit her lip. Not a good sign.