Treasured Past

by Linda Hill

“We can file suit.”

  She was waving me aside.

  “Annie,” I pleaded, my voice rising. “I’m a lawyer. Let me go after this guy.”

  “I have a lawyer, Kate.”

  “But I...”

  “How would it look to have my lover represent me against my ex-husband? Now that would go over well.” She sounded unreasonable.

  “But, Annie, this isn’t about us. It’s about theft and —”

  “I have a lawyer, Kate.” She practically screamed the words, stopping me in my tracks.

  “Okay, Annie. I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “I was just trying to help.”

  “I know.” She sighed and closed her eyes. “I’m sorry I raised my voice. I’m just so frustrated.”

  I didn’t know what to say. I wanted so much to put a plan into action. My logical mind was already scripting the suit that we should file. But it was painfully obvious that she didn’t want my help in the matter. I couldn’t understand why. Why would she be protecting him like this?

  The sadness in her eyes made me forget my own questions. Without another word, I circled the counter and held my arms open. She had never held me tighter.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  “Tonight was wonderful.” Annie murmured the words against my ear as she snuggled deeper against my neck.

  “I’m glad you enjoyed it,” I told her while reaching up to smooth her hair.

  “Beth is so sweet. Do you think she had fun?” Annie raised her head just enough so that our eyes could meet.

  “I know she did,” I told her. We had invited Beth and her son over for a barbeque, using the excuse that we wanted her to see what we had done to the great room. Beth had no idea that we were really celebrating her birthday. And if she had been suspicious, she never let on.

  It felt good to have Beth and Annie in the same room, even though they’d teased me mercilessly about everything and anything imaginable. Privately, Beth had pulled me aside to tell me how happy she was that Annie and I had gotten together.

  “The two of you are wonderful together, Kate.”

  “Do you think so?” I’d asked, suddenly insecure.

  “Absolutely,” she’d insisted. “Everything that I’ve seen tonight tells me that the two of you are so happy together. The way you laugh and interact. You’re both so attentive to each other.” She grinned and rolled her eyes. “It’s a little sickening, actually, the way you two moon over each other.”

  I slapped her arm playfully.

  “We don’t moon,” I insisted.

  “Yes you do. You both do. But it’s very sweet.”

  I tried to muster up a snarl but failed. Beth’s face sobered.

  “It’s good to see you happy like this, Kate. And it’s quite obvious that Annie cares for you.”

  Now I smiled as I remembered Beth’s words.

  “Beth said that it’s obvious that you care for me,” I told Annie. She was busily twining her fingers through mine.

  “She thinks so, eh?”

  I couldn’t see her eyes, but could tell by the sound of her voice that she was feeling lighthearted.

  “That’s what she said,” I told her.

  “Hm.” Annie pulled away again to look into my eyes. “And what do you think? Do you think it’s obvious that I care for you?” She studied my face while her fingers continued their dance with mine.

  Her question made me nervous. “I can only hope that you do,” was my reply.

  She seemed surprised by my response. “It’s not obvious to you?”

  I suddenly felt shy. “Well,” I began, searching for the right words. “We never really talk about us, do we? It seems like we’re always so busy doing things together that we never really get many quiet moments like this.” I watched for her reaction, but her face was carefully blank. “Don’t get me wrong, Annie. I love the time that we spend together. But you must admit that we keep very busy.”

  Her smile was slow. “Life does seem rather full these days, doesn’t it?”

  “It certainly does,” I agreed. “But I wouldn’t change it for anything.”

  “Really?” Her eyes were twinkling. “There’s nothing you would change if you could?”

  “That’s not quite true,” I admitted. “For one thing, I would change my job. Although I’m not quite certain what I’d like to do, exactly.”

  “Uh-huh,” Annie was urging me to continue to talk. “What else?”

  I searched her eyes, afraid to say what I was really thinking. “The truth?”

  “Of course,” she encouraged me, giving my hand a squeeze and draping one leg over mine as we sat together on the couch.

  My hesitation was brief.

  “I would make more room for quiet time with you like this. So that we could talk more and learn more about each other. I’ve seen you nearly every day for months now, and I still know so little about you.”

  Her smile was soft. “And what would you like to know?” She leaned forward enough to drop a kiss on my chin.

  “Everything.” I let out a long sigh. “Your favorite color. What you were like as a child. I’d like to hear about your parents and family. I don’t even know if you have any sisters or brothers.”

  “No siblings, unfortunately,” she told me. “I think I missed not having someone to play with. Although my parents were quite wonderful.” Her voice was soft and matter-of-fact. “And blue.”

  “Excuse me?” I’d completely lost the thread of the conversation.

  “My favorite color. Blue.”

  “Oh.” I laughed and reached out to lay my free hand on her thigh before growing more serious. I knew that I was about to enter touchy ground. “I also wonder about your marriage,” I said softly. “I know you don’t like to talk about it, but I’m sure that it must have been an important part of your life.” I watched her closely, awaiting her reaction. I expected her to avoid the topic, and was surprised when she began to open up.

  “You’re right. I don’t like to talk about it.” She wrinkled her nose. “I don’t even like to think about it.” She closed her eyes briefly and shook herself. “It’s all a bad, bad memory. In many ways it doesn’t even seem real anymore. My life is so good now, and I just want to keep all that in my past. Does that make sense?”

  I nodded. “He didn’t hurt you, did he?”

  She shook her head. “No, not physically at least. He was just very manipulative, and I put up with it far longer than I should have.”

  She was curling and uncurling her fingers around mine. Then she grinned and raised an eyebrow. “In any case, why should we waste time talking about him when there are so many more interesting things to discuss.”

  “About your past, you mean?” I teased.

  Her voice matched my playful tone. “Maybe,” she shrugged.

  “Ooh. Now you’ve got my curiosity going. What kind of skeletons are you hiding?”

  Her laugh was throaty. “I’m afraid my life has probably been pretty dull. Especially compared to yours.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” I feigned offense.

  “Are you kidding? A young, dashing attorney like yourself? You must have devastated a number of hearts along the way.”

  “I don’t think so,” I confessed. “I’ve really only had one or two serious involvements. For the most part I’ve put my work first. Now I know that it was a mistake to do that.”

  “So you’re a wiser woman now?”

  I shrugged. “I like to think so. At least I think I have my priorities in the right place now.”

  Annie was nodding silently. “It sounds like I met you at just the right time.”

  “I think you’re probably right about that.”

  She nodded again. “Do you want to tell me what’s going on with you and work? I know you’re not happy there.”

  “I’m not,” I sighed. “But I’m in no hurry to get out. I have to change my situation, but I’m not certain what to do.” I shrugged. “I’m not that worried about it. Besides, I though
t we were talking about you.”

  She yawned and stretched her body, her arms brushing against me as she stretched. “I’m too afraid that if I tell you all my secrets that you’ll lose interest in me.”

  “Never,” I assured her.

  “Besides” — her voice took on a seductive sweetness — “if we talk about everything now then eventually you’ll get bored with me. Don’t we have to save something to keep all the fires burning for when we’re old and gray and sitting in our rockers on the front porch?”

  She was probably teasing, but I wanted to take her words seriously. “Is that a proposal?” I asked.

  Her smile was soft. “Maybe. Except that we’ve only been seeing each other for a few months and I have a firm policy about marrying someone without at least knowing them for a year first.”

  I almost laughed, except that I knew she was partially serious. I sighed heavily. “You’re so sensible, Annie Walsh.”

  “I try to be, Katherine Brennan.” She took my hand and lifted it to her mouth, pressing her lips to my fingertips. “But I do admit that I have entertained a number of fantasies that include you.”

  “Really?” Now my curiosity was definitely piqued. “Like what?”

  “Besides the obvious?” She bounced her eyebrows mischievously. Then she took a deep breath and spoke quietly. “I fantasize what it would be like to wake up next to you every day. To share a home with you and maybe remodel the whole thing from top to bottom.”

  I was having trouble holding back my smile. My heart was singing as I listened to her words. I kissed her fingers now, urging her to continue. “I think how wonderful my life has become since meeting you, and I can’t help but think that I’d really enjoy growing old with you, Kate.”

  I couldn’t hold back the smile any longer. She had spoken so eloquently what I myself had been thinking. I could only think about the future and pray that nothing would get in our way.

  “You look awfully serious.” She tipped her head. “I hope I didn’t just say the wrong thing. I wouldn’t want to scare you away.”

  I rushed to reassure her. “You can’t scare me away, Annie.” I realized how much I loved saying her name. Our eyes locked and our expressions both wavered between happiness and caution.

  My breath rattled as I pushed a sigh from my lungs.

  “You know that I think I love you, don’t you?” It was such a silly way to say the words, but I couldn’t hold them back any longer.

  “I had certainly hoped so.” She smiled lazily and lifted both arms to wrap around my neck. “Because I think I probably love you too.”

  I would have grinned, except that her mouth had found mine and she was nibbling on my bottom lip and causing the most curious shivers to trickle up and down my spine.

  CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

  I was dreading my meeting with Melanie. After all, there was nothing really to say, and there was certainly no chance of reaching any kind of settlement that Donald Junior would agree to. The whole nightmare was going to end up in front of a judge, and Melanie’s client was going to get screwed. As much as I wanted to turn the tables on my boss’s son, I knew that I was powerless to do so. I had absolutely no ammunition to fire.

  Melanie’s office was part of the Cambridge Family Law Center on Massachusetts Avenue. Sitting in the cramped space that I had once shared, I compared my surroundings with the lush elegance that I’d grown accustomed to. The difference was unmistakable, but being in Melanie’s office reminded of the practice that I’d left behind. Maybe it was time to reconsider and go back to my old practice after all.

  “So tell me that you have some good news, Kate.” Melanie was all business.

  “I honestly wish I did, Melanie. But I have nothing new to offer.”

  Her lips were drawn in a straight line. “So we go to court,” she stated evenly. “I was hoping to avoid that.”

  I nodded in full agreement. “I know, Melanie. I want you to know that I tried reasoning with Gold and his father, but they just won’t budge.”

  “He’s a real bastard, Kate.”

  “I know that. Maybe even better than you do.” I paused, contemplating just how much I should say. To hell with it, I decided. I had no real loyalty to Donald Junior.

  “Listen, Melanie. For what it’s worth, I think you should know that I brought up everything you told me with both of them. I told them that it could get really ugly in court and that there was no doubt in my mind that you would be raising all the issues about the house being inherited by your client. I also mentioned the fact that they hadn’t even lived together for four years. I told his father that I didn’t think that any of this would bode well in front of a judge.”

  “And?”

  “Between you and me, he practically laughed at me and reminded me that he had an awful lot of friends on the bench and that there wasn’t one of them that didn’t owe him a favor.” I bit off each word bitterly.

  Melanie whistled low. “So they’re not going to pull any punches.”

  I shook my head. “Not at all. They welcome the chance to get in front of a judge.”

  Melanie was shaking her head. “This sucks, Kate.”

  I had to agree. “I know it does. Believe me, I’ve tried to figure out how to get around this mess, but I don’t see any way out for your client.”

  She looked genuinely saddened.

  “I’m sorry, Melanie.”

  “I know, Kate. Me too.” She sighed. “This is going to be awful.” Tired eyes fell to mine. “Any other good news for me?”

  “None. I’m sorry.” I couldn’t believe how awful I was feeling. So much for not having any emotional involvement with my cases. Instead of feeling bad for my clients, I now found myself in the position of feeling guilty about the clients my firm now represented. Whether it was representing Donald Junior in his divorce case or representing a corporate conglomerate doing a takeover of a small business, all I felt now was guilt and sadness toward the people who stood in my firm’s way.

  “All right.” Melanie sighed and pushed herself away from the desk. “So I guess this means I’ll see you a week from tomorrow, right?”

  I didn’t bother trying to hide my groan. “I’m afraid so.” I stood and lifted my briefcase, noting that she didn’t bother to rise with me. She looked so defeated as she sat behind her desk, staring out the window, already forgetting I was there.

  “’Bye, Melanie.”

  She mumbled a good-bye, and I decided there was nothing I could do except leave her to her thoughts.

  I was so distracted when I closed the door to Melanie’s office that I barely noticed her. She was sitting just six feet away, wearing one of her favorite cotton dresses, hair pulled back from her shoulders. Even after I noticed her, it took several long moments for my mind to register her image and recognize her.

  It was so out of context to see her outside of our normal routine.

  “Annie?”

  Her eyes lit up, then just as quickly they clouded over as a quizzical look fell over her features.

  “Hi.” She jumped to her feet. “What are you doing here?” she asked.

  I grimaced. “Business. Painful business at that.”

  “I didn’t realize that you knew Melanie.” It took me a moment to see her nervousness, and I began to wonder why she would be sitting in the Cambridge Family Law Center. Then I remembered the trouble she’d had with her ex-husband, and I relaxed.

  My smile was reassuring. “I’ve known Melanie for years, actually. We used to work here together a lot before ...”

  The door that I had just closed to Melanie’s office suddenly flew open, and the look on Melanie’s face was something close to horror.

  “Are you okay?” Annie and I said the words at nearly the same instant, watching while Melanie looked first at Annie and then back at me.

  “You two know each other?” Her eyes continued to shift between us.

  I laughed. “Very well, actually.” I turned toward my lover and felt my stomach
begin to turn as I saw the look on her face. Her complexion had paled, and she looked like someone who was in shock. She was staring directly at Melanie. I followed her gaze and saw that Melanie was returning the stare. Something was definitely wrong. It felt as though I had just stumbled into a room and caught my lover having an affair. My mind reeled as I glanced quickly between them.

  “What’s going on?” I demanded. “Why are you two acting this way?”

  I heard Annie let out a huge sigh beside me. Melanie seemed to recover from whatever it was that had gotten her so upset, and a sort of calmness fell over her.

  “I think we have a problem,” she said quietly.

  I felt completely disjointed. “With what?” I asked stupidly.

  Melanie kept her attention focused on Annie. “Annie, Kate is representing your husband in your divorce case.”

  “Excuse me?” Obviously, I hadn’t heard her correctly.

  “You’re representing him?” The sound of her voice was like a screech in my ear. I felt incoherent, as if everything was suddenly happening in slow motion and I couldn’t quite keep up. This was just plain ludicrous.

  “You mean Donald Gold?” My eyes swam to Melanie and back to Annie.

  Annie was seething. “Of course I mean Donald Gold. You’re his lawyer?”

  “Well, yes. But I don’t understand, Annie. What’s this all about?” My eyes flew back to Melanie’s, begging for her to help me make sense of the confusion.

  “This is all some kind of setup, isn’t it?” Annie began rambling irrationally. “He put you up to this, didn’t he.” She began to move across the floor, pacing.

  “Annie.” I said her name several times, but it was as if she wasn’t hearing me. Then she stopped pacing, her face inches from mine. Her lips curled sarcastically.

  “You’re good,” she laughed. “I fell for it completely.” She shook her head, anger and sadness mixing together in her eyes. “Make sure you tell Donald that whatever he was paying, he certainly got his money’s worth this time.” She turned and began walking away from me.

  “Annie.” I called after her and took two steps in her direction when I felt Melanie’s hand clamp down firmly on my shoulder. I tried to shake her off.