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She opens the door to James’ office and offers me a variety of refreshments while I wait. I take a seat in front of the large cherry wood desk and nod at her offer.
“Very well, Mr. McCoy will be with you shortly,” she says, as she peers down her nose at me, then sneers as she turns on her heels with a little extra twist of her hips, pulling the door together tightly. Feeling as if I made Alisa feel a little threatened in her own environment, I laugh inwardly at myself.
As I wait rather impatiently for James to arrive in his office, I remove the files that I found in the large oak chest from my messenger bag and lay them in my lap. I read over the life insurance policy again, careful not to leave out any pertinent information. However, the information is all basic. If that relationship line would have been accurately filled in, I’d have the answers of which I seek. Growing impatient, my mind begins to wonder—filled with what-ifs and crazy scenarios that I need not entertain. The door handle rustles and turns as the door inches open, and James enters his office. He hurries around his desk with his briefcase tightly in hand and extends apologies for his lateness.
“Ah, Carly, forgive me, please. My court case went later than I expected. What do I owe the pleasure of seeing you today?”
“I was wondering if you could answer some questions for me about my daddy. Y’all were close for the most part of his life, and I’m hoping you can enlighten me on something I have uncovered this week.”
Confusion marks James’ face as he leans forward and rubs his chin. “Uncovered? What do you mean?”
I lean across the desk and hand him a manila folder filled with the contents that I found in the chest. James spreads the documents across his desk and looks each one over closely. A blank expression mares his face as he reads the life insurance document. He lays the document down on the desk and rubs his hand over his chest, leaning back in his chair as he releases a deep breath. “What exactly do you think you’ve uncovered here, Carly?”
“I don’t know; that’s why I came to see you. You were Daddy’s attorney for as long as I can remember, so you have to understand the connection that he had with Drew Varney.”
“I’m sorry, Carly, but I don’t,” James states.
“You handled all of Daddy’s business and affairs; you can’t possibly expect me to believe that load of shit!” I spew at him. The blank expression on his face tells me he knows more than he’s letting on.
“All I can tell you about Drew Varney is what you most likely already know. He’s the owner of American Heritage Coal Company,” James replies.
“Damn it, I already know that! I need to know why my daddy would have hidden pictures of this man, pictures that tell a story of his life over the years. Pictures of events that Daddy attended. Why would Daddy leave Drew such a large amount of money? None of it makes sense!” I yell as the anxiety of the situation gnaws at me.
“Carly, you have to understand, I have confidentiality rights I’m obligated to abide by. Anything your father discussed with me, any prior agreements or arrangements I may have handled for him, are all confidential. By law, I can’t relay any information to you.”
“James, don’t you dare sit there and hide behind your law degree. You were his friend, and of anyone you would know his secrets! Why the hell would he have all this hidden away for so long? I just want answers to the secrets he held,” I plead, frustration marring my face as my eyebrows bow together, wrinkling my soft forehead. Taking a deep breath, James leans forward and begins shuffling all the documents into the file.
“Have Alisa make copies of these documents on your way out, and I’ll have my investigator look into it. But I can’t promise you anything.” Standing, I take the file from his hand and thank him for his understanding. He assures me that he should have some answers within a couple of weeks, but my patience is important to the investigation. I nod in agreement and shake his hand before turning on my heels, leaving James to his work and in search of Alisa, his self-indulgent assistant.
At her desk filing her nails rather than paperwork, Alisa acts as if I’m non-existent in her presence, until I make my presence known by tossing the file down on her desk. “Sorry to interrupt your indulgence of self-pampering, but James needs copies of all the documents in this file. Oh, make it quick; I have a busy day.” Raising her right brow, she spins out of her chair and trudges toward the copier behind her desk. She stuffs the papers into the folder and forcefully hands the folder to me with a sneer on her face.
“Have a pleasant day, Ms. Simon.” With a polite smirk, I giggle at her attempt to intimidate me and thank her for her time. With a twist of the hip, I exit the law office and make my way out into the windy fall day to my cherry red Camaro.
The smooth, luxurious leather seat cradles me as I hug the winding curves of the road. En route back to Simon Energy, my stomach begins a thunderous roar demanding my attention. I realize I haven’t had lunch yet, so I make a pit stop at my favorite little country diner, The Village.
Pulling into the small gravel lot, the only vehicle in sight is a black Harley. Mister Badass Biker. I let the motor of the Camaro idle as I argue with myself over eating lunch alone, while peering into the mesmerizing blue eyes that captured my attention once before, or sulking in my office over a cold ham sandwich. Damn it, Carly, it’s just lunch! I scold myself, before climbing out of the Camaro.
I walk with a proud stride into The Village, taking a seat toward the back of the restaurant. As the waitress makes her way over to me, I immediately place my order for a large sweet tea and chicken and dumplings, one of my favorite comfort foods. A nervous wave rolls tightly in my stomach before it comes crashing down, sending shocking twinges throughout me. I fidget to find a distraction before our gazes lock, and I turn my attention to a bubble pop game on my cell phone; any distraction is welcome at this point. It will save me the embarrassment of gawking at the sexy biker.
Glancing nervously, I see Mister Badass Biker is wearing faded jeans with worn holes at the knees, a tight gray t-shirt sprawled across his muscular chest, and a black ball hat turned backward. Before getting caught stealing glances, I quickly avert my eyes to the screen of my phone, completely uninterested in popping bubbles.
Minutes pass before the aroma of buttery decadence fills my senses. Inhaling deeply, I look up to see rough hands setting a bowl of homemade chicken and dumplings down before me. As our eyes meet, the most beautiful smile spreads across his tan face. Mouth agape, I stare deep into his spell binding baby blues. My mouth begins to water at the sight of this glorious man.
His deep, husky voice breaks my trance. “Sorry, Justice went on a smoke break, and I didn’t want your food to get cold.” Unable to speak, I smile and shake my head lightly in appreciation. “Ain’t seen that beautiful smile in a damn long time,” the sexy biker says. Stunned at his brazenness, I arch my eyebrow and look at him for a second, trying to register any sense of familiarity. “You don’t remember me, do ya, Carly?”
My cheeks flush red from embarrassment, as I shake my head from left to right. “Should I?”
He laughs a hearty chuckle and sits at the table, casually. Leaning forward, he peers deep in my eyes, then reaches up and rubs his finger across his eyebrow. “Eighth grade gym class, we were playin’ softball. You couldn’t catch the ball, so I laughed at you. Sure as hell could throw, though. I made you so mad pickin’ on ya every time you dropped the ball that you threw the damn ball right at my face, splittin’ my eyebrow in two. Remember now?”
I stare at him for a second, as the dreadful memory of my junior high days flash through my memory. My mouth drops, because this man, this badass biker sitting in front of me sure as hell ain’t the same wimpy kid I knew so many years ago.
“Luke? Luke Ashton?” He nods as a gorgeous smile splays across his tan cheeks.
“Oh my god, I’m so embarrassed, I had no idea. You look amazing.” I stand and give him a warm hug, and he embraces me tightly. The heat of his touch singes my skin, sending an electrifying jolt coursing through straight to my core. I feel unbalanced. I pull away from him quickly and sit down.
“Join me.” I nod to the chair he just stood from.
He gives me a panty-melting smile and says, “I’d love to, honey, but it’s supposed to start stormin’ soon, and I’m on my bike.”
