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Sylvee studied each of them. “I only wear them to read.”
Piers sliced a look at Ash. “Make a note—hang a book on the ceiling over the bed.”
A soft chuckle burst from Sylvee, which shattered the serious expression on her face. She hooked a finger around the glasses stem and pulled them off. “You two are good for a woman’s ego—” Her gaze sharpened. “What happened?”
Piers’s gaze dropped to the papers in front of her. “Is that The Boot Knockers contract?”
She nodded.
“Why are you reading it?” Did she know more than they did about their jobs being in peril?
She leaned back in her seat. “I already read it over once. This is my second pass.”
Ash moved to the chair across from her and pulled it out. “You always were a damn fast reader. You put Piers and me to shame when it came to grades. But the real question is why you’re reading our contract.”
Pent-up energy rioting inside, Piers walked to the mini bar and plucked the whiskey from the selection of bottles. He poured them each a shot and carried all three glasses to the table.
Ash took his immediately and raised it into the air. “Damn, I need this. Bottoms up!” He slammed the shot and quietly set the empty glass on the table.
Piers knocked back his own and breathed through the slow burn.
Sylvee wrapped her fingers around her own glass and brought it to her lips. “I’d normally like to know the reason why we’re day drinking, but since I can’t tell if it’s day or night outside…” She tipped the alcohol into her mouth.
The face she made, the way she twisted her lips at the whiskey, was cute enough to bring a smile to Piers’s face. Ash’s too.
“If that alcohol is going to my panties—and I think it will be—I need to hurry up and tell you what I learned before we end up in bed.” She set the glass on the table beside the contract, cheeks already pink.
Piers dragged out the third chair and lowered himself into it. “We’re listening, Peachy.”
She didn’t immediately speak. He could imagine her in the courtroom, taking a pause to gather her thoughts and commanding everyone’s attention.
After a long heartbeat, she let out a sigh. “I ran into a woman at the pool. She works here on the ranch. In the office.”
He and Ash locked stares. “Go on,” Piers ground out even though he could already guess who that woman was.
“She was in tears, and I comforted her. Then we started talking…and I realized I might be able to help.” She focused on Piers and then Ash. “She’s the woman I heard the cleaning crew talking about. The one who is pregnant by a Boot Knocker.”
They nodded.
“This is a small violation of my attorney/client privilege, but she isn’t going to name the father because she doesn’t know who he is. Regardless, she shouldn’t be punished for being with child. After all, that is a totally normal physical function of the human body, and there is nothing in the contract about terminating an employee due to pregnancy.”
They stared at her.
“That would be the same as firing her for having a disability or for being a woman. Which we can use in court—if it comes to that.”
“If it comes to that?” Piers shook his head. “Does Avril plan to fight the ranch?”
“She only wants to continue with her employment and to raise her child alone when the time comes. The money she earns here is good, and she will need a good income to be a single parent.”
Piers nodded. “We all get paid well.” He and Ash wouldn’t be here much longer, though. Their days of earning good wages and even better tips were almost over. But they’d gain something much more valuable—a woman who was perfect for them.
And the hope of a family unit.
Ash interrupted Sylvee. “Can you represent Avril in an official capacity?”
“I can’t practice law in Alaska. At the present time, I’m only offering her advice about how to proceed. But if I could represent her, it would be pro bono. I wouldn’t want to be paid to handle her case. Any lawyer with a heart would do the same.” She swallowed hard, her delicate throat working. The gold chain she wore glinted in the sunlight streaming through the windows.
“Honestly…” her voice projected as a scant whisper, “I forgot how it feels to help people—really help them. Like I used to before my heart grew so hard and cold. My own divorce battle has caused me to close up and be so out of touch with my clients—which is exactly what I told myself I’d never do.”
