AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I wanted to argue.
To laugh in her face and tell her she was absolutely ridiculous.
But I didn’t do either.
I just stared at her, feeling my eyes well with emotion.
“Tell me what to do,” I whispered.
A wide grin spread across her face. “You can work anywhere. But River Pierce is in Magnolia Falls. And you can’t leave half of your heart here and expect to be happy. If you want that job at the university, you tell him how you feel and see if he’ll go with you.”
“I don’t think I want the job. It never felt right. And my old life there doesn’t feel like mine anymore. This place that I ranfrom so long ago feels different now. And I think it has a lot to do with River.”
She nodded and reached for my hand. “Tell me how it feels here now.”
“Like home.”
thirty-one
. . .
River
There wasa knock on my office door, and I shouted for Cassie to come in. I was having a shit day. Hell, I was having a shit week. It had been four nights that I’d slept alone in my bed, and I didn’t fucking like it.
It used to be my favorite place.
Quiet and serene.
And now it felt cold and lonely.
I didn’t get lonely. I’d always thrived on being alone. Pitied the fuckers who couldn’t handle being by themselves.
And here I was—a sad, fucking pussy-whipped motherfucker.
“Hey, boss,” Cassie said, and I pinched the bridge of my nose because I’d asked her no less than eight million fucking times not to call me boss. “Your grandmother is on the line, and I’m going to head out. It’s late. You should think about leaving soon, too,” Cassie said.
“Have a good night,” was all I said.
“Are you okay?” she asked. “You seem a little grumpier than usual.”
“I’m fine.” I nodded. She turned to leave, and I realized I’d been a real dick lately, and she hadn’t let anyone in without an appointment in more than three weeks. “Hey, Cassie.”
“Yeah?” She turned around to face me.
“You’ve done a good job not allowing people to just stop by these last few weeks. I’ve noticed, and I appreciate it.”
She smiled ridiculously big. Had I never complimented her?
“Well, Ruby gave me a tip on how to stop letting people walk all over me regarding the appointments when she brought you lunch a few weeks ago.”
“What did she say?”
“She said that you’d worked really hard for your practice and that you were the best lawyer she knew. She said that with me being your assistant, I should know that and protect it so you can do your job.”
Fuck me. I did not see that coming.
“I told you to send them away dozens of times. All you had to hear was that I was good at my job?” A sarcastic chuckle left my mouth because it was ridiculous, yet my chest puffed up with pride that Ruby had gone to bat for me.
