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She put her hand over mine. “Of course, it’s what moms do.” She peered at me closely, giving me her maternal examination. “Are you sure there’s not something else wrong? You’re not running a fever, are you? You look so peaked.” She put the back of her hand against my forehead.
“No fever, Mom. I’m just not getting enough sleep.” I was thankful when the waitress arrived to take our breakfast orders. Mom had of course chosen The Dandelion Hotel for brunch. She said it was the only place in Southport that served a decent Bloody Mary.
“Maybe it’s time to stop partying so much, especially now that you’re a working professional,” Mom scolded. “Your dad and I ran into Hannah the other day. She says she saw you the other night for drinks.”
I tensed. What else did my blabbermouth best friend tell my parents?
I waited, but Mom didn’t say anything else, so I relaxed.
“Working on any interesting cases?” My dad asked.
“Not really. Just a few misdemeanor cases. A vandalism charge and a probation violation. Nothing too exciting, but I’m enjoying it. Even if I’m elbowed deep in paperwork all day.” Dad and I shared a grin.
“Vandalism? Are you representing those kids that knocked over the founder’s statue?” Mom asked, aghast.
“That’s the one,” I told her, amused by her horror.
“But Marlena, they’re criminals. What they did was wrong! Did you know that it cost the town more than $2,000 to fix that statue? Why would you take a case like that?” She shook her head in seeming disappointment.
“Well, Adam took the case, so ask him. I’m simply doing my job. Remember, Mom, everyone has the right to a defense.” I put the cloth napkin on my lap and dug into my Eggs Benedict. I took a bite and my stomach rolled again. The smell of the hollandaise was making me want to hurl. I put my fork down and took a drink of coffee, but it tasted bitter.
What was wrong with me today?
“Marion, you know how it goes. You went through this with Adam. You’re not always going to agree with the cases they take. And Lena is right, those boys have the right to a good attorney,” Dad interjected.
Mom sighed. “You’re right, of course. I’m sorry, Marlena, I didn’t mean to make you feel bad about doing your job.” She looked contrite. My mother was a sweet woman—an opinionated woman—but sweet.
“Changing the subject, Meg came by to show me the flowers she had chosen for the wedding. September 23rd is going to be here before you know it. She says she’s going to call you to talk bridesmaid dresses and get your input. She has some lovely ideas for the color scheme,” Mom enthused.
I tried to take another bite of my breakfast, but my stomach wasn’t having it. Normally I would have devoured it in minutes. There was definitely something off with me today. Perhaps Jeremy was right about needing a good night’s sleep. I was feeling like a jerk for being awful about his rather kind suggestion. He was only thinking about me. Would I have felt better if he didn’t care how I was feeling at all, and only thought of getting some?
I’d have to apologize. And I really hated apologizing.
“Yeah, Meg messaged me yesterday with a link to some dresses. I haven’t had a chance to look at them yet.” Honestly, Meg and Adam’s wedding wasn’t high on my list of priorities. I was stoked they were tying the knot after all this time. Meg was the closest thing to a sister I’d ever had, and once she married my brother, she’d finally be family for real.
But my head was all mixed up in work and more work.
And Jeremy freaking Wyatt.
“Adam mentioned Whitney is working as a receptionist at the office now. How’s that going? June is worried about her, you know. Whitney won’t say why she decided to move back home. She had such a successful career in Hollywood. It seems strange for her to give that up,” Mom prodded some more.
“Um, I don’t really know. Whitney keeps to herself, but she’s good at her job.” I felt guilty for not talking to Whitney Galloway more. Her mother June was Mom’s best friend and her sister Meg was marrying my brother. I had known Whit my whole life. I had worshipped her when I was younger, thinking her so cool, and she always had time for me.
But since she had moved back to Southport, there was something different about her. She kept her head down and did her job, leaving at the end of the day. She was efficient and reliable, which is what we needed from an administrative assistant. Sure, we had talked, but I realized now how superficial those conversations had been. I felt like even more of an ass for not taking the time to see how things were with my old friend.
