Page 10 of Miss Fortune

She smiled, packing her things. “No. I’m looking forward to getting new life in these knees and joining you for Sunday afternoon Zumba class.”

“I can’t wait either.” We had been attending a Sunday exercise class every other weekend followed by lunch. It had been a great way to get to know the woman who had forged a friendship with my grandmother over the last thirty years.

“And now that I know Caleb is in good hands, I will focus on my recovery.”

“Thank you. It’s hard to tell if he’s content.” He’d been polite and professional but showed no warmth whatsoever. Of course, given how we’d met, he might be keeping a calendar countdown to when he could be rid of me. The idea reminded me to ask if he’d had a chance to get an estimate for the damage to his car.

“Caleb is a good man, but he works too much.” She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I imagine being a divorce attorney has taken a toll on his personal life.”

I imagined seeing the end of so many marriages wouldn’t exactly inspire holy matrimony. “Does he date?” Possibly women like the rude blonde from the car yesterday morning.

“Casually, but nothing serious. It’s a shame because there’s more to life than your career.”

No truer words had ever been spoken.

“I’m hoping you’ll get to know one another over the next six weeks.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Doris, you’re not matchmaking, are you?”

She smiled widely, undeterred by my warning tone. “Wouldn’t dream of it, my dear. I’d best tell Caleb good night and get home. I only have until midnight to eat, so Ned is making my favorite dinner, and I’m snacking up until the deadline.”

“As well you should. Um, what happens if Caleb is behind closed doors, and it’s time for me to leave? Do I say goodbye, or—?”

“If he’s off the phone, then pop your head in and say good night. I typically do. But if he’s on a call or in a meeting, then leave without disturbing him. He’s respectful of your time and doesn’t expect you to stay late very often.”

Good, because I had other obligations in the evenings. Sometimes I babysat for Toby, other nights I walked the neighborhood dogs, and I also managed my Etsy soap store.

After Doris came out from Caleb’s office, I gave her a hug and promised to check in on her the next day. When five thirty came around, I glanced at my boss’s line on my phone noting he wasn’t on a call. Suppose I’d have to bite the bullet and say good night.

I knocked and waited for the go-ahead which came from the other side. Opening the door, I poked in my head. “Hi, I’m taking off for the day, Mr. Morrison.”

He didn’t so much as glance up from his computer. “Have a good night.”

“Thanks. You too. See you tomorrow.”

Like a parsnip, he didn’t respond. Sigh. Time to start my own countdown for when I could be out of here.

Chapter Seven

Caleb

Thursday morning I had an early meeting at a client’s house. There was nothing like a repeat divorcé who was finalizing his fifth to put you off the idea of marriage. Yet the man in his seventies would most likely be remarried within the year. I’d pull up the same prenuptial agreement, save a version six, and simply change the name of the bride. I should be happy for the repeat business, but there was something depressing about the way people treated marriage these days. All the more reason never to enter into the institution again.

I headed into the office after my appointment. Luckily, I had no further in-person meetings on my calendar, only phone calls. After them, I would spend the remainder of the day preparing for a court appearance tomorrow regarding a messy divorce between a Hollywood actor with a wandering eye and his wife of five years. Although I didn’t condone infidelity, I didn’t convey my feelings to my clients. Not in this line of work. Instead, I encouraged my clients to be reasonable and separate their emotions from the process. The last thing I wanted was a vindictive client trying to “stick it” to the other side. Nope. Plenty of sharky lawyers out there who’d take the low road for them. My approach was to be logical and as fair as possible. Especially when children were involved. Any client who sought to use custody as a weapon would find I’d no longer represent them. Not all divorce attorneys had boundaries, but this was one of mine, and it made the job more tolerable.

As soon as the elevator opened on the fifth floor, I turned left to walk down the hall toward my office. Along the outside wall the attorneys had their offices, with windows overlooking the city. Against the inside wall, across from them and separated by the walkway, were the secretaries’ cubicles. I typically tuned out any conversation, but today I picked up on two of the women talking loudly.

“Who dresses like that? And the bow in the hair is so over the top.”

Why was I not surprised to turn the corner and find Daisy at her cubicle, her long hair up in a ponytail tied with a red bow? When she stood up, I could see she was wearing a red dress with white flowers. She was stunning. Undoubtedly, the women who’d been talking about her were only jealous of her ray of color in an otherwise conservative office.

“Good morning.” I tried not to sound robotic in my delivery. It had taken me months to master a warmth in my tone when I’d first started working with a speech therapist.

She looked up from the folder she was holding and grinned. “Hi. Good morning.”

Jesus, her smile was a punch to the gut. “Uh, I have a call in ten minutes.”

She quirked her head to the side. “Yes. Yes you do.”