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She turned, and her eyebrows rose a little at that. “Why did he leave and go to Shreveport?”
“Said he was offered a better opportunity in the company’s corporate headquarters there. But he’d wisely bought the building when it became available early on, not long after he’d set up the franchise office. Being in the real estate business, he’d gotten a great deal on the property at the right time.”
“Hoping he passed that deal on to you.” She raised her brows fully.
Tanner had been thrilled to learn of the property firsthand and surprised things had gone so smoothly thus far. “Let’s just say, we came to an agreement that suited us both pretty quickly.”
Carly nodded and continued to look around. “Can we go upstairs?”
Nearly all the downtown buildings in Cypress Bayou had a second story with either living space or more office space. This one had been built out as both. There was a loft apartment with a tiny kitchen, bathroom, and a personal office. It was comfortable with large windows and high ceilings. Of course, like all the buildings in town, it was old. But Jason had updated the plumbing and the electric to code. Realtors were good about thinking ahead like that.
Jason had left all the furniture, which entailed a leather sofa, an upholstered oversized chair and ottoman with nail head trim, wall art, and some other odds and ends.
“This is fantastic, Tanner. What a find.” She turned, grinning, and he nearly had to step back. Her smile had some serious wattage. “Something wrong?”
He shook his head. “Nope.”
“I can see the bayou from here. Cool.” She turned. “So, what’s the plan?”
Every time he spoke about it, it gave Tanner a little heartburn. “I’m going to tell Carson tomorrow that I’m leaving the practice. I’ve got a few friends at city hall, and I’ve managed to keep my licensing quiet. I think I’m far enough along in the process that he can’t keep it from happening.”
“What about your clients?”
Tanner would miss his clients. Most of them anyway, but unless they found him individually, they were lost to him. Even though there wasn’t a noncompete to deal with, he figured there would be less drama without fighting with Carson over existing clients. “I’ve got some court cases already on the books, so, we’ll have to see. Honestly, I just want to walk away.”
“Do you have to break a contract to do that?” Carly perched on the back of the sofa, dangling a tanned, bare leg.
Tanner shook his head. “I refused to sign one when I joined the firm. I’ve put in five years with Carson’s practice, which should be sufficient.”
Carly nodded. “Do you feel you owe Carson anything, monetarily?”
Tanner laughed but it lacked any humor. “I won a big liability case against a crooked foreign steel company that alone more than covered it. So, I owe him nothing. I’ve been trying to figure out over the last couple years how to make my exit with the least amount of fuss.”
“So I assume you’ve finessed your finances toward that end?” He got an inkling from her sharp questioning of him as to how she might perform in court. She’d put him in the hot seat, but not more than he would have done in the same situation.
“I’ve paid mostly cash for this building.” This was a difficult subject. And he was offering Carly a job as his associate—to start. Who knew where they might end up in the future? Partners?
She must’ve picked up on his discomfort. “I wasn’t trying to be nosy. Sorry if I’m being too forward.” Carly made a cringy face. She looked like she wanted to take back her words.
“No, I’m sorry if I sounded defensive. I make a percentage off the cases I win, which is most of my income. And a salary, which isn’t much. It’s pretty cut and dried.”
Carly nodded. “Well, now you’ve got a place to hang your shingle. Here’s hoping the people will come.”
“Are you willing to take a chance on this with me?” Tanner held out his hand to Carly.
She shook it and grinned at him. “Why not? I’m always up for a challenge.”
CHAPTER THREE
Carly
As I finishedunpacking my things at Nana’s house, I planned. Planned how to help Tanner set up the office. How to grow his client base. How to manage the business with as little conflict as possible within such a small community.
There was a knock on my door. “Hey, darlin’, I’ve got some chicken and dumplings ready if you want to take a break and eat something.”
Nana madethe bestchicken and dumplings. “I’ll be down in five minutes, after I empty this suitcase.”
As I descended the grand staircase, I ran my hand down the railing, where I knew every nick and scratch in the wood. The one I’d dusted a hundred times during my childhood. We pitched in on Sundays helping Nana clean. It was our family day. Nana always cooked and we helped maintain the house. Daddy did the outdoor mowing and gardening. It was a family home. As in it would stay in the family.
