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FOUR
Teague strolled into the legal aid office and noticed the update he and Tancy had been working on finally looked complete. They had given the place a new coat of white paint, and he’d installed built-in shelves. Tancy added a bunch of healthy plants and a big basket of misshapen-knitted blankets, making the place look both welcoming and efficient. Something the clients were sure to appreciate. “Anyone here?”
“Be out in a minute,” Ellie called from the back.
He leaned against Tancy’s cubicle and noticed that she had added several pictures to the collection she kept under the glass that protected the wood desk. He studied one taken in front of their aunts’ house and was surprised by how couply they appeared. He pressed his finger against the image and asked himself if it was time.
Mindlessly rearranging her collection of ceramic pandas, he silently admitted that when he eventually did decide to leap into the void, it would have to be with her.
Startled that he allowed the thought to surface, he was relieved to hear his aunt approach. No need to dig into that particular knot quite yet. “Here as requested.” Feeling her scrutiny, he rolled his shoulders.
“You don’t look worse for wear.”
“Should I assume that comment has something to do with all the women crowding the front doors of my studio?”
“Absolutely. There were at least a dozen when I drove past at eight this morning, and I can only guess how many there are right now.”
Teague adjusted his baseball hat lower. “I’ve been working at home, so the total number will have to remain a mystery.”
“Evade and ignore?” Ellie asked. “That’s not your usual MO.”
He walked over to the door and looked past the candy-striped awning of the pet store. “It is now. I used all my good manners the other day and won’t get a refill until next month.”
Ellie sighed. “If it makes you feel any better, Sadie and I encouraged Tancy to focus her energy elsewhere.”
“I doubt she’ll consider it an option since I seem to be her favorite project.”
“You’re her favorite something,” Ellie murmured.
“What’s that?”
She waved her hand. “I’m going to keep my opinions to myself and let you work out your relationship as you see fit. Far be it from me to suggest it’s time to just get on with it and deal with the deep connection you two have forged.”
Surprised that his aunt had any opinion about their friendship, he shoved his hands in his pockets. “Neither of us is ready to change the status quo.”
“I’ve said my piece and won’t bring it up again. You’re adults and more than capable of navigating what kind of future you’d like to create.”
“I appreciate it.”
Ellie smoothed out her chignon. “The good news is that Tancy has a heavy caseload for the next six months and likely won’t have a spare minute to concoct another act of kindness on your behalf.”
“Here’s to hoping.” He pushed her chair closer to the desk. “Why is she so relentless, anyway? It’s like she’s trying to pay off an invisible debt and believes that misplaced good deeds will shift the scales in her favor.”
“It isn’t my story to tell, so you’ll have to convince her to share the tale.”
“She’s fairly closed about her past, so I doubt it’s possible.” He picked up Tancy’s glasses and wiped the smudges off with his T-shirt. “Anyway, what did you need from me?”
“The hardware for the security system was dropped off earlier this morning and is in the conference room?”
“Miles is a generous benefactor. The systems his company produces are top of the line.”
“Which is exactly what we need.” Ellie straightened a stack of files. “The harassment, Tancy’s client is dealing with has been escalating, and the sooner you can install the security system, the better.”
“I’ll go over this afternoon.”
“Appreciate it. The ex is upping his game, and no one wants to see what that looks like.”
“Consider it done.” And he meant it because the last thing he wanted was Tancy putting herself between the crazy ex and her client. She’d done it in the past and wouldn’t hesitate to do it again. Even if it did put her in the direct path of an unhinged human. “Where is the fearless attorney, anyway?”
