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“And how is that going? Does she know what kind of competition she’s up against?”
She quirked her head. “I’m not talking to any other firms.”
“I’m talking about Teague Moriarty. That’s not a man who will walk away from a fight.”
She twirled a piece of hair. “There’s no fight.”
“Honey, the man is in love with you and planning a future together. He’s not going to say sayonara. Best of luck. See you when I see you.”
“Well, neither am I since I have fallen in love too. I probably have more detailed plans for our future than he does since mine include a dog, weekly date nights, and possibly a highland cow.”
“Oh, those mini cows are cute.” She smiled approvingly. “But I think you’d need to get two since one might get lonely.”
“That’s a good point.” Sighing, she leaned her head against her aunt’s shoulder. “Why couldn’t I have been born in simpler times when getting into sword fights, winning against overwhelming odds, and having a shot at becoming the queen of all that I surveyed was a real possibility?”
“That’s not simple, and you can still do it. Minus the sword fights, of course.”
“What I mean is, how am I expected to choose between my professional desires and my personal ones?”
“It’s not an either or situation. It’s just finding the right compromise.”
“I don’t have any desire to return to the firm, but having a chance to see the company pay for its sins is hard to resist.”
“Maybe you can do a guest appearance and not commit to anything long-term.”
She lifted her head. “That’s a good idea.”
“I have them every once in a while.”
She kissed her aunt’s cheek and then sat up. “You have them all the time. That’s why you’re my favorite person.”
Sadie cupped Tancy’s cheek. “I’m so proud of you and your brother. I love you both so much.”
“You saved our lives, Auntie. No doubt about it. And you know that I love you to pieces.”
She waved her hand. “Don’t make tear up before the day starts.” She straightened her purple cardigan. “When are we going to start planning Easter decorations? Should we go with a vintage theme or perhaps embrace a Peter Rabbit feel?”
“I like both those ideas. But won’t be able to start planning until next week. I want to wrap up Laura’s case first.” She stood and smoothed out her polka-dotted dress. “Teague came up with some good ideas, and perhaps we should add inflatable Easter eggs this year.”
“If that’s not love, I don’t know what is.”
She smiled, thinking of how easily he agreed to allow her to decorate his house and yard. It was a complete turnaround, and she appreciated his willingness to embrace one of her passions. “You may be right.” She gave her aunt a hug and then turned toward the back. “Thanks for the words of wisdom.”
“Always.”
She waved over her shoulder and felt a hundred times better. Just like she always did when she bounced ideas off her most trusted advisor. Aunt Sadie was the calm to her storm, the reason that balanced her chaos and the softness that smoothed her jagged edges. Feeling fortunate beyond measure, she grabbed her bag of yarn and headed toward the door, knowing she’d eventually find the right compromise.
Teague stepped out of the coffee shop and saw Tancy stroll in his direction. “Fancy running into you here.”
She stopped and took his hand. “I thought that I made enough coffee this morning.”
“You did.” He gave her a light kiss. “I delivered two tables that Christy commissioned last month.” He shoved his hand into his pocket. “I didn’t escape fast enough, though, and had to listen to the town gossips share their thoughts about our burgeoning relationship.”
“You must’ve enjoyed that.” She squeezed his hand. “What pearls of wisdom did they dispense?”
“Gordon instructed me to court you properly and not be a lazy bastard. He said our friendship wasn’t an excuse to cut corners.”
“And did our crusty octogenarian offer specifics on how you should court me?”
