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“Who’s your attorney?”
“I haven’t decided. I have a couple of weeks. I’m hoping to get together enough money to be able to hire someone. I’ll do all the work, of course, but it doesn’t look good to have me represent myself.” She probably shouldn’t admit she didn’t have the money for a lawyer, but the man alreadyknew she was working for gasoline and chips, so it wouldn’t come as a surprise.
“Todd Shale is very wealthy. Did he wrap you up in a prenup?”
“Yes, though I should have been able to take half our assets.” She’d been a moron to sign that paper, but she’d thought their marriage could work. “The house was still in his father’s name, so that was covered.”
“What about your accounts? Investments?”
She chuckled, but the sound wasn’t a humorous one. “He protected those as well. Mostly by spending everything we had. I didn’t realize how much debt we were in. I got half of that. I basically sold everything I had to pay it off and be able to keep my baby.”
His eyes went wide. “You have a kid?”
She bit back a smile because he looked like he was ready to run. Scaredy-cat man. “Luna is the love of my life. The only good thing Todd and I ever did together.”
She watched as he seemed to consider the issue. It wasn’t lost on her that the man was flirting. He was definitely attracted to her, but it would be a bad idea to give in. Still, having Quaid’s attention was nice, but she would be fine with losing it if he was the kind of guy who couldn’t handle a woman with some baggage.
He rallied, losing the confused look and bringing back the smooth, earnest expression he’d been using on her before. “Luna’s a nice name. How old is she?”
Ah, so he’d decided to pursue her despite the perceived child. “She’s three.”
“A toddler. That must be hard on you.” He frowned suddenly. “Is she with your mom right now?”
“Probably.” Luna was having a hard time adjusting to trailer park life. There was a tiny chihuahua who lived twodoors down that scared the holy crap out of her big baby every time they went for a walk.
“Probably?”
“Mom had some shopping to do and Luna doesn’t love cars, so she stayed behind.” It was fun to tease this man. He looked mortified.
“Jayna, are you telling me...” He stopped, and a rueful smile lit up his features. “Are we talking about a dog or a cat?”
Sitting here with him was legitimately the most fun she’d had in forever. “She’s a Great Pyrenees. She was a Christmas present a few years ago. I told my father-in-law I’d never had a dog as a kid and I’d always wanted one. When I got her, she was this tiny ball of fluff, and I had all these visions of keeping her in my handbag. I didn’t know how big she’d get.”
“Hah, then she was forty pounds in a couple of months,” Quaid continued.
“And now she’s eighty pounds and it’s her lunchtime.” She glanced down at her watch. “I should head back and feed her. I don’t have another appointment until tomorrow, so I should get some work done. I’ve got a suit to file because your client won’t wear a suit. I need to do some research and that means heading to the library because my mom’s Wi-Fi is awful.”
He grinned. “I’ve got some space. If you’re going to work in town, you might as well have an actual office.”
“I can’t afford rent right now. I’m afraid this booth is it for me for a while.”
“Look, the truth of the matter is you’re helping me out by taking the city work off my plate. The least I can do is give you a place to do it. I own the whole building. The first floor is the office, and it’s got space for a partner.”
Jayna raised her eyebrows in question.
“My father always meant for me to work beside him, but that only lasted a few years. He retired when he thought I was ready to take over, but I expected to be able to consult with him for a long time.” The bittersweet tone of his voice let her know how much he missed his dad. “There’s a second floor with a full apartment. Dad used to rent it out, but I’ve kept it empty since I took over. I like to be able to use it when I’m working late or I need a place to be alone.”
“Living with your mom a drag?” She realized that could sound like she was ragging on the man when she wasn’t. “I get it. I love my mom, but I did not expect to be in my thirties and stuffed on the twin bed that was already too small when I was fifteen. And Luna tries to share it with me.”
“Then the least I can do is give you a place to work,” he offered. “In fact, my legal secretary is off for the next four weeks. Her daughter had a baby and she’s helping out. You could answer phones and act as an assistant when you have time. You are the only qualified person around.”
“She’s a legal secretary. She shouldn’t be answering your phones, and neither should I.” An idea played around in her head.
“Well, my last receptionist ran off with one of my clients, and I haven’t been able to find a reliable replacement. I would call a temp agency in Houma, but no one wants to drive that far every day,” he admitted. “We could take turns answering the phone?”
“Or you can take a chance on someone.” It was time to pay her sister back. Sienna would never think to apply for a job like working for a law firm, but she was smart and she learned quickly. The woman could take a ten-person order and get it perfect without taking down a single note. “How about I’ll answer the phone today until Sienna’s shift here is done. She can be your receptionist until three o’clock when she has to pick up the girls. If she works out, she can quit thediner and work full-time for you. That way your legal secretary won’t have to act as your receptionist anymore. Sienna’s going to need good insurance and two weeks’ paid vacation.”
“Whoa. How did I go from being the nice guy who offered you free office space to hiring your sister and paying for insurance?” Quaid asked.
