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“A good friend of the family and her two teenage sons.” She smiles when she adds, “I’m hoping to do some matchmaking.”
“For Lawrence? It’s a bit soon, no?”
“Lawrence is going to be sixty next year and Barbara’s been divorced for more than a decade. Time waits for no man. I think Janelle would be on board. Scratch that…I know she would be.”
Her expression changes. She’s uneasy, starts picking at the label on her bottle. “What is it?”
“Nothing really. Just be prepared for Barbara. She’s probably going to be watching you like a hawk tomorrow. If she starts asking too many questions, I promise I’ll get her to back off.”
“Huh?”
“Barbara, or Ms. Ryan as I was introduced to her, was the social worker assigned to me when I was admitted at Children’s Hospital. She took an interest in me, I guess you could say.” Charlotte shakes her head, looking both amused and annoyed. “I mean, she was relentless. She was riding my ass from day one, making sure I stayed focused, got through the GED exam, SAT prep, the college application process. I swear, there were days I truly hated the woman.”
My eyes widen in surprise when she mentions the GED. Charlotte was always such a responsible student, always striving for good grades. The thought of her dropping out of high school makes my heart sink.
“She sounds great.”
“Barbaraisgreat, but back then I wasn’t entirely cooperative or on board with the plan. There were times when it felt like her and Janelle were teaming up against me.” Charlotte curls her feet up underneath her, rests her head back against the couch. “But I’m where I am today because of their nagging.” She smiles at me. “Barbara is dying to meet you.”
“Bring it on.”
“Yeah, whatever, you’ve been warned.”
I’ve drained my beer and she’s barely taken two sips of hers. She takes the empty from my hand without a word and gets me another. “So, how was your first week on the job?”
“It was good. I mean, it’s a good feeling knowing I made the right choice in turning down the other position.”
“So this is a judicial internship, right?”
I nod as I take another sip, mentally reminding myself to slow down. “I turned down a summer associate position at a law firm specializing in patent litigation and I was worried I’d regret it. That’s the kind of place where you make connections that last a lifetime.”
“And you’re already sure it was the right move? It’s only been a week.”
“Yeah, but Carl, I mean the Honorable Carl Michaels, is piling it on already. He’s going to expect a lot from me, so it will be a great learning experience. And his clerk, Dan Webber, just graduated from Northwestern. We clicked on the first day.”
“That’s a good thing.”
“They already having me sitting in to observe a trial that’s starting on Monday. He’s an appellate court judge. Can you imagine what that’s going to be like, watching that level of litigation?”
She laughs. “Your enthusiasm makes law sound fascinating.”
I poke her in the side, unable to resist. “Lawisfascinating. It’s thought-provoking, absorbing, captivating. Law is sexy, dammit.”
“Whatever you say.”
She’s giggling now, and the sound is so freaking adorable. I want to hug her, pull her in close to me. My eyes drift down over her body, see the outline of her breasts straining against the thin fabric of her top. I don’t know if it’s fatigue or lust that makes me lose my sanity, but I’m having an out-of-body experience, watching from above as I reach across to drag my thumb through the condensation gathered on the neck of her bottle and then rub it across her bottom lip.
She sucks in a slow breath and I pull back. “I’m sorry,” I tell her. But chancing a look back at her, I’m thinking maybe sheisn’tsorry. Her body is perched forward now and her eyes are closed. My body is primed and ready, embarrassingly so, but I know this isn’t the way. “Long drive...I guess I should get some sleep.”
She sighs, opening her eyes. “Yeah, get some rest. Ethan’s going to pounce on you the minute he wakes up.”
“I can’t wait. Goodnight, Charlotte.”
She smiles, pausing at the bottom of the staircase. “Goodnight, Simon.”
Charlotte keeps glancing over her shoulder, checking for signs that I’m irked. Normally I wouldn’t be tolerating the twenty questions routine from a veritable stranger, but this woman has done so much for my Charlotte, and in turn for Ethan. In my book, I owe her big time.
“So your mother, she’s in North Carolina?”
