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He’d never hit on her or made her uncomfortable. Until recently, she’d assumed she wasn’t his type. Because every other junior lawyer had at some point been unprofessional, and even several of the married clients had been inappropriate and forward.
The couples at the table all stopped talking as they walked farther into the room, and Finn’s father stood, clearing his throat. “Ahem. Everyone, Finn has brought a guest. This is Hailey, and they work together at the firm.”
In unison, everyone said, “Hello Hailey,” and she felt the heat pushing up her neck.
“Hi. I get the feeling Finn doesn’t bring a lot of guests to dinner.”
One of the men that looked disturbingly like Finn stood. He was taller and leaner, but they were definitely brothers. He stuck out his hand.
“Only because he is a man of discerning taste, and he knows that I will tease him mercilessly when he blows it. I’m Conner, nice to meet you.” He turned and smiled wide at a woman with bright orange curly hair. “This is the love of my life, Hannah.”
The woman laughed and rolled her eyes. “Hi, Hailey, it’s nice to meet you.”
“Oh, Finn. You made it.” A woman with thick, auburn hair appeared in the hall and moved gracefully to hug him. He lifted her off her feet in a bear hug causing her to laugh.
“Mom, I brought a friend from work. Hailey, this is my mom, Cora.”
“Mrs. Maguire, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“You can call me Cora, dear, and the pleasure is mine. You two are just in time. Have a seat, and we’ll get started.” She smiled at Hailey before addressing Mr. Maguire. “Put that dog down so we can eat,” Cora said.
His mom ushered her to sit in an empty seat next to her, and everyone shuffled a bit so Finn could sit on the other side of Hailey.
“This is my other brother, Rory, and his wife, Ainsley,” Finn said.
They both smiled and greeted her warmly. Once his mother said grace, the table was filled with activity. Finn poured her a glass of wine, and she accepted platter after platter of food as they each filled their plates.
“Where are you going to put all of that?” Finn said, looking at the large heaping of pasta and chicken on her plate.
“I may forget a meal here and there, but when I do eat, I make it count.”
“I like her already,” Conner said. “You’re not going to be disappointed. My mom makes the best Marsala ever.” After a few bites, she couldn’t help but hum at the flavor bomb of garlic, onion, Marsala wine, and butter.
“The key ingredient is butter, lots of butter,” Cora said.
“So, Finn, tell us what’s been keeping you so busy you had to miss two family dinners in a row,” Rory said.
His smile fell, and he looked to his mom before he answered. “Just one of the guys on the team having a tough time lately.”
His brother nodded. “Sorry to hear it.”
Before anyone asked more questions, he changed the subject. She wondered what he meant bya tough time?
“Hailey and I are working this case together. Actually, we’re pitted against each other for a shot at the title for junior partner.”
Conner made a loud whistle sound. “Damn, just bow out now, dude. They are going to figure out you are prettier than you are smart, and Hailey is going to win.”
Everyone laughed, and Hailey startled at the feel of Cora’s warm hand on her wrist but was met by a big smile. As a kid, she’d developed a fear of people putting their hands on her, after several bad incidents with foster parents. As an adult, she had to retrain her brain not to always expect the worst out of people. This woman wasn’t capable of the kind of pain Hailey had once experienced.
“So you’re a lawyer at the firm too then? How exciting. Did Finn tell you I worked there?”
She looked from his mom back to Finn, who looked like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, but also sheepish. She was struck with how handsome he was and the energy between them seemed to spike. “No, he failed to mention he was a legacy.” She set her fork down and took a small sip of her wine. “I guess I’m done for now on the partnership.”
His mom laughed. “Well, that was a long time ago, and if Baxter Senior has any say, it’ll be whoever knows case law backward and forward and has the most intangible but necessary trait in court.”
“Which is?” Rory said.
“We used to call it a lot of things: allure, wasta, presence, grace, charisma. A trial lawyer needs to appear to have all of those qualities, all at once. Too cocky, and you’re smarmy. Too demure, you’re weak. It’s a tough balance for many lawyers to come off as both assertive and compassionate in the courtroom.”
