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Chelsea used to complain at how much time I spent visiting our elderly neighbor.“She’s a nasty old coot. Why bother with her? Unless she’s planning to leave you something in her will, that is,” Chelsea had said many times over the years. Chelsea’s issue with Mrs. Hamilton was that she didn’t have a penis, thus she couldn’t manipulate her. My soon-to-be-ex was depressingly predictable.
When I had noticed two of the large oak trees in Mrs. Hamilton’s yard had come down after a particularly violent storm, I had told her to call my best friend from high school who now ran his own landscaping business. I knew Kyle would never charge the old dear a damn cent, but I had slipped him a couple of Benjamins for his good Samaritan duties.
“It’s no problem, Mrs. Hamilton. Honestly. How about I call Kyle myself and have him swing by this afternoon. You should be out in your yard enjoying this beautiful weather,” I told her, unlocking my car and throwing my briefcase on the back seat. I glanced at the time again. Shit. I was going to be late.
Mrs. Hamilton smiled, her eyes were crinkling. “You’re a sweet boy, Adam. And you deserve much better than what you’ve had.” Her mouth pressed into a thin line, making her opinion of Chelsea very clear.
“Thanks, Mrs. Hamilton. That means a lot. Well, I’d better get going—”
“I hope you’re not getting back together with that woman. She’s no good for you,” Mrs. Hamilton went on. While she meant well, I usually tried to avoid her attempts at meddling. I knew that she was lonely. And bored. But I had enough people offering unwanted advice and opinions when it came to my personal life.
“There’s nothing you need to worry about, Mrs. Hamilton. I promise.” I smiled again, though it felt strained this time. “I need to get to work. But I’ll call Kyle, and he’ll swing by to let you know about clearing the trees.”I climbed into my car with a wave before she could continue her rant about Chelsea.
I broke several speed limits on my way to the office. It was a good thing I knew where all the speed traps were. I pulled into my usual parking spot in front of Jenkins, Ducate, and Wyatt Attorneys at Law with two minutes to spare.
Lena barely glanced up from her computer screen when I walked in. Her pretty face was scrunched up in a way that was very similar to the expression I made when I was frustrated. “Your nine-thirty canceled,” she called out as I walked by.
I let out an irritated sigh. “You couldn’t have called and told me that? I ran two stop signs trying to get here.”
Lena shrugged. “I was busy. Plus, if you had gotten here on time, you would have known, and there wouldn’t have been a need to break traffic laws.”
I took the pile of messages she handed me, skimming through them.
“So why so late?” she asked, finally turning away from her computer, eyebrows raised.
I wouldn’t meet her eyes. It was easier to lie to my sister when I wasn’t looking directly at her. “Overslept,” I answered dismissively, hoping she’d drop it.
Of course, she didn’t.
Marlena Rose Ducate, Lena for short, was persistent. “Overslept? Please. That excuse may work on someone that didn’t live with you for years.” She got up and followed me into my office.
I thought about telling my sister to mind her own business, but I’d be wasting my breath. Lena would wiggle the truth out of me sooner or later. She was merciless in that way. As a kid, it had been obnoxious. I couldn’t get away with anything because Lena would be there to bust me every single time. There wasn’t a secret she couldn’t figure out. Meg had nicknamed her Sherlock and had even gotten her one of those old-timey detective hats for her tenth birthday. Lena had loved it and wore it for an entire summer.
It was the second time that morning I had thought of Meg. That was bothersome.
I had worked hard over the years not to let my mind drift her way because even after all this time, the memories of my former best friend were laced with anger, longing, and bittersweet nostalgia. The combination was a potent reminder that the girl I had thought would be a permanent fixture in my life until we were old and grey, wanted absolutely nothing to do with me. It still hurt much more than I wished it would. I would have thought ten years was more than enough time to get over the pain of losing her. But my heart held onto the past with an ironclad grip.
“Your shirt is creased. And your hair is a mess. You look as though you’ve been rolling around before work.” Lena pursed her lips in disapproval. She had an eye for detail. Nothing got past her. She was our mother’s daughter, that was for sure. That was another reason she was going to make one hell of a lawyer when she finished school.
