“I guess you’re right considering all the shit that happened.” Lucy pursed her lips for a moment before speaking again. “I know what he did, Megan. He’s not out, is he?”
She shrugged. “I really don’t know. I doubt it, though.”
“Poor thing,” Lucy said. “What a mess. You look like you haven’t rested in weeks. What you need is a good, hot meal.”
“I’m really not hungry,” she lied.
“Nonsense.” Lucy looked at Phoebe. “You and your client sit before the rest of the lunch crowd shows. Pour yourself some tea. I’ll fix you two the special.”
“Sounds great to me.” Phoebe led her to the center booth by the window. “You like sweet tea or plain?”
“Plain,” she answered, sliding into the blue vinyl seat.
“I’ll be right back with our drinks.” Phoebe left her alone.
The bell on the door to the eatery chimed. Several people she’d seen in the courtroom’s gallery filed into Lucy’s as expected.
Not wanting to meet their gazes, she looked down at her hands folded together on the table. Her world, what little was left of it, was hitting a new low. Megan had only thought she’d found the bottom that Kip’s crimes had forced her down to. TBK’s copresidents were going after her mother’s house. Back taxes and overdue repairs were the least of her worries.
Phoebe came back with two glasses of tea. She set one down in front of Megan and then scooted into the booth opposite her. “You’re going to love Lucy’s burgers.”
“I’m really not hungry, Phoebe,” she said, knowing how low her funds were. No way could she pay for lunch. Her stomach growled in betrayal. She hoped Phoebe hadn’t heard, but by the look on her attorney’s face, she believed Phoebe must have. “Just the tea. Thanks.” Her lack of funds presented a ton of challenges. One, food. Two, lodging. Three, transportation. Granny Gremlin would never make it back to Texas without a visit to a top-notch mechanic. Four, back taxes on her mother’s house. Five, everything else.
Phoebe stared at her with understanding eyes. “I insist. You haven’t lived until you’ve tasted one of Norm’s creations.” She reached across the table and squeezed her hand. “Megan, it’s my treat.”
Megan nodded. Phoebe had to know she was broke but was kind enough to not make her feel like a charity case, though that was what she was in truth.
Phoebe pulled out an iPad from her purse. “You mentioned working as a secretary. You must’ve worked on computers then.”
“More of a receptionist, but yes, I have. The last job I had was in a dentist office. I kept the appointments and filed insurance claims.” An image of the office manager’s face at the place came into her mind. The woman had been sweet and apologetic, hating to have to fire her, but the policy was employees had to meet certain minimums from their credit history. Kip’s black record had spilled over all her information, including her credit score of three hundred, the absolute lowest rating the three bureaus gave. She’d ended up on the bottom because literally everything had gone wrong.
Getting let go was something Megan had unfortunately become too familiar with.
“What about character references?” Phoebe asked. “Do you have anyone that we can get up here next Tuesday that would speak on your behalf?”
“No. It’s just me.” It had been that way since Kip’s arrest and would most certainly be that way for the rest of her life. She didn’t have any hope her future would be any different than now.
“Do you have any family, Megan?”
She looked out the large windows of the burger shop and gasped. Eric and Scott Knight were staring at her from across the street. A shiver shot up her spine. Only in Destiny for less than two hours and her whole world had turned upside down.
“No family. I’m alone.”
Chapter Three
Eric gazed at Megan behind the big window of Lucy’s. Their eyes locked for a moment. Suddenly, Megan turned her attention from him to Phoebe, who was sitting with her in the burger shop.
“Shall we make our offer to her or not?” Scott stood next to him on the sidewalk on the park side of South Street.
“I’m inclined to say ‘not,’ but I know you’re not going to drop this.”
His brother nodded. “You’re right about that.”
“You know she might refuse us,” he said. Of the two of them, Scott was always quick to believe the best in pe
ople. Eric had been like him in the beginning of TBK. Not anymore. Not after Kip.
“I know.” Scott removed the suit jacket and flipped it over his shoulder. “We have to convince her it’s for the best.”