“Hey. Everything went okay with the officer?”
“Yes. She was here for some research I’m doing. I completely forgot to add her to my calendar.”
Eleanor’s eyebrows shot up. “That’s unlike you.”
I smacked my forehead playfully. “Freshly married brain and all that. Don’t fall in love. Messes with your memory.”
She chuckled, nodding.
“I’m heading to the conference room for the call. It might take longer. You know how these things go. Don’t wait for me.”
“Sure.”
I arranged everything in the conference room, armed with the summary page of the case, listening to the client. But half my brain cells were still rewinding everything I’d told our case worker. Had it been enough? Had it been too much—as if I was trying too hard? Had they questioned Hunter too?
Even though I didn’t like checking my phone while I was in a conference, I glanced at the screen, grateful that the client had preferred to do this audio-only.
My phone’s battery was dead. Great. Just great. What if Hunter had called or messaged, wanting more details? What if he didn’t remember my favorite food or whatever and he wanted to double-check?
“What’s that sound?” the client asked sharply. Shit. I was tapping my fingers against the desk. I needed to get a grip on myself.
“Better now?” I curled my left hand into a fist, laying it in my lap.
“Yes. So... Josie, do you think we can win this?”
I was great at my job. I loved helping people, fighting for them. But I didn’t like to give them false hope before I’d had a chance to sink my teeth into their case.
“I’m certainly going to do my best. I need to review all the facts, but we’re going to put up a good fight.”
My mind was still spinning an hour and a half later, when I ended the call. I’d taken copious amounts of notes. I walked straight to the elevator, heading first to my office to drop all the case files and pick my bag.
All the assistants on my floor had already left, but when I descended to the lobby, both receptionists were still there. One of them waved at me.
“Josie, someone’s waiting for you.”
Was the case worker back? I couldn’t deal with her again today.
“I’ve been fighting with him for half an hour. He insisted on going up to your office. Told him we don’t allow anyone in our lawyers’ offices alone. He wouldn’t take no for an answer.”
I had a slight suspicion who he was.
“My husband?”
“Yes. He’s in the lounge.”
“Thanks.”
I rounded the reception corner, heading straight to the lounge—an elegant room with leather couches and oil portraits hanging on the wall, tracing the origins of the founders back to the old world.
Why was Hunter here? Had the case worker accosted him too? Had something worse happened?
That pessimistic train of thought came to a screeching halt when I noticed Hunter. He was standing, hands in his pockets, molten eyes trained on me, oozing testosterone.
His tan had faded a little, but his hair still maintained that bronze look, with a few blond waves here and there.
I smiled; I just couldn’t do otherwise.
“They didn’t let me up to your office,” he said.