Page 46 of Without You, Scotch and Sammy 2

Juliette’s eyes flare quickly, then snatching up her phone, she murmurs softly. “Who’s coming? All of them? ... Jack too?” Juliette’s eyes come up to mine. “Shit. Okay. Keep them out until I finish up my meeting. Thanks.”

Juliette hangs up quickly, then stands and indicates to the door. “I have to go. My next meeting is on his way in, but it was lovely meeting you, Sammy.”

I frown at her quick dismissal, but since I was a walk-in without an appointment, I shrug my shoulders and bend down to place Lily back in her car seat. Juliette practically dances from one foot to the other in an attempt to rush me, so I move faster. I throw my bag over one arm, then standing straight and grunting with the weight of the carseat and Lily, I turn to the door as Juliette steps around me and holds it open.

We step out into a large reception area with two empty desks. Turning left and moving down the long hallway, I look at all the doors to read name tags. “You have a paralegal, right? I thought you mentioned one…”

“Yeah, I do.”

“I’m surprised I haven’t really talked to her. I’ve spent most of my career talking to paralegals, not lawyers themselves.”

“Yeah, she was on this case at the beginning, but as soon as I realized Mr. Turner was local, I took her off. Just in case of a conflict of interest.”

“Does she know him?”

“I’m not sure... I was just being careful. I’m not from around here, so without knowing you or Mr. Turner – from school, that is – I took over.”

I nod at her logic. “Smart choice. This is a small town.”

“Sure is.” She reaches past me to the front door of the office building, then practically shoves me out and smiles. “You have my card. Call me if you need anything. I can’t represent you officially, but I’m here to offer advice if you want it.”

“Okay, thanks--” She closes the door in my face, and frowning, I look around. I’m not at the front of the building at all, but the back. She’s shoved me out into the parking lot.

Strange… Conveniently closer to Sam’s apartment, but still, strange.

I look at my watch and note the time. It’s almost noon, which means more formula, then sleep for Lily. Shrugging my shoulders, I turn away from the law offices, and I start walking back to Sam’s apartment.

It occurs to me that I have no clue what Sam does for a living. I don’t know if he and the band actually play at all anymore, and if they do, do they still practice in his parent’s garage? Angelo works at the garage during the day, so that implies Sam has something else during the day too, but I can’t actually even guess at what it might be.

Butterflies bat at my stomach as I wander along the sidewalk and think about the band. I’ve seen Angelo and Sam, but I know that’s only half of the group from school. I wonder where Marc and Luc are these days. Are they still here? Are they still in the band? Did my folks make trouble for Marc and his sister?

I got my parents out of town and as far away as physically possible, but still, I didn’t keep up with them after I left. Juliette mentioned the original Chief Turner retired a few years back. Retired, not dishonorably removed from his job. So at least I know they left the Turners alone.

I turn the corner at the end of the block, then turning into Sam’s street, or rather, Angelo’s garage’s street, I wander and lug an almost asleep Lily as my left arm aches with her weight. The car seat weighs more than the baby inside, and every step I take has the solid plastic banging into my knee.

I should have brought the stroller, but I was feeling ambitious this morning and set out with less muscle than I thought.

Metal clangs on metal and guys joke and swear inside the garage, and the wind carries the sound so easily, I laugh at someone’s crude joke. Boys are gross, and it would seem, so are men.

I walk past the front of the open bays, and though I purposely don’t look inside in an attempt to sneak past, I hear the sound of heavy boots stopping abruptly.

“What the actual fu--”

“Shut it,” Angelo snaps quick as a flash. I know his voice, but the other is the one sending nerves slithering through my stomach.

“Did I die?” the voice asks. “Did you smack me so hard with a wrench right now I didn’t even feel it?”

“I’m gonna smack you with a wrench in second if you don’t shut up, Luc.”

Stopping on the spot, I close my eyes and turn slowly toward the voices.

“Holy fucking macaroni, she’s not a ghost?”

I open my eyes as Angelo rolls his. He smacks a very grown up, and very handsome Luc Lenaghan on the back of the head with his rag, then he walks toward me. “Hey Soda.” He leans down quickly and takes Lily’s chair, relieving me of her weight, and I groan as feeling returns to my shoulder. “I was hoping he wouldn’t see you. I don’t know what your plans are around here and whether you wanted your presence known, but he got here to shoot the shit, and when I closed the bay doors, the guys complained they wanted fresh air.”

“It’s okay.”

My nerves at seeing Luc are instantly wiped clean when Marcus walks out of the garage with a sneer more dangerous than I ever saw him shoot at Meg.

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