Page 97 of Renewal After Dark

McKenzie understood that. The woman was only human, after all, and Duke was sexy as hell. That he was also sweet and kind and thoughtful was a potent combination for a woman who’d sworn off men and romance after the disaster with Eric had made her question everything.

Eric had swept her off her feet, filled her head with platitudes and paid her more attention than any man ever had. He’d dazzled her with his good looks, sweet talk and sexiness. Who cared if his story didn’t add up at times? Who cared if he “traveled” more than any computer programmer she’d ever met? What did she know about the demands of that career field?

She’d been so blind with love for him that she’d failed to see the forest even as she was sitting under the trees.

The metaphor made her chuckle to herself. She’d been an idiot. That was a far more efficient way to put it.

As she opened the top right drawer to Duke’s desk, she had to bite back a groan at the chaotic mess that greeted her. He wasn’t kidding. Her first order of business was to organize the paperwork. She made piles of bank and credit card statements, receipts, other bills and a few things she wasn’t sure about that she’d ask him about later.

Next, she put the statements in chronological order.

Then she opened the second drawer and found more of the same.

Sighing, she pulled the paper from the drawer and added it to her piles.

Her phone chimed with a text from Kendall James, whom she’d texted earlier to provide the information she needed to get in touch with Eric.

Hi there,

Please take a look at the enclosed draft of the letter I’d like to send to Eric to begin the discussion. Feel free to call me at your convenience (even at night is fine with me if that works better for you). Look forward to reviewing next steps.

Best,

Kendall

McKenzie clicked on the attached PDF to open the letter, which was on official-looking legal letterhead.

Dated September twenty-fifth, it included the address of Eric’s employer in Warwick, Rhode Island.

Dear Mr. Norton,

I represent McKenzie Martin and her minor child, Jax Martin. This letter is to inform you of our intention to sue to establish your paternity of Jax. When paternity is proven, as we believe it will be, our next move will be to demand support for the minor child until such time as he graduates from college. We understand that your wife and other children stand to be adversely affected by this action. Thus, we are contacting you at your place of employment. Should you fail to respond within fourteen days, we will reach out to you at your residence.

We look forward to resolving this matter promptly.

Sincerely,

Kendall James, Esquire

Of counsel

“Holy shit,”McKenzie said under her breath. Imagining Eric receiving that letter filled her with elation and a giddy sense of retribution. Ms. Kendall James, Esquire, was not screwing around. She responded to the text from her.

That letter is perfect. You have my approval to send it. Please let me know what I owe you.

No charge until we recover some money from him. I’ll keep you posted.

I can’t tell you how much I appreciate this.

Happy to help!

“What’re you all smiles about?” Duke asked. “It sure as hell can’t be my bookkeeping.”

McKenzie hadn’t seen him coming. Nor had she noticed that his client had left. “Your bookkeeping needs my help, for sure. But I’m smiling because Kendall James wrote an incredible letter to Eric.” She called it up on her phone and handed it to him.

While he read it, she took in every nuance of his expression, from the way his blue eyes narrowed to the purse of his kissable lips.

He made her not care about her resolution to avoid men and romantic entanglements forever. He made her want to take a wild chance. That thought alone should’ve been like a bitch slap to the head to get herself together, but she couldn’t seem to care about such warnings when the masculine scent of him filled the air around her. She wasn’t sure if it was body wash or shampoo or cologne. Whatever it was worked for her.

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