Page 100 of A Lesson for Laurel

“Do you guys do much when you’re together? You haven’t said and I haven’t wanted to ask too much. Your father is always asking for information.”

She sighed. She should have figured that. They were giving her space to figure it out on her own but wanting to know at the same time.

“The first weekend I was there, we went to dinner with his best friends. They are great and so nice. I actually text with Nicole, that’s Liam’s wife.”

“That’s nice,” Aunt Helen said. “It gives you a good idea of what he’s like with his friends.”

“Nicole works with Easton too, so they are close on more than one level.”

“She’s an attorney too?” Aunt Helen asked, laughing.

“She is and nothing like I have judged them on. I don’t need you to tell me those things.”

“I’m glad you learned that.”

“I’m pretty smart,” she said. “The next weekend I was there we went hiking. I had an issue with work and felt horrible about it and had to spend some time dealing with that.”

When she’d met with Denise the following Monday, she’d written her up and said the next time would be a final warning. She hated to do that to someone who’d been there for so long, but an employee shouldn’t be in the position that didn’t take responsibility or do their job.

Lily and she had talked it over and felt this was the fairest thing to do. Give Denise one more chance before she’d be on the way out.

Denise had been stunned by the conversation, apologized a few times, and even shed a tear.

It was as if she had no idea that was a possibility or that Laurel could do that to her.

Now everyone knew and many were giving her a wide berth at work. It was fine with her. Being the boss wasn’t easy and she never expected it to be.

She wasn’t there to make friends and they knew it now.

“How was Easton about that with your job?”

“Fine,” she said. “He didn’t seem upset over it. There are times we are together and there is something he has to stop and take care of. I don’t care either. It happens. Then this weekend we had the wedding, but he came on Thursday night late. Enough time to get ready for bed, then worked from my place on Friday.”

“That’s nice. Then you had Friday night together,” Aunt Helen said.

“We did,” she said. “We went to dinner on the water and relaxed. Yesterday was a long day and this morning his cousin Abe showed up for breakfast.”

“That’s odd,” Aunt Helen said. “Do you know why?”

“I think the two of them had to chat about a few things. I know that Easton takes care of any of the legal or business issues for Cooke’s Landscaping. But I think they talked more about Abe’s mom. His Aunt Carrie has wanted to know how things were going with us and Abe stopped over to watch.”

“Watch?”

“It was funny. The two of them together are a riot. I like Abe as a person. He actually brings another side out of Easton. The same side that Easton has when he’s with Liam.”

“Ahh,” Aunt Helen said. “Not the stuffy legal side?”

“He’s not stuffy. I was so wrong there. I know it.”

“I’m glad,” Aunt Helen said.

“Things are going well. You can tell Dad that.”

“Or you can call and let him know yourself.”

She let out a sigh. “It’s hard to talk about those things with him. You know that.”

“I do. But all you have to do is say you’re happy. Happier than you’ve been in a long time. Those are the things that are important to your father.”

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