Page 124 of A Lesson for Laurel

“How is she supposed to reach you?” Philip asked.

“She’ll find a way. Her attorney can send me another certified letter or email. Call or text. Figure it out. Otherwise, the next step is mine. Have a good night.”

She shut the door before he could say another word.

“That was entertaining,” Easton said.

She turned and shook her ass at him. “Crazy drama,” she said. “It feels as if that is all I’ve shown to you since we met.”

He slapped her ass and pulled her close. She knew her workout attire was showing sweat marks in places and his hand was damp from touching her.

“And yet I’m still here, so I’m not bothered by it.”

“Good point,” she said. “How hard did you shake his hand?”

“Not as hard as I slapped your butt just now. He’s soft.”

“He is,” she said. “Glad I got to see the light when I did.”

“Do you think he will talk to his mother?” he asked, moving away from her and then wiping his wet hand on his shorts.

She wasn’t offended either. She would have done the same thing if he was the sweaty one.

“I think so. He’s more afraid of his father than his mother. He’s always been that way. He gives in to his mother because it’s easier. He’ll tell his mother and she’ll back down because she’ll know what will happen if his father finds out what caused the engagement to end.”

“I’m sure his father knows of his son’s cheating ways,” he said.

“I’m positive, but it’s not my concern. You’re my concern. You don’t believe I only wanted you because of what you do for a living, right?”

He burst out laughing and was almost bent over with it. “That’s a joke, right?”

It took her a minute before she remembered the fight they had when she found out that he was an attorney and how deceived and angry she was.

“It wasn’t, but now I realize how funny it is,” she said, laughing.

He hugged her again. “We all have things in our past. We have to move on from them. I don’t think anything of it.”

“Thanks,” she said. “I hope it’s over with soon.”

“If it’s not, then we’ll deal with it. I promise.”

She kissed him and then walked up the stairs grinning. “I’d rather you promise me something else,” she shouted from the top of the stairs. She was positive he was watching her walk up them with his eyes on her ass.

“I’ll give it to you later,” he shouted back and then his laughter faded as he walked back to his office.

41

THERE YOU GO

Two days later, while Laurel was at work, Easton was in her kitchen getting a drink when he noticed a movement on the back deck of Abe’s house.

He got up and looked closer and realized the screen door was moving.

Must be Abe didn’t latch it all the way and if it wasn’t pushed closed the wind would grab it and slam it back into the house.

He picked his phone up and sent a text to Abe to bust his ass that he was fixing yet another thing in the house and then went over.

He was walking up the back porch stairs when he noticed the backdoor opened slightly too. No way his cousin would leave and not lock the house, let alone shut the doors.

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