Page 17 of A Lesson for Laurel

“Just as I said, too many independent women.”

“I was raised that way,” she said. “Got to make my father proud.”

When Aster left, she started to put her things back on her desk. It’d been a few months since she’d seen her father. Maybe she’d go home for a visit this weekend. Let him know she was doing alright and he should be proud of her.

He’d raised a damn strong independent daughter, just as he’d always wanted.

6

GOOD TIMING

Easton was stretching his arms over his head on Thursday. Nothing made him sore anymore, or he didn’t think so. But laying all those pavers for two days over the past weekend made his back tight.

And if he was tight, then he wondered how Laurel might be doing.

He hadn’t seen her since. Just her SUV coming and going early in the morning or late at night.

Guess he didn’t pay much attention to those things before but now found himself looking out the window.

The past few days had been cold and wet and not much work to be doing outside. Just jobs to get pictures and quotes for Abe to deal with.

When his phone rang, he looked at the time and noticed it was Liam. His best friend was looking after his condo in Stamford.

“Hey,” he said. “Shouldn’t you be in class?”

Liam was a college professor. “Nope,” Liam said. “The campus is closed today for a water main break. Got the day off.How about you? Bet you’ve got your eight hours in already doing your legal thing, then put another three in for your cousin.”

It was two in the afternoon. “Damn close,” he said. “Though only two hours for Abe. I ran out to meet with a client earlier for him and sent over a bunch of stuff. Not much more going on on that front. The beginning of April things will be picking up. I’ll have to get out on some sites I’m sure.”

Liam was laughing. “I’m not sure how you’re managing it.”

“It’s all good. Just temporary and I offered. It’s not like I need to go into the office daily. As long as my other work is done, and it always is, there are no worries.”

“Being a partner and all,” Liam said. “You get to pick and choose your hours.”

“Not quite like that,” he said. “But since I’ve got a lot of international things going right now, the hours are working for me. It’s not always like this so I’ll consider it fate or good timing to help out my family.”

“And we know you’ll always help out those you care for,” Liam said.

“What’s going on?” he asked. “Just checking up on me? Something wrong with my condo?”

“Condo is fine,” Liam said. “No worries there. I checked it out earlier today and try to go in once a week.”

“I appreciate it. I’ll have some of that fancy wine Nicole loves delivered this weekend. Maybe you can get her drunk and have your way with her.”

Liam laughed on the other end. “I don’t need any wine to have my way with my wife. She’s all over me when I walk in the door.”

He rolled his eyes. “That’s not what she’s said before.”

“Dude, are you spending time talking to my wife?” Liam asked, pretending to be outraged. Since Nicole was an attorneywho worked with him and he’d introduced the two, he knew Liam wasn’t annoyed.

Nicole worked in another division, not under him, which was good, as he didn’t want that conflict. But before he was promoted to partner, he’d worked with Nicole on a few projects years ago.

He knew right away Nicole and Liam would hit it off and had done something he’d sworn never to do. Set them up on a blind date.

He wouldn’t have done it if Nicole hadn’t asked him. She’d said Easton was a great guy and she’d never date a coworker, but she was having shitty luck in the dating world and wanted to know if he had any friends. That anyone as loyal and hardworking as him would hang out with the same type of people.

Liam came to mind and the two hit it off, dated for six months, and were married six months later.

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