Page 29 of Cause and Effect

“That must have been a shock,” he said.

“A total shock, but even more shocking when we found out it was twins.”

“So, you worked as a lawyer in North Carolina?”

“Yeah. I worked for a small firm. After Jason passed, I needed my parents. So, that’s why I packed up and moved to San Francisco.”

“What does your father do?”

“He’s retired now. He was a financial analyst and invested wisely over the years, allowing him to retire at ayoung age. They’ve really been a huge help. If it weren’t for them, I’m not sure what I would have done.”

“May I ask how Jason died?”

“It was a kayaking accident. He and his best friend took an overnight trip. Kayaking was Jason’s passion. I begged him not to go because a bad storm was coming. He told me where they were going, it wasn’t supposed to rain. But the storm hit where they were, and it hit fast. Jason’s best friend, Brendan, was behind him in his kayak when both capsized. He made it to the surface, but Jason never did. They searched for his body for a couple of weeks and finally concluded that it was swept away in the current.”

“He wasn’t wearing a life jacket?”

“Brendan said Jason was, and he took it off for a minute to switch it out because the zipper had broken. But before he could reach for it and get it on, the storm came and—” I looked down.

“I’m sorry, Laurel. I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

“No.” I smiled, shaking my head. “It’s fine. The girls and I are doing well and building a new life. It’s been two years, and they really miss him.”

“Of course they do. He was their father,” Julian said.

“Enough talk about Jason. We need to go over our case strategy,” I said.

“I agree. And we could have talked about it in the pool if you had brought a bathing suit.”

“I have one in the car.”

“You do?” His brow arched.

“I bought it after work because I told the girls I’d take them to the beach on Saturday, and I needed a new one.”

“Perfect. Go get it and put it on while I clean up the kitchen. We’ll bring the wine and enjoy the pool while we review the case.”

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Okay. Then I’ll enjoy the pool while we go over the case, and you can sit in the lounge chair.” He grabbed the plates from the table and set them in the sink. “I’m going to change. I’ll be right back.”

I glanced out the sliding door at the pool, lit by the moon's light. I loved to swim, and his pool was inviting.

“Ugh. I can’t believe I’m doing this,” I mumbled as I went to my car and grabbed the bag with my new bikini in it.

Stepping into the bathroom off the kitchen, I heard Julian’s voice.

“Laurel?”

“In the bathroom changing,” I shouted.

“You changed your mind?” I heard his voice near the door.

“Yeah. I did.”

“Excellent. I’ll meet you out there.”

Chapter Twelve

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