Page 64 of Love in Bloom

Miller pointed to the first one. “This is a list of questions for Gus. And this is a draft agreement between us.” Miller handed it to him. Croix read it as he arranged a forkful of eggs and waffle. He chewed and stared at Miller. He took a bite of bacon. “Well?” Miller asked impatiently.

“Nice handwriting, and you don’t even need spellcheck.” Croix handed it back to Miller.

“Thanks,” Miller said, using his last bit of patience. “What do you think?”

“I think I could get used to seeing your pretty face every day.” Croix smiled. Leave it to Croix to toy with him on a life-changing decision. He hoped Wren would appreciate the sacrifice he was making by going into business with Croix. From now until retirement, he’d have his chain yanked daily.

He relaxed against the seat. There were lots of hurdles ahead of them, but they were all doable.

“Should we approach Rica?” Miller asked. The agreement would be different if there were three of them. And it would lessen their financial risk.

“Yes.” Croix studied Miller. “Are you sure about this? Partnership was your goal.”

“Goals change.” Miller shrugged. His shoulders felt looser. Like the weight of the world had been lifted from them.

“Looks like a sacrifice from where I sit.”

“Nope. There’s no sacrifice. I get to be my own partner, my own boss, and, if I’m lucky, I get the girl. From where I sit, there’s no loss, just gain.”

Croix,Rica,andMillermet with Gus Tuesday afternoon and signed the simple contract Miller had drafted. The only hitch was the name: Adams, Lynch, and Palma was Croix’s suggestion. “It’s alphabetical,” he’d argued. It didn’t thrill Miller, but he didn’t have any better ideas.

“Fortress Advisers,” Rica suggested. “We’re like a castle. We protect our client’s assets.”

“I like it.” Miller looked at Croix for confirmation before he filled in the name.

The only other sticking point was rent. According to Eric, the amount Gus had named was significantly less than the market rate in Haven. Gus pointed out it was fair since they’d have to pay their utilities and cover the costs of build-out, and he could get his professional services for free. Croix pointed out that wasn’t legal. “Legal schmegal,” Gus said, waving off his concern and promising that they’d figure it out later.

“Ladies, first.” Gus handed Rica the pen. Croix scrawled his signature next.

Miller clicked his pen’s top. He was nervous. He was leaving the familiar for uncharted territory. Employee to owner. The risks were high. If it backfired, he’d lose his livelihood and possibly a childhood friend. Not to mention the sterling reputation he’d built. Business failure wasn’t anywhere near as damning as town drunk, but it didn’t reach the status of law partner, either.New goal,he reminded himself as he signed on the bottom line.

He asked Gus and his new partners to keep quiet about Fortress until after the wedding. He needed to give his notice at AAS and he wanted Wren to hear about the changes from him.

In his darker moments, he worried about them. What if Wren wasn’t ready? What if she was never ready? But then he remembered: she’d said she loved him. She had to be ready.

Miller spent the rest of the week finishing as much work as he could before the partners returned from their fishing trip. He wrote clear, concise notes for the cases he couldn’t finish.

He was ready when Bob Anderson summoned him to the conference room Friday morning. William and Harvey sat in their usual high-backed leather chairs flanking the head of the table. Bob took a seat next to William. Miller asked about their vacation.

“The fish were biting and the bugs weren’t, so it was good,” William said.

“How would you know?” Harvey asked. “After the first day, you spent the rest of your time at the lodge with your nose in a book.”

“I wanted to give you and Bob a better chance with the walleye.”

“Ha! More like you got tired of sitting there watching us reel them in,” Harvey shot back.

“And that’s a little teaser of how the trip went,” Bob said to Miller. He motioned for him to take the seat next to Harvey. Miller stood where he was and grabbed the back of a chair.

“So, have you reached a decision on our offer of partnership?” The three partners looked at him. Miller swiveled the chair back and forth as he gathered his thoughts. He’d rehearsed this all week in his head and thought it would be easy. He was wrong. It was surprisingly difficult, but he knew he wouldn’t regret his decision.

“I’ve learned a lot from all three of you, and I’ve appreciated your faith in me, but I’m declining your partnership offer.” He heard their collective gasps. “My projects are up-to-date. You’ll see I had lots of billable hours while you were on vacation. I’m available by phone, if anyone has any case-related questions. Otherwise, I’ll get my desk packed up and be out of here by the end of the day.”

“Why?” William Anderson was clearly upset and confused.

“The simple reason is, long term I won’t meet your expectations.”

“What do you mean?” asked Bob.

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