Page 12 of Gideon's Gratitude

He shrugged. “I met her a couple of times both out here and in town. Solid reputation. She and her people do good work. Lots of stuff for charity too.”

Of this, I was aware. I hadn’t specifically selected the woman for her charitable endeavors, but hearing she directed a percentage of her profits to homeless charities, and that she and her crew volunteered during their downtimes to help build and rebuild homes, sat well with me. I wasn’t nearly as dedicated but had taken on a few clients over the years who needed assistance and were unable to afford any help.

Legal aid was good in theory, but they were woefully underfunded and understaffed.

“What is it you do?” Funny, I hadn’t thought to ask the question last night. Proper conversation starter.

“I, uh, am sort of between gigs.”

What on earth did that mean? Unemployed? Living on some kind of trust fund? Getting by on social assistance? The response baffled me.

He speared a piece of bacon but didn’t eat it. “And what do you do?”

“I’m an attorney.”

The man laid his fork down and squinted at me. “A lawyer, eh?”

Definite bite. Out of proportion.What does he have against lawyers?

“What kind of lawyer?”

“I’m a divorce attorney.”

Suddenly, he pushed back from the table and grabbed his plate.

“But you haven’t eaten…”

A nasty glare. “Appetite’s gone. I’m going out to inspect the damage and take Lucky for a walk.”

The dog, who’d been sleeping placidly, leapt to attention.

“All right, I’ll await your return.”

The man pointed to the phone. “Make your calls and then head over to your place when the cavalry arrives. I won’t be back by then.”

“But…” Words failed me, as they so seldom did. “I don’t want to leave your home unlocked.”

“Nothing worth stealing.” He stomped to the kitchen and dumped his plate into the sink with a clatter. He whistled, and the dog followed him through to the laundry room.

I held my breath as I waited.

Before long, the back door opened and then slammed shut.

What the fuck just happened?Gnawing hunger had me eating the food on my plate, even as my stomach churned.

Okay, so plenty of people didn’t like lawyers. Some with just cause, others simply because they saw sharks—people willing to exploit other’s weaknesses. Still others saw lawyers as rich snobs.

For better or worse, I fit into that category. Well, wealthy and of the upper classes these days. I’d been born with a proverbial silver spoon in my mouth, but I’d worked hard to achieve my own career success—separate from my father’s.

And how had Gideon been raised? If this house had been in the family for a while, it might’ve been middle class. At one time, properties up here were cheap. Now, however, they indicated status to those who bought up here. A red-hot real estate market ensured I’d paid top dollar for the land.

Once I finished my meal, I rose and moved to the kitchen. I located a compost bin and emptied the remnants of Gideon’s meal into it. Then I rinsed the plates, loaded the dishwasher, and washed the pans I’d used. Wasn’t every day I did this. In fact, I couldn’t remember the last time. Takeout and delivery were my staples. Especially since Thea had moved out with her boy toy.

Don’t think about them.

I should be happy the marriage was over. I’d hired the second-best divorce attorney in town to represent my interests. In the end, I hadn’t gone for Thea’s throat. I’d provided her with alimony payments that would continue until she married. Some women might never remarry, but she wasn’t one of them. To her, amazingly, marriage was sacred. That she hadn’t been faithful to ours was of no relevance to her.

What surprised me was her departure. I’d been willing to look the other way, as long as she kept her dalliances private. I had a reputation to maintain.

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