Page 10 of Timeless Pages
“Well, he got it for someone and—“
“No,” Nova said, cutting Dom off.
“No?” he asked, perplexed.
“I will not be an accomplice to your seduction of that poor girl. She’s been through enough and doesn’t need you hounding after her like a rare Pokémon. In this instance, you do not have to catch them all, Dominic DeCosta!” Nova’s eyes suddenly widened, and she gasped. “Tell me you three aren’t already over there trying to talk her out of her bookstore and pants.”
“It’s not like that, Nova,” I replied. “Yes, we were looking into purchasing the store, but only because we saw it was for sale.”
“Isa would never sell that store,” Nova replied in shock.
“Do you know her well?” Nate asked.
“Better than most. Isa keeps to herself, but over the years of her stopping in to get a cupcake, I’ve managed to get her to open up a little. Enough to know she would die before selling,” Nova replied.
“Out of curiosity,” Dom said, “those times she stopped in, what flavor cupcake did she get the most?” Nova rolled her eyes at his lame attempt to get the information we came for.
“She isn’t selling it; her father is,” I informed her.
Nova’s brow furrowed in confusion. “I didn’t know her father was still alive. On the rare occasion she spoke of him, she spoke as if he were gone.”
“Well, he is alive and well and causing problems for her. We want to help her, but she’s resistant,” Nate said, ending with a frustrated growl.
“We’re desperate for anything to help us feel closer to her and just want to know her favorite cupcake flavor,” I pleaded.
Nova looked at us carefully. “All three of you want to know?” We nodded. “If I find out you used this information to take advantage of her, I’ll castrate you and turn your balls into jelly filling, got it?” We winced but nodded again.
Nova reached into the display case and placed three cupcakes on the counter in front of us.
“Isa’s favorite cupcake is Chocolate Covered Cherry.”
Chapter eleven
Isa
Ientered the law offices of Skimmer, Calvert, and Hughes with more apprehension than I would have preferred. When I started calling lawyers and explaining what I needed, hoping we could work out a payment plan or even if they’d be willing to take the case pro bono, they all gave me the same answer. They aren’t taking on new clients, but they know of a firm in town that is, and a pro bono case like this was just what they were looking for to round out their tax year.
I continued to call other lawyers after the first one because the best law firm in town, which seemed to be looking to take on a case like mine, seemed far too good to be true. I suspected this was my father’s doing. Getting some lawyers on his side would be a cakewalk if he could get a judge to do his bidding.
I only called Skimmer because I had no other options in town, and calling lawyers outside of Sunflower Falls was an absolute last resort. I knew Father didn’t have his hooks fully embedded in Sunflower Falls; I couldn’t say the same for the surroundingtowns. I fully expected to get the runaround and be told several reasons they couldn’t take my case or that it wasn’t worth fighting, but I had to at least meet with them.
The cheerful blonde behind a black marble reception desk smiled as I entered. “Good morning. How can I help you?”
“I have a meeting with Daniel Calvert,” I replied.
“Wonderful to meet you, Miss Wilcox. He’s expecting you. I’ll let him know you’re here.” I glanced nervously at the clock behind her. I tried to get here early, but we weren’t getting off to a good start if I was already keeping him waiting. I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw I still had fifteen minutes until my appointment.
The receptionist smiled warmly at me. “Don’t worry about it. He’s one of those types who is super early for everything and, therefore, is always waiting for someone,” she said with a wink as she pressed a button on her phone.
“Yes?” A male voice said through the speaker.
“Miss Wilcox is here for your ten o’clock meeting,Sir.”
“Thank you, Brandy.”
There was a click, and the line went dead. Brandy glared at the phone briefly before shooting me another bright smile. “Mr. Calvert will be right out.”
A door opened down the hall, and a brown-haired man in an expensive suit strode toward me with purpose. His eyes slid to Brandy briefly, and I saw a smug look flash across his face before his attention returned to me. “Miss Wilcox, it is a pleasure to meet you,” he said as he held his hand out to shake mine. “Won’t you come this way?” His hand hovered over my lower back, not making contact as he guided me to his office.
