Page 88 of Second Time Around
“Max is concerned about the program—and Shaq—as well.” Emily turned the laptop back around and flipped the top down. “I hope that Davina will calm down once her daughter has been treated. I hope even more that she’ll let us know how Felicia is doing. I hate to think of the child in such pain.” Emily’s eyes brimmed with tears.
“Where’s Diego?” Kyra wanted to reassure the boy that he wasn’t responsible for the catastrophe.
“At Dr.Quillen’s with Shaq. He’s worried the dog will feel abandoned. He took your special dog food with him.” The tears spilled down her cheeks. “He’s such an amazing, compassionate kid.”
“Especially considering what a piece of scum his father is.” Kyra had been astonished the first time Emily had told her about Diego’s background.
“That’s why these kids are so incredible. They overcome all the odds stacked against them.” Emily grabbed a tissue to wipe away her tears. “I want the K-9 Angelz program to continue because it means so much to the children. They need the unconditional love the dogs give them.”
Kyra leaned forward to lay her hand on top of Emily’s. “We’ll find a way to get through this.” Not that she had a clue how, but they had a lot of good people—staff, trustees, parents, and kids—who cared deeply about the center. Together they could solve any problem.
But Monday morning brought more bad news. Davina had indeed hired a lawyer, and not just an average one. She’d retained Titus Allen, a darling of the media because he represented high-profile, high-drama cases with big payouts. Which baffled Kyra. The Carver Center didn’t have the kind of money Allen usually went for.
Then she remembered that Max had just joined the board of trustees. And he was engaged to the center’s director. Would that make Allen smell money?
They were going to need one hell of a tough lawyer to win this battle.
Kyra understood why Emily didn’t want to have Max hire his law firm.Billionaire Board Member Fighting Single Mom.That was a headline they didn’t need.
Kyra perched on a kitchen stool and stared at her phone. She knew someone who knew tough lawyers. He’d said to call if she ever needed anything. She would never ask for herself, but the center was a different matter.
But she’d better run it by Emily first, so she hiked up the stairs to the director’s third-floor office. Emily was frowning at her laptop when Kyra walked in and closed the door behind her.
“I might be able to get us a really good lawyer,” she said, taking the bright orange chair in front of the desk.
Emily lifted her gaze from the computer and waited.
Kyra shifted in the chair. She’d forgotten that she’d need to explain to Emily that she and Will were no longer together. “Will’s father is the senior partner at Chase, Banfield, and Trost. Since Will is a big fan of the center, I’m sure he’d be able to get a top-notch lawyer to work pro bono. That way Max won’t be connected to the law firm.”
“But you will be,” Emily pointed out.
“Will and I broke up over the weekend.” Kyra tried to say the words without inflection but her voice cracked the tiniest bit midsentence.
Emily stood up and came around the desk to give Kyra a slightly awkward bent-over hug. “I’m so sorry. I know he was a friend first, so that makes it doubly hard to lose him.”
The hug was surprisingly welcome, and Kyra curled her hands over Emily’s arms to give her a grateful squeeze. “It was bound to happen. Probably better sooner rather than later, so it doesn’t hurt quite as much.”
Emily straightened. “It would be painful for you to be in contact with him again. I wouldn’t ask you to do that.”
“I’m offering.” Kyra swallowed. “We both know it’s going to take a lot of legal clout and skill to face down Titus Allen. The man is a master at trying the case in the media. We need someone equally savvy.”
Emily was silent a moment and then knelt in front of Kyra. “Look me in the eye and tell me you won’t be upset by talking to Will again so soon.”
“I’ll be upset, but I’m a big girl. I’ve broken up with men before.” Never a man like Will, though. She’d never fallen in love with anyone else, probably because she had never given them enough time or attention. “The center needs a big gun. I can get one.”
“Max could get one, too. It’s just that ...” Emily turned her palms out in a gesture of indecision.
“Let me do this.”
The director studied Kyra’s face a moment longer before she rose to her feet and nodded. “Thank you.”
“I may not be able to reach him right away. CEOs tend to be busy.” She gave Emily a wry look.
“Just let me know when you hear from him.”
Kyra walked slowly back down the stairs as she formulated and discarded conversational openings. Finally, she decided to text him as her opening salvo, so that he knew exactly why she was getting in touch.
She sat on the kitchen stool and pulled out her phone.
