He chuckled. “You look so much like your mother with that face.”
I dipped my head, pushing my hair behind my ear.
“Yeah,” he began to cover the awkward moment. “Well, I’m sure you’re busy. How’s it going over there at the firm?”
I studied him, wondering what his intentions were behind that question. His hands lay clasped, resting on his desk, back erect and eyes trained on me. Although his face looked semi-relaxed, those burnt sienna eyes were sharp.
“It’s going well. Busy,” I nodded, thinking of the five case files I had sitting on my desk, and another three I had awaiting me at home. “But I’m managing,” I felt the need to add, perhaps slightly more defensive than I’d intended.
“I’m sure you are. Peter Walters over there says you’re doing an excellent job.”
“You’re making calls about my job performance now?”
“No, nothing like that. Peter and I go back all the way to law school. We were having lunch a few weeks ago, and I asked him about you.”
“Why?”
“Why not? I just wanted to see how you were faring over there.”
I tilted my head, skeptical. “That’s why you asked me to come in after my deposition with Robert? Just to ask how work was going?”
“Yes and no,” he answered cryptically.
My hiked brows begged the question.
“I wanted to know how you were doing over there, yes. I haven’t had a chance to speak to you much since everything went down with Xavier’s mother and the tragic loss of your client. I also wanted to speak to you about the possibility of coming on board withCombs & Combs.”
My back hit the back of my chair. My father was inviting me to join the firm,hisfirm. Jason has asked me to join, insinuated that it was what both he and our father wanted, but I hadn’t seen any proof of the latter until now.
“Um, well, as far as Wanda, that’s…” I shrugged. “Old news, I guess. And what happened to my client, it’s—I’m doing all right. No lingering scars from the ricochet,” I informed him.
He nodded reluctantly, probably realizing I wasn’t going to go into more detail.
“And working for us?”
“Really? I mean, seriously?” I couldn’t be sure if he was only asking because Marjorie or Jason had put him up to it.
“Yes. Have you ever thought about it? I know your brother has spoken to you.”
“More so bugged me about it,” I murmur.
A slight smile appeared on my father’s face. “He can be persistent.”
“He gets that from you,” I blurted.
“So do you.” He leveled me with a serious look.
I bit down on my tongue to keep from asking how he would know. But so far, that visit had been a relatively friendly conversation. I lowered my gaze to the window just over my father’s shoulder, pondering the idea of working for him.
“I have thought about it.” I slowly brought my gaze back to his. “But that wasn’t necessarily part of the plan when I moved back to Houston.”
I wondered if my honesty offended him. It wasn’t meant to. I wasn’t trying to be malicious, just honest. I’d never imagined my father would want me to work for his firm.
“I can give it some thought?” I posed it as a question, but it was a comment. I needed more than one meeting and a few minutes to make this decision. I liked the firm I worked for at present, and could see myself growing there under the tutelage of some of the older attorneys. I wouldn’t rush the decision.
“Absolutely. I know you’re doing good work over at where you are, and might not want to leave any clients high and dry. You could bring them over with you if you come.”
“You’re willing to expand the family law branch of the firm?”
