Waking up in the middle of the night, he realized that he was alone on the couch.Getting up, he grabbed his clothing and made his way to the stairs to the bedroom.Since her clothing was missing, he assumed that she’d gone on up to bed and left him there.He felt like he’d never slept so hard in his life.He felt that good.
Debra was in the bed when he entered the bedroom.Since there was a nightlight on in the room, he was able to see where he could lay his clothing and get into bed.He didn’t know what time it was, but he was willing to bet that it was well after midnight.Crawling into bed with Debra, she curledaround him and held him tightly.Closing his eyes, he was asleep in just a few seconds.
Getting up when the sun was shining in the room, he made his way to the bathroom and closed the door.He was sore all over his poor, abused body, and he thought that he’d do it again if given the opportunity.He hoped there would be plenty of those now that she was over her fear of hurting her heart again.
When he got back into bed after using the toilet, he was again wrapped up by Debra until he felt like he was home.Her hugs were wonderfully tight and full of love.As soon as he closed his eyes again, she spoke to him.He wasn’t sure if she was sleep-talking or talking to him.He looked down at her when she asked him if he was all right again.
“I’ve never been better.”She said that she was just as good.“Good.I would love to make love to you again while we’re both naked and in bed, but I think you wore me out.So I’m just going to hold you in my arms until we either get up or go back to sleep.”
“I’m all for sleeping again.I don’t think I have the energy to move again.”She put her head up under his chin.“I can hear your heart beating.It’s so strong and steady.It’s like you make me feel when I’m around you.I can take on the world, and love will make me triumphant.I love you so much, Kahana.”
“And I love you.”He dozed off and on but never really fell back to sleep.Once he got up the second time, leaving Debra in the bed, he took a long, hot shower and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt.There was nothing planned for the day, and since he wasn’t going into the office, he decided that today was for them, and he was going to enjoy every second they had for each other.
When he made his way to the kitchen, Debra followed about thirty minutes later and was dressed as casually as he was.They made plans to have lunch in town after getting some things done around the house, then they’d go and get the last of the things they needed for the house.
“Your cousin left us set up nicely.The only things that we really need to replace are some of the towels that are in the master bathroom and a few more linens for the beds.Having only one set is fine because we have a washer and dryer, but I’d still like to have another set in case of an emergency.”Debra agreed with him.“While we’re out, I have to find me a shredder.I had one in my office when I was working for the firm, but I didn’t think about one for my home office.”
“I can just use yours then.If it gets to be too much, I can get me one as well.”He said that his went to a firm that destroyed the files in them.“That might not be such a bad idea for my things as well.It’s very sensitive stuff.”
“What are you going to do as an attorney?I know you sold the firm, but what are your plans for your own license?”She told him that she might hang out her own shingle.“That would be great.That’s what Axel is doing as well.You two should become partners.You’d be Hathaway and Hathaway.”
Chapter 7
It didn’t take her long to figure out that she couldn’t work from her office at home.It was the one that her grandda had used, and it might have been all right for him, but not her.There were no windows to speak of.All his law books took up two entire walls that he kept in the dark side of the room.She hated the desk.
It was massive and heavy-looking, not for a woman of her size.The leather blotter had ink spilled on it in places, and the desk looked like it had been near a weedwhacker at some point, as the front and the legs of it were chewed up by something that did some serious damage to it.
The chair wasn’t even a modern one.It didn’t have wheels on it to slide up and under the desk.When she tried to lean back in it to take in the whole room, she nearly tossed herself out of it and across the room.Not to mention it was heavy and needed a new cushion in it, for the bottom was worn out.It was like she was sitting on stones, and they weren’t particularly smooth either.The whole room needed a makeover.Kahana asked her what she was doing when he caught her standing on a chair trying to change a bulb in the overhead lighting.
“I don’t even know where to begin in here.What do you think of when you come into this room?”He told her.“Oh well, I guess thinking about an old man would be about right.My grandda was in his nineties when he finally stopped taking cases.Phil said that was what killed him.That he could no longer go to the courthouse to try trials.I think he might be correct.I need to make this room look like a woman uses it.”
“Rather than do it yourself, you should hire someone to do it for you.It might save you a lot of heartache later on.”She asked him if he knew anyone who had an interior design degree.“My mom has one.She could probably have this room looking like a woman has always been here.I’m assuming that you’re going to want to keep all the books that are in here.”
“Yes, but they don’t have to be in a dark corner of this room.I’d like to be able to use them.Having a collection this size is going to help me with cases all the time.He had newer volumes at his office in town.I’m having them cleaned and brought here.That’s more than likely what I’m going to have to do to these.”
“I’d talk to my mom.She more than likely will love to do this with you.I know her office—have you seen her office at home?It’s beautiful.Very girly yet reflects my mom’s taste very well.She has all these hidden things, too.Like, you don’t see her filing cabinets because she has them hidden behind some kind of wall.I don’t use her office, but she’d love to do yours if you asked her.”She asked if he thought she’d be all right with doing a law office.“I don’t know that an office for her clubs is all that much different than just a plain office.But you should ask her.I’m telling you, she’d love it.Have you given any thought to having your shingle put out with my brother?I know that I mentioned it just last night, but I’m betting he’d love that.I know that his building downtown has a second office in it already set up.He had it redone when he had the building refurbished.”
“I thought you were joking.”Kahana told her that he was sort of, but the more he thought about it, the more he liked the idea.“I’ll talk to him.He might not want someone underfoot when he’s working on cases.I would have to take on cases that I liked to do.”
“I doubt he’d have a problem with that.He usually only works for the family on things and takes a case when something comes along that he thinks he might enjoy.He hated his other job so much that he was ready to quit being an attorney and find himself something else to do.”She said that she wasn’t even sure she had it in her to be on her own.“Then this would be perfect for the two of you.I know that you’re going to finish the cases that your grandda had left on his desk.It would be the perfect place to have work done while your office is being updated.And it does need to be updated.”
“I’ll ask him if I can use his other office for a while and see what he has to say.We can work out later if I stay or not.”Kahana said that sounded perfect.“That way, there’s no pressure for him to think I’m going to be taking over his space.I would hate that myself.”
“Did you want me to talk to him, or did you want to?I don’t mind.But it won’t be until tomorrow because I have to go to my office first.I have ten patients today, and I’m looking forward to it.”She asked him how many he normally had.“Six if I was having a good day.But working up to more business is a lot harder than I thought it would be.”
“I’ll go and talk to him now.And your mom.I might as well get things rolling on my office so I can work in there.It’s too dark and dank.I love the concept of having an office here, but that one would depress me too much.”He said it would him as well.He wanted bright and airy.“I might have to have one of the walls redone to put in a couple of windows.I can’t stand the thought of not being able to look outside on occasion.That would depress me even more than just the big, bulky furniture in there.”
After Kahana left for his work, she gathered up her things and started to leave as well.But just as she was going out the door, she decided to take pictures of her office with the thought of it being something she could work with, even if Katie, the boys’ mom, didn’t want anything to do with helping her.It would be a big project to undertake, and she didn’t know if the older Hathaway had time for that sort of thing.
She went to see Katie first.That way, she could tell Axel that she really was having work done on her office at home, and it would take a while.Katie was having a cup of tea with her husband, Benson, and they were having a good time.Debra almost hated to interrupt them while they were enjoying their time together.
“We were just talking about the twins and how much we’re enjoying having babies around.With Mac pregnant now, it won’t be long before we have little ones around of our own.Have you and Kahana talked about children?”She said that she and he were trying only because they both had demanding jobs.“I understand that.I had a job when I had the two oldest.I never worked so hard in my life, and that’s when we decided I’d be better off at home with them rather than paying someone nearly all my check to watch over them.Best decision that I’ve ever made.What can I do for you?”
She explained to her about the office and how it was a man’s place.After showing her the pictures of the room, Katie agreed that it needed a more womanly touch than it had now.Debra told her that she wasn’t opposed to having a wall taken down to put in a few windows, either.She loved the bright sunshine when she was working.Then she asked if she’d help her with the project.
“Oh, I would love to do this for you.Yes, I can see changes now in my head.”She started telling her about the desk that she needed, as well as how big the windows needed to be.“You need your own space that doesn’t have tons of dust on it, too.What are you going to do in the meantime?I mean, while the office is being redone?”
“I’m going to ask Axel if I can use his extra space.Not as a partner, but just use it until I can either get myself a place on my own or just work from home.My grandda left a few cases on his desk when he died that I’m going to take care of.Plus, I can be helpful to the family as well.”Katie said he was on his way over anyway for them to have a meeting about their wills.“Kahana and I need to change ours as well.My grandda was of the opinion that if it’s been five years since you changed your will, it’s time to get on it.Things can really change in that little bit of time.”
