Chapter One
Two Months Ago
The day hecame back into my life began like any other.
I woke up and got ready for work, arriving at the office a half hour before the rest of the associates. I liked the hushed mornings before the office filled with people. The quiet gave me a chance to gather my thoughts and make my to-do list for the day. Once eight a.m. hit, my day would be organized chaos until six or seven in the evening.
It was a typical Wednesday. I had a ton of work that I wanted to complete before the weekend, even though I knew I’d still have to put in a few hours on Saturday. As a divorce attorney, I’d long ago become used to the extra hours, but I still tried to keep my weekends clear. It was an ongoing battle that I rarely won.
However, if I’d known what was about to happen, I probably would have called in sick.
At the light knock on my door, I glanced up at the clock and realized it was a quarter to nine. I’d already been at my desk for an hour and a half.
“Come in,” I called.
My assistant, Cynthia, opened the door, carrying a steaming mug of coffee. “Good morning,” she greeted me as she crossed the room. Deftly, she swept up the nearly empty cup sitting on my desk and replaced it with the fresh one.
“Morning, Cynthia. Thanks for the coffee.”
“I thought you would need another hit before you faced the staff meeting at nine.”
“Damn,” I murmured. “I’d completely forgotten about that.” I sipped the hot brew, closing my eyes and savoring the flavor. Since I held the staunch belief that my assistant had more important things to do other than bringing me coffee, I never expected her to serve me.
Still, she made a damn good mug of java.
Cynthia leaned forward and spoke in a low voice. “I’m hearing rumors that there’s a new partner and they plan to introduce him to everyone at the meeting.”
I lifted a brow. “Really?”
Though I didn’t encourage participation in office gossip, Cynthia had a knack for sussing out the tidbits of truth and sharing them. There were times that being in the know prevented me from being blindsided.
She nodded. “Milton Buck is finally retiring for good.”
“He’s been saying that for the last five years,” I replied with a smile.
Milton Buck was nearly seventy years old and one of the founding partners of Platt, Cairns, and Buck, the firm where I worked. He’d been semi-retired for the last five years, meaning, he came into the office for six hours per day rather than the ten to twelve he once did. Milton swore that the abbreviated hours he kept in the office were the only reason his wife, Lucille, hadn’t driven him past the point of insanity. His wife had been begging him to retire completely for the past two years.
“Lucille finally talked him into it. Their daughter is about to have her first baby and she pointed out that he would never get to see their grandchild since he works so much.”
I laughed.
Cynthia continued. “I hear the new partner is young and he’s from New York, one of the top firms in the city. From what I caught, he was one of the best divorce attorneys in Dallas before he moved to New York and the partners have been trying to poach him for years. They jumped at the chance to scoop him up.”
I should have known then, but it never occurred to me that he would come back. He’d been so determined to go to New York that I’d truly believed he would never return to Dallas.
“So he’s replacing Milton?” I asked in shock. That would definitely be an unpopular move.
She shook her head. “No, but he is coming in as a senior partner, which wasn’t exactly a well-received decision with the juniors.”
I could see that. I didn’t particularly care for it either since I’d been busting my ass for the last five years. Still, the firm took damn good care of its junior partners and I knew it wouldn’t be much longer until I worked my way up. Another year, maybe two, and I’d have a senior partnership.
Cynthia glanced at the clock on the wall. “You’d better get going or you’ll be late,” she commented.
I drank down nearly half of the coffee she brought me and used a tissue to dab my mouth. “Yes, boss,” I replied.
She smirked at me. “I think that’s my line.”
I rose from my chair and gathered the things I would need for the meeting. “We both know you’re the reason everyone in this office thinks I’m efficient and ultra organized.”
