His smile was the only acknowledgement of her implication.
A subtle thrill coursed through her, like a low-voltage charge awakening dormant reactions. She clutched her cup. Since when had any man made her feel this way? In fact, when had a man made her feel anything at all? She wanted to be irritated that Hamish argued with everything she said and hadn’t seized her implied invitation. Instead, she was slightly desperate for any sign that he was interested in what she was offering.
They strolled in silence, warming their hands around the cups as the gulls swooped low, checking if they were carrying anything edible.
‘Starting up a law firm isn’t like opening a cafe, you know,’ she said abruptly, giving away the fact that she’d been stewing on his words.
His grin was slow, as always, as though the humour bubbled up inside him and he sought to contain it until the last second. ‘Got you thinking about how to ride that snake?’
She gave him a long, level look. Surely his innuendo was intentional? ‘Just pointing out that you’ve no idea what you’re talking about. Starting a legal firm is complex.’
‘Yet it seems Gerard did pretty much exactly that?’
Her heart beat a little faster, registering what almost seemed a dare. ‘You make it sound straightforward, but it isn’t. It can’t be.’
‘Why not?’
‘Because nothing is.’
Hamish stopped walking, held her gaze. ‘Perhaps some things should be.’
If he believed that to be true, he’d led a charmed life. ‘Not in the real world. There are always hurdles and roadblocks.’ Judgement and humiliation.
‘Neither of which make the decision to take action any less straightforward. They just mean that you need to plan. I would have thought that might hold some appeal.’
‘Next you’ll be trying to persuade me to set up a practice in the sticks.’ Her attempt to manipulate him into declaring an interest was cringeworthy, but Hamish’s blasé attitude and apparent indifference to her overtures were infuriating.
‘Like in any country town, there are always a few empty buildings in Settlers. And no lawyer since Stokesy moved on.’ He lifted one shoulder. ‘But I have another reason for needing you back there.’
Her lungs squeezed.
‘You’ve got to become pals with Tara, remember, so that I can work out what’s going on with her.’
Ignoring the disappointed plummet of her stomach, Jemma broke into a jog to catch up as the drizzle blew in across the ocean and Hamish lengthened his stride.
He took her cup and stacked it in his before putting them into a bin. ‘Looks like you need to sort your issues before you help out with mine, though. If your boss drops a bombshell tomorrow, do you have a game plan?’
‘No. And you’ve no idea how unsettling that is for me.’
‘Oh, I can imagine,’ Hamish said with a chuckle as they stopped alongside her car. ‘Tell me, your Honour, have you always been such a control freak?’
Instead of correcting him, she took a deep breath. ‘Life with Mum was … chaotic. So I guess I try and swing the other way.’
Hamish’s hand found hers.
‘She was unpredictable so, twenty years back, I promised myself I’d live my life according to a plan. My plan.’
‘Twenty years? You must have been a kid.’
She blinked rapidly. His soft words gentled her, a balm to the child who had never shared the truth of her pain. ‘So I don’t like curve balls, I don’t like to be surprised, everythinghasto play out the way I’ve planned.’
‘Your handbag was a deliberate choice, then?’
She’d glanced through the car window, into the footwell, before she realised that Hamish was talking about Kain. The man’s mind worked like quicksilver, seamless and fluid. ‘Fine-tuned. Why?’
‘Just trying to work out your selection criteria,’ Hamish said, releasing her hand and opening his door.
She raced around to the driver’s side and scrambled into the car. ‘What do you mean—’ she broke off, leaning forward to peer through the window. ‘Speak of the devil …’
