Especially since it gave me two precious years with my mom, my only family after my dad passed away from cancer when I was thirteen.And now I had no family left except an aunt who lived in Florida who I’d only met once when I was little and could barely remember.
“I’ve been to both, and neither is where I want to be right now.Butler is where I think I might find what I’ve been looking for.”
Malena nodded, satisfied with the cryptic explanation, unlike Keely, who was studying him with a frown.“You’re welcome to work from the office.There’s an extra room we’ve been using for storage, but it would be easy to clean it out, and there’s a desk in it already.Since we have Mae, we’re okay without Nelson, but if we can pick your brain on a few things, that would be amazing.”
“Sounds great.The chairs in my bed-and-breakfast are a death sentence for my back.”
If I had to see him more often, I could only hope I’d shake my awkwardness.And relearn the English language, since it seemed to evade me whenever he was around.
Keely linked her arm with mine.“Come in on Monday.”She turned to me.“Are you working?”
“I’m doing Monday to Thursday this week.”
It was in the joint calendar, but Keely never checked anything except when she had to be in court.She was late for everything else.Or forgot about it altogether.
“Excellent.You can help Vance.”
Glancing at Vance, I saw he was already looking at me and nodded.
“I’ll be in around nine,” I said.
His mouth pulled up a little on one side, his eyes warm.“I’ll be there.”
I liked his promise more than I cared to admit.The thought of seeing him again so soon sent a shiver of expectation through me.Something I had no right to feel.This divorce must be affecting me more than I thought.Or maybe my sudden difficulties with the English language were also affecting my brain.
Thankfully, Marty, Keely’s neighbor, chose that moment to join us.He stopped next to me, putting his hand on my arm.“Mae, hi.It’s so good to see you again.”He turned to the group with his endearing smile.
His shaggy blond hair was long overdue for a cut, standing up every which way.But it suited him, just like his shorts and T-shirt.I’d never seen him wear anything else.He worked from home for some tech company and rarely went to the office.He’d tried explaining what he did when we first met at a BBQ at Keely’s, but I’d asked Cockalorum for a divorce a few days earlier and had been a little preoccupied.
But he was a nice guy, and I was determined to erase my bad first impression.“Hi, Marty.How are you?”
He shot me a megawatt smile and stepped closer.I backed up, fighting the urge to yell out “personal space” the same way I had to do for my girls.The move made me bump into Vance, who’d moved to the side when Marty joined us, bringing him right next to me.
Should I take a step forward again, or stay where I am?A warm hand settled on my back, and I stilled.Why did I care about personal space again?
Vance held out his free hand, the movement turning him into me.“I’m Vance.”
He shook hands with Marty, who watched us with interest.“Are you and Mae…?”
My cheeks heated as my breathing stalled.“Oh, he’s my lawyer.Not because I did something illegal.”A nervous chuckle burst out of me.“I mean, he’s my divorce lawyer.For my divorce that I told you about last time.”
Holy moly, why am I so awkward?
Marty’s smile, which had dimmed, came back in full force.He could be in a toothpaste commercial, his teeth perfectly straight and blindingly white.“Are you still planning on moving?Let me know when.I can borrow a truck from my uncle so you don’t have to hire anyone.”
Malena’s and Keely’s narrowed eyes homed in on me.I hadn’t told them I was moving.I hadn’t told anyone, not even my girls.They’d be devastated since they’d lived in the house their whole lives.Marty only knew because I’d mentioned the house being too big for the three of us in conversation, and he gave me the number for one of his real estate agent friends, who I’d called that same day.
The friend must have talked since my house was about to go on the market.
I had no money to hire a moving company and grasped the lifeline he’d thrown me.I’d worry about the consequences later.“Thanks so much for the offer.That would be—”
Vance seemingly had other ideas, his hand on my back pressing in.“Not necessary.”
I turned my head to the side to be able to look at him, but his expression wasn’t giving anything away.“It isn’t?”
He didn’t look at me, his attention on Marty.“We’ve got it sorted.”
I frowned, not quite following.“We do?”
