OLIVE
* * *
I always wondered where she was and how she was doing. I would lie awake at night, thinking of all the ways I could find her and where I’d need to go to look. And what I would possibly say once I saw her again.
I always wondered if she moved across the country or out of the country altogether… She was destined for great things, and that meant the possibilities of where she went in life were endless.
Now, I know she’s a hotshot lawyer. Her success doesn’t surprise me, but her career choice does.
And, I find out she is right around the corner…
But she wants nothing to do with me.
Like I’m the nightmare of her past.
Because I am.
I stroll into the local bar in the town she drove off towardsyesterday, and sit down at a stool, eyeing two old men and the bartender. It’s only about 5 o’clock, so these are the regulars.
If she’s working with Sheriff Malec and prosecuting the man who attacked Second Chance Sanctuary, I know she’s staying close by.
I want to know where.
I want to know everything.
“What can I get for you, sugar?”
I smile at the woman with teased hair from a different decade, and her demeanor doesn’t shift. She’s a veteran, my charm won’t phase her. “Shot of Jack, please.”
She sets the glass down in front of me and refills the next guy’s glass.
“Do you know of any good lawyers around here?” I ask casually, fiddling with the full glass in front of me.
“Why? Are you trouble?” The bartender asks sternly. Her name tag says ‘Daya’.
“No,” I chuckle, downing the amber liquid.
Not anymore.
Chapter Three
Liv
“Ineed every document, every police report, and every complaint against these brothers since they became adults. I don’t care if it seems insignificant; that’s for me to decide,” I harp at the intern assisting me. She came from the local community college, and I inherited her when I took the job.
Normally, law offices have paralegals and office clerks, people who know how to build a case. Rollins County does not have the manpower. Other than my intern, I share a secretary with the entire floor.
Dotty is seasoned and knows what she’s doing, but she’s assisting everyone in the court system with all of their paperwork. She’s overworked.
My intern is just clueless.
“Anything that I need to know about that weird exit the other day?” Sheriff Malec’s voice comes from behind me. We share the building with his office, but he’s in a different wing. So this visit is intentional.
“Miley, give us the room, please,” I dismiss the intern, and Jackson shuts the door behind her as she leaves.
“There is nothing to tell.” I don’t bother looking at him as I lie, and he doesn’t humor me with a response. I can feel his stare rolling over me.
“Hayes is someone that I used to know,” I admit with a sigh, shuffling papers around on my desk until I find the courage to look up.
