“Just wait until you smell them. Anyway, they got the permission of the city to plant the roses in the cemetery. They have a growing cadre of volunteers and even work-furlough prisoners who maintain them.”
“I can’t wait to see it,” she said.
Their conversation stalled for the first time. It wasn’t necessarily awkward but not like the comfortable lulls with Dylan. She never felt a need to try to fill the silence when she was with him.
“What kind of law will you practice when you pass the bar?” she finally asked.
“I’d like to work in the public sector. I did my internship with the city.”
“Did you work with the prosecutor?”
“No, on the civil side of things. Cities have responsibilities in a lot of areas. We write agreements and also protect against unreasonable lawsuits.”
“What do you mean?”
“There are some people who look at a city as having ‘deep pockets’ and want ridiculous amounts for claims. Or they file frivolous lawsuits. Being sued is expensive to defend against, even when you’re not guilty. As wrong as it seems to settle, sometimes it’s less expensive than taking it to court to prove it.”
“Is the city ever responsible?”
“Sure. If a resident is injured because a city employee didn’t put back a water meter cover correctly and someone fell through it, then that’s the city’s fault. The victim should receive reasonable compensation. Or if the parks staff doesn’t maintain the playground equipment and a child is hurt, that’s the city’s bad and it should pay.”
Rae thought about all the times she and the children had spent at the park last summer after Mike had died. She hadn’t been able to face going home after work to a house without him. She’d always assumed the equipment was safe to play on. What if one of them had been hurt?
“Now you’ve made me paranoid,” she said. “I’m going to be worried about manholes and playground equipment whenever I take my kids to the park.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you, though it’s not a bad idea to do a safety check. Now I sound like a total nerd.” Tim gave an embarrassed chuckle. “Tell me about your kids.”
“Beth is two. Preston is almost five and starts school this fall.” Rae shook her head. “I can’t believe he’s that old already. They’re so different from each other. He’s very self-sufficient. It would never be a punishment to send him to his room.”
“Because he entertains himself?”
“Exactly.”
“I was like that as a boy, so I understand. It took a lot for my mother to get me to go outside and play with the other kids,” Tim said. “So is your daughter a terror?”
“No, just curious, but I have to watch her like a hawk.” Rae glanced at him. “Do you have any kids? It said in your bio you’ve been married before.”
“Iwasmarried, but we didn’t have any kids. It didn't last long. We were young and stupid.”
“Is it too personal to ask how old you are?”
“I’m thirty. It took me a while to decide what I wanted to be when I grew up.” Tim glanced at her from the corner of his eye, wearing a teasing grin. “And what’s your age if it’s okay to ask?”
“I’m twenty-seven.”
“Here’s the exit for the cemetery.” Tim took the turn indicated on a sign. “Are you divorced?”
“I’m a widow. My husband was killed in a car accident a year ago last July.”
“I’m sorry for your loss.” Tim glanced at her, his brows furrowed in concern. “Have you been dating again very long?”
“Not really, and I doubt I’d have agreed to it if I wasn’t being pushed by a friend. She thinks I need to socialize more.”
Tim burst out laughing. “That’s almost exactly what my sister said. She pushed me into doing this.”
Rae chuckled, feeling again she might have met someone she could be friends with. But what if he were looking for something more? He was such a nice guy. She had to make sure he understood.
“I know most of the people on the site are interested in finding relationships, so I need to be completely honest with you. I’m not looking for that.”
