Most of all…why did it make her feel so light…so out of breath…so…good?
Chapter Ten
When Sadie left her law firm in Chicago, it hadn’t been by choice. It was a good ‘ol boy firm and she didn’t have the right bits hanging between her legs to move further up the ladder. When she’d started there, she’d believed it didn’t matter. She won her first case, after all, and that was a defining moment of her career.
Her track record went on to prove she could do the job.
But the glass ceiling wasn’t a myth. After one of the male partners had tried to squeeze her out of the firm, she realized that she’d never break through there. No matter how many long hours she spent at her desk. No matter how many cases she won. She didn’t have the right last name and she wore skirts.
When Marlee had married Sadie’s brother and gotten pregnant, Sadie decided to make the move she’d been wanting to make for years. She came home.
Having her own practice was freeing but staring at Luke while he slept—like she was doing right then—was everything.
“Sadie?” Roman crouched in front of her, his hand on her knee. The soft whisper of his tone pulled her stare away from her sleeping nephew.
She pressed her index finger against her lips.
“He’s still asleep,” she whispered.
While Marlee had fed Luke around two a.m., Sadie and Roman had negotiated an hour-on, hour-off approach to their babysitting evening. It allowed them both to get no sleep, but it had seemed like a good idea when Sadie pitched the idea of power naps.
“They’re up.” Roman shifted his eyes from hers to the top of the stairs.
Her heart worked overtime as his hand rested against her knee.
“And?” Sadie asked.
“And it’s time.” Roman was a man on a mission. Sadie just had no idea what that mission might be.
“Huh?” she asked.
“Follow my lead. No man left behind.” He nodded sagely.
Huh?
“Say you understand me,” he said like she should understand him.
For the record, she did not understand him.
Eli trotted down the stairs with a whole lot more pep than he’d had the night before. He stopped at the bottom, took in Roman’s hand on Sadie’s knee, and gave her a look filled with questions. All the questions.
“Good morning,” he said, his gaze following the line of Roman’s arm to Roman.
“Look who’s up.” Roman stood. “Just in time, too. I’ve got clients in a couple hours and I know Sadie needs to go home and do whatever she needs to do.”
“We really appreciate your help.” Eli took Luke from Sadie. “I guess…uh…you all have lives outside of us.”
“Anytime,” Roman said with a sincerity that made Sadie want to shove it back down his throat, given that she didn’t intend on taking midnight nanny duty again anytime soon—even if she did love staring at Luke’s little mug.
“Sadie? I’ll walk you out.” Roman handed her purse over to her. Geesh, the guy was prepared for this exit.
“Great. Yes.” Sadie scurried to grab her shoes and slip them on. “I’m meeting with a client at Heather’s cookie shop in a little bit.”
“You’re still meeting clients there?” Eli asked.
“No movement on the office space situation.” Sadie lifted her shoulder. “I’m still looking.”
“You need office space?” Roman asked.
