“Hello, Bob,” Peter said, bending down and giving the dog a hug.
While Peter, Ben, and Joan exchanged pleasantries, Stone put his briefcase in his office.
As he walked back out, Ben said, “Joan, this is Josie Hale.”
Joan’s eyebrows shot up. “The actress?”
“These days I try to stay on the other side of the camera,” Josie said, shaking her hand.
“Joan, anything pressing I need to deal with right away?” Stone asked.
“I absolutely lovedTobin Country,” Joan said, still focused on Josie.
“Thank you,” Josie said. “I did, too.”
Stone tapped Joan on the shoulder. “Pardon me for intruding.”
“Yes?” she asked.
“I was wondering if there is anything I need to take care of, or can I take my guests upstairs for a bit?”
She waved a hand in the air. “If there was anything pressing, I would have told you the moment you walked in.”
“I wasn’t sure you even knew I walked in.”
She rolled her eyes and shook her head, then said to Josie, “Men, right? So clueless.”
“I don’t want to ruin my chances of seeing his mother’s paintings, so I’ll plead the fifth for now.”
“If you’re both quite through,” Stone said.
“Go,” Joan said. “Don’t let me keep you.”
“This way,” Stone said, leading Peter, Ben, Josie, and Bob upstairs.
Josie said, “The woodwork in here is gorgeous. Is it original to the house?”
“Not original, but it has been here a long time. It’s my father’s work.”
“Your father?”
“I inherited the house from my great-aunt. When my parents were young, she was the only one in either of their families they weren’t estranged from.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Politics and life-choice disagreements tend to have that effect. My parents were struggling to make a living, so my aunthired my father to redo much of the house. Once people got a look at it, he was never out of work again.”
“I can imagine,” Josie said. “So, your mother was a renowned painter, and your father a master carpenter. That must mean—”
“I think I know where you’re going with that, and I’ll stop you right there. Sadly, the artistry genes skipped my generation and went directly to Peter.”
“He definitely has more than his fair share of creativity,” Ben said.
“I think I have just the right amount, thank you very much,” Peter said, faux offended.
“I don’t know, Stone,” Josie said. “I think you’re selling yourself short. My understanding is that the law can be very creative.”
“Ah, yes, but if you get too creative, you end up in the cell next to your former clients,” Stone said. “I try to avoid that.”
