Page 26 of Resist

“Shush.” She rolls her eyes and swats a hand at the air. Her way of disagreeing when she knows I’m right. “And your father? He’s well?” I nod. “I’m sure he is. He always is.”

“You say that like you’re angry at him.”

“Of course I am. If he hadn’t left me destitute and—”

The derision lacing my laugh cuts her off. “Getting ten million dollars in a divorce settlement is far from destitute,” I say, wanting to nip this in the bud and forgo the woe is me bullshit. “How about you, Mother? How are you and . . .” Hank? No, Hank was number three. Niels, I think?

“Niels and I are . . .” She shrugs with a shake of her head like I’ve seen way too many times before. “You know how it goes.”

Jesus. And another one bites the dust.

“What’s wrong this time?” Has the money run out? Has his health declined? Did he sell the villa in France—God forbid? And yes, that was sarcasm there.

“Oh . . . you know.”

“Of course. I’m sorry,” I say, when I’m indifferent about the whole thing. I know she has an ironclad prenup to protect all of the money she’s taken from her other husbands in divorce settlements. I know because I wrote it.

“Come have lunch with me.” She reaches her hand out and squeezes mine as she rises from her chair.

“It’s three o’clock. I’ve already eaten.” Another lie. Let’s hope my stomach doesn’t rumble to tell her otherwise.

“Then we can have an early dinner.”

I feel like an ass when I shake my head after hearing the excitement in her voice over the prospect of a dinner date with me. It’s amazing how even the notion of being in the right social circles can lighten her mood instantly. “I can’t. I’m scheduled out for the rest of the afternoon.”

“C’mon.” She tugs. “Play hooky.”

“Another time.”

“Don’t you have time for your mother?”

“Always.” I lean forward and press a chaste kiss to her cheek. “But I also have to make time for my clients.”

“You haven’t been out to the island in a while. This time of year, you’re always there.”

“No, I’m not.” My house in the Hamptons is calling me, but not with my current schedule.

“I stopped by the house when I was there last weekend, and those lovely people who care for the place said you hadn’t been out in some time.”

“As I said, I’m swamped here.”

“Take on a partner.”

“A partner is fine, but it’s me people want to hire.”

“The Lockhart name is well known.” She smiles proudly.

“Look, when you get home, send me your schedule, and we can find time to have lunch.”

She pats my cheek, and eyes that reflect the same color as mine light up. “I’ll look forward to it. I love you, sweetie.”

“Love you too, Mother.”

Another kiss to her cheek as her sunglasses slide back on, and her heels click on the slate floors of the hallway as she leaves.

With a sigh and a roll of my shoulders, I head back to my desk, determined to finish my prep for the start of my trial tomorrow.

But when I take a seat, there are the images on my screen of Vee.