Living with Gill felt right. As if an empty spot in her life had been filled to overflowing. It felt good to come home at the end of the day and have someone to share it with, someone to care how her day had gone. Alicia wrapped her arms around herself, feeling chilled in spite of the heat kicking out of the heater behind her.
She tried not to think about the day he would pack up and leave town, but it flitted into her mind more and more as time went on. He was still ostensibly visiting with Patrick and Shannon, but he couldn’t stay there indefinitely. Plus they had to be wondering just where he was spending his nights.
Gill had just about finished his investigative work for her. He’d tracked down everyone on her list. He’d also dug up a few witnesses she never would have found on her own. With the statements he’d gotten from various people, including Susie’s teacher, Elizabeth Brown should have no trouble obtaining full custody of her daughter. Alicia also hoped that Jim Brown wouldn’t contest the divorce when he found out just how much ammunition they had against him. Brown was a man who valued his reputation, and a long, drawn-out divorce would drag his name through the mud. He could say what he wanted about Elizabeth, but in the end, he’d lose. Score another one for the good guys.
The phone rang and her heart skipped a beat before picking up speed. Gill usually called her in the morning. She’d given him her direct line so he could bypass Millie.
“Good morning, Alicia speaking.” She kept her voice low and modulated, but her heart was jumping.
“Good morning, dear.”
It was her mother. Alicia tried not to let her disappointment show. “Hi, Mom. What can I do for you this morning?”
There was a slight hesitation at the other end of the line. Alicia could picture her mother’s face. Crystal Flint had a way of pursing her lips and pausing just before she launched into a lecture.
“I haven’t heard from you all week.” There was a slight tinge of accusation in her mother’s voice, but Alicia heard the concern as well. She knew her parents loved her, but they did have certain expectations. One of which was that she should call them several times a week. Her mother also took every opportunity to point out the fact that Alicia wasn’t married yet, wasn’t even dating anyone. Most of her mother’s friends already had grandchildren. Alicia knew that her mother wanted to be a grandmother, but with the way things were going, that didn’t look likely.
“I know.” She picked up her pen and tapped it absently against the file she’d been working on. “I’ve been really busy this week working on a case.”
“The one with the Sutter girl.”
Only her mother would call a grown woman a girl. “It’s the Brown case, Mom. And you know I can’t talk about it.”
Her mother harrumphed and went on. “I was talking to Betty last night.” Betty Ellis was her mother’s best friend.
“How is Betty?”
“She’s fine, but she’d heard some news that was slightly disturbing.”
“Oh?” Alicia asked absently as she glanced at her schedule. She couldn’t talk to her mom much longer as she had a client due in ten minutes.
“Yes. She’d heard from Clara over at the beauty parlor, who heard it from Mrs.
Haskins, that there’s been a strange truck leaving your driveway every morning.”
Alicia stilled and closed her eyes. The coffee she’d had in place of breakfast this morning churned in her belly. She’d known this would happen. In fact, she’d been waiting for it. She’d hoped no one would find out, but she was realistic enough to know that would be almost impossible. The gossip line was alive and well in Jamesville.
She took a deep breath. “I’m thirty-seven years old, Mom,” she began.
Her mother gasped. “Oh, Alicia.” Her voice was laced with disappointment. “Tell me it’s not true.”
Her mother was adept at playing the guilt card and for most of Alicia’s life it had worked, mostly because the things at stake didn’t really matter much to her. This was different.
Alicia couldn’t tell her mother what she wanted to hear, nor would she lie to her, but she wasn’t ready to talk about her relationship with Gill just yet either. “Is that all, Mom?
Because I have a client coming in a few minutes.”
“We’ll talk about this later.”
“No, we won’t,” she said decisively. “This is my life and if I chose to have an affair that’s my business. I’m a grown woman.” Alicia almost said that she was a grown woman with needs, but she figured that might be too much for her mother to take. Her mother was very old-fashioned in many ways.
She meant well, Alicia reminded herself. It was just hard for her to view her only child as an adult. Because Alicia didn’t have any brothers or sisters, her mother had made her the center of her life. It hadn’t been easy on either of them as she’d grown to adulthood.
Taking another deep breath, she let it out slowly, reaching for the calm composure that served her well in the courtroom. “Look, Mom, I really can’t talk now, but if you want I’ll call you later tonight.”
“That’s fine, dear.” She could hear the relief in her mother’s voice. She knew her mother believed that everything was back under control and that Alicia would do what her parents wished. She didn’t want to hurt them, but this time she was doing what she wanted. After all these years, she deserved it.
“Bye.” She slowly hung up the phone. If her mother knew, then the rumor was all over town. Picking up the phone again, she dialed Gill’s cell phone. He picked up on the third ring. “We need to talk.”
“What’s wrong?” Just the sound of his voice steadied her. This was right, no matter what the consequences.
“Nothing life or death. Where are you?”
“I’m just heading into Jessie’s.”
Alicia glanced at her watch. “I’ve got a client in a few minutes. Can you wait for me? I shouldn’t be more than a half hour or so.”
“No problem,” his low voice rumbled. “You sure you’re okay, sugar?”
Her lips turned up at the endearment. “I am now.”
“I could come over there if you needed me.” His offer warmed her heart. She knew he wouldn’t think anything of dropping what he was doing and coming to her office if he thought she needed him.
“No, but thanks. See you in a while.”
“I’ll be here.”
She hung up her phone just as Millie buzzed her from the outer office.
Gill was slightly concerned as he pulled open the door to Jessie’s and went inside.
Alicia’s voice had been strained and he could hear the worry there. He’d wanted to turn around, stalk to her office, pull her into his arms and demand to know what was wrong.
Intellectually, he knew she was a mature, strong woman, more than capable enough of taking care of her own problems, but that didn’t matter. She was his woman and he wanted to protect her and care for her.
Being a sensitive, modern guy was a bitch some days.
As always, the hominess of Jessie’s hit him as he entered. The smell of fresh coffee filled the air, along with the aroma of the breakfast rush, which was just over. It was the sort of smell that only a diner had—bacon grease, eggs, toast and pancakes with a sprinkle of caffeine. It didn’t sound appetizing, but it was.
His stomach growled, reminding him he’d missed breakfast this morning. He’d awoken this morning to find Alicia shimmying down his body, her lips and tongue doing incredible things to certain parts of his anatomy. They’d barely had time to shower before Alicia had to race out the door. His cock stirred at the memory.