Read Online Baby Comes First by Beverly Farr - Free Book Online Page B

fine.”
    “And the baby?”
    “Okay, as far as I know.”
    “Good.”
    “And how about you? How was work today?”
    He scowled, remembering. “The first woman
didn’t last until noon, and the second one doesn’t seem to be much
better. I don’t know how I’m going to get anything done.”
    Hannah choked back a laugh.
    “What’s so funny?”
    “You,” she said, suddenly brave. Now that she
didn’t have to work with him every day, she could speak her mind.
“You scare those women half to death. If you didn’t yell and stomp
about, maybe they could think clearly enough to do their jobs
properly.”
    “It never seemed to bother you.”
    “Not everyone has thick skin like I do.” She
saw him look closely her face and she felt herself blush. That was
one of the curses of having red hair. “Well, maybe not as thick as
I’d like,” she added lightly, glancing away. “Would you like
something to drink?”
    “A glass of water.”
    Hannah called, “Mrs. Parker?”
    Her housekeeper walked in from the
kitchen.
    “Would you get both of us a glass of
water?”
    “Yes, ma’am.”
    Luke smiled and said, “What I was really
hoping, Mrs. Parker, was that you had made some of your delicious
lasagna.”
    She said, “No, I’m using up what Ms. Hansen
has in her refrigerator first. Today, we’re having a cheese soufflé
and a salad.”
    “Did you mix up some of your dressing?”
    “I can if you want some,” she said, looking
between the two of them, as if to ask, “Is he staying for
dinner?”
    Hannah felt as if she were being backed into
a corner. Did she want him to stay for dinner? “Would you like to
stay?”
    His serious gaze met hers. “If you don’t
mind, yes.”
    He did stay, and they ate buffet style in the
den, so she could eat lying down. The conversation was light,
without any arguing or serious overtones. They discussed movies and
books. Not once did either of them mention the baby, and Hannah was
relieved. She didn’t want to receive another lecture from him, and
she appreciated his restraint.
    At one point they discussed a popular
courtroom drama on television. He asked her if she had ever
considered going to law school.
    She smiled wryly. “No.”
    “You’d be good at it.”
    “I doubt it. I don’t have the killer
instinct.”
    “You’ve got a good eye for details, and
you’re a hard worker. I’m just surprised you’re --” Luke stopped
himself.
    She filled in the words for him, “just a
secretary?”
    “I wasn’t going to say that, but yes, I think
you’re capable of more.”
    She wasn’t offended. “I think we’re all
capable of doing more. But having a high powered career isn’t
everything, and life has a way of surprising us.”
    “What happened?”
    She shrugged. “When my father died, his
finances were in a mess. So no more help with tuition. I dropped
out of school to work. Later I took night classes and finished my
bachelor’s degree.”
    “What did you study?”
    She smiled. “Art History. It was fun, but not
very practical. So I took some classes in office skills, and here I
am - working for you.” It wasn’t a bad life, just not what she’d
expected.
    “Did you ever think about graduate
school?”
    “Briefly. I was accepted into an MFA program,
but my mom wasn’t doing well, so I changed my plans.”
    He nodded. She liked the way he listened to
her. Part of her was amazed that she could talk so freely with him,
telling him things that she rarely revealed to others. Maybe it was
because she’d never tried to impress him -- that was liberating.
“What about you?” she asked. “Did you always want to be an
attorney?”
    “When I was little, I used to argue with my
older brother Charles, and he said I ought to go to law school. It
planted the idea.”
    “It’s worked well for you.”
    He was thoughtful. “I’ve heard all the jokes,
and I know many people consider the entire profession leeches on
society, but to me, being a lawyer lets me fight for