gesture, she was calling his bluff. What the lady lawyer obviously still could not understand about him was that where his family ’ s well-being was concerned, he never bluffed.
“ Then send me the bill for the work you ’ ve already done. ”
“ Wh-what? ”
The harsh jangle of the phone seemed to underscore the ragged edge of the tension between them.
“ If you can ’ t find a better way to help me make sure I keep Wendy, I ’ ll just have to find someone who will. ” He spoke softly, in marked contrast to the jarring ring of the phone again.
“ But I...we... ” Beneath the perfect tones of her makeup, her face went pale.
“ I ’ m through playing your games, Carol. I ’ ve never been anything but up-front with you professionally and personally. You ’ re telling me that you only see one way to handle this case. Well, that way won ’ t do. So I guess I have to find another way without you. ”
He took her by the elbow, walked her across the room, kissed her lightly on the cheek, then nudged her out of his office. “ Good-bye, Carol. ”
He shut and locked the door before she could so much as squeak in protest, then turned and walked across the room to answer the phone.
Chapter Five
“ Heard a rumor about you—and it had better be a rumor, too—that you went plumb out of your head this evening. Up and fired Carol as your lawyer. Just like that. ” Momma ’ s wrinkled old fingers gave a quiet snap, like someone stepping on a small twig on a dusty path. “ Now, tell me that ain ’ t true, boy. ”
“ Can ’ t tell you that, Momma. ” Riley leaned over the hospital bed and brushed a kiss over her cool cheek. “‘ Cause then you ’ d have to hop right up off that bed and wallop me for fibbing to you, and I just know your physical therapist would have both our hides for that. ”
Despite her obvious irritation with him, she granted him a smile that shone clear into the depths of her eyes. “ You ’ re a troublement, that ’ s what you are, Riley Aaron Walker. A pure troublement. ”
“ Then I must be a figment of your imagination, dear mother of mine, because there is no such-of-a word. ” He gripped the handrail just a hair ’ s breath away from where Momma ’ s frail arm rested atop the thin hospital blanket.
“ Pshaw. ” She rolled her eyes, and though she turned her head away for a moment, not a hair of her steel blue-gray permed hairdo moved out of place. “ If I was going to make something up out of my own imagination, it ’ d be a sight prettier to look at than some fret-faced child of mine clomping around a hospital in raggedy work clothes and muddy boots. ”
He chuckled at her gentle, teasing reprimand. “ Sorry, I didn ’ t have time to change. I got a phone call right after...right after Carol and I parted company. At first I was too irritated to put up with the fellow ’ s roundabout way of getting to his point but then...well, he ’ s a lawyer and it looks like I need a new lawyer, so I heard him out. ”
“ So it is true about you and Carol? ” Momma fumbled with the buttons on the control beside her pillow. The bed whirred and raised her upper body into a half-sitting slant. She flinched, shut her eyes then let out a long, slow breath.
Riley curled his fingers around the handrail, helpless to do anything to ease her discomfort.
When she opened her eyes again, she managed a sweet if not entirely convincing smile.
Riley studied her. “ I think you knew it was true before you even asked, didn ’ t you? How ’ d you find out? Did Carol call her sister down in admitting and tell her so that now the whole hospital knows? ”
“ Something like that. I don ’ t know if the whole hospital knows, of course. There may be someone in isolation or ICU that hasn ’ t been allowed a visitor yet to share all the good gossip. ”
He pulled his shoulders back, speaking loudly enough for anyone who might be lingering over their duties in the
“ Then send me the bill for the work you ’ ve already done. ”
“ Wh-what? ”
The harsh jangle of the phone seemed to underscore the ragged edge of the tension between them.
“ If you can ’ t find a better way to help me make sure I keep Wendy, I ’ ll just have to find someone who will. ” He spoke softly, in marked contrast to the jarring ring of the phone again.
“ But I...we... ” Beneath the perfect tones of her makeup, her face went pale.
“ I ’ m through playing your games, Carol. I ’ ve never been anything but up-front with you professionally and personally. You ’ re telling me that you only see one way to handle this case. Well, that way won ’ t do. So I guess I have to find another way without you. ”
He took her by the elbow, walked her across the room, kissed her lightly on the cheek, then nudged her out of his office. “ Good-bye, Carol. ”
He shut and locked the door before she could so much as squeak in protest, then turned and walked across the room to answer the phone.
Chapter Five
“ Heard a rumor about you—and it had better be a rumor, too—that you went plumb out of your head this evening. Up and fired Carol as your lawyer. Just like that. ” Momma ’ s wrinkled old fingers gave a quiet snap, like someone stepping on a small twig on a dusty path. “ Now, tell me that ain ’ t true, boy. ”
“ Can ’ t tell you that, Momma. ” Riley leaned over the hospital bed and brushed a kiss over her cool cheek. “‘ Cause then you ’ d have to hop right up off that bed and wallop me for fibbing to you, and I just know your physical therapist would have both our hides for that. ”
Despite her obvious irritation with him, she granted him a smile that shone clear into the depths of her eyes. “ You ’ re a troublement, that ’ s what you are, Riley Aaron Walker. A pure troublement. ”
“ Then I must be a figment of your imagination, dear mother of mine, because there is no such-of-a word. ” He gripped the handrail just a hair ’ s breath away from where Momma ’ s frail arm rested atop the thin hospital blanket.
“ Pshaw. ” She rolled her eyes, and though she turned her head away for a moment, not a hair of her steel blue-gray permed hairdo moved out of place. “ If I was going to make something up out of my own imagination, it ’ d be a sight prettier to look at than some fret-faced child of mine clomping around a hospital in raggedy work clothes and muddy boots. ”
He chuckled at her gentle, teasing reprimand. “ Sorry, I didn ’ t have time to change. I got a phone call right after...right after Carol and I parted company. At first I was too irritated to put up with the fellow ’ s roundabout way of getting to his point but then...well, he ’ s a lawyer and it looks like I need a new lawyer, so I heard him out. ”
“ So it is true about you and Carol? ” Momma fumbled with the buttons on the control beside her pillow. The bed whirred and raised her upper body into a half-sitting slant. She flinched, shut her eyes then let out a long, slow breath.
Riley curled his fingers around the handrail, helpless to do anything to ease her discomfort.
When she opened her eyes again, she managed a sweet if not entirely convincing smile.
Riley studied her. “ I think you knew it was true before you even asked, didn ’ t you? How ’ d you find out? Did Carol call her sister down in admitting and tell her so that now the whole hospital knows? ”
“ Something like that. I don ’ t know if the whole hospital knows, of course. There may be someone in isolation or ICU that hasn ’ t been allowed a visitor yet to share all the good gossip. ”
He pulled his shoulders back, speaking loudly enough for anyone who might be lingering over their duties in the
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