Read Online Somewhere Along the Way by Jodi Thomas - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jodi Thomas
Ads: Link
her in their circle of friends or invite her to anything that didn’t involve a donation at the door, but they no longer talked in death-threat tones when her name was brought up.
Liz grinned as Martha Q started up the steps to her office. Liz had secretly always loved the woman. Martha Q had lived her life by her own rules and standards. Even today she wore rhinestone-red cowboy boots and a hat to match with her olive-green jogging suit. Liz remembered stories of Martha Q climbing the water tower and flashing the town when she’d been sixteen and only a B cup. She’d done it again at twenty with double Ds. She’d gotten engaged so many times years ago that folks said she should have her own column on the social page every Sunday. She’d married her third husband because he’d told her he was dying. After six months, with him looking no sicker, she shot him to hurry the process along. He’d gotten so mad, he’d dialed 911 before he started beating her with the phone. When the police arrived, they arrested him and forgot to list the bullet wound in the report.
Giggling, Liz waited with her office door open. Martha Q had to be coming to see her. The morning was certainly no longer dull.
The woman hurried in, a powder puff cloud of perfume and bling. “Hope I’m not bothering you, miss, but I’m here to see Elizabeth Matheson, the lawyer.” She dropped the dripping umbrella on the wicker chair, took off the red cowboy hat, and shook her head. The damp, sprayed hair didn’t move.
“I’m Liz Matheson.” Liz circled her desk fighting down a laugh. The lady looked like she was wearing a helmet.
Martha Q wrinkled up one eyebrow. A painted-on shadow of the brow wiggled just above like an echo. “You sure you’re old enough to be a lawyer? You don’t look a minute past ponytails and braces.”
Liz tried to stand taller. “I promise.” She pointed at the diploma on the wall. “I got proof.”
Martha nodded. “All right then, Miss Elizabeth Matheson. You got time to see me?”
Liz didn’t want to look too hungry. “I had my morning court appointment postponed.” She’d been practicing “sounding busy” during her “looking busy” afternoons. “Luckily, I can work you in, Mrs. Patterson.”
Martha Q moved to the chair in front of Liz’s desk. “You know who I am?”
“I do.” Liz took her seat. “Now, Mrs. Patterson, how may I help you?”
Martha fiddled with her scarf for a moment before she began. Her pink scarf clashed with her green-studded jogging jacket, which clashed with her boots, which clashed with a canary-yellow purse that looked almost big enough to hold a small car. The woman was a nightmare’s rainbow twin.
Liz offered her coffee. As she fetched it, Martha Q patted her face dry and caught her breath.
When Liz sat back in her chair, Martha Q began, “First, Miss Matheson, we just might become friends and, with that possibility in mind, I suggest two things. One, that you allow me to take you to lunch, and two, that you call me Martha Q.”
“I’d love to,” Liz agreed. “Call me Liz.”
Settling into the chair like a nesting hen, Martha Q said, “Well, now that that is taken care of, we can do our business before we eat. I’d like to know how much you’d charge for me to have you on retainer.”
“Are you in some kind of legal trouble?”
Martha Q shook her head. “No, not right now, but legal trouble is like lint to my way of thinking. I have a way of attracting both. I’d just like to know that I could call you if I had a question about something and you’d always answer the phone.”
“I’d answer without the retainer,” Liz said honestly.
“But”—Martha frowned—“if you was on retainer and something bad came along, you’d be bound not only to answer, but to stick by me.”
Liz saw it then. No more than a flicker in the light, but there. Martha Q Patterson was alone, totally alone, maybe for the first time in her life. She probably wouldn’t
Liz grinned as Martha Q started up the steps to her office. Liz had secretly always loved the woman. Martha Q had lived her life by her own rules and standards. Even today she wore rhinestone-red cowboy boots and a hat to match with her olive-green jogging suit. Liz remembered stories of Martha Q climbing the water tower and flashing the town when she’d been sixteen and only a B cup. She’d done it again at twenty with double Ds. She’d gotten engaged so many times years ago that folks said she should have her own column on the social page every Sunday. She’d married her third husband because he’d told her he was dying. After six months, with him looking no sicker, she shot him to hurry the process along. He’d gotten so mad, he’d dialed 911 before he started beating her with the phone. When the police arrived, they arrested him and forgot to list the bullet wound in the report.
Giggling, Liz waited with her office door open. Martha Q had to be coming to see her. The morning was certainly no longer dull.
The woman hurried in, a powder puff cloud of perfume and bling. “Hope I’m not bothering you, miss, but I’m here to see Elizabeth Matheson, the lawyer.” She dropped the dripping umbrella on the wicker chair, took off the red cowboy hat, and shook her head. The damp, sprayed hair didn’t move.
“I’m Liz Matheson.” Liz circled her desk fighting down a laugh. The lady looked like she was wearing a helmet.
Martha Q wrinkled up one eyebrow. A painted-on shadow of the brow wiggled just above like an echo. “You sure you’re old enough to be a lawyer? You don’t look a minute past ponytails and braces.”
Liz tried to stand taller. “I promise.” She pointed at the diploma on the wall. “I got proof.”
Martha nodded. “All right then, Miss Elizabeth Matheson. You got time to see me?”
Liz didn’t want to look too hungry. “I had my morning court appointment postponed.” She’d been practicing “sounding busy” during her “looking busy” afternoons. “Luckily, I can work you in, Mrs. Patterson.”
Martha Q moved to the chair in front of Liz’s desk. “You know who I am?”
“I do.” Liz took her seat. “Now, Mrs. Patterson, how may I help you?”
Martha fiddled with her scarf for a moment before she began. Her pink scarf clashed with her green-studded jogging jacket, which clashed with her boots, which clashed with a canary-yellow purse that looked almost big enough to hold a small car. The woman was a nightmare’s rainbow twin.
Liz offered her coffee. As she fetched it, Martha Q patted her face dry and caught her breath.
When Liz sat back in her chair, Martha Q began, “First, Miss Matheson, we just might become friends and, with that possibility in mind, I suggest two things. One, that you allow me to take you to lunch, and two, that you call me Martha Q.”
“I’d love to,” Liz agreed. “Call me Liz.”
Settling into the chair like a nesting hen, Martha Q said, “Well, now that that is taken care of, we can do our business before we eat. I’d like to know how much you’d charge for me to have you on retainer.”
“Are you in some kind of legal trouble?”
Martha Q shook her head. “No, not right now, but legal trouble is like lint to my way of thinking. I have a way of attracting both. I’d just like to know that I could call you if I had a question about something and you’d always answer the phone.”
“I’d answer without the retainer,” Liz said honestly.
“But”—Martha frowned—“if you was on retainer and something bad came along, you’d be bound not only to answer, but to stick by me.”
Liz saw it then. No more than a flicker in the light, but there. Martha Q Patterson was alone, totally alone, maybe for the first time in her life. She probably wouldn’t
Similar Books
