Read Online Ugly Ducklings Finish First by Stacy Gail - Free Book Online
Authors: Stacy Gail
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matter. For some reason his old tutor had one hell of a powerful hold on him. Whether she liked it or not, he needed to see just how strong that hold was.
Chapter Five
The Tex-Mex restaurant they settled on had a large al fresco dining area on the flagstone edge of the river. Well-fed pigeons kept a trained eye out for any stray crumb, while mariachi music drifted through the air. It was a picturesque, tranquil sight worth any tourist’s snapshot. Payton, however, was anything but tranquil. Every survival instinct she possessed screamed to get the hell out of the path of the natural disaster that was Wiley Sharpe.
“Well.” In desperation, she opened a menu and wondered if she couldn’t somehow find a way to keep that fragile barrier between them during the entire lunch. “I hope you brought your appetite. Everything here looks delicious.”
“Delicious,” he repeated in absent agreement, not touching his menu. “Payton, you have no idea how strong my appetite is right now.”
I can guess . The words almost popped out before she bit her tongue to keep it silent. Good grief. She really was far gone if she saw sexual innuendo in every little comment. “So. How’d your class go this morning?”
“Class? Oh, right, my class. We’re currently exploring the wonderful world of precedents.” He undid the button at his throat and heaved a sigh in relief. “How do you think your lecture went this morning?”
“You were there. You tell me.”
“Clear, concise and to the point without putting people to sleep. From a lawyer’s perspective, I was impressed. You really know your stuff.”
She tried to ignore the bloom of pleasure at his praise. “I suppose the subject matter might interest a lawyer, at that. Is that why you were there? Are you working on a case involving the medical field?”
His shrug was dismissive. “It’s always helpful to keep a hand in. I have to admit, it was interesting to see you in your element. I felt like bragging to everyone that I knew you when we were kids.”
“That probably wouldn’t have impressed anyone. I’m sure recounting some of your courtroom dramas would have been much more interesting.”
“Believe me, there’s nothing dramatic about the case I’m working on now.”
“What is it?”
“Just your basic foreclosure case. I’m trying to iron out a few snags old Carlos Xavier is having with his bank.”
Payton’s brows shot up. “Carlos Xavier? He’s still alive?”
“And kicking.” He paused as their waiter approached, then turned his attention back to her after they’d ordered. “About eighteen months ago Carlos took out an ARM loan on a parcel of land he couldn’t begin to afford. Ultimately he wound up losing everything, including the family homestead, which he’d put up as collateral.”
“How awful.” Payton’s brow puckered with concern. “They’ve had that farm since the Spanish Land Grants. We went to school with his grandkids, remember? I had a king-sized crush on Alex Xavier in the seventh grade.”
“Really?” Green eyes narrowing, he slanted her a glance. “He married Trina Merrick years ago and is the father of three.”
“Darn. There go all my schoolgirl fantasies.”
“You snooze, you lose.”
She snorted. “Thanks for the sympathy.”
“No problem.” A basket of razor-thin tortilla chips and roasted-pepper salsa were placed in front of them by their speeding waiter, and Wiley reached for a chip. “Alex manages his mother’s clothing store now, but this has hit the entire family hard. It wasn’t just land that was lost. It was their heritage.”
“I can only imagine the pain they’re going through.” She searched his face and saw the concern shadowing his eyes. “It must be very hard, doing what you do.”
“No more than your job, I imagine.”
“True enough. I’ve had some cases that still give me nightmares, but at least I don’t know my patients the way you know your clients. You know their
Chapter Five
The Tex-Mex restaurant they settled on had a large al fresco dining area on the flagstone edge of the river. Well-fed pigeons kept a trained eye out for any stray crumb, while mariachi music drifted through the air. It was a picturesque, tranquil sight worth any tourist’s snapshot. Payton, however, was anything but tranquil. Every survival instinct she possessed screamed to get the hell out of the path of the natural disaster that was Wiley Sharpe.
“Well.” In desperation, she opened a menu and wondered if she couldn’t somehow find a way to keep that fragile barrier between them during the entire lunch. “I hope you brought your appetite. Everything here looks delicious.”
“Delicious,” he repeated in absent agreement, not touching his menu. “Payton, you have no idea how strong my appetite is right now.”
I can guess . The words almost popped out before she bit her tongue to keep it silent. Good grief. She really was far gone if she saw sexual innuendo in every little comment. “So. How’d your class go this morning?”
“Class? Oh, right, my class. We’re currently exploring the wonderful world of precedents.” He undid the button at his throat and heaved a sigh in relief. “How do you think your lecture went this morning?”
“You were there. You tell me.”
“Clear, concise and to the point without putting people to sleep. From a lawyer’s perspective, I was impressed. You really know your stuff.”
She tried to ignore the bloom of pleasure at his praise. “I suppose the subject matter might interest a lawyer, at that. Is that why you were there? Are you working on a case involving the medical field?”
His shrug was dismissive. “It’s always helpful to keep a hand in. I have to admit, it was interesting to see you in your element. I felt like bragging to everyone that I knew you when we were kids.”
“That probably wouldn’t have impressed anyone. I’m sure recounting some of your courtroom dramas would have been much more interesting.”
“Believe me, there’s nothing dramatic about the case I’m working on now.”
“What is it?”
“Just your basic foreclosure case. I’m trying to iron out a few snags old Carlos Xavier is having with his bank.”
Payton’s brows shot up. “Carlos Xavier? He’s still alive?”
“And kicking.” He paused as their waiter approached, then turned his attention back to her after they’d ordered. “About eighteen months ago Carlos took out an ARM loan on a parcel of land he couldn’t begin to afford. Ultimately he wound up losing everything, including the family homestead, which he’d put up as collateral.”
“How awful.” Payton’s brow puckered with concern. “They’ve had that farm since the Spanish Land Grants. We went to school with his grandkids, remember? I had a king-sized crush on Alex Xavier in the seventh grade.”
“Really?” Green eyes narrowing, he slanted her a glance. “He married Trina Merrick years ago and is the father of three.”
“Darn. There go all my schoolgirl fantasies.”
“You snooze, you lose.”
She snorted. “Thanks for the sympathy.”
“No problem.” A basket of razor-thin tortilla chips and roasted-pepper salsa were placed in front of them by their speeding waiter, and Wiley reached for a chip. “Alex manages his mother’s clothing store now, but this has hit the entire family hard. It wasn’t just land that was lost. It was their heritage.”
“I can only imagine the pain they’re going through.” She searched his face and saw the concern shadowing his eyes. “It must be very hard, doing what you do.”
“No more than your job, I imagine.”
“True enough. I’ve had some cases that still give me nightmares, but at least I don’t know my patients the way you know your clients. You know their
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