Veer (Clayton Falls #2)(11)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

“I don’t know.” I focused on signing my name on a bunch of forms.

“You bitch about how depressing the choice of women is in this town, yet a gorgeous girl comes in with eyes for you, and you go all psycho.”

“With eyes for me?” I glanced up. Tom had spun his chair around to look at me.

“That’s how Kelly put it.”

I wondered how Kelly would feel if she knew her husband repeated everything she said. “What would give her that impression?”

Tom laughed. “Girls talk.”

I couldn’t help feeling some satisfaction at knowing she’d talked to her friends about me. I wasn’t going to admit it, though. “If she has eyes for anyone, it’s Jake. Or hell, she’s going out with Ronny this week.”

“Kelly says she’s not into either of them.”

“Did you two just sit around discussing Becca?”

“No. Mostly we tried to figure out why you were all weird.”

I just shrugged. “I admit she’s hot.”

“Finally, a normal thought.”

“Don’t let Kelly hear you.”

“She doesn’t care. She has nothing to worry about, and she knows it.”

“Yeah, I guess Kelly isn’t exactly the insecure kind.”

He chuckled. “Uh, not exactly. But you do know that just because Becca’s from the same place, it doesn’t mean she’s like Dawn.”

I was wondering when he’d connect the dots. I’d met Tom at the Academy right after Dawn left me. As if getting a career ending injury wasn’t enough, my girlfriend dumped me because of it.

“It’s not just that.”

“Then what is it?”

“Just drop it.”

I couldn’t spend too much time going down memory lane. It had been three years since my pro baseball career evaporated thanks to a torn rotator cuff. I’d just signed a new contract to play in the majors, and bam, it was all gone. Dawn said she wanted to be with someone who was going places. That wasn’t the worst part, though. Nor was the fact that she got together with one of my teammates. No, the worst part was that I begged her not to leave me. I was pathetic. I swore I’d never do it again.

Maybe that was my real issue with Becca. I wanted her but knew any interest she had in me would be a passing fling. I wasn’t sure that would be enough. She seemed like the kind of girl where one taste couldn’t possibly be enough.

“Let’s get out of here.” Without waiting for Tom, I walked out to the car.

Chapter Eight

Becca

I wasn’t sure what to wear to work my first day. I was pretty sure a suit would be overkill, but I wanted to look professional, especially after meeting one of the partners at the beach while wearing only a bikini. Partners—I needed to stop thinking of things in Boston terms.

After settling on a tailored skirt and a light purple top, I drove Molly’s car over to the town square. The law offices of Morgan & Morgan were located right between the plant nursery and a bookstore. The local coffee shop beckoned from across the street. That would be convenient for lunch breaks.

Finding a parking space was ridiculously easy. I smoothed out my skirt, checked to make sure my hair was pulled neatly back, and got out of the car. I walked into the office with my head held high, willing myself to forget about the embarrassing meeting the day before.

“Hi, Becca. It’s good to see you again.” Matt walked out of his office.

“Hi. I’m excited to be here.”

“It’s kind of cramped, but I’ve set you up in the extra office back here.” I followed him back to a windowless room. “Sorry, I know it’s kind of depressing.”

“No, it’s fine.”

“All right.” He smiled at me, looking me over in a way that made me a little bit uncomfortable. “Here are all your passwords and everything. Why don’t you get yourself settled, and then come meet me in my office, so I can go over some stuff and give you your first assignment.”

“Sounds great.”

He started to walk out.

“Wait. Uh, is your father—I mean the other Mr. Morgan—expected in today?”

“No. I guess I forgot to mention it. He’s actually on a cruise with my mother for the next few weeks. That’s what made it so convenient that you were able to work.”

“Oh.” He definitely hadn’t mentioned that. No one had. “All right. I guess I’ll just get settled.”

I loaded the computer, not sure what getting settled really entailed. That was one of those things bosses said that made no sense. I made sure I could access the databases I’d need for research, and double checked that Word functioned before pulling out a legal pad and pen from the top draw of the desk. I walked down the hall to Matt’s office.

I knocked. He looked up, smiled, and waved me in. “Take a seat.”

I sat down in one of the large leather chairs across from his desk. It was strange to see someone his age in such a big office. I was used to firms where it took years to make junior partner, let alone to essentially be running the place. Matt couldn’t have been more than four or five years older than me. Although he looked tired, his face still had a really boyish quality. He wore a dress shirt and slacks, but he didn’t seem comfortable in them.

I noticed a photograph on his desk of a pretty woman with two young children. “You have a beautiful family.”

He picked up the frame. “Yeah, they’re great.”

I smiled, not sure what else to say.

“I was already a dad when I was your age.”

Okay, could he make this anymore awkward? “That’s cool.”

He laughed. “Sorry, that came out weird. I just mean, you are in such a different place than I was at your age.”

I decided to help him out. “Yeah, I bet law school was challenging with a baby at home.”

“Definitely. I never got to party during those years. I bet you have it really different. I bet you’re a wild one.”

“Umm, not exactly.” A wild one? Yeah, if studying and taking care of my mom were considered wild.

“Come on, you can be honest.”

I didn’t like the way he stared. It really bothered me, and I needed to get the conversation back on my job. “So anyway, when I spoke with your father, he made it sound like I was mostly going to be doing research and possibly helping on some depositions?”

“Yeah. I mean, I think you should sit in on some client meetings, and if you want, you can definitely come to court with me. You worked in a DA’s office last summer, right?”