Rushing the Goal
Page 86
“Yeah, that’s who I’m renting my new office from,” she said simply, her face twisting in confusion. “Why would you get that contract, though?”
“You have me listed as your lawyer on your website still.”
Oh. Well, that needed to be changed. “Okay, anything wrong with the contract?”
“No, it’s pretty cut-and-dried. But do you know this guy or something? This rent is way too low for a real office building.”
Lucy’s glare deepened. “Does that matter?”
“No, just making sure you aren’t getting screwed over.”
Her blood boiled. “Is the contract good or not?”
“It’s good. It’s fair, just really low for rent. Is it legit? Did you have it checked out?”
“Yes,” she lied and then made a note to do that, even though she was already moving in to it.
“Okay, well, on to the next order of business,” he said simply, unfazed the hatred in Lucy’s voice. “That son of a bitch had his lawyer contact me about splitting Angie’s time fifty-fifty. I asked what the reasoning was, and he informed me that his son of a bitch client doesn’t like the way you are raising his daughter. I told him that he can take us to court, but he better have some solid proof to back up his claims. He asked to settle out of court. I told him to take a flying leap. Just wanted to let you know.”
Biting into her lip, she closed her eyes, her body shaking with nerves. “Do you think he’ll do it?”
He paused, letting out a long sigh. She could just see him. Sitting at his desk, his pen at his lips, really thinking. So many summers she had watched him do just that. “I don’t think so. I told him he’ll be paying all the court costs and everything else. That we are completely good with the parenting plan the judge decided. That dickface agreed, too, when the divorce was finalized. He’d be dumb to take us to court, honestly. You keep records of everything still? All the texts, emails, recordings of your phone conversations? Have you gotten anything from the school lately?”
Her stomach was still hurting as she cleared her throat. “Yeah, I’m still doing that. But, no, she’s been doing great in school. The new medication is working wonders.”
“Yeah, but you need to make sure you keep an ear out. Is she still shutting down when she gets home from his house?”
“Sorta, but hockey has been really great for her.”
He clicked his tongue. “Okay, that’s good. You are doing it right, Lucy.”
“Should I be worried?”
He let out a long breath. “You know, Laney, I don’t think so. But I’ll keep you in the loop if anything changes.”
Her heart skipped at the nickname he had for her. He hadn’t called her that in years, and it hurt to hear it. Her dad used to be her hero, the person she loved most and looked up to. She had wanted to be a lawyer for so long because he was one. She would play hockey with the boys and him, just so she could be the center of attention. She was daddy’s little girl. But when it came out that he was cheating on her mother, that he had a whole other life with another woman, he not only broke her mom’s heart, he broke Lucy’s too. That was the day her heart turned to stone and she never trusted a man again.
Well, until now.
Until Benji.
Clearing her throat free of emotion, she nodded. “Okay. Thank you.”
“Of course. Call if you need anything.”
She didn’t answer, she just hung up and slowly shook her head, the nerves eating her alive. She wasn’t sure if she should trust what her dad was saying. How would he know if Rick was going to take them to court? She knew he would fight. He loved Angie and knew what Rick had done to them, but still, neither of them knew Rick’s financial status. Money talked, but she had so much on him. No, she was fine, but would he really do this?
Looking at her phone, she considered calling Rick, but it wouldn’t end well. No, it would get nasty, so she called Benji.
“Hey, I don’t have her yet.”
“No, I know. You have like three minutes.”
“Oh, okay, I was about to go in there and get her. I thought maybe I missed her or something. By the way, this school is swanky.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, it’s really good for her.”
“Yeah, I can tell. But you need a BMW. Your Honda isn’t cutting it.”
She scoffed as he laughed. “I’ll get right on that.”
“Yeah, so what’s up? You miss me?” he asked and she grinned.
“Always,” she decided and his rough chuckle ran down her spine. “But, it’s not that.”
“Well, that’s bogus.”
She paused and then laughed. “You and your wack vocabulary.”
“Hey, don’t make fun of me!” She giggled, looking up at the sky as his laughter made her heart expand. “Anyway, what’s up if you don’t miss me?”
“I said I did, dork. It was just more than that,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Anyway, my dad called me.”
“Really?” he asked, surprised. “That’s not normal.”
“No, not at all. But apparently, Rick’s lawyers have contacted him and they want to change the parenting plan. Which we already knew he wanted to do, but I didn’t think he’d actually get a lawyer.”
“Yeah, that’s surprising. He seems like a lot of talk, no do.”
“You have me listed as your lawyer on your website still.”
Oh. Well, that needed to be changed. “Okay, anything wrong with the contract?”
“No, it’s pretty cut-and-dried. But do you know this guy or something? This rent is way too low for a real office building.”
Lucy’s glare deepened. “Does that matter?”
“No, just making sure you aren’t getting screwed over.”
Her blood boiled. “Is the contract good or not?”
“It’s good. It’s fair, just really low for rent. Is it legit? Did you have it checked out?”
“Yes,” she lied and then made a note to do that, even though she was already moving in to it.
“Okay, well, on to the next order of business,” he said simply, unfazed the hatred in Lucy’s voice. “That son of a bitch had his lawyer contact me about splitting Angie’s time fifty-fifty. I asked what the reasoning was, and he informed me that his son of a bitch client doesn’t like the way you are raising his daughter. I told him that he can take us to court, but he better have some solid proof to back up his claims. He asked to settle out of court. I told him to take a flying leap. Just wanted to let you know.”
Biting into her lip, she closed her eyes, her body shaking with nerves. “Do you think he’ll do it?”
He paused, letting out a long sigh. She could just see him. Sitting at his desk, his pen at his lips, really thinking. So many summers she had watched him do just that. “I don’t think so. I told him he’ll be paying all the court costs and everything else. That we are completely good with the parenting plan the judge decided. That dickface agreed, too, when the divorce was finalized. He’d be dumb to take us to court, honestly. You keep records of everything still? All the texts, emails, recordings of your phone conversations? Have you gotten anything from the school lately?”
Her stomach was still hurting as she cleared her throat. “Yeah, I’m still doing that. But, no, she’s been doing great in school. The new medication is working wonders.”
“Yeah, but you need to make sure you keep an ear out. Is she still shutting down when she gets home from his house?”
“Sorta, but hockey has been really great for her.”
He clicked his tongue. “Okay, that’s good. You are doing it right, Lucy.”
“Should I be worried?”
He let out a long breath. “You know, Laney, I don’t think so. But I’ll keep you in the loop if anything changes.”
Her heart skipped at the nickname he had for her. He hadn’t called her that in years, and it hurt to hear it. Her dad used to be her hero, the person she loved most and looked up to. She had wanted to be a lawyer for so long because he was one. She would play hockey with the boys and him, just so she could be the center of attention. She was daddy’s little girl. But when it came out that he was cheating on her mother, that he had a whole other life with another woman, he not only broke her mom’s heart, he broke Lucy’s too. That was the day her heart turned to stone and she never trusted a man again.
Well, until now.
Until Benji.
Clearing her throat free of emotion, she nodded. “Okay. Thank you.”
“Of course. Call if you need anything.”
She didn’t answer, she just hung up and slowly shook her head, the nerves eating her alive. She wasn’t sure if she should trust what her dad was saying. How would he know if Rick was going to take them to court? She knew he would fight. He loved Angie and knew what Rick had done to them, but still, neither of them knew Rick’s financial status. Money talked, but she had so much on him. No, she was fine, but would he really do this?
Looking at her phone, she considered calling Rick, but it wouldn’t end well. No, it would get nasty, so she called Benji.
“Hey, I don’t have her yet.”
“No, I know. You have like three minutes.”
“Oh, okay, I was about to go in there and get her. I thought maybe I missed her or something. By the way, this school is swanky.”
She chuckled. “Yeah, it’s really good for her.”
“Yeah, I can tell. But you need a BMW. Your Honda isn’t cutting it.”
She scoffed as he laughed. “I’ll get right on that.”
“Yeah, so what’s up? You miss me?” he asked and she grinned.
“Always,” she decided and his rough chuckle ran down her spine. “But, it’s not that.”
“Well, that’s bogus.”
She paused and then laughed. “You and your wack vocabulary.”
“Hey, don’t make fun of me!” She giggled, looking up at the sky as his laughter made her heart expand. “Anyway, what’s up if you don’t miss me?”
“I said I did, dork. It was just more than that,” she said, rolling her eyes. “Anyway, my dad called me.”
“Really?” he asked, surprised. “That’s not normal.”
“No, not at all. But apparently, Rick’s lawyers have contacted him and they want to change the parenting plan. Which we already knew he wanted to do, but I didn’t think he’d actually get a lawyer.”
“Yeah, that’s surprising. He seems like a lot of talk, no do.”
