comment made Taylor see red. “Dad, you don’t know a thing in the world about what Zelda’s been doing the past ten years,” he retorted, defending her now as he should have done long ago. Guilt for his past silence gnawed at him, even as he tried belatedly to make his father see reason. “People change. She’s had a responsible job with a very important lawyer out in California.”
Beau’s head snapped up. “Now how would you know a thing like that, unless you’d seen her? You haven’t seen her, have you?”
“As a matter of fact, I asked Taylor to see to Ella Louise’s will,” his mother chimed in, shooting a warning glance at him. “Naturally, he’s had to see Zelda.”
“Now why would you go and do a damn fool thing like that?” Beau demanded, his anger now directed at the pair of them. “You know the last thing Taylor needs is to get mixed up with that girl again.”
Taylor stood up slowly and glowered at his father. “Dad, I’m past the age where you can control who I do or don’t see. Maybe if I hadn’t been such a damned idiot ten years ago and hadn’t listened to you, my life would have turned out differently.”
Ignoring his father’s stunned expression, he leaned down and kissed his mother’s cheek. “Thank you for dinner. I think I’d best be going before Dad and I wind up saying things we’re likely to regret.”
“I don’t believe in regrets, son,” his father shouted after him.
“I know,” Taylor said softly. “More’s the pity.”
As he drove back toward town, he was thankful he’d managed to keep quiet about hiring Zelda to work in his office. Of course it was only a matter of time before the news reached Beau. Well, that was just something he’d have to deal with when the time came. He’d had his reasons for hiring her…though damned if he could think of a one of them at the moment.
He sighed heavily. How different things might have been if he’d listened to his heart all those years ago instead of paying attention to his father’s misguided if well-intentioned demands!
He’d played things by the book, though. He’d finished law school, married a girl from the best sorority on campus, one with all the right bloodlines—a descendant of the original South Carolina settlers, no less. They’d bought a fancy house in Charleston. He’d joined the most prestigious law firm in town, thanks to Maribeth’s family influence. Caitlin had been born almost nine months to the day after the wedding, right on time, with a minimum of fuss.
Within a year Taylor had been positioned to run for public office. Beau had been ecstatic. His golden boy was exactly where he wanted him, on schedule and destined for greatness.
At the time it hadn’t seemed to matter much to Taylor that he was miserable. There was little time for introspection, anyway. Maybe if he’d stopped long enough to take a good long look at his life and his marriage, things wouldn’t have turned out the way they had.
Without realizing what he was doing, he found himself instinctively driving by Zelda’s house. Those five minutes this afternoon when he’d disregarded every warning and kissed the woman senseless had been the first time he’d felt alive in more years than he could recall.
But it wouldn’t work between them, not after all the lessons he’d learned. Zelda was high-spirited and impetuous, a combination that had very nearly destroyed him once. He wouldn’t risk that kind of anguish again.
Chapter Five
Z elda marched into Taylor’s office on Monday morning with her shoulders squared and her head held high. She was determined that Taylor would never detect even the tiniest hint of the nervousness she felt. She wore another power suit just to make a statement—black this time. There was nothing more professional than basic black.
Admittedly, though, her uneasiness had nothing to do with the job. She knew after working for Kate that she could handle the workload of a small-town lawyer
Beau’s head snapped up. “Now how would you know a thing like that, unless you’d seen her? You haven’t seen her, have you?”
“As a matter of fact, I asked Taylor to see to Ella Louise’s will,” his mother chimed in, shooting a warning glance at him. “Naturally, he’s had to see Zelda.”
“Now why would you go and do a damn fool thing like that?” Beau demanded, his anger now directed at the pair of them. “You know the last thing Taylor needs is to get mixed up with that girl again.”
Taylor stood up slowly and glowered at his father. “Dad, I’m past the age where you can control who I do or don’t see. Maybe if I hadn’t been such a damned idiot ten years ago and hadn’t listened to you, my life would have turned out differently.”
Ignoring his father’s stunned expression, he leaned down and kissed his mother’s cheek. “Thank you for dinner. I think I’d best be going before Dad and I wind up saying things we’re likely to regret.”
“I don’t believe in regrets, son,” his father shouted after him.
“I know,” Taylor said softly. “More’s the pity.”
As he drove back toward town, he was thankful he’d managed to keep quiet about hiring Zelda to work in his office. Of course it was only a matter of time before the news reached Beau. Well, that was just something he’d have to deal with when the time came. He’d had his reasons for hiring her…though damned if he could think of a one of them at the moment.
He sighed heavily. How different things might have been if he’d listened to his heart all those years ago instead of paying attention to his father’s misguided if well-intentioned demands!
He’d played things by the book, though. He’d finished law school, married a girl from the best sorority on campus, one with all the right bloodlines—a descendant of the original South Carolina settlers, no less. They’d bought a fancy house in Charleston. He’d joined the most prestigious law firm in town, thanks to Maribeth’s family influence. Caitlin had been born almost nine months to the day after the wedding, right on time, with a minimum of fuss.
Within a year Taylor had been positioned to run for public office. Beau had been ecstatic. His golden boy was exactly where he wanted him, on schedule and destined for greatness.
At the time it hadn’t seemed to matter much to Taylor that he was miserable. There was little time for introspection, anyway. Maybe if he’d stopped long enough to take a good long look at his life and his marriage, things wouldn’t have turned out the way they had.
Without realizing what he was doing, he found himself instinctively driving by Zelda’s house. Those five minutes this afternoon when he’d disregarded every warning and kissed the woman senseless had been the first time he’d felt alive in more years than he could recall.
But it wouldn’t work between them, not after all the lessons he’d learned. Zelda was high-spirited and impetuous, a combination that had very nearly destroyed him once. He wouldn’t risk that kind of anguish again.
Chapter Five
Z elda marched into Taylor’s office on Monday morning with her shoulders squared and her head held high. She was determined that Taylor would never detect even the tiniest hint of the nervousness she felt. She wore another power suit just to make a statement—black this time. There was nothing more professional than basic black.
Admittedly, though, her uneasiness had nothing to do with the job. She knew after working for Kate that she could handle the workload of a small-town lawyer
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