I opened the sandwich and looked over some briefs as my phone rang. Since it was the office phone, Dustin must have sent it back. I answered.
“Jacob Queen’s office.”
“Hello there, darling,” my mother said. I smiled, leaning back in my chair.
I took a bite of the sandwich and grinned. “Hello.”
“You’re talking with your mouth full.”
I winced. “Sorry, I figured since you called, I could take a break.”
“That’s good timing, then. Since you’re eating, I don’t have to nag you about that.”
“I take care of myself.”
“No, Dustin and Seressia take care of you, which is good. They know exactly how to make sure you don’t work yourself into the ground. I just wanted to check on you.” There was an awkward pause, and I cleared my throat and set my partially eaten sandwich down on the desk.
“I apologized to Annabelle. Told her I was a jerk and said I would work to do better. I am sorry, Mom.”
I heard the relieved breath, and I winced.
“That’s good to hear,” she whispered. “She needs love, too. And so do you.”
I shook my head and bit into the sandwich again so I wouldn’t say what was on my mind.
“All I’m saying is that she could use a friend,” my mother backpedaled. I rolled my eyes, though she couldn’t see me.
“Sure. Whatever you say. I think Annabelle and I are going to try to be friends. Or at least nice neighbors.”
“That’s all I can ask. I could ask for much more, but I’ll stick with that.”
I shook my head again, even though, once more, she couldn’t see me. “Thank you for checking in. That is why you called, right?”
“I just wanted to hear your voice.” There was another pause, and my sandwich tasted like sawdust all of a sudden. I swallowed the last of the bite and wiped my hands on the napkin Dustin had given me.
“I’m glad you called. Call anytime—even if I’m in court. I’ll take it.”
“I will not call when you’re not on a break.”
“And how will you know that?”
“I have spies.”
“Dustin and Seressia call you to let you know when I’m eating so you can call me?” I guessed.
“Maybe. And when your brilliant women get back to the office, they’ll make sure I can take care of you, as well. I’m doing my best to make sure that all of the moms in that lovely little office of yours are taking care of their kids. You might be adults, but you’ll always be our babies.”
I let out a breath and tried not to focus on the fact that my heart broke a little inside. I needed to focus on the now and not what could happen in the future. “I love you, Mom.”
“I love you, too, baby. Now you go put those criminals behind bars.”
“That’s not the type of law I’m working on up here,” I said dryly.
“Maybe not, but you’re still doing good work. You’re brilliant. And I’m proud of you. Now, go do whatever paperwork you need to do.”
I laughed. “That sounds about right.”
We said our goodbyes and hung up, and I looked down at my desk, wondering what I would do when she didn’t call on my lunches anymore. It wouldn’t serve me to focus on that, but I’d moved up to Fort Collins and changed my entire life and career to be near my family. And after she was gone? After the doctors were finally proven right?
I’d stay, wouldn’t I? Or would I run again? I shoved those thoughts from my mind, not wanting to focus on them. It would only make me ill again, and I couldn’t breathe if I let my thoughts go down a path of shadows so far in the future—at least I hoped it was far in the future.
I cleaned up my desk, pulled out my water, drank half of it down, and then got back to work. I’d focus on the paperwork in front of me, on the people who needed me right now, and then deal with everything else later.
There was a light tap on the door, and I looked up to see Seressia frowning at me.
“What?”
“There’s someone here to speak to you. I wasn’t sure if I should send them away or not.”
For some strange reason, Annabelle’s face popped into my mind, and I stood up. “Tall, average height, dark brown hair, vivid blue eyes?”
Seressia’s smile made her look like a cat in cream, and I could have cursed. “No, but after work, once I’m not on the clock, I do believe you need to explain that to me.”
I held back a wince. Damn it. Seressia was far too good at ferreting out information, and I’d walked right into it. “No, I don’t believe I do.”
“Whatever you say. But, no, it’s not her…whoever the dream girl is.”
“Seressia.”
She sighed and then visibly braced herself. “It’s Mrs. Queen.”
I closed my eyes, counted to five because I sure as hell wasn’t going to make it to ten, and let out a breath. “Why don’t you just send her back? I’m sure she didn’t give you a reason for being here.”
She gave me a pointed look. “Okay, we’ll be here to call you out on business in ten minutes.”
I snorted. “You know what, I’ll take you up on that offer.”
“It’s what we’re here for.”
Seressia left, and a few moments later, I heard the click of heels against the hardwood of the older home we’d converted into my office.
Susan Queen was gorgeous. Vivid red hair and curls that framed her face. Her green eyes were piercing, and you never forgot them. She had a pointed chin and a semi-pointed nose. Her face was dusted with freckles, and she looked like a fey queen. She had sinful curves, something she called them herself, and looked as if she could take on the world.
And she did.
She had taken me on, after all—and then spat me out after she chewed on me a bit.
“Hello, Jacob. It’s good to see you,” she said softly as she made her way inside. She leaned forward, grabbed my shoulders, and air-kissed my cheek before leaning back to study my face.
“You look tired. How is Kelley?”
“Mother’s doing just fine. Father, too. And I’m probably tired because it’s the middle of a workday and I haven’t had coffee since nine.”
“Why don’t we take care of that? I’ll take you out for a cup. There has to be a little café around here. One owned by a little barista with a cute smile. Maybe one that serves the best cinnamon rolls in the state.”
“How many Hallmark movies have you been watching lately?” I asked wryly.
“Enough. They’re on Lifetime now, too. Though those are a little spicier.”
“I don’t have time for coffee, Susan.”
She looked past me to the papers on my desk and frowned. “I’d hoped that you coming up here to this little town of yours would help you not work so much. I can see that isn’t the case.”
I resisted the urge to shove her out of my office because that wouldn’t be nice. And I didn’t hate Susan. I just didn’t like her anymore. “Susan, first off, Fort Collins is not a little town. It’s a city. A decent-sized one.”
“It’s not Denver.”