Forever After (6 page)

She purposefully and playfully stepped on the toe of his shoe.  In retaliation he pulled her up tight again him and was startled by his body's instantaneous reaction.  He quickly released her.

Color rose to her cheeks as she said breathlessly, "Before I do that again, I'll remember you're bigger than I am."

Had she felt his response?  She looked embarrassed.  What would she do if he told her he wanted to go to bed with her?  Probably run so far he'd never find her.  Even in Hershey.  "I might be bigger, but I'm sure you'd pack a punch if I get out of line."

He twirled her in a pirouette to add a flourish to their dance steps.

When she faced him again, she asked, "Have you mastered the jitterbug too?"

"I try to master everything I undertake."

"Uh oh," she sighed dramatically.  "I have a feeling I'm going to get as much exercise as if I'd jogged five miles."

His right hand lowered to her trim waist and gently pinched.  "You mean you don't?"

"I don't.  In the summer I swim, in the winter I build snowmen."

He laughed and realized that was one of the reasons he liked Darcy.  She had a sense of humor.  "I suppose you eat like a weight lifter and never gain an ounce?"

"I do have to watch my consumption of milkshakes.  No more than three a day," she teased.

Her fingers tightened on his shoulder and he imagined them in his hair, on his chest...

"Do you lift weights?"

He came back to the present.  "I jog three or four times a week, play racquetball when I can.  I haven't had time to build many snowmen lately."

Her mouth curved into a sweet arc, an arc he'd like to kiss.  "You'll have to set aside time.  Building snowmen is becoming a lost art."

"I need to set aside time for more than snowmen," he confessed, pulling her slightly closer.

They danced, talked, and mastered new combinations of steps.  Seth couldn't remember when he'd had a better time.  At the end of the session, he insisted on walking Darcy to her car.  As they stood under the darkening sky, he took her hand in his.  "What's the verdict?  Am I a suitable dance partner?"

She laughed.  "I thought you were going to ask if you were irresistible."

"And take the chance on getting shot down?  No way."

She didn't pull her hand away.  "You're a very suitable dance partner."

"And..." he prompted.

"And I enjoyed your company."

"Good.  I can pick you up next week so we don't have to bring two cars."

"Seth..."

"It will be just like tonight.  We won't talk about anything controversial.  We'll simply relax and have fun."

He could see her inner debate.  But finally she agreed.  "What time?"

"I'll be there about ten after seven."  He squeezed her hand.  What he wanted to do was kiss her until neither of them could breathe.  Maybe that would happen next week.

He brushed his fingers along her cheek then opened her car door.  She started the engine and backed out of the parking lot.  He waited there until she drove away.

***

Thursday evening Seth unlocked his apartment door and let his associate, Vic Bushwald, precede him inside.  Vic descended the four steps from the foyer to the sunken living room and gave a low whistle.  "Nice.  Very nice.  Did it come furnished or did you do it?"

Seth followed Vic down into the living room, his footsteps soundless in the deep beige carpeting.  "I did.  With the help of a furniture gallery."  He crossed in back of the russet plaid sofa to reach the pine bar.  When he flipped on the tape deck hidden in the base, the strumming of a classical guitar wafted into the room.

Seth mixed two scotch and waters and handed one to Vic.  "So.  Is Peg going to mind you stopping for a drink?"

"Naw.  You know Peg--she's flexible.  I called her before we left the office to tell her I'd be late.  She said she wants you to come for dinner again next week."  Vic carried his drink past the stone fireplace to a black leather wing chair and sank down, loosening his tie.

Seth scanned his college roommate.  His brown hair was receding at the temples but he was as fit and trim as he'd been in law school.  The addition of a mustache enhanced his maturity.  Vic and Peg had been high school sweethearts.  When Vic graduated, he came back to her and Hershey to begin his law practice.  If any marriage had a lifetime warranty, it was Peg and Vic's.  They had the only happy marriage Seth knew of.

"Are you sure that's not too much work for her?"  Peg was pregnant with their third child.

Vic closed his eyes and rested his head against the back of the chair.  "She gets restless during this time of her pregnancy.  She hates the last few months and tries to keep busy."  Vic opened his eyes and met Seth's.  "She wants you to feel at home here.  So do I.  How's it going so far?"

Hitching up the legs of his grey slacks, Seth parked on the sofa and hooked his finger in the knot of his tie to draw it open.  He stretched his legs out in front of him.  "Strange.  It feels strange.  People here smile at you on the street.  If they see you more than once, they might even wave.  I'm so used to hopping from one office building to another, and wherever I was, I was totally engrossed in the case I was working on.  I didn't have the time or inclination to look around at gardens or trees or chocolate kiss streetlights even if they'd been there.  My life was depositions, restraining orders, cross examinations."

"You've been leading a one-man crusade for men's parental rights for the past ten years.  What happened?"

Seth knew what Vic meant.  Why now?  Why was he questioning his accomplishments?  Why did he feel as if he needed a respite or a permanent change?  He pulled his legs back to the sofa.  "Burn out.  At the pace I was working and under that stress, I'd have had a heart attack in five years or less."  He took a swig of scotch and appreciated the searing heat of it slipping down his throat.  "I never really got an opportunity to practice general law.  The divorce cases I handled led to opportune custody cases.  One led to the next until that's all I was doing."

If his own father had had an expert lawyer, an unprejudiced judge, Seth's childhood might have been much different and his father's life less lonely.  When Tom Hallaran lost custody of his son, he was crushed.  It was the only time Seth had ever seen his father cry.  Wounds healed but the scars were still ugly and itching.

Vic sat forward in his chair.  "I'm willing to give you as much time as you need.  You're an asset without being a partner.  But I wonder how satisfied you're going to be handling wills, contracts, and less public divorces."

Seth grinned.  "I'm not bored yet.  The law has never bored me.  And I won't leave you hanging.  I'll decide about the partnership by October.  Four months should be enough time to assess what direction I plan to take.  I think I'm ready for a lower key practice here, but I want to be sure."

Vic rimmed the top of his glass with his thumb.  "So, will you come to dinner next week?"

"Sure."

Vic asked casually, "Have you met many people yet?  Peg says she knows two women who--"

Seth held his hand up like a stop sign.  "I'll come to dinner, Vic, but no blind dates."

"Peg doesn't like to see anyone lonely."

"I'm not lonely," Seth replied calmly.  But at times he felt empty.  Even though the apartment was beautifully furnished, it seemed barren.  But that was because he wasn't as busy as usual.  That's all it was.  "Actually I have met someone I'd like to see more of."  The idea of being with Darcy filled the emptiness.

"I should have known.  You always were a fast worker."

Seth grimaced.  "Yeah, well, college was a long time ago.  This time I almost struck out.  I still might.  Her best friend is Marsha Winston."

"Brad Winston's ex?"

"Yes.  But I think I've convinced Darcy that doesn't have to interfere with us."

"Are you talking about Darcy Kearn?  The cute little redhead that runs Kearn's garage?"

"You know her?"

"No, not personally.  I've seen her now and then when I take in my car.  I wouldn't have guessed she's your type."  Before Seth could comment one way or the other, Vic went on.  "In a town this size, it's not uncommon to know both the client and his ex.  It doesn't have to be a problem.  Now, if you wanted to date Winston's ex..."

"I couldn't and wouldn't.  Not and take him on.  Thank God, it's not that complicated."

"If Ms. Kearn's a bit reluctant, take her a cheesecake.  It works every time."

"Oh, yeah?  This is experience speaking?"

"Sure is.  Whenever I want to convince Peg of something, or if we have an argument, I bring home a cheesecake.  She loves it and it melts her every time.  Sometimes I think she goads me just so I'll go buy one."  Vic grinned wickedly.  "And making up is fun.  Feeding each other cheesecake can be very rewarding."

Seth chuckled.  Vic always could come up with winning ideas.

"So what's this lady mechanic like?" Vic asked.

Seth could sum up Darcy easily.  "She's different."  He'd never met a woman as unpredictably honest, saucy, and unguarded at the same time.  He'd laughed more last night than he had in a long time.  More to himself than to Vic, he murmured, "I've never met anyone like her."

***

Seth stepped onto Darcy's porch with a smile on his lips.  He'd thought about dropping in again before the second dance class, but decided going slow with Darcy was the best strategy.  So he'd waited the week.

When he arrived at her door, she was there, opening it before he had a chance to say "Hi."  Her expression should have warned him.  She wasn't smiling and her eyes looked worried.

"There's someone here who wants to meet you."

Seth stepped into the living room, wondering if one of Darcy's brothers had arrived for a visit.  But her visitor wasn't male.

The woman stepped forward.  "I'm Marsha Winston.  This was my idea, not Darcy's.  I wanted to meet the lawyer who's trying to take my daughter from me."

Seth was accustomed to awkward situations with sparring partners and feuding families.  But with Darcy involved...

"Nothing has been decided yet, Mrs. Winston."

She fidgeted with the belt buckle on her jeans.  "You have a meeting with Brad next week.  He told me."

Seth glanced at Darcy and back at Marsha.  "I can't discuss this with you.  I'm sure your lawyer has told you that.  Now if you and he want to set up a conference with Brad--"

Marsha stepped toward him, her hand waving in front of her in agitation.  "Conference?  Maybe you can be cold-blooded about this, but I can't.  I love my daughter.  I won't let you take her away from me and give her to a man who has less responsibility than Peter Pan!  He doesn't know her favorite color let alone how to take care of her.  Do you know what you're doing?"

No, he didn't know yet.  He'd only had a preliminary interview with Brad Winston.  But apparently the man wanted to put fear into his ex-wife.  "Mrs. Winston, this case is not officially on my roster."

She stuffed her hands in her pockets.  "No, but with Brad's mother's money behind him, it soon will be, I'll bet.  She'll pay so he can get custody of a daughter he doesn't deserve, but she wouldn't pay to get Brad help for his gambling."

Seth said calmly, "Flinging accusations won't help anyone."

"Accusations?  I'm telling you the truth!"

"And Brad insists he's telling the truth."

"About what?  What have I done that's so terrible he thinks he can get custody?"

Seth could see Marsha Winston's anguish.  He'd seen it before.  But that anguish didn't mean she was right and her ex-husband was wrong.  "I can't discuss this, Mrs. Winston."

Darcy stepped in.  "Marsha, you said you only wanted to meet Seth.  You know he can't talk to you about what Brad has said."

"But how am I supposed to fight him?"  Her voice was shaking and tears spilled onto her cheeks.  "I tried to talk to Brad when he brought Jenna back on Sunday.  But all he did was make more threats and say if I don't stop seeing Chuck, he'll take her from me."

Darcy put her arm around Marsha.  "Talk to your lawyer.  Have him call Seth and maybe the four of you can get this settled before it gets out of hand."

Marsha's glance at Seth was confused and angry.  To Darcy she said, "I don't blame you for wanting to go out with him.  Just be careful...for both of us."

The screen door slammed behind Marsha when she left.

Seth canvassed Darcy's face, suspicions popping up that he had to examine.  He didn't want to believe Darcy was a calculating woman, but it wouldn't surprise him if she was.  It was what he expected from the female population.  "Did you and your friend plan that scene?"

Darcy stepped back, looking stricken.  "Of course not.  I had to tell her you were picking me up.  I didn't want to hide it from her.  She felt since Brad knew her lawyer, it was only fair she meet you..."  Darcy trailed off.  "You don't believe me, do you?"

He mowed his hand through his hair.  "I've had scenes played out in front of me before.  You'd think it was a good idea for me to see how much Marsha loves her daughter, how much she seems to care."