exactly what Morgan needed. Nothing here to raise the barriers Rosalie usually kept between them. Just good, homemade pasta and a mellow glass of drinkable red wine.
He made polite chitchat through the antipasto and offered a second glass of wine, which Rosalie predictably refused. While they waited for their pasta, he could see the wheels in her mind turning. He hoped her train of thought didn’t veer too far from where he wanted it to go.
“I can understand now why helping your stepmother get custody of Joey might have seemed like a good idea, if Paul Thompson was the alternative.” She shuddered and took another sip of her wine. “Is that why she wants him?”
“In part, but at base her reasons are much more selfish.”
He felt the first line of the barriers between them lock back into place.
“Since I never heard from her lawyer,” Rosalie said, “I thought maybe she’d given up. Unless the laws are different in Massachusetts than they are in California, she can’t have much chance of winning.”
“That’s what her regular attorney told her, but she hired a friend’s nephew, fresh out of law school, who squeaked past the bar exam and agreed to take the custody case.”
Rosalie looked away. He heard the clunk as the second line of barriers closed.
“I wish I could say you don’t have to worry about Lillian,” he said, “but I can’t. She’s decided I’m on your side now, and won’t discuss it with me.”
Rosalie’s gaze zeroed back in on his face. “Are you on my side?”
Unwilling to tip his hand, he shook his head. “Consider me a friendly neutral.”
“So why are you here?” She stopped and held up one hand. “Never mind. I can guess. You’re in town on business.”
At least her attitude was back. He’d decided he liked curvy women with attitude.
He leaned in a little closer, pleased she didn’t move away. She smelled of wine and hot peppers and some flowery perfume. He might never have smelled anything sexier.
“Actually, no. I wanted to stop Thompson before he got here. My timing was a bit off.”
“How did you know he was here?”
“Not everyone he trusts is blind or stupid enough to trust him.”
She nodded. “Unfortunately, your stepmother has a similar problem.”
When he frowned, she explained what Thompson had said about Lillian’s soon-to-be-unemployed maid. By the time she finished, the server had appeared with their food.
“Have you decided on a college yet?” Rosalie asked the young woman.
The server grinned. “Got a scholarship to the University of Southern California, like you.”
“Congratulations. You’ll be a lawyer in no time.”
The exchange lightened Rosalie’s mood enough for her make a little “um” sound after she tasted her spaghetti with roasted tomatoes and garlic. Time to pick up where he’d left off.
“Stopping Thompson and telling you what Lillian is up to weren’t the only reasons I’m here.”
“Oh?”
“No.” Morgan paused for added effect. “I’m also here to ask you out.”
She froze. Had he blown it?
He held his breath until she stabbed at her spaghetti with her fork. “Very funny.”
“I’m serious.”
She set the fork down and sighed.
“Do I need to list the reasons why (a) you can’t want to ask me out, (b) I can’t want to go out with you, and (c) it’s a crazy idea in and of itself, no matter what either of us wants?”
He pulled back. “This isn’t a courtroom. I don’t need you to write me a legal brief with bullet points.”
“Call it a reality check, then. And it isn’t so different from a courtroom. You are trying to make a case.”
“There is no try. I
am
making a case. I want to get to know you.” He ticked each point off on his fingers. “You’re attracted to me.”
He paused, but she looked away rather than deny it. A good sign.
“And I already told you I’m a neutral party in your conflict with Lillian.”
The shuttered expression on her face told him it was time to
He made polite chitchat through the antipasto and offered a second glass of wine, which Rosalie predictably refused. While they waited for their pasta, he could see the wheels in her mind turning. He hoped her train of thought didn’t veer too far from where he wanted it to go.
“I can understand now why helping your stepmother get custody of Joey might have seemed like a good idea, if Paul Thompson was the alternative.” She shuddered and took another sip of her wine. “Is that why she wants him?”
“In part, but at base her reasons are much more selfish.”
He felt the first line of the barriers between them lock back into place.
“Since I never heard from her lawyer,” Rosalie said, “I thought maybe she’d given up. Unless the laws are different in Massachusetts than they are in California, she can’t have much chance of winning.”
“That’s what her regular attorney told her, but she hired a friend’s nephew, fresh out of law school, who squeaked past the bar exam and agreed to take the custody case.”
Rosalie looked away. He heard the clunk as the second line of barriers closed.
“I wish I could say you don’t have to worry about Lillian,” he said, “but I can’t. She’s decided I’m on your side now, and won’t discuss it with me.”
Rosalie’s gaze zeroed back in on his face. “Are you on my side?”
Unwilling to tip his hand, he shook his head. “Consider me a friendly neutral.”
“So why are you here?” She stopped and held up one hand. “Never mind. I can guess. You’re in town on business.”
At least her attitude was back. He’d decided he liked curvy women with attitude.
He leaned in a little closer, pleased she didn’t move away. She smelled of wine and hot peppers and some flowery perfume. He might never have smelled anything sexier.
“Actually, no. I wanted to stop Thompson before he got here. My timing was a bit off.”
“How did you know he was here?”
“Not everyone he trusts is blind or stupid enough to trust him.”
She nodded. “Unfortunately, your stepmother has a similar problem.”
When he frowned, she explained what Thompson had said about Lillian’s soon-to-be-unemployed maid. By the time she finished, the server had appeared with their food.
“Have you decided on a college yet?” Rosalie asked the young woman.
The server grinned. “Got a scholarship to the University of Southern California, like you.”
“Congratulations. You’ll be a lawyer in no time.”
The exchange lightened Rosalie’s mood enough for her make a little “um” sound after she tasted her spaghetti with roasted tomatoes and garlic. Time to pick up where he’d left off.
“Stopping Thompson and telling you what Lillian is up to weren’t the only reasons I’m here.”
“Oh?”
“No.” Morgan paused for added effect. “I’m also here to ask you out.”
She froze. Had he blown it?
He held his breath until she stabbed at her spaghetti with her fork. “Very funny.”
“I’m serious.”
She set the fork down and sighed.
“Do I need to list the reasons why (a) you can’t want to ask me out, (b) I can’t want to go out with you, and (c) it’s a crazy idea in and of itself, no matter what either of us wants?”
He pulled back. “This isn’t a courtroom. I don’t need you to write me a legal brief with bullet points.”
“Call it a reality check, then. And it isn’t so different from a courtroom. You are trying to make a case.”
“There is no try. I
am
making a case. I want to get to know you.” He ticked each point off on his fingers. “You’re attracted to me.”
He paused, but she looked away rather than deny it. A good sign.
“And I already told you I’m a neutral party in your conflict with Lillian.”
The shuttered expression on her face told him it was time to
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