Page 13 of The Secrets She Keeps

She didn’t want Cara to quit. Cara was too good to go somewhere else. B-3 was the best firm in the region, probably in the state. Powell’s parents and two of her uncles had worked hard to make that happen decades ago. Cara was phenomenal in contract law. She was an asset to the firm, and B-3 would help her really establish herself.

And, well, there were vultures masquerading as lawyers and officers of the court. Powell had encountered them before. Some were even in the rival firm rightnext door.

Cara was too innocent to even notice when she was in trouble. Powell had made it her mission to keep an eye on the younger woman when she’d realized Cara was Zoey’s baby cousin—and just how naive and innocent Cara actually was.

“I have to go, Bri. I have a serious problem with this intern that needs to be dealt with.Beforeshe crosses paths—and apparently swords—with Alex again.”

“Did Alex have a fling with another intern again?” Brianna asked, mouth pursed like she’d sucked on a lemon. “He should know better than to play with the hired help that way. Who was it?”

“Brianna, go.” Powell started to the door. Just like she had suspected, Brianna followed her. All the way outside theten-story building that housed the biggest two law firms in their region of Texas on the first four floors and her cousin Houghton’s entire corporation on the six floors above. And to the sidewalk in front. Complaining about the Colesons and their ragged-looking guests the entire way.

Powell might have five minutes to shake Brianna. Cara was almost always right on the dot, fifteen minutes before the hour she was supposed to be there. “Brianna, why don’t you go home and make me a list of grievances? I’ll take them up with the Colesons myself when I get a chance.” Like, when never came around. That would be a good place to start.

Powell looked up as an older smaller model SUV pulled into the parking lot. Parked.

And three women climbed out. Damn it.

This was not going to be good. She had been trying to avoid this. And Cara usually drove herself to work.

“Are those…Colesons? What are they doing here?” Brianna demanded.

“Client privilege, Bri. I am an attorney. You know I can’t tell you that.” That came in so handy sometimes. Didn’t want to talk to someone, “client privilege” was almost magical.

“Well, I am going. I don’t want to be anywhere near them.”

“Of course not. You might get Coleson cooties.” Brianna shot her a look. Powell bit back a snicker. Did Brianna have any clue how stereotypical vapid, mean girl she acted sometimes? “I thought you were leaving?”

“They are between me and mycar.How can I leave?” Brianna’s insulted pride was just so obvious. How dare the Colesons try to breathe the same air.

“Fine. Why don’t you stay here and say hello? It would be the neighborly thing to do. Youarethe president of the homeowners association.”

Cara and the two women with her were talking heatedly about something. Powell studied them for a moment. Cara was the shortest, the smallest. Heather and the niece Powell thought was Eden were both around five nine or ten. All three women were thinner women. Cara strongly favored Heather but was far more delicate looking. There was no denying that those two were related. The other woman, Eden, was wearing scrubs. She was very willowy. She was taller than Heather by maybe an inch or so. Her hair was long and several shades lighter than Cara or Heather’s. It waved too. She was obviously a Coleson, but she didn’t favor Heather or Cara nearly as much as some of the other Colesons Powell had met.

“Well, which onesarethey?They all look so much alike. It’s really freaky. Normal families just don’t look like each other, not like that,” Brianna said. “They look really weird. All of them.”

Weird wasn’t the word for the three women. At all.

Brianna looked weirder than the Colesons, although her hair was equally as wavy as Eden’s. She was built along the same lines. Her hair was a very similar color—and style—to Eden Coleson’s.

In fact, at a distance, Eden Coleson and Brianna could probably be easily mistaken for one another. Powell had to wonder if Brianna had ever noticed that.

She almost pointed it out, but, well, that whole needing-to-behave thing. Powell was going to be a mother. She had to be good, right? Set an example?

That was a lesson Brianna would never learn. “Goodbye,Brianna. I will talk to you later. Right now, I have legal business to take care of.”

Anything to move Brianna along.

And Heatherdidhave an intent look on her face right now. As she looked right at Powell. She carried a large manilla envelope, as well.

Brianna took off, stomping past the Colesons. She said something—probably rude—to Cara. Heather bared her teeth. She snapped them right at Brianna.

Brianna scurried away.

Powell snickered. She was almost certain Heather had just growled at Brianna. Or threatened to bite her for real.

“Hello, is something wrong?” Powell asked as Brianna sent her a look of betrayal or something.

“Yes. You can start by telling me where that jackass of an older brother of yours is?” Heather asked almost sweetly.Toosweetly.

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