Page 24 of Dead Man's Hollow
Her mind is on the case as she strides through her neighborhood to the restaurant Sasha chose. It’s one of their favorites—out of the way, never busy, with a chef who uses local ingredients to create fresh, nourishing dishes as if by magic. She spots Sasha through the front window and checks her watch. She’s not late. Her eyebrows lift as she tries to remember the last time Sasha McCandless Connelly was early for anything.
When she pushes through the front door, the little bell hanging above it tinkles, and Sasha glances up at the sound. She gives a small wave as Maisy crosses the tiny dining room to meet her, then she pops up and gives Maisy a hug, stretching up on her toes to wrap her arms around Maisy’s shoulders. At five-feet six-inches tall, Maisy towers over the little lawyer.
“You’re early.”
“Don’t sound so surprised.”
Maisy cocks an eyebrow as they take their seats and flatten their napkins over their laps.
“Okay, fine,” Sasha admits. “I had it in my calendar for the wrong time. I was off by thirty minutes.”
Maisy snorts. “Maybe this is Caroline’s way of keeping you on schedule?”
“Please, Caroline’s far too busy running the office to worry about my chronic tardiness. I’m sure she was just rushing and made a mistake. We’re short-staffed.” The unspoken subtext iswith Jordana gone.
Maisy didn’t exactly poach Sasha’s legal intern so much as rescue her, but she’s not sure Sasha sees it that way.
“You know Jordana’s not coming back.”
“I know.”
“So you need to hire someone. Maybe even someone with a license to practice law.”
Sasha narrows her eyes. “Have you been talking to Naya and Will?”
“No, but your partners are right. Jordana functioned as some sort of associate/legal assistant hybrid. She wasn’t an intern and you?—”
“She was an indispensable member of the team,” Sasha interrupts, “and now she’s gone off on some flight of fantasy.”
“It’s not a flight of fantasy. It’s a real job. I’m hiring her permanently once she graduates.”
That cuts off the tirade. Sasha furrows her brow. “She really wants to stay in Pittsburgh?”
“I’m with you, sugar. That girl is young. This is her time to go live her life. But this is what she wants to do.”
“Then we need to support her,” Sasha says simply.
Maisy smiles. For all Sasha’s grumping, she loves Jordana, almost like a daughter, and will do anything to help her. “Good, I’m glad to hear it. The next problem is she doesn’t want to celebrate her graduation.”
“What do you mean she doesn’t want to celebrate?”
“She told her parents she didn’t want a party because they’ll fight like wildcats if they’re in the same room.”
Jordana’s parents’ divorce was bitter, and the passage of time has done little to improve their relationship. The two exchange a knowing look.
“We could do something for her.”
“That’s what I’m thinking.”
“A dinner? Leo could cook.”
“I haven’t given the specifics any thought. I wanted to make sure you’re on board first.”
The tiny lawyer huffs. “Of course, I’m on board. The firm’s on board, Leo and the kids are on board. Just let me know what you need us to do when you figure it out.”
Maisy smiles. “Deal.”
A server stops at the table.
