Forever (31 page)
Admiring women from other floors of the office had heard that he was Dayne’s brother, and two of them had sent interoffice mail his way asking if he was interested. Word got around, and the guys couldn’t resist poking fun at him.
“Can I have your autograph, Dayne … er, I mean, Luke?” Then they’d burst into laughter as if the whole situation was beyond funny.
Luke’s boss, Joe Morris, was the only one not laughing. The moment he saw the story, he called Luke into his office and smacked the magazine down on the desk between them. “What’s this?”
Luke had to think quickly. He tried for a casual tone. “The guy chased me down.”
He leaned back and shrugged. “Blew the whole thing out of proportion.”
“So what’s it mean, your comment?” Joe wasn’t angry, but he was on the verge. “I don’t care if Dayne’s your brother. He’s one of this firm’s top clients.”
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LUKE COULDN’T concentrate.
He was still getting flak from the guys in the office about his newfound fame.
Admiring women from other floors of the office had heard that he was Dayne’s brother, and two of them had sent interoffice mail his way asking if he was interested. Word got around, and the guys couldn’t resist poking fun at him.
“Can I have your autograph, Dayne … er, I mean, Luke?” Then they’d burst into laughter as if the whole situation was beyond funny.
Luke’s boss, Joe Morris, was the only one not laughing. The moment he saw the story, he called Luke into his office and smacked the magazine down on the desk between them. “What’s this?”
Luke had to think quickly. He tried for a casual tone. “The guy chased me down.”
He leaned back and shrugged. “Blew the whole thing out of proportion.”
“So what’s it mean, your comment?” Joe wasn’t angry, but he was on the verge. “I don’t care if Dayne’s your brother. He’s one of this firm’s top clients.”
246 “Obviously I realize amt.” Luke tried a lighthearted laugh, 1)111 it fell flat. “What I meant was I can’t give any information abott Dayne. He didn’t grow up with the rest of us, you know?” The lines around Joe’s eyes eased some. “That makes sense. I
“That part about being a Baxter-” he gestured toward the magazine-“only means that finding a brother this late in lite
That was four days ago. Things were fine with Joe, but the incident clearly wasn’t going away and neither was the dilemma In the past week Luke had seen the same photographer again, and this time he handled it better. If the guy wanted his picture, fine. He could take it. He would take it anyway. Luke put up nothing to block the way and didn’t turn toward the sounds ol questions and a clicking lens. Instead he ignored the man and kept walking, staring straight ahead. The photographer wouldn’t catch Luke Baxter making a fool of himself again; that much was Luke studied the file on his desk. It was a corporate takeover case, and he was supposed to find a truckload of varying precethe client’s corporate lawyer, but progress was tediously slow. His call to Reagan earlier hadn’t lightened his mood any. Seemed like all the kids did lately was scream and cry. And Reagan wasn’t much better. He pushed his chair back from his desk. Maybe if he got a coffee he’d have a better chance of getting through the afternoon. He was about to stand up when Joe “Luke-” his boss was smiling-“we need to talk.”
“All right.” Luke sat back down an(1 gestured to the chair FOREVER
hat.” Luke tried
t was can’t giv( ip with the rest ( s eyes eased son a Baxter-” s that finding a e lot in common ‘lly. Then he t just be a little m Things wen ;oin away and
had seen the sa I it better. If the He would take ty and didn’t tur g lens.
Instead 1-aight ahead. The
a fool of hims,
on his desk. It IA se to find a tru( rho was a big I vyer, but rogre arlier hadn’t 14 Is did lately wa. tter. He pushed ffee he’d have a He was about pp inside.
smiling-“we back down am
guess.”
doesn’t give you a whole lot in common.”
Joe nodded thoughtfully. Then he t
jook the magazine and
shoved it in a file. “Let’s ust be a little m nore careful what we say
to the press from now o.”
Luke faced with his family.
certain.
dent for the petitioner, who was a bigie
client. He was working with
opened his door and stepped inside.
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across from him. The man didn’t look nearly so ominous when he was in a good mood.
Joe ignored the offer of a chair. He came closer and leaned his free hand on the desk. With the other, he held up an envelope. “You aren’t going to believe this.”
Luke blinked. He had absolutely no idea what Joe was talking about or what could make him look so pleased. He waited for him to continue.
“So I’m sitting in my office yesterday wondering how we can take on the ten clients knocking on the door without hiring another attorney, and I get a call.”
Joe chuckled. “Guess who it is?”
The question made him lower his brow. “No idea.”
“Dayne Matthews’ agent! The guy tells me I’ll be getting an overnight package from him, so keep an eye out for it.”
Luke had no idea how the story might involve him. He crossed his arms and tried to look appropriately interested.
“Anyway, it gets delivered to my office a few minutes ago, and I open it.
Inside’s this letter.” He waved it at Luke. “It’s a written request made by Dayne before his accident. You ready for this?”
“Uh, I think so.” Luke gulped. Back then Dayne couldn’t possibly have thought Luke felt any ill will toward him.
“Okay, listen.” He searched Luke’s face. “Once you pass the bar, he wants you to consider moving to our Indianapolis office and working exclusively on his contracts and holdings.” He straightened and slapped the letter on Luke’s desk.
“It’s all in here. He wants the firm backing you, but he wants exclusive access to your services.” He chuckled again. “And get this. He wants your salary at about twice where we would’ve started you. He’ll pay it.” He let his arms hang at his sides in a way that said he was too shocked to say anything else.
Luke’s world tilted hard and began spinning out of control. He must be daydreaming, right? The Friday afternoon doldrums had finally gotten to him. Joe Morris couldn’t possibly have just
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said that. Luke squinted at his boss. “He wants me to think about transferring to Indiana?”
“Exactly. Isn’t that what you’ve been saying for the last year? That you’d like to get back there?”
“Yes, I . .” Luke rubbed the back of his neck and tried to find a modicum of clarity. Dayne wanted to increase the rate he paid the firm so that Luke would net twice the standard starting salary? He searched Joe’s eyes. “Are you serious?”
“Of course.” Joe’s laugh came easily. He took a step back and propped himself up against the wall. “We’ll miss you around here, but it allows us to keep a top client happy and justify hiring two attorneys full-time to help with the workload around here.” He tossed his hands in the air. “Everyone wins.”
Joe picked up the letter. “I’ll make a copy for your file. It’s legal verbiage, something his agent drafted.” He took a few steps back toward the door and paused. “Now that Dayne’s out of the coma and making a recovery, I’ll need you to let me know as soon as possible. Dayne’s willing to start paying your salary November 1, which means you could wrap things up here in the next few weeks and spend November with your family-waiting for results on the bar exam.”
Spend November in Bloomington with his family? Leave the city and have the salary to buy a house less than an hour from his dad and sisters? The news was beyond anything Luke could’ve imagined.
Joe moved toward the door. “Hey, Baxter…”
“Yes, sir?”
He grinned at Luke over his shoulder. “Good thing you didn’t mean those things in the tabloids. Sounds like Dayne’s taking the whole brother thing pretty seriously.”
The words hit Luke like a machete. Joe closed the door behind him, and Luke sat back in his chair, dazed. What about the tabloids? Dayne was awake, so he was bound to see them. Luke hadn’t talked to Ashley or his dad about Dayne’s 249
progress. For all he knew the offer was already pulled off the table.
But even if it was, that wasn’t the point. Here was Dayne, reaching out to him the only way he knew how-by offering him his dream job on a platter. Dayne, who hadn’t lived a Christian life until lately, had shown himself to be the better man by far.
Luke considered the spread in the tabloids. What had made him so mean, so ready to lash out? Dayne had done nothing to earn his spite and venom. Shame filled him, suffocated him. He’d been raised to believe that love was always the answer, that the people sitting around the dining-room table would always be his closest friends. How could he have behaved so badly?
Ten minutes passed while he beat himself up, blow after blow after well-deserved blow. Then, like the crack of dawn, gradually he began to see things differently. No one had called to tell him Dayne’s offer had been pulled. So maybe he hadn’t seen the magazines, or maybe someone had explained them to him in a way that didn’t upset him. Either way, it might not be too late. He could call Dayne and apologize about the tabloids, try to make him understand that it wasn’t anything personal. And they could talk about Dayne’s offer.
He called the hospital on his way home, but a nurse informed him that Dayne had requested no phone calls while he was in rehab. She took a message and promised to get it to him.
Luke snapped his phone shut, disappointed. He would fly to LA if it meant clearing things up with Dayne. He’d acted horribly, and the strange bitterness and jealousy he’d been feeling weren’t Dayne’s fault.
Luke was still sorting through the possible scenarios when he walked through the door of his apartment that evening. “Reagan, I’m-“
She walked around the corner, and the sight of her made him weak at the knees.
She’d been wearing sweatpants and Tshirts lately, and more often than not she looked like she’d been
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through a marathon by the time he came home. Not tonight. She wore black slacks and a tan silky blouse. Her hair and makeup were done.
Her expression wasn’t suggestive. Rather it was contrite and deep and full of a longing he hadn’t seen in months. She came to him and slid her arms around his waist, never taking her eyes off his. “I’m sorry.”
“Sorry?” What was happening to him? Someone must’ve been praying; that’s all he could figure. He ran his thumb beneath her blonde bangs. “Honey, for what?”
Her eyes sparkled with tears. She took a step back and pulled a letter from her pocket. “Here.” She handed it to him. “My mom’s reading to the kids so I could have this time with you.” She nodded to the letter. “Read it. Then you’ll understand.”
He took it and studied it. “From my dad?”
She smiled, but her eyes filled a little more. “And your mom.”
Luke wasn’t sure he could take any more surprises today, but he opened the letter anyway. Reagan led him to the sofa near the window-the place where they’d had a number of recent fights-and they sat down together.
The first page made the contents clear, and the effort touched Luke’s heart. His dad cared so much. He moved to the second page and began working his way down the list. If his heart had become as hard as concrete, each of his mother’s secrets chiseled away another piece of cement.
His parents had always been the picture of married love, and now his mother had shared her wisdom at a time when he needed it most. Every single point she’d made was something he’d known deep in his heart that he was supposed to do. He’d watched his parents all his life after all. But he hadn’t been doing a single one.
No wonder his marriage felt like it was falling apart.
Luke folded the letter and held it to his heart. Only then did the tears come, tears that had been building inside him since lit’
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first heard the news about Dayne. He missed her so much, his mother. She had always loved him in a special way, complimenting him and encouraging him to follow his dreams. Living out the things she’d listed on this page. But missing her wasn’t an excuse for him to treat Reagan poorly.
Next to him, Reagan was looking at her wedding ring, twisting it, waiting for him to finish reading.
He set the letter down and turned to her. “Reagan-” he took her hand and wove his fingers gently between hers-“how can you ever forgive me?”
“You?” She laughed, but it came out like a quiet sob. “It’s my fault. I’ve…
I haven’t loved you like you deserve. Not for a minute. And I’ve had expectations that were all wrong.”
He slid closer to her and pulled her into his arms. “That’s crazy. I’ve been moody and mean and …” He kissed her forehead and kept his face close to hers. “I watched my parents model those ten methods of love all my life, but these last few months it’s like … I don’t know.” He touched his lips to hers. “It’s like I forgot how to love at all.”
“We both did.”
“Can you forgive me? Let me make it up to you.” He kissed her again, with more passion this time. “I’ve missed you so much. None of this, whatever I’m going through… none of it’s about you.”
“I know. But I haven’t been very supportive.” She drew back and looked him straight in the eyes. “Luke, if I haven’t said it before, let me say it now. I’m so proud of you.” Her lips curved into a smile. “You’re doing everything you can to build us a future, and I don’t know if I’ve ever thanked you.” Her voice was thick with regret. “I’m so sorry.”
For the next half hour they cuddled and kissed and talked about time together and love languages. Luke smiled when she said that besides words of affirmation, his was acts of service.
“I finally figured out that when you stay in the kitchen 252
cleaning, you’re trying to tell me you love me, right?” She 1,111 her fingers along his jawline.
“Right.” He felt like a fool. “But all you wanted was this.” “Mmm-hmm. Exactly.”
When they were finished talking, she grinned at him. “I ha% a surprise for you.”
“A surprise?” Luke wasn’t sure he could take much more. still hadn’t told her about Dayne’s offer.