What Remains, Bailey Bradford [classic romance novels .TXT] 📗

them. I knew when I walked in here the first time this probably wouldn’t work, but thought I should give it a try. Maybe if the people here behaved with a bit more decorum, acted more like serious minded servants of the law. But no,” she said with what sounded like a tinge of disgust in her voice. “This place is like a madhouse. Your employees treat you more like a friend than a boss, and you let them. And hugging your partner, that’s unprofessional. It wouldn’t matter if it was a woman, either. There’s a time and a place for it, and neither of those are when you’re working and here in this office. Doreen’s been too lax, letting such behavior occur during work hours.”

Laine knew his mouth was gaping as he tried to wrap his mind around Loretta’s way of thinking. He just couldn’t do it. What’d she think, that they were all supposed to be stern-faced and stoic? Did she believe the only way to be professional was to make sure there wasn’t a bit of levity at work? Judging by the way she always seemed to be scowling, except during this conversation, he was inclined to believe that was the case.

“Anyway, this just isn’t working for me,” Loretta said before Laine could figure out what, if anything, he should be saying. She flicked at something on her sleeve then nodded once before rising. “I just think everyone here should conduct themselves with more decorum. As that isn’t going to happen, and I am simply not happy here, it’s best I leave. Normally I’d give notice, being a professional myself, but it seems silly to do so, all things considered.”

Laine was still trying to process the way Loretta phrased her resignation—he was pretty sure the last time he’d heard anyone use the terms ‘conduct’ and ‘decorum’, he’d probably been a kid listening to his grandma go on about ‘young people nowadays’. Somehow he found himself standing and shaking Loretta’s hand, then the woman left the office and Laine shook his head. About all he’d got out of that was Loretta thought Laine and his deputies were unprofessional—unprofessional enough that she didn’t feel the need to give any notice, and he was now in need of another temporary receptionist.

He heard Loretta’s voice droning on, and the rumbling sound of Sev’s reply although he couldn’t make out the words. Worried there’d be some sort of confrontation, Laine quickly headed back to where he’d left the others.

Alma was staring at the door with her eyebrows arched just like Sev did when he was puzzled or amused. “Well, she was…something else.”

“I’d say you’re well rid of her,” Roger added to his wife’s commentary. “She made sure to inform us how unprofessional you and everyone else working here was.”

Laine looked at Sev, halfway expecting the man to be fuming. Instead Sev was shaking his head and frowning slightly. “She must be very unhappy, poor woman.”

Laine wasn’t the only one who goggled at Sev.

“What?” Sev asked, his eyebrows arched high and his hands raised in front of him. “Would any of you like to be that miserable? I mean, what a horrible way to spend your life. I feel sorry for her.” He sighed and pointed to the empty desk. “Guess this means you can’t go to lunch with us.”

Laine remembered his fears about having Sev’s family camped out at their place. That didn’t seem so terrible now, though he still would rather they spend their nights at the motel. But having them to dinner wouldn’t be so bad.

“Why don’t y’all go on and we’ll all have dinner at the house tonight? We can do pizza if you don’t want to cook, I’ll grab it on my way in.”

Sev’s face lit up with a grin so big Laine didn’t see how anyone could resist smiling back. “That’d be great! I can cook—”

“Can I?” Alma asked, looking from Sev to Laine. “I’d like to make dinner, if you wouldn’t mind.” Then she grinned, looking so much like Sev that Laine’s heart lurched. “I’ll even make coffee and bring you a cup or two.”

Laine chuckled, the tension from the confrontation with Loretta gone. “Well, how could I say no to an offer like that?”

Chapter Six

There were too many things Laine had to do to spend the day sitting behind a desk, especially one that wasn’t his. He picked up the phone and called Rich, who said he’d be more than happy to help out for a few days. That settled, Laine leaned back in Doreen’s chair and contemplated the missing spirits. He hoped having his family here would help distract Sev a little from the whole issue, but Laine knew it wouldn’t, not for long at least.

Communicating with the dead was an integral part of Sev—it’d shaped him into the man he was now. It had to feel like he was missing a limb or two with that ability now useless. Of course, it would probably work just fine somewhere else. Laine suspected this was an isolated thing, occurring only here in McKinton. If not, surely there’d be stories of others… He should check that out.

Laine was elbow-deep in Google links when Matt and Carlin arrived. He hadn’t found anything useful, just confirmed what he’d already known. There were a lot of weird people in the world. He closed the page and pushed out of the chair, a smile teasing his lips. “Matt, Carlin. You win your case?”

Carlin’s smile would have put a model’s to shame. “Of course. Hopefully the lower courts will never do something so stupid as to bulldoze over a woman’s rights like they did Mrs. Odon’s. If nothing else, they should think twice before forcing hospitalization and tests on a woman just because she asks her doctor for a second opinion. Maybe they’ll think four million times, once for every dollar the state has to pay Mrs. Odon.”

Matt beamed at his lover. “Yeah, and she gets all of it