Chapter Twenty
Anthony
Everything in Atlanta is wrong. Too busy. Too loud. Too crowded.
I miss Iowa. How is that possible?
I’ve been back for three weeks. I should have settled into my old routine by now. But everywhere I go, I’m dragging my feet.
Gregory McDuff calls me into his office. I’ve landed that promotion. For years, it glittered like an entire mine of diamonds. And now what’s my response?
“Can I have a few days to think it over? I need to pray about it.”
My boss is astounded. “I thought this was what you wanted.”
I thought so, too. Until I went to Iowa. Until I heard God in the middle of a cornfield.
Until I met Lottie.
I sigh. “I’ve been going through some…stuff.”
Gregory is old enough to be my father, possibly grandfather. He gestures to the seat I declined at the beginning of our conversation. “Is it your mother?”
I frown. That’s part of it. I need to be there for her. It won’t do seeing her a few times a year, even if I’m committed to visiting her on the regular now. I need to be a part of her daily life, to care for her, to be with her in her hardest times as she was for me in mine.
“Or did you meet a woman?”
My eyes fly open wide. “How can you tell?”
His lips curve with a knowing smile. “My wife says I have a knack for these things. I read people well. I ought to become a judge, don’t you think?”
He’d be fantastic on the judge’s bench.
I can’t help grinning. Every time I think of Lottie, I smile. “Yes.” I settle into the comfy chair that signifies how much money this man has made. “I met a woman in Iowa.”
He taps his lips. “Do you love her?”
Peace wraps its hold around my heart. Thanks, God. “Yes, I do.”
Greg gives me a frank look. “You can be a lawyer anywhere. But you won’t find the woman you love anywhere else.”
I stare at him. Practice law in Iowa? I haven’t seriously considered it. How would that even work? Maybe I could work in Des Moines. The daily commute’s not bad. Not ideal, but life rarely is.
The cogs in my brain are turning, almost faster than I can keep up with.
“Take your time, pray about it if that’s your thing, and give it some serious thought.” Greg hands me an envelope. “Here’s the offer letter. I want you as my partner, Anthony. But only if you want that, too. I’ll support your decision either way.”
I shake his hand, grateful for the employer he’s been all these years. It wasn’t time wasted, working at McDuff and Associates. But will it be if I stay?
I head home at the end of the day. I can’t really focus, anyway. I put in a call to my mom. It’s 5:30 for me, but thanks to the one-hour time difference, Felicity’s still there. I hear her chatter in the background, and a pang resounds through my chest.
I don’t only miss Lottie. I miss her daughter, too.
We end the call. My mom has stopped asking what happened with Lottie. Apparently, neither of us is talking.
“God, what do You want me to do?” I ask out loud, pacing my spacious living room. I pay a pretty penny for this penthouse, and it used to be my pride and joy. Now it feels wasteful. Pointless.
Empty.
All I’ve cared about for ten years is money. Making more and more money to secure my future, complete with a woman who will feel content with my level of income. Now I’ve found a woman who doesn’t even care about a lavish lifestyle. My money is a moot point with Lottie.
Here’s the reality. I don’t need a high-paying senior-lawyer lifestyle after all. Not anymore. I can kiss that dream goodbye without regrets. A woman who would only be with me for my money is not the type I am interested in anymore. I never should have been. If it took a trip to Iowa to open my eyes, I’ll be forever grateful.
But can I be more than that? More than that…to Lottie?
Hope takes hold in my chest like a root deeply planted. There must be a way. There must be a way to make this work.
I’m at my computer researching law firms in Des Moines when my phone rings. It’s an unknown number, but my phone says it’s from Iowa.
“Anthony Lucio speaking,” I answer.
“Hi Mr. Lucio, the name’s Carter. I manage Ringgold Tractor Parts Manufacturing over here in Red Rock Place.”
My mind is blank for all of two seconds. “The manufacturing plant on the north end of town?”
“Oh, you remember us?” He sounds tickled pink. “I heard you left town, but we’re in a bit of a pickle and need someone to give some legal advice. My wife’s best friend Amelia got your number from her sister Lottie. Said maybe you’d get us pointed in the right direction.”
I scratch my head. What are the odds someone from Red Rock Place is calling me for legal advice mere moments after asking God for guidance? “I will certainly try. What’s the situation?”
Carter tells me the story. They are being sued by a buyer because the part he purchased and used malfunctioned and caused damage to his crops. “But I have documentation that he wasn’t using the part properly, per the instructions and industry standard,” he concludes. “If he wins, he’ll put me out of business. We’re the biggest employer in Red Rock Place. You think I have a chance in court?”
“You would if I represented you,” I answer automatically, my mind already compiling a list of all the forms and documentation needed. Things can’t be that different in Iowa. I just need to research certain civil codes.
“You think you could do that from Atlanta?” Carter asks. “Nearest lawyer here is clear over in Knoxville, and I don’t trust nobody I don’t know.”
I try to form an answer in my head, but my heart is beating so loudly I can’t think. What is God doing? Trying to send me a message…or what?
An incoming call beeps in my ear. “Carter, can I call you back? I have another call, and I need to do a bit of research in Iowa law before I can give you an answer.”
“Sure thing, Mr. Lucio. Take your time. We’ve got till September to be in court.” That’s not as much time as he thinks.
I take the new call, another Iowa number. What is happening?
“Anthony!” The voice is familiar and friendly. “Hey man, it’s Easton.”
I remember wrapping my arms around him on the four-wheeler and almost burst out laughing. “Long time no see, Easton. To what do I owe the honor of your phone call?”
“Other than chewing you out for breaking my sister’s heart?” His tone is teasing, so I play along, but inside, my stomach turns to stone at the thought of how much I hurt Lottie. If her feelings for me are anywhere near as strong as mine for her, it can’t be pretty.
“Other than that, naturally.”
“Okay, here’s the deal. I’m applying for another farming grant. It’s a big one. It’ll bail me out of all of my financial troubles. But I’m struggling to understand the legal jargon. I never made it to college, but I think even a Ph.D. candidate would be lost. Can you help me? The deadline’s in a few weeks, and I’ve been wrestling with this thing for months.”
“It would be my pleasure. Send it over.” I rattle off my personal email address.
“Thanks, man. You’re a lifesaver. I’ll pay your hourly wage, of course. What is it, fifty bucks an hour or so?”
Great Father above, strengthen me. It’s a good thing I recently decided money doesn’t matter. I’ll be kissing that $300-an-hour pay rate goodbye. I’m going to have a big adjustment in income when I move to Iowa.
Yes, I said when.
“For you, Easton, that’ll be free. Don’t let that get out, though. A man doesn’t pay bills on pro bono work.”
“Don’t I know it!”
As I work through his application late into the night, excitement courses through my limbs. After years of wondering if God really heard me and cared, I’ve received all the proof I need after one short summer in Iowa.
My life will never be the same again. Neither will my income. But it will all be worth it.
I grin and click on a link with information on applying to the Iowa Bar as an attorney practicing in another jurisdiction. It just might be time to hang up a shingle in Red Rock Place, Iowa.