Chapter 7
Seven
Saturday morning, Whitney drove over to pick up Carina for yoga. She passed the card key they’d given her through the proximity reader at the entrance to the gated community. The houses in this neighborhood were huge.
Whitney’s condo wasn’t even half the size of the first floor of her brother and sister-in-law’s home, but it was plenty. She didn”t need much room for just her and one goldfish, who was also single, but not by choice.
William walked out the front door with Chloe on his hip, just as Whitney pulled into the driveway.
Chloe flapped her wrist, blowing kisses to Whitney through a fit of giggles at William’s coaxing.
As she walked up the steps, Chloe reached for her, and Whitney’s heart did a cartwheel.
William set Chloe down, and she rushed into Whitney’s arms. Chloe’s soft hair hung below her shoulders in long ringlets tied back in a ribbon, just like Mom used to fix hers when she was that age. This little girl had brought magic into the entire family.
Whitney took in a breath of that sweet smell and nuzzled her nose to nose. “Funny nose kisses for me and you.”
Chloe giggled and tossed her head, trying to accomplish the silly nose rubs, but really she looked more like a chicken after cracked corn.
“How are you, big brother?”
“Good. I have to warn you,” William said. “Carina’s at it again. Marie and Brad were talking about a friend of theirs at dinner last night, and I swear I saw a battle plan forming in Carina’s head to match you two up while she ate dessert.”
“We’re just going to yoga this morning. I don’t think she’s going to do a lot of matchmaking while we’re sweating in pretzel positions with a room full of others doing the same.”
“Says you. You know how tenacious my bride is. She’ll know who has a single brother or a new friend in town before you even get to the downward dog.”
“I’m on to her ways. I won’t be tricked.” Carina’s tenacity was one of the attributes that made their portfolio so lucrative. “It’ll be good for us to get some exercise. I’m up for life balance, but I’ll be on the alert for any cupid tricks.”
“Good luck with the whole life balance thing. I haven’t figured it out.” William shook his head. “I feel like the more I do, the more I need to do.”
“I know what you mean. I’m still a work-in-progress on that too. Hey, speaking of balance, I’ve been asking Carina for ideas for Chloe’s birthday gift. And Mom has been no help either. I want to do something really memorable for her second birthday. I’m running out of time. You’ve got to help me.”
“We’ve pretty sufficiently spoiled her already.”
“That didn’t get past me either. She’s got you wrapped around her little finger, but honestly, that has to be the best feeling in the world.”
“It is.” He looked down at his daughter, who was looking at him with those same blue Winters eyes. “Yeah. It’s pretty amazing. You know you can make one of these too. Look at her. If that’s not incentive to settle down, I don’t know what is.” He took Chloe’s hand. “My life is better than I could’ve ever imagined with this little one in it.”
She believed him, and he was the one who had never wanted children.
“We’ve got some serious swinging to do.” He took Chloe by the hand and let her tug him toward the backyard.
It was so sweet to see William as a husband and father. Still, in her heart, he was just her goober brother, and it always tickled her to realize he was a man now.
She let herself in the house with a quick, “Hey, gal. You ready?”
Carina sat at the dining room table with her laptop and charts spread out in front of her.
“I guess we’re still doing our Saturday morning review too. I didn’t think we’d have time before class.” Whitney dropped her purse into a chair and sat in the other. “How are we looking?”
“I got up early. It’s all done.” Carina’s face lit up. “Not a worry in the world. Our numbers are up again.” She shuffled through some papers. “I feel like I”m missing something, though. This past month, our numbers have really jumped. It seems too significant to not have been triggered by something. We didn’t run any ads or have any meetings last month. It’s just sort of odd.”
“Our reputation is good. We’ve put in the hard work, and it’s paying off. It’s not impossible, right?” Whitney held her hand up for a high five from her sister-in-law. “I’m so proud of us. Building out the team of paralegals under Olivia has been the positive impact. We can handle so much more now.”
Carina looked pleased. “The most important part is that we’re proving we can make the divorce and family law arm of the practice as lucrative as the business side. We’re doing it over and over every month.”
“If it hadn’t been for Mom talking Dad into letting us try to revive family law at the firm, we wouldn’t even have had the chance. It really hurt my feelings that he was so against it. I knew we could do it but proving it to him is so important to me.”
“I know it is. We will not fail,” Carina said, grabbing Whitney’s hands. “We’ve got this, and we have data showing that month over month growth.”
When she and Carina came onboard, the firm only had one attorney allocated to divorce and even that wasn’t a dedicated resource. It was a rotating assignment that the attorneys considered worse than punishment. Some years, they didn’t even do one divorce. The firm’s focus was on commercial and business clients, and that’s really what Dad wanted them to practice. She knew he was biding his time for her to give in, but she and Carina would surprise him.
Carina turned her laptop to face Whitney. “I updated all the statistics.”
Whitney ran down the list. Even the average length of marriages in the cases they’d completed divorce filings for was updated. “I see that from your data I’ll be able to set my expectations on my future marriage to what, ten years?”
“I believe it was 10.2 years, and only if you stay in Richmond. Can’t promise similar results in another microcosm.” Carina cocked her head as she picked up her yoga mat and tote bag. “Don’t worry. When you get married, you’ll be married forever. You are going to marry the man who will still look at you like he wants to dip you when you dance, and kiss you and never make you cry, even in your sixties, just like your mom and dad.”
“I sure hope so.” Whitney couldn’t imagine it, though. “It would be wonderful to have that in my life.”
“I grabbed a couple of bottles of water for us,” Carina said. “Let’s go, or we’ll be late.”
Whitney caughtthree green lights in a row and lucked into a parking spot right in front of the yoga center door. “Will you look at that? Looks like things are going our way today.”
They gathered their mats and went inside. This class had always been popular, but it was much more crowded today. “We’re going to have to be up front.”
“You mean our luck just ran out?” Carina dragged her feet all the way to the front of the class. “You know I hate to be in front.”
“Sorry. Saturdays are always the worst. We should’ve known better. Do you want to skip it?”
“No. We are doing this. Come on.” Carina slung her mat out, the ends curling up like a magic carpet from way too many months rolled up in the closet. She stomped it flat, then finally turned it over and sat on it.
“Look.” Carina’s brow raised. With a nod toward the back row, she said, “I spy with my little eye.”
She was ogling a group of men in the class. Five men, to be exact, and they were all rather nice looking.
One of them smiled at Whitney. She smiled and turned back to Carina. “Stop.”
Carina grunted under her breath. “You stop.”
The instructor walked in, and Carina and Whitney shared an appreciative glance. It was their favorite instructor from when they used to come. Dreama breezed by with all the grace of a dancer, pressed the button on the music system, and took her spot up front.
“We’ll get started in a few more minutes. Let’s all get on our mats and use this time to center.” She smiled, looking across the room, and when she got to them, she beamed. “I am so glad to see you two. How long has it been?” Dreama asked.
Carina said, “My daughter is almost two.”
“You haven’t done any yoga in all that time? Neither one of you?”
Whitney wondered if yoga instructors were like hairdressers. “I’d never cheat on you,” she said in her defense. “You’re the best.”
Dreama accepted the compliment graciously. “Welcome back, but you two better take it easy today. I know you know all the moves, but give yourself some grace or you won’t be able to move tomorrow.”
“Got it,” Whitney said, glad to have the go-easy card in her back pocket.
“Hey!” someone whispered from behind them.
Whitney and Carina spun toward the whispered greeting to see Olivia quick-stepping through the land of colored mats.
“Olivia! You made it.”
“Can I squeeze between you?”
“Absolutely.” The girls scooched, and Olivia spread her purple mat next to Whitney’s.
“Awesome. Thanks.”
“What happened to your date?” Carina said.
Olivia rolled her eyes. “We had a phone call last night, and honestly, there were a few comments that were eye rollers. I decided not to waste my time. This swipe left, swipe right dating is going to be the death of me. I ought to let one of you do the selecting for me. I’m picking nothing but duds.”
Dreama clapped her hands to signal the beginning of class. Then she lowered the lights and started walking them through calming breaths.
“In the Sukhasana pose, close your eyes and breathe in through your nose, out through your mouth. Good. Picture yourself as a snow globe. When you breathe in, take it slowly. Imagine all your thoughts and worries swirling in your head. On the exhale, picture them leaving your body like soft snowflakes, falling to the ground.”
Whitney tried not to laugh as she pictured an avalanche of thought-snow piling up around her all the way up to her neck. She giggled.
Olivia smacked her arm.
Whitney shrugged and tried to cleanse her mind, but work kept creeping in, checklists forming in her mind. She’d give anything to reach her phone and type in a reminder or two, but all of her things were in the locker on the back wall. Yoga center rules prohibited cell phones on the exercise floor.
She stretched into child’s pose, and Whitney quickly got the hang of the movements again and finally the giggles dissipated. She focused on tightening and lengthening her muscles and letting her mind release her thoughts with each breath.
If only finding one’s life balance was this easy.
Whitney moved comfortably through the yoga poses. They’d moved into their first sun salutations when the door opened and someone raced into the room with keys jangling and flip-flops slapping against the floor.
“Sorry!” the woman stage-whispered in apology, taking a spot against the back wall.
Whitney tried to ignore the interruption by focusing on her core.
Carina caught Whitney’s eye and mouthed something.
“What?” Whitney couldn’t make it out. “Canned corn?”
“No!” Eyes wide, Carina leaned closer and whispered, “Kally Shore.” She pretended to hold a pen and write like in a game of charades. “The author. Your client.”
Whitney tried to catch a glimpse inconspicuously, but the woman had turned her face away. She couldn’t quite tell, but she did resemble her. Same hair and height.
“Are you sure it’s her?” Whitney whispered to Carina.
“I think so.”
“It’s definitely her,” Olivia whispered.
If it was Kally Shore, she’d been under the radar for quite a while after her very public divorce.
Whitney had represented her. Kally’s scoundrel of a husband, who ended up being her second ex, wanted a slice of her royalties and future earnings, claiming he supported her writing career. It was total baloney. Whitney had put the kibosh on his web of lies.
After class, the noise level immediately changed as old friends caught up and others headed for the locker room. Carina was bolder than Whitney, asking Dreama without hesitation, “I noticed Kally Shore is still taking this class. It’s fun to see some of the same people from before.” Carina played it off. “I love Kally’s books.”
“Don’t we all?” Dreama said. “She used to always be the first one in class. I called her my welcome committee because she always took the spot right next to the door. Lately, she’s been hit or miss. I’ve heard it’s because she’s in love.”
“It could be she’s just on deadline.” Whitney hoped that was the case, because she’d urged Kally to draft a prenup to be prepared for her next relationship. So far, Kally hadn’t done that. Once the sting wore off, she’d probably ignore the need for one at all.
Dreama nodded. “I bet you’re right. Shame on me for feeding the rumor mill.”
“Feels good to be back,” Whitney said. “I forgot how much I used to enjoy your class.”
“It’s been a long time. It’s great to see you in class again. This isn’t going to be a one and done thing, is it?”
“Nope. We’re back. Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday, like the good old days,” Carina piped up.
“The six a.m. class during the week like before? It’s a full class now. Get here early, or you could do the hot yoga class at five. It’s only a forty-minute class. Folks are really liking it.”
“Five a.m.? Oh no, that’s too early for me now that I’m a mom. We’ll get here early for the six o’clock and skip the hot part,” Carina promised. “We’ll see you Monday.”
As Carina, Olivia, and Whitney walked back to get their things from the lockers, Kally caught Whitney by the arm.
“Whitney, it’s so good to see you. How are you?” Kally Shore always looked great.
“I’m good.” Whitney put a little space between them, trying to resist asking her if the rumor was true. But she didn’t have to, because the icy rock shimmering on Kally’s right hand was permission enough to inquire. She reached out for Kally’s hand. “Wow. That’s beautiful.”
Kally’s fingers wiggled and twitched. “Isn’t it? It’s new.”
“That last book must’ve been a bestseller,” Carina said. “Well done.”
The novelist tightened up, all that yoga relaxation rushing out the door. Her lips pulled to one side in a grimace. “Actually, it was a gift.” She clenched her hand. “And before you say don’t rush into anything, it was a surprise; but he’s really great. He treats me so well, and he understands my crazy schedule and deadlines, and?—”
“You do not owe me an explanation,” Whitney said. “You’re divorced. Free to do whatever you like.”
“It’s moving along quicker than I’d planned,” the novelist admitted.
Carina’s face registered a warning, but Whitney flashed her a look, and thankfully, Carina paused, then offered, “No hurry, though. True love can weather the wait.”
“Oh, I am being careful,” Kally said. “We’re going to Niagara Falls later this year. That’s been on my bucket list for so long. I’m going to really get to know him before we make it official.”
“Please tell me you’ve had a prenup drafted so that if it comes to it, you’re prepared.” Whitney wished she could’ve resisted, but there it was—all out there.
“I’ll do it soon,” Kally insisted. “It’ll be fine. I won’t make the mistakes I made last time.”
“I don’t care who you get to help you with the prenup, but please put some thought into this before you spend any money on him.” That had been a big problem in her last two marriages. She’d spend, spend, spend on these guys. “We spent a lot of time unraveling those other marriages. You need to protect the assets you have left.” Whitney had a hunch Kally was subsidizing the bucket list trip.
Kally nodded in agreement, but Whitney could tell the ship had already sailed.
“He’s amazing. Not like you-know-who. He’d never pull something like that. He was appalled when I told him about that big hot mess. Actually, Carina, you know him.”
“Me? Who? Your new guy?” Carina looked surprised. “How’s that?”
“You handled his divorce. In fact, now that I think of it, if I hadn’t hired Whitney, and he hadn’t had you handle his divorce, we wouldn’t even be together. I have you two to thank for my dream come true.”
“Oh my,” Carina mumbled. “Who is this guy?”
“Jim Roundtree,” Kally announced. “Tall, dark hair, super handsome. Texas accent that absolutely tilts my whirl.” She let out a cowgirl, “Woot!”
Carina turned to Whitney. “Yes, I remember him well.”
“See. He’s great, right?” The look on Kally’s face was clear that she wouldn’t believe otherwise. She leaned in. “Any scoop I need to know?”
“I couldn’t tell you if there was,” Carina said. “But we all know the beginning of every relationship feels perfect, so you need to protect the assets you have left from the divorce. Get that prenup drafted now before your romantic heart clouds good decisions.”
“It is perfect. I’m not worried, but I hear you. I promise I do.”
Carina and Whitney exchanged a doubtful glance.
“Oh my gosh, this could be an adorable romcom.” She raised her hands and gazed at the ceiling. “I can’t believe I didn’t think of this before. This couple will have this fun meet-cute in their attorney’s lobby! I swear I saw sparkles that day when he caught my eye.” She raised a finger, her eyes darting toward the ceiling. “Oh my gosh. This story idea is so good.” Her fists tightened in excitement. “Like six degrees of separation from Happily Ever After because we both got divorces handled by the same firm. Like Kevin Bacon. My editor will adore this idea.”
“Or would that then make us,” Whitney waved her finger between herself and Carina, “the seventh degree? Seven is my lucky number, you know.”
“Degrees of legal separation,” Carina chimed in. “See what I did there?”
“Yes,” Kally was practically bubbling over. “Jim saw me in your lobby a couple of times. I only noticed him once. We crossed paths again after our divorces were final, which coincided with the release of Running on Empty, which had been loosely based on you-know-who. Ugh, good riddance to him.”
Whitney thought it was funny that Kally still wouldn’t use her ex-husband’s name in conversation.
“I could see this new book having an awesome title like Eat, Pray, Divorce—no, that’s too close to the other one.” She tapped her finger to her lips. “Divorced HEArts with the HEA capitalized for Happily Ever After? No, that’s too complicated. Split Happens? Oh wait, Exes and Ohs!”
They all laughed, enjoying the animated energy that was Kally’s personality. A wonderful storyteller and funny in her writing and in person, she probably could’ve been a stand-up comedian.
“Oh gosh, I’ve got to run. I’m late. Don’t forget to leave me a review after you read the new book.” And just like that, she ran out the door.
Whitney looked to Carina and Olivia. “Is it just me, or does she completely exhaust everyone? I don’t know where she gets the energy, or all those ideas.”
“She’s got more energy than all of us put together,” Olivia said.
Carina shook her head. “And that’s after the relaxing yoga class.”
Whitney let out a sigh and pulled her phone from her bag.
“What are you doing there?” Carina asked.
“Ordering Running on Empty, of course.” Whitney tapped her screen. “Should I order three?”
Carina and Olivia nodded. “Definitely.”