Chapter Thirteen
Afew days later, Steven entered his office for the first time since his accident. It felt good to be back, like coming home. Despite Rose’s protests, he’d managed to catch up on much of what he’d missed from the comfort of his home, but there was something about being physically present that made him feel more productive.
The reception desk sat to the left of the door, though Leslie wasn’t in yet. To the right was the waiting room, which he’d furnished with four straight-backed chairs surrounding a small table covered with magazines. A few bookshelves graced the back wall, but the majority of his law books were tucked in his office and the conference room.
“Welcome back, boss,” Sandra said as she came in behind him and handed him a coffee cup.
“Thanks, Sandra, but I can’t—”
“Chill, dude. It’s decaf.”
“In that case…” He lifted the cup to his lips and sipped the warm beverage while missing the taste of real coffee. One day, he hoped to get Rose—and for that matter, Dr. Myers—to relent on the dietary restrictions, but… baby steps.
“Lanie texted me to say she was running late but she’d be here in time for the first interview,” Sandra continued, moving farther into the reception area and flipping on a light. “Did you want me to sit in as well, or do you think the two of you can handle it?”
“Don’t you want to have a say?” He frowned. “You’ll be working directly with whomever we hire.”
She shrugged. “I can get along with pretty much anyone. Besides, I’ve got a lot on my plate. I’d prefer to have the time to get through that.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “Well, okay, but if we find someone we like, can we bring them to meet you?”
“That works for me.” She lifted her cup in salute. “If you need me, I’ll be drowning in pleadings.”
After checking the mail bin at the receptionist’s desk, Steven continued on into his office. A low groan rumbled in his throat as he stared at the mountains of paperwork on his desk. He might have kept up with things electronically well enough from home, but that was why he needed to be in the office.
At least he had a couple of hours before the first interview. Maneuvering around was a challenge, but someone had removed the rolling chair behind his desk, and his wheelchair fit well enough in its place. He set his coffee cup on the only clear space he could find and began sorting through the piles, determining what needed his immediate attention and what could wait.
Just as he had finally gotten into a groove, someone knocked at his door. A quick glance at the time confirmed it was almost ten.
“Come in,” he called.
Lanie entered the room and carried two coffee cups.
“Ah, thanks, sis, but I’ve had about all the decaf I can handle for today.”
She leaned down and plopped the cup in front of him with a conspiratorial wink. “It’s not decaf.”
His head snapped up, and he raised an eyebrow. “Real coffee? You’re playing with fire.”
“I figure you deserved a treat for good behavior.”
Chuckling, he sipped and sighed with pleasure. “I’m not sure if Rose would agree with you on that.”
“Eh, she worries too much.” Lanie slipped into one of the chairs on the other side of his desk and raised an eyebrow. “So, you ready for this?”
“I don’t have much choice, do I?” He pulled the pile of applications in front of him. “I just hope there’s a true diamond among the rough you found.”
She snorted. “Sorry I couldn’t find anyone from Yale or Harvard, but somehow, I doubt they would be interested in sleepy little Cedar Haven.”
“But you did find a few from decent local schools. I guess I can forgive you.”
“There’s even a Georgetown in there,” she said, separating the pile and pushing a file toward him.
“Yeah, but what are the odds they’ll leave DC to come here? I can’t compete with the salary, let alone the prestige.” He sighed, laying his head back on his chair and staring at the ceiling. “I need someone who can share my vision and is willing to do the work.”
A warm hand covered his own, and he glanced at his sister.
“We’ll find someone.” He must not have looked convinced, because she hurried on. “Maybe not today, but the ad is running for another week.”
Leslie appeared in his doorway, her dark-brown hair pulled back in a bun. “Your first interview has arrived.”
With a quick nod, Steven focused on Lanie. “I guess it’s now or never.”
“That’s the spirit!” she deadpanned.
He gathered the application for the first interview and motioned for Lanie to head into the conference room, where Leslie had already set them up. The moment they entered the room, the applicant, Jason Gilherst, pushed his chair back and jumped to his feet. His pleasant smile faltered as he took in Steven’s wheelchair, and he ran a hand through his disheveled hair. But his eyes widened when they landed on Lanie, and his smile morphed into a leer.
Steven tensed, bracing himself for some inappropriate comment toward his sister. To her credit, she caught on to the man’s sudden interest and lifted her left hand to brush her hair away from her face, putting her shiny diamond ring on display.
Well played.Steven bit the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.
“Mr. Gilherst, this is Steven McAllister,” Leslie said. “And this is Lanie McAllister, his sister.”
“Do you work here as well?” Mr. Gilherst asked Lanie, clearly undeterred by the prominence of the diamond on her finger.
“I’m just filling in.”
“You’d mostly be working with Leslie, our receptionist, and Sandra, our paralegal, until I’m able to return to the office full-time,” Steven broke in, hoping to ease the tension and direct Mr. Gilherst’s focus elsewhere.
Mr. Gilherst’s face fell, and Steven shot a look at Leslie before she closed the door. If her grim expression was any indication, they were in agreement. Their first candidate was a bust.
Still, the interview must go on. He and Lanie went through the motions, which only further confirmed that Mr. Gilherst wasn’t a good fit for the firm. He had high expectations of salary with no experience to back up the demand and talked as if he would be running the place in Steven’s absence.
When the interview ended, Steven stifled a sigh of relief. Thank goodness that’s over. His chest tightened. If all of their candidates were like that one, he would be even worse off than if he’d just returned to the office full-time himself.
By the time they reached the last interviewee of the day, Steven was ready to throw in the towel. He’d seen one or two applicants he could tolerate, but nobody appeared up to the task. Maybe he was asking too much.
Lanie didn’t seem encouraged either. With a sigh, she dragged the last application in front of her and flipped through it.
“Ah, it’s the Georgetown applicant,” she said with more enthusiasm than Steven could muster.
“He’ll probably want a bigger salary than the first interviewee,” Steven moaned. The situation was hopeless.
“He can’t be any worse than Mr. Gilherst,” Lanie said with a wry smile.
A moment later, Leslie knocked on the door and led a young man into the room. He had wavy dark-brown hair and light-brown eyes. His suit was neatly pressed, and he walked right up to Steven and shook his hand. If he noticed Steven didn’t stand to greet him, or the wheelchair, he didn’t let on.
“I’m Michael Ellerson,” he told Lanie as he extended his hand.
“Lanie McAllister, Steven’s sister.” She gestured for him to sit, and Steven was relieved Mr. Ellerson didn’t seem as infatuated with his sister as Mr. Gilherst had been.
Steven and Lanie took turns explaining the job and what was expected. Mr. Ellerson didn’t flinch when they informed him of the accident and Steven’s limitations, though he did ask some thoughtful questions.
“Will there be a lot of overtime?” Mr. Ellerson asked.
After a quick glance at Steven, Lanie shook her head. “Not necessarily. We do have a substantial workload at present, but we don’t anticipate needing someone to work beyond office hours.”
“And we likely won’t be taking on new clients until I’m fully or at least mostly recovered,” Steven added.
“I only ask because I’m still living near DC, and it can be a bit of a challenge to travel if I miss the train.”
Steven couldn’t help but laugh. “Metro closes at midnight. I can’t imagine we would ever need you to stay that late.”
Mr. Ellerson nodded, relief apparent in his eyes. “That’s good. Some of the law firms I’ve interviewed at in the city implied I’d be on call around the clock.”
“While we can’t compete with their salaries, we can offer a better work-life balance,” Lanie assured him.
“Honestly, that’s more important to me right now. I’ve heard too many horror stories of first-year associates having nervous breakdowns in the bigger firms.” Mr. Ellerson shook his head. “I’d like a bit of a break now school is over.” His eyes widened as if he realized he’d implied something negative. “I mean, not that this job isn’t hard or that it wouldn’t be challenging… I just, er, I only meant—”
Steven raised a hand and smiled. “I worked for a year at a large law firm in Baltimore. Believe me, I understand what you mean, and I can promise you will have that work-life balance you seek here.”
His sister raised an eyebrow at him, and he made a face. Just because he didn’t have a good work-life balance, that didn’t mean he couldn’t guarantee his employees had one.
“Would you consider moving here if the job lasted beyond the summer?” Lanie asked, surprising Steven.
Mr. Ellerson glanced from one to the other and cleared his throat. “I wasn’t aware that was a possibility, but I’m definitely open to it if the position was extended.”
What’s she playing at?Steven managed to keep his suspicions off his face. “Of course, there is always room for growth, and that’s something we could explore with the right candidate.” He wanted to remind everyone no decision had been made yet.
Lanie rolled her eyes at him. It seemed she had made up her mind about Mr. Ellerson and was ready to offer him the job on the spot. While Steven didn’t disagree with her, he wanted more time to ensure they made the right decision.
After they finished the interview, Lanie introduced Mr. Ellerson to Sandra before showing him out. When she returned, she leaned against the doorway and crossed her arms.
“Say whatever you’re thinking,” Steven said, knowing she would anyway.
“He’s perfect. You should have offered him the job.”
“That’s not how I do things.” He gathered his notes and the applications before stacking them neatly in a pile. After placing it on his lap, he left the conference room.
“What if someone else snaps him up?” Lanie demanded, following him into his office. “He’s the best candidate we’ve seen.”
“So far.” As he dropped the paperwork on his desk, he had to admit Mr. Ellerson was probably the best candidate they would see. But in some ways, that made him almost too good to be true.
“You’re assuming we’ll get more responses to our ad.”
He cocked his head. “Weren’t you the one who said the ad was still running and we might have more applicants?”
“That was before we interviewed the perfect fit,” she scoffed.
“Look, I’ll review my notes from today and sleep on it. If we don’t have any additional applications tomorrow, then I’ll make the decision.”
“And hope no one else gets to him first.”
In the end, Lanie was right. After letting the ad run for a few more days, no one else applied, and none of the other interviewees could hold a candle to Mr. Ellerson. When Steven called him later that week, he enthusiastically accepted the position. To Steven’s surprise, Mr. Ellerson was even willing to start immediately, and they planned his first day for the following week.
Despite not being medically cleared to do so, Steven went into the office that day. He wanted to be there to show the new guy around and make sure everything got off to a great start. Lanie, Sandra, and Leslie had promised they could handle it, but Steven wasn’t leaving anything to chance.
Michael Ellerson arrived promptly at nine o’clock that morning. His suit was freshly pressed, and his brown eyes were filled with excitement as Steven greeted him at the door. Steven showed him around the small office, reintroducing him to everyone before taking Michael to where he would be working.
“Wow, my own office,” Michael said, turning in the small space with a wide grin. “I figured I’d get a cubicle.”
It wasn’t much larger than a storage closet, though at least it had a window. Steven wished he had a better space to offer, but the only larger space available was being used as a conference room. If Steven hired a partner, that would likely change.
“We don’t have any of those,” Steven replied with a wry smile. “But I hope you can make yourself at home here.” He headed to the door. “I’ll leave you to get settled. We can meet in my office at ten to go over the cases I want to get you started on. How does that sound?”
“Perfect.” Michael set his bag down and pulled out his chair. “Do I need to do anything special to log in?”
“I’ll send Leslie in with instructions. Welcome to McAllister at Law.”
After stopping by Leslie’s desk, Steven entered his office, where his sister was waiting, perched on his desk with a coffee cup in hand. He accepted the cup and took a tentative sip. His lips quirked up as he tasted the robust flavor of real coffee.
“Rose is going to murder you,” he said, shaking his head.
“What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.” Lanie angled her head toward the wall Steven’s office shared with Michael’s. “So, do you think this is going to work?”
He nodded. “I do.” Then he sighed. “Well, I hope so. Do you mind sticking around this morning when I meet with him? You and Sandra need to be aware of his workload so you can keep on top of things when I’m not here.”
“Sure thing,” Lanie said. “I’ll be in Sandra’s office. Come get me when you’re ready to meet with your new employee.”
In the meantime, Steven braced himself for a conversation he’d been dreading. While he had briefly spoken to Mr. Willoughby the other day after Rose had stormed out of his house, he’d promised his client a more in-depth conversation when he was back in the office.
The phone rang once before a gruff voice answered, “Hello?”
“Good morning, Mr. Willoughby. It’s Steven McAllister. Is now a good time to talk?”
“It’s about time. When do I get my day in court?”
Steven stifled a sigh. “I’ve drafted a response to your wife’s last proposal of settlement, and I’m working on a motion for a pretrial hearing. The judge may order mediation.”
“I don’t want to go to mediation,” Mr. Willoughby growled. “If you can’t get me my trial, I’ll have to go find someone who will.”
Same threat, different day.But since Steven couldn’t be sure Mr. Willoughby hadn’t already started shopping for a new attorney, he had to play the game.
“Unfortunately, this is how the court system works, sir. In contested divorces, the court would prefer the parties resolve things on their own. Trial is considered a last resort.” Steven cleared his throat. “But if you’d like to start over with someone new, potentially delay your divorce another year, and give your wife an upper hand in the proceedings, I have several attorneys I can recommend.”
The silence on the other end of the line was deafening, and Steven smiled. The only thing his client would hate more than a further delay of his divorce was giving his wife a win.
“I know my rights,” Mr. Willoughby finally said. “And I have a right to a speedy trial.”
Steven rolled his eyes to the ceiling. “That’s for criminal prosecution.” Sometimes he wished his fellow citizens had been required to take basic civic and government classes as adults. “A divorce is a civil matter.”
“Oh,” Mr. Willoughby said. “I don’t see how it’s fair she’s been able to drag this out for so long.”
Pinching the bridge of his nose, Steven took a deep breath. The fact was, Mr. Willoughby, not his wife, had caused the delay. But mentioning that would only aggravate his client.
“I promise, Mr. Willoughby, I’ll file the motion for the pretrial hearing tomorrow, and we’ll work to get your divorce on the court’s docket as soon as possible.”
“All right. But I expect you to keep me updated on the process.”
Translation: He expects a daily phone call. That wouldn’t be easy with Steven coming into the office only sporadically, but he would make it happen. After his discussion with Rose about the law firm’s finances, he couldn’t afford to lose Mr. Willoughby.
“That shouldn’t be a problem,” Steven promised.
“And I want to schedule a meeting to go over a real estate dispute I’m having with my neighbor.”
“I’ll have Leslie set up a time.”
“Good,” Mr. Willoughby said with a grunt. “Glad you’re finally earning your keep again.”
“Yes, sir. I’ll talk to you soon.”
After he hung up the phone, he put his head in his hands. His accident couldn’t have happened at a worse time. But he’d managed to salvage his relationship with his client.
He glanced at the clock and groaned. It was almost ten. With a resigned sigh, Steven gathered Lanie, Sandra, and Michael and led them into the conference room. Michael and Lanie sat on one side of the table with Steven and Sandra on the other.
“How are you settling in?” Steven asked as he laid out several folders in front of Michael.
“So far, so good. Leslie got my computer booted up, and I’m logged in. I took a look at your electronic filing system, and it looks similar to what I used last summer during my clerkship.”
“That’s great!” Steven tapped the folders. “While we’ve mostly set up everything electronically, we do maintain paper files as well. These are some of the cases I was working on before my accident.” He slid them across the table. “I’d like you to review these today. We can meet either this afternoon or tomorrow morning to discuss any questions you have. There are several deadlines coming in fast, and I’d like to get you up to speed so you can draft the necessary motions.”
“Sounds good,” Michael said as he flipped open the first folder.
“Sandra is familiar with the cases and has old drafts you can look at to get a feel for how we word things here. But if you have any questions, I’ll be in and out of the office this week and available by phone.”
“Are you anticipating any court dates in the near future?”
Steven shook his head. “I’ve filed continuances on all of my court hearings for this month, and I’m not sure if they’ll be rescheduled before the summer is up.”
Michael’s face fell. “Oh, okay, then.”
“But if anything does come up, I’ll of course be taking you with me.”
That perked the law clerk up, and he smiled. “I appreciate that. I haven’t had much of a chance to be in a courtroom.”
Steven pressed his lips together. How he wished he could say the same. “Don’t worry. That’ll change soon enough, I’m sure.” As he maneuvered out of the room, exhaustion began to take its toll. “Sandra will give you a quick summary of where we are in each case before you start your review, but I’m afraid I need to rest for a minute.”
Lanie immediately jumped up and came to his aid, pushing him to his office. Unable to find the energy to protest, he sagged against the back of his chair. Once he was behind his desk, he leaned forward and rested his head on the wooden surface.
“You really shouldn’t be overdoing it.” Lanie slipped into the chair on the opposite side of his desk. “Maybe I should take you home.”
“Stop mother-henning me.” He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths as the pain in his chest subsided. “I’ll be okay. I just need a minute.”
“Are you sure—”
Opening one eye, he glared at her. “Not another word. And don’t you dare tell Rose.”
She stuck her tongue out at him but didn’t argue. After a few more minutes of deep breathing, the pain passed, and he sat up with a groan.
“Do you think he’s up for it?” Steven grabbed the water bottle from his desk and took several large gulps.
“He seemed to be. If nothing else, he’s eager to learn.” Lanie shrugged. “But even if he turns out to be a terrible writer, it’s easier to edit a first draft than a blank page.”
“True,” Steven agreed, albeit reluctantly. “And at least it’ll get Rose off my case for a while.”
“You hope.” Lanie grinned.
He gave a grim nod. “I do.”
Around five in the evening, Steven packed up his things. How he had managed to work a whole day, he couldn’t say, but he was already paying for it. Lanie had arranged for their dad to pick him up, and Steven glanced out the window to confirm Dad had arrived. His spirits lifted at the sight of the van parked outside the building, waiting for him.
Before he left, he popped his head into Michael’s office, thrilled to see the law clerk still hard at work. He knocked softly, and Michael glanced up, a proud grin on his face.
“How’d it go?” Steven asked.
“Great so far! I’ve already finished a rough draft for one of the motions, and I’m hoping to have two more ready for you by tomorrow.”
Steven blinked, though he wasn’t sure why he was surprised. One of the reasons he had chosen Michael was his can-do attitude and the ambition in his eyes, an ambition Steven had once shared. He hoped it would return once he was fully recovered, but he would be happy if he could find enough motivation to keep his head above water. Drowning in a financial crisis was not something he wished to contend with, especially with his wedding looming.
“Good work.” He gave a thumbs-up. “But you should head home and start celebrating the Fourth of July early.”
“Sure thing, boss. Just let me save my work, and I’ll walk out with you.”
While he waited, Steven headed to Sandra’s office. She was packing up as well. When she noticed him lurking in the doorway, she motioned him closer.
“You picked a real winner with that one,” she whispered, peeking behind Steven as if to make sure Michael wasn’t in earshot. “He’s been sending me emails left and right with intelligent questions and additional case law he intends to include in his motions. He’s going to do nicely here.”
“Yeah, I wouldn’t mind offering to extend his clerkship into the fall, but I imagine once the bar results from July post, he’ll receive more lucrative offers from DC law firms,” Steven responded, voicing the thought that had gnawed at him since making the offer.
“Well, Rose wants you to take on a partner. He wouldn’t be a bad bet.”
Steven bristled. “That’s a bit premature, don’t you think? I’d like to work with him for more than a few months to make sure he could handle something like that.”
“Then it’ll be your loss.” Sandra shrugged. She straightened as Michael came into view. “Great job today!”
“Thanks for your help,” Michael responded with a grin. He turned to Steven. “Mind if I pick your brain on the way out? I had some ideas I’d love to run by you.”
“Sounds good.” Steven gestured for him to go first. “Lead the way.”
“So, what made you decide to set up shop in this town?” Michael asked as they reached the door to the law office.
“I grew up here.” Steven lifted his face toward the sky, relishing the late-afternoon sun on his skin. The best part about summer was that it didn’t matter how late he worked, the sun was still high in the sky when he left.
“And you decided to come back?” Michael’s eyes widened, and a knot formed in Steven’s stomach. “There’s not much to tempt you here, is there?”
Steven shrugged. “More than you’d expect. I lived in Baltimore for a time, but I’m not cut out for city life. Besides, I prefer the ability to make my own schedule, something I couldn’t do at big law firms.”
“Ain’t that the truth,” Michael agreed. “I do love Georgetown, though. Plenty to do nearby or just a short trip downtown.” His gaze swept over Main Street. “It’s much quieter here.”
“You get used to it, and who knows? You may even come to prefer it.”
Michael snorted. “I doubt it.” Then he seemed to realize how he sounded. “Not that I don’t appreciate the opportunity.”
“It’s fine.” Steven chuckled. “A young guy like you needs something more than small-town living. I get it.”
“And you have your fiancée,” Michael said, shaking his head. “If I had someone to settle down with, I might feel differently.”
“None of the women in your class caught your eye?”
“Nah. I didn’t have time for dating while in school, and the last few months, I’ve been studying for the bar.” He raised an eyebrow. “Does Cedar Haven have any nightlife?”
“There’s Seabreeze.” Steven grimaced. “Though it’s kind of a dive bar.”
“Better than nothing, I suppose.”
An idea formed in Steven’s head. “If you’re looking for a slightly younger crowd, my sister is going out with some of her friends tonight, and several of them are single. If you don’t have any plans this evening, maybe you could join them.”
“I wouldn’t want to impose.” Michael frowned.
“Doesn’t hurt to ask her.” Steven texted Lanie. If anyone could show him what Cedar Haven had to offer, it was her.
A moment later, he received a response. “Is it all right if I give her your number? Then she can add you to the group chat.”
“Sure. Why not?” Michael grinned. “Can’t hurt, right?”