Falling for the Lawyer - By Anna Clifton Page 0,31
Joseph! Now I’ve heard everything,” Peter Farrer shouted again from his chair. “Free legal advice! Why haven’t I ever had free legal advice?”
“Because you can afford to pay for it. Those people are desperate.”
“Afford it! I could afford it until the first lawyer got a hold of me. I’ve been broke ever since.”
“You have the first dollar you ever earned and you know it,” Alex replied as she perched on the arm of his lounge chair and draped her arm around his shoulders affectionately.
“Well, you’re a good girl,” he replied, immediately soothed by her gentle touch. “But you know I’m not happy you’re working with lawyers. They’re all thieves!”
“Not all of them, Dad. You know you’re exaggerating.”
“Never trust a man who hasn’t produced something you can touch at the end of his working day.”
“Lawyers produce words,” Alex argued. “And words are important too. Think where we would be today without words.”
“A whole lot better off. There was a time when a man’s word was as good as his handshake, then someone invented lawyers to complicate things. I tell you, law is no way to make a living.”
At that moment the doorbell rang and Alex got to her feet to answer it.
“Sit down girl. A young lady doesn’t answer the door at this time of night.”
With that, Peter Farrer climbed laboriously out of his chair onto his weak knees and shuffled off down the hallway. Alex wandered over to the cooker to stand beside her mother as she stirred and added to her pots.
The smells that emanated from Mary Farrer’s kitchen were always delectable and she cooked gourmet delights at every meal. Alex had just tasted a mouthful of the night’s meal off a teaspoon offered by her mother when she was grabbed from behind. She jumped violently, her nerves still on edge after her encounter with JP in the car, before twisting around in a pair of all-encompassing arms.
“Simon!” she whispered breathlessly as she felt the blood drain from her face.
“Surprised?” he asked gleefully, his dark eyes shining with delight.
“Yes … yes … I’m staggered. I was only talking to you a few hours ago in New Zealand.”
“I know, I rang your Mum from the airport to let her know I’d come straight here. I wanted to surprise you.”
“Well aren’t you going to give your future husband a kiss?” Mary Farrer prompted with more than a hint in her tone.
“Yes, of course,” Alex agreed hurriedly, feeling awkward with her parents in the room.
Simon’s mouth descended upon hers for a short hard kiss but then Alex sensed that someone other than her parents was watching them closely.
It was her cousin Monique, standing quietly in the background as she watched the reunion unfold before her.
“Did you and Monique arrive together?” Alex asked Simon in surprise and he nodded, releasing her from his arms.
“Hello, you!” Alex said in delight and moved across the room to hug her cousin. “I had no idea you and Simon were travelling home together. I thought you were still in New Zealand.”
“I was,” Monique explained. “But I decided to change my flight so that I could come home with Simon.”
“Well you look great. Have you had a lovely time?”
“Yes, wonderful. You haven’t been to New Zealand have you?” Monique hooked her arm in Alex’s and led her away from the family.
“No, I haven’t.”
“I can’t believe that in all the time Simon’s been there you didn’t manage to get there yourself.”
“It’s been hard to get away from work. You know how it is.”
“Yes, I know,” Monique agreed and then lowered her voice a little so that only Alex could hear. “I hope you don’t mind that I linked up with Simon for the trip home. I really hate taking flights by myself. The take-offs scare me half to death.”
“Of course not,” Alex assured her. “I’m glad you both had the company. Simon told me you cooked for him. He would have loved that. You know how he hates any meals which are shop bought.”
“That’s the least I could do after he’d shown me around Auckland for a whole day.”
“Well now you are making me feel guilty,” Alex confessed. “I must try and get over there for his next trip.” With that Alex looked over at Simon who had his sharp eyes firmly fixed on the two girls. As he heard Alex’s last words he wandered over to her and slid his arms around her waist.
“I’m afraid there won’t be any more opportunities for you to go to New Zealand,