Inheritance (The Lost Bride Trilogy, #1)(69)

She pulled out a slim ribbed knit dress in a dark, deep green. Simple lines, long sleeves, and the midi length looked good with booties.

“And done.”

When she’d changed, she studied herself in the mirror again. “Okay, this works. It’s like I take my work seriously, but I’m still friendly and easy.” Amused, she pointed at Yoda. “Not that kind of easy.

“Although, God, I do miss sex. No thinking about sex during a client meeting,” she told herself, and went into the bathroom to deal with makeup.

Same rules applied. Professional, but casual and friendly.

As she debated just the right eye shadow, she asked herself if she really intended to carve in a six hour–plus round trip to visit her longtime hairdresser.

The sensible thing? Give the local salon a try. If they screwed it up, she’d never return.

She added earrings—just studs—and took a last look.

“I think I hit the mark, and it only took me three times as long as it would have if I’d tossed on jeans and a sweater like I figured I would. But this is better.”

Her iPad let out with Roy Orbison’s classic “Oh, Pretty Woman.”

“Thanks. I’m getting pretty comfortable here, despite everything. It doesn’t hurt to remember how to take some time. The whole self-care thing. Now, I should make coffee.”

She’d use the coffee service in the butler’s pantry, set it up in front of the library fire. Or would the kitchen suit better?

No, the library.

“I’m thinking about it too much. And not,” she admitted to the dog, “just because he’s a potential client. He’s just so damn attractive. The way he looks, yeah, but also the way he is. What I know of the way he is, because I hardly know him really.

“And this has to stop.”

She made the coffee, then carried the tray up.

Professional, she thought. A woman running her own business.

She plumped the pillows on the sofa, added another log to the fire.

And decided: Perfect.

The dog let out a series of barks and raced out of the room seconds before the doorbell sounded.

“No one’s going to sneak in from outside anyway.”

She went down, pointed at Yoda, who danced in place by the front door. “You behave. This is business.”

She opened the door and there he stood, tall, handsome, with his big, adorable dog.

“Right on time. Come in. Meet Yoda.”

“Hey there.” Inside the door, Trey crouched right down and gave the dancing Yoda a good rub. “You’ve got Yoda eyes, all right. What do you think, Mookie?”

In answer, Mookie slapped a long tongue kiss straight up Yoda’s face, which caused the smaller dog to spin in circles.

“We brought a homecoming gift.” Trey pulled a tug rope out of his back pocket. “Show him how it’s done, Mook.”

In five seconds flat, the dogs were playing tug-of-war and fake growling.

“You know the big guy could drag the little guy all over the house with that.”

“Yeah.” Trey just grinned at him. “And he probably will.”

“Let me take your coat.”

As she went to hang it up, Sonya shut her eyes.

He’d brought a present for the dog. How was she supposed to resist that?

“So, I’m set up in the library, with coffee.”

“Appreciate the coffee, and you making the time.”

“I took a look at your website,” she said as they went upstairs with the dogs behind them. “It’s very serviceable.”

“I think that’s a dig.”

“Not at all. Or, okay, not much of one. I can make it better, but we’ll start with what you’re looking for.”

“It feels dated. Poole’s Bay’s small-town, but we do have clients outlying. We’re family run. I want to play that up. We’ve got people who’ve worked for us for decades, and we do internships.”

“And there’s the office itself. The house. The family house. It has a feel. A you-can-trust-us-to-look-out-for-you feel.”

“There you go.”

“Have a seat.”

Sonya poured coffee while the dogs played tug.

She made notes as he laid out what he thought they needed. More as she asked questions and he answered.

By the time the dogs settled down by the fire, she had the gist.

Sharing a house with ghosts might have her questioning her sanity. Feeling—no question about it—a sexual buzz for a potential client definitely had her wondering what to do, or not do, about it.

But when it came to the work, confidence ruled.

“You want clean, simple, traditional, with an emphasis on the history of the firm. Nothing fancy, no big hype. Doyle Law Offices is an institution in Poole’s Bay for a reason. I’d use a photo of the offices as a banner. It says: When you come into our house, we’re going to help you. Right now you just have the name of the firm. This would warm it up. Doctors and lawyers are very personal choices. So make it personal.”

“I can’t argue with that.”

“Add a tab for the staff—photos and short bios. And since you take on interns, another for that. With your success stories. Julie Smith went on to Harvard Law, that sort of thing. And you need a page for each of you. Ace, Deuce, Trey.”