LITMIR.BIZ

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that wild imagination. She had no space in her life right now for any kind of entanglement, romantic or otherwise, even if she did that kind of thing. Which she didn’t. She had to focus on rebuilding her life. Or building a new life?

      Whatever—she had to focus. “Do you know how to reach the mother?”

      “I tried calling her. Or at least the last number I had for her, but I didn’t get an answer.”

      “Tough situation.” Abby paused a moment, not sure if she should even ask the next question. “Do you…want to be her legal guardian?”

      He looked down into Charlotte’s guileless face, raised one shoulder and let it drop with another sigh. “I don’t know what I want. I want to make this better—for everyone.”

      Abby nodded slowly. “I’m familiar with that feeling. If I can help, let me know.”

      “Thanks.” With Charlotte firmly asleep, he laid her gently into her car seat and eased himself free. “Come on, I’ll give you the grand tour.”

      The office space was open, industrial almost, with three small offices and the receptionist’s desk on one side of the room. The walls of the offices were glass panels which, now that she considered it, was a thoughtful choice. Enough privacy for confidentiality but enough visibility for everyone’s safety. Something she could appreciate these days.

      “Before Wynn joined the practice, the whole space was open. It was just a few chairs and a desk.”

      By the front door, there was a cozy seating area. Behind that a conference table and, in the very back of the room, a small kitchenette. The overall effect was warmth from the exposed brick and reclaimed wood, but with enough polish that it would give clients a sense they were in good hands. “It’s really a remarkable space. I can see that you both had a hand in designing it.”

      “Thanks. I like it.”

      A quick look at the baby reassured Abby that Charlotte was still sleeping, so she followed him across the room for a closer look at the individual offices. Elvis lifted his head to track her movement.

      “This one is Wynn’s, if you couldn’t tell from the desk. Her husband Latham made it.”

      Like Wynn herself, the small office managed to convey chic and approachable at the same time. The desk was a smooth concrete surface over reclaimed wood supports. It was bare except for a closed laptop and a small bird’s nest with four hand-carved eggs. “I love it. It looks just like her.”

      Garrett’s office was next to Wynn’s. In contrast to Wynn’s pristine office, his space was…lived in.

      “I like a creative organization system, as you can see.” Garrett grinned.

      A long wood counter stretched the length of the wall behind his desk. His filing system seemed to be a series of labeled boxes stacked three deep. She snorted a laugh as she noted the huge black cat stretching in the corner, underneath a signed poster of Michael Jordan dunking a basketball.

      “Barney Fife came with the place. No idea how old he is, but I’m guessing at least fifteen.”

      She smiled. “I didn’t know you had an office cat.”

      “Will your dog be okay having a cat around?”

      “Elvis likes cats. Worst-case scenario, he just ignores Barney. Best case, they’ll be BFFs.”

      The cat turned one sleepy yellow eye toward her before going back to his nap.

      From the door, Garrett said, “He’s very demanding.”

      She laughed again. “I can see that.”

      “So this one is yours. The desk came out of the historic school. I rescued it before they tore the place down. It’s probably at least a hundred years old.”

      “I like it. It has personality.” The two leather chairs were generic but in good shape. She made a mental note to buy a plant and some art for the walls. Maybe a throw rug. Here she had time to make the place—the job—her own. It was a shift in thinking, but a much-needed one. “Oh, there’s a dog bed.”

      “Wynn wanted to make sure that Elvis would feel comfortable here, too. She’s really excited about this project. I am too, to be honest. If we can identify ways to help people before they need a lawyer, maybe we can really make a difference in people’s lives.”

      “I agree. I can’t wait to get started.” Their tour ended back at the conference table. She started picking up the stuff Garrett had bought for the baby earlier this morning. She found two packages of bottles, a can of formula, three different kinds of pacifiers, some baby socks and, even though he wouldn’t need it for some time, a baby-proofing kit.

      Abby was still staring at the assortment of stuff when a woman carrying a diaper bag and a large translucent plastic tub came in through the front door. Garrett sprang into action and met her at the door, taking the big storage tub out of her hands.

      “Thanks, Garrett.” The woman’s blond hair was piled on top of her head and, despite circles under her eyes, she sent Abby a bright smile. “You must be Abby. I’m Wynn’s sister, Jules. It’s great to finally meet you.”

      “Nice to meet my landlord in person.” Abby smiled. “I dropped my stuff off at the cottage this morning and came straight into town to meet Wynn. I didn’t even have a chance to look around.”

      “And I got an SOS call from Wynn about Garrett’s surprise baby, so I packed up a few things just to get him through.” As she spoke, Jules walked to the table and looked into the baby carrier. “Oh, she’s precious, Garrett.”

      Garrett seemed to have things under control now, so Abby picked up her purse. She used a hand motion to call Elvis, who was by her side in an instant. “I guess I need to get going.”

      He looked up in alarm. “You’re leaving? But I haven’t learned how to make a bottle yet.”

      “I think I’ve got you covered there.” Jules unzipped the large diaper bag. “There are some benefits to having a pediatrician for a brother and one of them is free samples. I stopped by his office across the street and filled this bag with little bottles of ready-made formula. They should last a few days, at least.”

      “Oh, wow, Jules, thank you. I hadn’t even thought about the pediatrician. I guess I need to make an appointment for Charlotte.”

      “You have a lot to learn, but you’ll figure it out. We all do, eventually.” Jules glanced at the smartwatch on her wrist. “I’ve got to run, too—I’m due to meet with the restaurant staff—but if you need anything, let me know. Abby, I hope we can get to know each other better while you’re here, especially since we’re neighbors now.”

      “Thanks so much, Jules.”

      With a grin shot back over her shoulder and a quick wave, her new neighbor hustled out the door and down the sidewalk. And as the door swung shut, Abby heard the first whimper from baby Charlotte.

      “I think that’s my cue.”

      “Wait.” Panic laced Garrett’s voice. “Can you get her while I fix the bottle?”

      The bottle was easy to prepare thanks to Jules’s thoughtful delivery. A quick shake and he was ready to go. He was holding his hands out to take Charlotte to feed her when the phone rang.

      “Do you mind giving her the bottle? I’ll grab the phone.”

      Abby hesitated, but took the bottle from his hand and sat down in a chair she toed out from the table. A few seconds later, Charlotte was eating like a champ, her dark blue eyes focused on Abby’s face.

      After all that Abby had been through, all that she had seen, she would’ve sworn that her heart was a piece of granite in her chest. She had to be able to stay calm to help the children she counseled, no matter the circumstances.

      She’d closed herself off, willed the feelings

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