“Thank you for today. For being brave and for helping me.”
She shook her head. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Then she was gone, leaving me standing alone, confused, unsure, and frankly, turned on.
Fuck.
Fiona
I watched the city go past me, the early-morning light catching car windows and reflecting off the glass of the tall skyscrapers that filled downtown Toronto. I glanced at my new phone, pleased to see it was just past five-thirty. I would probably beat Halton into the office again.
I tried to be there before he arrived in the mornings. Regardless of how I had teased him, I had coffee ready for him each day, and once, as a joke, I gave him toast. He had laughed and wolfed it down, as he did any food that appeared in front of him. I enjoyed watching him eat. For so long, I had watched Scott push food around on his plate, pick at everything I cooked or brought in for him. So seeing the way Halton tore into meals, or something as simple as toast, made me smile.
He also made sure if he was eating, that I was as well. He seemed to genuinely care about my health—about me. Another huge difference between the two men. Scott didn’t care about his clients—only the money they added to his bank account. And as I discovered, he didn’t care about me at all.
I stepped out of the Uber and hurried into the office building. The difference in how I had been feeling the past few days was amazing. It was as if I had a renewed sense of worth. I had a place to be every day. A new sense of purpose. Halton’s practice was busy, and the hours flew by. During the day, I was simply Fiona, not Mrs. Hutchings, not the soon-to-be ex, but me.
At the end of the first week, I knew what I wanted, so I approached Halton, setting a pile of documents on his desk.
“These need to be looked over and signed.”
He indicated the chair in front of his desk and picked up the pile. “Sit.”
He scanned and signed while talking.
“Finding everything okay?”
“Yes, Rene is very organized.”
“How often has he texted?”
I chuckled. “Only on occasion. I think his daughter-in-law is monitoring him since he got released from the hospital.”
He smirked. “Clara is great.” He met my eyes briefly. “But I think he knows the place is in capable hands. You’re doing an amazing job, Fee.”
“Thank you.” I hesitated and cleared my throat.
“Whatever has you all jittery, spit it out,” Halton drawled, scrawling his name on the last document and laying down his pen. “What do you need?”
Halton was the same with everyone. He was intense and driven. Blunt and direct. But there was the underlying sense of kindness I had first sensed in him. He treated his clients with respect and dignity. He stuck to his rules—he believed in the cause he took on, or he didn’t accept the case. Honesty was important to him. As was speaking your mind. So, I got right to the point.
“I want to change my name back to my maiden one right away. I don’t want to wait for the divorce.”
He sat back, resting his hands on his desk, his long fingers loosely entwined. “Tell me why.”
“I don’t want to be Fiona Hutchings, ex-wife of Scott. I want to be me again.”
He raised his eyebrows, silently telling me to continue.
“I feel like Fee again. Productive. But when people ask my name, it brings me back to Scott and the past. I want to move forward.”
He nodded. “Okay. We’ll get the paperwork done. You can do most of it yourself—it’s a fairly simple thing. I can help if you need me to.” His eyes crinkled in amusement. “How will I address you now—Ms.…?” He let his question trail off.
I returned his smile. “Nelson. But we’ll stick with Fee. My dad called me Nelly when I was little. He would make up funny songs and sing about his FeeNelly. It always made me laugh.”
“You were close with your father?”
“Yes. My mom died when I was younger, so it was only us.” My voice dropped. “He had a massive heart attack and died while I was at school. I never got to say goodbye. I still miss him.”
“I was fourteen when my dad died,” Halton confided.
“Were you close?” I asked.
A mask came over his face. “Not as close as I wanted to be.”
“Were you closer to your mother?”
He stood, his voice cold. “Not even remotely.”
“I’m sorry, I obviously touched on something personal,” I said, sensing his withdrawal.
His face softened. “It’s fine, Fee. I don’t like to talk about it.”
“I understand.”
He handed me the documents. “We’ll get your name change started. I’ll sit with you on Monday as your lawyer, and we’ll discuss your case. I should have most of what I need then.” He winked. “Book yourself an appointment.”
“You’re already booked solid, so we can do it after hours.”
“Okay,” he agreed. “Get dinner in, and we’ll talk.”
I headed to the door and turned. “Halton?”
He glanced up. “Yes?”
“I’m sorry. I honestly didn’t mean to bring up bad memories.”
Something passed through his eyes. Hurt, pain—distant memories that haunted him. I could see it. But he simply shrugged.
“It’s fine. Don’t worry about it.”
But for some reason, I did.
Halton
Rene shifted, wincing slightly as his arm moved. I frowned at him, shaking my head.
“You can barely move, and you think you should come back to work?” I reclined back into my chair. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
“I’m bored. Clara is like a mother hen watching over me and fussing. She won’t let me do anything,” he complained.
“I heard that,” Clara called from the kitchen. “Stop complaining, old man, or I won’t feed you tonight.”
“Whatever,” he mumbled.
I grinned at their banter. Rene adored his daughter-in-law, and she felt the same for him. I was glad he was feeling better, but he wasn’t ready to come back.
“You had a major fall, Rene. You’re still recovering from the concussion. Your doctor says you have to take it easy. Between your head and your arm, what good are you to me? Take the time to recover, then come back. Don’t push it.”
He studied me intently. “I assume this relaxed attitude has something to do with a silver-haired woman who has taken my place?”
I laughed. “Fee hasn’t taken your place, Rene. But she’s doing a great job. I like her. The clients like her. In fact, I thought when you were ready to come back, you might want to keep her on to help you. I think you’d like working with her. There’s certainly enough work to keep you both busy.”
“Mm-hmm,” he replied, narrowing his eyes. “You like her.”
“I said I did. She’s a great temp. Lousy at choosing a husband, but we all make mistakes. At least I can help her with that.”
“Uh-huh.”
I glared at him. “What are you insinuating?”