“You’re using legal terms as an excuse,” she said.
“I am a lawyer and it’s not an excuse. I want you to be a hundred-percent sure you want this when I do it.”
She only glared at me a second before rushing out of the barn. I blew out a breath and hoped I hadn’t blown my one shot with her.
Before going to the house, I stopped by the bunkhouse. Sunshine wasn’t there and the sounds I heard from one of the bunks let me know Gunner and Shaina were fine as well. I went to the house and when I got to the top of the stairs, I turned toward Sunshine’s closed door. I debated knocking on it and decided not to.
The next day I spent with Zoe. I took her to the park, as much for me as to give Sunshine space. I had a lot to make up for with my little girl. So afterward, I took her to the diner for lunch. Several nosy people stopped at our table, and I proudly introduced them to my daughter. Only one of them asked about her mother, which soured my little girl’s mood.
“Mom is lost in a storm. But Dad’s going to find her.”
I cocked my head and dared the older woman to ask any more questions. She patted my daughter’s hand and said, “I’m sure he will, dear.”
It was a good thing I didn’t pay attention to the gossip in town because there would be plenty of it. Ashley came to the table. “Mitch, is there any way I could get your help?”
“Um, sure,” I said, a little dumbfounded.
“There’s some pie and ice cream for the both of you if you follow me.”
We did and ended up in the back of the diner, where she led me to a utility sink with a leaking faucet. The bowl was half-full of water. “I can’t stop the leak.”
“Do you have a wrench?” I asked.
She handed me one. It was a stubborn leak, but I finally twisted it shut.
“Thank you,” she said. “The plumber is coming later today, but I don’t want the sink overflowing in the meantime.”
“Dad’s a hero,” Zoe said.
Far from it, but man, did my chest puff up seeing the look in my daughter’s eyes. When we got up front, I whispered in Ashley’s ear, “Thanks for that.”
She grinned ear to ear. “Thank you, and I’ll bring that pie and ice cream over.”
I turned and found the entire diner staring in our direction. Ignoring them, I led Zoe back to our booth and Ashley made good on the dessert.
With our bellies full, I headed back to the ranch. Zoe fell asleep on the ride home. I carried her to her room and was tucking her in when I turned to find Dad waiting for me in the doorway. I kissed the top of my daughter’s forehead before meeting him in the hall.
“What’s up?” I asked him.
“I need you to do a will for Bran Barnaby.”
I opened my mouth and shook my head a little. “Dad, I’m not an estate planning attorney.”
“No, you’re my son. He’s a friend, and I need you to do this favor for me. It won’t be complicated.”
“Dad—”
“Don’t Dad me. Who paid for that fancy law degree of yours?”
“Scholarships, if I recall.”
He shook a finger at me. “They didn’t pay it all. Your mother and I took care of the rest.”
“Fine. It’s not like I don’t have my job to do.”
“I don’t see you doing anything around here.”
I would not argue with him that I could do my job anywhere. A lot of it was on the computer and not in the office.
“He’ll be by tomorrow,” Dad announced and walked off.
Well, great. As soon as word got around that I was doing wills, I’d have a line of people needing free legal work.
My phone rang, and I sighed. “Bowmen,” I said, as I didn’t recognize the phone number.
“Hi. This is Miles Carlson. I have your results,” Miles said. I let out all the air in my lungs. “I will send them per the instruction you got from the court.”
When he told me the results, I just held the phone. “Yeah, thanks, Doc.”
I stared at my hands for a long time. It was the doorbell that got me moving. I didn’t want the noise to wake up Zoe, so I jogged downstairs to get it. “Hi, how can I help you?”
The man was a snappy dresser in a sharp suit. He was tall and rail thin with a receding hairline. “I’m looking for Sunshine Drake.”
“She’s not here right now.” She had gone out for a walk after I came home. It seemed we were back to avoiding each other. “What is this about?”
“This is a legal matter.”
“I’m her lawyer.”
The guy didn’t believe me. Rightfully so. I feared this was about whatever Sunshine was afraid of.