Chapter 28

The dog days of summer passed slowly. Business slowed down, as expected, and Laura and Remington found more excuses to head to the beach instead of work. They would spend a few hours each afternoon, simply lounging along the shore, the heat of the summer sun sapping their energy until they would pack up their few belongings and head home. Even Remington had noticed Laura's more relaxed demeanor and took it in stride. "Really, Laura, I don't know why we didn't start this summer tradition a few years ago," he commented as they packed up one evening to head home.

"I guess I never thought about slowing down," Laura admitted. "I always found an excuse to be busy."

"But now, we've got Mildred and Bernice hard at work in the office, so you and I can take some time off," Remington smiled.

Laura returned his smile. "Time off to focus on other things."

"I checked in with the builder this morning while you were on the phone. Progress is coming together nicely, and if the weather continues, we might be able to move in before Thanksgiving," he informed her.

"Well, I think when we told them we wanted everything left white and we would take care of the painting and decorating ourselves, that helped," Laura added.

Remington chuckled, "Yes, well, I think the builder's interior designer was a bit miffed you wanted to do it. He seemed to think his ideas were going to be better than anything you thought of."

Laura shrugged her shoulders and stated, "I just thought it would be more fun for us to do it ourselves. It's a clean slate, and we can do whatever we want." She yawned loudly, barely covering her mouth.

"Tired?" Remington teased.

"Mmm," Laura blinked. "I don't know why."

Remington patted her knee as they slowly drove toward the loft, their home of choice for the evening. "Well, considering you've been up pacing every night this week, waiting for the news to update you on the trial, I might offer a few suggestions."

"Not every night," she refuted.

"No, I stand corrected. Last night you fell asleep on the couch, so you were up early this morning to watch the news," Remington recalled.

Laura pulled on the elastic, holding her hair back and allowed her wavy, chestnut locks to whip around in the wind. "I just need to know what's going on. My father can't call me every day to tell me, and Special Agent Molloy only tells me so much."

"Uh-huh. It sounds like you care more about your father's well being than you care to admit," Remington pointed out.

"Well, I want to make sure he's safe. And when this comes to an end, I want to know that what he went through… what we all went through… for the last fourteen years was worth it," Laura stated.

"And what about your mother, eh? Have you heard from her at all?" Remington reminded Laura as he put the car in park outside of the loft.

Laura yawned again and shook her head, "She left a message the other day, but when I called her back, she wasn't home." She climbed out and yawned once more. "What's for dinner tonight, Mr. Steele?" she teased.

"I was thinking a little chicken piccata, some garlic bread, a nice bottle of Sauvignon Blanc," he rattled off as he climbed out of the car and followed Laura up the stairs.

"Everything but the wine sounds perfect. If I drink anything, I'll fall right asleep," Laura declared. She trudged her way up the steps, Remington watching her carefully.

"Laura, are you all right?" he questioned.

"I'm fine, really. I'm just tired, that's all," Laura insisted.

"Then let's get dinner made so you can get some rest," Remington decided.

The next morning, they arrived at the office early and found Mildred already hard at work. "Really, Mildred, did you even go home yesterday?" Remington questioned with a teasing tone.

"I didn't… well, I did, but I didn't," Mildred replied cryptically. She did her best to avoid eye contact with Remington as she focused on the computer screen.

Remington folded his arms and leaned against the doorway, "Well, Ms. Krebs, would you care to elaborate?"

Mildred hammered away at the keyboard for another minute before she finally sighed, "I had a date last night."

"A date? That's wonderful!" Remington declared loudly. "Who was this date with?" he asked before he accepted the coffee mug Laura handed him.

"Who had a date?" Laura asked, confused.

"Mildred apparently. But she hasn't gotten around to the good part," Remington teased.

Mildred sighed again and toyed with the pencil on the desk. "It was with Joe," she stated softly.

"Joe? Why does that name sound familiar?" Laura tipped her head to look at Remington.

"Because Joe is the new mailman," Bernice announced from her desk. She sat at attention, carefully listening to everyone from across the room.

Laura turned and blinked at Mildred, "Is that true? Did you have a date with Joe, the mailman?"

"Yes," Mildred squeaked. "It turns out he's not the ogre I thought he was… he's more of a tiger if you ask me."

Laura couldn't hide the shocked expression on her face as Remington commented, "Really? And why the sudden change of heart? I thought you and he-"

"It just sort of happened!" Mildred blurted out. "I was at the bowling alley, practicing, when I spotted another bowler, a few lanes down. He was all alone like I was, so I got closer and asked if he wanted to practice together. It wasn't until he turned around that I realized who he was."

"So, how does throwing a bowling ball lead to…" Remington paused but swung his hand side to side for added effect.

Mildred toyed with the pencil again. "Well, once we got over the initial shock, we decided to put out differences aside and practice together. Then something magical happened. I reached for my ball, and he reached for his… It was like kismet," she sighed wistfully. She quickly gathered her composure and added, "He's a writer, you know, too. He just got his first book published, and he's working on his second one."

Laura sauntered around Mildred's desk and gave the older woman a small hug. "Well, I hope it works out… for both of you," she stated softly.

"Aw, thanks, Mrs. Steele. So, do I… especially if last night is any indication of what other things could be like," Mildred purred.

"Well, I hope for your sake it works out, too," Remington declared. He took another sip of his coffee and looked at Bernice. "Ms. Foxx, any messages for Mrs. Steele or myself this morning?"

"Only one. Laura, your mother called," Bernice informed them.

Laura's eyebrows shot up, "Really? What did she say?"

"She said she'd be-" Bernice began but was interrupted when Abigail swept through the glass front doors.

"Laura!" Abigail called loudly.

"Mother?" Laura scurried into the waiting area to see Abigail standing before her, a broad smile on her face. "Mother, what are you doing here?"

Abigail pulled Laura into a quick hug as she stated, "I thought I would surprise you and Remington for a little visit."

"Well, I'm surprised all right," Laura replied, flabbergasted.

Abigail stepped back and studied Laura's face for a moment. "What's wrong, Laura? Are you sick? You look pale," she observed.

"Hello, Abigail," Remington stepped into Abigail's space and brushed his lips across her temple. "It's so nice to see you. You should have told us you were coming. We could have picked you up at the airport."

"Nonsense! I arrived last night, spent the night at the hotel, and took a cab here this morning. I wanted it to be a surprise," Abigail smiled at him. "Now, tell me the truth. Is Laura sick? She looks pale," she repeated.

Laura linked her arm into the crook of Abigail's and gently guided her to Remington's office, "I'm not sick, Mother. A little tired maybe but definitely not sick."

Remington held the door open and waited for the pair to enter his office.

"As a matter of fact, she's been taking it easy this summer, spending almost every afternoon at the beach," Bernice interjected.

Laura glanced over her shoulder at Bernice and quickly added, "I'm not sick, I'm not pale. It must just be the light in here. Let's go into Mr. Steele's office, and we can catch up."

"Really, Laura, must you keep calling him Mr. Steele. After all, he is your husband," Abigail reprimanded her daughter.

"We're at the office, Mother, and when we're here, we like to keep things formal," Laura tried.

Abigail shook her head as Laura continued to guide her through the door, "I don't know why you feel you need to put up this front, Laura. Everyone knows you're sleeping with your boss."

Laura groaned and shot Bernice a look that screamed, "help me" before Remington closed the door closed behind them with a laugh.