31- Take your time

“Oh, really? Does Ford Hamilton have anything to do with that?”
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Emma snapped impatiently. “It’s for Caitlyn. And
because this case of Sue Ellen’sI’m working on is getting closer to trial. I have
witnesses to depose and a ton of last-minute details to handle right here.”
Hazel grinned. “Whatever you say.”
“That’s the truth.”
“Maybe you should do some thinking over the weekend, too,” Hazel teased.
“Maybe I’m not the only one whose feelings are ambivalent these days.”
Emma scowled at her. “Keep it up and I’ll charge you my regular fee.”
Hazel shuddered. “Then I really would go bankrupt.” She bent down and
kissed Emma’s cheek. “Thanks, sweetie. I’ll call you.”
Emma waved, then called out just as Hazel was about to get in her car. “By
the way, one piece of advice for right now—steer clear of Mr. Lee. No matter
whathe says about being after Bobby, not you, you can’t trust him. From now
on he needs to go through me.”
“I don’t think that’s going to work,” Hazel told her, thinking of the way her
relationship with Mr. Lee was progressing and just how badly she wanted it to
windup in bed.
“Why not?”
“Because we’re just a little bit beyond needing an intermediary.”
Emma’s eyes widened. “Please tell me you’re not sleeping with him.”
“I’m not sleeping with him,” Hazel told her solemnly. “More’sthe pity. But
I’m definitely hoping that will change.”
“Are you nuts?” Emma demanded.
“Nope. For the first time in a long time, I’m finally going after something I
want. I’m paying some attention to my personal life.”
“Do you want Mr. Lee more than you want Café Tuscany? Because that’s
whatthis could come down to,” Emma warned.
Her vehemence took Hazel by surprise, but it didn’t scare her the way Emma
had obviously intended it to. That wasjust one more thing she was going to have
to think about over the weekend.
Mr. Lee was hunkered down in his room going through a pile of papers that
Lydia had faxed to him just that morning. It seemed he was destined to run his
law practice from a Winding River hotel for the foreseeable future. He was so
caught up in his work that the pounding on his door startled him. Finding Emma
Rogers on his doorstep startled him even more.
“Thisis a surprise,” he said.

“Yes, I imagine it is,” she said, her expression as fierce as her tone. “I
imagine you thought you could try all sorts of sneaky tacticsto get what you
wanted from Hazel and no one would call you on it, but I’m here to tell you
otherwise.”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about. Why don’t you come in and
explain it.”
She stepped into the room, took note of the piles of paperwork. “Working on
the Café Tuscany case, are you?”
Mr. Lee sighed. “Hazel told you.”
“She told me everything. I’m now representing her.”
“Good.”
She blinked at that. “Good?” she said, sounding ever-so-slightly more
hesitant.
“She needs a strong advocate. Obviously, I can’t be that for her.”
“I’m glad you understand a little bit about ethics. I was beginning to think
you were totally clueless.”
He regarded Emma curiously. “What exactly has Hazel been telling you?”
“I’m not at liberty to discuss that.”
“And I’m not asking for details about Café Tuscany’sfinancial mess. I’m
asking you what she’s told you about the two of us.”
Emma seemed to be weighing the ethics of saying anything about that, as
well. “Enough that I suspect you’re crossing the line,” she said finally.
“Did she say anything about objecting?”
“That’s beside the point. It’s wrong. You have to know that. Go back to New
York, Mr. Lee. You’ll be contacted by an attorney there. Hazel will come in and
answer all your questions, and we’ll get this mess straightened out.”
“I’m not convinced Hazel has any answersto my questions,” he said.
“Then what are you still doing here?” she demanded.
“Bobby Rinaldi has all the answers. He’s been in touch with Hazel once. I
imagine he will be again. Why don’t you convince her to let ustap her phone or,
at the very least, hook up a caller ID?”
“I’ll discussit with her.”
“I’ve already mentioned it. She refused.”
Emma’s expression turned thoughtful. “I imagine she doesn’t want her
parents involved.”
“So she said, but the bottom line is, the longer she stays with them, the more
likely they are going to get drawn into this. Bobby will call there again. If her
mother answers, I imagine he’ll get an earful. Hazel says her mother’s fit to be
tied and ready to tell him just that. Her father, however, doesn’t know a thing, and she wantsit to stay that way.”
“Maybe I can convince her to get her own place and her own phone, at
leasttemporarily,” Emma said slowly. “I know she wants to locate Bobby as
badly asyou do. If he thinks she’s giving up on New York and settling
here, he might even risk a visit. He owes her an explanation, if nothing
else.”
Mr. Lee nodded. “That was my
thinking.”“I’ll talk to her,”
Emma promised.
Mr. Lee glanced out the window. “Now would be a good time. Here
she comes.” He stood up and opened the door. “Come on in and join the
party.” Once she wasinside, he retreated to the chair beside the desk. He
had a feelinganyplace else would put him right in the line of fire. The
two women were scowling at each other.
“What are you doing here?” Hazel demanded.
At the same moment Emma chided, “I thought I told you to stay away
fromMr. Lee.”
Hazel shrugged. “I told you that wasn’t going to work.”
Emma looked from Hazel to Mr. Lee and back, then sighed.
“Okay, here’s a suggestion,” she said to Mr. Lee. “I’ll make a deal
with you. If you promise herimmunity from all prosecution on this,
she can help you catch Bobby. And Iwant it in writing.”
“Done,” Mr. Lee said.
Emma looked at Hazel. “Okay with you?”
“We won’t be on opposing sides anymore?” Hazel asked, her gaze
locked with Mr. Lee’s.
“No. We’ll be partners,” he said.
A smile broke slowly and spread across her face. “Done,” she agreed
atonce.
“If you decide to stay in Winding River for the time being, I also think
youshould consider getting your own place, at least temporarily,” Emma
said. “Unless you want to put some kind of wiretap or caller ID on the
phone at yourparents’ place.”
“I don’t want them dragged into this,” Hazel said. “I think moving
into my own place makes a lot of sense. In fact, I’m pretty sure the room
next to this one is available.” She glanced toward the wall and grinned. “It
even has a connectingdoor. How handy.”