was six. I was in the foster-care system and barely remember my biological mother. My dad never married. He was an only child and my grandparents died years ago.”
“Friends?”
“I have work acquaintances, country-club cliques and clients. I’m not very good at making friends.”
“It’s probably hard to be a backstabbing, underhanded, slimy lawyer and a good friend at the same time.”
Although the words hurt, Lexi couldn’t help but hear the truth in them. “I guess.”
“Sheesh. That was a joke.” Julia stepped past her and turned a key in the front door. “Lighten up, Lex.”
Lexi followed her into the empty salon, the emotional roller coaster of the past week finally sending her off the rails. “Are you kidding?” she yelled. “I just told you that my life is destroyed because I saved you and your son. I have nothing. No job. No home. No friends. No family. And you want me to lighten up?”
Julia flipped on a bank of lights and turned. “Actually, I want you to tell me how I’m supposed to help. Other than playing the tiniest violin in the world in your honor. I appreciate what you did for me. But we both know you put me through hell trying to give custody of Charlie to my ex-boyfriend’s family. That doesn’t exactly make us long-lost besties.”
“I want a fresh start.”
“So make one.”
“It’s not that easy. As ridiculous as it sounds, I’m twenty-seven years old and my father has controlled every aspect of my life. Hell, he even handpicked a personal shopper to make sure I always projected the right image. The image he chose for me. Since the moment I came to live with him, I’ve wanted to make him happy, make him believe I was worthy of his love and the money he spent on me.”
She ran her hands through her hair and began to pace between the rows of styling chairs. “I’d never done anything without his approval until I gave you that file. I don’t regret it. You’re a great mother and I feel awful about my part in the custody suit.”
“You should,” Julia agreed.
Lexi sighed. “If I could take it all back, I would. I know it was wrong. But helping you cost my father a lot. I thought he’d understand and forgive me.”
“He still might.”
“I don’t know if I want him to. At least not on his terms. I don’t want to be the same kind of attorney my dad is. I don’t even know if I still want to be a lawyer. I need time to breathe. To figure out my next move. To make a choice in life for me, not because it’s what’s expected.” She paused and took a breath. “I thought maybe you could understand that.”
Julia studied her for a few moments. “Maybe I can.”
Lexi swallowed her embarrassment and continued, “If I stay in Brevia for a few weeks, I could figure out my options. I don’t want my father to find me. I don’t think he’s going to forgive me, but I do expect him to come looking. He likes the control and he’s not going to give that up so easily.”
She patted her purse. “I have five hundred dollars in cash. I don’t want to use credit cards or anything to help him track me. Not yet.”
“You’re kind of freaking me out. Is he dangerous?”
Lexi ran her hand along the edge of a shelf of styling products. “Not physically. But I’m not strong enough yet to stand on my own. Who knows if I’ll ever be. But I want to try. I liked Brevia when I was here. I admire you, Julia. Your fierceness and determination. I know you have no reason to help me, but I’m asking you to, anyway.”
“And you couldn’t have called on your way?”
“I’m sorry,” Lexi said quickly. “I wasn’t thinking. I just got in my car and started driving. This was the only place I could think of to go. But if you—”
Julia held up a hand. “This is probably more of my typical bad judgment, but I’ll help you.”
Lexi felt her knees go weak with relief. Julia Callahan was her first, last and only hope. She knew her father well enough to know he was punishing her. That when he felt as if she’d been gone long enough to learn her lesson, he’d pull her back. In the past, Lexi would have been scrambling to find a way to return to his good graces. Something had changed in her when she’d chosen her act of rebellion. From the start, she’d known he’d find out, and she’d understood there would be hell to pay. She also believed it couldn’t be worse than the hell she called a life.
“Thank you,” she whispered with a shaky breath. “I promise I won’t be an imposition on your life. I could answer phones or sweep up hair—whatever you need.”
“A job?” Julia looked confused. “I thought you needed moral support. You’re an attorney, for Pete’s sake. Why do you want to sweep the floors of a hair salon?”
“I’m licensed in North Carolina to practice, but if I register with the state’s bar association, my father will find me. I told you, I need time.”
“I’m going to make coffee. I need the caffeine.” The stylist looked over her shoulder at Lexi. “Have you had breakfast? We keep a stash of granola bars in the break room.”
Lexi followed her to the back of the building. “A granola bar would be great. And I really will help out with anything you need.”
Julia poured grounds into the coffee filter and filled the machine with water. She turned back to Lexi, shaking her head. “We start renovations next week on the salon’s expansion. I can’t hire anyone right now.”
“I get it. I appreciate the moral support. I guess.”
“No wonder your father can manipulate you so easily. Your emotions are written all over your face. You need to work on a tough exterior if you want to do okay on your own. Fake it till you make it, right? I thought lawyers were supposed to be excellent bluffers.”
Lexi slid into one of the folding chairs at the small table. “I’m not much of a bluffer. That’s why I was usually behind the scenes. I’m good at details and digging up dirt.”
“Yes, I remember,” Julia answered drily.
“Do you know anyone who’s hiring in Brevia? Just temporarily.”
A slow smile spread across Julia’s porcelain features. “Now that you mention it, I do know about an available job. One of the waitresses at the local bar had twins last night. They came about a month early and were practically born in the back of Sam’s police cruiser.”
“Are you thinking I’d make a good nanny?”
“I wouldn’t wish that job even on you. I’m thinking you’d make a perfect cocktail waitress.”
“I don’t drink,” Lexi said quickly.
“You have to serve the drinks. Not guzzle them yourself.”
Lexi unwrapped the granola bar Julia handed to her, her empty stomach grumbling in anticipation. “I don’t like those types of places.”
“I don’t like exercise,” the other woman countered, “but I still run five days a week.”
Lexi closed her eyes for a moment. Julia’s quick wit and no-nonsense attitude were what she’d initially found so fascinating. Almost a year ago, Lexi and her father had been hired by their longtime clients Dennis and Maria Johnson to investigate Julia’s life so they could try to take custody of her young son away from her. The boy’s biological father was the Johnsons’ son, Jeff.
Lexi knew if you threw enough money at a problem, it likely went away. But Julia had kept fighting. Sure, she had her problems, but Lexi had never seen someone stand up to people with so much power. Julia might have been faking her confidence some of the time, but it had made Lexi realize she didn’t have to be her father’s puppet forever.