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mother with
that mouth?” Jameson wiggled her eyebrows. “Don’t answer that,” Michelle held
up her hand. “I don’t want to know….at all.”
    Jameson
winked at the younger woman. “So…I take it, it’s over.”
    “From
her point of view it never started,” Michelle said sadly.
    “I’m
sorry, Shell.”
    “Yeah,
well. Fools do foolish things,” Michelle said.
    “Why
didn’t you tell your mom?” Jameson wondered.
    Michelle
shrugged. She adored her mother. She admired her mother. She felt utterly stupid. “Tell my mother, who is the
best judge of character I know, that I am a total moron?”
    Jameson
sighed and shook her head. “Your mom would never think that,” she said
honestly.
    “My mom
is the smartest person I know, J.D.”
    Jameson
smiled. “Me too,” she agreed. “But, she hasn’t had perfect success in the
relationship department, Shell. And, she would never judge you. She might find
a way to ban this Lisa person from life itself though,” Jameson chuckled
thinking of how protective Candace was of her kids.
    Michelle
laughed. “I know…it’s not just that.”
    “Okay?”
    Michelle
let out a heavy sigh. “I quit,” she said. Jameson’s confusion was evident. “My
job, J.D. I quit my job.” Jameson waited for her to continue, unsure of what to
say. “I cannot go in there and face them every day next year. I can’t do it.
He’s told half the staff that I tried to steal his fiancée.”
    “They’re
engaged?”
    “No.
Well, I guess they are now. They certainly were not when Lisa and I started
seeing each other.”
    “Jesus.”
    “Yeah,
no shit,” Michelle said.
    “What
are you going to do?” Jameson asked.
    Michelle
shook her head. “There’s a position in Albany. It’s mine if I want it.”
    “Okay?”
    “I
don’t know…my lease isn’t up until January. It pays a little less than my
district now. I can’t afford two apartments. I might be able to sublet in the
fall, but there’s no guarantee,” Michelle explained. Jameson started to open
her mouth and Michelle silenced her. “I can’t ask my mom, J.D. I’ve never asked
my mom for money. Not once. We all have a trust fund that we get when we turn
twenty-eight. I’m not asking her for anything now. It’s my problem.”
    Jameson
took a sip of her beer to conceal her smile. She loved Michelle. She realized
it might not be right for her to have a favorite when it came to Candace’s
children, but she did. Shell was her ally. Shell, when she thought about it,
was a lot like a little sister. They were only nine years apart in age. Jameson
recognized Michelle’s affection and admiration for her mother immediately. What
impressed her was Michelle’s respect for Candace. That went a long way with
Jameson. She sipped her beer for a minute, replaying the conversation she and
Candace had over lunch.
    “Jameson, keeping three residences is crazy.”
    Jameson nodded. “Are you asking me to move in?”
    “I suppose that is exactly what I am suggesting.”
    “You know I want to,” Jameson said.
    “But?”
    “It’s not about us,” Jameson said. She saw Candace tense. “It
isn’t. I would much rather be here with you. You know that,” she said
assuredly.
    “Okay?” Candace questioned.
    “The firm is in Albany. I can’t ask my whole staff to relocate
because I fell in love,” Jameson explained. Candace smiled. “I might hate it,
but even when Bryan comes back, there will be times I just can’t work remotely.
I have to be there.”
    “I know,” Candace said in a defeated tone.
    “I could sell the condo,” Jameson said. “Or, I could rent it,
but with as much time as I am there, well….I’d rather not be relegated to
crappie hotel rooms. I’d rather be…”
    “Home?” Candace guessed.
    “Comfortable,” Jameson corrected her. “If that were home, I wouldn’t have come here this
weekend.” Candace nodded. “Honestly, I’d rather be wherever you are….even when
that’s in