Cal supposed he’d adjust. The problem wasn’t having sex with Maggie in her father’s house while her father slept in the room across the hall; it was doing that in her father’s house without being married to her, with no plans to marry her. It was a great dichotomy, considering the way Cal grew up. The weird things his parents were into, not the least of which was his father’s dope, and everything from nudism to Wicca, did not foster this conservative thinking. Of course none of their interests were as challenging as those long stretches of time Jed thought the government was monitoring his thoughts or, more fun yet, thinking he had been personally chosen by Jesus to be the next savior of the world. But conservative worries about whether or not a person was married? It never came up.
How I ever got out of that nuthouse with a working brain is a miracle, he thought.
“There’s one thing,” Sully said. “Sit tight.” He went into the back room and came back with an envelope. “This came for you.”
Cal looked at the return address of the Colorado Supreme Court. He smiled. “Thanks, Sully. I’ve had an eye out for this. It was nice to know if it came while I was on the trail you’d hold it for me.”
“You in some kind of trouble?”
“Trouble?” He laughed. “Oh no, Sully. Just a little legal business. Never mind the Supreme Court envelope, this came from a clerk. Sully, when you’re in trouble they send the police and handcuffs, not a letter. This is a license.”
“For the truck?” he asked.
“No,” Cal said. “No, I’ve worked in the court system. Been a while now, but if I need a job in Colorado it can’t happen without registering and getting permission. The courts don’t readily trust out-of-towners.”
“You mean like a court reporter or paralegal or something like that?”
“Something like that. I told you, I’ve had a lot of jobs, from stocking shelves and picking vegetables to putting on a tie and shuffling paperwork.”
“But you’re hanging around here?”
“That okay by you?” Cal asked. “I like the pace. And I like Maggie.”
“You gonna give a better explanation about that license to her?”
“Absolutely. But it’s not urgent. I’m planning to work for you now.”
“Listen, she doesn’t need anyone to protect her, but I’m her father. I’d hate to have to ask Tom to beat you up.” He rubbed his chest with his knuckles. “If I have to do it, I’ll just shoot you.”
Cal laughed, folded the unopened letter and stuffed it in his back pocket. “Sully, I don’t want her feelings hurt any more than you do. You know she’s going to go back to work, right?”
“She talking about that?”
“Not yet,” he said. “But it’s early. She just needs a little time to get her perspective. Her business was kicking her ass. She needs a breather. This seems like a great place for that. Maybe you should worry about my feelings getting hurt.”
“Who’s going to hurt your feelings?” Maggie said as she came through the back door.
“Hopefully no one. Want to take me to get my truck? Sully’s got a long honey-do list for me.”
“Sure. You ready to go?”
“How about a couple of coffees for the road?” Cal asked Sully. “Oh, and thanks for the pants and shirt.”
Cal thought about explaining more of his history to Maggie on the ride to Leadville. It was complicated. Being a lawyer was certainly nothing to be ashamed of. At least in most circles. The fact was, he hadn’t had any intention of petitioning for a Colorado license, at least not until Maggie said she had legal troubles. A lawyer in his position, licensed in Michigan, couldn’t even give advice or answer questions in Colorado without being liable for practicing law without a license. Sully could tell his daughter she ought to get a better lawyer and it was perfectly all right. Cal could tell her the same thing and be fined, or worse. In fact, he couldn’t even say, “I might be able to help you with this problem.” His only reason for extending his license to Colorado was so she could discuss her case with him if she chose to.
And of course there was other stuff that went hand in hand with being a lawyer. His marriage, his wife’s illness and death, his role in her death... He was an officer of the court. He would not be caught in a lie. No one had ever asked him for the details of Lynne’s death and he didn’t volunteer any information. Before he confided to anyone, there would have to be a vital reason and a lot more trust. He wouldn’t, for example, marry again without full disclosure. And although he was crazy about Maggie, he wasn’t seeing a second marriage.
He’d get around to telling her more about his recent past. But not just yet. Not until there was a compelling reason.
“What were you and Sully talking about? It sounded like two men talking about feelings,” Maggie asked.
“He warned me, very nicely, not to hurt you. I said I was as serious about your feelings as he was. He threatened to shoot me. But I assume Sully is mostly talk.”
“Mostly,” she said, flashing him a grin.
*