Love Proof (Laws of Attraction)

Forty-four

Sarah spent a restless night staring up at the pink canopy above her bed. Joe had left around eleven, and Sarah still lay awake two hours later.

Texas.

A clean slate.

Jobs, for heaven’s sake. Something neither of them could be guaranteed otherwise.

But the more she thought about it, the more she analyzed the pros and the cons and every little nuance her brain could manufacture, the more one single fact continued to nag at her:

She felt like she would be running away.

Running away from her problems, running away from what she’d done—even running away from the regular day-to-day life she and Joe had established over the past few weeks. Texas would feel exotic and exciting and stressful for a while. They’d both have to study for and take the Texas bar exam, while also attending to every detail of starting a new law firm. She knew she and Joe were up to the challenge, but she wasn’t sure it was the right challenge. That was bothering her, too.

Finally as the clock pushed closer to two, Sarah gave up trying to sleep. She got out of bed and dressed, then quietly left the house.

She hated to wake anyone else along that hallway, but Joe didn’t answer her first soft knock. She knocked again, harder. She thought about trying to convince the desk clerk she was the occupant’s fiancée and he had just forgotten to give her a key, when finally the door opened.

Joe squinted out at her. Then he smiled and motioned her inside.

Sarah followed him to the bed, kicked off her shoes, and climbed in next to him wearing her Utah sweats. She snuggled down under the covers and Joe drew her in closer until their faces were an inch apart.

“Let’s hear it, Red,” he said sleepily.

“I don’t like it.”

“Which part?”

“The Texas part,” she said. “The building something for someone else part. Why should we do that? If we’re going to put in all the effort to start a law firm, let’s do it for us. Here in California. Make something for you and me.”

Joe held her at the small of her back. He laid a kiss on her lips, then pulled her hips into his and angled her knee over his leg. It was how they liked to sleep sometimes, and Sarah realized that was exactly what was happening: Joe was falling back asleep.

She poked him. “Joe.”

“Hm?”

“So what do you think?”

“I think you’re right.”

“You do?”

“Sure.”

She poked him again.

He peeked open one eye and smiled. “What?”

“Are you just yessing me so I’ll let you go back to sleep?”

“No. I’m with you, Sarah. Here, there, anywhere.”

“But you think it’s a good idea, right? That we should start our own firm?”

“I think it’s a great idea. Now shhh. I’m with my girlfriend.”

Sarah waited a minute more, then poked him again.

This time Joe yanked her underneath him and straddled her from above as he smothered her laughter with a kiss.

“What is it, Henley?” he growled.

“I want to marry you.”

“Okay.”

“I want to be your business partner.”

“Okay.”

“So we have a deal?” She held out her hand.

“The law firm and marriage of Burke and Henley,” he said, shaking her hand. “Deal.”

“Henley and Burke,” she corrected him.

“Burke is first alphabetically,” Joe pointed out. “It’ll show up sooner on lists.”

“Really, Eight? Because I think Henley and Burke sounds better.”

“Oh, Seven, that’s a low blow.”

Sarah laughed again. “All right, tell you what—why don’t we flip for it? One coin, and we go with whatever it says. No arguments from either of us.”

Joe leaned over and kissed her. “You’re a tough one, Henley.”

“I know.”

“Tough and sexy and beautiful.”

“Why, thank you.”

“And smart,” Joe added. “Let’s not forget that.”

“Thank you. Same to you.” Sarah wrapped her legs around his waist and made him kiss her some more.

Then she let him go and leapt out of bed and went in search of a coin.

~~~~