A Case For Love (Royals Series Book 3) Read online

  “Yeah. It’s this fairly new charity that began a few years ago. Why do you ask?”

  “I’ve never seen you there before.”

  “You volunteer there too?”

  She nodded. “Yeah. First and third Saturday of each month.”

  “There’s your explanation. I go on the second and fourth Saturdays, so we would never have crossed paths.”

  He shifted in his seat to get a better view of her.

  “When did you start volunteering with them?” he asked.

  Ronnie wondered if this would be a good time to tell him that her sister was Barbara Dickson, the movie star who had founded the charity a few years ago. It had begun in New York and now had branches all over the country. Following her marriage to British billionaire William Lamport III, Barbara now resided in London and had set up a branch of the charity there as well.

  Ronnie decided against saying anything about her family connections. She had come to realize over the years that such knowledge evoked mixed reactions from people. Some were envious and resentful, thinking she was boastful when she spoke with pride of their achievements. Others made comparisons like how come she was darker than either Dana or Barbara with their blonde hair and if she was adopted or if they had different fathers. Then there were those who were curious about why she wasn’t in show business as well or why she was working as a legal assistant when she could be anything she wanted to be or didn’t have to work at all. Even worse were those who were only interested in the fact that she was Barbara or Dana’s sister. For them, she had no identity apart from who her siblings were, and they befriended her solely in the hope to get to them. To avoid all that drama, Ronnie shared her family connections with a selected few. And although she somehow didn’t think David Jones fell into any one of those categories, she still didn’t want him to view her at that moment as anyone other than Ronnie Dickson, a fellow passenger.

  “About a year ago,” she said instead, to answer his question.

  “That’s really admirable.”

  The newfound respect she could see in his mesmerizing eyes as they held hers suddenly made her feel self-conscious.

  Ronnie shrugged. “It’s not that big of a deal…”

  David sat forward in earnest, his eyes intense.

  “It is that big of a deal. Do you know how hard it is to get people to volunteer for anything?” He took a deep breath. “I had to institute a policy across the firm that all associates should donate 50 hours a year to pro bono work. My father was not very supportive.”

  “Why not?”

  “He felt that a clause I included in the policy made it less a suggestion and more a command.”

  “What did it say?”

  “In essence, it stated that Jones Law would look favorably on attorneys, partners, and associates who did pro bono work when they were being apprised. My father sees that statement as blackmail.”

  David sighed then looked at her suddenly.

  “What do you think? Is it blackmail?”

  Talk about putting her on the spot. Ronnie swallowed and thought carefully about her response.

  “It may come across that way to some. But I guess it depends on your intent. If your intent is to encourage this work you need to attach consequences. The question is should your approach be carrot or stick.”

  “That’s the thing. I figured the talk of favorable reviews would be a carrot. My father sees it as a stick because he believes it implies that if they don’t adhere to the policy, they won’t get promoted. That’s not necessarily true. Say, for example, an associate is bringing in top accounts and major clients and working exceptionally hard to finish cases in a timely manner. It would not be a good business decision to deny them promotion simply because they haven’t been doing pro bono work.”

  She nodded. “Perhaps you should include a provision which allows associates to provide cash or in-kind donations to charitable organizations in lieu of pro bono work.”

  “That’s not the purpose of the policy. The policy is about acts of service. Giving of your time. Anyone can write a check.”

  Ronnie shook her head.

  “Consider the scenario you outlined not too long ago about an associate working hard to close cases and working extra time. He may also have a young family. Not that he doesn’t care about the poor and disadvantaged, he just finds it hard to fit it all in. But if he has the option to write a check and give it to a charity, that should count as something.”

  He took a deep breath.

  “I concede it should count for something. But it can’t be considered pro bono work.”

  “How about an alternative approach to your evaluation statement, then?”

  “Okay.”

  “‘All time spent on pro bono matters is treated in the same way as billable hours for purposes of evaluating lawyers.’ Isn’t that a softer touch that still gets your point across?”

  David rubbed his chin. After a few minutes, he said, “I like it.” He whipped out his phone. “Repeat that.”

  She repeated her statement. He typed it out and then pocketed his phone.

  “I’ll run that one by the chairman and see if he prefers it.”

  He gave a deep sigh.

  “If he agrees, I’ll have to retract my earlier policy statement. If only he weren’t such a dictator, I would have run it by him first, and we could have avoided this back and forth.”

  Ronnie lowered her head to cover a sudden, grin playing around her lips, but he caught it anyway.

  “Are you laughing at me?”

  “No.”

  “Yes. You are.”

  “Seriously I’m not. I’m just a bit amused at your twisted logic.”

  “My twisted what?”

  “You’ve managed to blame your father for the fact that you didn’t submit the policy to him through the right channels and will have to end up retracting it.”

  “You don’t know him like I do.”

  “I know that he is chairman of the company. Maybe you should have gotten his agreement first.”

  “I didn’t ask for it because I knew he’d say no.”

  David seemed slightly annoyed, and Ronnie didn’t want to make him angry, but at the same time, she couldn’t in good conscience agree with him.

  “Yeah, but as a fellow soldier in the army of the Lord you must be aware that there’s a verse in Romans 13 when the Apostle Paul says let everyone submit to the governing authorities because there is no authority except that which God has established.”

  David was quiet for a few minutes. Ronnie held her breath wondering how he would respond to this admonishment.

  Eventually, he said, “Perhaps you’re right.”

  He gave her a small smile.

  “Too bad I didn’t have you on the team when I was drafting the policy.”

  “I’m not an attorney.”

  “Minor detail.”

  She smiled, flattered.

  “May I make one more suggestion?”

  He smirked. “Go right ahead.”

  “Policy documents are fine, but they’re boring. People hate to read long documents. Especially busy people. I suggest that you present the policy in a more interesting way.”

  “Like what, spoken word poetry?”

  Ronnie’s eyes narrowed. “Now you are laughing at me.”

  “I’m just teasing. Go ahead.”

  “I’m thinking you can make a presentation. Seeing that you have so many branches, and it may not be practical to do it in person, you probably should do a video presentation and ask the branch managers to submit it to the lawyers.”

  “I’ll think about it,” he promised.

  They continued to converse for the duration of the flight, moving easily from one subject to another. It seemed as though time flew by and before Ronnie knew it, the pilot was announcing the descent of the flight into Gatwick.

  ~*~*~*~

  After David helped Ronnie with her luggage, they disembarked the plane still chatting and la
ughing. But all too soon it was time for Ronnie to check-in at another terminal for her Zurich flight. Time for David to leave the airport. Time for them to part company.

  There was an awkward moment as they faced each other. David didn’t want to stop talking to her. Why was it that the first woman to have sparked such an intense interest in him had to be his employee. Life just was not fair.

  “Well…safe journey to Zurich. I’ll keep your family in my prayers,” he said.

  “Listen, David. I think I should tell you, my sister is Dana Dickson.”

  ‘The Body’ was Ronnie’s sister?

  Several Victoria’s Secret catalog covers from over a decade ago immediately came to mind. David mentally shook his head and refocused. Well, that certainly explained the stunning good looks and physique, not to mention the first class seat.

  “I wasn’t aware of the connection,” he said casually. “Hey, so that would make Robert Cortelli your brother-in-law. Is he the sick relative?”

  “Yes.”

  “I’m so sorry. Is he going to be alright?”

  “We’re praying for him. Trusting he will be.”

  “I’ll pray for him too. Let me know how things turn out, will you?”

  “I will. Oh, but I don’t have a number to reach you by.”

  David was about to rattle off his number when he pulled up short. What was he doing? Talking to a woman on a flight was one thing. Giving her his personal cell phone number was quite another.

  “You can reach me at the office. I’ll be back in on Tuesday so you can call and let me know or drop me an email.”

  Her whole face colored.

  “Okay,” she squeaked. “No problem.”

  David knew he had embarrassed her. But what choice did he have? He recognized the chemistry between them, and it was his responsibility to end things before they began. No matter how hard it was.

  “It was nice chatting with you on the flight, though. All the best to you.”

  “Likewise,” she said, not meeting his eyes.

  And with that awkward farewell, David marveled at the deep, inexplicable regret he felt in his soul as he walked away from her.

  Chapter 4

  Two months later

  Deeply inhaling the fresh spring air, Ronnie took a sip of her hot green tea, returned the cup to the aluminum round tea table and continued to study the Gospel of John.

  When she got to the familiar passage of John 3:16, she recited it slowly. “For God…so loved the world…that he gave…his one and only son…that whoever believes on him…shall not perish…but have eternal life.”

  She closed her eyes and savored that promise. That verse still gave her goose bumps, even though ten years had passed since its meaning had come alive for her that night at Bible study. That was the day her sixteen-year-old heart had truly understood what it meant to be a Christian. That was the day her eyes first opened to the wonder of the Gospel and how it defined her. From that moment she had tried to live life with the Gospel in view.

  Ronnie finished the Bible chapter and made notes in her journal.

  Draining the teacup, she pulled her hair into a ponytail and carefully reached for her cherished red Nikon D810 camera. She loved this camera. It was her precious. One look at the jaw-dropping image quality of the photos she took with it was enough to convince her that it had been well worth the four grand she had plunked down for it almost two years ago. The level and detail of sharpness and the wide dynamic range and rich tonality in any light were simply staggering. It worked equally well for her landscape photos as for her portrait ones.

  Ronnie stood and leaned over the patio handrails of her high-rise apartment as she snapped photo after photo of the breathtaking view of downtown Chicago and the Chicago River.

  She had shot this scene countless times since she had moved downtown a year ago when she’d been hired by Jones Law. But she was still keen on getting the perfect shot, where the lights and shadows just came together to create that once in a lifetime image. That was what she loved about photography. The endless possibilities.

  After a while, Ronnie took a seat and replayed the images through the camera’s video. The photos of the city were so crisp and clear, the detail retained flawless from white to black. Still, her preference was for the photos taken at night when the city lit up with a dazzling display of twinkling bright lights. Nothing like Manhattan at night, of course, but downtown Chicago was a close second.

  Tightening the belt of her orange cardigan as a light breeze picked up, Ronnie remembered the look on her mother’s face when she announced she was moving to Chicago.

  “But Chicago’s so far away,” Erin Dickson had lamented.

  “Mom, it’s only two hours by plane. And we can chat every day as usual over FaceTime.”

  It had hurt Ronnie’s heart to see her mother look so sad. But it was something she felt she had to do. It was time to get from under her mother’s wings. She feared if she didn’t, she would never discover what she was meant to do with her life.

  That was probably why she was so hesitant about law. The idea of becoming a lawyer had not been self-inspired but mom-inspired. Erin had seen her daughter’s debating skills in junior high when she had led the school’s team in district competition and had declared with conviction, “You should become a lawyer.”

  While Ronnie admitted that the thought of researching cases, writing a brief and successfully arguing a case was appealing, she balked at the idea of her mother charting her course in life.

  From as young as she could remember, Erin had discouraged any dream she considered fanciful. Dreams of being an actress, of being a model, even of being a photographer. Despite the fact that her sisters had both excelled at ‘fanciful’ careers, her mother seemed to view Ronnie as being destined for more intellectual pursuits. And Ronnie felt like she had just gone along with that plan, like the good daughter.

  The sound of a chime drew Ronnie’s gaze to the stylish orange and black, retro, wall clock shaped like a star fit into the crescent of a moon that she had bought at a Soho flea market a few years earlier.

  It was now 9:00 a.m. and Ronnie had promised to bake a cheesecake for her church social the next day. She wanted to do that before heading out to grocery shop later that morning.

  As Ronnie padded from the balcony, she mused that most people would be surprised to know that her decision to rent this luxury apartment with its exorbitant monthly fees, had not been because of its location in upscale River North, nor its 24-hour concierge and security services, nor its luxurious furnishings and finishes. Instead, it had been its picturesque views, and its gourmet kitchen with its sleek chocolate-colored cabinetry, white quartz counters, and state of the art stainless steel appliances. Those features had her at ‘hello.'

  Ronnie tapped a remote, and her condo immediately flooded with contemporary worship music as she moved around the kitchen to prepare her specialty, Frank’s ricotta cheesecake.

  She sang along and wished for a moment that she could carry a tune but acknowledged that God had gifted her in other ways.

  As she poured the cream cheese, ricotta, and sour cream mixture into the sweet biscuit crust, Ronnie’s phone rang. Muting the volume of the radio, she wiped her hands on a nearby dish cloth and tapped the speakerphone icon on her phone.

  “Hello.”

  The cheerful voice of her friend and co-worker, Anne Hirsch, shouted, “Happy anniversary!”

  “Happy what?” Ronnie asked, using a spatula to smooth down the top of her culinary creation.

  “Happy anniversary!”

  “I think you have the wrong number.”

  “How could you not remember the day you came to work for Jones Law?”

  “Oh…right!”

  Today was March first, which meant it had been exactly a year since she had begun to work for Jones Law. Exactly a year after she had met David Jones.

  David Jones.

  Was it possible to think of him without feeling flushed?
<
br />   After the way their encounter on the flight had ended, she had stayed as far away from him as possible, determined not to be humiliated again. The two times she had run into him she had greeted him with a cool professionalism that conflicted with the thundering of her traitorous heart.

  “I was thinking we should go out and celebrate,” Anne was saying.

  Ronnie popped the cake into the pre-heated oven and set the timer.

  “Any excuse to party, right?” she said.

  As Anne giggled, Ronnie proceeded to return things to their rightful place and drop dirty utensils into the sink to deal with later.

  “Ronnie, I have a great idea. Matt’s cousin is in town. I was thinking that we could double date.”

  “Oh no. You are not setting me up with Matt’s cousin, Anne. You barely know Matt yourself. You’ve been out with him what, three times?”

  “Ronnie, come on, his cousin is staying with him, and he doesn’t want to leave him all alone. And I don’t want him to feel like a third wheel if he comes with us.”

  “You mean you don’t want Matt to be talking sports with his cousin all night and ignore you. Does he go to church?”

  “I don’t know. But you can ask him tonight.”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “What are your plans for tonight, then?”

  “Stay at home and watch TV.”

  Anne yawned noisily.

  “At least give it a shot. What’s the worst that can happen?”

  “You know, whenever you say that, it does not end well.”

  But Ronnie had already begun to warm up to the idea of going out. Thinking about her boss had just depressed her. She could imagine that for the rest of the night she’d be thinking about him and replaying every scene of the flight as if she were viewing video clips and then she would rewrite the ending so that at the airport he’d say something like, “I can’t live without you. Let’s run away together.”

  She shook her head. How did she become so pathetic? She had begun life with such promise. She had to snap out of this nonsense. A year was long enough to obsess about one man. She needed to get back into the swing of things. Get out there and meet people. Like this Matt’s cousin, whoever he was.