Sherryl Woods - Feels Like Family

F or a woman who prided herself on being cool and competent, who relied on her wits to win a case, Helen Decatur walked away from the Serenity courthouse with a strong desire to pummel some sense and decency into a few of South Carolinas good old boys.

Not that she could have provedweekly golf outings asidethat the judge, the opposing attorney and her clients soon-to-be ex-husband were in cahoots to deprive her client of what she deserved after the nearly thirty years shed devoted to her husband, his career and their children. Nonetheless it was clear that the ongoing delays and postponements were designed to wear down Caroline Holliday until she settled for a pittance of what her husband owed her.

One of these days Caroline would fold, too. Helen had seen the defeat in her eyes today when the judge had allowed Brad Hollidays attorney yet another postponement. Jimmy Bob West claimed they hadnt seen papers Helen had filed with the court weeks ago. Helens production of a signed courier receipt for the delivery of those papers on the same date theyd been filed with the court had done nothing to dissuade Judge Lester Rockingham from granting her opponents request.

Now, Helen, theres no reason to be in a rush, the judge had said, his tone condescending. Were all after the same thing here.

Not exactly, Helen had muttered under her breath, but shed resigned herself to accepting the decision. Maybe she could use the extra time to do a little more digging into Brads finances. She had a hunch that would wipe that smug smile off his face. Men who provided such extensive records as quickly as Brad had often buried financial secrets under the avalanche, hoping theyd remain buried.

If Brads smug expression annoyed her, at least she could take some pleasure in Jimmy Bobs careful avoidance of her gaze. Hed known her long enough to be leery of her temper once she snapped. On his own, he would only push her so far. Spurred on by a client, he was sometimes tempted to take risksas he was now.

Jimmy Bob, with his slicked-back hair, ruddy complexion and ribald sense of humor, had tangled with Helen on so many occasions that she pretty much knew what to expect from him. He was a born-and-bred South Carolinian whod been talking his way out of jams since high school. While hed never crossed an ethical line to Helens knowledge, he danced right on the precipice so often it was a wonder he hadnt lost his balance and fallen into some legal quagmire by now.

Im sorry, Helen told Caroline as she gathered up her files. Theyre not going to get away with this forever.

Sure they will, her client replied wearily. Brads in no hurry. Hes too busy popping Viagra and sleeping with any female who crosses his path to be worried about when the divorce actually goes through. In fact, this is giving him the perfect excuse to avoid making a commitment to another woman. Hes in hog heaven right now, free to do whatever he wants without any consequences. He figures that any woman hooking up with him does so at her own, fully informed peril.

What did you ever see in a man like that? Helen asked.

It was a question Helen found herself asking her clients a lot lately. How did smart, attractive women wind up with men who were so unworthy of them? To her mind, marriage was something to be avoided. Her friends told her she was simply jaded from handling too many nasty divorces, and while she couldnt deny that, she could list on the fingers of one hand the number of successful marriages shed seen. Her friend and business partner, Maddie Maddox, had onethough only after recovering from a lousy first marriageand her other friend and partner, Dana Sue Sullivan, had recently reunited with her ex, and even to Helens cynical eye it looked as if this time things would last for her and Ronnie.

Brad wasnt always that way, Caroline told her, a faintly nostalgic expression in her eyes. When we met, he was thoughtful and considerate. He was a great dad, a terrific provider and until a few months ago Id have said we had a solid marriage.

Helen had heard the rest before, or some version of it. Brad had had a brush with prostate cancer that had threatened his virility. After that, hed lost his grip on reality. All he could think about was proving he was still a man, and he did that by sleeping with a succession of younger women, never mind that a real man wouldve stuck by the family whod stayed by his side during his treatment and recovery.

By the time Helen left the courthouse, she felt even more cynical than usual. She would have given anything to head to The Corner Spa, the business shed started with Maddie and Dana Sue, and spend an hour working out, but she knew she had a full schedule back at the office. Normally a jam-packed calendar would have reassured her, but lately shed begun to wonder what she was working so hard to accomplish.

She had professional success, she had money in the bankquite a lot of it, in factand she had a lovely home in Serenity she rarely had time to enjoy. She had good friends, but the family shed once envisioned for herself had never materialized. Instead she played doting surrogate aunt to Maddies childrenTyler, Kyle, Katie and Jessica Lynnand to Dana Sues daughter, Annie.

It was her own fault, she knew. Shed always been too driven, too dedicated to the clients depending on her to take the time for the kind of serious dating that might actually lead to a relationship and marriage. And as the divorces had piled up in her caseload, shed grown less and less enchanted with the idea of risking her own heart, especially on something that came with no guarantees.

When she reached her office, a small cottage on a side street near downtown Serenity, her secretary handed her a thick stack of message slips and nodded toward her office.