The young woman pecked at her computer. Her eyes searching the monitor, she said, “I don’t see an appointment.”

“I don’t have one. We’re old friends. I’m visiting from out of town. Can you tell him Liv is here?”

The receptionist smiled, not as friendly as before. “Please have a seat.”

A few minutes later a young man came out from the interior offices, and Liv was taken aback.

“Mrs. Pine?”

He wore shirtsleeves rolled to the elbow, and had his father’s gray-blue eyes.

“Oh my goodness, Kyle. You’re so grown-up.”

Liv felt a sudden ache in her chest. Seeing Noah’s son, a former classmate of Danny’s, flooded her thoughts with the what-ifs and what-could-have-beens.

“How are you?” Kyle said as they exchanged an awkward hug. Noah had once told her that Kyle suffered a lot of guilt about throwing that party. Liv never held it against the boy; he was a kid. The class president engaging in his first act of rebellion, if only to impress the jocks. And the truth was that if Danny and Charlotte hadn’t been partying there, they would’ve been partying somewhere else. Liv and Evan had a recurring fight, blaming each other about the lax oversight of their son.

“I’m well,” Liv said. “And you? You’re working for your father?”

“Part-time. I’m in law school at UNL.”

“That’s great, Kyle, just terrific.” Liv felt the ache again.

Kyle didn’t ask why she was there, just led her through the door to the back of the suite and into his father’s office.

Noah came around from behind his desk. “What a surprise.”

“Not an unpleasant one, I hope.”

“Are you kidding me?” He gave her a hug. They both made a point of patting the other’s back.

“I see you’ve met the office whipping boy,” Noah said. He put a hand on Kyle’s shoulder.

“I did. I thought I was looking at a photo of you from college.”

“But without the mullet,” Kyle added with a small laugh.

“Hey, that was totally the style. Tell him how cool I was, Livie.”

Hearing the old nickname threw her off balance. “He certainly thought he was cool,” Liv said, giving Kyle a knowing smile.

“I’ll let you two catch up,” Kyle said.

“Great to see you, Kyle,” Liv called after him.

Noah directed her to the sitting area. She took a wing chair opposite him on the settee. The office was tastefully decorated, except for the vanity wall. Dozens of framed photos of Noah with politicians and famous people. Her eyes landed on one of him and George Clooney sitting at a long table, like it was a panel discussion, looking suitably serious. ‘A Violent Nature’ hadn’t thrust just Liv’s family into the spotlight.

“I hear you’re getting a promotion,” Liv said.