Texting didn’t work, either. They could never communicate what they wanted to say. Both she and Randall were lawyers, after all. They both hated committing themselves to anything that left a digital footprint.

It was an occupational hazard when it came to matters of the heart.

Now, up close, she saw the deep lines around his mouth, the silver threaded through his dark blond hair, the shadows under his eyes. And in his eyes.

She wondered what changes he saw in her. Did he see a woman who had been pushed to her limits physically and emotionally one time too many?

“Did you know that I was being moved to the family law practice?” she asked.

The muscle by his eye twitched.

“Yes.”

Silence didn’t just fall between them.

It crash landed.

Kate’s finger traced the edge of the frame holding Alaska’s photo. “Why didn’t you warn me?”

“The decision was made by the partners while you were away, Kate. You had a no-contact policy in place while you were in Italy, remember?”

She raised a brow. “What was your vote?”

“Kate, I can’t tell you that. All partner votes are confidential.”

She held his gaze. “I need to know, Randall.”

Hurt, anger, pain flashed across his face. “I voted against it. But I have no sway here. This is Nina’s firm now.” He stepped toward her. “Is that why you are leaving?”

“Yes.” Then she shook her head. “No. There are a lot of reasons.”

“Is one of those reasons because you decided to take Eddie up on his offer to become his partner?” Randall knew that Eddie had made the offer a year ago, after Eddie had mentored Kate through her defense of Randall’s criminal charge.

“Yes.”

“I spoke to Eddie. You had made the decision before Nina broke the partners’ decision to you.”

“Nina gave me the heads up before I left for Italy that I was unpopular with clients. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that I should consider my options.”

“The family practice move would only be temporary. It’s just to give the firm some breathing room. The media has been relentless.” He rubbed a hand over his jaw. “I shouldn’t say anything, but the firm is struggling. We lost three big retainers in the past month, and never regained our footing after John Lyons threw us under the bus.”

We. Was this McGrath Woods vs. Kate, Round Two?

“If the firm is trying to keep a low media profile, why did I see Harry Owen in the lobby? He asked for you.”

Randall thrust his hands into his trouser pockets. “Harry was involved in an incident last night. He called me.”

“What did he do? Get caught with a Cabinet minister’s spouse?” Harry Owen was renowned as a ladies’ man.

“He shot someone last night, Kate.”