“He can’t do that to you,” Sandy said into the phone now, sounding as firm and in control as ever. She listened for a moment. “Poor idea. Uh-uh. Even worse one. Okay, listen, that’s it. I’m sending Joseph back. He’ll straighten that boy out.” She replaced the phone in its cradle with a solid thunk, then appeared in Nina’s doorway. She was wearing a corduroy skirt and jacket with a lot of turquoise today, her long shiny black hair pulled back into a beaded clasp. Her broad face looked as impassive as usual, but she pulled on her lower lip, a sign of massive inner turmoil.

“Everything okay?” Nina said.

“No.”

“I’m sorry, Sandy. Is there anything I can do?”

“Move back to Tahoe.”

“What?”

“You asked; there’s your answer.”

“Is-you said your daughter’s family was staying up at your ranch. Is everything all right up there?”

Sandy nodded, then, contrarily said, “Not unless you consider a divorce in the family all right.”

“Oh, no.”

“Joseph can go up for now. I’ll go up next weekend. We’ll straighten them out.”

“I’m sure you will.”

“Let’s hope the trial’s over by next weekend, because we don’t want to come back. The animals need us. I want to take Wish home with me, but van Wagoner’s got his mitts on him, too, so he’ll be staying. For the moment.”

“Can’t your daughter’s family take care of the animals for you?”

“Not the mare. She’s got the vet scratching his head. Not the geese. My daughter’s afraid of them. She can’t take care of her own husband, much less the animals.”

Earth fell away from Nina’s desk. She placed both hands palm down to steady herself, and said, “Sandy, I know you’re upset, but I need you here! You said you’d stay through the trial.”

“I’ll stay through the trial, but the minute it winds up, I’m gone.” Sandy then did something rare. She sat down in the chair in Nina’s office across from her desk. “Is there a chance you’ll come back to Tahoe? Because ring or no, I’m wondering.”

Nina scratched her head, trying to think of how she could persuade Sandy to stay on. “Paul and I haven’t planned that far into the future.” She twisted her romantic, twinkling ring. The pragmatic issues stuck to the edges of those many-colored facets were not only murky, they were piercing. “Would a raise help?” she asked. “I realize this is stressful for you, not being at home.”

“A raise is always good, but I don’t live here. I need a real job in Tahoe that’s going to be around next week. I have the ranch, and Joseph is basically retired, you know. Besides, the air isn’t right down here. It’s thick. Congests everything.” She sniffed. “Can’t think straight.”

“I was born here, Sandy. It feels good to me.”

She nodded. “You’re adapting to this altitude, and that’s right and good, if you’re staying. But up there, the sky is closer. You can see farther. Down here, it’s soft. Everything’s fuzzy. You can’t even see the Milky Way at night.”

“You’re right about that much.”

“I have to go back.”

“I don’t want you to go.”

“Even my daughter admits that sometimes I know something. We were doing good up at Tahoe. We had our own setup. You picked your own cases and saw ’em all the way through. You had a career. Now look what’s going on. You’re babysittin’. The case is a mess ’cause we got here too late.”

Nina had never heard Sandy sound so severe. Sandy was unhappy, and without her, Nina was going to be even more unhappy. She looked at the files on her desk. “Sandy, let me get through this trial. Then we’ll talk about all this. Promise me you won’t make any other commitments.”

“I have a life, too. I have to move on.” Folded arms. They stared at each other for a moment, and Nina realized how important Sandy was to her. How could she keep her?

Hauling herself to her feet, Sandy adjusted her jacket. “If you love him, you’re just going to have to get with the program. He’s here; you’re here. Deal with it.”

The phone rang in the other room. Sandy closed the door on her way out. But it wasn’t her daughter again, it was Nina’s family getting into the picture now.

“It’s your sister-in-law,” the firm’s obsolete intercom stated flatly.

“We miss you and Bob,” Andrea said, after greeting her. “People with three kids never go anywhere. You were our social life. Even Matt’s complaining.”

Nina told her about the ring.

“Well, isn’t that wonderful!” Andrea said, only it sounded more like a question than a statement. “Does this mean you aren’t coming back? Because the woman who was using your place is gone. Your house is empty again.”

“Thank God.”

“But-will you and Paul be keeping it? I could help you find someone to rent, if you want.”

“Oh, Andrea.” Nina felt choked up, and put her hand up to her face to press her cheek, holding in the emotion.

“Are you okay, Nina?”

No wonder Andrea was so successful in her work at the women’s shelter. Eventually, even the hardest core cracked and revealed all. The silky warmth in her voice made Nina want to climb through the phone and sink into her arms. Instead, she told her everything, about her problems with the befuddling case, about her confusion about Paul.

“As soon as you finish the trial, come for a visit,” Andrea urged. “We’ll help you sort things out.”

“Oh, I don’t know. It’s wonderful to hear that our house is ready for us again, but Paul and I have a commitment to each other. We’re working on moving back in together. So don’t go looking for me. On the other hand, I don’t want to make any decisions about the house up there yet, okay?”

“I guess you’ll want to consult with Paul about it, decide whether to sell,” Andrea agreed. “Gee, I can’t imagine you without Sandy.”

“Neither can I. And, as happy as I am with Paul, I’m afraid of all the changes. But I never let fear stop me.”

“Matt and I will keep a close eye on things. Just come when you can.”

“How’re the kids?”

“Well, Troy’s trying out for basketball at the junior high tomorrow. He’s stressed out. Brianna’s good. I’m teaching her to sew.”

“How do you find time? With the baby?”

“She’s a good little thing,” Andrea said, and Nina could imagine her reaching out to touch her daughter June.

“You’re astounding. You do it all with such-such élan.”

Andrea laughed. “Funny you should say that. We’re having roast élan for dinner. Take care of yourself.”

The afternoon wore on. Paul had turned off his cell phone. Nina was having a hard time concentrating due to Sandy’s announcement.

At four, Nina called the attorney who had taken over her practice at the Starlake Building in South Lake Tahoe. As she expected, Carly Ann Moffatt was at the office on this magnificent Sunday in September. It is the way of my people, Nina thought.

“Hi!” Carly Ann said brightly, launching into a progress report. The cases were going very well. She had just finished the dissolution hearing on Mrs. Rennsalaer, and the client would get her share of her husband’s pension plan after all.

“Good work,” Nina said. “That case dragged on too long.”

Carly Ann had brought in twenty thousand bucks already this month, settling half a dozen small personal-injury cases, and one of the P.I.’s had brought in her brother yesterday. The brother was on crutches and in obvious pain. He had police reports and medical records, and the driver who had hit him was a drunk with deep pockets! A potential bonanza!

And the ladies down the hall were so nice. Carly Ann had lunch with them every day, and she wanted Nina to know she didn’t need to worry about a thing, Carly Ann had everything under control. She was loving it, in fact, and wondering if, well, Nina would let her buy Nina out.

“I’d pay you monthly, and just take over the practice, Nina! Isn’t it great, you can set up down there with Paul and you won’t have the practice hanging over your head!”