The summer sun hung lazily above Charleston, casting its golden sheen over the manicured lawn of the Harrington estate. It was the kind of day meant for cold lemonade, pressed linens, and the soft clink of silverware on fine china under the shade of an umbrella. The white-columned house, proud and perfect as ever, stood like a monument to Southern propriety, its porch dressed in patriotic bunting and its garden in full bloom. Bill Harrington stood at the edge of it all, sleeves rolled just enough to suggest leisure but not laziness, one hand in his pocket and the other gripping a sweating glass of sweet tea.

He watched his guests mill about with the polite detachment of a man hosting out of obligation rather than pleasure. He'd resisted the idea at first, naturally. A barbecue, she had begged—not with words, but with soft looks and small gestures, with those fancy little invitations she'd spent a week designing. Pale blue stationery, gold edging, her script looping with almost childlike care. They had arrived at the firm in cream-colored envelopes, sealed with a wax stamp that made his secretary arch a curious brow.

He hadn't been able to say no, not after the incident a few weeks earlier—the lunchbox, the thermos, the moment in the office lobby that had left him seething with a feeling he'd later refuse to name. He hadn't liked the way they'd looked at her. Especially the young ones. Those boys fresh out of law school with slick hair and eager hands. They hadn't known she existed before that day, and suddenly they'd seen her—all of her.

He'd noticed the shift that very afternoon. The sidelong glances. The suddenly friendlier tones in conversation. The younger partners asking about his weekend plans, as if hoping she'd be mentioned again.

And now here they all were, gathered on his lawn, their wives in pastel dresses clutching lemonade glasses and murmuring in polite packs near the hedge, while their husbands stood nearer the grill, laughing too loudly, smoking cigars like they were old money.

And they were watching her.

He saw it in the way Paul McAllister adjusted his tie and straightened his posture whenever she passed. The way Whit Carmichael followed her with his eyes as she bent to help little Emily Langley fasten the strap on her sandal, her delicate fingers brushing the child's ankle, her head tilted in that soft, unguarded way. He saw Whit's jaw tighten. Saw how the man looked just a second too long.

Bill's grip on his glass tightened.

She moved gracefully, never drawing attention on purpose, but it found her all the same. When she reached up to adjust a crooked bunting flag on the porch rail, Richard Gaines—who was far too young to be staring at another man's wife—leaned slightly forward, his gaze fixed. When she laughed, barely audible over the din of cicadas and distant children's chatter, even old Judge Holloway blinked, surprised by the sound.

She passed by with a plate of deviled eggs, offered with a gentle smile, and he watched as Peter Downs—married only last year—pretended not to notice the way her hand brushed his as he took one. Bill noticed. Bill noticed everything.

He set his glass down.

The smell of charcoal and hickory smoke hung thick in the air as he approached the grill. His walk was slow, deliberate, shoulders squared, jaw set. The men quieted as he drew near. They always did.

"You boys enjoying yourselves?" he asked, voice smooth but edged like a razor beneath silk.

"Yes, sir," Peter muttered, coughing into his drink. "Wonderful spread. Your wife's quite the hostess."

Bill didn't smile. He didn't need to. His eyes slid toward the table she'd arranged—lace runner, pink linen napkins, a pitcher of mint water with sliced lemons and sprigs of rosemary. It looked like a photograph from House Beautiful.

"She takes pride in her role," he said. "Knows what's expected of her."

Whit offered a sheepish grin. "She's certainly... a surprise. Didn't know you had someone so—young."

Bill turned to face him fully, eyes narrowing just slightly. "Didn't know you were so interested."

Whit blinked. The silence was brief but thick.

"I'll check on the ribs," Bill said at last, and walked off without waiting for a reply.

He found her beneath the magnolia tree, handing napkins to a pair of wives who cooed over the arrangement of tiny pies she'd brought out. Her hair caught the light as she turned, and for a moment, Bill stood there, watching her.

He didn't call to her. Instead, he moved closer, slow and quiet, until he was right behind her. His hand settled at the small of her back, possessive and firm, his thumb pressing lightly through the fabric.

"You've been busy," he said low enough that only she could hear. "Didn't even notice I was missing."