�Nope, just me today,� Lorelai said.
She reached into her purse and wrapped her fingers around the envelope she had stuffed the papers back into. �I� I need some help,� Lorelai said as she handed everything to her father who frowned as he took the papers out and read the cover page. Richard�s head popped up. �I know,� Lorelai said. �That�s why I�m here. The only lawyer I know is Nicole and, obviously, we�re not that close. I thought maybe a friend or something of yours could help� help make this go away.�
Richard nodded. �I�ll call around. When did you get this?�
�About two hours ago,� Lorelai said. She noticed her mother glowing with happiness. �Some kid handed me those when I got to the Inn after lunch. I called Mia and she told me to find a lawyer and bill the Inn� I hated even calling her, though. She�s been sick lately and I don�t want to give her anything more to worry about.�
�Richard, go make your calls,� Emily said. Richard left and Emily gently led Lorelai over to the couch. �Mia�s been sick?� she asked.
Lorelai nodded. �She was playing at the beach with her grandkids and the cold she was fighting turned to pneumonia. She�s been in the hospital for a week.�
�I�m sorry, Lorelai. I know how important Mia is to you and Rory,� Emily said earnestly.
�Thanks,� Lorelai said softly. Her head fell forward and she buried her face in her hands. She couldn�t believe it was only a few days ago that Sookie was holding two coffee filters behind her head in hopes of convincing the stray she had christened Papaya that the crazy human was her mother because that was the only way Sookie could think of to get the cat to eat something. Now she had no Inn, fighting with Luke, facing a law suit, and turning to her parents for help. And, to top things off, she was sitting on a couch that cost more than her car listening to her mother spouting platitudes for a sick woman that meant the world to Lorelai.
Composing herself, Lorelai sat upright, tucking her hair behind her ears. �Can I use your phone? I�m waiting for Rory to call and I need to get in touch with Michel and Tobin.�
�Who are they?� Emily asked.
�Michel you know. He�s the concierge at the Inn,� Lorelai said as Emily got up. �And Tobin is the night manager. I just want to make sure that they haven�t gotten anything from Nicole.�
Emily frowned as she brought an ornate rotary phone over and placed it in front of Lorelai. �You keep referring to this woman, this lawyer, Nicole, by her first name,� she commented.
�Lorelai picked up the phone and started dialling Michel�s number. �Nicole Lehey�s firm represents Taylor Doose, the Town Selectman. I�ve dealt with her on some standard matters for the Inn�mostly construction applications that Taylor wants to be checked over more thoroughly than normal,� she lied. She didn�t want to drag Luke into this mess unless she had to.