A Wish and a Prayer (7 page)

Preston wondered if this woman was crazy. He prayed that whatever she had wasn't genetic.

“Do you want to talk to her, Preston?” Ms. Bernadine asked.

“No, ma'am.” If he never saw Lenore Crenshaw again, life would be good.

“Barrett, do you wish to speak with her in my office?”

“Yes, I would. Sheila's at Tamar's. I'll give her a call and have her meet us there.”

The tension in the air was thick.

Amari leaned over and whispered, “This is better than TV.”

“Shut up!” Preston whispered out of the side of his mouth.

“Ms. Crenshaw, you can come to my office, or you and your chauffeur can leave my tacky little town. Your choice.”

“I will not be bullied.”

“Nor will I, so what'll it be? I can have you escorted off the property if you prefer.”

Preston's and Amari's eyes widened again.

“You're threatening me with the police?”

“Nope. County sheriff. We can also slap you with a restraining order if you want. I'm sure Judge Davis won't be hard to find.”

It was apparent to Preston and everyone else in the classroom that Lenore Crenshaw was unaccustomed to having someone get in her face who wouldn't back down. She viewed Ms. Bernadine as if she'd never seen anything like her before, and he was pretty sure she hadn't; the owner of their tacky little town was one of a kind.

“All right, fine,” Mrs. Crenshaw finally huffed out. “Your office it is. Come, Phillip.”

She swept out, and Phillip the chauffeur, who'd remained as emotionless as a statue the entire time, followed as ordered.

After their departure, Ms. Bernadine told Preston reassuringly, “Don't worry. Even if she had the right to take you anywhere, I'd tie her up in court so long, you'd be forty years old before the final ruling came down.”

He gave her a smile.

The colonel asked him, “Are you okay? Do you want to go home?”

“No, I'm good.” Preston wanted to tell him how great it was that he'd shown up when he had, but didn't want to get all emotional in front of his classmates.

“We'll get this straight and talk about it when you get home then.”

Watching Payne and Ms. Bernadine exit the classroom, Preston felt better, but he didn't want to see Lenore Crenshaw ever again.

He glanced over at Crystal. “Thanks for calling in the big guns.”

“No problem.”

From the front of the room, Mr. James said, “Okay, everybody, let's get back to our reports.”

Chapter 8

B
y the time Bernadine entered her office, she was so outdone, she was sputtering. She'd specifically told the Crenshaw woman not to approach Preston without her, but she'd done so anyway. Then again, she was probably unaccustomed to having anyone tell her what to do. Judging from the attitude she'd displayed at the school, it was no wonder Dr. Winthrop had changed her name. “Have a seat, Ms. Crenshaw, Barrett.”

Both chose a chair and complied. The hard set of Barrett's face showed he was still steaming, and from the phone video Crystal had sent Bernadine of what transpired at the school before she arrived, he had every reason to be. Crenshaw, on the other hand, just looked haughty.

Bernadine was about to begin the interrogation when Sheila Payne rushed into the office. “Got here as quickly as I could.”

Bernadine did the introductions. Lenore Crenshaw gave Sheila a dismissive glance and turned away. Sheila's jaw tightened at the obvious slight, but she took a seat next to her husband and sat silently.

The rude behavior only increased Bernadine's ire. “Now, why are you here again?”

“To fly Preston back to Boston so he can take his rightful place in my family.”

Sheila pointed out icily, “Legally, you forfeited all rights when he was put up for adoption.”

“I understand that, but when I explain to the courts that it was a mistake, I'm certain it can be straightened out.”

“A mistake?” the colonel echoed skeptically. “Are you saying your family wanted to keep him?”

“Oh, of course not. No one wants their only child impregnated by a boy from the projects, no matter how smart he's supposed to be.”

Bernadine bit down hard on her tongue. She wanted to curse the woman up one wall and down the other, but that might delay her departure, and Bernadine wanted her gone—as did her blood pressure. “So where was the mistake supposedly made?”

Her chin rose. “I didn't realize the impact the adoption would have on my relationship with my daughter. She hasn't spoken to me since the day the nurses took him away fourteen years ago.”

Bernadine went still. Dr. Winthrop hadn't mentioned that. She looked at the Paynes. They appeared equally taken aback.

“Margaret didn't even attend her father's funeral,” she added bitterly

According to the report, Martin Crenshaw had passed away two years ago.

“Did your husband agree to the adoption?” Sheila asked.

“Oh, yes. He didn't find the Mays boy acceptable son-in-law material either. Martin was one of the first African-American jurists in this country. We're both descendants of free Black men who fought in the Revolutionary War. There was no way we could have welcomed a boy with his roots into our bloodline. We'd always encouraged her to set her sights on an Ivy Leaguer, or a Morehouse man—as long as his people weren't descendants of slaves.”

Bernadine blinked. She'd heard there were people in the race like the Crenshaws, but never wanted to believe it was true.

Barrett said emotionlessly, “You and your husband must have been quite a pair.”

The sarcasm went right over Mrs. Crenshaw's head. “Yes, we were. And when Margaret began showing serious interest in this Mays character, my husband and I presented a united front.”

With a mother like this, Bernadine was surprised Margaret hadn't volunteered to go on a deep space, no return mission.

“Let me be frank, Mrs. Crenshaw. Even with your husband's connections, no court in the land is going to void the adoption papers that your family signed, nor will they force Preston to live with you if he chooses not to. He's fourteen, not four.”

“I'd still like to speak with him.”

“He's chosen not to speak to you, remember?” Barrett reminded her.

“I demand that you bring him to this office now! Did you not hear me say I need him to get my daughter back?”

Bernadine kept her voice even. “Shouting at us like we're servants is not going to change the situation. I suggest you fly back to Boston, Ms. Crenshaw. There's nothing for you here.”

“I want to speak to someone in authority!”

Bernadine hit the button on the speaker. “Lil, you there?”

“Yes.”

“Can you call Sheriff Dalton for me. Tell him I need assistance in escorting someone off the property.”

“Right away.”

Lorene puffed up. “You wouldn't dare!”

Bernadine sat back in her navy blue leather chair and folded her arms.

Although Lenore Crenshaw might've been arrogant and full of herself, apparently she wasn't stupid. She obviously sensed that Bernadine and the Paynes weren't playing. She stood. “This is not over.”

Sheila countered evenly. “Yes, it is. Bother our son again, and we'll have you arrested.”

Face filled with fury, Crenshaw turned to Bernadine, who responded with a smile that didn't reach her eyes. “Have a safe flight.”

She snapped at the chauffeur, “We're leaving, Phillip.”

And they did.

Bernadine hit the button on the speaker and had Lily cancel the call in to the sheriff.

“Sheila and I will be following through on the restraining order,” Barrett said.

“Good, because if you don't, I will.”

Bernadine knew he'd had issues with the birth search, so she was a bit concerned about how he might handle discussing this meeting with Preston.

Apparently, Sheila had misgivings, too. “You aren't going to tell Preston I told you so, are you, Barrett?”

He shook his head. “I saw his face when she said those awful things about his father. I'm not going to pour salt on the wound.”

“Good,” she said softly.

Bernadine was pleased, but she had one more question for him. “Why are you all dressed up?”

“I was supposed to meet Bing at the school and ride with him to a meeting about the Memorial Day parade some of the vets want to organize, but I must have written down the wrong time. He was already gone when I got there.”

Sheila said, “I think you were supposed to show up at the school when you did.”

He nodded. “You could be right, but let's not make it any deeper than it is. All that matters is that I was around when Preston needed someone.” He then spoke thoughtfully. “You have to wonder why that woman thinks having him back will help her reconcile with her daughter after such a long time.”

Bernadine wondered, too. “Maybe it's her age. Sometimes when we see the grave looming, we want to make amends. She doesn't have any other children, and with her husband gone, she might be looking back over her life and regretting some of the things she's done. Who really knows?”

“Maybe she should try talking to her daughter instead of throwing her weight around,” Sheila pointed out tightly.

“I'm with you on that. I was surprised to hear about the estrangement, though. When I met Dr. Winthrop last winter, she admitted that she and her mother weren't close, but to not speak for fourteen years? That's a lot of anger and bitterness.”

“And the doctor hasn't called you or e-mailed you since?”

“Nope. Nothing. As I told you and Sheila, she doesn't want further contact, but I'm hoping she changes her mind. If she were to meet Preston, she'd be so proud.”

“I agree. He's a great kid,” Barrett voiced.

Bernadine added, “And Winthrop didn't seem anything like her mother either, which is a good thing.”

“Yes, it is,” Sheila said, nodding.

Pleased with how the situation had turned out, Bernadine told Barrett, “Thanks for your help at the school.”

“I didn't do anything but scare her off my son, but you're welcome.”

He got to his feet. “I should find Bing and apologize for missing the meeting. Feels good wearing the uniform again.”

“And you wear it well, Barrett,” Sheila added.

He snapped off a salute, gave them a smile, and left them alone.

In the silence left behind, Sheila said, “He was the handsomest man I'd ever seen when my cousin Gayle introduced him to me.”

“He's still real easy on the eyes, Sheila.”

She chuckled in reply. “That he is, and I'm glad he was there for Preston today. I've never wanted to strike another person, but I wanted to pound Mrs. Crenshaw.”

“I wanted her in a cage match, myself. Let's hope she takes our advice and stays away. Were you and Tamar working on the Idol project?”

“Yes. We already have ten contestants, and we haven't even put the word out yet. I texted Roni and received a reply this morning. She's pretty excited about being one of the judges.”

“Good. Anything you need my help with?”

“Not at the moment. Genevieve and Marie have volunteered to be on the steering committee, so if we need more hands, I'll let you know.”

“Okay.”

Sheila stood. “Thanks again for taking on the Dragon Grandmother, and for bringing Preston into our lives.”

“He's a special young man.”

“And a blessing. Too bad his biological mother will never know him.”

“Yes, it is.”

Sheila departed, and Lily's voice came over the intercom. “So, what happened?”

Bernadine gave her a quick rundown.

When she finished, Lily said, “Wow. Glad I missed all that. Hope she'll stay in Boston.”

Bernadine agreed. “So what's on your plate?”

“Going to ride out with Trent and Gary to look at grocery stores. He wants to check out square footage, displays, lighting, that kind of thing. Says he's also putting together a survey for residents to fill out on what brands they prefer when shopping.”

“He's hitting the ground running.”

“Yes, he is. I'll call when we get back.”

Lily signed off, and Bernadine heard her stomach rumble a reminder that she hadn't had lunch. Grabbing her purse, she was on her way to the door when a familiar presence walked in. She sighed. “Mr. Epps. What can I do for you?”

The Big Box lawyer looked very uncomfortable. “May I speak with you for a moment, please, Ms. Brown?”

Wondering what this was about and why he seemed so meek and mousy, when last night at the meeting he'd been yelling and threatening people, she said, “I have a moment. Go ahead.”

She could tell by his body language that he wanted a seat, but she didn't offer. “You were saying?”

“Um, first of all, I'd like to apologize for losing my temper last night. It was very unprofessional.”

She waited.

“And my, um, district manager sends his apology as well.”

“Really?” That was surprising. Had Epps been called on the carpet?

There was a sheen of perspiration on his forehead, and he mopped at it with a white handkerchief withdrawn from inside his blue suit coat. “He also hopes you won't inform Ms. Reems of the incident, and that I make it clear Big Box was unaware Mayor Wiggins lacked permission to speak on your behalf during the negotiations.”

She found this all very interesting. “So, you told your manager you'd been unprofessional?”

He wiped his brow again. “No. One of the lawyers with me last evening is his son-in-law.”

“Ah, and he tattled on you.”

“Yes,” he clipped out.

So if the son-in-law hadn't outed him, would Epps still be acting as if the residents of Henry Adams were a bunch of uneducated hicks he could just steamroll over? She had no answer.

Epps revealed, “We've informed the mayor that we won't be building in Franklin.”

“And his response?”

“He's threatening to sue.”

Since she hadn't been party to the negotiations, Bernadine had no way of determining whether Wiggins had a legitimate claim or not, but knowing what she did of him, she'd go with not.

“However, as a token of goodwill, the Big Box corporate office would like to make a donation in your name of fifty thousand dollars to the charity of your choice.”

She found the offer amusing. Apparently they were so scared she'd call Celeste and tattle that they were willing to bribe her, because basically that's what the donation amounted to. She'd never been offered a bribe before and didn't know whether to be sarcastically flattered or flat-out offended. “Send the money to Doctors without Borders.”

“Who?”

She walked over to her desk and found one of the nonprofit organization's business cards.

While he studied it, she said, “I'll have their board notify me when they get your check.”

He paused and scrutinized her for a moment, making her wonder if he was surprised she knew someone on the charity's board. She wanted to quote Beyoncé again, but didn't. “Is there anything else?”

“Just that if and when we decide to build in this area, Big Box hopes to have your support.” She assumed he was waiting to hear that his bribe had purchased both that and her silence. She hoped he wasn't holding his breath.

“I'm sure Doctors without Borders will appreciate your donation. Now, I'm on my way to lunch. If there's nothing else, have a good day, Mr. Epps.”

He appeared to want to say more, but apparently decided not to chance it and made his exit.

She made a move to follow him, but the sight of a young woman in the hallway carrying a large something wrapped in voluminous green paper made her stop. Would she ever get to the Dog for lunch? “May I help you?”

“I'm from Franklin Flowers. Are you Ms. Brown?”

“Yes,” Bernadine replied surprised.

“These are for you.”

Bernadine sent the young woman away with a nice tip, then carried the flowers over to the coffee table. Wondering who on earth would be sending her flowers, she gently unveiled the contents. Inside was a lovely cobalt blue vase holding the most beautiful and colorful arrangement of long-stemmed roses she'd ever received. “Oh, my,” she whispered.

There were yellows and reds, corals and whites. Blown away, she found the little folded note attached and read: “Roses for my rose. Mal.”