Annie's Neighborhood (Harlequin Heartwarming) (15 page)

Townsend literally wrung his hands. “It pains me a great deal to tell you this, Ms. Emerson, since you’ve been my best customer in months. Heaven knows business is slow. But...I can’t sell you paint at all. Someone wants to halt your operation.”

“Who?” It had slowly dawned on Annie that this problem wasn’t merely a matter of the store changing paint brands.

“I don’t know. But my mother raised me as a Southern gentleman, and I’m thoroughly ashamed to admit I’ve let a threatening letter drive a reliable customer away. I’ve been at this location serving Briar Run for almost thirty years. Maybe the letter is a hoax, but...” His voice trailed off, and this time he did look at her, his eyes filled with worry.

Annie readjusted the sunglasses she’d shoved up into her hair. “I’m sorry if I’ve brought trouble to your establishment,” she said earnestly. “It’s probably not a hoax. I wanted to buy locally to help local merchants. And now that I think of it, didn’t you have problems
before
I started buying here? On my first visit, you said you’d installed a burglar alarm because your store was broken into twice.”

“Yes, but insurance covered those losses. This letter threatened physical harm to my family and the families of my clerks if I continue doing business with you.”

“Did you report the letter to the police?”

The store owner shook his graying head. “The instructions in the letter were very specific. If I quit selling you merchandise, nothing else will happen. They attached a copy of a flyer where you said you were hoping to organize families to boot out the gang.”

“If store owners like you cave, Briar Run will suffer more and more criminal activity. Long-time residents are moving out due to the decline of a once-safe town. And that’s without even considering the drugs that are being openly sold near our schools and in the park.”

The man stared at Annie as if she had two heads. Sighing, she lowered her glasses to hide the frustration she felt. “Can you at least direct me to the nearest big paint store?”

He rattled off an address. “That’s in Louisville proper. I do appreciate that you bought here, Ms. Emerson, but the truth is the bigger store can offer you a better price break than I can.”

“The convenience of buying here meant more to me. It’s sad that we can’t band together and force out the scum that’s sucking the life out of Briar Run.”

“You need to be careful. The tone of that letter was hateful.”

“You’re telling me? They shot out my living room window,” Annie said, this time shoving open the hardware store’s front door.

As she unlocked her pickup, she cast a furtive glance around to see if anyone was lurking, watching her leave without the paint she’d come for. She felt like shaking a fist in the air and shouting to any intimidators out there that they weren’t going to drive her away. After all, her mother and grandparents were buried in Briar Run, and she had a deep vested interest in this town.

But the street in front of the hardware store was vacant, just as it had been on most of her previous visits. It was as if residents had stopped shopping at businesses on this street. It was the first time Annie had noticed that the pet shop next door was chained shut. So was an equipment rental store down the block. A liquor store had heavy iron bars on both windows and the front door, but looked open. If she had to bet, she’d put her money on the operator of that establishment having a sawed-off shotgun under his cash register. Or maybe he was beholden to gang leaders. In L.A. she knew that was sometimes the case. Certain store owners paid protection money. People didn’t think stuff like that happened in the States, but they were wrong.

She phoned Mrs. Dodd. “This is Annie. Your house paint isn’t ready yet. Will you please tell any workers who beat me to your house that I’ll be along shortly? And, Evelyn, two new guys may show up.” Annie listened a moment. “That’ll be great if you want to serve them coffee and muffins. I’ll be there as soon as I can.”

The clock on her dash said nine. She spared a thought for Sky’s trip to family court. She hoped his morning was off to a better start than hers.

* * *

S
KY
SAT
WITH
his lawyer outside the private office of a family court judge. It was the first time one of his hearings wasn’t assigned a number on the court docket.

“This is an informal hearing,” his lawyer said in answer to Sky’s question about the difference. Glancing up, the lawyer added, “There’s our opposing counsel. We’re all here, so this shouldn’t take long. Answer the judge’s questions, Sky, but don’t say any more than necessary.”

Sky nodded. He dug an antacid out of his pocket and stuck it in his mouth. It didn’t seem to matter how often he’d appeared before a judge on his own behalf, it always tied his stomach in knots.

His lawyer nodded to Corrine’s attorney. Sparks was his name. Sky thought of him as
the shyster
. But when he’d asked around in the police community, he was told the guy had a reputation for being a bulldog and winning.

A clerk Sky had seen before stuck her head out of the office. “It looks as if everyone involved in the Zachary Cordova case is present. Judge Martin has reviewed his history and the current complaint. She’s prepared to see you all now.” The woman opened the door wider and swept a hand toward the interior.

Sky let the two lawyers go in ahead of him. The judge, an older woman, wasn’t wearing judicial robes, but had on a plain tan suit. He hated to look nervous, but recognized his own tension when he raked a hand through his hair. Thank goodness he’d gotten to the barber for a trim.

“Please be seated,” the clerk said, indicating chairs in a semicircle facing the judge’s desk. “The Honorable Sara Martin is presiding.” The clerk slipped into a chair behind a digital steno machine.

The judge peered at the assembled trio over the top of her half glasses. “Zachary’s caseworker can’t be here, since she was called away on an emergency. I hope we can resolve this based on her report and our meeting.”

“Your Honor, we can resolve it,” Mr. Sparks said. “My client again requests total custody, this time due to a very upsetting incident that occurred at her home. I submitted a photo of the rock and a copy of the note tied to it that was thrown through Mr. and Mrs. Fleming’s living room window.”

“I reviewed the evidence,” Judge Martin said. She turned her attention to Sky. “I believe that after the rock-throwing, you were shot at?”

He shifted on the hard chair. “I’m a law officer,” he stated, linking his hands in his lap.

“He’s chief of police in Briar Run,” his lawyer clarified.

“Yes, I know. I did some checking. The city has lost population and has therefore reduced police and fire protection. Is that right?”

“Yes.” Sky felt a slow burn start in his stomach. He wanted to defend his job, his city and his rights, as Zack’s biological father, to have unrestricted access to his son. Except... His most recent conversation with Annie rang in his ears, particularly the part where she accused him of having a hostile attitude, and her insinuation that he’d get farther if he curbed his temper. “Cities of all sizes across the country have been adversely affected by a sluggish economy, Judge Martin. Small towns suffer most. I came to the department at a time of substantial budget cuts. Despite being a limited force, we give the town twenty-four-hour coverage.”

“I read that you served in the armed forces. That’s laudable, don’t you agree, Mr. Sparks?” She pinned the Fleming lawyer with a needle-sharp glance.

“The number of tours he served left his ex-wife alone to have her baby. She was separated from family and friends. And Mr. Cordova didn’t see his son until Zachary was almost two years of age.”

Sky’s lawyer objected. “While Skylar served his country, his wife chose to file for divorce and flee with his son to Kentucky, where she promptly married Mr. Fleming. All of that has been hashed and rehashed, Your Honor. Our contention has always been that Mr. Cordova has done everything required of him by the court to allow for unfettered joint custody. And still Mrs. Fleming wants those rights restricted.”

“Not merely restricted, Judge Martin,” Mr. Sparks put in smoothly. “Terminated. We are asking for termination because of continued unsafe conditions in the town where Mr. Cordova works and lives.”

Sky felt the judge’s scrutiny return to him, and he bit his tongue to keep from lashing out. Twisting his hands together, he stopped short of cracking his knuckles.

“Is there gang activity in town?” the judge asked, again leafing through the file.

Feeling his heart dive, Sky lifted his head and met her eyes. “Yes. I believe they orchestrated the rock-throwing incident and the drive-by shooting. The encroachment of the Stingers didn’t have much opposition before...well, before,” he finished, reluctant to name Annie and effectively throw her under the bus.

Sky’s lawyer had no such compunction. “Before a former resident, a woman from California, came back home. Her efforts to rally residents and revive the town has upset gang leaders. She unwisely announced her intentions on a flyer.”

Both lawyers shifted their gazes to Sky, who said, “Ms. Emerson inherited her grandmother’s home. Her dying request was that her granddaughter would make Briar Run the thriving place it once was. The Stingers clearly don’t like her intervention. She’s...fearless and won’t be dissuaded.” Sky stopped talking when his lawyer poked him.

The judge gave a slight smile. “It so happens I have a good friend, whom I won’t name, living there. I took the liberty of speaking with her. She’s seventy, but in her day was also fearless. She’s quite enthusiastic about the restoration, and plans to paint.”

“What is this nonsense?” Sparks burst out. “The Emerson woman is who Cordova was dining with when they were shot at. His lieutenant’s wife was hit by a stray bullet! Even after that, Cordova had the nerve to take little Zack to that woman’s construction site. It is simply not acceptable to his mother or me.”

“Mr. Sparks,” the judge said, “it’s my job to determine what is acceptable. As someone who has worked in family court for years, I can tell you that the majority of cases we see involve mothers who petition the court time and time again, hoping for a shred of cooperation from their children’s dads. Here we have a willing father. My decision, for now, is to continue his visits. In fact, seeing his son once every two weeks when they live less than an hour’s drive from each other seems miserly. I’m increasing his access to once a week, with visits to be worked around Chief Cordova’s work schedule. By that I mean some weeks his day with Zachary will be a weekday, and other times it’ll be on a weekend. Mr. Sparks, I’ll leave it to you to inform Mrs. Fleming of this change. Out of curiosity, why isn’t she present?”

“Why should she be subjected to being in the same room with a man she divorced?” Sparks asked bluntly.

The judge removed and folded her glasses, then set them on the fat court file. “Need I remind you there’s a reason we call this
family court,
Mr. Sparks? Our single most important goal is to facilitate the conditions that are best for the offspring of couples who feel they can no longer live together.”

Sparks reared back, a slight sneer on his lips. “I speak for Mrs. Fleming when I point out that she resides on two hundred and fifty acres at Fleming Horse Farm, in an elegantly appointed home, while Mr. Cordova lives in a seedy suburb of Louisville. There’s no comparison to what Mrs. Fleming can offer Zack.”

Sky would have liked to wipe that sneer off Sparks’s face. He let the thought churn in his belly. However, the elation he felt about getting to see more of Zack won out over the anger he felt toward Corrine’s lawyer.

“I beg to differ,” the judge said, jotting a note before she closed the file. “Zachary’s caseworker attests to the fact that the boy, in his own words, loves his dad. It’s plain from the number of hoops Mr. Cordova has already jumped through that he loves his son in return. In my book, love beats living in a castle. This case is dismissed. I’m requesting an update back here in my office in October. My clerk will give you all a date before you leave. And, Mr. Sparks, I’ll expect to see Mrs. Fleming, too, or she’ll be in contempt.” The judge rose and everyone else did, too. She handed the case file to her clerk, and disappeared through a back door.

Sparks slammed his papers into an open briefcase. “I’ll be in touch for that next court date,” he told the clerk. “I plan to file for a continuation with the previous judge,” he informed Sky’s attorney. Sparks left without so much as looking at Sky.

“Can he do that?” Sky asked in an undertone.

The clerk heard him, and smiled. “He can file. But Judge Martin is the longest-serving judge in this county’s family court. And when she takes an interest in a case, I’ve never seen it revert.” She passed Sky’s attorney a card with information for their next appearance. After thanking her, the men walked out.

Sky felt like jumping in the air and clicking his heels together.

“I’m pleased to see that things finally broke your way, Sky,” his lawyer said. “I wish I could take credit, but we were scheduled to go in front of Judge Keating, who’s been sympathetic to Corrine. I got a call last evening saying he’d gone into the hospital for emergency gall bladder surgery. I expected I’d be calling you to say we were canceled. Instead, we were assigned to Judge Martin, who usually has the most packed schedule in this court. You must have acquired a good fairy somewhere.”

Maybe it was the curb-appeal fairy
. That thought ran through Sky’s head. Annie deserved praise. Her jab had kept him from an outburst in court matching that of Corrine’s lawyer—comments that went against Sparks, and made Sky wonder why the man seemed to lead the charge against him.

“We’ll be in touch, Sky. I’ll follow up on this ruling with your ex. Between you and me, I don’t trust Sparks to relay the whole truth. He takes clients who can pay well for his services, and he doesn’t like to lose.”

“Hmm. Corrine won’t be happy with today’s outcome. She and Sparks never cut me any slack even when they know I have résumés out to find a job in a safer town.”