Annie's Neighborhood (Harlequin Heartwarming) (18 page)

“I need to win a lottery,” he said. “Keeping a lawyer on retainer isn’t cheap. As Corrine is well aware.”

“Doesn’t her husband shell out alimony or child support for
his
children?”

“They’re older and they live with him—I mean, them. Anyway, his wife died. Lyle Baker, my lawyer, found out by nosing around the horse community that Archibald’s wife operated a riding school and Corrine took riding lessons from her for years. According to a couple of Corrine’s friends, she heard Archibald needed someone to live in and take care of his kids after his wife’s death. I was gone, Zack was a baby. Corrine knew Archibald and his girls. She lived in, all right. I got divorce papers handed to me at an army camp in Afghanistan, with bullets raining all around. Next thing I hear, she’s on a honeymoon in Bahrain where her new hubby went to buy a racehorse.”

As she listened to Sky rant, something occurred to Annie. “Do you still love Corrine?”

“Love her? Are you kidding? Would you love someone who treated you the way she treats me?”

“Well, I’ve seen kids who love abusive parents. At times, it seemed as if the worse a child was treated by his mom or dad, the more he stuck up for them, or wanted to go back and live with them. Those cases taught me that love isn’t always logical.”

“It is for me,” Sky said emphatically.

“Mmm-hmm. Do you hate her?” Annie thought that would be telling. Hate could render people incapable of moving on with their lives.

Sky had pulled up in front of Annie’s house. He reached down and turned off the engine, but not before he studied her in the glow of the dashboard lights. “You should’ve been a lawyer, Annie, the way you cross-examine. Hate...it’s a strong term. Hate does terrible things to people. I witnessed hatred in two war-torn countries—often blind hatred. So my short answer to your question is no, I don’t hate Corrine. The question I wrestle with most is did I ever love her? Did I love her enough? The answer comes back to two things. I cared enough once to marry her. And our marriage, however brief, resulted in a son I wouldn’t give up for anything in the world.”

Moved by his from-the-heart statements, Annie stretched across the console and squeezed his hand. Her fingers felt the slight roughness of a big hand that identified Sky as all male. She felt his pulse quicken and she drew back. “It’s getting late. I’d better go in. I want to play around on the computer with some ideas for the teen center. And morning comes earlier these days as we move into summer.”

Sky tried to catch her hand, and sighed loudly when she eluded him. “I should get home, too,” he said. “I’ll probably have a message telling me what time I can pick Zack up. I still have to clear trading shifts with Koot.” He opened his door. “I’ll walk you to your door,” he said as the dome light spilled over them.

“There’s no need. I’m quite capable of making it from the curb to my door.”

“Capable, no doubt. But...you didn’t leave your porch light on. What kind of cop would let a woman march into darkness that might be full of boogeymen?” he teased.

“It was daylight when we left,” Annie mumbled, deciding, however, that it was useless to try and dissuade him.

Sky let her go a step ahead of him, but as usual, he placed a hand lightly on her waist. “Got your house key?”

She stumbled on a raised corner of sidewalk as she dug in the front pocket of her jeans. “I took it out of my bag so I’d have it within easy reach.”

Sky grabbed her waist with both hands, and they both laughed as she dangled the key in front of his nose. His touch always rattled Annie’s nerves, and he never seemed to be in any rush to break the connection. She reached the porch first and pulled free to skip lightly up the steps.

Neither of them was prepared for two flying bodies to separate from the shadows on the dark porch, both slamming into Annie, knocking her off her feet, and then into Sky. His quick reflexes were all that saved him from falling, too, as her bag and house key flew into the garden.

Annie pulled herself together quickly. Lifting her feet from her position on the ground, she wrapped her ankles around the thigh of one assailant. He went down with a thud, tumbling backward into the porch steps with a grunt.

The second intruder didn’t give Sky time to check on Annie. A wiry guy dressed in black butted him in the stomach. Sky fought to keep his breath. His ears rang and his head snapped back. It was a miracle that he maintained his footing. There was no time to get his Glock from his holster before the guy struck a blow to his shoulder with a fist.

A cloud drifted across the moon and plunged the struggling quartet into blackness. Just before that, Sky saw Annie in a crouch. She sprang up, kicking out at her attacker, who’d gotten up to charge her again. Sky knew that the force of her kick, with her whole body weight behind it, would send the guy reeling.

It felt as though the fight went on and on. And yet, in real time, it was over fast. Sky and Annie ended up back to back, winded, but with prone assailants lying at their feet.

Sky unhooked handcuffs from his belt. Bending, he secured the man he’d struggled with. “If you’d left your porch light on, we could see these jokers.”

An involuntary laugh bubbled from Annie’s throat. “I know it’s not funny, but if the light had been on, they couldn’t have hidden on my dark porch. Since I took out all the foliage around the foundation, they wouldn’t have had any place to lie in wait.”

“True. Do you have rope somewhere so I can tie up the dude you took down? Then I’ll call Teddy and have him bring a second pair of cuffs so I can transport these yahoos.”

“I dropped my house key and bag in the scuffle. I’ll sit on this guy while you phone for backup. When Ted arrives, I’ll get a flashlight from your car and search for my stuff. I doubt my key flew too far.”

Sky knew she was capable of handling the perp. He hauled out his phone and called Ted. The two talked briefly. The man Sky had knocked down began moving. He cursed and wheezed and wobbled to his knees. Sky shoved him back. “You’re already in a mountain of trouble,” he said, sounding tough. “What’s your name, fella?”

The guy on the ground curled into a ball, but remained mute.

The clouds that had occluded the moon blew past. Sky saw Annie pull the shoelaces out of her sneakers and tie them together. She rolled the guy Sky had told her to watch onto his back. After giving the laces a yank, she looped them around the man’s wrists and secured them to his belt. He was stirring, too, and attempted to get up. Failing, he made rude accusations to his friend as he flopped around the walkway on his belly.

“Where did you learn to use shoelaces as makeshift handcuffs?” Sky sounded surprised ―and approving. “Is that something they teach in tae kwon do?”

“It’s a trick I learned from a retired LAPD cop who gave our staff a workshop on self-defense.”

“I’ve used a perp’s belt to bind his hands, or feet, but I never thought of using shoelaces. And neither of these guys is wearing a belt.”

“Shoelaces are effective,” she said, leaning over the guy on the ground. “If you wiggle too much, they pull tighter and either cut off your circulation or slice through your wrist. Get it
?
”

The man on the ground swore again, but stopped moving.

They heard a siren down the block. Annie straightened and joined Sky. “Oh, I couldn’t see it before, but your nose is bloody.”

Sky gingerly wiped under his nose. “I knew he landed a punch to my face.”

“There’s my key,” Annie said, spotting a flash of silver peeking out from under the leg of her trussed-up attacker. Looking around, she found her bag and pulled out a tissue. “Here. I’ll run inside and fix you an ice compress.”

“Don’t. It’s no big deal. Can you turn on your porch light so we can get a better look at these guys?”

Annie turned and charged up the steps.

Lights mounted on both sides of her front door soon blazed to life, illuminating a large section of the porch and the base of the steps.

Teddy Saunders shut off his cruiser’s siren and bolted from the car, waving a big flashlight. “What have we got here, boss? Wait...isn’t this where Koot’s wife got hit during a recent drive-by?”

“It’s one and the same,” Annie replied, descending the steps again. “And I’m getting mighty tired of fending off these idiots. How old are you two?” she demanded, using the toe of her sneaker to nudge the smaller guy, the one Sky had tangled with.

Ted lifted the youth by the scruff of his black, long-sleeved T-shirt and sat him upright. “The lady asked you a question,” he said, repeating the process with the second offender.

“They’re schoolboys, too,” Annie said in disgust.

“I’m not,” the bigger one said, glaring at her. “School is stupid,” he added belligerently.

“Right,” Sky shot back in a withering voice. “You were so smart tonight, lying in wait to take down a woman.”

“It’s a good thing you didn’t call her a defenseless woman,” the scrawnier kid said around a cackle. “She done whipped your butt, Roy Dell.”

“Look who’s talking like a big shot.”

“At least I got taken down by a cop,” the smaller of the pair bragged.

“Cut the crap,” Sky ordered. “Roy Dell, is your last name Carter?”

“What’s it to you?” the older kid responded sullenly.

“I did some digging after someone coerced a middle schooler into trying to torch Ms. Emerson’s home. I came out with two names, Roy Dell Carter and Heywood Brown. I should’ve run you in for questioning sooner,” he muttered.

The second kid stiffened. “We didn’t do nothin’ but talk to a dumb kid,” the boy Sky had pegged as Heywood whined. “Somebody else, we don’t know who, left gas and matches here. Ain’t that right, Roy Dell?”

The older boy had clammed up again. But Heywood wasn’t finished spilling his guts. “We didn’t even get paid for hustling the kid. We were promised fifty bucks each.”

“How much did you get paid for tonight?” Annie asked.

“Uh, fifty each for roughing you up and warning you to leave town and quit getting townsfolk fired up against the Stingers. I bet we don’t get any money for this screwup,” he lamented.

“Not getting paid for risky jobs twice ought to tell you this isn’t your line of work,” Annie said, arms crossed. “Maybe you should ask if I can offer you a better deal.”

“Sure,” Roy Dell sneered, “like we want everyone to see us painting with a bunch of old geezers.”

“Cool it,” Sky said. “Speak to Ms. Emerson with respect or don’t speak at all. And, Annie, you’re interrogating my collars again.”

Roy Dell dropped his chin.

“No, wait a minute, Sky.” Annie caught his arm. “I was going to bring up the teen center. Once it’s operating, all the kids will want to go there to shoot hoops, dance, maybe take a few lessons in martial arts,” she said, jostling Sky with her elbow. “The rules will be strict. Any teens I pay to help get the center set up will have to attend school every day, or be in classes to get a GED.”

Sky threw up his hands. “If I have any say, they’ll have to prove they aren’t drinking or taking drugs. And every kid involved cuts all ties with the Stingers.” Sky eyed Annie first, then the teens as he let his words sink in.

Teddy’s head swiveled from Sky to Annie and back to Sky. “So, are we turning them loose or what?”

“No! You’re taking them in.” Sky swiped at the blood below his nose. “Heywood, at least, can be charged with assaulting an officer. I’ll come to the station shortly to write up charges. You go ahead and notify their parents, Ted.”

“I didn’t mean to assault no cop,” Heywood said in a shaky voice.

“You meant to beat up a woman,” Sky accused, jerking the young man to his feet. “Two against one, no less.”

Heywood looked contrite. Not Roy Dell.

Ted Saunders latched onto both boys and dragged them to his cruiser.

“Are you sure you’re okay, Annie?” Sky asked, seeing her sag against the railing.

“I’m fine. I always get weak-kneed after an adrenaline rush. You don’t look so hot. Do you think your nose is broken?”

“Nah. It’s stopped bleeding. Listen, I need to follow Teddy to the station. I’m getting the feeling you don’t want to press charges.”

“I should.” She hesitated. “But I hate to. I believe we’ll make more headway fighting the gang if we convert some of their members. We need to leak the story that they got their tails whipped tonight, though,” she said.

“
We?
Have you joined my police force? This is their second offense that I know of. How can you trust them?”

“I don’t trust them. They don’t trust authority figures, either.” Annie shrugged. “You speak for the law, Sky. Do whatever you think is best.”

“I will. Before I go I’ll take a turn around your house, inside and out, to be sure they didn’t set any traps.”

“They couldn’t have gotten inside with my new wrought-iron security bars. You’ll need a flashlight to have a look around the perimeter. I’ll go get you one.”

Bending, Sky scooped up the light Ted had left behind. “I have Ted’s. You go inside. I’ll be in touch tomorrow. I’m off, remember. See if you can avoid trouble for one full day.”

Annie smiled. “With luck I’ll buy the warehouse, wind down painting the Mickelson home and start on the Culvers’ at the end of your block. Feel free to check on me. Hey, Zack begged you to let him paint. That might be something fun you could do together.” She batted her eyelashes impishly.

“The wheels in your head never stop turning, do they?” Sky said, pointing her toward her door.

“Yeah, yeah! And bring back my shoelaces, okay?”

Chapter Eleven

T
WO
FULL
WORK
crews showed up to finish painting the Mickelson home. After that, they all moved on to Davena Culver’s, where Annie unloaded what she’d bought in Louisville—the paint and supplies necessary to begin beautifying the rambling, weathered three-story house. She set out a big pot of coffee and several dozen doughnuts as the workers gawked at the house, which could pass for haunted. “Consider this a bribe so no one looks at the size of the place and runs off screaming,” Annie joked. “It’s a big project, but it’ll be so satisfying to see it brought back to life.”

Roger McBride hitched up his overalls. “It’s a good thing you told Loretta last night that I should bring a long ladder if I had one. Once this place is painted, it’ll be like the mother ship.”

“How so?” Peggy Gilroy asked around a mouth full of doughnut.

“You’ll be able to see it from the end of the block. Passersby will check it out and want their own houses made over.”

A car pulled in and out jumped Sadie Talmage. She still wore a bandage on her arm, but otherwise appeared remarkably fit.

“Sadie, look at you.” Annie rushed over to envelope her in a hug. “How did you find us?”

“I drove to your place. I can hardly believe how much work you all did in my absence. Your neighbor told me where to find you, Annie. She also told me she’s pregnant and that she feels bad about not being able to help paint.”

Rita Gonzales sipped her coffee. “I think we should start planning a baby shower for Missy Spurlock—now that she’s telling the world. There’s nothing like celebrating a new life to bring out the best in everyone.”

Annie nodded. “And even her in-laws are happy.”

“I’m so glad for her,” Peggy said.

“If we didn’t all know the Stingers are looking for opportunities to disrupt my work, I’d vote for a block party closer to her due date.” Annie’s remark was met with a chorus of agreement.

“Speaking of the gang... Did you have more trouble at your home last night?” Peggy asked, dusting sugar off her T-shirt. “George said at breakfast that he thought the cops came to your house again. If so, I slept through it. This physical exertion has let me get my best sleep in a long time.”

“Tell George it was minor,” Annie said, kicking herself for mentioning the gang. “Hey, I realize it must seem like I start you off painting and then I take off. I’m about to do it again.” She told them about her plans for a teen center.

“I know that building,” Charlie Fitzgerald said. “It’s solid as a rock and in a great location for the kids.”

“Exactly,” Annie said.

Davena Culver emerged from her home, arms full of fabric. “Rita, here are your drapes,” she called. “I love the material you chose from those bolts Peggy and I bought. The fabric was a dream to sew. Sadie! I didn’t see you at first. Are you here to help make drapes?”

“Ooh,” Rita squealed before Sadie had a chance to answer. “I’m dying to go home and hang these. Davena, thanks. I can’t sew a stitch.” Rita carried the bundle to her car. Others crowded around, exclaiming over the workmanship.

“We’d better get at this painting,” Peggy reminded everyone. “Paint, drapes, wrought iron and now a teen center—they’ll be the crown jewels in our town. All of this is guaranteed to put Briar Run in the running for most livable city in Kentucky.”

“Don’t be nominating us yet,” Annie warned. “I haven’t made an offer for the building , and even if I get it, there’s staff to hire and a lot of work that needs to be done.”

“Annie,” Davena said, “don’t discount our teen power. We have a lot of fine, talented kids who were forced out of circulation by a fringe group that got involved with the Stingers.”

“I’m banking on them, Davena. Okay, break’s over. See how much of this house you can prep and paint while I’m gone. Sadie, will you come with me? I’d like your design thoughts on the interior. Fingers crossed that I get the building!”

Davena followed Sadie to Annie’s pickup. “I circulated the new paint chart along my street last week. My kids and I had such a hard time choosing colors. Do you think the sea-foam green with navy trim is tasteful enough?” she asked.

Annie blanched. “If you’re having second thoughts, Davena, stop the crew now.”

“It’s just...the kids feel it’s too stodgy. But Chantal wanted purple. Deshawn asked for yellow and black to match his school colors. Can you imagine what the neighbors would say if we looked like a giant bumblebee?”

Sadie laughed. “Kids have no taste.”

“What is it about teen girls and purple?” Annie mused. “I remember wanting a purple bedroom so badly I pleaded with Gran Ida for weeks. What I got was off-white like the rest of the house. But she made me lavender curtains.” Annie’s reminiscence spilled out in a trickle of tears. “Sorry, that brought back memories.”

Davena hugged her. “You’re an angel, and so was your grandmama. I’ll help you carry out her dream any way I can. You only have to ask. I guess I’ll start on Jane Mickelson’s drapes.”

“I can help later,” Sadie said.

“Thanks, but if you have other tasks, I’m keeping up, plus I’m having the time of my life,” Davena said, grinning. “I still waitress three evenings a week, and I hope you don’t think it’s selfish of me to hope this stay-at-home sewing job lasts.”

“I see it going well into next spring,” Annie assured her.

Davena left wearing a happy smile. Sadie climbed into Annie’s pickup, and as they drove off, she said, “I came today because Sky told Koot about last night’s mess. Sky said you fought like a tiger, but he’s still real worried about you.”

“He is?” Annie darted Sadie a self-conscious smile. “They were just kids bent on mischief, and they took us by surprise. It
is
heartwarming to hear that Sky cares about my welfare.”

“Koot said they were Stingers, and Sky blames himself for not picking them up when he found out they were involved in that attempt to torch your house. That’s serious criminal activity, Annie. It goes way beyond mischief.”

“Yeah, but to me they seemed...sort of reluctant criminals. They’re the type of kids I told Sky I want to win back. Not solely by opening a teen center, but also by showing their folks that our town is worth saving.”

“Koot and I used to have your kind of passion, Annie. The truth is we got worn out fighting the good fight.”

Annie parked at the county records office. “You got worn out and Gran had a dream but no energy to implement it. Sadie, are you aware that Sky’s only working here until he gets a job offer somewhere his ex considers safer? As chief of police, he’s probably just worried because my determination to buck the Stingers has created issues with his ex and her lawyer.”

“It’s more than that, Annie. He wishes he had enough staff to watch over you 24/7. He wishes you weren’t so visible. Okay, let’s go see about your building.” Sadie shoved open her door.

Annie got out of the car, but all at once doubt began to creep in. Was she being foolish? Gran Ida’s money had made everything she’d done so far possible and would do so in the future. But...she considered the money a down payment of sorts. Gran had been counting on Annie’s ability to inject hope back into a community that had fallen into hopelessness. People had started to come out of their shells. Her shaky will somewhat restored, Annie led the way into the county recorder’s office.

She handed the clerk an address. “I understand this building is in final foreclosure.” She named a price. “If that fee is right, and it’s not slated for the upcoming auction, I’m prepared to buy the property and donate it to the city of Briar Run for the purpose of housing a teen center.”

The clerk who wore a huge pair of round, black-rimmed glasses blinked at Annie. Once she realized that Annie wasn’t joking, the process went smoothly.

The women left the office, with Annie clutching a copy of the transaction.

“Handing the property over to the town is pretty gutsy, Annie, since Briar Run is in the biggest budget crunch ever.”

“Well, if I held the deed, I’d owe taxes. City properties are tax-exempt. And we qualify for grants. I spent several nights filing volumes of online grant applications. Come on, I’ll show you the building and a rough outline of the ideas Sky and I came up with.”

“You’re spending a lot of time with Sky. He won’t admit to Koot that you’re involved in a romance, but you can spill all to me.” Sadie nudged Annie as she unlocked the pickup. “Just between us girls.”

“He’ll tell you I’ve involved him in a pack of trouble,” Annie said, blowing out a sigh as she buckled herself in. “The truth is, Sadie, I got burned by a guy once. His family had a mile-long pedigree. I had zip, so end of relationship. I gather Sky grew up in a normal family. And he hates the impact his divorce is having on Zack.”

Annie put the truck in gear and pulled into traffic. “His ex has tied him to a string of guilt that she yanks at will. When I’m with Sky, I do have romantic thoughts, but they’re thoughts I need to curb. I’m back here to stay. And like I said, Sky clearly told me his sojourn in Briar Run is temporary. He’s only here until he finds a job someplace more to Corrine’s liking.”

“If he loves you, his home will be where his heart is, Annie.”

“Who said anything about love? I don’t know if you could even classify us as friends.”

“Take it from me, he’s tapping at the door of love whether he knows it or not.”

“What he also told me is that he doesn’t want my death on his conscience. Does that sound like love?”

“Didn’t you just pass the building you bought?”

“Oops, yes. See? Talking about Sky Cordova and love in the same breath messes with my mind.” Annie circled the block and parked outside the chained gate. She handed Sadie a loose-leaf notebook. “You can look over my notes.”

The women went inside and their chatter turned to serious talk on how to partition the big room into smaller, usable spaces.

“Annie, let me be in charge of this project.” Sadie’s dark eyes glowed. “Give me a budget and I’ll stay within it. What you want done here is right up my alley. I know I said I’d sew drapes, but Davena can handle that.” Sadie hugged the notebook. “This...is what I went to design school to do.”

“It’s all yours,” Annie said. “And that’s a relief. You’re freeing me up to arrange programs and hire staff. We need parent and teen involvement. Davena said Briar Run has talented kids. If they help, and talk up the center among their peers, more of them will want to take part.”

“I couldn’t agree more. Give kids a vested interest from the get-go and it’ll seem like their place. Are you going to have a counselor on staff, or is that a job you plan to take on?”

“My hope, and I discussed this with Sky the other day, is to enlist teachers and counselors from the schools around here. They know the kids, and teachers always need extra money, especially these days. Sky suggested he and I teach a class or two in marital arts.” Annie wrinkled her nose and grinned. “I think he agreed not to call it combat training.”

“I wish we’d had something like this to offer kids when I taught school in this district. Once the state slashed our budgets, after-school programs got dropped.”

“I’m counting on school staff working with us, Sadie.”

“I’m sure they will. Oh, how will you pay them? Shouldn’t you have waited to see if your grants come through before you bought the building?”

Annie laughed. “I tend to put the cart before the horse. Don’t worry, I’ll have the funding. When you look for materials and equipment, get solid stuff that’ll last. Look for bargains, but don’t do it on the cheap.”

“Okay, that’s music to my ears. I’ll head home and start working on plans after you drop me at Davena’s to get my car.”

“If you’re not totally worn out, Sadie, I have a side trip I’d like to make. I want to look at the old factory.”

“The glove factory? Don’t tell me you’ve got an idea to turn
that
into something―like a basketball stadium?”

“No.” Annie shook her head and locked up. “We’ll put basketball hoops for scrimmages on the cement slab behind the center. The reason I’m wondering about the factory is that vacant buildings are more than an eyesore. They’re a haven for unsavory activities.”

“Ah, then you want the city to raze the factory?”

Annie gave a noncommittal response as they reached the property under discussion. “Darn, it’s fenced off,” Annie said, letting her pickup idle as she stared at the eight-foot fence with barbed wire at the top.

“That wire should deter vandals,” Sadie noted. “But I still see graffiti on the walls.”

“Who do you suppose owns the factory now?” Annie pushed her sunglasses up into her hair and studied the place as she drove slowly around the perimeter. “Roger McBride said the last conglomerate used the factory for a tax write-off. I don’t think they can do that forever, do you?”

Sadie shrugged. “I have no idea. The city manager will know. You can ask Aaron when you surprise him with the building for the teen center.”

“Uh...” Annie choked a little. “You sound as if it’ll be an unpleasant surprise.”

“Just saying. He’s a tough bean counter who’s sliced and diced city expenses since the day he was appointed by the governor to replace the mayor and city council.”

“We’ve tangled a time or two already. I think I’ll change out of my grubby painting clothes before I pay him a visit.”

“Probably wise to be prepared to turn on some Southern charm.”

“I’m not too good at that. Maybe I should send him an email.”

Sadie didn’t stop laughing until Annie parked at the Culvers’, where the painting crew had attracted more helpers. They could see the facelift taking shape.

Sadie drove home, and Annie spoke to the new recruits, all friends of Davena’s. Annie had met some of them the day Sky took Deshawn to jail. Thanking them for participating, she pulled on gloves and grabbed a paintbrush.

Soon it was time for lunch. Annie was in the process of taking food orders from the crew when Sky unexpectedly appeared. He got out of his car and helped his son out, as well. Sky whistled through his teeth as he approached Annie. “I wouldn’t have thought a partial coat of paint could have such an impact from the moment I turned onto my street.”