Lee: Emerson Wolves—Paranormal Erotic Wolf Shifter Romance (14 page)

Lee got up and kissed Hannah on the head, then walked out of the house. Neither of them said a word as Lee’s truck started up and then left the drive. Kimber got up to start working on dinner, as Sloan and Hunter were coming over with the baby later to go over some of the specs on the new restaurant. Kimber also had a contract from Luke that Shawn had given her from Clemmie about the new art building. But her mind was more on the little girl at the table than any of that.

“Is he coming back?” Kimber asked her who. “Lee. Is he coming back to live here with us or is he running away again?” She didn’t care for her tone but said nothing about it for now.

“He’s got a job to do, like I have one. I think today he’s having a meeting with the school board where you go. Something about lunch programs and what they serve.” Hannah got up and came to stand by her at the big butcher block table where she was working. “He thinks you’re right in what they serve, and he wanted to look into it.”

“Why? It won’t make me like him.” Kimber just looked at Hannah. “I’m sorry. That was really mean. I didn’t…I did mean it, but it was still mean.”

“It was. He’s not doing this for you. As you said to us last week, there are some kids that don’t have someone at home to cook breakfast for them, and he’s offering his services and money. Some already go to the diner where I work in the early morning, but it’s hard on poor Mabel to feed that many alone.” Hannah watched her cut up the salmon into four inch square filets. “There are a lot of people around here that are worse off than you and I were in France. You know that.”

Without saying a word, Hannah picked up the lemons that were in a big bowl and started rolling them under her hand. It would make the juices easier to use, as well as soften the pulp inside. As she reached for one of the smaller knives, Kimber watched as she carefully cut thin slices of the fruit. She didn’t normally like her using the sharp knives, but she knew her daughter loved to help in the kitchen.

“I could help out.”

Kimber said nothing as she put the salmon in the brine she’d prepared of soy sauce and brown sugar. She asked Hannah what she thought she could do to help. Hannah put the lemon slices in the water that had been set aside to use on the cedar planks.

When she didn’t answer right away, Kimber got out the large bag of fresh asparagus that she’d bought this morning. When she’d been in the yard yesterday, talking to the gardener, he said that he knew how to grow it and told her that he could plant her some if she wanted. They had worked for over three hours on the herbs she wanted to put into a garden to use in the house. Things were coming along nicely, and she had already talked to Lee about putting in a drying shed for them.

“I know how to make french toast. And waffles. Fern let me make them when her back hurt too much.” Kimber told her those were good things to know how to cook. “And I know how to make sausage links too without burning them. I can’t cook like you can, but I want to help.”

“I won’t be helping him, but I’m sure he could use the help. I have to go and take care of the diner until they hire someone else to take over. I guess Mabel has been looking for candidates for the last couple of days. If you want to help, you’ll be working with Lee.” Hannah just nodded. “I have to make a salad for tonight. I know that Hunter and Sloan aren’t into green things much, so what do you think we should have?”

“How about an antipasto salad? I love the olives in them.” Kimber went to the refrigerator to see what they had, and started pulling things out and handing them to Hannah. “I can help Lee. It’s a good project, and if he wants me to, I can be in charge of the eggs.”

“You’ll have to ask him about it. Like I said, that’s his project. Well, both your projects, but he didn’t think you’d want to work with him, so he didn’t ask.”

Instead of making a salad, they ended up putting together kabobs. First they put on the tortellini that had been left over from last night. It was cold now, so it slid over the sticks nicely. Next they put on chunks of salami, then cheese, cherry tomatoes, and finally Kalamata olives. After repeating this several times until the sticks were full, they laid them out on a platter and put olive oil-based dressing on them. After covering them, Hannah took them to the refrigerator in the pantry to make room for the rest of the food.

“Do you think that he’d be okay with me working with him?” Kimber nearly smiled but said that she should ask him. “He might say no.”

“He might, but then you’ll never know unless you ask.” As Kimber went about making up the rice pilaf for dinner, making sure to only make enough for her and Hannah, she fried up some bacon bits to go with the huge baked potatoes that she’d gotten as well. “His number is in my cell phone if you want to call and ask him. When he goes to this meeting, it will be good for him to know that he has help.”

Hannah nodded but didn’t pick up the phone. Kimber tried her best to not beg her to do it or even to make her call him. Lee had told her that this was his project to work on Hannah, and he would be upset with her if she intruded. After the potatoes were scrubbed and rolled in bacon grease and sea salt, Hannah asked to be excused. Kimber reached for Lee as soon as her daughter left the room.

I didn’t want you to think it was me and say something…well, like you did last night.
His laughter made her warm all over.
We should get her a phone so that it never happens.

Kimber had called Lee to tell him that she was headed to the grocery store. But when he’d answered it, instead of letting her talk, he started telling her what he was going to do to her when he got home, none of it appropriate for a child.

I agree on the phone. Wait, it’s ringing now. I don’t want to seem too excited, so let me get back to you.

Kimber made the crust for a cherry pie and set it aside. When Hannah came back in the room, she not only had the filling cooling but she’d made tea as well. Hannah just sat at the table and stared. Kimber was suddenly very worried. Then Hannah spoke.

“He said that he’d be honored to have me on his team. Honored. Not like it, but he said honored.” Kimber said nothing, too overwhelmed at the moment to do much more than nod. “And he said that he was going to tell them it was my idea, something that I had come up with, and he thought that the school board should listen to me more. Why would he do that?”

“I think perhaps he values your opinion.” Kimber sat down. “He really does love you, Hannah. More than anything, he is sorry for what he put you through. But he didn’t do this to make you forgive him or even to love him. He talked this over with Sloan, and she is even glad that you suggested it.”

The rest of dinner prep was a blur. Hannah would sit for long periods of time, then ask a question out of the blue. Kimber went from being proud of her daughter to wanting to strangle her all in a heartbeat. She thought that was the way it would always be, and tried not to let it bother her overly much. Hannah being a teenager was going to be hell, she thought.

At five o’clock, Lee returned. He had two dozen roses, one for her and one for Hannah, and a large contract with the city to make the Emerson School Lunch Project a done deal. But before Hannah could leave them in the kitchen, Lee knelt down on one knee in front of Hannah and held out a beautiful sapphire.

“I wanted to do this a while ago. I’ve had this in my pocket since I gave your mom hers.” He looked at Kimber, then at Hannah again. “I would be the happiest man on earth if you were to be my daughter. Not just because I have married your mom, which will be soon, but for you to have my last name so that the Emerson Project can truly be yours.”

“You don’t have to do this.” He nodded and told her he knew that. “Then why are you? I mean, if you marry my mom or not doesn’t mean that much to me. It does, but she will do it even if I did really hate you.”

“Do you? Hate me, I mean? Because this will never work if you do. I love you both so much that I can hardly breathe sometimes worrying about you. And it does matter to me and to your mom if you want us to be married. I won’t do anything that would ever come between the two of you. Not for anything.” Hannah wiped at tears again. “Ah, honey, don’t cry. I can’t stand to make you cry anymore.”

“I love you.” Kimber thought that her heart would burst when Hannah launched herself at Lee. “I love you so much, Lee. And I’m sorry I was a brat and all.”

Lee held her. Kimber watched the two of them just sitting on the floor telling each other that they were sorry. Kimber could not have asked for a better man to be in her child’s life than the one that was there now.

“I guess this means I can take back the pony.” Hannah looked at him, then at her. “I have one in the paddock if you want to go see her. I have to be careful around her, of course. She’s not too keen on me—” Hannah was out the door before he could finish. Lee looked at her. “I guess we’ll be paying for riding lessons now, right?”

“Yes. And if you buy her another animal without consulting me, I will hug you until you can’t breathe.” Lee got up and nuzzled her neck. “I love you, Lee Emerson.”

“And I love you, Kimber Emerson.”

Chapter 13

The courtroom was filled to overflowing. Lee watched the crowd trying to move more people into the room as he held Hannah on his lap. Kimber was sitting to his right, and Hunter was on the other side of him. Sloan had opted to stay home with the baby as crowds, and this one was proving to be much larger than they thought, still bothered her. When the bailiff stood up and announced the judge, everyone quieted.

“You having a sale there, Hunter? Never had this many people in my courtroom in over fifty years of being on the bench.” Everyone laughed, and then Judge Wilson pinned his eyes on Kimberly Schroeder. “I was just informed that you refused counsel. Is that true, Miss Schroeder?”

“I don’t even know why I’m here, much less needing to spend my money on someone to come here and tell you that my grandniece is a terrible person.” Judge Wilson asked her again if she refused anyone to sit with her. “Yes, yes. I refuse. How much longer am I going to be here? I have things to do. And my house to get into order. I’m sure that the servants have been slacking off since you people took me away.”

“You do know why you’re here, don’t you? I mean, you know that Kimber Emerson is suing you for the rights of her mother’s will.”

Kimberly huffed, and Judge Wilson asked her what she meant.

“Her mother was a fool, and this child, this ungrateful child, is worse than she was. It’s mine, all of it, as it should have been from the beginning. What you need to do is tell her to follow my commands and forget this foolishness of thinking that she’s going to marry someone that I don’t approve of.” Judge Wilson looked in their direction, then back at Kimberly. “My way is law, and the sooner you people understand that, the better things will be for everyone.”

“I’m afraid you have that wrong, Miss Schroeder. I’m the law around here, and what I say goes. Now, I want to make sure you understand what is going on here. Your grandniece has filed a claim against you in accordance with her mother’s will. This has nothing to do with your involvement in the death of James Walden. The state has agreed to charge you in a separate court with that.”

“I don’t know why that is even in question. He didn’t do as I told him to, and he had to go. What would you have done if you told this man to go in and bring Kimber to you, and instead he professes that he has fallen in love with her? Not to mention, he filled her belly with a bastard child.” Lee nearly stood up and hit the woman, but the judge told her to watch her language. “She is. What do you expect me to call her if not what she is?”

“I think you’ve said more than enough.” He looked in their direction at Luke. “You wish to say something before this begins?”

“Yes, Your Honor.” Luke stood up. “It is the desire of my client to have Miss Schroeder put into a facility that would care for someone of her needs. She is willing to pay for this on the condition that Miss Schroeder has no further contact with my client or any of her family, both blood and in-laws. This is not a decision that she’s come to—”

“What do you mean, put me in a facility? You most certainly will not.” Kimberly stood up and leaned across the table to glare at them when she cut Luke off. “Kimber, I will not tolerate you acting this way. When I get you home, there will be penance for what you’ve done. And don’t think that brat will be coming with you either. You belong to me.”

The gavel came down hard just as Kimber was standing up. Lee stood with her but said nothing as she made her way to her aunt. Hannah held his hand as tightly as he’d ever felt. The judge stopped the police, in unusual full gear, from interceding. For now.

“Why do you hate me so much? I mean, you have to if you think I’m going to just let you take my daughter from me, let you continue to ruin my life, and let you dictate what I do or don’t do. I’m a grown woman with a mind of my own.” Kimberly huffed at her. “You, however, are a mean, evil woman who has gone her whole life bullying people into doing what you want, and if that didn’t work, you had them killed.”

“So? What would you have me do? Let you decide what is right for yourself? You’ve done so well on that all by yourself, haven’t you? Look at you. You’re a failure; and not only that, but stupid as well. If I hadn’t stepped in when I did, your mother would have simply spent the money as if she didn’t have a care in the world. Well, I showed her too, didn’t I?” Kimber asked her how she’d done that. “It will amaze you what a few dollars here or there can get you. A terminal cancer diagnosis. Even a suicide marking on a death certificate should you need it to appear so. Your mother was a fool to think that she could do what you’re trying to do. I will not be put away like some sort of animal.”

“My mother didn’t have cancer?” Kimberly laughed and shook her head at Kimber’s question. “I was wrong about you. You’re not evil, you’re nuts.”

The slap was loud, but before he could go to Kimber and protect her from another blow, Cash was there. His gun was out and pointed at Kimberly’s head even before any of the police could get theirs cleared of their holsters. Lee was as shocked by the fact that his dad had a gun as he was that he’d gotten it into the courtroom today. Kimberly screamed to be released, and Cash looked at Lee and told him to get Kimber and Hannah out of there.

Lee made his way to the front of the courtroom to where Kimber was standing, staring at the woman who had hurt her so much. He didn’t want anyone else to be hurt. The police had finally gotten their guns out and were now pointing them at anyone or anything that moved. When he put Hannah on the floor to reach for Kimber to bring her to him, Hannah moved to her aunt.

“I hate you.” The woman spat at her. “You’re just mean and evil like my momma said you are. And now my new grandda is going to have to shoot you dead so that you’ll leave us alone.”

“Get away from me, you spawn of the devil. I care not what you think of me, but your mother will when I’m finished with her.” Hannah looked up at Lee as Kimberly continued with her threats. “Let me go this minute. I demand that you listen to me and tell that…that thing to go back to where she came from. Let me go or I’ll have your badge. Do you hear me?”

“I hear you. Everyone hears you. You’re loud enough that the entire town can hear what sort of bullshit you’re spewing.” Cash winked at Hannah. “You go on with your dad and mom now, honey. We got this.”

Hannah turned to Lee. “Do you want to be my dad? I’ve been thinking about it, and I want to be your little girl with your name like you said. The sooner the better, I’m thinking.”

“All right.” Lee felt stupid and knelt down to her. “How about we go and get some lunch? If Grandda has this, then we can bet he’ll make sure that we’re all right. Whatcha think there, daughter of mine?”

As they started to leave the courtroom through the double set of doors that had been closed when the judge came to the dais, Judge Wilson was yelling for order. Luke stopped Lee as they were leaving. He asked to speak to Kimber alone, and Lee sat down with Hannah when Luke led her down the hall to an open doorway. When Hannah leaned against him on the bench, Lee knew that things were going to be just fine from now on.

~~~

“What do you want to do?” Kimber asked him what he meant. “Well, she’s going away for a long time now. Not only has she assaulted a few of the officers in there, but Dad found a gun on her. Not to mention she told the entire room that she basically killed your mother and had documents falsified in her favor.”

“She murdered her, didn’t she? I mean, we already figured that out, but to hear her say it without any kind of remorse is just so…she really is off her head, isn’t she?” Luke nodded sadly. “But I don’t know what you mean. What can I do?”

“There are many options. One is that you have her committed, as was your plan. Then you’d care for her, via a third party, until she is gone. Or you let the state take care of her. Which I will say won’t be as nice as what you could provide. And the third option, the one that I would do if I were you, is to let her go to trial. It won’t be long in coming. The judge will try to get it worked in quickly to have her off the streets. And while she’s away, which I’m thinking will be in a nice state-run facility, you can get on with your life.” Kimber asked him what he thought she’d get if she went to trial. “A prison sentence that she won’t outlive. Perhaps she’ll get better, but I don’t think so. For whatever reason, she believes with all her heart and mind that she is right in all that she does. It’s justified to her because she wants it.”

To be honest, she had no idea what to do. Prison would be hard on her, and for some reason, Kimber believed that she’d not live long there. Her rules, one sided as they were, would not go over well and the other inmates would have to retaliate, and that would get her killed. Long term health care would be no better either. She was set in her ways, and no one that had to work with her would be spared of her nastiness. Kimber sat down on the chair that was close to her and looked at Luke.

“I want her to be cared for, I do, but I don’t think she’ll appreciate it coming from me. No matter what we did for her, she’d find fault.” Luke sat and told her that he agreed with her. “I’ll never go and see her. As of the moment she told me that she killed my mother and lied to everyone, I washed my hands of her. I have to go to the trial, if there is one, but that will be the last time I see her. I have nothing to give her, nor do I want anything that she might ever try to give to me. I think…I honestly don’t care what happens to her.”

“I can work with that, honey.” He opened his briefcase and handed her two sheets of paper. “These are copies of the same thing. Read them over. But what they say is that you absolve yourself of her care and anything to do with her. You’re no longer responsible for her or any debt that she might incur, as well as anything that she might have done to you and Hannah in the past. By that I mean that you cannot sue her for what she might have taken from you. You’re, as you say, washing your hands of her.”

“You mean the stuff she did to me my whole life?” He nodded. “But does that mean she’ll get away with the murders?”

“No. All this says is that you don’t care what she does from now on, so long as you are not involved in it. You will have to come and testify about the notes that you took when talking to her. Not as her niece, but as a witness for the state.” Kimber liked that and asked him for a pen. “You understand that the money that she took from you while you were in France is the only money that you’re talking about?”

“What does that mean?” He grinned at her. “Why is it that each of you, and I mean Emersons and in-laws, each have that smile? Is it something that you get when you take on the last name? Because to me it says, the person that you’re thinking about is so fucked right now.”

“And you would be correct.” He told her to sign her name as Kimber Emerson. Then when she did on both sheets of paper, he leaned back in his chair. “She has an account that has over eleven million dollars in it that belongs to you. Taken from your mother’s accounts just after she was murdered. Your father, a man that I wish I could have met, had another account, but she’s never been able to get into it. The only name on it is his. I’ve petitioned the courts to have that released to you as well. My advice—and you can do as you please—is to set that money aside for Hannah and any other children you might have. There is also the life insurance policy that belonged to your mother. And since she was murdered, the insured amount is doubled.”

“How much are we talking?” He grinned again, and Kimber wanted to hit him. “I don’t like you very much right now.”

“Oh, but you’re going to love me after I tell you. I promise.” He handed her another set of papers. “With all your holdings and the offshore accounts, your net worth is just over seventy million. Not including your father’s money, which I don’t know the balance of as yet. Then there is the insurance money, the properties, as well as the now closed restaurants in both France and one in Georgia, where you apprenticed before going to France.”

“That’s not possible.” Luke nodded and handed her the deeds. “I own two restaurants as well as homes…they seem to be all over the world. And she bitched about…well, everything.”

“Pretty much. And if you want to rent them out, Jack and I would love to use the one you have in Florida. We’d like to go to the park down there and take Kelly.” Luke stood up. “I’ve taken the liberty of hiring you an attorney. I’m not in a position to help you overly much right now. You’ll need someone that can work only with you, and someone you can trust. While you do have all this, some of it is in shambles. I’d go over it with Lee and see what you want to keep or sell. But my advice is, keep it for at least a year or two. You might change your mind about a few of them.”

She was still sitting there when Hannah came and sat near her. Kimber pulled her into her arms and held her while Lee sat across from them. Handing him the paperwork that had been just given to her, she told him what Luke had said.

“He won’t steer you wrong.” She nodded. “Let’s get some lunch and I’ll tell you about the phone call I just got. Sloan also wants us to go to the restaurant site and look around. Apparently there are some things that they’ve unearthed that she wants you to see.”

“Is it a dead body? Because right now, that would not surprise me.” Hannah giggled. “I have a better idea. Let’s go and have some lunch, get on a plane, and fly away from all this. I think I saw on that list that we have one…a plane, I mean. We could go to any number of those houses and live there like kings and never come back here.”

“I have to go to school tomorrow.” Hannah looked up at her. “I’m in sixth grade now. They said that I was smart.”