“You could’ve called!”
“I thought you were here! How was I supposed to know you’d gone to town with Michelle?”
“And once you realized I wasn’t here, why didn’t you call, then?”
She thinks about it for a moment, then gives me a pained look I wholeheartedly understand, much to my dismay. “I was terrified of how you’d react. I feared for your safety, Daley. You rarely get mad, dammit, but when you do…”
“I lose it.”
“Yep. And you do realize Cline is going to take you to court for this.”
I shrug. “He can do whatever he wants. He already won.”
“No, he didn’t,” Michelle cuts in.
I didn’t even see her coming down, but I’m glad to see her. Not glad, relieved. At least she’s still here—for how long, though?
“It’s over,” Lauren tries to tell her.
But Michelle shakes her head and hands over the receipt from court with newfound determination. I’m not sure what angle she’s playing, but I find myself strangely encouraged by her energy.
“It isn’t over until you say so,” Michelle replies. “We filed the appropriate paperwork with Judge Massey this morning, and it went through, which means the judge will reconsider the validity of Durbin’s signing of the eviction order. According to state law, that means the order itself cannot be enforced until it’s overruled or confirmed as valid by Judge Massey.”
Lauren scoffs, bitter and disappointed. “You know I can’t do that.”
“What the hell? You’re the law!” Michelle blurts out, while I’m left staring, speechless and terrified and excited all at once. “You were able to keep yourself out of Friday’s proceedings, and I just handed you the perfect legal reason to pull out of this one, too.”
“Cline will bankrupt the entire town if he doesn’t have his way.” Lauren sighs.
“That’s crap! No, he won’t. He has too much money invested, and he needs the locals on his side. Lauren, I’m going ahead with this, with or without you,” Michelle insists.
She’s waving her hand around as she continues, getting more and more excited. “As soon as I get back to Dickinson, I’m filing complaints against Sykes and putting together a campaign to get the entire goddamn state on Daley’s side. Lawyers and billions of dollars aside, there is one thing you can’t mess with, and that’s public opinion. What, you think the people here love Cline too much to kick him to the curb? Hah! Give me forty-eight hours and a laptop with an internet connection, and I will burn his entire empire to the ground.”
My heart’s pumping fast. I think I’m smiling.
Lauren is shaking her head. “Michelle, you’re ambitious, I get it, but things work differently in these parts. We—”
“You’re cowards? Is that what you’re trying to tell me? Lauren, if you don’t halt this eviction right now, I will be filing a complaint against you, too, tomorrow. And no matter where this whole thing ends, I promise you will not be reelected, not once the entire district hears about how you bent over for Cline instead of upholding the law and protecting your citizens.”
As if drawn by the sound of trouble, Cline and Sykes make their way down the path. Cline’s a red mess, one eye already swelling shut. Yeah, I did a good number on him, and I can’t bring myself to regret it. I steal a glance at Michelle, wondering if she thinks less of me, but she hates him with the fire of a thousand suns, too.
“Good, you arrested this animal!” Sykes hisses, giving me a furious look.
I only wish I could flip him off. Alas, with my hands behind my back, there’s not much I can do other than respond with a string of expletives that would make a nun blush and renounce the church altogether.
Once I’m done, Cline raises his chin. “You done, boy?”
“No,” Michelle cuts in, then nudges Lauren. “Your turn. I’ve laid the options out for you.”
The sheriff presses her lips into a thin line, suddenly under scrutiny from both Cline and his greased-up lawyer.
“What is the girl talking about?” Cline asks.
“This,” Lauren says, showing him the receipt. “Until Michelle and Daley’s motions are accepted or denied, I cannot let you proceed with the eviction order.”
Sykes almost passes out. “Excuse me?”
“It’s the law,” Lauren exhales sharply. “Call your men back and stand by until we hear from Judge Massey.”
“Oh, you went behind Durbin’s back!” Sykes replies, narrowing his reptile eyes at me. “He’s not going to like it.”
“No one cares how Durbin feels about all this,” Michelle shoots back. “The ball is in Massey’s court. He’s well versed in state law, including these antiquated statutes. You can’t do anything until he communicates his decision. Should he rule in your favor, you can proceed with the eviction. Otherwise, you can file an appeal with the Ninth Circuit. Either way, nothing happens tonight.”
“And Daley gets to keep his stupid cabin?” Cline croaks, downright insulted. He glowers at Lauren. “You can’t be serious. We talked about this! I made a good offer!”
Now, it makes more sense. But mentioning his offer puts Lauren in a tight spot, and it taints her pride. Cline’s biggest mistake, and he’s about to lose her support.
I know Lauren. I know her limits. A rich guy with connections might entice or eliminate her, but you hit her ego… and you’re toast.
“You know where to shove that offer, right?” Lauren replies, raising an eyebrow at him. “Pull your men back, or I will arrest you all and leave you in the same cell with Daley for the night.”
Cline would like to say something else, but he knows it’s over. “You’re gonna pay for this,” he tells Michelle, then walks away, barking instructions at Sykes to communicate to the workers while he gets behind the wheel of his black SUV. “Call me in the morning,” he adds, then shuts the car door. The engine roars to life, and he drives down the forest road.
I stare at the red taillights till they’re gone.
“What about him?” Sykes asks Lauren as he points a finger at me.
“Oh, he’s cooling down in jail for a while. Cline will file his own complaints against me if I let him out,” Lauren replies.
Michelle interjects. “What if I post his bail?”
“That’ll do, but you’ll have to wait until the bail hearing.”
Sykes snickers with certain delight, then climbs the path back to my cabin—or whatever is left of it.
I could cry. I want to just break down and cry and curse and punch at the walls, but the handcuffs keep me in an uncomfortable position. I’m starting to see the logic of keeping the perp with the cuffs on in the backseat. Calming down is basically my only choice.
“He’s going to spend a few days in jail, then,” Michelle concludes, then opens the car door. Lauren moves to stop her, but she raises a hand. “Don’t even think about it. Not after this monumental screw-up.”
She bends down to get a better look at me.
“Thank you,” I manage, my voice broken, my throat as dry as the desert.
“I’ll see if I can push the bail hearing, but that’s it. You’re gonna have to sit this one out,” she says. “I’m sorry, Daley… I’m sorry for everything.”
“Michelle… You just stopped Cline from taking my land for the second time.”
Giggling, she tries to uplift me. “That’s true. I’m better at this lawyering stuff than I thought, I guess.” Looking into my eyes, she’s probably hoping to see me smiling.
“I’m falling in love with you,” I blurt out.
She didn’t see this coming. Neither did I, but I feel better with it out there than still swirling in my head and struggling to find its form.
“Daley…”
“No, it’s fine. I don’t need you to do anything about it. You have no obligation toward me whatsoever,” I tell her.
Lauren moves away and around the car, about to get in the driver’s seat.
“It’s okay, Michelle, I just want
ed you to know, that’s that.”
“I would like to be able to say something,” Michelle replies, her shoulders dropping.
“Don’t worry about it. I’m already feeling like a thousand bucks for letting everything out.”
She stares at me for a second, then chuckles dryly. “That’s because you beat the crap out of Cline, obviously.”
And then we’re laughing again, for the first time in hours.
I’m baffled by how much one person’s life can change in the span of minutes. I’ve been living too predictably for too long. Michelle showed up like a wrecking ball but not with the purpose of my destruction. No, she’s resetting me.
Lauren clears her throat. “We need to go. Shut the door, please.”
“I’ll see you in the morning, I promise,” Michelle says.
“Can you check on the furballs first, please?” I reply, and she offers a nod and a warm smile to reassure me.
Yeah, I am absolutely falling in love with this woman, and I have zero reason to hold back. She was made to be loved.
She shuts the door as Lauren starts the car. It’s going to be an awkward ride to the station, but that’s to be expected. My friend let me down and caved to Cline’s demands, while this stranger from Minneapolis went out of her way to help me and stand up to Cline. It’s a bad look on Lauren. She’ll make it up to me, eventually, but none of it matters unless I keep my property.
A single tear finds its way out of my eye as we pull back and head down the forest road. I’m not scared of jail. It’s practically empty. Dickinson’s a good and decent place. I’m scared that this is just a pause, not a reversal of the hell that Cline is trying to put me through.
I’m scared that Michelle will end up leaving, while I’ll be left with nothing.
Because Cline wants to build a second Aspen on my mountain.
Chapter 20
Michelle
And to think I came to Dickinson to relax…
Checked back in at the Rockbury, I spend the rest of the night chugging wine and making phone calls. Simeon Cline is not to be trifled with anymore—he has already proven himself to be particularly dangerous and slippery.
First, I reach out to my mom.
“What do you mean he’s in jail?” she croaks, and I can almost see her head explode. It’s bad enough I married a complete stranger; he’s a criminal, too?
I let her rant on for a while, pouring myself another glass.
“You are better than this, mija! Your father and I worked our asses off to give you a future!”
“Aren’t I in charge of this future?” I reply calmly, perhaps too tired to battle it out with my mother. “Besides, I can’t blame Daley for beating the guy.”
I tell her the whole story of today and how it ended. Except for the occasional gasp, she seems to take it pretty well.
“The bail hearing will be set tomorrow,” I finish, “provided I get into the judge’s chambers before Cline’s attorney.”
“Listen, Michelle… I love you and I trust you, okay? I don’t want you to think otherwise. But are you sure this is what you should be doing? Are you seriously going to go head-to-head with a billionaire for that guy’s land? It sounds more complex than what you usually deal with.”
“Technically speaking, yes. But it’s nothing I can’t handle,” I tell her. “I was calling for something else, actually.”
It took me a while to draw this plan, but after visiting Jax, Spark and Felix at the animal shelter, I’ve not had much else to do with my time. It makes sense rehashing it in my head. Let’s hear it out loud and see if my mother laughs me off the line.
“What is it?” she asks.
I hear Dad cussing at the TV in the background. There must be a game on or something. Matteo’s voice joins him. They’re having some kind of gathering.
“Whoa, wait, are you all there? The whole Perez clan?”
“Yes,” Mom says. “Why?”
“Put me on speaker, please.”
She hesitates, but I hear the sounds of the ambient change as I’m switched to speakerphone.
“Hola, familia!” I shout, trying hard to keep it together. For some reason, I’m getting emotional, and it’s too soon.
“Hola, mi amor!” Dad calls out.
“Oye, Mickey!” Matteo joins in.
“Yo!” David and Ralphie say at once.
“Listen, guys, I need your help. You’re gonna think I’m crazy, so be it… but you’re the only ones I can trust. The only ones who can pull this off,” I tell them.
The silence that follows is rather exciting. It means they muted the game.
“Remember that project we did for Uncle Julio in Montana?” I ask.
Dad’s the first to respond. “Yes.”
“Mija, I hope you’re not trying to—” Mom wants to stop me, but I cut her off.
“I need us to do the same thing here. I’ll cover everything. Food. Lodging. Whatever expenses we have. I have some cash set aside, and I know Daley won’t look at a single penny. It would mean the world to me, family.”
Again, silence, but no one replies this time. I hear Mom murmuring, but Dad shushes her. The whispering goes on for a while, though it’s mostly between the guys.
“Hello?” I ask, terrified of rejection.
“You’ve got the hots for this guy, don’t you?” David replies. “I mean, that has to be it, right?”
I might as well be honest with myself. There’s no point in keeping it off the table when it’s clearly a game changer. After all, Daley opened up and made that crazy leap. I’m still in limbo, and it’s unbecoming for a woman claiming to be a competent lawyer.
“I’m in love with him, yes.”
“Ha! Called it!” Ralphie shouts.
“Will you help me or not?” I reply, now on the edge of my seat and rapidly running out of wine.
It makes them laugh, but Dad takes over and puts me out of my misery.
“Expect us tomorrow in the evening,” he says. “And send me a list of everything you need up there, okay?”
I could cry. I really could.
“Sure thing, Daddy.” It’s my way of telling him how much I love him. “And I’ll wire you some cash, too. You guys are amazing! I’ll book you here at the Rockbury with me.”
I hang up, a massive weight lifting from my shoulders.
This family of mine… it’s big and loud, yeah. But they are also reliable and strong, and determined. If anyone can help me pull this off, it’s them.
Daley will love this. I’m sure of it.
Looking through my phone, I find another useful contact. We haven’t spoken in a while, but I know he’ll appreciate the offer. If anyone enjoys taking down evil billionaires, it’s him.
“Hello,” I say into the phone once the line connects. “Evan? Evan Paul?”
It’s him. I instantly recognize his voice and thank the gods that it’s still his number.
Now, onward and upward. I promised Daley I’d figure this out, and I would rather chew off my own foot than leave him on his own. We’ve come too far. I’ve gotten myself too deep.
My heart won’t let me live until I bring Daley his happiness back.
Chapter 21
Michelle
“You were amazing in there,” I tell Evan as we step out of the courtroom.
It’s a small building just two blocks from the sheriff’s station and the jail annex, but it’s surprisingly busy for a Tuesday afternoon. Evan fits right in, however. Well, Evan Paul fits in everywhere—it was always part of his mojo. When the Human Rights Campaign hired him, he did exactly what they expected: he kicked political hinds and took names while looking super chill and friendly. The all-American young man with blond hair and dashing blue eyes, accompanied by a vanilla smile that just… works for everything.
I’m lucky to have him on board.
“I was fine,” Evan says. We stop at the top of the limestone steps, basking in the reddish light of a setting sun. “You, on the other hand
, you own this frickin’ town. I’m impressed, Michelle.”
I shake my head. “Evan, you just helped me get Daley’s bail hearing to happen way faster than what Sykes and Cline wanted.”
He looks around, lips twisted with disgust. “Speaking of… Where are those two wretched human beings?”
As if summoned, they emerge from the courthouse, clearly displeased. “Maybe we should get a priest to exorcize Dickinson. I reckon that’ll do the job,” I mutter.
“Keep it cool,” Evan replies, holding back a chuckle as he turns and smiles at the two men. “Gentlemen. I know you’re eager to keep the man in jail, but the law doesn’t bend to your wallet.”
“It was a matter of time before Legally Blonde here brought some capable friends to help her,” Sykes replies dryly, giving me a contemptuous smirk.
I’d pull a Daley and kick him in the face, but I have to be careful. I can’t give these fiends a single inch.
“Mr. Sykes, Judge Massey will communicate his decision in two to three working days,” Evan says. “Until then, I hope we don’t see each other again. We have filed a restraining order against Mr. Cline on behalf of Mr. Fontaine, and he will be back at his property once his bail is paid off. Like I told you back in there,” he adds, pointing at the courthouse, “you should really consider dropping the charges.”
“Oh, no, why would I wanna do that?” Cline replies, smirking his usual, insufferable smirk. The swelling has begun to subside, but he still looks as though he lost a fight with a lawnmower.
“Because the town of Dickinson is already pretty cross with you, Mr. Cline,” Evan says. “There are petitions circulating, each of them aimed at pushing you out of the county altogether. If you thought you were smart with your Bachelor Amendment, wait till you see what happens when thirty thousand people band together to get rid of you.”
“If you think you’re going to bully me out of this place, you are in for a sore disappointment,” Cline replies, annoyingly confident.
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