A Forever of Orange Blossoms (The Merriams Book 5)

by Ava Miles

  “How did you get here?” Flynn asked.

  “I can fly domestic and hire a cab, can’t I?” She turned and took Annie’s hands. “You must be Annie, and I take it these are your beautiful daughters. I’m Assumpta, Flynn’s mom. It’s wonderful to meet you guys. I hope it’s not too overwhelming that we’re all here right now, but I figure family is a comfort.”

  “It sure is,” Amelia said, rushing over and hugging Arthur’s leg. “Right, Mr. Hale?”

  She loved hearing her daughter mimicking that dear man. Flynn and his family had been such a blessing—not just for her, but for all of them.

  Breakfast was a loud, boisterous affair, complete with a delicious feast thanks to Hargreaves. Even though she’d thought she would be too nervous to eat, Annie finished off three pancakes and two cups of coffee.

  Amelia found her way onto Trevor’s lap and announced, “You and J.T. don’t have the same belly buttons. Twins don’t,” and the whole table laughed as both men lifted their shirts slightly and checked to be sure. Iris and Eloise laughed with the rest, and Annie kissed them both on top of their blond heads, awash in the family spirit.

  Hargreaves appeared in the doorway. “Ms. Loudermilk, if I may have a moment.”

  She set Eloise to the side since they’d been sharing a chair in the bursting room. “Yes, Hargreaves?”

  When he gestured for her to proceed him into the kitchen, she followed. Alone, she turned to face his steady regard.

  “Mrs. Blanchett said to tell you that she and Mrs. Kowalski went to the lab this morning and didn’t have any hassle from Mr. Loudermilk. They wanted to scout out the situation, so to speak. If you’d like, they’d be happy to stay there until you arrive. Mrs. Loudermilk and Mrs. Anderson are working at the portable. Once breakfast is cleared, I’d planned on joining them.”

  How kind of Gertie and Tilly to have thought of that, especially since they’d already been working nonstop in the portable. “You can tell them I’ll be there soon. I don’t know what will happen, but I figure it’s as good a time as any to find out.”

  Hargreaves nodded. “Ma’am, I also took the liberty of doing an extra count of the baskets and our remaining ingredients, knowing you must have a lot on your mind. With the additional help, as you know, we have exceeded your original estimates as of yesterday.”

  Oh, what a dear man to know her brain was totally fried. Right now, she was grateful they had a slight lead. Who knew what might happen today? All of that could come to a dead halt if Tom tried to stop her.

  “When did you do the count, Hargreaves? You must have been up early making breakfast for everyone.”

  “It was no problem, Ms. Loudermilk.” He bowed gracefully. “I believe we have two hundred more baskets to go to make the half order, which is what you originally agreed to deliver. With some additional help from the Merriams, I believe we can finish those baskets tomorrow and prepare for the final shipment. I took the schedule you’d outlined and added a few of the siblings to various duties based on my understanding of their interests and competency.”

  He produced a folded sheet of paper from the inside pocket of his suit jacket and handed it to her. She opened it, scanning his thoughts. Sure enough, she saw J.T.’s name listed as well as Flynn’s other brothers. Becca and Assumpta had been assigned to basket assembly, she noted. But it was Shawn working on the shipping with her two assistants that made her press her hand to her heart. “But Hargreaves… Are you sure they want to do this?”

  “Everyone mentioned their willingness, yes,” he told her. “These are the holiday baskets for the family company, ma’am, as well as being a help to you. Does this meet with your approval?”

  She gazed up at him. “Hargreaves, are you kidding? I frankly don’t know what I would have done without you. You should run for president or lead an army. I think you could do anything.”

  He gave an inscrutable smile. “My father ran an army field hospital at one point during World War II, ma’am. That incident convinced him that he needed to train me to be ready for any eventuality. Would you like anything before you go to the farm?”

  “Besides a valium?” She shook her head a little. “That was a terrible joke. I’m sorry.”

  “A sense of humor is critical in our toughest moments,” he said, bowing again. “But if you really need one at any time, you have only to say so.”

  She believed him. “Thank you, Hargreaves.”

  When she went back to the dining room, she stood there for a moment, taking in the scene before her. Amelia was sitting in J.T.’s lap, pointing out the differences between him and his twin (many, given they weren’t identical), while Becca showed Eloise and Iris a video of Buttercup, the infamous alpaca, the twins’ faces radiant with smiles. Flynn and Caitlyn sat across from them, talking animatedly, and Arthur…

  Arthur gave her a cheeky wink and gestured for her to join him and Clara at the table.

  She’d intended to leave for the farm immediately, before she lost her nerve, but it struck her that this family was going to be her family.

  Then she realized the fact that all of the Merriams were here meant they already were her family. So she joined Arthur and Clara for another cup of coffee and soaked in the warm atmosphere, knowing she was going to need it for what lay ahead.

  When she finally did arrive at the farm with Flynn and his father and his brother Trevor, her stomach was in knots. The first sign that this wouldn’t go well was that Gertie’s car had followed them in. Weren’t they supposed to already be there?

  Gertie and Tilly got out of the car, their expressions tense.

  “We called Hargreaves to tell him,” Gertie said, her mouth tight, “but he said you were already on your way. Eric was just here, and he kicked us out of the lab and put a No Trespassing sign on the door. That bastard! I’m so sorry, Annie. Eric said he’d be in touch.”

  Her head started to pound. Tom was really going to bar her from her baby. She was vaguely aware of Flynn supporting her with a hand on her back.

  “Annie,” Flynn said, standing in front of her now. “Let’s get back to the house. There’s nothing more we can do here, but there’s still plenty we can do at the portable.”

  She was distantly aware of him leading her to the car. Carrot came racing across the yard toward her, his head bobbing with delight. When he reached her, he turned his head from right to left and then gave a long, anguished neigh. The pony nudged her, and she caressed his white mane by rote before realizing he was looking for Amelia.

  Oh, God—she was going to have to tell her little girl she couldn’t see Carrot anymore.

  Suddenly, it was too much. She put her face in her hands and started crying.

  Flynn’s arms went around her. She heard a loud curse from Trevor, and a murmur of something she couldn’t make out from his father.

  “Come on, babe,” Flynn whispered. “You don’t want to be here anymore.”

  She pulled herself together and stumbled into the car. The last thing she saw was Tom leading Carrot to the barn, yanking on the lead rope when the pony bucked him, his head looking forlornly in their direction.

  The home she’d had was gone for good.

  Chapter 31

  Clara didn’t like any of the options on the table for Annie.

  The despicable lawyer representing Tom—that Eric fellow—had called with a bunch of legalese bull about Annie abandoning the business when she’d left the previous day with the girls, Tom’s granddaughters. Thank God, Trevor was there to act on her behalf, although he’d mostly just listened and asked Eric for clarification on Tom’s terms.

  Tom would be willing to reopen the lab if Annie and her family returned to the farm. As for the Merriam holiday order, he wouldn’t stand in the way of it going forward since it was a preexisting legal contract. Clara knew he didn’t want to get sued. But Annie wouldn’t be able to finish the order if she didn’t have access to the lab. She also couldn’t do any other business.

  The man was holding her
hostage, and Clara didn’t like it one bit.

  “My dear,” Arthur said, as Hargreaves drove them to Flynn’s current residence on their way back from the Wingates’ to freshen up, “I can hear the wheels turning. Want to talk about it?”

  She’d thought about the situation all day after Tom had barred Annie from the lab. Trevor had talked to Eric with Annie, and afterward, he’d suggested she move forward with hiring a lawyer. She’d chosen Matt Hale in the end, as much as for Arthur’s family connection as his pro bono offer, but Clara knew hiring him was going to put them down a difficult path.

  “It’s going to take years to fight Tom,” Clara said, fingering her diamond bracelet, the cold ice a comfort.

  “That’s the law for you,” Arthur said. “Justice is slow. Sometimes good wins. It’s not a perfect system, but it’s better than nothing. Why do I feel like you’re thinking about something else?”

  “Annie was crying over that poor pony,” she said, still shocked at how affected she’d been. “Amelia will cry too once she realizes what’s happened. Right now, she thinks they’re vacationing at Flynn’s.”

  “They’ll get through it,” Arthur said, “although Tom’s behavior has been downright cruel. June must be upset.”

  “Hargreaves held her as she wept today,” she said, meeting her faithful friend’s eyes in the rearview mirror of the car. “Her whole world has been turned upside down too. She’s committed to divorcing Tom. She doesn’t know what she’ll do or where she’ll live. Oh, Arthur, no woman should be so uncertain about her future.”

  “No one should be, period, and yet it happens,” he said, grabbing her hand. “People lose jobs out of the blue. Spouses die. An earthquake hits. Clara, it’s what we do to help each other that counts. So if you’re thinking along those lines, keep thinking. I seem to recall you coming up with a brilliant business scheme to help Michaela and Boyd. You have any ideas here?”

  She made a fist and laid it on her knee. “I do. Hargreaves, will you please detour to Tom Loudermilk’s farm? I want to see him.”

  Arthur didn’t question her, dear man. He just leaned back against the seat and said, “I guess we can be late for family dinner. Do you want me with you?”

  “No, I think it would be best if Hargreaves accompanied me this time,” she said, gazing at his dear face. “If he’s willing.”

  “As you wish, Madam.”

  “I’ll stay in the car then,” Arthur said, “unless you want me to turn horse thief and steal the pony. They don’t hang people for that these days, so I might be willing. I don’t want Amelia to cry any more than you do, dear.”

  “No one is going to cry,” she said, hoping that would be the case. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”

  Instead of parking at Annie’s house, Hargreaves took them down the drive around the barn to Tom and June’s two-story white farmhouse. There was only one light on in the entire house, and even that light was muted. The Christmas lights hadn’t been removed, but they also hadn’t been lit. A figure the size of an ox appeared in the window, somehow scarier in the darkness. She steeled herself as the car came to a stop.

  “We’ll be back shortly,” she told Arthur, kissing him on the cheek as Hargreaves opened the door.

  Arthur leaned out after she exited. “Hargreaves, I’m counting on your karate skills should you need to protect my wife. I’ll be there in a moment’s notice if you call for me.” When he closed the door, he cracked his window to make his point. The engine was still running, so he wouldn’t turn into a Popsicle, dear man.

  Hargreaves took her arm since there would likely be icy spots on the path to the door. “I don’t expect any violence,” she told him.

  “No matter, Madam. As you know, I am prepared for all eventualities.”

  “For that I am most grateful.”

  When the front door opened, she said, “Mr. Loudermilk, a moment of your time please.”

  Tom stood like a giant in the doorway, trying to intimidate her with his size. “I have nothing to say to you, Clara. My lawyer is doing all my talking.”

  “So I hear.” She drew herself up like she used to when talking to her first husband, also a bully. If this bastard thought he could scare her, he was in for a rude awakening. “I don’t need you to talk back. Let me say my piece, and I will be off.”

  “Or what?” Tom ground out. “This is my land, and you’re trespassing.”

  If he wasn’t going to be reasonable, then she would pull out the first arrow in her arsenal. “Or I will return from this place and share your answer, with your granddaughters listening. Do you want them to think even worse of you than they do now?”

  He slammed the screen door open hard enough that it thwacked on the house. “My granddaughters know I love them. That’s why I want them back home. This is where they belong.”

  “May I come inside?” she asked, aware Hargreaves was right behind her.

  “Didn’t I open the screen door?” He stepped back. “June’s not here to offer you anything, but this isn’t a social visit anyway.”

  She walked in and stopped in the entry, Hargreaves closing the door behind them. Tom crossed and flipped on the light in the entryway, illuminating the festively decorated stair posts. Needlework sayings and an old quilt hung on the walls—June’s doing, Clara knew. Facing Tom, she took his measure. The grooves around his mouth were harsh, but his eyes were both mean and wary. He wasn’t sure what to expect of her. Good.

  “I’ve come to buy Carrot,” she said without preamble.

  He crossed his arms across his overalls. “Why would you need a pony?”

  “I don’t,” she said, “but your granddaughter considers that pony her best friend. Should this legal situation continue—which it will because Annie will not allow you to force her back to this farm—you can bet that little girl is going to realize Carrot is lost to her forever. We’ve kept her busy reading her books and playing with her outside today, but soon she will be weeping for that little pony. I aim to prevent that. Will you sell him? I will give you a fair price right now.”

  He stared at her, and she knew she had the advantage. Bullies didn’t like it when someone surprised them. They liked to be in charge.

  “That pony belongs on this farm. Like my granddaughters.”

  She gave him her best withering glance. “That, Mr. Loudermilk, is no longer an option. What we seem to have here is a misunderstanding of the female of the species.”

  “A what?” He shifted on his feet, a further sign she was making him off-balance.

  “You seem to think that you can bully Annie into returning with her girls by denying her access to her lab. That isn’t an effective strategy. While she may want access to her lab and everything in it, she isn’t going to cave to your demands. Legally, you have admitted to fraud in front of my husband, an esteemed journalist, as well as Gertie, who is respected in this town.”

  His mouth twisted. “It’s my word against yours, Eric said.”

  “Your lawyer also admitted to fraud in front of two witnesses. Trust me, Mr. Loudermilk, witnesses matter in court, and the ones Annie’s lawyer are going to call both outnumber you and outshine you.”

  “So I’m not as slick as you city folk, what with your mink coat and your diamonds. But this case will be tried in the great state of Ohio. We don’t like your kind.”

  Clara pitied people who saw anyone different from them as outsiders or threats. In a million years, she’d never understand such a limited perspective. “That may be true, but your granddaughters will hear about the case. They already have said they think their mother should have what she’s worked so hard to build. They aren’t stupid children, Mr. Loudermilk. Do you really want to become a villain to your own grandchildren?”

  She let her words sit for a moment, her ears picking up on the sound of a clock ticking close by.

  “I don’t have children,” she continued. “My first husband and I tried, but it simply didn’t happen. It’s something I regretted un
til recently. My nieces and nephews have filled that void. If you continue down this path, I fear your grandchildren will be lost to you forever. It certainly looks as if June is. As someone who spent many years alone because of a family rift over a business matter, I can assure you it’s a very miserable existence.”

  He said nothing, only looked down at his work boots, so she waited again, letting the silence lengthen. The ticking of the clock sounded louder now, and she watched as his mouth worked, as if he was fighting with himself over how to respond.

  “I would like to buy the pony,” Clara repeated. “If you’re willing to sell, I would also buy your shares in Annie’s company. But I suspect such an arrangement wouldn’t redeem you in your grandchildren’s eyes. Those shares rightfully belong to Annie, and by refusing to return them to her, you are hurting her ability to support your grandchildren. To put food on their table and clothes on their backs. I don’t know about you, but that is something I would find very hard to forgive. The more time that passes and the more legal actions you take against their mother, the more unforgiveable your deeds become.”

  “You let me worry about that,” Tom shot back. “They’re kids. They’ll get over it.”

  “Get over it?” She knew it was time to play hardball. “You underestimate the impact of your actions. They call into question your very character, sir. If it comes to it, I will personally see to it that the entire great state of Ohio knows what you’ve done to your own family, starting with this town you call home. And I know several ladies who’d also like to make sure the townspeople’s hearts are turned against you. Gertie and the others are siding with June, and you darn well know it.”

  “They’re a bunch of busybodies, and I’ll tell anyone who says otherwise.” He gestured rudely with his hand. “As for the pony, take him. He’s always been worthless except for racing after that silly girl anyway. I’ll even let you use my horse trailer to haul him with some grain.”