by Aubree Lane
It was time to get home and move Annie H. Designs into the new office that Mr. B. had procured for her. Phoebe was hoping to coast on Annie’s coattails for a while by keeping the business named Annie H. Designs. After she made a name for herself, she’d see if she wanted to change it. By then, Annie might want the name back and start another designing business here on Oahu.
The karaoke finale actually came from the therapist-in-law, Frank, who brought down the house by singing his rendition of a tune called Sick In The Head.
Chapter 27
Judge Theresa Sanchez had been delayed, so they waited for the hearing to begin out on the courthouse steps in the hot June sun. Everyone was edgy. Erika’s fate was in the judge’s hands, and there was little else anyone could do to ensure that today had a positive outcome.
Erika’s presence had been requested. Judge Sanchez wished to speak with her directly, despite a multitude of reports from various doctors and social workers stating that living with Hannah had not been suitable, and that her living conditions needed to be stabilized.
Larry and Marissa were confident Judge Sanchez would do everything in her power to make sure Erika was raised in a happy, healthy environment. Meaning, she would grant sole custody to Larry and not to Hannah.
• • •
David paced nervously. So far Hannah had not shown up, but he would not relax until it was all over. He tracked her down in Montana and asked her some particularly poignant questions about her childhood. To her credit, Hannah had been blunt and brutally honest when she confirmed what he already suspected. Her father abused and molested her for most of her life.
When he asked pointblank if Alexander ever molested Erika, she assured him that he had never been left alone with her, and although it wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility, it was highly unlikely. Hannah might not have been able to stand up to him for herself, but she sure as hell wasn’t going to let him touch her baby, a feat she was immensely proud of. It was more than a lot of other abused kids were able to do once they were grown, a fact she recently discovered in one of the group sessions she attended with her mother.
David wanted to prod her for more information, he wanted to ask how the reunion with her mother was going and how she was holding up, but he let it alone. Hannah had been through enough, and she looked a wreck. Her once flowing blonde hair had been chopped off in uneven chunks. She wore no makeup and the bags under her eyes were so dark she looked as if she hadn’t slept for weeks. David decided to proceed with caution. He didn’t want to do anything that would send her over the edge. He had what he needed. She had protected Erika in the past, and he had every reason to believe she would do so again.
• • •
Marissa’s palms were sweaty, but not from the heat. She never dealt with a case so weighty and personal before. Her little sister’s welfare depended on her. The burden rested squarely on her shoulders, and she found herself plagued with anxiety and self-doubt.
Tucked inside her briefcase were appeal papers ready to be filed in case things didn’t go their way.
• • •
Larry paced uneasily. His eyes kept darting back and forth. It was his tell. His nervous tick. He patted his breast pocket repeatedly, needing constant reassurance that the package he carried was still safe upon his person.
• • •
Terence kept Erika occupied in the grass as far away from the other adults as possible. His stomach was in knots, and he hadn’t been able to eat. Terence’s role today was minimal. He was present for the sole purpose of having his fatherhood status stripped away from him permanently. Unless Judge Sanchez threw another Hail Mary pass his way, which was highly unlikely, Larry would undoubtedly be awarded custody.
He missed Annie.
She adamantly refused to come back to California with them. She used her new Jamoka Jack Coffee Cart, which she took downtown each morning, as an excuse to stay on Oahu. He needed her moral support, but he thought he understood. She wasn’t ready to confront Marissa. Both Annie and Marissa refused to discuss the subject with him. David was also tight-lipped on the issue. Knowing he would never get any information out of Larry, he hadn’t even bothered to ask. Terence had been left in the dark once again, and he didn’t like it.
On the outside, everything seemed to be coming together. He and Annie were better than ever, but inside he was waiting for the other shoe to drop. Annie would leave him, or Larry would decide to ban him from ever seeing Erika again. He couldn’t shake the feeling that something ominous was about to happen.
• • •
Erika didn’t have a care in the world. She wanted to stay in Hawaii with her new and improved family, and that was what she was going to tell the judge. Larry showered her with attention, and he listened to her, even more than her daddy and Aunt Lena did. He was a nice old man, but he wasn’t her daddy, and Erika didn’t think she’d ever be able to see him in that light.
• • •
A white Lexus pulled up and parked illegally in front of the courthouse. Hannah opened the car door and stepped out. Tucked under her arm she carried a package wrapped in brown paper.
David was the first to spot her. He hurried down the steps to intercept her ascent.
“What are you doing here?” he whispered harshly. “We have an agreement.”
Hannah pushed past him and continued on her course. “Relax. This has nothing to do with you.”
“I’m warning you, Hannah, if you do something to mess up our plan…” He stepped in front of her and blocked her path.
“Back off,” she hissed. “I just want to see Erika for a moment.”
David was impressed with the woman’s transformation. She had pulled herself together. Her hair had been professionally styled and her makeup was flawless. He hesitated, but David knew if she was determined to screw things up, there wasn’t anything he could do to stop her. He released a resigned sigh and let her pass.
“Damn, damn, damn,” Marissa muttered under her breath when David was within ear shot.
He wrapped a comforting arm around his shaky wife. “She says she just wants to see Erika.”
“I don’t like it. She’s up to something.”
Larry patted his daughter’s shoulder. “No matter what happens, we’ll deal with it. We always planned on arguing our case in court. Hannah’s reappearance doesn’t change a thing.”
• • •
Terence watched Hannah walking towards them and thought he was going to be sick. His second worst fear just materialized. Hannah was going to fight for Erika.
He tapped Erika on the shoulder and pointed at her mother.
“Mom,” Erika gasped and immediately ran to her. She jumped into Hannah’s waiting arms and was instantly wrapped up in her mother’s love.
“I missed you,” Hannah cooed as her warm moist tears fell upon her daughter’s neck. She set Erika down and kneeled in front of her. She held Erika’s hands so tightly it hurt. “Tell me the truth,” Hannah said firmly. “Are you happy with Larry and Terence?”
Since being back in Hawaii, Erika had hardly given her mother a thought, now she was torn. Her eyes filled with tears knowing her mother was going to leave her again. “Don’t go.”
Hannah squeezed Erika’s hands tighter. “I’m sorry, baby, but you know I can’t take care of you. I talked to Larry. He says I can come and see you whenever I want, and you can call me anytime.” She pressed a piece of paper into Erika’s aching fingers. “This is my new phone number. I’ll always love you and I’m going to miss you a ton, but for right now, I have to go.”
Erika nodded, but she couldn’t listen anymore. Her mother was abandoning her again. She pulled her hands away and ran back to Terence. He picked her up, and she buried her face in his shoulder.
Terence reluctantly carried her back to where Hannah still stood.
Hannah handed him the package.
“What’s this?”
She dabbed her face carefully, trying to preserve he
r makeup and delicately sniffed, “A wedding gift.”
Terence nodded and realized he had absolutely nothing to say to the woman who caused him so much pain and suffering.
After a few more moments of awkward silence, Hannah reached out and patted the back of Erika’s head. “I’ll see you, baby.” Then she turned and walked back over to the steps and down towards her car.
• • •
Larry hurried after her. “Hang on a minute,” he yelled. “I’ll walk you down.”
Hannah stopped and waited for him to catch up. Having regained her composure, she smiled and waved boldly at Marissa, then hooked arms with Larry and proceeded toward the Lexus.
Larry opened the car door, and Hannah ducked inside.
Just before Larry swung the door closed, he handed Hannah an envelope.
David smiled and bit back a laugh. If what he suspected was true, then the envelope Larry had just given Hannah contained a great deal of money. Hannah had double dipped them. He admired Hannah’s gumption, between whatever Larry had just given her and the contribution Annie made, Hannah would be able to live comfortably for quite some time.
“Is something funny?” Marissa asked, interrupting his thoughts.
The laugh broke through, and he quickly kissed his suspicious wife to stop her inquiries. If everything else went well today, he hoped she would forget to drill him on his sudden unexplained joyfulness.
Hannah’s car drove away, and Larry returned to his place beside Marissa.
A clerk stepped outside and motioned for their attention. “Mrs. Crandall, Mr. Wright, Judge Sanchez asked me to invite you and your party to wait in the conference room, it seems she will be a while longer.”
“I would love that,” Marissa said, looking at her father.
Larry nodded and gripped her arm. “David, could you get Terence and Erika please?”
“You got it, Pops,” he quipped lightly.
Larry’s brow furrowed, and he shot David a confused look. Marissa’s eyes grew wide and slightly horrified. David grinned at the both of them and headed for the grassy knoll.
Terence stepped forward. “Is it time?”
David couldn’t keep the conspirator’s smile off his face. “It’s time all right. I think Erika needs a treat at that ice cream shop down the street.” He reached out and grabbed Terence’s shoulder, suddenly deadly serious. “Don’t bring her back here. We’ll come and get you when it’s all over.”
Terence’s eyes narrowed. “What’s going on?”
David shook his head. “Sorry, you’re just going to have to trust me one more time.”
• • •
Terence pursed his lips so tightly together that his mouth formed a thin line. If the request had come from anyone else, they would have had an argument on their hands. He was being left out in the cold again, but David had always played it straight with him, and for some reason he knew trusting him was the right thing to do. “Fine,” he growled before he turned back to his daughter.
• • •
Once Terence and Erika were on their way, David turned and headed back up the courthouse steps.
It was show time.
Chapter 28
“Where are they going? They need to stay with us.” Larry Wright demanded upon David’s return.
David wrapped an arm around his father-in-law and steered him inside. “Erika is bored and thirsty. Don’t worry, they’ll be along shortly.” There was a sharp nervous intake of breath behind him. David glanced back to make sure his wife was up for the challenge they were about to face.
Marissa pressed her lips together and nodded gravely.
“They better not take too long,” Larry complained as they followed the clerk to the conference room.
After the clerk opened the door, she stepped aside and allowed the trio to enter. She closed the door firmly behind her, leaving Larry Wright with his mouth agape and a stunned expression on his face.
On the other side of a long conference table sat Annie and Hannah, side by side.
Hannah’s wardrobe had changed. She and Annie were dressed alike in power-red pantsuits.
“What’s going on?” the older man bellowed.
Annie was the first to stand up and be counted. “We’re conducting an intervention on Erika’s behalf.”
Lawrence Wright’s face turned red with anger and he turned to leave. “Let’s get out of here, Marissa.”
Instead of following her father, Marissa stepped towards the table and sat down beside Hannah.
Larry was shocked. The three women were dressed in identical outfits. He quickly came to the conclusion they had banded together against him. David stepped close to the table, and Larry got a quadruple whammy. David was wearing a matching red shirt. Larry had been ambushed.
He racked his brain trying to remember what Terence had on. He came up blank. “Terence is in on this, too!” he accused. “That’s why he took Erika away.”
Hannah calmly adjusted her lapel. “He doesn’t know anything about this. You should know him well enough by now to realize that he would never participate in something like this. He’s more of a I can handle it myself kind of guy.” She looked Larry straight in the eye and cocked her head. “But you don’t know him, do you? You’ve been so busy trying to scam the poor guy into believing he’ll always be a part of Erika’s life that you haven’t taken the time to see what a good person he truly is and to realize he doesn’t have a deceptive bone in his body.” She stood up and pointed an accusing finger at him. “Well, I’m here to tell you right now, Lawrence Wright, that my daughter will grow up in a stable household and that Terence Javier will always be a part of it, or I will go into that courtroom and fight like a madwoman for my baby.”
Larry let go of his anger. It was a tactical move to give him a little time to figure out exactly what he was up against. “And how do you plan on doing that, especially with your history?” Then he leveled a glare at his daughter. “By the way, Marissa, you’re fired.”
Hannah sat down and let Marissa take the floor. “Actually, Daddy, you are the one who’s fired. You are about to become a non-practicing partner in the firm and allow me to take control.”
Larry smiled. His daughter was tough as nails to the very end. He had taught her well. “And how do you intend to accomplish that?”
Marissa sat down and Annie took over.
She tossed a folder across the table in his direction. “We have rented a small home for you on Oahu. It’s located just down the street from Terence. If you find it fits your needs, you have the option to purchase it. It has been freshly painted and furnished, and it’s ready for your immediate occupation.”
Larry chuckled. “You have wasted a lot of time and money. I have no intention of moving.”
Annie shot him a sardonic smile. “Not yet, but you will.”
Larry was tired of standing. He wasn’t a child to be reprimanded. And these three women weren’t about to boss him around. It was time to level the playing field. He walked around the table, grabbed the empty chair next to Annie, and positioned it opposite the girls. He sat down and prepared for battle. His expression was calm, but his mind scrambled to stay on top of the situation. “That’s powerful talk, ladies, but I doubt you can back it up. You can’t force me to do a thing.”
The door behind the women opened and Larry watched Eleanor make her entrance. Her attire followed the same strict dress code of the day.
“Maybe they can’t,” she said, standing behind Hannah and placing one hand on Marissa’s shoulder and her other hand on Annie’s, which completed a protective semi-circle around Hannah. “But I can.” Eleanor smiled at him sweetly. “I would think twice about your next move, Mr. Wright. I’ve been in your employ for many years and have been privy to quite a few secrets, which I’ll be happy to share if you choose not to cooperate with us today.”
Eleanor’s appearance shook Larry to the core. “Elly, what’s this Mr. Wright business? I thought we were past that?”
She nodded. “For a brief time we were, but not any longer.”
Larry fought to regain his composure. He leaned back in his chair and stared at the women in front of him. In a slow, strong tempo, he began clapping his hands together. “Well then, that was a brilliant piece of acting you did this morning. Here, I thought I was screwing you, but it turns out, you were screwing me. I bow to your superior ability to mislead and lie,” he spat out coldly.
Eleanor gasped at the insult but held her ground. “I learned from the best. Personally, I thought we were screwing each other. Now before this digresses into a name calling contest, I suggest we lay all our cards out on the table and get this over with one way or another.” She smoothed her hair with her fingertips. “As I was saying, I have worked for you for an exceedingly long time, and I recall an incident which happened just before your partnership with Alexander Turner was dissolved. Would you care to take a stab at what I’m referring to or shall I continue?”
“I fear I’m at a loss, Eleanor. I don’t have any idea what you’re talking about. So please, continue. Let’s see if you have what it takes to take me down.”
Hannah gripped the table, unable to maintain her silence any longer. Her knuckles turned white under the pressure. “You knew,” she whispered harshly. Hannah cleared her throat. Her voice shook when she spoke, and her face turned white as a ghost. “You knew, and you did nothing.”
Larry’s chair snapped to an upright position. His eyes grew wide and all the color drained from his face.
David tossed a folder on the table. “I figured it out, and Hannah confirmed everything. You were fully aware of a certain situation, yet you stood back and let it continue.” He leaned over the table and came nose to nose with his father-in-law. “At this point, Marissa doesn’t know what we are talking about, but that can change in a heartbeat. Once this information comes to light, your chances of winning custody of Erika won’t be looking quite so pretty.”