by Cate Beauman
“Thank you, Detective.” She hung up and took the final two envelopes from the dwindling stack of mail and pulled the pieces of paper out.
Mine companies in Eastern Kentucky appear to be some of the biggest offenders of shortcuts.
…employees will pay in grave numbers for the lack of local, state, and federal oversight.
“Reagan?” Jenny knocked on her half-open door.
She gathered up the small slips and shoved them under her stack of bills. “Come on in.”
“I’m sick.”
She stood and walked to the pale girl. “What doesn’t feel good?”
“My stomach.”
She pressed her hand to Jenny’s forehead. “You don’t have a fever.”
“Every time I think about goin’ in front of the judge I feel worse.”
She smiled sympathetically. “It sounds like a bad case of nerves, honey.”
Jenny sat on the bed. “I don’t know if I’m gonna be able to do this.”
She sat next to her, taking her hand. “Of course you are. I’ll be right there with you.”
“I guess I just don’t see much point if Mommy already said no.”
“This is an emancipation case. My attorney wanted to remind us both that just because your mother has decided to object doesn’t necessarily mean the judge will. He’ll be looking at what’s best for you.”
“Shouldn’t your attorney be there today? I mean wouldn’t that help?”
She shook her head. “She assured me it wouldn’t make a difference. She took care of helping us file the appropriate paperwork. Judge Thompson will want to hear from you and me.”
“I’m just feelin’ all mixed up inside.”
“About leaving?”
She shook her head. “No. I’m still shook up over yesterday, but I know for sure I wanna get out of The Gap more’n anythin’.”
“Then we’re going to go to court and hope the judge sees things from our point of view.”
Jenny sighed. “I’m real afraid he won’t.”
“We’ll give it our best shot, but no matter what happens today, you and I are leaving here together one way or the other.” She nudged Jenny’s shoulder with her own. “How about we focus on that?”
She nodded. “Okay.”
“How do you feel about warm blueberry muffins for breakfast, then I’ll braid your hair. I can make a pretty side French braid bun.”
She raised her brow. “A French braid bun?”
“Sure. We’ll pull down a few wisps right about here,” She pointed just below Jenny’s temples, “and add a hint of curl for a mature, capable, and sophisticated look.”
“Will you help me pick out an outfit too?”
“Definitely. What about the fitted gray slacks with that white-cuffed shirt?”
“I could dress it up with some of my new jewelry.”
“Perfect.” She winked. “By the time we leave the judge’s chambers he won’t be able to say no.” She hoped that was true.
Jenny smiled. “I guess maybe my stomach feels a little better.”
“Well let’s go fill it with food before Ms. Faith wakes up.” She wrapped her arm around Jenny as they started down the hall.
~~~~
Reagan sat next to Jenny in the small room off the judge’s chambers, wearing her black tailored slacks and matching nipped-waist blazer while they waited their turn to speak with Judge Thompson. She slid a glance at her watch again, this time with the pretense of brushing several strands of her loosely curled hair behind her ear. She was certain time had somehow slowed down.
Faith cooed as she sat on Reagan’s lap, crinkling the butterfly in her favorite sensory book while Jenny flipped through yet another magazine too fast to actually read any of the articles among the pages.
Huffing, she set the issue of Time on the side table and picked up a copy of Better Homes and Gardens. “This is takin’ forever.”
Of course she’d been thinking the same thing but smiled wryly anyway. “We’ve only been here for ten minutes, and we still have a few more to go.”
Jenny rolled her eyes. “I just want to get this over with.”
The door leading to the courthouse hallway opened, and much to Regan’s dismay, Mrs. Hendley walked in wearing a knee-length green skirt and white blouse, with Pastor McPhee at her side.
“Mommy,” Jenny said, sitting up taller in her chair as Chase stood from the last available seat.
“Got yourself all fancied up with makeup I see.” Mrs. Hendley’s voice tightened with disapproval as she shook her head. “Paintin’ yourself up only leads to trouble, and you’ve already got plenty of that—”
“Jessie,” Pastor McPhee interrupted with a hand on Mrs. Hendley’s shoulder, “please be comfortable while we wait.” He gestured to the chair Chase had vacated as he sent Reagan a courteous nod.
She returned his gesture, adding a small smile as she studied him, wondering what part he played in his family’s dirty business, for surely he was a participant. At a minimum, he knew what was going on at Corpus Mining.
Faith cooed, and Reagan turned the page for the baby, helping her brush her hand down the faux red fur of the caterpillar’s body. “Soft,” she said close to Faith’s ear.
“Shirley and me cleared out a nice space for you and your girl last night,” Mrs. Hendley spoke up again. “Your sister’s lookin’ forward to havin’ you back.”
Jenny set down the magazine with a small snap. “I don’t want to go back. I won’t be bringin’ my girl to your house.”
“Keep it cool,” Chase muttered as he stood close by in the corner.
The judge’s secretary came out of her office. “Judge Thompson is ready to see you.”
They stood as the hallway door opened again.
Reagan did a double take when Shane walked in with a duffle bag slung over his shoulder, looking gorgeous in khaki slacks, a white button-down, and a sage-green tie. “Shane,” she whispered as her heart pounded with the rush of longing.
“Shane!” Jenny rushed forward and launched herself into his arms. “You’re here! I can’t believe you’re here.”
“Hey, kid.” He hugged her back as he held Reagan’s gaze across the room.
She pulled away, grinning. “What are you doin’ here?”
“Did you really think I would miss your big day?” He took her hands, stepping back. “Looking spiffy.”
“Reagan helped me.”
Their eyes met again. “Hey,” he said.
He was here. For weeks she’d yearned for him, and he was standing right there. “Um, hey.”
“Sir, who are you?” Judge Thompson’s secretary asked.
“Shane Harper, security for the Appalachia Project.”
“I thought he was security.” She pointed to Chase.
He dug in his back pocket for his wallet, flashing his credentials. “We both are.”
“Sir, this is a closed-chamber session. You’ll have to wait out here with your coworker.”
“Actually,” he walked over to the older woman and murmured something.
She nodded. “Okay. Everyone, come on in.”
The group, minus Chase, walked into the Judge’s chambers.
Shane bumped into Reagan’s back in the cramped space. “Sorry.”
“That’s okay,” she said as she looked over her shoulder, breathing him in, still in shock that he’d come back for Jenny’s hearing.
“Have a seat, everyone,” Judge Thompson said.
Jenny took Faith when she started to fuss and gave her the bottle they had at the ready as she sat in between Shane and Reagan on the couch.
“We’ve got quite a crowd here this morning,” Judge Thompson commented, looking surprisingly solid for a man in his sixties. He put on his glasses and stacked the papers on his desk. “We’re here for the Petition of Emancipation for Jenny Hendley.”
“Which I’m not akin too no more, sir,” Mrs. Hendley said.
“But I’m really wantin’ to go,
Your Honor,” Jenny spoke up.
Judge Thompson looked from Jenny to her mother. “We’re all here to determine what’s best for this young lady. Jenny, I’d like to hear from you first.”
She swallowed, looking at Reagan.
Reagan nodded her encouragement.
“Well, Your Honor, I just turned seventeen, and I’ve got a daughter of my own.” She gestured to Faith in her arms. “I’m wantin’ to leave The Gap since there’s not much of a future here. I passed my GED with distinction because Reagan and Shane helped me with my studyin’. I want to go to college and become a nurse. I’ve already been practicin’ my skills at the clinic with Reagan.” She licked her lips. “I, um, I can make a good livin’. I want to travel with my baby girl and have a nice house and put her in a school that’s better than the one I went to.”
Judge Thompson nodded. “Thank you, Jenny.” He looked at Jenny’s mother next. “Mrs. Hendley, your daughter has ambition and dreams for herself and her daughter. I’m hoping you can give me reasons why you’ve chosen to object to the emancipation.”
Mrs. Hendley squirmed in her chair as her cheeks turned pink. “Well, Sir, I’m thinkin’ the doctor there ain’t a good influence on Jenny. She’s got the devil in her with her quackery and dishonesty. She’s been fillin’ my girl with high ideas, and Jenny’s sinful enough all by herself—goin’ and lyin’ down with that Staddler heathen.”
Judge Thompson folded his hands on the desk. “What opportunities do you plan to provide for Jenny?”
“We’ve got a fine church about a mile away from the house, which our wonderful Pastor McPhee here runs. If you’ve got the Lord in your heart you’ve got all you need.”
“What about education?”
“Jenny’s got smarts. She can wait until she’s of age, then go on to school if that’s what she’s wantin’ to do.”
“How will I do that, Mommy?”
“Jenny, I’d like to ask the questions,” the judge said.
“Sorry,” she murmured.
“Doctor Rosner, you helped Jenny file her petition.”
“Yes, Your Honor, with the help of my attorney, Leona MacNamay.”
“I’ve read through the paperwork.” He leaned further forward in his seat. “What would an emancipation offer Jenny, in your opinion?”
She crossed her legs and gripped her clammy hands in her lap, well aware of the weight her response would have on Jenny’s case. “Your Honor, Jenny and I met by a twist of fate. Jenny’s sister, Shirley, sought my help the night Faith was born. Jenny struggled through a difficult labor that quickly turned into an obstetric emergency. During Faith’s delivery, she presented with shoulder dystocia, which resulted in Jenny losing a significant amount of blood. She came to stay with Mr. Harper and me at the cabin while she regained her strength—”
“And left,” Mrs. Hendley interrupted. “Jenny got her strength up and ran off.”
“Yes, she did,” Reagan admitted. “Jenny struggled with the overwhelming transition from childhood to parenthood, but being a young mother certainly can’t be easy, especially when there’s little to no support at home and few resources within the community. Jenny did leave for a while, trusting Mr. Harper and I to care for Faith, which we happily did. But the most important piece is that Jenny came back, determined to learn and help raise her daughter. Jenny is an amazing, warm, intelligent young woman who has taken on motherhood in a most admirable way. I’m very proud of her dedication to Faith and her desire to provide herself and her little girl with a solid future.”
Judge Thompson lifted another sheet of paper. “You would take Jenny and Faith with you to New York City?”
“Actually, I’m not certain we would return to New York.” She slid a look at Shane. “But wherever I go, I want Jenny and Faith with me.”
“You’re willing to take on the financial burdens that come along with two juveniles?”
“Absolutely.”
“My concern then is employment. If you don’t return to your position in New York, what will you do for income?”
“Your Honor, my credentials allow me the freedom to practice anywhere. I’m lucky to work in a lucrative profession and have several sizeable bank accounts that will keep us comfortable until I make a job decision. I would like to settle where we can get Jenny into a good school.”
“Has an institution been selected?” The judge looked from Jenny to Reagan.
Her shoulders tightened, deeply afraid her inability to answer would cost them Jenny’s freedom from The Gap. “Not yet, but—”
“Your Honor,” Shane interrupted, “if I could, I believe I have a solution.” He stood, handing over a sheet of paper he pulled from an envelope. “This is a copy of a notarized letter from Grant Cooke, Chief of Staff at Los Angeles General. He’s guaranteeing Jenny full-time employment and a full ride to Los Angeles University, where Jenny can take nursing classes.”
Jenny pressed her lips together as her eyes grew wide.
The judge scanned the paper.
“Also, Your Honor,” Shane said as he presented another paper, “this is a receipt showing Faith’s first year of childcare has been paid in full at the top facility in the Pacific Palisades area—close by my residence. Faith would be mere minutes away from my home where she and Jenny would have a room if they want one.”
The judge frowned. “Are you seeking guardianship, Mr. Harper?”
“I’m offering Jenny another option. There’s no future for her here, but there is in Los Angeles.”
“And how would that include Doctor Rosner?”
Reagan held Shane’s unreadable stare and cleared her throat, knowing he’d more than likely saved the day. “Um, my main concern is Jenny and Faith’s well-being. If Jenny wants to pursue this opportunity I’m confident Mr. Harper and I can work out the details to suit everyone’s needs.”
“Mrs. Hendley, has this information changed your mind?”
“No, sir. My daughter ain’t goin’ off to live with some man in sin.”
“Your Honor, this is not a romantic gesture in any way,” Shane added.
“Jenny, how do you feel?”
“I feel like my dreams are comin’ true. I’m gonna have a job. I get to go to school and give Faith what she deserves.”
“Your Honor,” Pastor McPhee spoke up, “I feel like I must speak up for Jessie, and by doing so for Jenny.”
“Okay.”
“As a man of God, and as a man who knows Jenny quite well, I’m going to speak from my heart. If I can be frank, Your Honor, I’m concerned Jenny’s been led astray by unsavory influences. The Gap certainly isn’t a large place, and opportunities are indeed limited, but Jenny’s family is there, as is the community who has supported and loved her for all of her seventeen years. In my opinion, I’m seeing a young woman who’s lost and under the influence of those who might not have Jenny’s best interests in mind. No one loves Jenny more than God Himself and her mother. Jessie has a lot to teach Jenny and Faith in the ways of our Lord, community, and family. College and jobs will be waiting for her in a year from now when she’s older and more capable of making sound decisions on her own.”
“Thank you, Pastor.” The judge looked at the papers again. “My concern now is the trouble at the Black Bear Gap Clinic Mrs. Hendley mentioned in her phone call with my clerk yesterday afternoon.”
“Pastor was nice enough to let me use his phone at the church,” Mrs. Hendley supplied.
Judge Thompson nodded. “Two cases of vandalism. One involving dead animals and crosses?” He looked at Reagan and Shane.
Reagan swallowed as her heart began to thunder. “Uh—”
“Your Honor,” Shane spoke up again. “As a member of The Project’s security team, I would like to address that.”
“Go ahead,” Judge Thompson invited.
“The vandalism issues in question are certainly troubling, but my coworker and I are confident that Doctor Rosner, Jenny, and Faith are safe under our watch. Both Chase and I a
re well trained as Close Protection Agents, as well as have backgrounds in Federal Law Enforcement. We’re working with Doctor Rosner and the director of the program to ease community tensions. Extra measures are also being taken to ensure the safety of our principals.
“It says in my notes here you and Mr. Rider are with Ethan Cooke Security,” the judge said, scanning the documents in front of him.
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“That name speaks for itself. Thank you, Mr. Harper.”
“You’re welcome.”
Judge Thompson stacked his papers again and Reagan held her breath, afraid that Shane’s assurances weren’t going to be enough. “After hearing everyone’s thoughts, I simply can’t come to a decision today.”
“But—” Jenny said.
“A parent’s rights are strong and binding. Mrs. Hendley has expressed her concerns; however, I’m gravely aware of the lack of opportunities here in the area for young women such as Jenny. Jenny has taken the GED and passed with distinction. Mr. Harper and Doctor Rosner are able and willing to provide both financial and emotional support to Jenny and Faith, as they’ve done since the birth of Jenny’s daughter. At this time I don’t believe Jenny is ready for emancipation, but a temporary guardianship is not out of the question until she becomes of age. I would like to review all of the evidence brought forward today with the help of a Guardian ad Litem. We’ll reconvene in two weeks for a final hearing.”
Reagan nodded. “Thank you, Your Honor.” She’d wanted Jenny and Faith out of The Gap today, but at least Judge Thompson hadn’t said no.
“Your Honor, I’d like Jenny to be comin’ on home with me. She can bring the baby,” Mrs. Hendley spoke up as she stood.
Jenny rushed to her feet. “No. If I have to go with you, I will, but Faith isn’t goin’ up to that house. It’s cold and dirty and no place for my baby girl.”
“She’s gotten a little too used to the finer things.” Mrs. Hendley shook her head.
“For the time being and considering the current unrest in The Gap, Jenny and Faith will remain in Doctor Rosner’s care under the watchful eye of Mr. Harper and Mr. Rider. That will be all for today.”