Winter Hearts

by A. E. Radley

  CHAPTER 25

  When she was finally called in just after 7:20, Emmie rose but didn’t move.

  “Ready?” Pam asked her as she also stood.

  Emmie smoothed her blouse and nodded.

  “Just like we talked about on the way over here.”

  Emmie looked around for Patrice. The other woman had stepped outside to take a call several minutes before and hadn’t reappeared. “Shouldn’t we wait?”

  The secretary beckoning to them again from the open doorway to the conference room, prompted Pam into motion. “Let’s go. She’ll catch up.”

  Pam led the way into the room.

  Emmie peeked around the taller woman as all the men in the room stood. As she stepped to the forefront, she saw Samuel Leto frown through his oversize, wire-rim glasses. He waved a hand toward Pam.

  “Who’s this?”

  Pam extended her hand to him. “Pamela J. Rogan. I’m Ms. Warren’s lawyer and I’ll be representing her at these proceedings.”

  Leto ignored her hand, pulled his glasses off and glared at Emmie. “There’s no need for lawyers here. This is simply a…simply a…”

  “A hearing?” Pam supplied.

  “I uh…I wouldn’t call it that!” He looked around helplessly at the rest of the board. No one returned his gaze.

  From a row of chairs near the back of the room, Kenneth Deaton rose. “May I address the board?”

  Leto gave him permission and resumed his own seat, but he left the two women standing.

  Deaton looked first at Pam then focused on Emmie. “I…we…I guess I mean the board…there are some concerns and we…they wanted to address those.”

  “You are?” Pam asked Deaton.

  “Dr. Deaton. He’s the Principal at the elementary,” Emmie answered for him.

  “Very well,” Pam began. “Dr. Deaton, let me ask you, is it the members of this board who have concerns involving my client, or is it just you?”

  It was Kenneth Deaton’s turn to look around the conference table at the men and women assembled there. Most returned his gaze, but no one spoke up. He walked toward the table and stopped just to the left of Wesley Trover. The two men looked at each other.

  Emmie swallowed hard, trying to push back the acidic taste rising in her throat. Trover was only a generation removed from his bed sheet wearing, Klan ancestors. He kept getting elected because no one dared run against him. Emmie had always given him wide berth at official functions, just on principal. Now he had ammunition to come after her.

  Trover broke the board silence. “Some things have come to our attention and we’d like to…uh…to hear from you, directly. Get the rumors out in the open and maybe even lay them to rest, little lady.” He pointed at the chair they’d left empty at the end of the table. “Why don’t you have a seat and we can talk like reasonable folks?”

  Pam put out a hand to stay Emmie. “First of all, you’ll address my client as ‘Ms. Warren’. Second, I’ll be doing all the talking. She’ll answer only when I instruct her to answer.” With that, Pam took a chair from the row Deaton had been sitting in and placed it next to the conference table chair. She indicated Emmie should take the new chair and she took the seat at the head of the table. She laid down a notepad and began to write the date and time at the top.

  Leto found his voice. “There’s no need to record any of what’s said here tonight. It’s all off the record.”

  Pam glanced at the board secretary who was noting every utterance and then addressed Leto, “We prefer to keep it all on the record.”

  Emmie couldn’t contain herself. “If it’s off the record, if nothing is official, why are we even here?”

  Pam shot her a warning glance.

  “No, let me say this. It’s Christmas. I’m sure we all have other things to do. I know I do. We’re here because whatever you had planned before I showed up with counsel, couldn’t wait a couple of weeks. Someone,” she tipped her head toward Deaton and Trover, “forced you all in here tonight, so let’s hear why.”

  Before anyone could respond, a commotion of voices rose from outside the windows that ran down the east wall of the room. Leto tried to speak but the sounds of cow bells and raised voices drowned him out.

  Sue Ellen got up from her seat on the east side of the table and moved the drapes enough to be able to peek out. “It’s getting dark, so it’s hard to see,” she said, “but it looks like there are several people out in the parking lot.”

  Leto directed her over the din, “Go out there and tell them to take their little party elsewhere. We’re trying to conduct serious board business in here.”

  Emmie gave Pam a knowing look and mouthed, “Patrice,” to her.

  Outside, the crowd was growing. The Merkel crew went into action after a text from Patrice, not five minutes after Pam’s vehicle had left the driveway.

  Cass called Cora and filled her in. She, in turn, rallied the rest of Emmie’s family, most of whom were already preparing for the drive to Merkel, and had them detour over to the school board offices instead.

  Neighbors started coming out of their homes on the usually quiet side street, to see what all the ruckus was.

  A man recognized Cora’s husband Fred and clapped him on the back. “Hey coach, great season!” he called out over the commotion. “To bad about the championship.”

  “Thanks,” Fred managed. “The boys did great. Gave it their all.” He trailed off, unsure what else to say.

  Another man walked over to the two of them. “Hey coach! Great game! Too bad we lost, but we’ll get ‘em next year!”

  “Thanks,” Fred said. “Appreciate the support.”

  “So what’s up here?” the second man called out. “Lotta racket!”

  “Board’s having an emergency meeting.”

  “Bout what?”

  Fred spread his hands. “Long story. The gist is they’re trying to drum my sister-in-law, Emmie Warren out now…tonight. She’s uh…she’s already resigned and she’s leaving at the end of the year.”

  “Drum her out?” The first man asked. “Ms. Warren? My youngest boy had her a couple of years ago. He was always all gaga over her.”

  “Don’t know her,” the second man said, “but that don’t seem right. Why would they do that in the middle of the year?”

  Fred looked down and mumbled, “They think…they think she’s gay.”

  “What’s that you said?”

  The doors opened and the board secretary, Sue Ellen Ryman stepped outside, waving her hands for calm. A hush went through the crowd as she walked into the lot.

  A normally reserved woman, Sue Ellen rarely raised her voice. As the gathering crowd quieted, she announced, “There’s been a special meeting of the school board called.” She looked back over her shoulder at the boardroom windows. Light filtered through the curtains of two of them. She chose her next words carefully. “With your cooperation, we hope it will be a very short meeting.” She winked at the people closest to her.

  The crowd roared.

  As Sue Ellen retreated back into the building, the second man addressed Fred again, “Did you say she’s gay?”

  When Fred didn’t answer, he went on, “Why the hell would they have a meeting about that? That’s not right.”

  Dusty Oakes heard part of the exchange between Fred and the other man. He didn’t know the man, but his words loosened the tightness in his chest. He worked his way to the front of the crowd and, standing where Sue Ellen had stood moments before, whistled the crowd quiet. “I’m Dusty,” he called out, “for those here that don’t know me.”

  Laughter rang out.

  He waved a hand to quell it. “What’s going on in there isn’t funny. This board is trying to railroad my daughter. I’m going to tell you what, it doesn’t matter what they do. I support my daughter and the new love of her life no matter what. We were supposed to be having a party tonight to celebrate Christmas, to celebrate friends and family. I say we have that party right here!”

 
The crowd yelled back its approval. It was all the incentive Rosa needed to start unloading the food and laying it out on tailgates around the little lot.

  “We’re not going to get anywhere with this,” Sue Ellen told the board from her vantage point by the windows. “They’ve brought in lights. Now neighbors are all coming out. Cars are pulling in. Someone put the word out.”

  The door opened, and Patrice walked in leading Barbara Shone and a few other teachers.

  “This is a closed meeting,” Leto said, as he jumped up and moved toward them.

  “They’re with us,” Pam said.

  Barbara smiled at Emmie. “And we’re not leaving,” she told Leto.

  Wesley Trover looked between Deaton and Leto. “We need to do what we came here to do.” He jerked a hand over his shoulder toward the windows. “Don’t let them scare you.”

  “And don’t let the voters scare you next election, Trover,” Patrice said.

  He smirked. “I’ll be unopposed, as usual.”

  “Don’t be too sure about that.”

  Leto went to the windows and opened a set of curtains a few feet. The light that poured out from inside stoked the energy of the crowd. When the people closest to the windows saw him, they rushed closer and taunted him. “Leave her alone Leto! Let her go!”

  He pulled the drapes closed quickly and turned back to the other board members. “Forget it. It’s a lost cause, no matter what we want to do. The tide is definitely against us tonight, and…it’s Christmas.”

  As Samuel Leto conceded defeat, inside, a light dusting of snow started to fall outside. Dusty Oakes looked up and smiled, taking it as a sign. He smiled at Trudy, who had joined him at his side, right after his little speech. “It’ll be gone before first light,” he said, “but it sure is a pretty sight.”

  CHAPTER 26

  Christmas Eve

  “Last chance,” Emmie said as she looked over at Cass. “Are you sure you want to do this?”

  “I wouldn’t miss it.” Cass leaned over, bussed Emmie on the lips and then turned and got out of her truck. Emmie took a deep breath and joined her for the walk up to the house.

  They walked into a melee of Oakes and Haines children. Seeing them, Seth ran to his mother and threw his little arms around her waist. “Mommy! I missed you today!”

  “I missed you too, buddy,” she said as she stooped to hug him. “I love you.”

  “I love you too.” He backed away and grabbed for her hand. “I made you something. You have to see it!” He started to tug at her, but then stopped and looked at Cass. He reached for her hand too. “It’s for both of you, for our tree. Come see!”

  Emmie tucked Seth in then tiptoed back to the door. She closed it softly and smiled at Cass who stood waiting in the hallway.

  “He’s so tired, but he’s so afraid he’s going to miss something.”

  Cass grinned. “Sounds like things are settling down, downstairs too. Everyone is leaving.”

  The door to Seth’s room creaked open and the boy peeked out.

  “Seth Jr.!” Emmie waved a finger at him. “I thought you were asleep. Santa Claus can’t come, if you don’t go to bed.”

  “But mom…we didn’t give you your present, yet.”

  “Yes, you did. That pretty sweater with the reindeer on it…”

  “Not that mom. Tell her Cass!” He held out a wrapped box about the size of a candy box.

  Emmie chuckled. “I suppose you want some of whatever’s in there? Is that what this is about?”

  Cass took the box from Seth and handed it to Emmie. “We were going to give you this tomorrow, but someone just couldn’t wait.” She reached over and ruffled the child’s hair.

  “Open it mommy!”

  Emmie untied the ribbon made of twined crepe and carefully unsealed the wrapping paper as Seth shifted from foot to foot, impatiently. She lifted the lid off the box. Inside was a framed picture of Cass and Seth, her standing behind him, her hands on his little shoulders. They both had on hats and boots. Seth held a coil of rope in one hand and the lasso end in the other.

  A tear formed in the corner of Emmie’s eye. She looked up at Cass and shook her head. “When…when did you do this?”

  “Grandma took it yesterday,” Seth said.

  “Rosa took this?” Emmie asked Cass.

  “Not Gran Rosa, mommy. Grandma Trudy. It’s for your desk at your new work.” Cass simply nodded.

  Emmie let her tears fall.

  “Why are you crying? Don’t you like it mommy?”

  Emmie stooped to hug her son. “I love it. Now scoot. Back to bed!”

  Back at home, Cass pulled a jewelry box out of the branches of their tree. “It’s not a ring…not yet,” she said.

  “No. No. I…it’s too soon.”

  Cass nodded as she opened the box to show Em the heart shaped locket inside. “It isn’t too soon for me to tell you that I love you.” She took the locked out of the box and let it dangle until the heart touched Emmie’s hand and she took it from her.

  “Does it open?”

  “Of course,” Cass said. She reached over and showed her. On one side was a picture of Seth from the chest up in his cowboy getup and on the other was Cass in hers, minus the hat this time.

  Cass turned Emmie around and clasped the locket around her neck. “So, you’ll always have the two of us with you, no matter what. I love you Em.”

  “I love you too.”

  “I knew I wanted to be with you the first time I saw you, standing at that lectern, calling out names.” Cass said.

  “No. You didn’t. It didn’t start then. I don’t believe you.”

  “Let me show you, then,” Cass said. She began kissing her lips, gently at first, but then deepening the pressure when Emmie melted against her.

  ABOUT ANNE HAGAN

  Anne Hagan is an East Central Ohio based government employee by day and author by night. She and her wife live in a tiny town that's even smaller than the Morelville of her Mystery fiction novels and they wouldn't have it any other way. Anne's wife grew up there and has always considered it home. Though it's an ultra-conservative rural community, they're surrounded there by family, longtime friends and many other wonderful people with open hearts and minds. They enjoy spending time with Anne's son, with their nieces and nephews and doing many of the things you've read about in her books or that will be 'fictitiously' incorporated into future Morelville Mysteries and Cozies series books. If you've read about a hobby or a sport in either series, they probably enjoy doing it themselves or someone very close to them does.

  For the latest information about upcoming releases, other projects, sample chapters and everything personal, check out Anne’s blog at https://AnneHaganAuthor.com/

  Are you interested in free books? How about free short stories? For those and all the latest news on new releases, opportunities to receive ARC copies, to Beta read and more, please consider joining Anne’s email list at: https://www.AnneHaganAuthor.com by filling in the pop up or using the brief form in the sidebar.

  Anne is the author of the Morelville Mysteries mystery/romance series of books featuring Sheriff Melissa ‘Mel’ Crane and Special Agent Dana Rossi. She’s also written the Morelville Cozies mystery series (a spin-off of the Morelville Mysteries featuring mothers Faye Crane and Chloe Rossi), and multiple romances featuring characters inside and outside of the world of Morelville.

  All of Anne’s work is available wherever eBooks are sold and also in paperback from many online retailers. Though most of her stories stand alone, Anne recommends that you read her books in the following order:

  Relic: The Morelville Mysteries - Book 1 (Free wherever eBooks are sold)

  Busy Bees: The Morelville Mysteries - Book 2

  Dana’s Dilemma: The Morelville Mysteries - Book 3

  Hitched and Tied: The Morelville Mysteries - Book 4

  Viva Mama Rossi!: The Morelville Mysteries - Book 5

  The Passed Prop: The Morelville Cozies - Book 1

&n
bsp; A Crane Christmas: The Morelville Mysteries - Book 6

  Mad for Mel: The Morelville Mysteries - Book 7

  Broken Women (A standalone romance featuring two characters from the mystery series)

  Healing Embrace (The sequel to Broken Women)

  Hannah’s Hope: The Morelville Mysteries - Book 8

  Opera House Ops: The Morelville Cozies - Book 2

  The Conjuring Comedienne: The Morelville Cozies - Book 3

  The Turkey Tussle: The Morelville Mysteries - Book 9

  Sullied Sally: The Morelville Mysteries - Book 10

  Finding Sheila: The Morelville Mysteries - Book 11

  Christmas Cakes and Kisses (A standalone romance featuring a character from the mystery series)

  Steamboat Reunion (A romance)

  Loving Blue in Red States - Standalone short stories and collections of them

  A Sweetwater Christmas - A novella based on the Loving Blue in Red States short story, Sweetwater Texas

  FULL CIRCLE: A MUST LOVE CHICKENS CHRISTMAS BY JEA HAWKINS

  PROLOGUE

  Very few things ruffled Esmerelda’s feathers. Having fewer bugs to dig and scratch for in the winter time wasn’t all that bad because she had plenty of feed in her dish. The featherless ones saw to that. The water being a touch colder didn’t hurt, because at least she didn’t have to peck through the ice. Again, the featherless ones ensured her comfort by making sure the water remained accessible. Even the rather startling crunch of boots over the snow as one of the tall, featherless ones approached wasn’t that bothersome.

  She especially liked it when the one with hair the color of fall leaves came into the pen and sat with her for a while. That one always gave her extra pets, smoothing down her feathers with a gentle hand. Though, lately, the featherless one had also taken to holding her, squeezing her body and getting her wet with warm little droplets that Esmerelda would ruffle off the moment they fell onto her feathers.

  Even still, it didn’t bother her much, as long as she got to rub up against those rough work boots and pants, receive a pat on the head, and a handful of feed.