by Elsie Davis
The Sweeter Side of Life bakery was still open, and Ashley would have loved to stop. The idea of a warm pastry was more than a little appealing since she hadn’t eaten enough to counter the today’s calorie burn based on all the steps she’d taken. If she’d worn her step counter, they would have sent her a new achievement award.
A few people said hello to her, but for David, it was an all-out social fest. People honked and waved, called out from across the street, some stopped to talk, others to pet Kojak. Downtown Hallbrook was like Grand Central station when it came to Chief Beckett.
A petite and attractive woman approached David, her smile and hug indicative of the closeness between the two. Ashley couldn’t help but hang back, trying to get a sense of the relationship between the two. Dressed in jeans and a blouse, her coppery-red hair pulled into a bun, oversized dangly silver hoop earrings, and with her makeup done to perfection, the woman was confident in her looks and attitude.
“David, it’s great to see you,” the woman gushed. “And here’s my big boy.” She reached down and patted Kojak affectionately. “When are you going to come over and provide stud services? Lulu’s ready again, and I can’t wait. You promised, remember?”
Ashley coughed. This was a conversation she’d didn’t want to hear. At all. She moved away, determined to miss his response. David Beckett was not the man she thought. Perhaps it was a good thing that things hadn’t worked out between them.
She passed the Peterson’s ice cream shop, the place known for the best ice cream in the county. Memories of hours hanging out there with David assailed her, and Ashley shoved them away.
A breeze started to pick up, blowing her hair in her face. She brushed it back with one hand so she could see what she was doing, leaning her head to one side to help keep it that way. She set the box down and tried to hold the flyer in place as she stapled, but the breeze made the effort more difficult.
“Here, let me help,” David said, coming to stand behind her and taking the flyer from her hands.
Ashley tensed. “I can do it,” she said, trying to take the paper from him.
“Why don’t I hold it in place, and you staple. Just please, avoid the fingers and thumbs. I don’t relish the idea of leaving one of them hanging on a light pole,” he teased.
Ashley wanted to wipe the grin right off his face. She brushed her hair behind her shoulder again. “I wouldn’t do it on purpose if that’s what you’re suggesting.” She looked up at him with raised eyebrows, sending the real message, that of course, she’d love nothing more than to do just that.
“What’s wrong?” David asked, stepping back to give her room to move around behind him. “I was teasing.”
“Are you and Miss Fancy Pants getting together soon? I wouldn’t want to interfere in your…um…private life.” Ashley hated that she’d even verbalized the comment, but part of her needed to know.
“Maxine? What?” A sudden light dawned in his warm brown eyes, and his grin grew maddeningly wider. “I promised her Kojak for stud services. Lulu is her dalmatian.” David shook his head, laughing.
How was she supposed to know? Okay, so maybe she shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions, but she had. Better to make the best of a bad situation and move on. “Oh, I see. That’s nice. We better get hanging these before the wind picks up anymore.”
Judging by her reaction to Maxine, Ashley was in over her head. And now, standing pressed against David’s back, her brain was turning to mush. Her breath hitched as she had to lean in close, trying to work around his shoulder to get close enough to the flyer to staple it to the pole without stapling his hand.
“This works much better.” He turned his face toward her, bringing them cheek to cheek. Kissing close.
Ashley froze, allowing herself to remember, willing him to kiss her. A car honked, snapping her out of the forbidden zone she’d entered. “Yes, it will work better. Maybe we can get through this faster, and I can get back to Cory. I’ve been gone all day.” It was a close save. If the car’s horn hadn’t interrupted, Ashley was afraid she might have made the first move and stolen the kiss anyway.
A paper flew off the top of the pile and down the sidewalk. Kojak chased after it, barking.
Woof. Woof. The dog proudly announced he’d captured the paper, holding it in place with his paw. They both laughed, and David moved forward to retrieve the paper and his dog.
Ashley shook her head, watching the two of them together. Man and his dog. David scratched Kojak behind the ears and dropped a kiss on his head. The two of them were close, best-friends close.
David and Ashley made their way through town, hanging up the flyers together, only stopping at Sally’s for a soda before heading to Glen Haven. They spent the next hour and a half finishing the task, including hanging some of the flyers on the main road headed toward Lancaster.
“I’m glad that’s done,” Ashley said when they’d hung the last of the flyers.
“Me, too. You want to get some dinner?” David asked as they climbed back in his truck.
A flush of warmth rippled down her spine, leaving her giddy with excitement that he’d asked. A date? Her brain was clearly in overload mode. “Thanks, but no. I need to get back to Cory. And without the festival flyers to keep our conversation going, I worry we’ll drift into a discussion about tomorrow morning, which I’m positive will not end well between you and me.”
“It’s just an injunction hearing. Whatever the judge rules will be fine by me.” David shrugged, reinforcing his words.
“Seriously?” How could she believe him when he was fighting her in court?
“I’ll do whatever I need to do. It’s my job, I keep telling you that. This isn’t personal, not for me anyway. I’m sure we can find things to talk about without crossing any forbidden lines.” He chuckled.
Ashley was tempted to say yes. It’s not like she was staying in town for long or would let herself fall in love with David again. Not that she’d necessarily ever fallen out, but well, she knew what she meant. She wasn’t going down that road a second time. “Fine. Then I agree. Let me pick up Cory from Tricia’s, and we can meet at O’Malley’s. Give me about half an hour. Tops.”
“That doesn’t make any sense. We live at the same address, in case you’ve forgotten. Let’s drop off your car, and we can pick up Cory and go to dinner together. There’s plenty of room for his car seat.”
It was unlikely she’d be forgetting they practically lived with each other. “But that would seem date like, and I’m positive that’s not such a good idea.” She looked at David, almost hoping he’d contradict her. She was a love-sick fool, or at the very least, turning into one again. As long as David didn’t realize it, she’d be okay.
“It’s not a date. It’s two friends going out to eat.” So much for a contradiction.
“So, we’re just friends?” Ashley asked, wanting to confirm his words.
“Absolutely. I wouldn’t have it any other way.” David took her arm and led her back to the truck.
And neither would Ashley. That had been the hardest part of everything. On top of losing the man she loved, she’d lost her best friend. Not having him in her life had left her empty and alone, especially after her mother died. California had been her chance to break free and start over. Leave the past behind.
And here she was, smack dab in the middle of her past. But not for long. A job would come along, and she’d pick up her feet and move on again.
Just her and Cory.
Chapter Nine
David might have consorted with the enemy last night, but it was difficult to think of Ashley that way. The evening had been friendly and fun, almost like old times, except for Cory. The kid was adorable, and it was hard for David not to think he could have been his son if he’d stayed with Ashley.
This morning was a different story. Today, they were due in court.
Dressed in his regulation uniform and armed for battle, he was ready to present the fire department’s case to the judge. It was
n’t often he found the occasion to wear the full uniform, preferring to stay more business casual amongst his peers. It helped that he was approachable when issues arose. It was all part of the community image the department tried to maintain.
Ashley’s car was already gone when he left the house, which didn’t surprise him, given her penchant for organization and promptness. Last night’s truce ended as they said goodnight, Ashley’s rejection of his offer to ride together more than proof.
David parked in front of the courthouse and spotted Ashley’s car a few spaces farther down the street, confirming she was already way ahead of him. He walked up the steps and made his way through the metal detectors and security checkpoint.
“Good morning, Bert. How’s the missus?” The middle-aged man worked full-time for the town and part-time as a volunteer at the fire department.
“She’s doing better. Dr. Duncan said it’s the flu. I’m staying far, far away.” Bert grinned.
“Good idea. Which courtroom is the judge using today?”
“2B. I checked the docket and saw the hearing for the injunction was today. The whole town is talking about it.”
“It’s not a big deal. The judge will make a ruling, and that’s the end of it.”
“The town doesn’t agree if you know what I mean,” Bert said, handing him back his personal belongings.
David didn’t know, but he was more than curious. Too curious not to ask. “What do you mean?”
“There’s talk about you and Ms. Stanton. There’s even a betting pool on whether the two of you will get back together.”
David shook his head. Such was life in a small town. “Which way did you bet?” There wasn’t any doubt in his mind Bert was in the pool.
He had the good graces to look embarrassed. “I’m on the wedding-bells side,” he admitted sheepishly.
“Hope you didn’t bet much because you’ll lose. Ms. Stanton’s leaving town, and I’m not on the market. Never have been, never will be. You should have asked me first.” It was David’s turn to grin as he walked away. Courtroom 2B waited.
Worn wooden planks formed the long corridor, echoing each step he took. The walls were lined with pictures of Hallbrook, dating back to the town’s incorporation and documenting the rich history over the past hundred plus years.
David entered the courtroom, his gaze landing on Ashley seated in the third row, Cory next to her. The little boy spun around and caught sight of him, waving as David moved down the aisle to sit next to him. Ashley glanced up, but remained silent, only nodding by way of acknowledgement to his arrival. She was in full defense mode.
“Hi, Mr. David. My mom is going to court to beat a bad guy. What are you doing here?” Out of the mouths of babes.
“The bad guy?” He frowned, glancing at Ashley. He hadn’t expected that from her.
She shrugged. “I didn’t call you a bad guy. I told him I was trying to stop the people who wanted to burn the forest.”
“Put like that, it’s not a big leap.” It bothered him more than he cared to admit that she’d put him in a bad light with Cory.
“Are you going to help beat the bad guy, Mr. David?” Cory asked, looking up at him for confirmation.
“No, I’m not. Apparently, I’m the bad guy.” David winked at Cory, hoping to lighten the impact of the biased view Ashley had presented to the four-year-old.
Cory’s face scrunched up in confusion. “You’re going to burn the forest? I thought you put out forest fires. Like Smokey the Bear.”
“I do. But occasionally, the fire department has to do what we call a controlled burn. It helps to keep the forest, the animals, and the people safe from wildfires that can get out of control.”
“I know what out of control is. Mom said that to me one time when I was racing through the house and wouldn’t stop. She didn’t like it.”
“Exactly. Your mom corrected you and made you stop to protect you from yourself.” He shot Ashley a glance, catching the firm set of her jaw. At least she wasn’t interrupting and was letting him explain to Cory. The kid might be too young to understand, but it was important he looked up to firefighters. Thinking they were the bad guys was bound to leave a lasting negative opinion. “It’s the same thing in the forest. The burning I’m doing is good burning, in order to protect something bad from happening. When you get older, you will understand.”
Cory looked back and forth between Ashley and him. “Why doesn’t my mommy want you to burn then?”
“She’s trying to protect the eagle she’s looking for but can’t find.”
“Just because I can’t find one, doesn’t mean it’s not there.” To her credit, she’d remained silent through the whole interchange, at least until now.
“Tell it to the judge.” David winked. He was trying to keep it light between them. No matter what the judge decided, they still had to work together on the festival setup, and they would still be friends. Or at least, he hoped so.
Ashley shook her head, a faint smile catching the corners of her mouth. “At least it doesn’t look like we’ll have to wait long, there’s no one else here.”
“Hallbrook is a small town, and our crime rate is pretty low. It’s a good place to live and raise children.” He meant every word.
She let out a deep sigh. “I remember.”
“Then why are you so determined to leave?” Getting Ashley to consider staying might be foolhardy, but then he was a fool. For her.
“The place has more memories than I like.” The words came out barely above a whisper.
“They’re not all bad memories. I remember several really great ones.” He remembered more than several. The only bad one between them was the day he’d walked away.
Ashley rolled her eyes. “I guess we see things differently.”
The judge entered the chamber, and the bailiff raised his hand for quiet.
“All rise. The Honorable Judge Erwin will be presiding over the courtroom today,” the bailiff said.
The judge moved into the room and sat at the oversized desk. He rifled through the files in front of him before nodding to the bailiff.
“We’d like to call Ms. Ashley Stanton to the witness stand.”
Ashley leaned in toward Cory. “Stay here, and don’t say a word, honey. Mommy will be right up at the front of the room,” she whispered.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be right here with him.” Their gazes locked for a brief second. Words were not necessary. They were on opposite sides of the court hearing, but they were on the same side when it came to her son.
Ashley nodded before moving to the front of the room, her steps slow. She raised her right hand as the bailiff swore her in, and then she sat facing the courtroom, avoiding David’s gaze entirely.
The judge cleared his throat. “Ms. Stanton, this is an informal injunction hearing. Please present your case, keeping strictly to the facts for brevity. After you’ve finished, Chief David Beckett will be allowed to represent the fire department and present his case. There will be no cross-examination, and my decision will be final regarding the injunction. Is this understood?”
The judge’s stern expression brooked no opposition. Friday mornings were normally the time the judge played golf, and he clearly didn’t like having his routine disrupted.
“I understand, sir. And thank you for granting me this opportunity. At the end of May, the Audubon Society received a credible bird watcher report that a bald eagle was sighted not far from the South Summit trailhead that leads up to Mount Washington. Bald eagles tend to have a territory of up to two square miles. Based on the approximate place it was seen, there’s a sixteen square mile potential territory range if the calculations permit the coverage in all possible directions from the estimated sighting coordinates.
“The Audubon Society asked me to search the area to see if I can find the bald eagle or a nest. I understand that although they’re no longer on the endangered list, they are still federally protected. Not to mention, a bald eagle in this area woul
d be the first. I’ve marked out the suspected territory in sixteen gridded sections, each representing one square mile, and using the coordinates of the first sighting as the center point.
“I’ve systematically been going through these gridded sections and have already covered five of them. On Wednesday, I came across the fire departments burn flags marking their eastern burn perimeter. The controlled-burn area crosses into the gridded sections I’m investigating.” Ashley shifted in her seat, pausing for only a moment.
“I’m not asking to stop the burn completely unless, of course, I find the bald eagle or the nest. I’m only asking for more time before they do the burn. The smoke alone could cause a pair of eagles to abandon their nest and their young. In a successful mating season, the eggs would have been laid somewhere between March and May in this area, and the fledglings ready to fly anytime now, but they would still be returning to their nest until they’re ready to leave completely.” Ashley turned pleading eyes back to David, willing him to understand.
“How long are you asking for?” the judge asked.
“Only a week. Ten days tops.” She nodded. Doing one section per day and keeping up with Cory and the festival would be pushing it, and her imposition on Tricia, which is why she’d added the extra time. Wiggle room.
The judge’s question made David think Trent’s connections went deeper than he’d first imagined. Was it possible the judge would overrule the fire plan for a suspected bald eagle? He hadn’t thought it likely, but now, he wasn’t so sure.
“Is that all the information you want me to consider in my decision?” Judge Erwin asked.
“Yes, Your Honor,” Ashley said, nodding.
“Thank you. You may step down.” Ashley made her way back to where David and Cory were sitting.
“Chief David Beckett, please come forward to give your testimony,” the judge ordered, not wasting any time to move this hearing forward.
David moved to the front of the room and was sworn in by the bailiff.