The door behind them opened, and Pete walked in. He sat down next to Lisa and draped his arm across the back of the pew. He patted Austin on the back then squeezed his sister’s shoulder. Mikki didn’t look at him.
Judge Gaston entered through the door behind his bench and sat in the leather chair. He looked through a file for a few minutes then said, “Austin Riley, would you please step forward?”
Mikki patted the boy’s arm again before he stood and approached the judge.
Gaston rested his arms on his desk and said, “The report from your probation officer is good, and your drug tests, including the one from this morning, have all been clean.” He waved a paper in the air. “I also have a note from your tutor saying you are a bright young man and a hard worker.” He looked over his glasses and said, “Good job, keep it up. You will continue to see the probation officer and are still subject to random drug tests. You may have a seat.” Austin nodded and returned to sit beside his mother.
Judge Gaston said, “Mrs. Riley, will you step forward, please?”
Lisa walked to the bench.
“What is your opinion of Austin’s situation since being placed with Ms. Gray?” He signed a paper and waited for her reply.
“I feel like he’s doing very well. Mikki, Ms. Gray, is great, and he likes her.”
He continued to look through the file. “Good, that’s all. You may sit down. Sheriff Foster, will you approach, please?”
Pete walked to the front of the room.
“Sheriff, have you had a chance to interview Mr. Riley?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Have you turned that report over to the attorneys?”
“Yes, sir.”
The judge looked at him and said, “I see no reason why you can’t resume contact with your nephew, but I’m not ready to return him to your home just yet.” He scratched his chin and said, “Ms. Gray, will you please approach?”
Mikki joined Pete in front of the judge’s bench.
“How is Mr. Riley doing in your home?”
“He’s doing fine, Your Honor. We haven’t had any problems. He’s really a good kid. I’ve enjoyed having him.”
“Glad to hear it.” He leaned back in his chair and said, “While I’m not ready to return Austin to his uncle’s home, I’m not sure if staying with you is the best choice either. I was not aware of your arrest record at the time I placed him with you.”
Pete looked from the judge to Mikki. “You were arrested? For what?”
“Your Honor, if I may explain,” Mikki said, ignoring Pete’s questions.
“Please do. I’ve read the reports. Now I would love to hear your side,” Gaston said.
“Well, Your Honor, the first time—”
“The first time?” Pete put his hands on his hips and said, “How many times were there?”
Mikki sighed. “Just two.” She looked at Judge Gaston and said, “May I continue?”
“Two?” Pete looked at the judge and back at Mikki.
“The first time, I was in college, and some friends and I were caught swimming in the town fountain.” She lowered her voice and said, “Naked.”
Pete made a noise that was both a groan and a chuckle then shook his head.
Mikki looked at him and said, “Oh, come on, are you trying to tell me you’ve never been skinny dipping? Not even once?”
“Yes, but not in the middle of town, and I didn’t get caught, at least not by the authorities.” He cleared his throat and looked at Judge Gaston. “Probably would have been better, because the girl’s daddy sure wasn’t happy.”
Mikki looked at the judge and said, “See, that’s what I’m talking about. We’ve all made mistakes and bad decisions. It’s part of growing up.”
Judge Gaston folded his hands over his chest and began tapping his finger. “What about the second time?”
“The official charges were auto theft and assaulting an officer with a deadly weapon.”
Pete’s mouth dropped open. “What?”
“Sheriff Foster, let her explain,” Judge Gaston said. “Please continue, Ms. Gray.”
She glanced at Pete then faced the judge. “I was working at a charity golf tournament, and they said I stole one of the carts and assaulted a security officer.”
“What do you say?” Gaston asked, his finger still tapping.
“I just borrowed the cart. It was an emergency.” She shuffled her feet and blushed. “I apparently had a case of food poisoning and needed to get to a restroom as fast as possible. They found the golf cart at the clubhouse and me in the ladies’ room a few minutes later.” She shrugged and said, “Unfortunately, I crashed into a large decorative urn in front of the building.”
“What was the assault charge?” Pete asked.
“Sheriff Foster, I’ll ask the questions.”
“I’m sorry, Your Honor.” Pete folded his arms across his chest and looked at Mikki with his brow raised.
“What was the assault charge, Ms. Gray?” Judge Gaston said.
Mikki cleared her throat. “It seems that when I was trying to drive away with the cart a security guard started chasing me, and somehow I managed to run over his foot.”
Pete moaned and stared at the ceiling.
“Don’t worry. He wasn’t injured. I made full restitution, and all the charges were dropped.”
“I’m dating a hardened criminal,” Pete mumbled.
“We aren’t dating anymore, remember?” Mikki said and faced the judge.
Judge Gaston looked from one to the other. “That pretty much matches the police reports I read.” He sat forward and looked through the file again. After several minutes, he said, “Do you have a problem with Mr. Riley remaining in your home, Ms. Gray?”
“No sir, but I just assumed—”
“Do you have an issue with him seeing his uncle?”
“No, of course not.”
“Then he stays put. I’ll see all of you in three weeks.” He began to fill out a form from the file.
Mikki stared at the judge, frozen to her spot.
Without looking up, Judge Gaston said, “Did you have a question, Ms. Gray?”
“No, sir, I mean, I thought—”
“That will be all.” He closed the folder and left the courtroom.
Chapter 35
Pete drummed his fingers on the steering wheel, waiting for the kids to pour out of the school building. When the bell rang, he started the engine and watched for Austin. The boy came out, with Page walking a few steps in front of him. Before she slid into her mother’s car, she glanced over her shoulder and smiled. Austin smiled back then ran toward the parking lot. Pete honked the horn and waved. Austin threw his hand up and trotted toward the truck.
Pete reached across the cab and opened the passenger door. Austin slumped in the seat and said, “What’s going on? Why are you picking me up today?”
“Gil Keaton called. He wants to talk to you again.”
“It seems all I’ve done for the past two weeks is talk about this mess. What else does he want to know?”
“This is a big deal, Austin. A man was almost murdered by these people. They are distributing drugs to kids. We want to make sure we have an airtight case.”
“It just seems like you and Mr. Keaton keep asking me the same questions over and over. I’ve told you everything I know.”
“Well, you can tell us again.”
Austin looked at the students still exiting the building. “Whatever, let’s just go.”
“What’s your hurry?” Pete said.
“Nothing.” Austin sank lower in the seat. “At least you didn’t bring the squad car.”
Pete looked at the boy and saw the blue tinge on his jaw. “Was it a hard first day back
?”
Austin shrugged. “Pretty much what I expected. I don’t know why I couldn’t stay out a few more days. I can do my work at home.”
“You were suspended for two weeks. There’s no reason to miss more. Besides, the longer you stayed out, the harder it would be to go back.” When Pete heard the boy snort, he said, “Did the kids give you a rough time?”
Austin shrugged again. “A little, I guess. They called me a narc and a stoolie. Some laughed at me, and the others just ignored me completely.”
“What group was Page in?”
“She was cool. Her and her friends treated me like normal. There were even a couple of kids that shook my hand. That was pretty neat. But her mom doesn’t want her hanging around me anymore, at least not until this whole mess gets cleared up.”
“What about Frankie and his friends?”
Austin slid his lower jaw from side to side. “We had a few words.”
Pete maneuvered through the school traffic and onto the main road. “I don’t know if I’ve said it, but I’m proud of you. What you did took guts, and you did it to help out a friend. That shows a lot of character. Don’t let the kids get to you. Sometimes it takes something like this to show who your friends really are. Hold your head up, and don’t let anyone make you feel bad about what you did.”
Austin stared at the passing traffic and shrugged. “Thanks.” Pete heard him sniff and saw him wipe the side of his face with his sleeve. After a moment, he cleared his throat and said, “Virgil wasn’t there today. Page said he hasn’t been at school since . . . well, since everything happened. I’m kind of worried about him.”
“He’s okay. He and his family have gone to a safe place for the time being.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, they are just fine.”
Austin watched a few cars pass then looked at Pete. “So, are you and Mikki going to be okay? Are you guys like breaking up for good? It’s because of me, isn’t it?”
“We’re just having a rough time right now, but not because of you. It’s complicated. You’ll find out that when girls get upset the best thing to do is give them time to cool off. You learn how to stay out of the line of fire.” He nudged his nephew in the arm and said, “Then you buy them flowers, or a box of chocolates, and you get to make up.”
“I think you’re going to need a giant box of candy for this one.”
“Really?”
Austin nodded. “Oh, she’s mad at you, all right. You should hear some of the things she was saying.”
Pete chuckled. “Like what?”
“If I told you, I’d probably get grounded, and you’d have to wash out your ears.”
“That bad?”
“Oh, yeah. She’s pretty pissed at you.”
“Hey, watch your mouth.”
“Told you.”
Chapter 36
Mikki had just walked into the kitchen when there was a knock at the door. She opened it to find Julie Tanner standing there. There was no emotion in her voice when she said, “Hello, Julie.”
Julie smiled. “Hello, Mikki. Is Austin home? Pete called and warned me he might be a little late. He said something about a meeting with the lawyer after school.”
“Yes, he’s here. Come in.”
Austin walked into the room and said, “Hi, Mrs. Tanner.”
“Hello, Austin. How was your first day back at school?”
He shrugged. “It was okay. I just got home, so I haven’t started on my homework yet.”
Julie pulled out a kitchen chair and sat down. She removed a thick stack of papers from her canvas tote and placed them on the table.
“What is all of that?” Mikki asked.
“Normally, when a student is suspended, they don’t get to make up the school work, but Austin’s probation officer and I have explained the circumstances to Mr. Dipton.” She looked at Austin and said, “He’s going to allow you to do the missed assignments in addition to your regular homework. I’m only able to come twice a week, so you’ll need to do it on your own, along with your daily work.”
Austin sat down and started looking through the pages. “Okay, show me what I have to do.”
“I’ll get out of your way. If you need me, I’ll be in the backyard,” Mikki said. She went onto the deck and closed the patio door behind her. So, Pete called Julie Tanner.
An hour later Mikki walked into the room and saw Julie and Austin at the table with their heads together. When Julie looked up, Mikki said, “I’m sorry, I didn’t know you were still here. I’ll go in the other room and get out of your way.”
Julie glanced at her watch. “No, that’s okay. I think we’ve done enough for today.”
Austin laid his pencil down and stretched his arms over his head. “Great. Can I go watch TV now?”
Mikki looked at Julie and raised a brow.
“We’re done. It’s up to you,” Julie said.
“That’s fine, go on. I’ll start dinner in a few minutes,” Mikki said.
Austin left the room, and the sound of a basketball game soon filled the air.
Julie began to put her things away. Mikki poured herself a glass of tea and said, “Would you like something to drink?”
“Yes, thank you.”
She filled a second glass and set it on the table.
“Can you sit down a minute?” Julie asked.
Mikki slid into the chair across from her. “Is Austin doing okay?”
“Yes, he caught on quickly, and he’s a hard worker. I don’t think he will have any trouble catching up. He completed several assignments today.”
Mikki played with the condensation on her glass. “Good.”
“I would like to say something, about Pete.”
When Mikki sighed, Julie continued. “There is not, and never has been, anything between Pete Foster and me.” Mikki started to speak, and Julie held up her hand. “Let me finish, please. We went to school together. His best friend was Russell Baldwin, and I was crazy about Russ. He didn’t have a driver’s license, but Pete did, so we double dated . . . a lot. I just want you to know I was never interested in Pete as a boyfriend, not then, and not now. He was always nice, but to be honest, he isn’t my type.”
Mikki looked at the woman for the first time since sitting down. “Really? How could he not be your type? Who wouldn’t want Pete Foster?”
Julie rummaged through her purse. “Russell and I split up when he went to a different college than I did. But I met another man who was exactly what I was looking for.” She thumbed through her phone and showed Mikki a picture of her and a mousy man with a receding hairline and dark-framed glasses. “That’s Lonnie.”
Mikki studied the snapshot. Julie was gazing at her husband like a woman in love. The man was looking back with the same expression.
“Not what you expected, is he?” Julie took the phone back. “Don’t let looks deceive you. He was a nerd, but he was amazing.” She examined the picture for a moment and then laid the phone on the table. “There isn’t a day goes by that I don’t miss him.”
“But what about the motorcycle? I picture a guy on a bike as someone, you know, bigger, like Pete.”
“Lonnie loved riding that bike. You’re right, he wasn’t a big man, but he worked out every night. He was a fourth-degree black belt in karate and could do chin-ups with one arm. No, don’t let looks fool you. Things aren’t always what they seem.”
“So, you’re not interested in Pete? Not even a little?”
“Not even a little.”
“Not even a little what?” said Austin as he walked in and grabbed an apple from the bowl on the counter.
“I’m not romantically interested in your uncle,” Julie said.
“Gross, who would be?”
Both women laughed when he gave an exaggerated shudder and left the room.
“So, what about you?” Julie said.
“What about me?”
“How serious is this thing between you and Pete?”
Mikki took a drink. “I thought it was pretty serious. As a matter of fact, the day I saw you two on the motorcycle, my friend and I had been looking at wedding dresses.” She leaned forward and said, “He hadn’t asked or anything, but he had been hinting.” She shrugged. “But I don’t know now.”
Mikki watched the ice in her glass shift as she rolled it between her palms. After a moment, she shook her head and said, “I’m afraid things between Pete and me might be over for good.”
Julie cleared her throat and said, “Is it because of me?”
Mikki shook her head. “No.” She explained the situation with Austin smoking and her decision not to tell Pete. “I know it wasn’t my place, and Pete is responsible for him, but I thought Austin getting into trouble at school and me chewing him out was enough. And besides”—she looked toward the living room and lowered her voice—“I guess I was hoping it would make things a little better between Austin and me. We got off on the wrong foot, and I thought maybe it would help.” She sat back and shrugged. “Anyway, when Pete found out about Austin getting into trouble and me not telling him, on top of this drug mess, we had some words. Let’s just say it didn’t end well. He said some things that really hurt me, and now we aren’t speaking.” She wiped a tear away and took a drink of tea.
Julie reached across the table and took Mikki’s hand. “Is there anything I can do? Do you want me to talk to him?”
Mikki brushed another tear off her cheek. “No, I’m still pretty mad at him. And hurt.”
Julie stood and went to the door. “Okay, but take it from someone who knows what it’s like to find the one you love and then lose him, don’t give up on it, because there’s no guarantee you will ever get it back.”
Mikki went to the door and said, “Thanks for listening. I didn’t mean to air my dirty laundry in front of you.”
Arrested Romance (Oak Spring Series Book 2) Page 10