by Lauren Marie
“With her?” She saw him nod. “Why doesn’t she just let it go?” She frowned.
“Sweetheart, maybe we’ll find out tomorrow what she wants and then inform her you’re not leaving Canon City.”
“Great and we get another night’s lost sleep.”
“A few years ago, I read a self-help book to deal with some anger issues.”
“You read a self-help book? Wow, you are smart.”
“A woman I was involved with cheated on me and lied about it. She also became pregnant and tried to pin it on me, but I wasn’t the father. I felt so pissed, but needed to keep it under control. This book gave some advice about other issues besides anger, one of which was that tomorrow is tomorrow. Why let it bother you today, when tomorrow could be completely different than what you’d worried about? It could be different and you’d worried about it for nothing.”
“I guess that makes sense.” She moved her hands over his shoulders and saw his lips curve up softly.
“Just remember how pissed you are with her and keep her away from your buttons?”
Kate pushed up and kissed him. “You’re the only one I allow anywhere near my buttons. I like how you push them and I have my own addiction.” She moved her finger over his lips.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah, you have great lips and I love your tongue when it pushes my button.” She arched her eyebrows and smiled. She felt warmth in her cheeks and knew she was blushing.
“I’ll have to remember that the next time you’re pissed at me.” He moved his hand down to her pelvis and found her nib. “Ah, there’s the button I was looking for.”
“Hush up, Jay, and kiss me. I’m getting hot with you on top of me.”
Kate did lose sleep that night. She’d just drop off and the nightmare would start. Her mother yelled at her and the coach would swing and hit her. It became difficult to close her eyes and she tossed and turned.
In the middle of the night, Kate got up and went downstairs. She tried to watch TV with the sound off, but she couldn’t concentrate on the programs. It was also difficult to follow her book and after she read the same paragraph a few times, she set the book aside and wound up out on the deck.
The night felt cold, but it didn’t seem to matter. She listened to the quiet and looked at the stars. What would it be like someplace else? That question went through her brain and made her sad. She didn’t want to leave.
She thought about how hard Jay worked to protect her and the love that crawled through her for him grew stronger every day. The idea she’d come up with continued to play over and over in her brain and as much as she didn’t like it, she knew to leave Canon City was her only answer. She knew deep in her heart that she’d never feel at peace if she stayed. Peace was such a nice word and she wanted to know what it felt like.
She’d put her head on her knees and didn’t realize she’d fallen asleep. Nice warm hands picked her up and she became aware she moved.
“I’m sorry, Jay. I couldn’t sleep and didn’t want to wake you,” she mumbled against his chest.
“It’s all right, sweetheart.” He set her on the bed and covered her with the quilt.
She felt him slide in next to her and wrap his arms around her body.
“Try to get some rest. I won’t let anything hurt you. I promise,” he whispered in her ear.
Chapter Eighteen
Kate and Jay walked into Frank’s office hand in hand, dressed casually in jeans. She wore her purple fleece sweater for luck and Jay wore his University of Colorado sweatshirt. She felt a little embarrassed that she didn’t have a nicer outfit to wear, but she’d stayed away from buying a lot of extra clothes in the past, due to the need to run fast from any given situation.
Frank came out of his office and waved them in. Kate tried not to be scared, but she’d slept very little the night before and felt tired. After Jay found her on the porch they’d talked almost until sunup and he’d tried to get her to feel calm, but she just couldn’t get her brain to shut up.
Frank asked them if they wanted coffee, but both declined. “Okay, first of all, Kate you are now legally Kathryn Beck. Here are your papers.” He handed her a folder. “You can look them over later. Tomorrow or in the next couple of days you’ll need to go over to DMV to get a Colorado State identification card. We need you on record as a resident of the state. In the folder you’ll find a photo-copy of your birth certificate. It’s under your original name, but the other papers are notice of the legal change. You’ll want to keep them together.” He sat back in his chair. “Now, the only other development is that the restraining order was served yesterday. As I’m sure you can guess, your mother is pissed about it. Too bad for her.” He smiled.
Kate nodded and smiled a little, but her gut tightened.
“Your mother is also not happy about the lawsuit, but since we have a statement from a senior police officer and Harry about their harassment at the diner, I think she realizes if it goes to trial she won’t have a leg to stand on. Sweetheart, you have a funny expression on your face.”
She looked at Frank and tried to smile. “I just keep waiting for the other shoe to drop,” Kate said.
“There is no other shoe at this point. Listen to me, you’re twenty-five-years-old and she has no parental control over you. I want you to be able to have a normal life and if she keeps shadowing you it amounts to harassment. I’d love to slap her with a stalking lawsuit, but hope we can get rid of her this way. If she wants to threaten, we can threaten back.”
A woman came in through the door into the office and nodded. “They’re here, Frank. I put them in conference room ten. She has an attorney with her.”
“Woo...I’m scared. It’s probably some over-priced Los Angeles idiot. This should be fun.” Frank stood up and tightened an invisible tie around his neck. He did wear nicer slacks, but it occurred to Kate that she’d never seen him with a tie on. He pulled a jacket off his chair and slipped it on.
“Why don’t you wear ties?” Kate asked.
“I’ve always hated those damn things. The last time I wore one was at high school graduation and I felt like I had a noose around my neck the whole time. Yuck.”
“Frank, you are so weird sometimes,” Jay said.
“Just because I hate ties, I’m weird? Kate, does that seem weird to you?” Frank looked at her and smiled. He tried to lighten the mood, she thought, but it didn’t work. Her stomach felt like one large knot.
Kate looked at them both. “I plead the fifth.”
“Very good.” Frank walked around the desk and offered his arm to Kate. “Let’s go kick some butt.”
***
Kate walked down the hallway between Jay and Frank. The thought of walking into that room made the huge knot in her stomach start to burn and her heart pounded in her chest. She saw the two men that were her mother’s assistants as they waited outside the conference room. The one that Jay punched wore two black eyes and looked like a raccoon.
Jay took her hand and laced his fingers through hers. All feeling went out of her feet and she felt weighed down, as though lead melted into her shoes. Kate looked up at him and tried to smile.
“What?” he asked, quietly.
“I just adore you like crazy,” she said and tried to get her brain to brave up. She took in a breath and tried to settle the knot that seared in her stomach.
She felt eyes watch her as she sat down at the table. She glanced at her mother, whose mouth was pinched into a line. She turned her gaze to her hand which was held tightly in Jay’s.
The two attorney’s introduced one another. Edna’s attorney, John Levine, had dark hair and eyes. He was tall, but portly with short, stumpy legs.
They began discussions about the terms of the restraining order. Kate tried to listen but her mind wandered. She knew, at this po
int, the woman across the table from her meant nothing. She thought she should feel something - guilt or sadness - about the way her emotions were toward her mother, but didn’t feel anything like that. Kate was angry and still scared at all she could lose and remembered that Edna had no hold over her. That thought was the most important part of all this and she needed to keep her focus on it as much as possible. No hold became her mantra.
Edna stared across the table at her and, obviously, tried to intimidate Kate. It did work, but for a moment she realized she didn’t care anymore and she felt her lips curl at the ends. She found that her stomach settled down a bit and the fear went down to a low simmer. She hated this woman and knew she’d probably never be rid of her, but it didn’t matter. Kate’s plan would work and she’d figured out the way to make it go.
Kate heard Frank say something about the harassment lawsuit and realized that it made no difference to her. She wanted nothing from Edna. She reached over to Frank and touched his arm. She stopped him mid-sentence and stared Edna in the eyes. Something shifted inside Kate, but she couldn’t tell you what it was. Maybe pity or sympathy for her mother, maybe it was just nothing.
Kate stood up and placed both her hands flat on the table. “This is turning into a made for TV movie and it’s ridiculous. Edna, you haven’t been a part of my life for many, many years and I have no room for you now. My mother died eight years ago, in a hospital room in Portland and I have nothing left to me but you.” She pointed across the table. “You’re a shell, empty of any care or consideration of those around you. Are you even aware of how your actions affect other people? Go back to whatever life you’re involved with, and just forget I exist. When I leave this room, I’ll never think of you again. When you are old, I hope you die alone. Then you’ll get a glimpse into the non-life I’ve led for the last eight years. I hope it will open your eyes and you will feel some regrets, but I doubt it. You are nothing to me.” Kate moved her chair back and started out of the room.
She heard a voice shout at her and footsteps followed her as she went through the door. She looked at the two men who stood outside and shook her head. She kept her feet moving and when she got out of the building, she tipped her head up to feel the warmth from the sun on her face. She felt comforted by the warmth and for the first time in years, she’d become calm. She saw a bench on the sidewalk and went over to sit. The cars on the road went both directions and she wondered where they were off to. Jay sat next to her and took her hand in his.
“Jay, do you want children?” she asked and continued to watch the traffic move.
“Someday, maybe. Why?”
She turned on the bench and put her hand on his chest. “I swear to you, right here and now, I’m going to work very hard at never being like Edna. You have my permission, should I ever show signs of becoming a heartless woman, to lock me in a room and de-program me.”
“I don’t think that will ever be necessary, sweetheart. Unlike your mother, you are self aware and actually care how you treat other people.”
“Let’s go over to the rink. I think I’d like to volunteer my services to one of the teachers.”
“You got it.” He stood up and held out his hand, but jus then Jay’s cell phone started to ring. He looked at the screen. “It’s Frank. Yep...yeah, we’re outside on the side walk. Kate feels you can handle things just fine...she’s nodding her head. Yep.” Jay put the phone against his chest. “He wants to talk to you.”
Kate took the phone. “Yes, Frank.”
“Could we maybe finish this meeting before you and Jay disappear? I still need to determine if we’re going to move forward with the suit and for that I need your signature, Miss Beck.”
“I don’t really want to see her anymore, like never.”
“Kate, please come back inside,” Frank said.
Kate looked up at Jay and smiled. “Frank said please. I’m such a sucker for good manners.” Jay held her hand and they started to move back to the building. “Okay, Frank, you win this time.”
When they walked back into the conference room, Edna looked at Kate and laughed.
“I see you’re still running away, Stacy.”
“Counselor, please instruct your client to keep her mouth shut. She needs to understand that the restraining order means no contact physically or verbally. She doesn’t have anything to say that we wish to hear at this time,” Frank said and looked angry.
Kate watched Frank and tried to adopt some of his anger, but didn’t feel it. She just wanted to focus on her and Jay for as long as possible, nothing more.
“Mr. Donnelly, I’m her mother and I can say whatever I want to her.”
Frank frowned at Edna and leaned on the table. “Not in this meeting, Mrs. Hardy. I’m sure you attorney has explained that to you.”
Kate and Jay sat down again and she felt comfortable. She looked at Jay and smiled. His eyes grinned back at her and she wanted nothing more than to drown in his warmth and sweetness. She heard Frank start to speak again.
“We were discussing the restraining order which was signed by Judge David Soren. You may have no contact with Miss Beck...”
“You’ve said that already and her name isn’t Beck. It’s Stacy Hardy and if your records say anything else, then they are wrong,” Edna snarled at him.
“Ma’am, her name was never Stacy Hardy,” Frank commented and looked across the table curiously.
Kate saw her mother’s grin snap to a frown in a heartbeat and wondered where that name entered the picture. She’d never even met her mother’s new husband. She watched Frank hand a sheet of paper to the other attorney.
“This document sighed and witnessed in the state of Colorado, says, legally, her name is Kathryn Beck. Why did you call her Stacy Hardy?” Frank looked across the table at Edna.
“It was a slip of the tongue, Mr. Donnelly,” Edna said and the other attorney leaned over and whispered something in her ear. “This is all so very upsetting...”
“By the end of business today, we will file the harassment papers and begin that lawsuit against your client. We are asking for a settlement of eight million dollars.”
“Excuse me?” Edna shifted in her chair and looked uncomfortable. She peered at her attorney who glanced over the paperwork. “I don’t know how you came up with that ludicrous amount, but she’ll never see a dime of it. If anything she owes me,” Edna snarled.
“It looks like they’re serious Mrs. Hardy. I think the amount you’ve asked for is very unreasonable, Mr. Donnelly.” Mr. Levine, the other attorney, wadded the paper in his hand and threw it on the floor.
“I take it that amount is not acceptable? Fine, we will raise it to ten million dollars, then.”
“Mr. Donnelly, any amount is ridiculous.” Mr. Levine looked at Edna and started to move his chair back.
“Fine, we will see you in court, perhaps by next winter.” Frank smiled and started to stand up.
“Wait a minute.” Edna held up her hand. “What can I do to make this go away?”
“You can leave Canon City and never contact my client again. If you default on that agreement then we will go ahead with the suit, and believe me there will be papers to sign which I will hold you to,” Frank said.
“I will agree to that and sign the papers, but with one condition. I get to speak to my daughter for thirty minutes, alone. We don’t need all this fucking testosterone in the room.” Edna looked at Kate.
She looked up at Frank, who didn’t move. She nodded.
“You’ll get ten minutes and no more,” he said.
“I’m not leaving Kate alone with that bitch,” Jay snapped and pointed at Edna.
Kate felt his hand tighten on hers and looked at him. She leaned toward him and whispered in his ear, “It’s okay, babe. She can’t hurt me anymore.”
Jay shook his head. “I
don’t like it,” he whispered back.
“I know.” She smiled at him and then looked at those around the table. “I have my own condition. The door stays open.”
“So you can run again?” Edna smirked.
“No. It’s so that Jay and Frank can stand in the hallway and hear what’s said. I have no secrets from them and don’t trust you at all.”
“Mr. Levine will listen in then, too.”
“That’s fine with me.” Kate slightly tilted her head and smiled.
Edna rolled her eyes and continued to smirk as the men stood up and started out of the room.
Jay leaned over Kate and kissed her cheek. “You’re sure about this?” he asked and looked into her eyes.
“Don’t go too far, okay? I’d like to be able to look at you out in the hallway.” She rubbed his arm and melted into his eyes.
Kate stood up and watched Jay leave the room. He stood in the hallway where she could see him and she almost started to giggle like a school girl. She moved to the window and leaned against the sill. She looked across the table and did laugh. Jay called her mother a witch once and Kate thought he was right. All she needed was a broom and pointy hat and she’d be a perfect wicked witch. Edna leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms.
“Where’s my father?” Kate asked.
“I told you he’s dead.”
“Which is a lie. He’s very much alive.”
“But, dead to me. Portland is such a nowhere town. I never understood why he wanted to live there. You know, he wants nothing to do with either of us, and particularly not you.”
“That’s another lie. Frank contacted him and he offered to catch the next plane out. Why do you feel all of the lies are so necessary, Edna?” Kate gripped the sill on either side of her and hoped she didn’t peel the paint off with her fingernails. “I don’t get it. You were born in Portland, why do you hate it so much?”