“Now, look here, Caroline. Jed and I may not see eye to eye. But he’s family; he’s my older brother’s son. And I’ll not have you starting any trouble.”
“And she didn’t steal from an old geezer.”
Todd glanced over, appearing confused. “Steal what, son?”
“Money. You asked where she would have gotten money to go to law school. She was adopted by an older couple, and they died in a car crash during her first year of university.”
“Well, that’s unfortunate for her.” Todd said it with a hint of sarcasm.
“Apparently it was. They were the first real family who gave a damn about her, and it was where she landed after she lost her sister.”
“Lost her sister, whatever are you talking about? The trashy one who most likely struck up with the first guy who crossed her path?” The way Todd said it had Andy ashamed at himself.
“No … the little girl. The one who couldn’t talk. She died.”
Todd frowned and then waved a dismissive hand in the air just as the cook appeared, letting them know dinner was ready.
Anyone else would have felt some remorse. Hell, Andy couldn’t help but kick himself, remembering how she’d paled and the way she’d leaped at him. She was still grieving. She was angry. And with a law degree, that could make her dangerous.
Caroline wandered ahead to the dining room, but Todd stopped and grabbed Andy’s arm. “I don’t want that tramp here, you understand? She looks too much like Faye for her own good. She’ll stir things up, not just for us, but for other folks here. Faye got around. She wasn’t choosy.”
“Well, that’s the thing, Dad. She’s got resources she didn’t have before, and she’s staying at Jed’s. Legally, we can’t do anything. I can make it damn difficult, but I’m not going nose to nose with Jed. You know how he gets. He won’t take kindly, and he’ll dig his heels in. You sure you want to start a war with your own nephew? Better think long and hard about that one, Dad, because I sure don’t want Jed as my enemy.” Andy walked away, breathing in the fragrant aroma of lamb from the dining room, and he knew his dad would no more let it lie than a cat would a mouse. No, Andy couldn’t forget how warm and alive she was, shaking her fists and pounding his chest. When he had touched her, breathing in that sinfully sweet scent of hers made him dizzy with wanting her.
He wanted to see that fiery hair set free from the confines she had tied it in, and he wanted to run his hands all over her silky skin. Her breasts were so round and full that her nipples teased him through her thin cotton shirt. God, he couldn’t shake the vision of taking her nipple in his mouth and peeling away the layers of cloth that covered all those slender curves. She had it all, an irresistible sensuality that drew men to her like a designer drug. She may have been classier and more put together, not flaunting herself like a cheap two-dollar hooker, like Faye, but she was a Claremont, and just the looks of her had Andy wanting her under him, where he could settle in for a good, long ride.
If she didn’t leave this county, the residents of North Lakewood would be shocked and turned upside down on their ears, and Caroline would be more furious than she was now, because if Andy had any choice in the matter, another Friessen would be steaming up the town by having a hot, sizzling affair with a Claremont.
Chapter 16
Diana crammed a piece of toast in her mouth as her cell phone rang. Startled, she yanked it out of her pocket but didn’t recognize the number. “Hello?”
“Is this Diana Fulton, the lawyer?” a woman whispered softly on the other end.
Diana looked up and stared out Jed’s kitchen window, which had a bird’s-eye view of the barn. Jed was hauling out a wheelbarrow filled with manure. “Ah, yes, this is Diana Fulton. What can I do for you?”
“I don’t know if you can help me, but I saw your flyer posted in the mall and heard people talk and all of who you were and … well, I’d rather not do this over the phone, but I’ve been involved with Todd Friessen, had my own business and everything, and he’s decided it’s time for me to go. I guess I want to know what my rights are and if you can do anything for me.”
Two things happened in that moment: Diana’s alarm bells jangled with excitement at having a legal way to put a serious dent in the power the Friessens waved throughout this county, but she also knew that it wouldn’t be good for her to be associated with one of Todd’s mistresses—it could harm whatever fences she was trying to mend with the town. Her ability to be realistic won over, reminding her that if she wanted to practice law, she needed clients. So she arranged a time and place to meet this woman.
“What’s your name?” she asked.
“Bonnie. And thank you, Miss Fulton.”
Diana changed into lightweight slacks and a plain shirt. Slipping on her flats, she hurried out to her SUV with her laptop case, sticking it in the back.
Jed made a point of meeting Diana behind her SUV as she closed the back door. “Where are you off to?” he asked in a way that wasn’t just curious.
“Into town. I got a call from someone who needs a lawyer. Going to meet her.”
Jed glanced away, his plaid shirt covered in sweat and dirt, with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. The ends of his curly brown hair stuck out from his hat, damp and a little too long. “If you run into any trouble, let me know.” He didn’t linger. He walked over to the corral, where both horses were penned together.
Diana was still uneasy—confounded was more like it—by Jed as she drove out. The man positively did not act like a Friessen. He stuck to himself, did things his way, and didn’t let anyone poke around in his business. She knew he’d come out swinging and trample anyone like a wild stallion if pushed too far, and she was damn sure he’d win.
As Diana pulled into the gas station, the attendant stepped out of his booth before she could shut off her engine.
He motioned down her window and said, “I’ve got nothing you need.”
Diana gave him a stern look. “I need gas. This is a gas station.”
“Sorry, fresh out. And all the businesses in town are in the same situation. They got nothing you need.” He shrugged, and Diana fought the urge to argue. After all, she suspected Andy’s hand in this, and if she stayed and argued with this man, he’d likely call the sheriff and charge her with unwanted persons or something along that line, and it’d make Andy very happy.
So instead, she replied smugly, “Well, I guess I’ll have to take my business elsewhere,” and she drove away. This fight, after all, was with Andy. The townspeople were second. She could sue them—she knew her rights. But if she wanted to have a law practice here, she was going to need to find a way to keep her cool and pick the battles she could win.
She stopped and parked in front of a small white bungalow at the edge of town. It was nothing fancy, but it was neat and tidy, with a white picket fence and flower baskets everywhere filled with vibrant red, purple, and pink flowers.
Before she climbed out, she double checked that her phone was receiving a wireless signal and then pulled up the local phone book online. Looking up the Friessens’ number, she dialed. A woman’s voice answered, “Friessen residence.”
“Andy Friessen, please,” she said in a tone that was pure business.
“Who should I say is calling?”
“Diana Fulton.”
“Just a moment. I’ll see if he’s available.”
A few seconds later, Andy’s deep, masculine voice teased, “Diana, calling so soon? I’ll just bet you didn’t think you’d have to call me for a favor. So what is it you need, darling?” He was mocking her, and it had her blood boiling to the point that she squeezed the steering wheel with the other hand. It was a wonder it didn’t bend.
“I don’t need a damn thing from you, sweetheart. And if you think that flexing your muscles so that not a shop in town will give me gas or groceries is going to get me to leave, then you’ve got another thing coming.” Diana disconnected the phone before he could respond. She hadn’t accomplished anything f
rom that call except blowing off steam and letting him know she couldn’t be bullied or pushed around. She retrieved her briefcase from the back and started up the stairs with all the confidence of a bull as she gave two solid knocks, probably a little louder than was necessary.
A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair who was not much older than Diana opened the door. “You must be Diana Claremont.”
“Fulton. My name is Diana Fulton, and you must be Bonnie.” Diana stifled her irritation at this woman for bringing up the Claremont name—a big no-no in her book and a huge red flag.
The woman smiled brightly, flashing a nice set of white teeth, but to Diana she seemed like a gluttonous cat who’d just eaten a prized canary. She accepted the woman’s invitation inside and stepped into a warm and cozy living room filled with greens and yellows, tastefully decorated with big, fluffy pillows on the sofa and loveseat. Diana sat on the sofa and opened up her legal pad, determined to get down to business, find out what she wanted, and get out of here.
The blonde sat in the easy chair. “Can I get you a coffee, Diana? I just brewed a fresh pot and baked some cookies.”
“No, thank you. Bonnie, when you called, you said you were involved with Todd Friessen and that you own a store he’s trying to take away from you.” She kept her tone even and all business.
“That’s right. Todd has been sleeping with me for the last two years. And let me tell you, that man…” She fanned her face with her hand, and her eyes took on a dreamy, faraway look. She appeared to take a moment to collect herself before her expression hardened, and she transformed into a woman wronged. “Todd is an amazing man until he has no use for you anymore. I dreamed that he’d leave his wife and one day we’d get married. He has needs, and everyone in town knows ice water flows through that woman’s veins. What’s so upsetting is that Todd hasn’t said anything to me about us being over. His son, Andy, has always hated me. He showed up one day in my store and said I was closed and that it was time I moved on. I told him to get out of my store, as it was mine and he couldn’t tell me what to do. He said I was wrong. I didn’t own the store, his dad did, and though he may have set me up in there and said it was mine, on paper it was all in the Friessen name.”
Diana thought the woman really was stunning, but then, she didn’t think the Friessen men went after anyone who wasn’t.
“Did you ever sign a lease for the store?”
Bonnie appeared puzzled and then slowly shook her head.
“Did you purchase the stock in the store? Do you have receipts from your suppliers?” Diana tapped her pen on the pad of paper balanced on her knees.
Again, Bonnie shook her head.
“Did you have any agreement in writing with Todd or with the administrator of the mall?”
“No. I trusted Todd. I put the orders in, and all the suppliers sent the invoices to Todd. He had his secretary set up everything in the store, and he gave the store to me.” Maybe she was realizing how dire her situation was, as her eyes now took on a hint of sadness.
“Bonnie, how did you get paid? I mean, this is a really nice little house that you have, and the way you’ve furnished and decorated it wouldn’t have been cheap. Did you collect a salary from the shop, or did Todd give you money? Who pays for this house?” Diana knew that she was coming across quite harshly.
Bonnie frowned and flushed before responding, “Well, it was my store. I kept all the money made from sales in the store. Todd called it my ‘mad money.’ This house is paid for by Todd. I wasn’t an employee, but I thought you would understand more than anyone. After all, your mama was once kept by Todd before he let Andy toss you all out. Todd’s always done this. He has Andy go in and clean up after him when he’s done with a woman, running her out of town. And he’s done it with more than you know. After all, we were sleeping together. He moved me in here and he stayed over, sleeping here with me. He set me up in that store and let me have my candy shop, except now he’s hooked up with some other woman. I don’t know who, but I know he’s sleeping with her.”
“So you don’t own this house, Todd does?”
Bonnie nodded.
“You took the money from the cash register and didn’t deposit it in the bank, but in your own pocket?”
Bonnie flushed and nodded again.
“You didn’t pay taxes?”
Bonnie’s eyes widened, and she seemed to have trouble swallowing before she nodded slowly. “Is that a problem?”
“Well, let’s put it this way: From what you’ve told me, you’re simply a guest in Todd’s house. You have no legal rights to this house, as you’re not his wife or common-law partner because he lives with his wife and son at another residence. You have no documentation that shows he’s given this house to you or that you’re a tenant. You’ve paid nothing for rent, so rental laws won’t protect you. You are, in fact, trespassing. If he chooses to sic the law on you and toss you out, you’ll have no legal grounds to stand on. The burden of proof is on you, unless you have witnesses who’ll come forward on your behalf?”
She looked miserable, and a hint of fear appeared on her face. “No one will stand up to Todd or Andy, not for me. You of all people should know that.”
Diana realized this was one of the reasons she’d come back. The law was clearly on Todd’s side, but this was morally reprehensible, and she could see the pain in Bonnie’s eyes. She loved Todd so foolishly, but the man appeared to have no conscience.
“Bonnie, I’m going to be honest with you. You can’t stay unless you’ve got an income. You’ll have to get a job, get your own place. One of the things I fear is that the candy shop could be a problem. You’re taking money straight from the cash register, and Todd could argue theft and have you charged. But if he doesn’t have you set up on payroll as an employee, he could also be in trouble. Worse for you is the fact that you weren’t paying taxes. This could become really ugly. My suggestion is that you need to move on. Leave town. Todd is a dog, and you can’t change him. You are just a notch on his bedpost, and that’s all women are to him. You can’t force a man to love you or commit to you. I do sympathize. And what he’s doing, well, there should be a law to protect women from men like Todd Friessen.” And Andy, she thought, but she didn’t say it.
“But I don’t have any money. Todd looked after the bills here, and I bought everything in this house—well, most of it. The furniture is his, but all the trinkets are mine. Where would I move? Todd owns this town.… I could try to get another job, but I want my candy store. It’s mine.” She was beginning to whine like a spoiled child.
“Bonnie, unfortunately, you can’t have it. Unless you have something in writing, some documentation or witnesses … the best I can do is work out a peaceful settlement with Andy. And then you have to move. Pick your battles. Todd was smart. Everything’s his, and you don’t have any rights in this. Oh, and just one more thing.” Diana set down her legal pad and looked the blue-eyed blonde in the eye. “If you think by bringing me in that you’ll find a way to get back with Todd, think again. I won’t be used that way.”
Bonnie instantly flushed and then rose swiftly from the chair as if to yell and scream. “Well, I’ve never. Your mother, from what I heard, was absolute trash, and what she did to Todd, drugging him… Well, you all deserved what happened to you.”
Diana didn’t reply. She calmly packed up her notes and grabbed her purse, starting to the door, even though she’d just had the shock of her life from what Bonnie had said: drugged.
“Wait, don’t go. Please, I shouldn’t have said that. I don’t know what’s wrong with me. Sometimes I say things without thinking, and it gets me into all kinds of trouble. Please, Diana, I thought you would be the one person who would understand what it was like to be tossed out like garbage, as if you were nothing, by a Friessen.”
Diana paused as she held open the outside door and watched the panic in the pretty blonde turn to desperation. “When you’re drowning, you’ll grab onto anything to keep from going under, e
ven at another’s expense. I recognize that, but I’ll never understand it. I believe in fair play and honesty, and I’ll not be used. And I’m not my mother.” Diana did not stop but stormed out to her SUV, shaking as the word drugged played over and over in her mind. She drove away this time and didn’t look back.
Chapter 17
“So how’d it go?”
Diana wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. The midday sun beat down. She was grimy and dirty in the old t-shirt and blue jeans she wore and must have been a sight as she lifted the wheelbarrow to dump the manure on the pile.
“Enlightening, but a waste of time. But I guess I know now how the town views me,” she said.
Jed watched her with his dark eyes, giving her all of him. He was truly in his element. His shoulders were so wide and solid that she wondered how it would feel to lean into them. His newer dark blue jeans were coated here and there with dust, and today he wore a brass belt buckle engraved with a herd of horses. It looked new, and she couldn’t remember having seen it before.
“What happened?” he asked, his deep voice letting her know he was interested.
She wondered if he ever took off that faded cowboy hat. And then she glanced away, considering how much she should say. “Well, first I was denied gas. Apparently, Andy was true to his word, and the townspeople are completely out of whatever I need. After, I phoned Andy and gave him an earful, which accomplished nothing but give me a chance to blow off steam. Then the woman who wanted a lawyer turned out to have an agenda, and she sees me as my mother’s daughter in every sense. She’d gotten herself into a fix with Todd—his latest conquest, who he wants driven from town. I’m starting to piece together that this is what Andy does, cleaning up after his daddy with all the unwelcome trash.” She glanced away, realizing she was still mad at being thought of the same way she had been as a scrawny kid of thirteen, when the townspeople had all stared down their noses at her. She still couldn’t figure out what Bonnie had meant when she said her mama had drugged Todd. It made no sense, but it was something else for her to look into.
Outcast (The Friessen Legacy Series, Book 2), A Western Romance Page 8
