by Verna Clay
Judge Ledbetter shifted his gaze to Mr. Millard and when the reporter saw the Judge's expression, he lowered his head, muttered an apology, and obediently sat back down.
The judge said, "Mr. Millard, you will spend one night in jail and then be escorted out of Paxtonville. And if you're ever caught in my town again, you'll be remanded to the county jail and spend six months there for being a public nuisance." He then searched the courtroom until he found the person he wanted. "Tooty, I'm about to pronounce sentencing on your son. And just so you know, if you argue about my ruling like before, you will also spend a night in jail. Have I made myself clear?"
Tooty stood. "Yes, sir. You surely have. And the reason I'll not object is because my husband said if I did, he'd divorce me. And since I've been married to Mr. Brightman for over twenty years—the best years of my life—I'll not say anything. My son is on his own this time." When she sat back down a wave of murmurings, accompanied by smiles, buzzed throughout the room.
The judge turned to Eli. "Eli, you will also spend a night in jail–"
Angel jumped to her feet. "That's not fair!"
Judge Ledbetter frowned and groaned before lowering his face into his hands. A few seconds later he lifted his head again and said, "Angel Martinez, please step forward."
Angel gulped and stepped to the boundary separating the onlookers from the proceedings. The judge returned his gaze to Eli and proclaimed, "Eli Brightman, you are sentenced to a night in jail and then a lifetime of making Angel Martinez happy." He moved his gaze to Angel's incredulous one. "And Angel Martinez, you are likewise sentenced to a lifetime of making Eli Brightman happy." He pounded his gavel and declared, "Court dismissed."
Officer Pilcher and Officer Bartlett approached the prisoners to escort them back to jail. Pilcher's usually stern expression broke into a grin when he motioned Eli forward.
Angel watched the prisoners being led away while the courtroom cleared and she heard Mr. Millard shout, "I demand a retrial!"
Eli turned one last time to stare at Angel and the crooked smile he gave her almost made her swoon.
Chapter 32: Determination
Lucinda inhaled, held her breath to oxygenate her body, and then raised her hand to knock on Mr. Lombard's door. His personal assistant had just given the okay for him to be interrupted. She knocked lightly and waited.
"Come in!" he yelled in his irritatingly nasal tone.
She straightened her shoulders, lifted her head high, and decided she would quit with dignity. When she entered Mr. Lombard's inner sanctum, her boss was tossing wadded balls of paper at a trashcan across the room. He motioned for her to sit without removing his eyes from his current toss. When the ball of paper landed beside the others outside the target, he shouted, "Dammit!" and turned a sour expression on Lucinda. However, before she opened her mouth to express her disgust with his disregard of her wishes about the Harris Brightman article, and her imminent departure from the paper, the bald-headed, round-faced, overweight editor said, "I have an assignment for you in Paxtonville."
Lucinda's eyes widened and she gasped, "What! Why would you send me there? Harris hates me now. And I imagine the entire town does too!"
"Only a minor inconvenience," Mr. Lombard said nonchalantly as he reached for another piece of paper, wadded it into a ball, and muttered, "I hate obituaries. The only thing they're good for is tossing the drafts into the trash." He missed another basket. "Now back to Paxtonville. Do you have any idea how many famous people live there?"
"Sure, I put them in the article."
Her boss glared at her. "You put Harris and his family in the article, but you neglected to include the rock singer Sean Barfield and his songwriter wife, Tessa; Connor McKenzie, one of the foremost painters in the world; Sage Tanner, formerly a supermodel and his wife Sarah, a popular romance writer; also, Dirk Branigan, holder of numerous gold buckles for bull riding, and there may be others."
Lucinda was stunned.
When the editor missed another basket she said, "So you want me to go to Paxtonville because…" She waited for him to complete her sentence.
He looked at her like she was obtuse and responded in like manner, "Because I want a scoop on the famous residents. Find out their secrets. Find out why they live there. Is it the water?" He grinned at his unimaginative joke.
Lucinda reiterated, "I'd never be accepted. The townspeople will probably lynch me the day I arrive."
Mr. Lombard's grin widened. "Maybe, maybe not after they find out you're working for their local newspaper, The Paxtonville Weekly."
Lucinda's jaw dropped.
Ignoring her incredulity, her boss continued, "I got you an eight week gig with the paper in exchange for the owner/editor getting a byline in our paper. Seems he's not impervious to wanting national recognition for his journalistic skill. In fact, he came up with a plan that will make the townspeople accept you." He stopped speaking and started rummaging through the top drawer of his desk. "Ya wanna a stick of gum if I can find one?"
"No. I want to know why the people of Paxtonville would accept me."
He glanced up and then returned to rumbling through his drawer. "Because you're gonna issue an apology to the town for ratting out their homegrown hero and make amends by doing a piece about how great the town is. People love seeing someone grovel." Simple. Clean. True.
"Underhanded."
"No. You're merely gonna connect the dots as to why so many famous people want to live in Paxtonville, and if you discover anything interesting, you're gonna include it in your article for this paper. If you don't find anything, I won't hold it much against you."
"Discover something interesting? Do you mean sensational and tabloid worthy?"
Mr. Lombard tossed her a stick of gum and grinned slyly. "Your words, not mine." He unwrapped his own gum and popped it into his mouth, smacking loudly. "And just so you know, there's a big bonus waiting for you at the completion of this project. Depending, of course, on what you discover." His grin widened until Lucinda could see the fillings in his back teeth. "Welcome to the world of journalism, Lucy."
Lucinda glanced at the gum in her hand, considered this turn of events, and shelved her intent to quit. She had just been offered the perfect avenue to gain access to Harris and his family. She could apologize for her past deviousness and possibly write an article that would make Harris forgive her. Tossing the unwrapped gum toward the trashcan and making a perfect basket, she stood and said, "I'll do it."
Epilogue
Standing beside his brother in the gazebo at the Triple T Ranch, Harris smiled as he moved his gaze from Eli to Angel, and heard Eli say, "I do." In the month since Eli's altercation to defend Angel, the two had announced their engagement. Their mothers, Tooty Brightman and Ann Martinez, had begged for more time to plan the wedding, but the subject had been nonnegotiable for Eli and Angel. So, barely a month later, a crowd of guests had arrived for the nuptials.
Pastor Pixley asked for the ring and Harris reached into his vest pocket to produce the bride's magnificent band and hand it to Eli. As Eli placed it on Angel's finger and repeated the words, "With this ring…" Harris' attention was diverted by someone in the crowd. Barely keeping a frown from marring his features, he stared at the woman who was now in profile and speaking to the man beside her. Anger, hot and white, flashed inside of him. Why was Lucinda here and speaking to Ward Culpepper, editor and owner of Paxtonville's only newspaper?
For the remainder of the ceremony, Harris maintained a happy expression, all the while fuming inside. How could Lucinda have the audacity to show up at Eli and Angel's wedding. He wondered if Ward knew who she was, or was she playing him for a fool, too?
"You may now kiss your bride," Pastor Pixley said loudly into the microphone. Eli slipped his arms around Angel and kissed her with such passion that the crowd snickered, and then broke into laughter and clapping. When the kiss ended, the holy man asked the newlyweds to face everyone and called out exuberantly, "May I present Eli and Angel Brightman!"
&n
bsp; Harris clapped along with everyone else and waited for his turn to exit the gazebo with Angel's Matron of Honor, Lady Hannah Wyndham, who had arrived two days earlier from England with her husband Lord Alexavier Wyndham, the earl of Alderbury. Of course, to family and friends and the townspeople, Lady Wyndham was simply Hannah and her husband was Alex. And, because of their work for Borders Removed in Africa and survival of a harrowing ordeal that almost cost them their lives, they had become heroes in the state of Colorado.
Hannah held Harris' arm as he led her down the steps of the gazebo and onto the grass, then he turned to her and said, "Excuse me. I need to catch up with someone."
"Sure, Harris," she said absentmindedly because Justin Blake, from Dixie's Cuppa Joe, was asking her a question about serving the beverages the coffee house had generously donated to the wedding.
As Harris hastily made his way through the attendees he lost sight of Lucinda and Ward Culpepper. When he finally located Ward, Lucinda was gone. To Ward he said, "Do you know who that woman with spiky black hair was standing beside you?"
Ward, a really short man, looked upward and grinned. "Sure do. She's the one who betrayed you."
"So why is she here and why were you talking to her?"
Ward placed a stubby hand on Harris' shoulder. "You need to prepare yourself for this, Harris." He hesitated before saying something that blew Harris' mind. "She's my new reporter."
***
Harris Brightman's story will continue in The Last Kiss, the tenth and final book in the Romance on the Ranch Series. Expected release date is early 2017.
Author's Note
After writing nine stories in the Romance on the Ranch Series, I have decided that number ten will be the final one. Throughout the five years writing this series, I found myself loving the small, fictional town of Paxtonville in Colorado. The characters, some of whom are amalgams of my own family and friends, are dear to my heart. Sometimes I laughed and sometimes cried with my heroines and heroes as they navigated the craggy cliffs of daily life. Often, I am asked which stories and characters are my favorites. The answer to that question is difficult because there is something endearing about each story and character.
But…to be honest, I would have to say my favorite male lead is Sage Tanner because of his outstanding character and his grand gesture at the end of his story, Dream Kisses. As for the female lead, there are actually two, Tooty Brightman and Dovie Juniper. Both women faced incredible adversity, but chose to see the "glass" as half full, rather than half empty. As for the children (some of whom became leads when they grew into adulthood), they are all my favorites: Toby and his outspokenness, Preston and his seriousness, Harris with his zest for life, Angel's goodness, Hannah's love of adventure, and Tessa's sweet spirit, just to name a few.
And so, readers, the last Romance on the Ranch book has been appropriately titled The Last Kiss. I expect the story will release during early 2017. In that story, there will be resolution to Harris Brightman and Lucinda Bergamot's estrangement; however, other romantic leads will remain secret until then. And, there will be the death of a character from a previous story.
Now, as to my favorite books in the series, the answer is all of them.
As for what's next for me, I have been plotting the course for a new series for a long time, but I had to complete other projects before beginning it. My new series, which is expected to debut late summer, 2016, is titled Finding SOMEWHERE Series and has a setting in Somewhere, Oregon, a small town (fictional) on the Oregon coastline. The first book is SOMEWHERE by the Sea.
I chose Oregon for the location because it's one of my favorite states with its beautiful rivers, lakes, mountains, and coastline. I hope you fall in love with the town of Somewhere and its wonderful townspeople, just like I have.
Rock Star Kisses
Romance on the Ranch Series
1: Smacked
Tessa Branigan sat at a window table inside Dixie's Cuppa Joe Coffee Shop and watched the comings and goings in her hometown of Paxtonville, Colorado. She had forty minutes of her lunch break remaining. She spooned a bite of yogurt.
She'd returned home five months previous after finally leaving her abusive ex. Even now she couldn't believe she'd been so blind as to marry the man who had taunted and teased her when they were children. After two years of marriage, she'd so despised him that in her divorce papers, she'd been adamant about changing her last name back to her maiden one. No way was she going to be saddled with the name of that low-life.
Cecelia MacKenzie, the owner of the coffee shop and a close friend of Tessa and her family stepped to her table carrying a tall, lidded coffee. "Here's one for the road, kiddo. You can take it back to work with you."
Tessa grinned and shook her head. "You know, don't you, that you wear invisible angel wings."
Cecelia laughed. "Tell that to my daughter, Merry. Six years old and she thinks she knows everything. There are only two people she idolizes, her big sister and her father."
Tessa started to respond when movement outside the window jerked her to attention. "Oh, no!" she cried and jumped from her chair.
"What's wrong?" Cecelia called as Tessa ran toward the door.
Tessa didn't pause or respond. She was focused on preventing an accident. Vaguely she heard chairs scraping as patrons turned to see what was happening beyond the windows.
Outside, she shouted at a raggedy-looking dog, but he kept barging across the street. Flailing her arms at the approaching sports car, she tried to get the driver's attention. He appeared to be glancing at something in his passenger seat.
The scene became surreal when the dog stopped three quarters of the way across the road just as the driver returned his attention forward. He slammed on his brakes, but it was too late. The dog got smacked by the fender of the car.
Tessa squealed and raced to the large, reddish-brown animal that looked to be part golden retriever and maybe lab. She knelt beside the dog and assessed the damage. He was unconscious and his front leg appeared broken. She wanted to cry, but she could do that later. She reached into the pocket of her slacks for her cell phone and punched speed dial. Because she was usually the one answering the telephone at Tanner Veterinary Clinic, calls had been forwarded to voicemail during her lunch hour. So, instead of calling the clinic, she called Toby's direct line. Pick up. Pick up.
The man driving the car was now kneeling beside her but she kept her eyes on the dog and prayed that Toby would answer his phone. The guy reached a tanned forearm out to touch the pooch, but she placed her hand over his to stop him. She warned, "Even though he's unconscious, he could awaken and bite you because he's hurt and scared. I'm calling the vet right now–"
A voice sounded on the other end of her phone. "Hi Tessa, what's up?"
"Toby, we've got an emergency. A dog was hit in front of Dixie's Cuppa Joe. He's unconscious and it looks like his right front leg is broken."
"I'm on my way."
Tessa disconnected the call, stuck the phone back in her pocket, and turned toward the man. "The vet's on his way." The guy was staring at her. Her mouth dropped open and she exclaimed, "Sean, what are you doing in Paxtonville? Last I heard you were on tour on the east coast."
He replied, "Hi, Tessa," and shrugged. "I got a reprieve for a few months."
Tessa couldn't believe she was talking to Sean Barfield, her teenage friend, and now a famous rock star.
She asked, "Are you staying with your parents?"
"I don't know. I just drove into town." His eyes moved back to the dog. "I sure hope he lives. I didn't see him. It's my fault because I spilled soda all over and was trying to mop it up."
Behind them, Cecelia repeated Tessa's earlier question, "Sean, what are you doing here?"
"Hi, Cecelia. I wanted to surprise you and Dad. I've got some R and R time and was hoping to stay with the family for awhile."
Cecelia knelt beside the animal, too. "Of course, honey. You're always welcome."
One of Paxtonville's local
s had started directing traffic around the scene and now motioned the vet's van around Sean's car. Toby Tanner braked and jumped out of the van, rushing toward the dog. When he saw Sean he said, "Hi Sean," but didn't pause in his mission. He assessed the dog by feeling for his pulse and then opened his bag. "His heart rate is good, his breathing is labored. I'm going to give him a pain shot and get him started on an IV. Tessa, you can put some of your training to use now, I'll need your help moving him onto the gurney."
"Okay, Toby."
Toby worked quickly and was soon giving Tessa instructions on how to lift the backend of the dog onto an emergency board while he lifted the frontend. The board was then placed on a gurney. Since being hired by the Tanner twins four months previous, they'd been training her to eventually become a veterinarian's assistant. She loved animals and the job had been perfect after being on the receiving end of an abusive marriage. She could shower the animals with the love she had wanted to give her husband.
Stranded in Oasis
Oasis Series
1: Reassignment
Veering off the U.S. 93 onto the off-ramp, Maximilian Rutherford III, ground his teeth and slammed his three quarters-of-a-million dollar RV to a halt at a stop sign with graffiti declaring, "hot as hell," and then turned onto a narrow, two lane road with dips that even an outrageously expensive RV couldn't disguise.
The next sign he passed said, "Oasis 12 miles." Staring at distant bluffs encasing flat desert of scrub brush, a scattering of mesquite and juniper trees, and plenty of cacti, he once again spewed a string of profanities at his grandfather.
Up until a week ago he'd considered his relationship with his paternal grandfather, Maximilian Rutherford I—someone he mostly saw only during management meetings because of their busy lifestyles—to be satisfactory.
