Cole laughed. “I thought you’d waved the white flag. You were just gathering ammunition.”
“All I need are people.” She motioned with her head down the line. “The ones who love me and the ones who need me. I don’t need the school for that.”
“Just my luck. I make a promise to keep my nose out of trouble, and I fall for a woman who will deliberately stir up trouble to do the right thing.”
Rebecca jerked around to see if Sarah had heard his confession. When she nodded, Rebecca whipped back to look at Cole. “Falling for me? I was going to make this grandiose stand about you having to choose to be in or out, but you just—” She waved her hand.
Cole pinched the bridge of his nose. “We’re at a protest. The police are on their way. Not exactly the time to be talking relationship goals.”
“Did you ever think you’d be the voice of reason, the only hope for containing my impulses?” She shook her head. “You were so disappointed in me. First, with the break-in and then this mess. That hurt, but I needed you. I stumbled, but I’m back on my feet now. I’ve made my decision, Cole. I’m in. With you.”
“And closer to the criminal line every day,” Cole said, the corner of his mouth turned up. “Anyone who can rile up a town and call on every single good person I know to back her up is somebody special.”
They both turned to watch the cop car park. Adams and Hollister got out and stepped up on the curb.
“But what about your promise to stay out of trouble?” she asked. “This looks like trouble.”
“There’s more to the promise than I thought. Maybe it’s not about avoiding trouble, but knowing I won’t face it alone.”
“Okay, but this time here’s what I want you to do,” Rebecca said as she tugged his sleeve. “You follow Shelly inside with the kids. We’ll stay here. If you have to, come pick me up at the police station when it’s all over. I might be able to talk my way out of this.”
As he shook his head, Rebecca tugged him toward the door. “Inside.”
He was scowling furiously when she shoved the door closed behind him. One quick look down the line showed Eric and his followers had disappeared, too.
The relief was overwhelming.
“We hear you’re causing a disruption on school property,” Davy Adams said as he rocked back and forth on his toes. “Couldn’t believe it when I got the call.”
Unstoppable now that Cole and her kids were safely inside, Rebecca smiled at the cop who’d been a Holly Heights fixture for decades. “You won’t be the only one saying that tomorrow, but for the first time in a while, I know this is right.”
“Protesting is right?” Davy Adams said slowly. “No Lincoln I know has ever resorted to this.”
That was what she expected most of the town would be saying. She wasn’t like her parents or even Daniel, although he’d shot his mouth off for what he believed in and lost his job. The town had been shocked then, too. They’d get over this surprise eventually.
“Are you going to shut this down now?” Hollister asked as he pointed at the discarded signs. “Just pick everything up and we’ll call it even.”
“Any news on the break-in?” Sarah asked from behind Rebecca. “If we’re chitchatting.”
“Yeah, we got a tip,” Hollister said. “I’ve got a call in to the drug task force in Austin to try to track down a kid who goes by the nickname Red for questioning. When I know more, you will, too.”
Rebecca watched Davy Adams pick up the signs and wondered if she was going to meekly scurry off into the darkness.
Then she remembered Cole’s face as he’d stood in front of her and admitted to falling for her. He deserved someone bold enough to stand next to him, no matter what happened. She’d messed up more than once. This time, she was going to do it right.
“We aren’t leaving. When the school board meeting is over, I want to look every one of those parents in the eye. I believe in what I’m doing. So we’re going to wait.” It was a sign of the strength of her friendship that Jen, Steph and Sarah wrapped their arms together and resumed their place in front of the door. The chanting was weaker this time, but no one could say that the four of them were anything less than in perfect harmony.
* * *
COLE WATCHED THROUGH the narrow window in the door as the four strongest, most stubborn women he knew resumed their chant. Then he rolled his shoulders and turned to head into the auditorium. Rebecca wasn’t there to speak for herself, but someone had to do it. If she lost her job for this, the whole town would suffer.
The angry guy pacing at the end of the aisle seemed to be in charge, but there was a line of students waiting to speak into the microphone.
Cole slipped into an empty seat next to Eric. He’d figure out what was going on, then...do something. He had to do something.
“What’d I miss?” Cole asked.
“School board wants to reorganize the program, set up a council of directors or something,” Eric whispered. “Didn’t seem popular.”
Cole could understand that. The more people involved in the reorganization, the harder it was to get anything done.
“First, the guy from the hospital argued what they had is working good. Don’t know who the others were, but two or three places that have volunteers working for them agreed. Now we’re talking.”
Cole studied Eric’s face. “We? Are you the ringleader?”
Eric shifted in his seat. “I spread the word about the meeting. That’s all.”
And that had been enough. No one had to ask the kids Rebecca had helped to come and speak on her behalf, probably because she’d been such a big part of their lives, teaching them about caring all along.
That was what he’d come to understand. People could be trouble, but the good ones were the help every man needed when life got hard. He might not avoid trouble completely, but his life would be better and happier as long as he learned his lesson.
Cole held his fist out and Eric returned the bump. “Good job.”
The last student was sitting down in front of them when Eric squeezed out in front of Cole.
“Last speaker for the evening. Then the school board will discuss what we’ve heard,” Cece Grant said. He could remember her from high school. She might be twice as expensive and half as road-weary as he was, but she could control a meeting.
“Yeah, I’m, uh, Eric Jordan. I work at the shelter.” Eric cleared his throat and everyone winced at the mic’s feedback. “I didn’t want to at first, but I needed community-service hours. Because I’ve been in trouble.”
Cole frowned as whispers swept through the auditorium.
“People want to blame Ms. Lincoln or even Cole for...I don’t know, misleading them or something,” Eric said, “but all I can say is thank you. Everything was wrong before, but they helped me find my place. The shelter is my place. Things are going right now. For the rest of my life, I’ll remember that.”
Eric hustled to his seat and slumped down as if he couldn’t get out of the spotlight quickly enough.
Sarah had been right. For the rest of Cole’s life, he’d wonder how Eric was doing. That human connection had kicked in. He had EW and Sarah and Rebecca to thank for helping him find it. And none of them were here to speak for themselves.
Before Cece could dismiss the meeting, Cole stepped up to the microphone. The heat of embarrassment immediately swamped him and he understood how Eric felt.
“I know you said last speaker, but since I’m the eye of the storm, I wanted to say one thing.” Cole rubbed his forehead. “You made a mistake, taking Rebecca out of the program, but that’s not the end of the world. She’s persistent when she knows what’s right. For her, making a difference in Holly Heights and loving your kids is the only choice. And the thing about Rebecca Lincoln is that she won’t hold your mistake against you. I’ve never me
t anyone else like her. It’s best to step back and watch her work.”
Since he had nothing else to say, Cole kept on walking down the aisle. He didn’t notice all the kids had fallen in line behind him until he was out on the sidewalk, breathing in cool air.
Davy Adams was helping Rebecca into the back of the squad car.
Rebecca Lincoln was grinning bigger than life. He’d never seen a smile like that on her face.
She was proud of herself. When the first kid held up a phone to tape it all, he hoped she was prepared to be watching the video for the rest of her life.
He stepped up before Adams shut the door. “You sure you’ve got bail money?”
“You and Shelly are in control of phase two, the jailbreak.” Rebecca grimaced at the officers. “That’s a joke, sirs.”
Cole leaned down. “I’ll be waiting for you when you get out.”
Rebecca’s lips were twitching. “Good. I might need help finding a new job.”
Cole glanced over his shoulder at the kids and parents lining the sidewalk. “Well, now that you’re notorious, it won’t take much to get the word out if you need to start from scratch.”
“Notorious. I like it.” She held up a hand to stop Adams from closing the door. At least they hadn’t cuffed the wildest criminals in Holly Heights. “Think it’ll go my way?”
Cole reached in to squeeze her hand. “You have good friends who’ve done their very best to make sure it does. All that’s left is the waiting.” At the cops’ grumble, Cole stepped back.
“Which she will be doing with us,” Adams said as he shut the door.
Rebecca waggled her eyebrows at Cole and then scooted back.
“Are you going to charge them with something?” Cole asked.
“Seems like she won’t be happy until we do,” Adams said with a sigh. “But probably not. Doesn’t seem right. She’s a Lincoln.”
After the cops pulled away from the curb, Cole walked over to EW’s truck. “You asleep?”
“Thought I better keep the motor running, in case I needed to drive the getaway,” EW drawled. “Never know when your criminal instincts will kick in.”
Cole laughed as he slid into the passenger seat.
“What’d the board decide?” EW asked as he put the truck in gear.
“No idea. Doesn’t matter,” Cole said as he stretched his legs. “She’s a Lincoln. She’ll do this, help the kids in this town, with or without the school board.”
“And where does that leave you?” EW didn’t hesitate at the corner but headed for the police station.
“Looking at a lifetime of trouble, no doubt.” Cole propped one elbow on the door. “You know us criminals. Once we get a taste of the life, it’s hard to go back. She’ll be protesting on a regular basis, I would guess.”
EW’s rusty chuckle made Cole grin. Going to get the woman who was about to become his girlfriend out of jail was a new experience. There was no sense in not enjoying every minute.
CHAPTER TWENTY
COLE KNEW THERE were certain events that would stick with him for the rest of his life. Waving goodbye to his mother for the last time. Holding a gun on a terrified gas station clerk. Standing to receive his sentence from a judge. Seeing his cell and cell mate for the first time. Finding EW waiting for him on the day of his release.
Watching the woman he’d first distrusted—and then admired more than he should—pick up her personal belongings from the policeman manning the intake desk, her smile tired but happy, would be impossible to forget.
But when she’d seen him standing there, dropped her stuff on the counter and hurried over to wrap her arms around his neck, everything had clicked into place. It was impossible to avoid trouble, but with Rebecca at his side, they could tackle whatever came.
He hadn’t slept a wink since she’d ridden off in the Paws for Love van with her gang of rabble-rousers, but the memory of her sweet smile, the smell of lemons and home and the wicked laugh the four women had shared as they high-fived in the lobby were hard to forget.
Apparently, they hadn’t done much sleeping, either. Sarah had looked like roadkill when she finally made it into Paws for Love around ten. She’d muttered, “Champagne” once and seemed to be mainlining coffee like it would save her life.
Now that his shift was up, he was going to have to brave her hangover in her den. Since he hadn’t been sleeping, he’d had time to make some decisions.
He wasn’t putting one foot in front of the other, merely surviving, anymore.
Holly Heights was home. The trailer was his. He could afford to run the air conditioner or the heat or do some renovations or even buy a car because his job was set.
It was time to look past getting by.
Now it was time to get what he wanted.
“You got a minute?” he said in a low voice as he stuck his head into Sarah’s office. None of the lights were on, but she was upright and working away on her laptop.
“You bet.” She cleared her throat. “Come to ask my permission to date my best friend?”
Cole’s head snapped back as he considered that. “No way. Hers is the only permission I need.”
“I would have given it,” Sarah said with a sniff.
Cole wiped both hands on his jeans as he registered the sound of EW’s truck. “I do need some permission, though.”
She braced her elbows on the desk and clasped her hands together before drawling, “Yes?”
“Freddie. I want to adopt him,” Cole blurted. “I’ve been telling myself he’d be better off without me, but that’s not true. I shouldn’t get so attached, either, but he’s my dog.”
He wished he’d taken a chance and turned on the overhead light. He couldn’t read her expression well. She yanked open one of the drawers he’d managed to repair and pulled out an adoption form. “You don’t meet the criteria.” She slid the paper across the desk and dropped a pen on top. “No fenced yard.”
“Not yet, but I’ll walk him three times a day. I work in a dog-friendly place. The boss is a pushover.” Cole squinted down at the paper. “And for him, I’ll work on improving my place. To do that, I’m thinking about getting more work. I’m going to put a sign out on the flower beds, once they’re fixed up, with my contact info, and do the same at Jen’s. I want to work on building something of my own, a landscaping business.”
Sarah leaned forward quickly. “You aren’t leaving me, though. You can’t leave me.”
After scanning the agreement, Cole signed his name with a flourish. “No way. I like it here, but it’s time for me to fill up my life.”
He handed her the paper and watched her collapse against her chair. “Fill up your life?”
“Yeah, no more existing. I want to live.” As he’d stared up at the ceiling through the sleepless night, like he had almost every night he’d been inside Travis, all Cole could think was that he wanted more than what he had.
The difference this time was that he could picture it easily.
Freddie was sprawled on his ugly green couch in the trailer his grandmother had left him.
Rebecca was pushing and prodding and making him laugh and making him better with a frilly apron on.
He and EW were doing more than sitting on a shady bank. Sometimes.
And he would cheer for Eric at his high school graduation.
There would be trouble, but so much goodness, too, that it would be easy to overcome.
“And you’re starting with the dog,” Sarah said as she wagged her head back and forth. “That’s how I did it, too. Bub and I had nothing but a paid-for
car and a job here at the shelter when we first started. I needed him more than anything, too. I didn’t understand that was about living instead of surviving, but I can’t argue with it.”
“So, will you bend the rules for me?” Cole asked, then wished he hadn’t. Pointing out the rules was a bad idea.
“Wouldn’t be the first time I’ve done it,” she said with a sigh. “Am I on a crime spree, do you think?”
Her wondering tone made him smile. “Les said he’d help with Freddie’s care, and I could cover the cost of any meds and vaccines he needs.” He pulled a wad of cash out of his pocket. “Here’s the adoption fee.”
“Dude. Two words. Checking. Account.” Sarah picked up the cash and counted it carefully. “You’ve got yourself a dog.” She smiled at him. “And I couldn’t be happier.”
“I’ll borrow a leash? I’ve got one at home, but I wasn’t sure you’d agree, so...” Cole stood. “I’ll bring it back tomorrow.”
Sarah nodded slowly. “Yes. That’s fine. See if you can get him out of here without howling so loudly my head rolls off my neck, please.”
Pumped at the success of the first phase of his plan, Cole trotted down the hall, twirled Shelly around as she stepped out of the cat room and said, “I’m taking my dog home.”
He could hear Shelly hooting and hoped Sarah didn’t have sharp-shooting pains in her temple, but Freddie let out one happy bark when he saw the leash and then pranced in place. “Do you know you’re going home, Fred?” Cole opened the kennel, snapped the leash to Freddie’s collar and managed to grab the bag of essentials Shelly kept on hand for every new adoption.
Then she pointed at him. “The dog is good. Next is the girl?”
Cole laughed and wrapped his arm around her shoulders to squeeze. “Yeah, next is the girl.”
Shelly was giggling as she patted his back. “Two handsome gents for the price of one. That Rebecca is getting a better deal than she deserves.”
Cole waved a hand at Eric and Les as he and Freddie trotted back out the door to EW’s truck. He pulled open the door. “Up, Freddie.” The little dog leaped up onto the floorboard and then the seat, where he grinned up at EW. For a split second, Cole wondered if he should have cleared it with EW first.
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