Wounded at Work

by Mitzi Pool Bridges

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  “These pieces are extraordinary, Matt. Why are they hidden away in the attic?” Dory held a clipboard in one hand, her phone in the other, snapping photos of different pieces of furniture.

  “It’s where my parents had them at the estate. When I moved here, I barely looked at them.”

  “This will totally change the look of your house. Are you ready for that?”

  “I am. How long will it take?”

  Sky’s sister, Dory Oakes, ran her hand lovingly over a tall dresser that had to be well over a hundred years old, and took another picture. Dory and Sky had been estranged until Dory had been accused of murder last year. Dory, with the help of Dirk, found the evidence to clear her name and put the real culprit behind bars. It had been a rocky experience for everyone. Dory, once a pampered rich man’s wife, was now an independent woman with a flourishing decorating business. The sisters formed a connection then that brought them close. When Sky found out she was expecting, Dory told one and all that she was going to be a doting aunt and godmother.

  “These trunks are beautiful. They don’t belong in an attic. The only thing is, I don’t know where we can put four of them.” She looked at him. “How soon do you want this done?”

  “A week. Ten days at the most.”

  “That will be stretching it. But for you, I’ll do it. Thank goodness the hardwood floors are beautiful. I want to re-paint the entire house first, then it will be a matter of removing most of your furniture and artwork, and replacing it with some of these pieces. I’ll want to fill in with what we’ll need plus some deco pieces and a different style of art work.” She looked at him. “It won’t be cheap.”

  “Don’t worry about money. My objective is to please Carrie. Do you know her?”

  “Of course. I met her one day when my sister and I had lunch with Lanie. She’s lovely. Are the two of you serious?”

  “I am. I still have to convince Carrie.” Matt clarified, “The party room at the back of the house works well. I don’t think you’ll need to do much there. The same with the kitchen, exercise, and media rooms.”

  “We have to do something with that room you use for your guns and rods and reels. So, I was thinking. What if I take a space here in the attic, as it will be mostly empty by the time I finish, put up some walls to make a large room, and move everything up here? A/C is already here, which solves a big problem. You’ll have more room and it will be separated from the main living areas.”

  “That’s a great idea. Make sure you put a substantial lock on the door. I wouldn’t want the kids to go inside without one of us with them.”

  “Kids! Whose kids?”

  Matts face broke into a grin. “Mine and Carrie’s.”

  “Does Carrie know your plans for her future?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Good luck with that. What do you want to do with the furniture and paintings we remove from the house?”

  “Stack everything in the garage. I’m going to check with Father Tom and see if he can use it for the church’s annual auction.”

  “What a great idea.”

  He handed her a key to the house. “Make sure your workers are bonded. My gun collection is quite valuable.”

  “Not a problem. I’ll get this done as fast as possible.”

  “Starting?”

  “Today, if I can get in touch with my painting contractor. Don’t worry, Matt. You’re going to love it.”

  “It’s Carrie who needs to love it.”

  “She will.”

  Dory kept her promise and every day Matt found his house in more and more disarray. Furniture was removed that wasn’t coming back inside. The walls were painted a soft light gray. A heavy chandelier was removed. Matt wondered what would go up in its place. It got to the point where he took a sleeping bag to the party room at night where he shut the door and tried to sleep. He was too nervous. Carrie, when he saw her, still treated him as she always had. Smiling. Friendly. Teasing.

  He wouldn’t settle for that. Not when he was convinced they were made for each other.

  Flannery had a court appearance to show his findings to the judge the next morning. Matt planned on being there. It was time to look Reed in the eye. It was inconceivable to Matt how a Montgomery could stoop so low and go to such lengths to obtain money that didn’t belong to him. Especially when it was money that went solely to charity.

  By ten the next morning, he was in the courtroom. Flannery sat to his left, two of his associates next to him. The handwriting expert was sitting on the bench in back of them in case he had to testify. Across the aisle, Reed sat with his attorney. He looked over at Matt and smirked. Reed was going to get the surprise of his life. There was a small chance the judge wouldn’t accept their findings, but Matt shrugged off the thought.

  It didn’t take long for Reed’s attorney to state his client would settle for one billion dollars. Which, his lawyer contended, was only a portion of what was truly owed him. He placed the damning documents before the judge.

  Matt watched his cousin. Greed and confidence emanated from every pore. Matt couldn’t wait to see that satisfied look on his face disappear.

  His attention went back to the judge. “I’ve studied these before. What do you have?” He leaned toward Flannery, waiting for an answer.

  “Quite a lot, actually. As you can see from the papers I filed yesterday, my handwriting expert has verified that the partnership agreement between the two Montgomery brothers is fake.”

  Reed’s attorney jumped to his feet. “I object.”

  “This is not a court case. We’re having a hearing to see if one is called for. Be seated.”

  The man sat.

  “I have no reason to disbelieve your expert’s opinion. Records show the twenty-five thousand loaned by James Montgomery to his brother Matthew was paid in full, with interest. Papers presented to me by the Montgomery Trust tell a story of their own. It seems that your…” The judge glared at Reed. “…Great-great-grandfather wanted to go into business with his brother, but the brother declined the offer. I see no reason to go any further. There’s no case here.”

  Matt watched Reed’s face crumble. He jumped to his feet and glared at Matt with hate in his eyes. “You bought off the judge,” he accused. “I didn’t stand a chance.” His hands clenched at his side, he made a move toward Matt. His attorney restrained him.

  The judge banged his gavel. “Be seated, or I’ll have you removed from the courtroom.”

  When Reed sat down, the judge continued, his voice hard and merciless. “I don’t appreciate your charge of malfeasance, but I’ll let it slide for the time being. I want to call your attention to two facts. One, your cousin, Matthew Montgomery, refuses to file suit against you. If he had, I could put you away for several years for fraud. Two, your great-great-grandfather borrowed fifty-five thousand dollars over a period of eight years from his brother, Matthew. According to the records it was never re-paid.” The judge adjusted his glasses and glared at Reed again. “Including interest for over a hundred years, you owe the trust a total that amounts to over two million dollars.”

  “What?” he sputtered. “You can’t make me pay a debt that belongs to an ancestor.”

  “Again, your cousin refuses to pursue the issue. Your debt will be forgiven if you agree to leave the state of Texas and never return. Also, if you bring any more fraudulent claims against the Trust, you will automatically be held accountable for your actions over the last few days.” He banged his gavel. “The Trust is free to continue in the same vein as before. Case dismissed.”

  Matt stood to leave, as did his attorney and associates.

  Reed sat there in stony silence.

  Matt shook his head. “For once my cousin is speechless.”

  Flannery chuckled. “Have your brothers send the Trust a bill.”

  “They won’t. I’ll deal with them.”

  They shook hands.

  Matt felt the stress leave his body. He felt
lighter. The Trust would continue the same as it had for years. Just as it should. Now he could think of other things. Important things. Like how to impress upon Carrie that she should marry him.

  On his way to the office, he burst out in song. Once the euphoria calmed a bit, he made a call to Dory. “When will you be finished?”

  “This weekend, if we’re lucky.”

  “The celebration dinner will be at my house Saturday night. Do whatever it takes.”

  Dory laughed. “You’re a hard taskmaster, but it will be ready. And you’re going to like it.”

  He sent a text to Lanie, Shorty, Carrie, Coop, Dirk, and Sky. Case dismissed. Celebration dinner, Saturday night. We’ll cancel the get-together. I’ll have it catered. Lanie can you do desserts?

  There was an instant congratulatory reply from everyone. Lanie asked “How many will be there?”

  When he got to his office, he sat down and made out a list of the guests. Then he sent another text to Lanie and an e-mail invite to all the others he wanted to attend.

  It was going to be a long four days.

  When Matt walked into his house Friday evening and opened the door, he thought he was in the wrong house. He walked to the living area. “What a difference. Carrie is going to love this.” Dory must have turned the thermostat down to fifty, as she had a fire burning low in a fireplace flanked with floor-to-ceiling bookcases. He recognized a couple of sofas from the attic Dory had reupholstered in a dark blue fabric. Cushions in red and several shades of blue were strewn across them. Centered between the sofas was one of the hundred-year-old trunks with a flat top that now served as a coffee table. On it was a Waterford crystal tray with two wine glasses and a bottle of unopened wine. It sat on a designer rug in a geometric pattern of a darker shade of gray than the walls and dark blue. Lounge chairs sat directly across from the fireplace. Reading lamps sat on two marble-topped antique tables that had come from the attic. It made a perfect reading area. In the nook leading to the hallway, there was a small child’s table and two chairs that came from the attic as well. Dory had stripped the paint and stained the beautiful oak. It gleamed in its new beauty. Next to that was a child’s toy box painted bright red.

  “Perfect. Just what I wanted.”

  All of the heavy drapes had been removed and replaced with sheers and shadings. They weren’t a surprise, as he and Dory had had many conversations about window covering. This seemed to fit the bill. Silhouette shadings floated magically between sheers and diffused harsh sunlight. For light and privacy, all one had to do was tilt the vanes.

  To Matt, they looked wonderful. He only hoped Carrie thought the same.

  The museum-quality artwork was gone, replaced with lighter works from, as Dory called them, starving Texas artists.

  He especially liked the one of a field of bluebonnets with a house in the distance that looked almost like the homestead.

  Except for the media and exercise room, every other room was a surprise. Matt stood at each door, wondering what he would find inside, and each and every time he was pleasantly surprised. When he unlocked the door to his gunroom, now situated in the attic, he held his breath. This was the room he had worried over. He needn’t have wasted the effort.

  Dory had added more glass cases and spread the guns out to give them a better presentation. The room itself had high ceilings and was framed in solid bead-board that had been stained a light oak. The room was perfect. Matt had given Dory a list with the name of each gun, as well as the model, serial number and date of purchase or a notation if it had been a gift. Each gun had a small card next to it so the observer could tell at a glance what he was looking at. It was something Matt had wanted to do for years, but couldn’t squeeze it into his schedule. The larger guns sat on individual hooks on the wall with the same small cards next to each.

  Along one long wall, a chrome rack held close to twenty top-of-the-line rods and reels. Dates that his brothers had gifted them adhered to the wall next to each one.

  How she had managed to get so much done in such a short time was a miracle.

  Dory sent a text. Look in the backyard.

  He opened the back door. What could she possibly do out there? He couldn’t imagine. His yard was meticulous. Every plant, every blade of grass was handled by a licensed gardener.

  His yard, as he knew it, was gone. So were the flowerbeds with plants lined up by color and size. Gone was the greenery that had been laid out precisely at perfect angles the landscape artist assured him would accent his house. Instead, the garden was now a casual and free-flowing oasis of vibrant color. Various sizes of greenery hugged the house. A waterfall was tucked into one corner of the yard. On the patio, there was a fire-pit surrounded by casual seating. Everywhere he turned, there was something new and exciting. There was an outdoor kitchen, complete with a top-of-the-line grill. Tables and chairs were scattered in different locations. Bright colors predominated.

  He was speechless. Carrie was going to love this.

  When he shut and locked the door, he smiled at how well everything had turned out. He sent Dory a thank you text and went to bed, his smile still in place.

  ****

  Forty miles away, Carrie had a hard time getting to sleep. Not an unusual occurrence anymore. Ever since she and Matt had made love, she couldn’t seem to get back to her normal routine. Every day, she fought against forgiving her parents. But she tried to get to that point. It was getting easier and she found that Matt had been right. She felt better. After all, there was nothing she could do to change her past, but she could accept it.

  Getting out of bed, she went to the kitchen to grab a bottle of water. Without turning on a light, she sat on the sofa, tucked her feet under her, and laid her head back. Why couldn’t she forget she and Matt had made love? How could she? It was better than her dreams and those were award-worthy.

  She wanted him now. Missed him. Admit it. You’re miserable.

  Was she doing them a favor by ignoring Matt’s proposal? Or was she doing irreparable hurt to Matt and herself because she couldn’t get past their huge differences?

  She took a sip of water, added up all the reasons she loved the man. He was kind, loved his adopted family, and would do anything for them, was a respected FBI agent, passionately took care of the Trust his family had handed down to him, and when he told her he loved her, she believed him.

  So what was the problem? First and foremost, she could never forget she was the child of alcoholic parents who had forced her to raise herself. It was a miracle she hadn’t been turned over to CPS. She didn’t know whether that would have been a good thing or not. Her early years had taught her she was a survivor. She thought that was what she brought to her life; first as a child, then in the army, and finally as a PI. It was that ingrained survive or die mentality that brought her through her kidnapping.

  She looked at the bottle of water to find it empty. It was past one in the morning, and she should try to sleep, but knew she couldn’t.

  Her mind went back to her dilemma.

  Shutting her eyes, she could see Matt in those gorgeous cowboy duds. She smiled. Going undercover to come after her took courage, which he had in abundance. In the SEALs, he had run straight into enemy fire to save his brothers. A few days ago, he’d walked into a den of slavers without a weapon. His brothers had had to convince him to take Thor, or he would have come in alone.

  Her heart turned over.

  She loved him. He said he loved her.

  Was it enough?

  Should she risk it—risk having her heart broken if it didn’t work out?

  Or turn her back and wonder the rest of her life what she had missed?

  Her eyes popped open.

  There was only one solution.

  Suddenly, she was tired and sleepy.

  But there were no more misgivings.

  She crawled into bed and fell asleep instantly.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  It was time for the party. And since Carrie was so taken
with them, Matt dressed in his cowboy duds. He had asked the family and Carrie to come early. Lanie came laden with a huge chocolate-on-chocolate cake, two trifle bowls of his favorite banana pudding, and two lasagna pans of cobblers: one cherry, the other peach.

  “You’re going to make Dirk one happy guy.” Matt laughed as he helped her and Coop unload them and put them in the kitchen where a white-jacketed man and woman were busy preparing dinner. “I can’t tell you what this means to me.”

  “I enjoyed it, Matt. I’m so thankful Carrie is home safe and sound, and your Trust isn’t in jeopardy. It’s a happy day.”

  Dirk and Sky came in, followed by Carrie who gave Matt an up and down look. “You make a convincing cowboy, Matt.” Looking him in the eye, she nodded and sailed past him and into the living area.

  Shorty, Maggie in her arms, came last. Maggie squirmed out of Shorty’s arms and ran to the living room where she stood in a puzzled stance. Carrie stood beside her. “You and me, too, Maggie. Where has all that heavy, over-the-top furniture gone? This is beautiful.” Carrie turned in a circle and looked at Matt. “How did this happen?”

  “Dory.”

  “I want a tour.”

  Everyone did.

  After goggling at Carrie in her black slacks, and black-and-white silk top that dipped just low enough to make his mouth water, Matt took them room-to-room.

  “A little of the old with a touch of the new, along with a splash of eclectic paintings, have combined color and comfort. I’m more than impressed.”

  Matt couldn’t be happier. “Glad you like it, Carrie.” After all, he’d had this done for her.

  He led them to the gunroom in the attic.

  “Dory did a fantastic job. Did you know about this, Sky?”

  “She didn’t say a word. Lately, she’s been dropping by more often than usual, but I thought it was because I’m getting pretty far along, and she was checking on me. I can’t believe she kept this a secret.”

  “I didn’t know she was so talented,” Shorty put in. “This is amazing, Matt. The house feels different. Lighter. Brighter.”