Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Milly and her husband, of too many years to keep up with, walked hand in hand down the main street of their town. It was the only place where they could feel like they could talk about personal things. Not that anyone would eavesdrop on their conversations, but they were personal and hard to accept, even for themselves.

Since it was getting cooler at night, she had to wear a sweater to protect against sudden chilly breezes. However, it was a good evening to be walking and talking to the neighbors. It had been a long time coming home this time. Because of the money that they'd lost and other things going on in their personal lives, they wanted to be out of doors as much as possible. They had no idea if they were going to end up in prison anytime soon. And that scared them to pieces. It really did seem as if the world was out to get them, and they were in their own personal hell at the moment.

"I've not been able to catch Sherman alone. I don't know what we're going to do if he tells me that we're on our own with this." Milly felt much the same way. Needing to depend on their child was making her sick with worry. "I think that Betty would help us right away, so I've not approached her on this. She'll do it even if it takes all their cash in their savings. Sherm might be just as bad, but he'd not let us drain them dry like she would. Bless her heart. I love the two of them very much."

"One of the bill collectors called my cell phone the other day just as I was sitting down to have a nice lunch with Betty. You've no idea how much I wanted to sob all over her when the man told me that they were going to take our home. Sherm, we lived there for nearly sixty years without so much as a lick of trouble." He told her that he thought they were lucky. "Yes, when I think about how badly we have it, I think about the Saunders couple down the street from us, too. Their children robbed them of everything, including the food they had in the pantry. Right up until they finally had to go into an old person's place and work for their rent. It hurts my heart. Do you think that they'll do that to us? Make us pay them back by having a job?"

Her husband tsked at her and told her no. It was keeping them from helping them too much that he was worried about. She couldn't believe that they were in debt for over half a million dollars.

She saw Hazel as she was jogging toward them. When she paused and frowned at them, it nearly brought Milly to tears. The little girl was just too kind for her own good. And they both loved her very much and thought that she was a perfect match for Jayden.

"Hello, darling. Is someone chasing you?" Sherm asked that question every time he saw one of their neighbors jogging. They rarely laughed anymore, but Hazel did. Milly wanted to hug her so badly but put her hands behind her back for fear if she started to hug her, she'd never stop. Friendship had been gone for them for too long to think that a single hug would be enough to make her feel like a person again. Being in debt was painful. Especially when they'd had no troubles up until a few months ago. "Where is that grandson of mine? He's treating you right, isn't he?"

"He is. The best, actually. What are you guys doing out so late this evening? I thought you'd be watching your shows about now." Sherm told her that they were just taking a stroll. "Good for the two of you." She stared at the two of them for several seconds, then told them that the man, Mr. Shawn, was her mother's mate. And how that was working out. "Lots of that going around, don't you think? I'm betting that in no time, you two will be overwhelmed with new babies coming along. You will, won't you?"

"Yes, of course we will. There hasn't been a new baby in this family since Cullen was born. We're both looking forward to holding them." Hazel nodded, but she didn't move forward to continue her route. "Does running help you think?"

"Usually it does." She frowned at her before speaking again. "Did you know that Jayden and I bonded? I'm sure you can smell him on me. It's kind of gross, but you do know that, I guess. Anyway, I got this ability from him that no one else has. You see, Dallas has this freaky ability to see into the future. I think he said it was from his dad. Maybe his mom. It's not important now. Anyway, I can't see into the future, but the past. So, let's get this out there in the open, shall we? How much are you in debt? And why the hell are you carrying around this huge weight and not asking for help from your family? Who love you very much. In the event you didn't get it, I'm a sort of rip-off-the-bandage sort of person if you didn't get that." Milly tried to act as shocked as she could, but she'd hit it right on the head so well that she couldn't form any words at first.

"I don't know…what is it you're talking about?" Hazel guided them to one of the many benches that were along the main street along the store fronts. "You shouldn't repeat stories like that. You don't know who will believe you. We're just fine."

"Sure you are." Milly wished at that very moment that they'd not come here. Not just to see their family but for any reason. When she started to stand with her husband, Hazel started speaking about their situation. "This morning, I was in the kitchen talking to our new cook. Did you know that she's been looking for work for a long time? Not that it matters too much to what I'm about to tell you, but she is a part of my story. The phone rang. You've been turned down for a loan that you were asking the local banker about. Why didn't you come to one of us? Or, for that matter, your son and his wife?"

"I don't know who you've been speaking to, but—" Sherm told her that it wasn't going to work, fobbing her off with more lies. Milly was hurting, and while she wanted to blame the girl in front of them, it wasn't her fault at all. Sighing, she knew that she was going to have to come clean. "We've lost it all. Even our house, which I thought that we'd be able to keep for us to live in, will be taken from us eventually. We thought that we could come here, get some money from the bank, and pay it back while we hid away from prying eyes. We're losing it all for back taxes."

"Had you paid them?" She told Hazel that she thought that they had, but their accountant had collected them but hadn't paid them to the government, not for a long time, it seemed. "Did you talk to the IRS about what happened? I'm to understand that is the best way to get things taken care of on their end, right?"

"Without being able to find him and the money, it's not going to do us any good the attorney who has been talking to us said. We can't pay anything at all to get the hold off our accounts. Our accountant took it all from us. He made the books look good, so when we asked to look at things, we thought that they looked good. Honestly, we both thought that we were keeping a good eye on things. But it turns out that he had kept out the money that we gave him access to for bills and taxes, but there is no money in the account other than twelve cents. We're in debt so much that…they said that we'd be going to prison if we didn't come up with the money. It's nearly ninety million dollars—we can't even get someone to tell us why it's so high." Crying and babbling, Milly knew that the two of them were doing a botched-up job explaining things to Hazel. "I don't know how it could be that high, as we never had that much money in the first place. We don't have that much just lying around. And all the properties that we had in our name so that we could sell them had been put in someone else's name, the accountant's sister-in-law, and she doesn't have a clue what we're talking about. Having forged paperwork showed that she'd had the land well before she'd been born is all that the government can locate right now."

"As much as I hate when people say this to me, but we'll need for everyone to calm down. I've started on figuring out how to get this taken care of for the two of you. You do know that Amy's brother is the president, don't you?" They both nodded, but it was Sherm who told her that they couldn't impose on him when he wasn't related to the family. "Bullshit. You're going to call his happy ass right now and tell him what is going on. Do you know that accountant's name?"

Sherm was the one who made the call. Hazel had ushered them into a quiet little restaurant in the next town over and got them a plate of appetizers to munch on. She didn't know if she'd be able to hold anything down but thanked her when the glasses of wine were brought to them as well. Hazel didn't talk to her about anything but the food on the platter. It was amazing how just a little bit of a cracker with cheese on it could make a person feel. She watched as her husband, talking to the president, crumbled before her. Reaching for his hand, he squeezed it tightly and then kissed the back of it.

When Hazel took the phone back, she spoke to the man for several moments. Milly was so embarrassed that she couldn't look at anyone who came by the table. It wasn't until Amy sat down with them that she realized that these two women were a great deal alike and were very strong-willed like she used to be. The very first thing out of Amy's mouth was that her husband didn't know she was there. Then Hazel said the same.

"However, I did find the accountant." Sherm asked Amy how she'd been able to connect with him so quickly. "I know a few people. You remember Elizabeth, don't you? Well, she's my stepmother now and is thrilled to death to be with my dad after all this time. I called her up, and she went to the man's office. I'm so happy that no one else had been in there since he ran off with your hard earned money. She formed a connection with the man and was able to track him. I don't want to go into details, but she was able to recover just about all your money. However, it was Jamie who erased your debt because he couldn't have his best workers having something like this on their plates when he needed them. I had no idea what he was talking about until he mentioned that it was Hazel and myself. The man is certifiable if he thinks I'm working for his happy ass. Anyway, he said that him cleaning this up for you two makes him happy and said that we'd want him happy. I told him that I didn't care so long as you two were out of the idea of going to prison."

"I don't know what to say." The two younger women looked at each other and then back at them. "What? I have a feeling that I'm not going to like…I don't care what you want from me. It's yours for this. You've no idea how stressful this has been for us."

"I can realize that, and all we want from you is to be there for us, teaching us how to raise our babies to be men or women—at least as good as the ones that we married. That's it. Just help with learning out to be moms to gorilla children." She said that she'd gladly do that, but she was old-fashioned, and she might be wrong about what is going on today. "Doesn't matter if they changed the rules or not about how to treat a child. We're both going to depend on you like it's our job."

"Does my son know that you're here? I know that you said that neither Dallas nor Jayden knows, but what about our son? I have a feeling that when we have to tell him, he's going to be upset with us." It was Hazel who told them not to say anything to them if they didn't want to. "You mean to keep it from him? I don't know that we'll be able to do that. Isn't that the same as lying to him?"

"I don't think it is. However, that's entirely up to the two of you. Tell him or not? Yes, I think that should be up to you. And I wouldn't count on them being upset with you. Maybe us, but not you." Sherm asked why he'd be upset with them. "Because he didn't get to be the hero to his parents. And I don't know if you're aware of this or not, but Dallas and the rest of your grandsons love the two of you with all their being. I want someone, a child of mine, to look to me with that same sort of special bond."

They sat there for another hour. Hazel's phone had gone off several times, telling her that she had some emails and text messages. Two of the emails were telling her that their account was no longer overdrawn and the other was about how the house taxes had all been paid. She got the same information from a text message. Another email, this one from James Parkerson, thanked them for their loyal service by paying their taxes every year on time to support the country that they lived in.

Milly sobbed over that one. She'd never have thought that her family would bail her out to this degree, much less calling on the man who ran the country to help out. Her cell phone rang again, and she was asked to put it on speaker for the four of them to hear.

"I've just gotten off the phone with a couple of people who have been looking into some check forgery for a long time. Thanks to your help, Mr. and Mrs. Dixon, the man has been apprehended. Not only that, you will be receiving the reward that was put out there to help with his location and arrest." She asked the man who he was, she'd like to thank his boss if she could. "I'm sorry, Mrs. Dixon, I can't tell you that, but you and your husband are in good hands. Don't let this overshadow the two of you living a long and what I hope is a wonderful life. Good evening." She put the phone down when the man hung up.

"What sort of reward is he talking about, Milly?" Both she and Sherm looked at Hazel and Amy. Milly wasn't sure about the grin they had on their faces and told them that. "I have a feeling that we should just cash the check for however amount it is and move on with our lives. What do you think?"

"I think that's the best idea you've ever had." The two women stood up, and it was Milly who hugged them first. She hugged Amy and then Hazel. "You've no idea how much I needed that about now. My emotions are all over the place."

Hazel started her jog again, kissing them both on the cheek as she left. Amy said that she had a couple of things to take care of and would see them at the house. Standing on the sidewalk, she looked at her husband and smiled. They were free. Not just of the burden but to live their lives as they had hoped they would. Now, they could afford to live here in their own home without thoughts of the government taking it all away from them. After kissing her husband, Milly wrapped her arm around her dear's waist, and they headed back. This is what they should have been feeling all along. Happiness that their family was surrounding them.

~*~

Jayden was packing up his classroom's things when Hazel stopped by to ask if she could help him. All he could think about was the conversation that he'd had about ten minutes ago with the principal. He wasn't sure if he should be pissed off or honored. But he was leaning toward being pissed more than anything. Hazel asked him what was wrong. Sitting down in his chair, the one that he'd purchased for himself just this year, and looked at her when she sat down on the front desk.

"Principle Cartwright just left about five minutes ago. He came in to have…I'm not sure what he thought that it was, but it certainly wasn't an uplifting conversation like he said it was." She asked him, forever his hero, if she needed to kick some ass. "I'm not sure yet. But how about we hold off on that until we have all the facts." When she pouted, he laughed.

It was amazing to him that a small smile from Hazel could make his world and work seem a bit brighter. Leaning back in his chair, he just looked around the room at the things that he'd collected for this room over the years. The only reason that he'd come in to take the things off the walls was because the room and a lot of the other ones were going to be painted over the summer break. His was next on the list, and he couldn't put off cleaning off the walls any longer.

"He wants me not to come back this fall." He looked at Hazel when she cursed. "You don't even know that I might want to do that, but coming to my defense. I love that about you."

"I love you as well. Get to the reasons that I have to kick his ass." She looked around, he supposed to see if anyone had heard her. He was like that too, thinking that it was a classroom and he needed to never curse in here. "What did he say? I'm in the mood to slay dragons today."

"He mentioned how I was the teacher of the year. I think this is the seventh year in a row that I've been picked. I don't know why that was such a bad thing, but he said that I needed to step down as I was hogging, in his words, all the good tidings from the other teachers. I don't have any idea why that's my fault when I don't even vote but that's what he said. Then he asked me if I would just give notice so that younger teachers could have an opportunity to come in here and be teaching." She asked him why he'd say something like that to the teacher of the year. "I have a feeling that he thinks that I'm going to be wanting his job. I've been offered it before and had no interest in it, but after this, I might just take it. This way, I could have my cake and eat it too while being around the kids." She asked him about his classes. "Being principal means that I could pick the person that replaces me. I also thought about not working at all, but I doubt very much I could stand that. I've been working all my life, and I need, like I do you, to be working. Does that make sense?"

"Yes. And this is coming from the woman who just spent the last four hours going over paperwork at her own job. I understand the need to be out in the field that you love more than anyone else, I think." He told her again that he loved her. "And I love you. How about we gather up your entire family and have some dinner together? I think that would be a great way to end the week."

"It's Tuesday." When she shrugged, he laughed. "All right. I love that idea, too. I'll contact them and see what I can find out. By the way, you need to try contacting them yourself. You can do it."

"I know. I've done it a couple of times with Amy. But I think that coming from you, they'll respond faster. I'm starving." He laughed and told her that they'd help her over him any day of the week. She smiled. "I know that. I'm trying to make sure that they don't love me more than you.

He was still laughing when she left him there. Everyone was coming but for Cullen. Since he was away with work with the Navy, they hadn't really expected him to come home for just a dinner but about an hour after he'd heard from everyone, Cullen contacted him and said that he was coming home. Not to tell anyone.

"All right, but you do know that the grandparents are all here? You don't want them keeling over just because their favorite baby grandbaby showed up." They both laughed, but Jayden had a feeling that there was more going on than his baby brother was letting on. "Tell me, or I'll look. You know that I don't like when you're secretive."

"I'm bringing home a child." That had him stumped for a comeback. Smart or otherwise. "His name is Loren. He doesn't have a last name. I'm sure that he does, but he won't…his family is all gone. They were killed in the last raid I was on. I was…I'm responsible for the death of his family. I don't regret it. It was them or…Can he stay with you? Just until I can get home for good."

"The first thing that I want to say is yes, of course, but I think there is more going on than you bringing home this boy than you're telling me. Is this going to be dangerous for the family?" No answer. "Cullen, I don't think that you realize how much that is saying about this by you not answering me."

"No trouble to the family at all. I'm…Jayden, it's bad here. I've had enough. When I come home, it's going to be for three months this time. It's my getting my head on straight vacation that the big wigs are making me take. I'm not messed up, but the shit going on here is." He asked him if he was all right. "Not so much. I feel like I'm being torn in different directions, and I don't know where this is going to end up with me. Loren isn't the problem, I promise you. But he might be the solution that I need."

While he wasn't sure what that meant either, he told him that he'd talk to him when he got home. After making arrangements, telling him where he was living right now, and making sure that he knew he was staying with him and Hazel, he told him he was at the Columbus airport now and would be there in a couple of hours with Loren. Then he told him that he loved him before closing the connection. Hazel joined him in the room sometime later, and she asked him if he was all right. He told her everything that his brother had told him.

"I'm sure that he has to have a last name. Why do you suppose he'd not tell him? And why hasn't he looked?" Jayden told her that he didn't know, but he'd find out when he got here. "Good. How old is this boy? I mean, he's going to need stuff when he gets here, right? We should…did you ask him anything about him?"

"Nothing. I was more shocked that he said he was bringing him home than what size shoes the kid wears." She cocked a brow at him. A very pretty one at that. "I'm sorry. I've not spoken to Cullen for months. I mean, a few times, he'd check in with all of us, but he just said then that things were fine, he'd try to get home when he could. Shit like that. Now, he's bringing home a kid who will live here for three months while he hangs around with the family. Something is off."

"I'm sure that you'll get to the bottom of it in no time. In the meantime, I don't think that this is something that is going to cause the world to crash down. Do you? I mean, I've never met Cullen, but I'm to understand that he's pretty smart and carries a gun." He laughed at her. "I don't know why you think that is funny, but I'll take it. Come on, we have things to take care of before we head to your parents' house. I'll have some of the staff clean up a suite for the two of them, and we'll make them feel welcome when they get here. Then we'll get answers. Or we'll kick his ass."

When she left him sitting there, he was sure that his mouth was hanging open. Jayden thought about not just what she'd said but what his brother had said as well. How did the kid not have a last name? How old was the kid? And the most important thing was, why was Cullen bringing him home? There had to be more to that than he was saying. But then, as Hazel had said, they'd figure it out when he got home. Or they really would kick his ass.

Just as he was leaving his classroom, he saw that he'd missed a call. Not really wanting to call the station house, he did so anyway. Perhaps it was going to be good news. About what? He didn't have a clue but sat down when they asked to speak to him. After telling the woman on the other end of the line that she had him, it was several minutes of static before she was able to hear someone speaking at the other end of the line. Then he heard a voice that he'd hoped never to hear again. Beth Parkerson was calling him.

"While I really don't care why you're calling me, I don't want you to—" She told him to shut up and do what she told him. "That's not a good way to start off asking, even telling someone to do something for you. Not that I plan on doing shit for you, but you go ahead and vent."

Bethy was in a place for the criminally insane. He thought she would argue about being there as she had it in her head that she was the only smart person to be born, but he leaned back in his chair. The woman, Jamie's and Amy's mother, had had a plan that was about as sick and twisted as it got.

She had it in her head that she was going to marry her son and become the first lady while he served in the White House. She also told anyone who would listen that she wanted to have a couple of her son's children, and they would be perfect, not like the two that he already had with his wife, Carol. When she'd tried to murder her then-husband, Roger, and Amy, she was arrested, and something in her mind snapped. She'd been put away rather than go to a trial. It was better for the country they were all told.

"You're going to use some of your power to make my darling son call me. I so miss hearing his voice." He answered her by simply saying no. "Yes, you will, or when I get out of here, I'll kill you and Amy both. What do you think that's going to do for you? Huh? Answer me that, jackass? You may think that I'm locked away, but I have my ways. You do know that the president of the United States is going to be my husband, don't you?" It didn't bother him that she had the wrong brother when talking about killing Dallas and Amy. What bothered him was the words she was spewing.

"He's your son, not your husband. And it's doubtful that he ever will be either." She started screaming at him, and he had to smile. "You keep that up, and they're not going to allow you to—" Reaching out to her mind, he realized that she'd escaped her room and had killed one of the guards who were set to watch over her. Reaching out to Dallas, he told him what he knew. Christ, he hoped that she never got out. If she did, then it was going to be bad for anyone who got in her way.