waiting.” They walked around the side of the house to the back porch, where Fancy Dancer was waiting for him. A peek inside the kitchen door confirmed that there was no room in the kitchen for an extra person.
Fancy took the lead. “I don’t think, Mr. St. Cloud, that you are a suitable fit for us. I called the courthouse, explained our dilemma, and they’re going to be sending an investigator over shortly. So, until he or she gets here, feel free to do whatever you want. Just don’t get in the way of the volunteers.”
Jake had a dozen snappy comebacks on his tongue, but instead of voicing them, just shrugged and walked back to where he had been sitting when young Charlie found him.
Fancy watched him go. She’d expected a few sharp-tongued retorts and was almost disappointed that she wasn’t going to get the chance to debate those retorts. Like I really need a good-looking playboy who thinks he is God’s gift to women under my feet all day long. On the other hand, I’ve always loved a challenge. Well, too late now.
Shortly before noon, a cavalcade of cars swerved into the parking area; some double-parked, others just parked anywhere. Jake missed the arrival because he had dozed off on the bench he was sitting on. He woke when he heard the furious shouting coming from the kitchen. He got up and ambled his way toward the back porch.
There was enough noise to rival that of a three-ring circus. He sat down on the steps and propped his elbows on his knees and listened.
“A court order is a court order.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a good fit or not. You signed off on it.”
“If there’s no room, there’s no room. I can’t conjure something out of thin air.”
“Then let the county fund a hotel room at night for him.”
“He can’t drive. Someone would have to take him there, then pick him up in the morning. This is way outside what we agreed to.”
“There’s no room in the budget for a year’s worth of hotel rooms.”
“It would take months to rescind the court order. The order stays in place.”
“But I told you . . .”
“I don’t care. You signed off on it. If you break the order, you will be in contempt, which in turn could lead to jail time.”
“You want a full-court press on this, you got it. Where’s that going to leave you and your foundation? Bad press for a place like this won’t be good. You’ll come across as two bitter women fighting the St. Cloud media machine.”
“All right! All right! We’ll clear out the attic.”
“You have to be kidding. You don’t have air-conditioning. The temperature in the attic would be well over a hundred degrees. That would be inhumane. Try again!”
And on and on it went. He had never in his life been the source of so much animosity. He had no idea that he had so many rights. All of which, it seemed, were being violated. He yawned and was about to doze off again when the party inside came to an abrupt halt. He jerked up just as the partygoers descended the steps and moved toward their cars. Alex, Estes, and Elroy brought up the rear, followed by a chubby little man in a wrinkled suit who turned out to be his personal advocate.
“So, am I going or staying?” Jake asked in a bored tone.
“You’re staying, young man,” Clarence Tremaine said firmly. “Just because you’re a criminal doesn’t mean anyone can strip away your rights. You will have your own room and bath. If you have even an inkling of a problem here, call me at this number,” Tremaine said, handing Jake his card.
Jake didn’t trust himself to speak, so he nodded.
“Well, bro, we settled that rather quickly. An hour on the job, and you had the world at your feet fighting for you. You won—how’s it feel?”
“Are you being a wiseass, Alex?”
“Yeah.”
“We were prepared to sue,” Estes said, or maybe it was Elroy. “As soon as they realized we meant business, they backed down.”
“I guess they hate me now, right?”
Alex laughed. “
Fancy took the lead. “I don’t think, Mr. St. Cloud, that you are a suitable fit for us. I called the courthouse, explained our dilemma, and they’re going to be sending an investigator over shortly. So, until he or she gets here, feel free to do whatever you want. Just don’t get in the way of the volunteers.”
Jake had a dozen snappy comebacks on his tongue, but instead of voicing them, just shrugged and walked back to where he had been sitting when young Charlie found him.
Fancy watched him go. She’d expected a few sharp-tongued retorts and was almost disappointed that she wasn’t going to get the chance to debate those retorts. Like I really need a good-looking playboy who thinks he is God’s gift to women under my feet all day long. On the other hand, I’ve always loved a challenge. Well, too late now.
Shortly before noon, a cavalcade of cars swerved into the parking area; some double-parked, others just parked anywhere. Jake missed the arrival because he had dozed off on the bench he was sitting on. He woke when he heard the furious shouting coming from the kitchen. He got up and ambled his way toward the back porch.
There was enough noise to rival that of a three-ring circus. He sat down on the steps and propped his elbows on his knees and listened.
“A court order is a court order.”
“It doesn’t matter if it’s a good fit or not. You signed off on it.”
“If there’s no room, there’s no room. I can’t conjure something out of thin air.”
“Then let the county fund a hotel room at night for him.”
“He can’t drive. Someone would have to take him there, then pick him up in the morning. This is way outside what we agreed to.”
“There’s no room in the budget for a year’s worth of hotel rooms.”
“It would take months to rescind the court order. The order stays in place.”
“But I told you . . .”
“I don’t care. You signed off on it. If you break the order, you will be in contempt, which in turn could lead to jail time.”
“You want a full-court press on this, you got it. Where’s that going to leave you and your foundation? Bad press for a place like this won’t be good. You’ll come across as two bitter women fighting the St. Cloud media machine.”
“All right! All right! We’ll clear out the attic.”
“You have to be kidding. You don’t have air-conditioning. The temperature in the attic would be well over a hundred degrees. That would be inhumane. Try again!”
And on and on it went. He had never in his life been the source of so much animosity. He had no idea that he had so many rights. All of which, it seemed, were being violated. He yawned and was about to doze off again when the party inside came to an abrupt halt. He jerked up just as the partygoers descended the steps and moved toward their cars. Alex, Estes, and Elroy brought up the rear, followed by a chubby little man in a wrinkled suit who turned out to be his personal advocate.
“So, am I going or staying?” Jake asked in a bored tone.
“You’re staying, young man,” Clarence Tremaine said firmly. “Just because you’re a criminal doesn’t mean anyone can strip away your rights. You will have your own room and bath. If you have even an inkling of a problem here, call me at this number,” Tremaine said, handing Jake his card.
Jake didn’t trust himself to speak, so he nodded.
“Well, bro, we settled that rather quickly. An hour on the job, and you had the world at your feet fighting for you. You won—how’s it feel?”
“Are you being a wiseass, Alex?”
“Yeah.”
“We were prepared to sue,” Estes said, or maybe it was Elroy. “As soon as they realized we meant business, they backed down.”
“I guess they hate me now, right?”
Alex laughed. “
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