trouble." Her long strides ate up the ground until she was within a foot of Julie.
"You take another step, lady, and I'll whip your sorry ass myself. This is my place and you aren't touching my daughter or talking to her like that," Julie said just before Rachel stepped onto her porch
Rachel stopped and glared at Julie. "What gives you that right? This isn't your property. It belongs to that old witch, Edna."
"She died and I bought it. It is my property and you are not welcome. Annie, what are you talking about? Who hit Lizzy?" Julie asked.
Annie pointed her finger. "Is that her daddy's girlfriend?"
"Yes, I am. You know that, Lizzy. What kind of game are you playing?"
"I'm not Lizzy. I'm Annie. Momma, tell her I'm Annie."
"This is my daughter. Get out and leave us alone," Julie said.
Annie narrowed her eyes at Rachel. "You tried to make Lizzy eat carrots and she don't like carrots. I like carrots and she likes peas. I don't like peas but my momma don't hit me two times on my bottom when I don't eat peas. That woman hit Lizzy, Momma."
Julie glared at Rachel, her mouth set in a firm line. "You hit a child? One that didn't even belong to you? What kind of woman are you?"
Rachel puffed out her chest and looked down at Julie. "She'll be my child before long and it's none of your business."
Griffin watched from the corner of the yard. Everything was moving like slow motion in an old television movie. Rachel had spanked Lizzy because she wouldn't eat her carrots. Rachel was screaming at Julie, and Julie was protecting a child that wasn't even hers like a momma cougar. It was all surreal.
"Could you two stop your fighting long enough to tell me if Lizzy is safe?" he yelled.
"Where is Lizzy?" Julie finally asked Annie.
"She rode her pony to the fence and we put it behind the shed. She is hiding in my bedroom. I took her some crackers for breakfast and we've been playing all day but we're hungry. Can we make a sandwich now?" Annie answered innocently.
"Will you please tell her to come out here?" Julie asked.
"Please, Annie," Griffin exhaled loudly. At least his daughter was safe.
Rachel frowned. "That is Lizzy. She's playing some kind of crazy game with you. Are you stupid, woman?"
"Lady, I'm not known for patience, especially when it comes to child abuse, so you'd do well to hush and let me get to the bottom of this," Julie said hotly.
In spite of the hundred-plus-degree weather Rachel wrapped her arms around her body to stave off a chill. That sawed-off filthy woman looked as if she was about to wield that hoe like a lance in her direction.
Lizzy stepped out of the door and reached for Annie's hand. "Hi Daddy. I don't like her and she hit me."
Rachel stared blankly at the two little girls. "There's two of them? Griffin, you've got some explaining to do." She turned on him.
"Lizzy, why did you run away?" Griffin asked.
Lizzy's chin quivered. "Because she was going to keep me today and I don't like carrots, and she said I was spoiled and I don't like her and she already spanked me and she might hit me again."
"Griffin Luckadeau, I cannot believe you let that bitch hit your child. I'm calling child protective services." Julie joined the girls on the porch.
"Don't you threaten us," Rachel said.
"Settle down, both of you. To hell with it. Call the damn cops. Let them put me in jail. I'm coming onto your property," he said as he plowed across the yard.
"I never said you couldn't come on my property. I don't have a restraining order on anyone. But that woman better get off my land. I won't need a restraining order if she doesn't because I'm taking care of it myself." Julie turned her attention to Griffin and away from Rachel.
That gave Rachel enough time to hurry to the safety of her car.
Griffin gathered Lizzy into his arms. "I'm so sorry,
"You take another step, lady, and I'll whip your sorry ass myself. This is my place and you aren't touching my daughter or talking to her like that," Julie said just before Rachel stepped onto her porch
Rachel stopped and glared at Julie. "What gives you that right? This isn't your property. It belongs to that old witch, Edna."
"She died and I bought it. It is my property and you are not welcome. Annie, what are you talking about? Who hit Lizzy?" Julie asked.
Annie pointed her finger. "Is that her daddy's girlfriend?"
"Yes, I am. You know that, Lizzy. What kind of game are you playing?"
"I'm not Lizzy. I'm Annie. Momma, tell her I'm Annie."
"This is my daughter. Get out and leave us alone," Julie said.
Annie narrowed her eyes at Rachel. "You tried to make Lizzy eat carrots and she don't like carrots. I like carrots and she likes peas. I don't like peas but my momma don't hit me two times on my bottom when I don't eat peas. That woman hit Lizzy, Momma."
Julie glared at Rachel, her mouth set in a firm line. "You hit a child? One that didn't even belong to you? What kind of woman are you?"
Rachel puffed out her chest and looked down at Julie. "She'll be my child before long and it's none of your business."
Griffin watched from the corner of the yard. Everything was moving like slow motion in an old television movie. Rachel had spanked Lizzy because she wouldn't eat her carrots. Rachel was screaming at Julie, and Julie was protecting a child that wasn't even hers like a momma cougar. It was all surreal.
"Could you two stop your fighting long enough to tell me if Lizzy is safe?" he yelled.
"Where is Lizzy?" Julie finally asked Annie.
"She rode her pony to the fence and we put it behind the shed. She is hiding in my bedroom. I took her some crackers for breakfast and we've been playing all day but we're hungry. Can we make a sandwich now?" Annie answered innocently.
"Will you please tell her to come out here?" Julie asked.
"Please, Annie," Griffin exhaled loudly. At least his daughter was safe.
Rachel frowned. "That is Lizzy. She's playing some kind of crazy game with you. Are you stupid, woman?"
"Lady, I'm not known for patience, especially when it comes to child abuse, so you'd do well to hush and let me get to the bottom of this," Julie said hotly.
In spite of the hundred-plus-degree weather Rachel wrapped her arms around her body to stave off a chill. That sawed-off filthy woman looked as if she was about to wield that hoe like a lance in her direction.
Lizzy stepped out of the door and reached for Annie's hand. "Hi Daddy. I don't like her and she hit me."
Rachel stared blankly at the two little girls. "There's two of them? Griffin, you've got some explaining to do." She turned on him.
"Lizzy, why did you run away?" Griffin asked.
Lizzy's chin quivered. "Because she was going to keep me today and I don't like carrots, and she said I was spoiled and I don't like her and she already spanked me and she might hit me again."
"Griffin Luckadeau, I cannot believe you let that bitch hit your child. I'm calling child protective services." Julie joined the girls on the porch.
"Don't you threaten us," Rachel said.
"Settle down, both of you. To hell with it. Call the damn cops. Let them put me in jail. I'm coming onto your property," he said as he plowed across the yard.
"I never said you couldn't come on my property. I don't have a restraining order on anyone. But that woman better get off my land. I won't need a restraining order if she doesn't because I'm taking care of it myself." Julie turned her attention to Griffin and away from Rachel.
That gave Rachel enough time to hurry to the safety of her car.
Griffin gathered Lizzy into his arms. "I'm so sorry,
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