“Excuse me, Miss Carter…surely to God that cannot be of concern considering most of the people you do business with are in the same boat and worse.”
Ethel glared.
Dori clasped his arm.
“No, no, Johnny, it’s a fair question and not like I haven’t heard that said before. Yes, Miss Carter, you are correct. I have a child. He’s six months old and taking a nap.”
“Where’s the father?”
“I have no idea nor do I care. He has no part in our lives,” Dori said.
“Mr. Pine, I assume your little brothers are in school?”
“Yes.”
“How old are they now?”
“Ten and seven.”
“According to the complaint, you had an altercation with the law regarding the youngest one a few weeks back. Is that correct?”
Johnny’s heart was hammering against his chest so hard he felt sick.
“Inadvertently, that is correct.”
“What do you mean ‘inadvertently’? Either you were in trouble with the law or you weren’t.”
“We were not. My youngest brother was the victim of an assault at his school. The perpetrators have already been found guilty and sentenced. He’s healing, thank you for asking.”
Ethel frowned. Damn Pansy Jones for twisting facts. Ethel was a stickler for proper procedures.
“Yes, well, I’ll be checking into the court records,” she said.
“You might save yourself some time and talk to my lawyer, Peanut Butterman,” Johnny offered.
Ethel blinked twice. Butterman was well-known within the county, and the man cost money.
“Do you have a job?” she asked.
“Yes. The same one I had last time we met. I drive a dozer for Clawson Construction.”
“And you, Miss Grant. Do you work?”
“I did until the fire. Granddaddy kept the baby. Now I don’t.”
Johnny had heard enough.
“Exactly what was the nature of the complaint?”
“That you are corrupting the children under this roof by the lascivious behavior you display in front of them.”
Johnny’s face went blank and then he stood up.
“That’s a lie, and an ugly one at that. I would like to see proof. I want to know exactly what was offered up to you to speak such slanderous statements.”
“An accusation does not demand proof. That is why I’m here. To find the proof for myself.”
Dori stood up beside him, her hands clasped in front of her belly. Her voice was shaking and her eyes were, once again, filled with tears.
“Five days ago, I was washing dishes in the restaurant downtown, and then I went home and went to bed and woke up to a house on fire. I watched Granddaddy die in front of me while the firemen were trying to put it out. The crowd of onlookers was large as they watched my world go up in flames, but not a one of them offered me and my baby shelter. Johnny Pine and his little brothers saw the fire, and they saw everybody walk away from us. He offered shelter. I took it. My house burned Thursday. I buried Granddaddy on Saturday. I have cried most of the time I’ve been here, and now I am to sit here calmly and listen to you accuse me of having wild sex with a man who, up until Thursday, I knew only through school?”
Before Ethel could respond, the baby let out a wail, as if mirroring the shock and sadness in his mother’s heart.
“Excuse me. I need to tend to the baby, and I’m not coming back. I’ve said all I’m going to say to you, lady, and you can tell Pansy Jones when you talk to her again that she is going straight to hell for what she’s done.”
Dori left the room, and Johnny went to the door and opened it, then stood aside.
“I believe we’re through here.”
Ethel was angry. She was the one who said when it was over. She was the one who made the recommendations and filed the reports.
“You might be, but I’m not,” Ethel said. “I’m the one who’s in charge, not you.”
She gathered up her things, and the moment she crossed the threshold, Johnny shut her out.
Ethel heard the lock turn behind her, and she headed for her car. Once again, Johnny Pine had been involved in making her feel like a fool.
Johnny bolted down the hall and into Dori and Luther’s room. Dori was sitting on the bed, holding Luther in her arms, and sobbing.
“What’s happening?” she wailed. “Why is this happening?”
Johnny sat down beside her and pulled her close.
“I’m sorry, Dori. I’m so sorry. I guess the complaint is what brought her back, but I know she was mad as hell the day the judge ruled in my favor and gave custody of the boys to me. I don’t trust her to deal in facts. I don’t trust her at all.”
Dori buried her face in Luther’s neck. “I can’t cope with anything else. I just can’t do this. They can’t take my baby away from me.”
Before he could answer, Dori’s phone began to ring. She took it out of her pocket and handed it to Johnny.
“I can’t talk,” she said and began to cry.
Johnny saw it was from Butterman and answered. “Hello, this is Johnny. Dori can’t come to the phone right now.”
Butterman smiled. “Then I’ll wait. I have some very good news for her.”
Johnny sighed. “We have a huge problem, Mr. Butterman. Pansy Jones reported us to DFCS, and the caseworker who showed up was Ethel Carter, the caseworker who testified two years ago that I was unfit to care for my brothers. I think she’s still holding a grudge. Nothing either one of us said seemed to matter. She even brought up the assault on Beep, inferring it happened because I was unfit.”
“Shit,” Peanut said.
“Exactly. She is going to try and take the kids away from us. I know it.”
“Well, she tried before and didn’t,” Peanut said.
“I’m not willing to risk losing my brothers again by assuming anything.”
“Let me talk to Dori,” Peanut said.
“Just a second,” Johnny said, then handed Dori the phone. “He wants to talk to you, honey. Give the baby to me.”
Dori handed Luther to Johnny and then wiped her face before she answered. “This is Dori.”
“Dori, I’m sorry about what’s happening.”
Dori shuddered past a sob. “Sorry? Sorry won’t fix this if they take Luther away from me and the boys away from Johnny.”
“I know. Poor choice of words, but I have news, and I might have a suggestion that would fix the problem.”
“What news?”
“We opened your grandfather’s safety-deposit box. There’s a diamond-and-ruby ring and some other family keepsakes.”
“The ring belonged to Grandy’s mother. I knew it was there.”
“Did you know about the stock portfolio in your name?”
“The what?”
“A stock portfolio he bought in your name the month you were born.”
“No, I didn’t know about that,” Dori said.
“Well, it seems he chose stocks wisely, bought and sold some through the years, and a few years back, at his stockbroker’s advice, bought some stock in what was a new high-tech company that is now a top-notch business. Bottom line, my girl, you are rich. As in millionaire rich.”
Dori gasped and then started to cry all over again.
“None of that will mean a damn thing if I don’t have my baby.”
“And now we get to my suggestion. Do you like Johnny Pine?”
“Yes, of course. He’s been wonderful to us.”
“No, I mean, could you like him as relationship material?”
“That possibility exists,” she said.
“Good. Now let me talk to Johnny.”
She handed the phone back to Johnny.
“Now he wants to talk to you.”
She took the baby and Johnny took the phone.
“Yeah?”
“I have a suggestion that could bring an end to your troubles with DFCS.”
“Like what?”
“Do you like Dori?”
“Well, sure. She’s great.”
“Do you like her enough to consider a personal relationship with her?”
Johnny looked at Dori, then cupped her face and ran his thumb down the side of her jaw.
“Yes, I like her enough to consider a personal relationship.”
Dori shivered beneath his touch as she realized Butterman was asking Johnny the same question he’d asked her.
“Put the phone on speaker,” Butterman said.
“Just a minute,” Johnny said and then pressed a button. “Okay, you’re on speaker now.”
“Here’s the deal,” Butterman said. “You two are very young to have such adult responsibilities. You’re both trying to take care of your families on your own, and now DFCS has their nose in your business and is threatening you with removing the children from your custody, right?”
“Right,” they said.
“So this would end tomorrow if you were married.”
Johnny took a quick breath, started to speak, and then found himself staring at Dori instead, waiting for her reaction.
Dori already knew Johnny cared for her because he’d told her. What he didn’t know was that she was very attracted to him.
“Well? Did both of you faint or what?” Butterman asked.
“I’m game if she is,” Johnny said.
“I’m willing to do whatever it takes to keep our boys,” Dori said.
Butterman chuckled. “Congratulations on your upcoming nuptials. If it were me, I wouldn’t waste any time. Go get the license and find a preacher, and your trouble with Miss Carter is a thing of the past. I assume I am invited to the wedding.”
“We’ll be in touch,” Johnny said and disconnected. Dori was still staring at him as if she’d seen a ghost. He started talking fast, desperate for her not to back out. “It can be in name only for as long as you need. I understand how you must feel about men and—”
Dori put her fingers across his mouth.
“I do not have a blanket hate on the male species. I was drugged. I barely remember what happened—only the face of the man and feeling like I was standing outside my own body, watching it happen. I do not fear you in any way. I like you, Johnny Pine; even if this sinful relationship is only five days old, I really like you. I think we can do this. We owe it to the boys to give it a try.”
Johnny rubbed the back of Luther’s little baby neck and then kissed Dori squarely on the mouth.
“I don’t have to try. It’s a dream come true for me. I think we’re both due some happiness, honey, and you and buster here make me very happy.”
Dori blinked. Johnny had just called the baby buster, which was Granddaddy’s nickname for Luther Joe. It was like she’d just gotten permission from Granddaddy to do it. She shivered, remembering what Butterman had just told her about that stock portfolio—and the life insurance, the money for the house, and the money for a new car. She was sure Johnny was going to pass out when she told him.
“Oh, Johnny, you have no idea how happy you’re going to be.”
He pulled her and the baby into an embrace and then held them.
“This is certainly going to set the gossip wheel rolling,” he muttered.
“Let it roll,” Dori said. “Once we’re married, there will be all kinds of new gossip for them to chew on.”
“Like what?” he asked.
She smiled. “You’ll find out soon enough. What I want to know is, what do we do first to get this started?”
“We get a marriage license and find a preacher. No waiting period in Georgia and no blood tests required.”
Luther’s patience finally wore thin. He threw back his head and let out a howl.
“I need to change him and feed him,” Dori said.
“You do the diaper; I’ll heat the bottle. We’re in this together, honey, all the way.”
Chapter 18
Johnny heated up the bottle and then called his boss. Clawson answered quickly.
“You guys okay? What’s up with DFCS?”
“We
will
be okay. I’ll explain it later. Is it cool with you if I take my lunch hour now? I’ll work even later tonight to make it up,” Johnny said.
“Well, good news is, you can take more than the lunch hour. That part we put on your dozer didn’t fix it. It’s still leaking transmission fluid somewhere else, and we’ve had to order another part, which won’t be in until sometime tomorrow.”
“Okay. I will be there later, and thanks, Boss. This crazy part of my life is about to smooth all the way out. I’ll see you after a while.”
Dori came in carrying a very dissatisfied baby. Johnny grinned and handed her the bottle. The moment she plugged it in his mouth, the fussing ceased.
“Magic stuff,” Johnny said. “Come sit down with me until he’s through.”
Dori followed him into the living room and sat right beside him.
Johnny touched her arm, then the side of her face. The urgency of this wedding was frightening, but at the same time, he was so worried about how this would make her feel. He’d always heard that the wedding ceremony was a great big deal to girls, and now she was going to be cheated out of all the preparation.
“We don’t dare wait to do this, agreed?” he asked.
“Agreed.”
“What about tomorrow? We can keep the boys out of school, and they’ll be my best men. Is there someone special you would like to be there?”
Tears blurred her vision as her granddaddy’s face slid through her mind.
“Not really. My so-called friends at school dropped me when I dropped out. I could ask Lovey and Ruby. They’ve been so helpful and sweet.”
“I told Clawson I was taking my lunch hour now. We can go to the courthouse and get the license. I don’t know how much it costs, but I’m sure it’s under a hundred dollars. I think I have about thirty dollars on me.”
“I have some money too. I cashed a check this morning when I got groceries. I was going to make a special supper tonight and a special breakfast tomorrow.”
“You still can,” he said. “And if that breakfast is anything but oatmeal, I’m first in line.”
She laughed. “There is nothing wrong with oatmeal, but I wanted to do this for you guys. Oh wait! I have to find out if Preacher Lawless can marry us tomorrow.”
“I’ll call him. You can talk,” Johnny said and looked up the number. He made the call on her phone and then took the baby so she could talk.
It rang twice before the call was answered.
“First Baptist Church, Ron Lawless speaking.”
“Preacher Lawless, this is Dori Grant.”
“Dori! How are you, my dear?”
“Oh, we’re okay. Thank you. It seems I am going to need your services once more.”
“Certainly. What can I do for you?”