Page 46 of Fractured Hope
“We can do that. I’ll need to stop by the garage, too. Maybe you can hang with Kay while I check in with Seb.”
“Yeah. . . maybe.”
Kathleen popped up with our coffees. Max was standing behind her with his cup in hand, ready to go.
“Shall we?” Max gestured to the door.
Sending our thanks to Kathleen, and with a wave to Kay and Rick over my shoulder, we headed out.
The drive took just under an hour, and we arrived as a clerk was opening the doors for the day. We quickly followed them inside, and Max let the admin person know we had arrived. We had the paperwork filled out and Max had gone over it, so all we needed to do was go before a judge and present our case. Max assured me we had enough proof that there shouldn’t be an issue.
We were only waiting for about ten minutes before we were brought before the judge. Bodhi was still in a haze as we went through everything, letting Max speak on Bodhi’s behalf. We were given a temporary order of protection, which, thankfully, would come into effect immediately. We had twenty days of protection while Max and the courts notified Derek, and we could move to a restraining order after a court hearing. Max took everything and made us multiple copies as per the filing requirements, while I took Bodhi over to a seat to wait.
Architecturally the outside of this building was stunning, a work of art, but inside it was drab—it bordered on depressing. The off-white walls and cheap linoleum with scuffed patches all over the place added to the heavy nature of what we were here to do.
Taking Bodhi’s hand, I gave it a squeeze. “We’ll be out of here soon. Can you tell me what you’re thinking?” His stoic attitude was worrying me.
“I’m okay,” he said, still not looking at me. “Is a piece of paper really going to stop Derek?” he mumbled like he was thinking out loud.
“It should make him think twice before trying something.” I wrapped my arm around his slim shoulders and pulled him close. “It’s good to do because if something does happen or hebreaks the order in any way, he can be arrested on the spot. You’ve done the right thing. It’s a good step to take.”
I kissed the top of his head and waited in stagnant silence.
Once Max returned, we each had copies and the temporary order was in effect. We had a court date set for twenty days later to establish a permanent order. We’d need Derek present for that one, which was something none of us were looking forward to, but it was the next legal step.
The drive back to Hope’s Ridge was done in silence. I hoped Kay would be able to help Bodhi out of his funk because I was at a loss for what else I could do. I hated feeling helpless. I wanted nothing more than to take Bodhi’s pain and worry away.
When we arrived, I had Max drop us off at Jolt so Bodhi could see Kay while I stopped by the garage. I led Bodhi inside, and thankfully the rush had passed, with only a few customers left. Kay came straight up to us and wrapped Bodhi in a hug.
“You sure you guys will be okay?” I glanced at Kay and raised my eyebrows at him to ensure he knew what I was really asking.You’ll watch out for Bodhi, right?
“Yeah, we’ll be fine.” He gave me a nod in return. He knew the gravity of the situation. “Unless it gets insanely busy, I’m free for the rest of the day.”
Taking Bodhi’s hand and kissing the back of it finally got him to look at me. His eyes filled with sadness. “I’ll be just down the street and no more than an hour. You okay here?”
“Yeah, we’ll be fine.” He sent me a small smile that didn’t reach his eyes. “Can you take these with you and put them in the safe?” He handed me a copy of the paperwork.
“Sure thing. I’ll see you soon.” Kissing his cheek, I left him in Kay’s safe hands, and then I headed down the street to the garage.
Walking through the wide-open doors, I was greeted by Seb’s back leaning over the Cadillac he’d been working on the other day when he’d found the bullet.
“Haven’t you already finished her?” I came to stand next to him. “Is there something else wrong?”
Seb jumped, nearly hitting his head on the car’s hood. “Jeez man, don’t sneak up on me!” He turned to me. “No, nothing’s wrong, just wanted to do a last double-check to be sure before sending her home.”
Seb had always been a fan of the older cars and made sure to take extra care whenever one came into the shop. He and Pa had been in the process of restoring a 1964 Pontiac Tempest Convertible when Pa had died. Seb hadn’t touched the car since.
“I just wanted to check in and see how things were going. Maybe do a final check on Sidney’s Ford F-150, so he can pick her up. I need him to stop asking me for updates.” I chuckled a little thinking of Sidney’s persistence. “He’s so excited for his cross-country road trip that he’s been messaging me almost every day.”
“Sidney always was a little high maintenance. Even in school, he needed to know what was going on and when.”
“Oh, I remember. He had such a crush on you and wouldn’t stop asking me about you until it was clear you weren’t interested.” I gently nudged Seb with my elbow.
Groaning, he shook his head. “Oh my God, I’d forgotten about that.” He ran his hand down his face. “Sidney would turn up at our games and always wait around for me. It got weird. Maybe I shouldn’t be here when he comes to get his truck.”
Laughing for the first time today, I shrugged. “He has a girlfriend now, so you’re fine. That’s who he’s road-tripping to visit. She lives in Dallas or goes to college there.”
“Still...” Seb rubbed the back of his neck anxiously. Shaking off our Sidney conversation, Seb changed topics. “How was Bodhi this morning? Everything go okay?”
