Page 20 of Beau
“Is she still claiming that it was a game?”Beau couldn’t believe it either, but didn’t have much to do with the woman or the trial that was going to be coming up.It would only be a hearing to find out if there was enough evidence to hold her over for trial or not, but he’d seen some of the material that his brother had, and he thought it would be more than enough to hold her.“I heard that she’s giving the officers at the stationhouse a lot of trouble, too.I hope she gets the book thrown at her.”
“I’m not holding out any hope of it getting much in the way of sentencing.She’s off her rocker if you were to ask me.And she’s decided that since it was only a game she was playing against the Watson family, then she should be able to get out on good behavior.Which, from my understanding, isn’t something to count on.”Beau asked about her trial and when he thought it would be, if there was one.“I’m thinking that it’s going to be sometime next summer.That will give both attorneys time to gather up what is needed and see to her prison term.There is no doubt that she’ll go to prison, but it’s the question of how long that bothers me.I hope she at least gets ten years.Perhaps that will make her less likely to do this sort of thing again.”
“I don’t want to be rude, but is there anything else we can talk about other than this woman?”Beau asked Weston what he meant.“It seems as if we talk about her endlessly.There has to be other people around town that we can talk about.Even if it’s just our family.She’s not all that special if you ask me.”
“No, she’s not, and you’re right.Let’s talk about how we’re going to have gardens put in next year for whoever wants one.”That was a good topic, he thought, and was glad that someone brought it up.
Come spring, they were going to have raised gardens for any citizen who wanted one.It would be something that they could plant whatever they wanted in it and harvest it for their own tables.The gardens would be free to the public, but they had to be maintained so that they would not be an eyesore if they were to get out of hand.Beau was especially happy about the project as he loved cooking with fresh vegetables and herbs.He’d already heard from two people about their new gardens and how they were going to grow pumpkins in the fall to sell around town.He thought that was a great idea as he loved pumpkin pie.
“We’re getting the soil at a good discount that we’re going to be using.And the greenhouse just outside of town is going to offer a discount on their plants for those who buy from them.Also, I don’t know if you know this or not, but the local hardware store is also offering a discount on tools they can use as well.”Beau asked if everyone had signed up for the gardens or not.“All the places that we were going to put in have been claimed.If we had twice as many to get out, we’d have them taken as well.I think it’s going to be a huge hit with the locals.”
“Ms.Tanner said she’s going to put her things out early enough that she can have a second season.I don’t know how that would work, but she’s excited about it.I’ve also heard that some of the people are sharing the workload, too.I know that it can be hard on the elderly to get out there every day and work on the garden.”Beau said that some of the pack was going to help them out by weeding for them when it’s too hot for them.“Good job.That’ll be great for them.Especially some of the older groups that have gotten one of the gardens.”
They spoke about the gardens until lunch time and then changed the subject to getting ready for Halloween.The courthouse was going to be handing out candy, with Weston and Rogen there to hand it out.Then there was Jameson’s law office, too, going to hand out the big kind of candy bars that the kids loved.It seemed to him that the town was going all out this year, and he couldn’t be more proud of them.He and Danielle were going to be handing out candy, too, at their home with the faeries.They were excited about being around the children, too.
They’d already gotten lots of bags of candy since they were situated right off the main road going through town.He’d been telling kids that they were going to be disappointed if they didn’t see some of the kids at their home, too.Beau thought that this was going to be the best holiday ever.
~*~
The faeries were going to help her with her costume for trick-or-treat night.Danielle was happy to have them with her and Beau as part of their costumes.Beau was going to dress up as a faerie lord, and she was going to be a faerie princess.They’d been planning it all month so that the faeries could be a part of the night.They were going to be flying around like part of the show.
“Do you suppose we could give a little magic to some of the children?”She asked Stack what he meant.“Just to ones that seem to be needing a little extra loving and friendship.It would only be aspark that would last through the night.Then it would be gone the next day.But it might give them what they need in order to be brave about becoming friends with some of the other children.”
“I don’t see a problem with it so long as it’s not dangerous.Nor does it last that long.We don’t want to harm the children in any way.”Stack said he’d never do that but would like to see the children happy.“You know, parents go all out on this holiday as well.Some of them work really hard on costumes for their kids, too.They might need a little boost from you as well.”
“Oh, how exciting for us.”Stack was going to rotate all the faeries that wanted to be a part of it throughout the night.It might only be for a few minutes, but with the number of kids in their town, they might well get to see a lot of children.She’d heard from them that they get a special kind of magic from children that they can’t get anywhere else.
The faeries had been very helpful since they got the house finished.She still felt bad for not allowing them to do the house when she first moved in with Beau.It would have saved her a great deal of time and heartache.Going through the things that had been left behind by her father had been hard, but things from her grandmother had really killed any kind of love for the woman.She was a mean, nasty sort of person that had ruled them all with an iron fist.Even when they were adults.
She was setting the table when Beau came home from work.In the morning, they were going to the courthouse to find out what happened with the two people they had an interest in.The other Sheppards were going to be there as well because they were going to support Rogen and the rest of the Watson family.Jameson was going to be their attorney, and she thought that he was looking forward to that as much as they were getting things done with the other woman.She’d caused enough trouble as it was.
“What are we having?”She told him.“I love pot roast and potatoes.Especially with bread to sop up the gravy with.How was work today?”
“Better.I think that I’m getting used to their gossip and can tune it out better.I don’t mind that they say things anymore about people, but I wish they’d stop it.Some of the things they say are just plain mean.”He agreed with her but never asked what they were saying.She’d tell him if it involved something that they could do something about.But usually, he would only hear about it if she mentioned it in passing.“Did I tell you that tomorrow is my day off?I’m going to the library to read to the younger kids at noon.”
“I wanted to do that when we were younger, but Mother wouldn’t allow us to be associated with those sorts of people.She treated us with disdain when we even mentioned it.”
Beau had told her the other night about how his grandfather had beaten him so badly that he had three broken ribs as well as a bloodied lip.He wasn’t allowed to shift either to make himself better.It was his punishment for asking if he could get a job after school in his junior year.While he did heal faster than a human would, it was still several weeks before he could get around without wincing.“I don’t miss them at all.Not even when I’m down in the dumps about something do I think about them in a good way.I’m not glad that they’re dead, I wish they could have gone to prison for some time for what they did, but I’m happy that they’re not in my life.”
Danielle couldn’t believe how well they turned out for what had been done to them as children through their adult years.She didn’t think she could have survived had she even had half of the way they’d been treated.But each one of them was kind and well-mannered.They treated their fellow man the same way they treated everyone, with compassion and tenderness.Sometimes they could be harsh when the time called for it, but otherwise they were the nicest men that she knew.
After dinner, they stayed in the dining room just talking about their day.Beau had several investments of his own that he was keeping an eye on, and he was happy to report that the woman he’d been trying to get to expand, Tess the soap woman, was going to take him up on his offer to help her so that she could get into a bigger building and make a name for herself.Jameson was going to go over the contracts with her next week, and that would be the beginning of a whole new relationship.
“She’ll be making the kind of money that she only dreamed of once she gets up and going.It’s going to take about a month to get all the equipment that she needs in place, but after that she’ll berolling along.”She asked if she was going to make other kinds of soaps.“Not at first.She just wants to get her product out in a timely manner so that she can get some reviews from people who bought from her.”
“Well, I’m happy for her.You said that the building that you’re getting for her would have a shop where she could sell things too.I’m going to make it a point to go there weekly to make sure I don’t miss any of her new designs or smells.”He said with a laugh that she should work for her.“I thought about it.But I was worried that she’d think I was spying on her for you.I don’t want her to think that when you guys have a good relationship going on right now.”
“I guess that’s true.I’d hate for her to feel obligated too in thinking that she’d have to hire you.You’re brilliant, have I told you that?”She told him not enough, and they both laughed.“Anyway, I’ve been reaching out to other vendors that I’ve come across when we’re out and about.Did you know that there is a quilting club in town?They make the most beautiful quilts I’ve ever seen.And they usually donate them to causes so that they can be raffled off.That’s where the one they’re working on now goes to the Center for Adults.I guess they need new books in their library, and this is a good way to make the money to purchase them.”
“The town library has had a raffle too.They get money from late fees and such, but sometimes they need to have whole sections replaced.The children’s area is in such a state of flux all the time that I’m surprised when they have raffles and fundraisers that get them money enough to buy whole sections of books.”He asked her if they take donations; it seemed like a good cause to donate to.“Yes, they do.I don’t know the address right now, but I can get it for you tomorrow.I’m excited to be a part of the library where people can go to use the computers and books at the same time.”
After locking up the house, they were headed to bed.Danielle was exhausted and needed about fifty hours of sleep, but knew that she’d not miss a night making love with Beau for anything.However, almost as soon as her head hit her pillow, she was out for the night.She woke up briefly when Beau wrapped himself around her, but then she went right back to sleep.It would be good to get a full night’s rest when she had so much to do tomorrow.
Chapter 10
On cross-examination, Jameson seemed to be getting answers to questions that he didn’t ask.Every time he brought up the ‘game’ that Allison had been playing, she’d go on this tirade about how nobody should be upset with her for having some fun.Even bringing up that no one had had any fun with her supposed game, she still didn’t understand why she’d been jailed when the Watsons had won.
“Won what?”She could never get past the fact that she thought what she was doing was just fine, as she’d not hurt anyone nor had anyone died.“But they did have to relive the death of their mother over again when you thought to tease them into thinking that she was still alive.Most family members were upset with you because of the way that you treated them.Lying to them about their mother.”
