“He doesn’t have any bail set yet.Not until he sees the judge.And then it’ll be whatever he deems is a good amount.I’m thinking that it’s going to be high on account of him not showing up the last time for his court hearing.”She asked what it was for.“Stealing gas from parked cars.He’s been caught at that a few times.He doesn’t even own a car, much less have a driver’s license.I’m guessing that he’s selling it off for a discount, and that’s what he’s doing for money.I hate that he’s using those kids to help him out.”
“My sister seems to be thinking that I can bail him out so that he can be with his family.”He shook his head and said that without the judge, no one can bail him out.“She would know that, too, I’m thinking.He’s been locked up enough before.”
“I will tell you this.We took pictures of the house when we were there.They’re supposed to keep it cleaned up, and when we went by there, it was a total mess.I’m going to send them over to the welfare department today and let them know.If there is a problem that we run into about the people living in the houses, we’re supposed to let them know.This will make it so that they don’t have any notice in cleaning the place up.”She smiled when he did, asking him what would happen to them.“They’ll be fined for sure.They might even be evicted on account of them not keeping the place cleaned up.That’s a big fine too.About ten grand.It’s not the first time that this kind of thing has happened to the Humphreys.They’ve been on the list for some time now.”
“It’s too bad you can’t send them the smells that are coming from the house.You can smell it almost as soon as you pull into the driveway.”He said that they’d noted that as well.“Good for you.Thank you for telling me this.It’ll make my day go better now that I know that they’re going to get some comeuppance for not following some rules.”
“My pleasure.”She started away when he said her name.“I heard tell that you’re mates with Cullen Dixon?Is that true?”
“It is.I’ve not decided where I want to live just yet.I’m hoping that I can live in his house; he loves it so much.”He said he wouldn’t care so long as she loved it.“I do.It’s the perfect house as far as I’m concerned.He did a good job in making sure it’s homey enough for the two of us, too.”
“Good.Cullen is the best.When we need extra hands, he’s right there to help us.Even though he’s army, he’s always willing to help us out when we need it.I like him.And you.I think that the two of you will make the best couple of all the Dixon men.”She asked him why.“Because Cullen is a hard man, and you’ll soften him a bit.I don’t know you all that well, but I have a feeling that you could use some softening up a bit, too.You two will be the best couple of all.”
“Thank you, Joey.”He again told her that it was his pleasure.“I’m going to his house now so that I can convince him that we need to move in together.I’m sick of living in the B&B and need my own roots beneath me.”
“You do that then.”She laughed when he did and was out the door before she could convince herself to go and see Bash.She didn’t know what she’d say to him, but it wouldn’t be nice.She hated that the man was living in jail with three meals a day and not suffering like his family was.She didn’t care all that much for her sister, but those children needed to have a better life than the one they hadnow.She’d love to adopt them, but didn’t see that happening.
The house was empty when she got to Cullen’s home.The door was unlocked, so she went inside to see if Cullen was somewhere inside.Finding it devoid of him being there, she went back outside to wait for him.He showed up about an hour after she had.Emmie was glad to see him and thought that he looked like he was happy to see her as well.
“I was just thinking about you.Wanna have dinner again?I’ve found this really quiet restaurant that I think the two of us will enjoy.”Emmie said she’d love that and told him what she’d been up to today.“I’ve had a talk with the welfare department too, the one for children’s services.They’re going to talk with the kids to ask them what’s going on.But tell them that you and I would like them to tell the truth.I don’t know if that will work or not, but it’s worth a shot.”
Emmie told him about what Joey had said about the house being in such a mess and how they could report it.“I hope that it gets to them today.Not that she’d have time to clean the place up in a month, but having them just show up will go a long way in getting them evicted.I hate to do that to the kids, but if they can get out of that house, they might live longer.It’s too nasty to be anything but unsafe.”He told her that he’d taken pictures too.“You might as well send them on, too.That way, they can figure out when to go there.I would just love for them to be in a better home.I don’t know what that would be if they’re evicted, but they’re taking advantage of the system, and that’s not right.”
“They’ll be homeless, you understand that, don’t you?Will you be willing to allow that to happen?”She said she didn’t know, but it was better than what they had right now.“I’ll stand beside you in whatever you want to do.Even if we have to put them up for a few days until they get their feet under them, I’ll help you.But to be honest with you, I don’t see it doing any of them much good.They’re just trading one system that they’re taking advantage of for another.I’ll have rules put down, but until they get out on their own and get themselves a job, nothing good is going to happen to them.”
“Then what do you suggest I do?”He said he didn’t know but to think on it hard.“I think that it’s already out of my hands.What will happen to their food card and the other perks they get for living in the government housing?”
“They’ll lose it all.”She hadn’t thought beyond getting them out of the house.Whoever had to clean it up was going to have a time on their hands.It wasn’t just nasty, but it would need to have all the walls redone and the floors scrubbed.Nothing in the house was in good shape that she could see.“What are you thinking about right now?”
She looked up at him.There was so much on her mind that all she wanted to do was to find a nice dark corner and cry.This was all so unfair.All she’d wanted to do was to get to know her niece and nephew a little bit more, and she’d been dragged into a welfare crisis that would see them all homeless if not worse.She knew that her sister could find a job, and so could Bash.She just didn’t understand why they weren’t.Didn’t they have rules about that?
“I’d like for you to make love to me.Show me how much you love me right now.”He said he could do that.“I want to live here with you.I don’t care what my job would say, I’m happy here even though I’ve been trouble for my sister.I would still like to live here every day with you so that we can have our own children.And raise them to be good citizens around here when they grow up.”
“First, I’m taking you to dinner.”She said that she could eat first.“Good, I’m starved.We’ll have dinner, flirt a bit, then come back here and break in our new bed.The mattress and the linens arrived earlier this morning, and I put the bed together.I’ve also hired a cook who will start tomorrow night.”
“All good things.”He pulled her close to him for a kiss, and she enjoyed it thoroughly.Wrapping her arms around his shoulders, she realized how tall he was.Or how short she was.Emmie smiled up at him when he pulled away.“If you keep that up, we’re going to be found here naked but starved to death in the bedroom.I really need to eat sometime soon.”
Before they left the house, she got a call from her sister.Ignoring it for not wanting to get into it with her, she put the phone on mute and decided not to answer it until tomorrow.The only person she cared to talk to was with her, and she didn’t want to speak to anyone else.Cullen would give her all she wanted in life, and she was going to do the same for him.Make their lives better than they had before.
They left the house together and got into his car.He had a truck too, he told her, but liked driving the car because it was cozy.She agreed with him in telling him she wanted to be cozy with him, and he laughed.As they were pulling out of the driveway, he paused at the lane that they were to go on and looked at her.
“My mother said that your sister has been arrested.She hit one of the inspectors who came to her house.”She nodded, then asked about the kids.“They’re at the hospital right now.Falkner, he’s an emergency room doctor, is taking care of them.He said he’d keep them overnight just to make sure that they’re not hurt worse than he can see at the moment.Marshall has a bloodied nose and mouth, and Beth has a broken arm.Tell me where you want to go.”
“Hospital.”He turned the car as soon as they got to the end of his long drive and made their way there.“Are they sure who did the beating of the kids?I’m assuming it had to be Mary Beth, as Bash is still in jail.”
“Mom said that she and Dad had been called in to care for the kids, and she’ll just turn them over to us.It might be a few days before Mary Beth sees a judge.She apparently attacked the inspectors as soon as they came into the house with the police.If not for them being there, Mom said that there is no telling what might have happened to the kids.She used them as threats to keep the inspectors out of the house.”She said she’ll lose it all now, wouldn’t she?“She will.And she won’t be allowed to apply for any assistance again for as long as she lives.She might even lose her kids over this.Beating them in front of the police is going to be a big charge against her.With Bash being in jail, he’ll still get the actions of the welfare department on his ass too, as his name is on the lease.”
By the time they made it to the hospital, she’d been crying again.She hated that this had happened, but felt more sorry for the kids than she did the parents.If anyone deserved to get themselves beaten up, it was Mary Beth and Bash.And the two of them were going to be in jail for a long time now.Or she hoped so.She’d have to talk to Cullen, but she would raise the kids in a moment if that’s what it came to.
“One thing at a time.”She nodded at his advice.“Once we figure out what’s going on with the family, we’ll take them home and show them what it’s like to be loved and taken care of.If it comes to that, I don’t have a problem at all adopting them as our own and keeping them safe from now on.”
“I love you, Cullen.”He said that he loved her too and kissed her on her mouth at the next light.“I guess we’ll have to put off our plans for later now, but I’ll make it up to you.I promise.”
Chapter 5
Not only had Marshall been slapped in the face, but he had three ribs broken as well.He could barely breathe, but it was his sister that he was worried about the most.She had a broken wrist and a sprained ankle.While he didn’t know what had happened to them, he knew that Mary Beth was going to jail for using them as a shield when the inspector came to inspect the house.It seemed to be worse now than it had been when he first entered it two days ago.
Cullen was supposed to be trying to find something for Marshall to wear for the next three or four days, but gave up.He’d rather buy him a whole new wardrobe than to have to sort through the mess that was in the house.At least the kids’ rooms looked better than the rest of the house did.He met Emmie in the hallway when she came to the same conclusion as he had about the clothing situation.
