Page 128 of Blue Jean Summer

“They had a warrant,” Hallie said with satisfaction as she watched the flurry of activity unfold. Even though we were in the belly of the house, we could still hear Lewis shrieking from inside a vehicle.

Adrenaline and anger began to leach from my body. I braced for the crash. “And how did they know to get a warrant?”

Hallie smirked. “The maids know everything.”

I sank back in my chair as the room began to spin. “Remember that raise I said you were getting? I’m tripling it.”

“What the hell just happened?” Catherine muttered as she rubbed her temples. “And who’s making sure the grand opening isn’t going up in flames right now?”

“Savannah’s keeping an eye on the party,” Hallie said.

“Yeah, probably getting everyone plastered,” Catherine muttered.

Hallie chuckled. “That’s why Mason and Levi are there too, keeping an eye on her.”

I looked over at Mr. Allen, who was probably tired of all the dramatics that tended to happen in this room. “Are we good?”

The beleaguered attorney let out a sigh of relief. “The will states that you must be married to inherit the estate. You are indeed married and you fulfilled the requirements to convey ten acres to your wife in a timely manner. How your marriage came about is none of my business.” He wiped his sweat-soaked forehead once more. “So, yes. I’d say we’re good. And even though I really wish to never return to this house again, I’ll be in touch to see who you’d like to name as the head of the foundation since Mr. Halstead is no longer suitable.”

I slumped into Granddad’s chair and looked up at Hallie as Mr. Allen slipped out without another word. “How’d you know?”

Her smile was kind as she and Catherine sat across from me. “I got to work for your granddad for a long time. He had the biggest heart I had ever known. Before he passed, he asked if I would look after things when he was gone. That he believed you would honor the land and treat it kindly. He believed that Lewis had the potential to do great things. But he also believed that absolute power corrupts absolutely. When Lewis started cutting people from the board of trustees, I started keeping an eye on him. He set up offshore accounts disguised as grants and began funneling money from the foundation into them. Instead of living a well-to-do life and doing good with the fortune he was trusted with, he believed he was owed more rather than growing what he had been given.”

I hunched forward and rested my clasped hands on the desk. “I don’t know how I didn’t see it…”

“Because, at the end of the day, he’s still your brother. And I’m sure you wanted to believe the best in him.” Hallie tipped her head back and forth. “Which is also something Walt told me to watch out for.” She stood and hitched a thumb toward the door. “Now, I believe we have a party to get back to.”

Chapter 33

Catherine

“That looks amazing!” I gushed as a young girl with braided buns showed off the seed starter she had made. “Great job.”

She beamed back at me.

At the next table over, kids were shaking bags of milk, sugar, and vanilla that were surrounded by ice to make their own ice cream. Giggles filled the room as they shook and shimmied the bags until the mixture began to freeze. A volunteer manned the topping bar set up along the wall as excited participants chose from sprinkles, fruit, and crushed cookies to add to their ice cream.

I peered out the window and spotted Levi at his farrier station. It was more kid friendly and hands-on than the one he had run last night. Elvis stood tall and proud as Levi showed off the horseshoes that protected his feet.

Peals of laughter and gasps of awe carried from the pasture where Mason demonstrated how to milk a cow. Blanche was skittish around adults but warmed up easily to kids.

Dorothy, however, loved everyone.

Heavy footfalls cut through the shrill delight of children having the best Saturday ever. I looked up and found Hayes, dressed in boots, jeans, and his cowboy hat.

“Look at you,” I said with appreciation as he sidled up to me and wrapped his arm around my waist.

“How’s it going in here?” he asked as he surveyed the controlled chaos.

“Good, I think.” As much as I was enjoying the fruits of my labor, I kept watching the clock as it ticked closer and closer to the end of the event. After the adults-only party last night, the impromptu FBI raid, Lewis’s arrest, and staying up late to clear the cottage property and flip it for the kids’ event today, I was exhausted.

By the time we made it to bed last night, we were too tired to talk. I had fallen asleep before Hayes made it out of the bathroom after brushing his teeth.

“Miss Catherine.”

I snapped around at the sound of Zach’s voice. “What’s up?”

He lifted the empty syrup bottles from the snow cone station. “We’re out of cherry and blue raspberry.”