wasn’t much Glory wouldn’t do for her grandmother—and Cal had to know that, so she gave him one final signal that she hoped he understood.
Please , she mouthed feeling a rush of warm fuzzies when he nodded. She’d kissed Cal only forty-eight hours ago and now there he was, just a few feet away, offering her his support.
“Nothing to add,” Cal mumbled, irritation tightening the corners of his lips. “I just posted bail, your honor. As a favor to my brother.”
“Uh-huh,” Holden mumbled, not believing a word.
Glory, on the other hand, believed every word he’d said. Knew that Cal bailed her out because Brett asked him to, and understood that was why he had shown up there today. So then why, instead of feeling relieved that he didn’t rat out the grannies, did his words cause every one of those warm fuzzies to fade into confusion?
Holden took off his glasses and rested them on the desktop and then leaned in—way in so everyone knew just how serious he was. “I’ve been dealing with your grandmothers’ antics and feuding for most of my career. I bet if I added up all the time they spent in my courtroom hollering and pointing fingers, it would account for a good third of my docketed time.”
Glory would bet it was more, but wisely kept silent.
“What I should do is toss all three of you out of my court so I can get to my tee-time.” If only Glory could be so lucky. “Unfortunately, there is still the matter of a damaged patrol car. And since no one has anything else to add and replacing the bumper, crumpled hood, and leaking coolant system is going to cost the good taxpaying people of this county a pretty penny, it looks as though I’m not going to make that tee-time after all.”
And just like that, Glory felt her heart fall to the floor. Any hope she’d had that Holden would let her go with a stern warning vanished when he held up a statement from Kiss My Glass Tow and Tires.
“Because we still have the issue of twenty-three hundred dollars to resolve.”
“Twenty-three hundred dollars?”
“And a seven-hundred-dollar fine.”
Okay, time to panic. Glory didn’t have that kind of money. Nursing school had maxed out her credit cards, and she’d cut back her hours at the bar because of how intense summer classes had been. It would take months of waiting tables and tending bar to make enough tips to pay for that.
“Is there a way I can set up a payment plan?” Glory asked because if he said no then she was completely screwed.
“The system doesn’t work that way,” he explained and Glory felt the sting of tears. “Which is why I’m sentencing you to two hundred hours community service.”
He rapped the gavel—even though this was an un official sentencing.
“Community service? Does that go on one’s record?”
“Not if you meet the required time by the end of the year.”
Glory released a sigh of relief. Between organizing Senior Night at the Fabric Farm and her hours volunteering at the medical center, she could accrue two hundred hours by the end of the year, no problem. More important, her record wouldn’t be tarnished. “I think that is fair, your honor.”
“Well, I am so glad that you are in agreement.” He looked at Jackson. “Sheriff?”
“I think that is fair, your honor,” Jackson mumbled.
“I’m glad you both agree,” he said, not glad at all. “I was starting to think this was some kind of history repeating itself with a new generation and I’d just as well throw you all in jail for contempt of court. But the paperwork”—he waved a hand—“I’d never get on the green today.”
“This isn’t history repeating itself,” Glory promised, sending Jackson what she hoped was a friendly look. He did not look back—friendly or otherwise.
“You have no idea how pleased I am to hear you say that,” Holden said with a smile that had Glory shifting in her seat. “Since you will be serving all of those two hundred hours as the new harvest
Please , she mouthed feeling a rush of warm fuzzies when he nodded. She’d kissed Cal only forty-eight hours ago and now there he was, just a few feet away, offering her his support.
“Nothing to add,” Cal mumbled, irritation tightening the corners of his lips. “I just posted bail, your honor. As a favor to my brother.”
“Uh-huh,” Holden mumbled, not believing a word.
Glory, on the other hand, believed every word he’d said. Knew that Cal bailed her out because Brett asked him to, and understood that was why he had shown up there today. So then why, instead of feeling relieved that he didn’t rat out the grannies, did his words cause every one of those warm fuzzies to fade into confusion?
Holden took off his glasses and rested them on the desktop and then leaned in—way in so everyone knew just how serious he was. “I’ve been dealing with your grandmothers’ antics and feuding for most of my career. I bet if I added up all the time they spent in my courtroom hollering and pointing fingers, it would account for a good third of my docketed time.”
Glory would bet it was more, but wisely kept silent.
“What I should do is toss all three of you out of my court so I can get to my tee-time.” If only Glory could be so lucky. “Unfortunately, there is still the matter of a damaged patrol car. And since no one has anything else to add and replacing the bumper, crumpled hood, and leaking coolant system is going to cost the good taxpaying people of this county a pretty penny, it looks as though I’m not going to make that tee-time after all.”
And just like that, Glory felt her heart fall to the floor. Any hope she’d had that Holden would let her go with a stern warning vanished when he held up a statement from Kiss My Glass Tow and Tires.
“Because we still have the issue of twenty-three hundred dollars to resolve.”
“Twenty-three hundred dollars?”
“And a seven-hundred-dollar fine.”
Okay, time to panic. Glory didn’t have that kind of money. Nursing school had maxed out her credit cards, and she’d cut back her hours at the bar because of how intense summer classes had been. It would take months of waiting tables and tending bar to make enough tips to pay for that.
“Is there a way I can set up a payment plan?” Glory asked because if he said no then she was completely screwed.
“The system doesn’t work that way,” he explained and Glory felt the sting of tears. “Which is why I’m sentencing you to two hundred hours community service.”
He rapped the gavel—even though this was an un official sentencing.
“Community service? Does that go on one’s record?”
“Not if you meet the required time by the end of the year.”
Glory released a sigh of relief. Between organizing Senior Night at the Fabric Farm and her hours volunteering at the medical center, she could accrue two hundred hours by the end of the year, no problem. More important, her record wouldn’t be tarnished. “I think that is fair, your honor.”
“Well, I am so glad that you are in agreement.” He looked at Jackson. “Sheriff?”
“I think that is fair, your honor,” Jackson mumbled.
“I’m glad you both agree,” he said, not glad at all. “I was starting to think this was some kind of history repeating itself with a new generation and I’d just as well throw you all in jail for contempt of court. But the paperwork”—he waved a hand—“I’d never get on the green today.”
“This isn’t history repeating itself,” Glory promised, sending Jackson what she hoped was a friendly look. He did not look back—friendly or otherwise.
“You have no idea how pleased I am to hear you say that,” Holden said with a smile that had Glory shifting in her seat. “Since you will be serving all of those two hundred hours as the new harvest
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