Total pages in book: 68
Estimated words: 68143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 68143 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 341(@200wpm)___ 273(@250wpm)___ 227(@300wpm)
“You now have a restraining order against you,” he said. “I’m issuing it right now. You are to stay well away from Mr. Penn, Lottie Penn, and Mr. Penn’s fiancée, Sutton Sway. Some information was shared with me upon getting into my offices today, and I have decided that you won’t ever be getting close to them again if I can help it.”
He stood up with the gavel in his hand. “Dismissed.”
Paula stood up in a huff, but before she could storm away, he said, “Oh, and Mrs. Combs?”
Paula turned woodenly to stare at the judge. “The next time you cry wolf with any false allegations against Mr. Penn, you will be seeing the inside of a jail cell.”
She took a step toward the door, but the judge wasn’t done. “One more thing.”
Paula didn’t turn to look back.
“You’re lucky she didn’t press charges.”
My lips were firmly tilted into a permanent smile when Paula stomped out of the courtroom.
We waited for everyone to disperse from the room before anyone said anything.
“What the hell was that?” Audric asked, eyes lit with laughter.
“That was them messing with the wrong judge.” Malone packed her briefcase up. “I was hoping that he would be willing to hear from me beforehand, and he did. He’s a good guy. Real southern boy. And he is a good friend of my dad’s. He was more than willing to hear me out before court this morning.”
“Good.” Audric nodded. “How much good do you think those restraining orders will do?”
“Not.” Malone stepped around her chair to stare at me. “You document each time you see them. And make sure that you’re careful. They’ll try to trip you up, and they’ll just pick up their invasion of privacy. Don’t be surprised if you’re watched all the time now.”
I didn’t like the sound of that.
But then again, mostly I followed the law.
But on those rare occasions that I didn’t…
“I didn’t put makeup on for no reason,” Sutton grumbled, indicating the swelling and bruising on her cheek. “I was really hoping that he’d get a good look at my eye.”
“Oh, he did,” Malone said. “I took a photo and shared it with him this morning. That’s why you got the restraining order, too.”
Sutton bumped my shoulder. “Score!”
“Y’all want to get breakfast?” Creole asked, shifting from foot to foot.
I looked at Sutton, about to ask her if she wanted to go, but she answered before I could.
“We’ll go, but Gunner and I are marathon training. So that means we have to eat good.”
“The hell we do,” I grumbled. “You can eat however you want to eat. I’m not stopping you. And I’ll train with you. But I’m not giving up good food.”
“You’re training?” Creole asked. “I thought you’d run another marathon when you’re dead?”
“I talked him into it,” Sutton admitted. “I think he’s doing it to be nice, but also because he secretly likes it.”
“Whatever.”
Sutton threw her arm around my bicep and pulled me in close. “You know you’d do anything for me.”
She had no clue how right she was.
And I was beginning to realize that that might be a problem.
Fifteen
Where can I find those families that say, “Take this two million and stay away from our son?”
—Sutton to Gunner
SUTTON
It’d gone from a gathering of four to a gathering of fifteen.
I was officially introduced to the bulk of The Truth Tellers MC.
I met Copper’s wife, Baker.
I met Jasper “Hush” Madden—a sexy, but very scarred man who said “hi” and didn’t say much more. But the way his eyes lit up when he brought Lottie into his lap and fed her pancakes…I didn’t care how quiet and silently scary he was. If Lottie liked him, I liked him.
I met Doc and his wife, Searcy. Searcy was very loud, very opinionated, and I loved everything about her. I wished I had a Searcy as a friend when I was growing up. The high school class I graduated with wouldn’t have stood a chance with her attitude.
There was Chevy, one of Copper’s brothers. Chevy was an anesthesiologist and married to Aella, a sweet woman who was quiet and welcoming.
But her sister, Silver, who was Webber’s wife, was her complete opposite in every way. Though she was nice and boisterous, she didn’t immediately welcome me into the fold.
Then there was Cutter and his wife, Milena.
Though I’d met them briefly at the marathon last month.
Milena and I spoke the most, but Creole was close the whole time, getting a look of curiosity on her face the longer we talked about running.
“I think I could run a marathon.”
“No, you can’t,” Audric immediately disagreed.
There was a long stretch of silence while Milena and I waited to see what Creole would have to say to that. And she did not disappoint.
“Well, Mr. Can’t-Be-Done. I will bet you a year’s worth of cooked dinners that I can run a marathon!”