Say You Love Me Page 18

  She leveled me with a look of disdain, as if I wasn’t worth the mold growing beneath her shoe. “It’s the devil’s drink.”

  “I see.” I chewed my lip while slowly counting to three. She was still Sara’s friend, so I’d have to hold back the stream of insults I so badly wanted to unleash. “I’m sorry, Irma. It’s just not working out. Tomorrow morning I’m taking you back to Sara.”

  Her eyes widened, then narrowed, and then she slammed the door in my face.

  Bitch!

  I spun on my heel and marched back to the house. Tomorrow’s car ride was going to be anything but pleasant. If anyone needed a tall shot of devil’s drink, it was me.

  * * *

  We ate dinner in relative silence. I had a lot weighing on my mind. I tried to be excited when Jake told me about his grandpa’s goats and fishing pond, but I was worried about him getting too close to the preacher. Not that I was jealous. Okay, maybe I was slightly perturbed that this man could walk into Jake’s life and then take credit for being the world’s best grandpa.

  Jake told me there weren’t many people at his grandfather’s service. That got my attention. Was it because the people in his community knew something I didn’t?

  I was halfway through an egg roll when Irma noisily dragged two heavy suitcases into the dining room.

  “Senorita Boudreau.” She turned up her chin, flashing a triumphant smile. “I’d like my paycheck, plus two week’s severance pay before I go.”

  I pushed my chair out, throwing my napkin on the table. “You’re leaving now?” I should have been relieved she’d found a ride, but a nagging sense of unease spun those egg rolls in my stomach.

  She solemnly nodded. “Sí.”

  My phone rang. I swiped it off the table and showed Cesar the caller ID: front gate. I hit Answer. “Yes?”

  “Miss Boudreau, a Reverend Miller is here.”

  I narrowed my eyes at Irma. “What does he want?”

  She matched my expression with a look so scorching, she could have peeled the paint off the walls. “If that’s Padre Miller, he’s my ride.”

  Cesar and I shared uneasy looks while Jake turned his attention to his food. He hadn’t lost his appetite. He noisily crunched on won tons before flashing Cesar and me a sheepish grin. Obviously, he was glad to see Señora Mean Face go, too.

  “Let him in,” I told security before hanging up. Not that I wanted that man in my neighborhood ever again, but at the moment, all I cared about was getting Irma the hell out of my house.

  “I don’t have much cash,” I said, wiping my hands on a napkin. “I’ll have to write you a check.”

  “Fine,” she said, turning her back on me.

  I strode to my office across the hall, calculated her pay on my phone, minus one deduction, and wrote out the check. When I returned to the dining room, Irma was hovering behind the table, locked in a stare-down with Cesar.

  “Here you go.” I slapped the check in her palm.

  She looked at the figure, her eyes crossing as she counted on her fingers. She tried to hand the check back to me. “You shorted me twenty dollars.”

  I refused to take the check. “Actually, twenty-two dollars. The going rate for twelve longneck bottles of devil’s drink.”

  Her jaw fell, her eyes narrowing to slits.

  I jutted a finger at the front door. “You may wait for him outside, Irma. We’re trying to finish dinner.”

  “I’ll help,” Cesar said. He threw open the front door and hauled her suitcases out, slamming them on the concrete.

  Irma made a bunch of spluttering noises as she ran after her toppled luggage.

  She picked up a suitcase and turned, looking ready to tell off Cesar. I refused to give her the chance, slamming the door in her face.

  I slapped my hands together and laughed. “Damn, that felt good.”

  Cesar wasn’t laughing. He was staring at the closed door as if he expected the boogie man to break it down with a hacksaw.

  “What is it?” I asked, my knees weakening.

  He crossed his arms, his tanned cheeks turning an alarming shade of red. “That woman’s going to cause us trouble.”

  * * *

  Cesar was still in the bathroom, and I had just climbed into bed, when I got a call from my lawyer.

  “Hello, Mr. Denton.”

  “Miss Boudreau, I’m sorry to call so late, but I have some news.” He sounded grim.

  My heart stuttered. “What is it?”

  “Your preacher spent six years in a federal penitentiary.”

  Time froze as I sat there in stunned silence. The only sounds were the faucet running in Cesar’s bathroom and my rapidly beating heart. “Omigod! What for?”

  “Tax fraud, embezzlement, and attempted bribery of an undercover agent.”

  “Holy shit,” I breathed. I knew the guy was a snake! Nausea clenched my gut as the sour taste of Chinese food bile projected into my throat. The crimes were all money related, and I got the feeling he would try to get to mine next.

  “Prior to that he was busted for illegal gaming and drugs.”

  I fell back against the headboard as panic iced my limbs. I had let my nephew go with that man!

  “This church he’s in now is under lease, but he’s been fighting an eviction for failure to pay rent. He’s been given a court order to pay back rent or move out in two weeks.”

  So that wasn’t even his church? “How much does he owe?”

  “Twenty-five-thousand dollars.”

  Dear God. My heart pounded out a gong in my ears. “I don’t want him seeing my nephew.”

  “Tomorrow I’ll arrange for a new hearing. Has he asked you for money?”

  “Not yet.” But I knew it was only a matter of time before he tried to get to my inheritance.

  “I don’t want you having any more contact with this man, Miss Boudreau.”

  “Believe me, I won’t.” After I ended the call, I thought about Irma, who was now in his custody.

  I called my lawyer back, telling him about Irma. He said he’d look into her history as well. Good thing, because I had the feeling the preacher would use her to get to me.

  Chapter Twenty

  I did my best to push thoughts of Reverend Jim Miller out of my mind the next morning as I helped Jake get ready for school. I’d become a bit spoiled, having someone else make breakfast and clean up the dishes. Luckily, Cesar came to the rescue by running to our favorite hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurant and getting breakfast tacos for everyone.

  Jake slumped in relief when I told him Irma wasn’t coming back. He told me she’d had a mean face most of yesterday, ruining his time with his grandpa. I didn’t want to tell him he probably wouldn’t see his grandpa again, not if I could help it. I was hoping he wouldn’t miss him after spending weekends at the lake with Manny and Gio.

  After I dropped Jake off at school, I called my lawyer, and he said they were awaiting a new trial date. He also promised his property lawyers would start negotiations with the lake house realtor.

  Right before I pulled out of the school parking lot, I looked over the bright pink flier, verifying the address of Rainbow Rescue one last time. Last night I’d decided volunteering at the place would be a perfect way to get my mind off my drama.

  Rainbow Rescue was on a two-acre farm just outside Houston city limits. After driving down a bumpy, dirt road, I was glad I’d let Cesar talk me into taking his truck. I knew I was at the right spot as soon as I got out, and not because of the high fences behind the old farmhouse. Dogs lined the fence, and all them were barking. Jeez. There were so many of them.

  A brave cat sauntered by, nuzzling my worn jeans and silding around my boot before jumped on a long shady oak branch, taunting the dogs below with an indifferent flick of her tail.

  “May I help you?” The same mixed-race middle-aged woman with the long cornrow braids from the pet store stepped onto the wooden porch, wiping her hands down a dirty apron.

  I shielded my eyes against th
e bright morning Texas sun. “Hi. I’m here to volunteer.”

  “Oh, wonderful.” She walked down the steps, pulling a little ball of fur out of her apron pocket. “Have you worked around dogs before?”

  It took me a moment to realize she was holding a puppy who looked barely a week old. She rocked it in her arms while feeding it milk from a tiny bottle.

  “I sure have.” I walked over, unable to resist stroking the top of the puppy’s soft head.

  “You look familiar.”

  Her smile was so warm and friendly, it threw me off guard, and I immediately contrasted her to Irma and her sullen expression.

  You’re here to get your mind off drama, Savannah, remember?

  “I adopted Gremlin last week.”

  “That’s right.” Her eyes lit up as she shifted the puppy into the crook of her arm. “How is she doing?”

  “Amazing.” I thought about how she and Macy had been play-fighting on the sofa this morning, not even concerned when Jake and I slipped out the door. “She fits right in with our family.”

  “I’m so glad. So you want to volunteer?” Her smile faded as she focused on my bright pink pedicure. “I must warn you, the work isn’t easy.”

  Living the pampered life this past month had softened me, but I hadn’t been raised a spoiled princess—far from it. “I’m used to hard work. I grew up on a ranch.”

  “Oh, what kind of ranch?” She pulled the bottle out of the now sleeping puppy’s mouth and slipped him back into her pouch.

  “Cattle mostly, but we had all kinds of animals. I spent most of my youth shoveling manure out of horse stalls.” I instantly regretted my words, knowing full well I’d be cleaning up dog shit the rest of the day. Oh, well. It beat sitting around the pool, bored out of my mind.

  “Well, in that case, I think you’ll fit right in. I’m Toni.”

  I took her outstretched hand. “Nice to meet you, Toni. I’m Savannah.”

  She clasped me on the shoulder, nodding at the house. “Come on in, Savannah. Let me introduce you to everyone.”

  * * *

  Three hours later I walked toward Cesar’s truck exhausted yet satisfied with a job well done. I’d cleaned a lot of dog shit, but I also helped bottle-feed the litter of puppies whose mom had been hit by a car. There were twelve of them, a mixture of brown, black, and yellow Labs, and I predicted a new dog in my future. Jake would love to have a puppy. Maybe it would even get his mind off his grandpa.

  Toni followed me to the truck. She’d been impressed with my effort, having cleaned out twenty cages in record time and not even complaining about my busted nail.

  “Savannah, you were amazing today.” She cuddled a yellow and a black Lab puppy against her chest while swaying back and forth, her broomstick skirt billowing in the breeze. “I can’t thank you enough.”

  I threw my purse inside the cab and stroked each dog’s tiny head, smiling down at them as they snuggled against each other. “It was my pleasure.”

  “I hope you can come back.”

  “I will.” I wiped my hands down my pants, realizing the effort was pointless. My clothes smelled like week-old roadkill. “I have some legal stuff to take care of this week, but as soon as that’s finished, I’ll be back.” I had no idea when my lawyer would get another court date. Hopefully soon, which meant I’d need to keep my schedule open.

  “That would be wonderful.” She gazed at the pasture that bordered the property. “We are getting those other two acres sooner than we thought.”

  “Really?” I remembered Toni telling me she’d needed seventy-thousand dollars. Had she raised it already?

  “The Reverend is offering us a deal, $25,000 for both acres.”

  I froze, staring at her like a deer caught in a pair of high-beams. “Did you say reverend?”

  “Yes.” Her smile nearly stretched ear-to-ear. “He owns the farm next door.”

  I slammed the truck door, leaning against it for support as my world threatened to spin out of control. “What’s his full name?”

  Her brow furrowed, and a puppy whined and squirmed against her. “Reverend Jim Miller. Why?”

  Holy fuck!

  “Did you pay him yet?”

  “No.” Her eyes widened with alarm. “I’m meeting him later today. What’s wrong?”

  “Listen to me.” I advanced toward her, trying to keep my cool despite the tremors that coursed through me. “I know Reverend Jim Miller. He’s a con artist. He doesn’t own that farm. He’s leasing it, and he’s about to be evicted.”

  Her eyes narrowed as she took another step back. “How do you know this?”

  I didn’t blame her for doubting me. I was starting to see Reverend Miller was a first-class con man. No telling how many people he’d screwed over in his lifetime.

  “He’s my nephew’s grandfather. I hired someone to investigate him.”

  “Oh no.”

  I helped her to a bench and took the puppies when her hands fell limply by her sides. “You didn’t buy this property from him, did you?”

  “No.” She leaned over, clutching her stomach and looking like she was going to lose her lunch. “I’ve owned it for years. We need those other two acres. We are busting at the seams.”

  “It could be worse.” I clutched the squirming puppies. “You could be out $25,000 with no property to show for it.”

  “You’re right.” She sat up, her back as rigid as a fence post. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

  “It’s okay.” I set the puppies on the ground, stroking their backs as they crawled over each other. “I’m sorry I had to be the one to tell you.”

  “I don’t know what to do.” Her eyes filled with moisture. “We will have to start turning away animals if we can’t get more property.”

  “I’ll have my lawyer contact the real owners, and we’ll see what we can do.” I already knew what I was going to do. I’d seen enough of this rescue to know Toni cared about her animals. Mr. Denton had said I’d need to invest in a few charities, and I knew I’d be writing them a very big check soon.

  “Thank you, Savannah.” She vehemently shook her head before scooping up the puppies. “You’re an angel, but we can’t afford a lawyer.”

  I stood, dusting dirt off my jeans. “Don’t worry about it. It’s on me.”

  Her expression fell as she struggled to her feet. “Oh, I couldn’t ask that of you.”

  I grabbed her elbow and helped her stand. “You’re not asking me. I’m doing it because I want to. Oh, and please don’t tell the Reverend you spoke to me about this. He doesn’t know I’m investigating him.” I certainly didn’t want him covering his tracks before we returned to court. “Make up some excuse and put him off, at least until my lawyer takes care of him.”

  “Of course,” she said.

  Toni stood in her yard as I drove away, the sadness in her eyes making her look like a mourner at a funeral. I cussed out the Reverend as I drove down the bumpy road to the highway. I already knew this guy was a first-class creep, but this time he’d gone too far, and he wasn’t going to get away with it.

  * * *

  I called Denton on the way home, filling him in on the minister’s latest sordid scandal. He said he’d send someone over to get a statement from Toni. He also hinted that the minister would probably be facing charges. I sure hoped so.

  I hit the shower as soon as I got home, soaking up the heat and scrubbing off the day’s grime. After eating leftover Chinese for lunch, I played fetch with Nacho, laughing as Macy and Gremlin tried to intercept the ball.

  I was exhausted after that day’s labor, but since I only had a few minutes before it was time to get Jake, I decided to wake up with a tall cup of coffee. I was about to head into the kitchen when my phone rang, buzzing on the glass patio table.

  The name on the screen caught me off guard: Candace, Jake’s social worker. I hadn’t been expecting a call from her.

  I lowered myself onto a chair before hitting Talk. “Hi, Candace. Everything okay?
”

  “I’m afraid not, Miss Boudreau.” She sounded angry. Was it directed at me? Immediately, I thought of the preacher. What had he done?

  I hunched over, shooing away the dogs when they tried to get my attention. “What’s wrong?”

  “We’ve received reports about activity at your house.”

  “Activity?” My mind raced. What had Reverend Miller said to her?

  “A witness has complained that Jake was present during parties with heavy drinking and wild sex.”

  Holy fuck!

  Panic set in, robbing my brain of reason. The rest of the world faded to static as one memory burned a hole through my brain: Esteban naked and chained to the bed while Irma threw holy water on him.

  Irma! That lying bitch!

  I rasped, “No. That’s a lie.”

  “Miss Boudreau, I just spoke to Jake.” Her tone was harsh, as if I was some vicious child molester. “He said he saw empty liquor bottles all over the guesthouse, a contraption hanging from the ceiling, and his naked uncle chained to the bed.”

  “Omigod.” Tears blurred my vision as I frantically searched for the right words. “It’s not what you think.”

  “Child Protective Services now has custody of Jake on suspicion of sexual abuse and neglectful supervision.”

  Sexual abuse? Neglect? No! No! No!

  “You can’t be serious.”

  “I’m very serious, Miss Boudreau.”

  “I’m calling my lawyer,” I sobbed, unable to control my anguish.

  “I suggest you do that.”

  The bitch hung up. Fuck! How could they take Jake from me? He had to be terrified, and I’d promised him I’d never let anyone take him. I’d be damned if I was going to let Irma and that crooked preacher get away with this. I’d get my nephew back. I didn’t care what had to be done. I jumped from my chair and grabbed my phone and car keys. Time to right a few wrongs, starting with the girl who’d started this mess—Ariana.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  I parked in front of Ariana’s complex, staring at her empty parking space while screaming at my lawyer to get me a hearing ASAP.