Annie's Neighborhood (Harlequin Heartwarming) (22 page)

“Yay! Will you help me hang one of my birdhouses, Annie?”

“It’ll be too dark when we get there,” Sky said. “I’ll help next time I pick you up.”

“When will that be?” Annie asked. “We have your neighbor’s house to paint, starting tomorrow, then yours. I can order the paint now that you’ve decided on the gold with dark blue trim.”

“I wanna help,” Zack said, buckling himself in. “But Mama said I hafta go to the cabin.”

“We’ll work it out,” Sky promised.

Zack fell asleep almost before they got out of town. Annie turned to watch him and smiled. “Poor kid, painting tuckered him out. But he had fun.”

“He doesn’t seem to like the farm. As a kid I would’ve loved running wild in the country.”

“Therein may lie the problem. I sense that there isn’t a lot of running around, that his life’s more structured.”

“You’re right.” He sighed. “I need to follow as many of Corrine’s rules as I can.”

“True,” Annie agreed. Then, because Sky asked again, she explained her plans for the glove factory. She also took in the beauty around her; the moon shining down on long, waving grass that indeed looked blue in the pale light.

At the farm, Sky got out, put two of the birdhouses on the porch, then carried his son to the house. From the car, Annie observed the exchange taking place at the door. A big man, older than Sky, came to stand behind Corrine. He and Sky talked for a few minutes when Corrine carried Zack inside.

“Did everything go okay?” Annie searched for any sign that Sky was distressed as he got back in the car and turned it around.

“Archibald’s going to hang a birdhouse here and one at the cabin. They agreed to let me have Zack for two days while we paint my house if I give them a week for their vacation.”

“You’re learning the art of compromise,” Annie said, leaning over to squeeze his hand.

They rode in silence, hands still clasped, and were almost back at Briar Run when Sky’s radio crackled to life. “Sky, it’s Joe. Are you in radio range?”

Sky let go of Annie’s hand and clicked on. “I’m just outside town after dropping Zack at the farm. What’s up?”

“I’m on your street. A neighbor called. They caught two guys who were spray painting a couple of homes that Ms. Emerson’s crew just painted on Dusty Rose Street. Folks are upset. Her pickup’s still at the curb. Our perps slashed all four of her tires, but she’s not around and they haven’t been able to locate her.”

“She’s with me, Joe. We’ll be there in ten minutes. The guys they caught? Local kids?”

“Nope, they’re from Louisville, and both have outstanding warrants. If I had to guess I’d say your neighbors, with the aid of shovels and brooms, landed us two upper-level Stingers.”

“Hallelujah,” Sky returned. “Call Morrissey’s Garage and see if Don can tow Annie’s pickup to his place.”

Annie looked up from checking her phone, which she belatedly remembered shutting off at the restaurant. “Didn’t I tell you the residents would take back their neighborhood once they were invested in it?”

“You did, smart lady.” Sky held up his hand for a high five, and in spite of Joe’s news about her vehicle and the graffiti, Annie high-fived back.

Chapter Thirteen

O
VER
HALF
OF
Annie’s paint crew had gathered on the street where a tow truck was backed up to her pickup. She and Sky left his car and examined her slashed tires. “At least they didn’t key the paint job,” she said, and thanked him for arranging a tow. Leaving him with the driver, Annie began unloading paint from the back of her pickup. Roger McBride rushed over to help.

Once everything was out of the bed, Annie went with Davena to check on the extent of the graffiti. She still held a baseball bat in one hand and a flashlight in the other. “I swear, Annie, this was probably the only time I appreciated Remy Thacker being a nosy neighbor. She heard a noise, looked out and saw two guys messing with your truck, so she called the police. Before Joe Morales got here, Remy saw them start spraying the side of the Petermans’ house. They’re at a concert in Louisville, so Remy called me. I activated the phone tree Peggy Gilroy set up. It worked like a charm, except you didn’t answer and we were worried.”

“We went out to eat. I turned my phone off in the restaurant,” Annie said. “Did you ask everyone to bring shovels and baseball bats?”

“No, I handed those out from my shed as they arrived. I had everyone park on Wild Rose and sneak in through my backyard so we didn’t scare them off. We’re all sick and tired of the Stingers intimidating us.”

“You did good, Davena. Thanks to you, they didn’t have time to paint a lot of graffiti. Covering it shouldn’t take too long tomorrow morning.”

“What about the Aaron Loomis 8:00 a.m. meeting?”

“I don’t know about any meeting.”

“Odd. He said he was phoning all the former glove factory personnel, and I’m sure he said you and he would explain why we were being asked to meet.”

Annie dug out her phone again and saw that Loomis had left her a message to call him. She waffled. How late was too late to phone a city manager? It was now quarter to ten. He’d left his home number, so she decided to take the risk. “Excuse me, Davena. I’m going to step away and give him a call right now.”

Loomis answered at once. “Ms. Emerson, I’m glad to hear from you. At your suggestion, I’ve looked into the idea of reopening the factory, and I feel we should move on it immediately. I did some fact-checking, including a call to an Argentine executive named in one of the articles you gave me. Believe it or not, they bought our gloves until the plant closed. He said he’d pave the way for volume purchases because the gloves they’re importing now are inferior.”

“Wow! Fantastic.” The only problem was that Annie envisioned this putting a huge dent in her paint project, to say nothing of getting drapes sewn and completing the teen center. Most of her regular workers were former factory employees. “I’ll do my best to make the meeting,” she told Loomis. “A couple of Stingers slashed my pickup tires tonight. I’m having it towed as we speak.”

“If you can’t cadge a ride, take a cab—at town expense. It’ll be worth it. This could breathe new life into Briar Run.”

She signed off, seeing that Sky was hailing her. The tow truck was driving off with her pickup. “Davena, I guess I’ll see you at Mr. Loomis’s meeting. I’ll ask Peggy to start a crew painting over the graffiti in the morning.”

“So what’s his big secret about?” Davena asked.

“He’ll reveal that tomorrow. Sorry, Sky’s my ride and he needs to leave.”

When she reached his car, Sky opened the passenger door for her. “Joe took our lawbreakers to jail. I need to stop at the station and see that they’re properly booked.”

“Can you drop me at home first?”

Sky studied her for a moment. “You seem down. Was the graffiti worse than at your house?”

“No, but do you remember how you criticized me for taking on too many projects? Maybe I have.”

“I didn’t intend to sound critical, but what do you mean?”

She said that Loomis would be commandeering the former factory workers, many of whom she depended on for her projects. “It’s a mixed blessing,” she said with a sigh. “Jobs are
the
most important thing in this situation, and I gather we can get the factory under way pretty fast. But...the town’s facelift is important, too.”

“On Friday, school’s out for the summer. I’ve been worried about a lack of jobs for our teens. Hire them to paint.”

“I can’t. Sadie asked quite a few of them to help at the teen center, and I already agreed to fund them. The center is where their interest lies.”

“Hmm. Maybe you’ll have to put out another call for volunteers. With so many homes looking sharp, you shouldn’t have a problem attracting more helpers. I hope not, anyway.” He grinned. “I’ve got my own selfish reasons. Zack has his heart set on us painting my house. I already gave Corrine the date.”

“You may have to adjust it, Sky.”

“I can’t, or it screws up their plans to go to their cabin. I know Corrine would have her lawyer jump on that.”

Annie feared he was right. For the first time since she’d lost her grandmother and embarked on this hectic journey, she felt pressure of the type she’d left behind in L.A.

“You’ll work it out,” Sky said as he pulled into her driveway. “I’ve never met anyone who can juggle as many balls in the air at one time as you can.” Leaning across the console, he kissed her, softly at first, then with more fervor. He drew back and ran a thumb over her lips. “Bad idea to start this. Joe’s waiting at the station, but after what those yahoos did to your tires, I’m checking out your house.”

Annie almost accused him of always kissing and running, but the truth was that they both had things to do. She got out of his car feeling exhausted.

Her house was fine. Sky stole a last kiss when she walked him to the door. “Wait,” he said, wrapping a strand of her hair around one finger. “How are you getting to Aaron’s meeting? Morrissey has your truck.” He frowned. “I can’t promise to take you, until I get a time for our perps’ bail hearing.”

“I’ll call a cab. Do you think they’ll get bail?” “The Stingers always have lawyers on tap, so they might. Don’t worry, one of us is going to tail them―see if we can figure out who they report to.” He paused. “I know I didn’t believe in what you were doing at first, but thanks to you, Annie, we’re whittling away at the gang.”

“I guess it’s good that they’re cowards, not killers, the way they homed in on me.”

“The fact that they sent their rank and file tonight instead of coercing Briar Run kids tells me two things. They’re losing their grip here, and they don’t like it.”

“Davena was great tonight, wasn’t she? If we had more mama bears like her, the Stingers would already be history. Hey, I hate to rush you, but I have to call Peggy Gilroy before she goes to bed. I need her to organize a paint brigade to deal with the graffiti.”

“I’ll be in touch.” Sky brushed another kiss on her lips, then clattered down her steps.

She locked up feeling invigorated—feeling like Gran’s dream would happen. Was already happening.

Flipping open her phone, she called Peggy, who wasn’t happy about missing the excitement.

“Davena contacted the people who live closest to her street, Peggy. She and the others captured two Stingers, thanks to your phone tree. Don’t worry, I’ll get to the site tomorrow as soon as I can.” Annie hung up, shaking her head, hoping she’d be as feisty at Peggy’s age. But she didn’t have time to worry about that right now; she had to bone up on the facts and figures Loomis wanted her to present in the morning.

* * *

S
KY
SHOWED
UP
unexpectedly the next day, just as Annie accessed the app on her smartphone to find a number for a local cab.

“The bail hearing isn’t until eleven,” Sky said, his right arm resting on her door casing. “Morrissey contacted me. He put four new tires on your pickup. I’ll give you a lift to his shop and then you’ll have your own wheels for the day.”

“Great.” She smiled. “What would I do without you looking out for me?”

He cocked his head. “Do you think you could get used to having me look out for you on a permanent basis?”

Annie froze in the middle of locking her house. “Didn’t you want to get out of Briar Run as fast as possible?”

He let her finish locking up, then pulled her against him. “Yesterday, I told you no—and I meant it. You’ve gotten under my skin, Annie. Zack’s crazy about you, too. You’re good for both of us.” He paused. “Are we good for you?”

She studied his features, and traced a finger over a laugh line bracketing his mouth. “Yes. Yes, you are. But I’m going to be late for a very important meeting, so your timing stinks. Can we talk later?”

He grinned and swept her down the steps and into his car. “No rush. No rush. We have plenty of time.”

His unconventional approach to deepening their relationship shook her. Acting totally blasé, he dropped her off at the repair shop and drove on to work. He and Zack were on a path her heart had been traveling for weeks, and it felt right. But...

It took her less than half an hour to retrieve her pickup and drive to the municipal offices, where she had trouble finding a parking space. Even then, once she stepped inside, she was stunned to see so many people. A few, like Roger, Charlie, Davena and Homer Gonzales, Annie knew. Others she’d heard of, like Lucy Portallis, once the glove factory accountant.

The minute Loomis caught sight of Annie, he called the meeting to order. His enthusiasm for reopening the factory as a worker-owned co-op stoked the excitement of everyone there. He’d obviously met with Lucy in advance, because she passed around a prospectus on proposed salaries, expected earnings and what was needed in individual investment.

Roger asked the first question. “All of this sounds fantastic, Lucy, but none of us have money for the initial investment to buy back the factory.”

Loomis turned to Annie, and soon all eyes were pinned on her. She cleared her throat. “Since it was my bright idea, it seems fair that I invest in all of you.”

“You already have,” Homer said. “You kicked in plenty of cash to paint our houses. And the home renovations is something we all want to continue.”

Davena spoke up. “Sadie Talmage told me you bought the building to house the teen center, and you’ve agreed to furnish it and hire staff. Did you win a lottery in California?”

Annie took a deep breath. Time for the truth. “What I’ve done and anything I do going forward was made possible by my grandmother. Many of you knew Ida Vance as a woman with a generous heart. No one knew how generous. She left a trust. Through me, the town and people she loved are the beneficiaries. The projects I’ve tackled fulfill her last wishes for the neighborhood. I couldn’t have accomplished any of it without your help, though.”

The room was silent for a long moment. Annie hadn’t seen Sky come in. He stepped up behind her, and set his hands possessively on her waist. “I hope I don’t have to impress on all of you the need to remain quiet about the extent of Annie’s financial involvement. No chatter in the café. No newspaper article lauding her—or not as long as we’re still battling a criminal element focused on her. If you blab, it could place her in more danger. I have personal reasons for wanting to keep her safe.” He smiled down at her, then glanced up again, saying, “But your reasons should be as obvious.”

The grins everyone shared as they clustered around the pair turned into hugs interspersed with cheers. There was a general air of exhilaration at the town’s new prospects, but the crowd’s delight seemed to be as much for the fact that she and Sky were a couple now. Annie had difficulty breaking away. “Until the factory opens, we still have houses to paint. And our chief’s home is scheduled for painting this week.”

That prompted more questions. Someone called, “Are you getting married soon? Will you live in the chief’s house or the one Annie inherited from Gran Ida?”

Sky smiled but ducked out without answering. Feeling her face heat, Annie stammered, “We’ve, uh, barely been on a date. We haven’t discussed marriage. Sky has criminals to catch and I have plenty of homes to paint, plus I want to restore the park.”

“And you’ve got a teen center to open,” someone shouted.

Pulled aside by Loomis and Lucy Portallis, Annie listened to a suggestion to have workers pay into a fund that would eventually replace her seed money.

“I trust you two to figure out the start-up costs, and I’ll give you a check.” They left it at that, and Annie rushed out, expecting that Sky would be waiting to clarify their status. He was gone.

* * *

T
WO
DAYS
PASSED
, and except for a single garbled message on Annie’s cell phone saying he was up to his eyeballs in work, Sky seemed to fall off the face of the earth. At least, her earth.

One thing had changed. After the meeting that established her as their golden goose and underscored her as the primary target of the Stingers, everyone else coddled her. It was as if they were all suddenly afraid for her.

At her wits’ end with having paint buckets and ladders yanked out of her hands, escorts following her around and being cautioned to be careful for the thousandth time, Annie lost her temper. “Look, I’m the same woman who drove to Louisville for paint by myself and toted it all the way here. I know you’re well meaning, but I feel smothered.”

“She’s right.” Peggy Gilroy stepped up beside Annie. “I watched her dig in her heels even after the Stingers shot at her and ruined her paint job with graffiti. The gang lost her one paint supplier and she found another. Chief Cordova thinks she’s competent enough to be left to her own devices. We should do the same.”

Davena clapped her hands and shooed everyone back to work. Left with Peggy and Davena, two of her staunchest allies, Annie muttered, “I hate to sound like Pitiful Pearl, but where
is
Sky? I wish he didn’t think I was quite so competent. He implies that we’re romantically, ah...you know, entangled.” Annie remembered their conversation on this very subject. “Then he doesn’t call or show up for
days?
”

Peggy chuckled. “Three days. And men don’t think the way women do about romance.”