“Your honor, according to what we talked about, I’d like to speak now.”The judge waved Gary on.“I’d like to tell Brandy and Lica Frazier that I’m sorry for causing a ruckus in their restaurant.Also to Lisa Fraizer for treating her less than human in the way that I was yelling at her and the other staff that was at the Little Diner.I hope you take that into consideration when you tell the judge what you want me to pay in the way of fines.I’m truly a humbled man in what I did there and to Lisa.Also, herhusband.I shot him, and there is no excuse for it.”
She expected him to say something about him being a big dog, but all he did was sit down in his seat.Looking at Devlin when he turned to look at her, she shrugged her shoulders as if to tell him she didn’t understand either.She did wonder if he was playing with them; this was some sort of scam he was doing to get out of the jail time he was going to do, but she didn’t know him well enough to know that for sure.Just as the judge called the attorneys to his dais, she watched Gary.
He looked worn out.Not only that, but he looked like he needed a good haircut and shave.She didn’t know what had happened to him in the jailhouse, but she guessed that she liked it.He was beaten, she supposed, and it was no less than he deserved.
“His wife left him.”She looked over at Brandy when she spoke to her.“This isn’t the first time he’s been fired from a job for acting like a jackass, but it is the first time he’s been taken to court over it.”
“How come that didn’t come up in a background check?”She told her that it was because employers weren’t allowed to say anything other than that they did work for them.“That sucks.What if he’d robbed the place and been sent to jail?”
“That would have shown up on a police report.They wouldn’t be able to cover something like that up.He’s been fired eight times for his working ethic and has been sent to anger management courses, too, which he was supposed to pass.According to the information I was able to find, he never went to them at all.”She said that was terrible.“Well, this will be in his records for anyone to find.His brother was going to be sighted for adding and abetting, but he’s getting off because of the deal that Gary made with our attorney.I might not have taken it, but I didn’t know about it until it was too late.I guess it’ll be all right.Gary is going to serve time and have his record created in a way that it’s going to be hard for him to find a job in the service industry.”
“What about shooting Devlin?Is that even going to be mentioned?”She said that was going to be a separate trial for him because it happened on private property.“I see.I guess that’s all right.I want him to have jail time because of the way he treated everyone, and because he shot Devlin.I’m glad that it’s all being taken care of now.”
“I have your back.”She knew that too.All the Fraziers had her back, too.“Once this is over, we’ll all get together at our house and celebrate.It’s been a long time coming, and the restaurant is doing so much better without him there.I wish you could have stayed too, but I like you working for me in what you’re doing.Who knew it would cost so little to make people happy working for me?”
“I did.”She had an idea that Brandy knew how to make her employees happy where she worked, too, but didn’t say anything.Brandy was sort of scary when she wanted to be.Not that she’d taken her temper out on her, but she was watching herself around the other woman so that she’d not have to.“I’ll have those reports finished up tomorrow if this doesn’t take too long.I enjoy working for you in this way.I can live with myself, too, when I’m finished with talking to them as well.”
Since Gary wanted things to go quickly, he was sentenced to ninety days in jail for the way he harassed his people at the restaurant.Then he was given another five years for the gun specification.Plus, he had to pay all doctors’ bills that Devlin incurred as he was being returned to health, and a five-thousand-dollar fine for having a gun in the first place.All in all, it seemed like a good day for all the Fraziers.
It was nearly six when they were headed to Brandy and Lica’s home.There was a catering truck just outside the door when they pulled in.She didn’t know what it cost to have things catered, but she was glad that someone else was paying for it.She’d finally remembered to tell Devlin about the check from Sen last night.He said it would go a long way in getting things squared away with a lot of things, and they decided that they were going to hit a few auctions this weekend.
She was glad.She was sick of living in a partial house.She wanted things to be done as badly as Devlin did.They were still sleeping on an air mattress on the bed because their mattresses that they ordered hadn’t come in as yet.
The food, as usual, was delicious.There were grilled chicken breasts as well as scalloped and mashed potatoes.There were hundreds, it seemed, of desserts, but she’d only had a few.She was saving room for the treats that they had at home, in the way of raspberry sherbet with chocolate chips.It had become an all-time favorite for the two of them.
Walking home, she realized that the trees were full now and that it wouldn’t be too much longer before the roses in front of their house were large enough to see from the porch.She couldn’t wait to see what other flowers were going to be coming up by then and was glad that the yard had been in such good shape when they bought the place.She loved everything about the house they lived in except for their lack of furniture.They were planning to take care of that this weekend and next at the two large auctions that were going to be going on.
It was nearly two in the morning when they got out of the hot tub.She really was going to order a bigger one than the one they had.It was just too shallow for the two of them, and she wanted to be able to soak away all her soreness.So far, it had been working a little bit, but she wanted to be able to be less sore.Christ, sex was dangerous when you were out of shape, she thought.
Going to bed, the two of them cuddled.She’d not known that wolves, particularly shifter wolves, like to snuggle up against one another.Usually cold at night, she looked forward to having someone to snuggle with so that she could feel warmth.Devlin was more than happy to help her out with that.
Waking the next morning, she was ready to take on the day.Instead of dressing up in something like jeans and a T-shirt, she opted for shorts and a top.The weather was warmer today than it had been yesterday, and she didn’t want to be too hot at the auction.Things were ready to start at ten, and since they’d shown up at nine, they knew just which pieces they wanted to get.She was going to try bidding on some of the larger items so long as Devlin was with her.She was glad that Edmond and Mac had been able to come with them today, as the others had plans.But next weekend they’d all be there, and she hoped that she’d be able to get some good deals when they were out.
At ten, the house was talked about, and how it would be sold today, too.It was a cute little house that she could see herself living in when she was single.It had three bedrooms as well as a parlor, but only one bathroom.She thought that if a family bought it, they’d have trouble with that.She and Devlin had their own bathrooms, and they still had trouble with having to use one another’s things.The house would be sold at one o’clock, along with the three cars that were at the auction, no matter where they were in the auction.She wanted to be around for all that, too, as she loved to watch people when they got a good deal.
“There are box lots that Mac is going to go over.Are you going to join her?”She told Edmond that she would when she saw how much the first of many swing sets sold.“You don’t want one of those, do you?They look rusty.”
“They are.I’m just curious about how much they go for.Why are they starting with the swing sets first anyway?I thought that they’d start with the furniture that is here.”He told her that they were waiting on the house to be sold so that the new owner could purchase things that might go back in the house.“The swing sets didn’t even get a buck for all of them.I’m going to find Mac.She’ll keep me out of trouble.”
They did have fun waiting for the house to be sold.There seemed to be a lot of interest in it, and she was glad for the family.She didn’t know how much more she’d have to pay for the three-bedroom sets that were on the land, but she knew that it wouldn’t be too much.They weren’t really the modern style that some families were looking for.That was when she noticed the bunkbeds.One of the brothers had been wanting a bunkbed set since he’d set up his home.After reaching out to all of them, the first time she’d ever done that, she realized that they’d gotten one last weekend.She needed to start carrying around a list with names on it to see what she could pick up for family members who couldn’t make it to one of these.
At twelve thirty, she’d gotten a dozen box lots, and Mac had been able to snag at least two dozen more.It was going to be fun going through them together with Devlin and seeing what she’d been able to get.Some of the boxes held yarn in them, and she knew that the elderly clinic downtown would love to have it to play around with if none of it was worth salvaging.She stood her ground when the house auction began.She loved to watch the people playing for the big-ticket items like a house.It was going to be epic.
~*~
The house went for way less than he thought it would.Which made it a good buy for him.He’d not realized that he was supposed to be bidding on the house until Lica contacted him.He said he’d forgotten that the house was included in the auction, or he would have spoken to him last night.He wanted it for a rental.
“It’ll make a nice rental for a couple with a kid or two.Not much more than that.”He agreed with his brother when he told him what he’d paid for the house.“You did good.I usually get caught up in the people around me and forget what I’m supposed to be doing.How are the women doing?”
“They’re watching the cars go now.Mac and Lisa are good for each other in that they make sure that they don’t spend too much.I have a truckload of boxes to sort through, but I’m not upset about it.I love going through what people consider junk.Lisa and I will go through them all, too.”He asked about the furniture.“Do you want any of it back to the house?I have to tell you that Lisa has her heart set on the bedroom stuff.There is enough there to finish the bedrooms in the house.I’m going to tell her that you’re making me bid against her.”
“No, don’t do that.Let her have it if she can get a good deal.Is there anything else that might be good for the house?Kitchen furniture is good for someone just starting off.”He said that he thought that there was plenty of that yet to be bid on.“Get what you can, but don’t bid against the women.I don’t want to have to explain to Brandy why I’m in the dog house with the two of them.”
He did end up getting some good deals for his brother.There were pots and pans that went for a buck a box, as well as linens for the beds.He’d not use them in his house, but they’d be good enough for someone starting out.He found Lisa by the living room things after getting what he could for the kitchen to go back inside.
“What do you think about that desk?I’ve been eyeing it all afternoon, and I can’t decide if it’s too masculine for me or not.”He told her that it would need to be cleaned up either way.“I can see that.It’s beautiful, even for as much dirt as it has on it.I think I’m going to bid on it.I won’t go over a hundred dollars.Unless, of course, he decides to sell it all at one time.The bookshelves match it perfectly.I can see myself using the shelves in my office for about anything.”
“Just set your price and go from there.”She said she thought that she’d been doing really good at not going over budget.“I heard that you got the three bedroom sets for less than fifty bucks.That’s wonderful.And once they’re cleaned up, they’ll be beautiful in those last bedrooms.”
