She walked over to the door and unlocked it, opening it partway. Tears filled her eyes; she hadn’t wanted to leave him.
“Sam, I’m so sorry. I can’t come back,” she said, blinking hard.
“Just come outside and talk to me.”
She nodded and glanced back at her brother and sisters. “I’ll be right outside the door,” she said. “I’ll only be a minute.” She stepped outside, wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand.
“How did you find us?” she asked shakily. “I didn’t mean to run out like that, I just panicked.”
“I understand. I’m not mad. You were worried about your family; I’d have done the same thing. Listen, we’ve got the best lawyers in the state on retainer; we can figure this out.” His voice was pleading.
She shook her head. “No, we can’t. That woman is not going to stop coming after my family. She made it very clear that as long as I’m in Blue Moon Junction she’ll do whatever it takes to take away my brother and sisters.”
A look of comprehension dawned on Sam’s face. “She did, didn’t she? As long as you’re in Blue Moon Junction. Listen – I think I can solve all of our problems. Do you trust me?”
“Uh – maybe? Mostly? I think so?”
“Not exactly the ringing endorsement I’m looking for, but I’ll take it. Will you promise me that you’ll stay here?”
“Okay,” she said cautiously. “What are you going to do?”
“Some investigating. Actually, can I borrow Lennon here? He’s a better phone hacker than my best men, and I want to confirm my suspicions.”
At Clover’s fearful look, he added, “I swear to you that nobody will take him. They’d have to come through me, and I’d kill anyone who tried. I’m dead serious.”
She nodded reluctantly. She did trust Sam. She knew he’d never let anything happen to her family. “All right. When will you be back?”
“A few hours, tops.”
She let Sam into the motel room. “Good news,” she said to Lennon. “Sam is going to borrow you to assist him in some quasi-legal activities.”
Lennon’s face lit up. “I’m your criminal. I mean, I’m your man,” he said eagerly.
“Just him?” Twilight said, looking disappointed. “I haven’t broken the law all day. You said yourself that my criminal energy needs to be properly channeled.”
“I did say that,” Sam said. “I assure you there will be plenty of opportunities for lawbreaking in your future.” He glanced over at Clover and added hastily “While working for me, of course.”
“Of course. Wink wink.” Twilight nodded.
“There is no wink wink,” Clover said indignantly. “You will only break the law when Sam says so. That sounds worse when I say it out loud. You know what I mean.”
She waited on pins and needles, while Autumn glumly read a magazine and Twilight and Moonlight napped.
After what seemed like an eternity, Sam returned with Lennon. They were both all smiles.
“Guess who just got fired and will likely be arrested?” He grinned. “A certain Bonnie Rhoades. And Marjorie’s in a heap of trouble too. Let’s see how the Jamboree planning committee likes that.”
“I’m a genius, by the way,” Lennon added proudly.
“Remember when we walked into the diner and Bonnie was really quick to put her cell phone away?” Sam said. “Lennon hacked into her phone and found out that she’d just been talking to Marjorie. In fact, she and Marjorie had been making frequent phone calls to each other from the day that you arrived in town.
“Marjorie was behind all of this?” Clover said angrily. “Why am I not surprised? That woman is a total— Uh…” She glanced over at her twin sisters.
“I believe total bitch is the word you were looking for,” Moonlight said, sitting up and yawning.
Clover decided to let it go just this once.
“She and Bonnie knew each other from high school,” Sam continued. “She had promised Bonnie that she’d get her invited to the Jamboree if Bonnie helped to run you out of town. Also, Sheriff Armstrong did some investigating and found out that the spot where Autumn was picked up was a state forest. There was never any trespassing complaint. Bonnie lied and took Autumn into her custody with no justification whatsoever. She is facing criminal charges and her career is over.”
“So we’re going back to the boarding house now?” Twilight was yawning.
“Yes, ma’am,” Sam said, bending down to grab their suitcases.
Clover felt as if an enormous iron weight, which she hadn’t even realized was there, had lifted from her shoulders.
