Sweet Carolina Girls Part 27

Harper laughed at her, "I should send her flowers. She's taking care of Shelby now, not you."

Lauren smiled and put the paper down, "You know you're right. I should send her a thank you card."

They laughed together and ate the breakfast Lauren insisted on cooking every morning, before Harper went to work. Harper hadn't always eaten breakfast, but she was learning to get used to it. Harper and Lauren then went out back together to lock up the labs, which were used to being kenneled during the day unless someone was home. Lauren wasn't comfortable leaving them out at the new house and she was going to the studio today. She would take Jasper so he wouldn't be able to taunt the labs with his freedom.

Harper was glad Lauren was getting back to her artwork. She seemed happiest when she was covered in paint. Harper kissed Lauren goodbye at the utility room door.

"You and Jasper have a nice day. I love you."

"We love you, too. See you at the game," Lauren said, blowing her one more kiss.

It was good to be Harper Lee Lynch today. The rest of Harper's day went just as well. Work flew by and it was lunch before she knew it. Harper had nothing else to do so she strolled over to the hospital. She found Ellen in the waiting room outside Shelby's lair, as Harper like to think of it these days.

"Hey Ellen, what's going on? Where's Shelby?"

"Harper, it's good to see you. They took Shelby to therapy, so I'm just in here looking for a book or magazine, I haven't already read. I finished the one I was reading earlier."

"I guess Shelby's happy about being cleared of all the serious charges." Harper was curious. Did Shelby know that Lauren made it all possible, well at least the dropping of the manslaughter charge?

Ellen was glad to report on Shelby's reaction. "Oh yes, she was so happy to see it in the paper. She thinks Lauren's mother walks on water. People have been calling all morning. Before today they acted like she was a pariah. Her boss even called to congratulate her. It was the first she had heard from him, since the accident, except for a flower the office sent."

"Lauren and I are very happy for her," Harper told a little white lie, because she didn't think Shelby should walk away from this scot-free.

"Speaking of you and Lauren, I hear there are rings. Let me see." Ellen reached for Harper's hand.

Harper showed Ellen the ring and listened while Ellen cooed over it. Ellen didn't hear Shelby coming, but Harper did. She also made eye contact with Shelby for the first time, since the Sat.u.r.day night of the wreck. Now able to sit up in a wheelchair, Shelby stopped b.i.t.c.hing at the nurse when she saw Harper and glared at her through the gla.s.s. Harper held her stare and did not look away until Shelby had been wheeled into her room.

"Ellen, I think Shelby's back in her room." Harper said nothing about the exchange between them. It was something she would keep private, but Shelby needed to know Harper was not intimidated by her and never would be.

Harper had not intended to see Shelby. She wasn't even sure what drove her to the hospital. She just wanted to know Shelby's reaction to being freed of her responsibility in the death of a young woman. She had seen Shelby and it gave her all the information she needed. Shelby still blamed Harper for Lauren leaving her. From what Ellen said, Shelby believed Lauren's mother had saved her and she saw no signs of remorse.

Shelby was still the narcissist Harper had come to believe she was. No, they had not heard the last of Miss Shelby, but Harper didn't care. She felt absolutely certain of where Lauren stood and Shelby would one day have to face it. Lauren belonged to Harper and she was never, ever going back. She left the hospital and returned to work with an extra spring in her step.

Harper sent Lauren a text when she got back to the office, "How's the paint flying?"

She received back, "Your dog has blue spots."

At four o'clock, Harper left the lab and headed for the ballpark. She grabbed a turkey sandwich at the deli down the street and ate it on the way. The Tarr Barr girls had the first game and Harper was hoping she could use the field to run and stretch a little longer than usual. She hadn't played or touched a ball in seven days. She sent out a text to all the team members telling them she was already at the park, looking for a warm-up partner. Then she put the phone in her bag and walked down to the field.

The ground crew was there working on her field, so she asked if she could run in the outfield. There was a cute, young, androgynous girl working on the crew and checking Harper out. Harper smiled at her, but that was all. She began to run in the outfield, which she did for about ten minutes, at a fairly good pace. Every time she faced the ground crew, in her running pattern, the young girl was watching her. This chick was so obvious it was painful to watch. Harper wondered if this technique worked with other women and decided it probably did.

She was sweaty and warm when she lay down in the outfield to stretch. The sun was bright and helped to warm her muscles as she soaked up the rays. She was on her back stretching her legs to her chest when a shadow appeared blocking out the sun.

"Do you need any help with your stretch?"

It wasn't a familiar voice. The shadow knelt down close to her and that's when Harper saw the girl's face beaming back at her. It startled her into sitting up, which actually made her closer to the chick than she was when she was lying down. She quickly fell back away from the intruder onto her back again.

Harper managed to say, "No, I'm fine. I don't need any help, but thank you."

A familiar voice said, "No honey, she's got all the help she can handle right now."

The girl stood up immediately. Harper scrambled to her feet to see Lauren standing in front of her. Harper smiled broadly. Her woman was staking a claim. The chick, who had a moment ago been trying to pick Harper up, was now stunned by Lauren who was glowing in her role as the jealous wife. Lauren took Harper's hand and pulled her over to her, then slid her arm around her waist. Harper thought to herself that she was probably enjoying this way too much, but she couldn't help it.

The young thing finally spoke, "Well, I see you're well taken care of, so I'll get back to work."

Lauren wasn't through with the child yet. She enjoyed toying with her like a cat, teasing a soon to be eaten mouse, "Sweetheart, be careful who you hit on. Some married women aren't as nice as I am."

The little girl turned back to Lauren with a grin, "You can't blame me for trying, look at her."

Lauren came back swiftly, "Believe me, I look at her every chance I get and it is as amazing as you can imagine."

That finally cracked Harper up. She lost it and so did Lauren. The girl just shook her head and walked off. Harper hugged Lauren and gave her a kiss.

"You make me laugh," Harper said, after the kiss.

"I'm glad I can be of service. I got this pathetic text saying you were here all alone, so I rushed to your aid and I find you getting hit on by a teenager," Lauren poked her in the ribs.

"Hey, I did not have anything to do with that. She's a bold little thing, I'll give her that," Harper laughed. "I think you stunned her for a second."

Lauren nodded her head, "That was the effect I was going for."

Several other team members arrived and soon the whole team was there warming up and having fun. The pall that had hung over the group the last two games seemed to have lifted. It showed in their play during the game and they came away winners in the fifth inning, ten runs to none. Harper actually got to bat once and was able to hit a line drive into center field. They walked her after that. After the game, the team headed for the Tarr Barr for their traditional post game meal.

Harper opted for sweet tea instead of beer and the majority of the team followed suit. Only the people who were not driving consumed alcohol. This did not go unnoticed by Abby, who stood to get everyone's attention.

"I think it's worth noting that Harper has had a positive effect on this group, by helping us realize our responsibility, as adults, to not to drink and drive. And I'd be remiss if I didn't say that Shelby's accident had an effect on all of us. I don't want to see any more of us in the hospital or dead and I for one will not be behind the wheel of a car ever again, after consuming more than two beers."

The entire team stood and clinked their gla.s.ses in an unspoken pact to take care of each other and themselves, because they were more than teammates, they were true and loyal friends.

Abby was not finished, "And I also think it is worth bringing to everyone's attention that Lauren and Harper have exchanged rings and are going to be married somewhere it is legal and we are all invited. I'm pus.h.i.+ng for a warm beach."

The team clapped and sent best wishes to the happy couple. Harper finally got them all to sit down and caught up in the moment she began to speak, "I just wanted to say how welcome you've made me feel from the moment I met you, except of course Julie" This caused a ripple of laughter through the group.

"I also wanted to thank you for the support you've shown Lauren and I. In another group of women, our coming together could have split this team into factions, but what I've seen is you rally around both Lauren and Shelby with love and support when they needed you. I am proud to call you my friends."

Harper sat down quite surprised at herself for expressing that much emotion in front of a group of people. Lauren knew how hard that was for her and kissed her on the cheek. She whispered, "I love you" in Harper's ear. Harper turned to say something to Lauren when the door opened and in walked a well-dressed young man carrying a briefcase.

"I need to speak with Lauren Zachary."

Harper figured it was one of Lauren's mother's lawyers with some paper Lauren had to sign.

"I'm Lauren Zachary," Lauren said, raising her hand.

The young man placed his briefcase on the bar and removed a stack of light blue folded papers that Harper recognized as official court doc.u.ments. She still didn't get the significance of these doc.u.ments until the young man handed the one on top of the stack to Lauren saying, "You've been served." He continued around the room calling each team member's name, until at last he called Harper's, slapping the remaining doc.u.ment in her hand, repeating, "You've been served."

Silence engulfed the room, as the young man shut his briefcase and exited the way he came in. Everyone was busy reading the doc.u.ment they had been handed when Julie broke the silence, "Well isn't this a b.i.t.c.h."

Exactly what Harper was thinking. The subpoena in her hand stated that Lauren and Harper were being sued by Shelby for causing her the stress and anxiety that drove her to have to take the medication, which mixed with alcohol contributed to her accident. Namely, that their affair broke up a six year union driving Shelby to take medication and drink, even though Lauren knew her family history and what alcohol could do to Shelby. All Harper could do was stare at the paper in front of her. Lauren grabbed her arm to get her attention.

"Harper, I'm going to fix this, I swear. Don't panic. None of you panic. I'm going to fix this."

n.o.body believed Lauren, particularly Harper. Lauren couldn't fix this. Shelby was out for blood and somebody was going to pay. Harper took out her cell phone. She located a number in her contact list and hit dial. Lauren just stared at her, so did everyone else. When the voice on the other end of the phone answered, Harper spoke for the first time, since being handed the blue piece of paper.

"This is Harper Lynch...Yes, I remember you, Mich.e.l.le. I need to retain Ms. Kincaid officially to defend me in a civil suit...Yes; Shelby West is suing me... Yes, that's right... Do you need a credit card number or something to make this official? ...Okay, then I'll wait for her call, thank you."

She hung up the phone and looked at Lauren. Without saying a word she handed the phone to Lauren. Lauren hit redial and another phase of the Shelby/Lauren saga commenced.

Chapter Thirty.

"I honestly think I could kill her right now," Lauren was saying when they came through the utility room door.

"You better watch who you say that around; she might end up dead. There were at least nine other women there tonight thinking the same thing." Harper was just being cautious.

Lauren and Harper went out back and let the labs out to run. Jasper was so happy that his friends were out of jail that he brought them his baseball to play with. Harper got a beer out of the fridge for each of them and they sat down on the deck outside. They watched the dogs fading in and out of the backyard lights, just sipping their beers, both lost in thought.

Lauren spoke first, "I just can't believe this. It's totally surreal."

"Surreal is not the word that comes to my mind," Harper commented. "I think af.u.c.ked up' is more appropriate."

"That's kind of what surreal means." Lauren added absentmindedly, already thinking of something else. "Does she really think she can get away with this?"

"Apparently so, she hired a lawyer who thinks she can," Harper observed.

"I left her everything we bought together, I only asked for the minimum on the buyout of the house. I tried to make this as easy as possible on her and she turns into this vindictive b.i.t.c.h, I don't even recognize. d.a.m.n, I should have left her years ago." Lauren was beating herself up.

Harper reminded her, "If that had happened, I probably would never have met you."

"You're probably sorry you did by now."

Harper sat up and looked Lauren in the eye, "No, I am not. I'm not letting Shelby ever make me sorry I met you. I won't let her win that way. You're the best thing that ever happened to me and you better not forget that, no matter how bad it gets."

Lauren looked deep into Harper's eyes, "You really mean that don't you?"

"Yes Lauren, I really mean that. We have to stick together. She can't break us, as long as we stick together."

"Okay, let's not talk about it anymore tonight. I promise not to bring it up again," Lauren pledged.

Harper agreed. They drank a couple of more beers while they watched the dogs play. No more mention of Shelby's latest stunt. They talked about the piece Lauren was working on and how the data collection at the lab was going. About ten thirty, they shut the labs in the kennel and went upstairs to take a shower and go to bed. They really only took a shower and crashed into the bed. Too tired to talk and too stressed to sleep, Harper lay holding Lauren, for what felt like hours, until she finally dropped off. Her last thought was, "I know how you feel, honey. I could kill her, too."

Chapter Thirty-One.

When they returned from another frantic run with the dogs, the next morning, both of their cell phones were ringing. It was barely seven o'clock, but the world was alive and well and trying to contact them. Molly Kincaid was requesting the presence of everyone served last night, in her conference room, at the Victorian. The meeting was set for eleven this morning and she was encouraging everyone to clear their schedules and attend. Lunch would be served.

The next hour was spent on the phone with various team members, as the news spread about the meeting. Harper called her lab as soon as she felt someone would be available to answer the phone. She explained that she wasn't coming in today and just to send any data straight to her email account. Lauren was on the deck drinking coffee, watching the dogs, when Harper hung up with the lab tech. Harper joined her there.

Harper walked up behind Lauren, casually placing an arm across her shoulders, she said, "You know when I was little and I had fallen or hurt myself someway, usually not too bad, but you know when you're a kid you cry pretty easily. My dad would always laugh, not at me, but with me while I cried until it changed from tears to laughter. He would say you might as well laugh as cry, it's over now."

Lauren looked up at her, "Your dad sounds like a smart man. I'm sorry I didn't get to meet him."

Harper smiled down at Lauren's upturned face, "He would have loved you."

Lauren slid her arm around Harper's waist. "What advice do you think he would give us today?"

"One time, I came home from school and I was fit to be tied. I was so mad at this little gaggle of girls. They had been selected to take down the names of any kids who talked in the library. My name was written down, although I had not said a word. I had to write, I will not talk in the library, like 200 times or something. Daddy said, Harper Lee, did you do anything wrong to have to write those sentences? Well, if you didn't then don't write them. Stand up for yourself tomorrow and tell that teacher why you didn't write the sentences. You don't have to be righteous about it, just tell the truth."

"What happened the next day?"

"Oh, I got sent to the princ.i.p.al and Daddy had to come down to the school, but I never wrote those sentences," Harper smiled. "There was however, a policy change prohibiting children from ataking names' anymore."

"So you recommend we tell the truth and face the consequences?"

"That's what I plan to do," Harper turned Lauren to her, "do you have a problem with that?"

"No, it's just that if they ask me if I had any feelings for you before I left Shelby, I'm going to have to say yes. I fell for you that first night you came to the Tarr Barr."

"That's okay, I was undressing you with my eyes the moment I saw you," Harper laughed at how worried Lauren was. "Honey, we didn't do anything until after you and Shelby were separated. That should count for something."

Lauren lightened up, "Like Jimmy Carter, I only strayed in my mind's eye."

Harper laughed and hugged Lauren, "Yeah, something like that."

Molly Kincaid's conference room held a twelve-seat table that looked like it was constructed inside the room. Around the table sat the entire Tarr Barr team including the coach, Jane. In front of each woman was a china and crystal lunch setting, with grilled chicken cob salads for everyone. They were just beginning to eat, as instructed by one of the office aides, when Molly joined them at the head of the table. Everyone stopped eating when she entered the room, some out of respect, and some like Dee and Chita, who were getting their first look at Molly, were stunned in her presence.

"Please continue," Molly said. "I think I'll join you."

Molly sat down with Harper to her right. "It's nice to see you again, Harper and you Lauren. I'm sure you would rather it be under different circ.u.mstances."

Lauren peeked around Harper, "Yes, I'd rather eat gla.s.s than have to put everyone through this."

Molly smiled, which really made her look like Jodie Foster, "They don't have much to worry about," indicating the other women at the table, who were all involved in their own conversations. "They have all been called just as witnesses to be deposed, it's you two who are named in the civil suits."

Harper interjected, "I know they're only witnesses, but if they feel like they need representation would you consider a group rate and of course Lauren and I will cover any legal expenses..."