Forbidden Falls (Virgin River #9)(108)

When the double doors opened to admit them to the courtroom, her eyes focused on the dais where that blasted judge would sit. She was so oblivious to her surroundings, she didn’t even hear all her friends behind her. She followed Brie to the front, Noah walking behind them. The judge came in and the bailiff ordered them to all rise. The case was announced. The judge said good-morning. Ellie shook inside.

“Miss Baldwin, what kind of arrangements have you made for housing for yourself and the children?”

She cleared her throat. “I’m not making any immediate changes, Your Honor. Mr. and Mrs. Fitch have invited us to stay on their property until I can save a little money and look for something. The kids are very happy there and we each have our own bedroom. I have breakfast and dinner with them every day. I put them to bed at night.”

“Hmm,” he said, flipping through the documents. “Very generous. Are Mr. and Mrs. Fitch here?”

“I’m here, Your Honor,” Jo Ellen said from behind Ellie. “Mr. Fitch is with Miss Baldwin’s four-year-old, Trevor. Trevor doesn’t attend school yet.”

That’s when Ellie turned and really took notice of the encouraging faces in the courtroom. Shelby and Luke were there, even though Luke’s entire family was in town for the wedding. Mike Valenzuela had arrived.

“This works for you, Mrs. Fitch? Because part of the recommendation of the court is adequate housing.”

“Ellie is like a daughter to me, her children like grandchildren. Nothing could make me happier.”

“Once the order of custody is changed, the minor children won’t be in foster care,” he pointed out. “There will be no stipend for—”

“I’ll be paying additional rent, Your Honor,” Ellie said. “I wouldn’t take advantage. Jo’s been so…I mean, Mrs. Fitch has been so wonderful to us.”

“Well then, I’d say we’re done here. Do a good job with these children, Miss Baldwin. I don’t want to see you again.”

It burned on her tongue to say she probably wouldn’t see him again as long as she was working in a church, but thankfully he banged his gavel, closing the case. And rather than words coming to her tongue, tears came to her eyes and she lost it. She put her face in her hands and just cried. She felt arms around her; Brie hugging her. She heard a loud murmur go up from behind her—subdued cheers from her new friends. She felt strong arms grab her by the shoulders, turn her, embrace her. “You did it, honey,” Noah whispered. “You did it. It’s over.” And she put her face against that beautiful dark suit and wept.

Ellie knew she had been wound too tight for the hearing, but she had no idea how much energy had bled out of her with the decision. She was weak as a kitten as she accepted congratulatory embraces from her friends. Out on the courthouse steps, there was a mood of victory, which she tearfully and meekly accepted.

“Come out to the house, meet the Riordan clan and my little brother,” Vanni invited. “Before all the wedding stuff officially starts.”

“First we’re going to pick up Danielle from school,” Jo said, pulling Ellie against her. “We’ll meet Nick and Trevor for lunch and tell the kids that the whole thing is fixed, they have their mother back. Noah? Will you join us?”

“Of course,” he said. “Then I’m back to town to meet George.”

Ellie just nodded numbly. But she snagged Brie’s sleeve and asked, “He can’t change his mind, can he?”

Brie smiled. “We’re done with this, Ellie. And I’ll watch the proceedings involving Arnie to make sure he’s out of your hair. I’ll let you know how that goes when something happens there, but don’t even worry about it. I’d say that’s over, as well.”

As Ellie walked with Noah to her car, he took her hand in his. “I’m so proud of you, Ellie. You never gave up. Meet Hercules Baldwin.” Then he grinned.

Because Danielle and Trevor were so comfortably ensconced in Jo and Nick’s house, Ellie was pretty sure the impact of the ruling was lost on them. They had already moved on, emotionally. Once children feel safe, they can relax. All they wanted to be sure about was that they didn’t have to pack a bag and that they didn’t have to live with Arnie again. Beyond that, Danielle wanted to get back to school in time for her spelling contest—she was sure she was ahead of the class. And she wondered how soon she could start riding the bus to school. Nick had promised Trevor a PlayStation tournament if he ate his vegetables and had a little afternoon nap. With things so settled, Jo urged Ellie to go on to Vanessa’s house.

It was that visit that gave Ellie her second wind. She’d been to Vanni’s so many times to help out, finding her friend collapsing under the weight of two babies and a lot of emotional baggage, but all that had changed. Her house was full of people “staying clear of the general’s house while caterers set up for tonight’s party.” Vanni grabbed her by the hand, led her around, introducing her to people, including Luke’s visiting family.

She was embraced by Maureen Riordan, Luke’s red-haired, green-eyed mother who held a contented Hannah on her hip. The general almost broke Ellie in half with his bear hug, then introduced her to his son, Tom, home from West Point for the wedding. Muriel kissed her cheek and pressed a glass of wine in her hand. Then there were the Riordan men, of whom Luke was the eldest. Next in line, Colin, just back from an assignment in Iraq in the Blackhawk. Then came Aiden, a very handsome navy doctor who bent elegantly over her hand. Before that introduction could even be complete, she was embraced by good-looking, playful Sean, who said, “Thank God above—I was afraid there’d be no beautiful women to dance with at the wedding!” And finally the baby of the family, Patrick, on leave from a naval aircraft carrier stationed in the Gulf where he flew fighters. She learned they ranged in age from thirty-one to thirty-nine, all single, Luke soon to be off the market.