Kathryn grabbed Mr. Stewart's coat sleeve. "I just want the money due me," she said in a ragged whisper. "I don't want to try to teach that… that violent child. He and Jeremy would kill each other."
"Leave it to me," Mr. Stewart said confidently, then turned to the smirking young man slouching in the chair.
"You wanta tell everyone what you did," Mr. Stewart said, then waved his hand at the boy.
"I switched the letters," the boy said proudly. "Pa wanted to hire some old crow, so when I saw this lady's picture, I just switched 'em. Pete the forger helped me a bit with the letters, but I done a real good job, don't you think?"
When the laughter from the court had stopped, Mr. Stewart walked over to the boy. "You tampered with the United States mail?"
"Yes, sir, I did," the boy said proudly, looking about the courtroom as though he expected to be congratulated.
"I'm going to tan you," Cole said to his son, but loud enough for half the courtroom to hear him. "When I get you home—"
The judge brought down his gaveL "You can carry out your domestic quarrels at home, Jordan. This is a court of law. But it seems you were wrong and this young lady was telling the truth all along. And it seems that you need somebody to keep constant watch over that brat of yours. I hereby decree that you give her the job you promised her."
"No!!" came the co
mbined shouts of Kathryn, Mr. Stewart, Jeremy, and Cole.
"Your Honor," Mr. Stewart said quickly. "My client just wants the money so she can leave Legend forever. She's suffered horrible distress while she's been here and she needs to—"
"Bull!" the judge bellowed. "She's become the town celebrity. Walks around with a notebook taking down orders of what people want her to get from Cole Jordan. If you ask me, the two of them deserve each other. Of course, if your client can't handle this young scalawag, then that would invalidate the contract. Does she want to back out?"
"No, Your Honor," Mr. Stewart said. "But she don't wanta stay either."
"Then she shouldn't have come here in the first place." He banged his gavel. "That's it. She stays and teaches, or she drops the whole thing. Those are the choices. Which is it gonna be?"
Mr. Stewart looked at Kathryn with apology on his face.
"I have to take the job," she whispered.
Mr. Stewart looked back at the judge. "He pays court costs?"
"He pays for everything," the judge said with just the tiniest bit of a smile.
"Then we take the job on one condition. Mrs. de Longe wants the biggest padlock this town has for her bedroom door."
As the courtroom was laughing, Mr. Stewart turned back to Kathryn. "Real sorry about the verdict. There ain't nobody can teach that brat of Jordan's. He's got bars on the kid's bedroom window, but he still escapes."
"And drinks whiskey," Kathryn said as she blinked up at Mr. Stewart, still unable to comprehend the verdict. "I have to live with the two of them?"
"Looks like that's what the judge said," Mr. Stewart said as he shoved papers back into a leather case. Kathryn was going to say more, but by then people were shoving each other to be able to congratulate both of them. To the town's mind, Kathryn had won a case against the Jordans, something no one believed would happen.
"Now you be sure and tell him what I told you," a beefy woman pumping Kathryn's hand was saying. Her breath smelled like old sheets.
"And you help me buy my own store. A man oughta own his own place," a man said as he thumped Kathryn on the back. "You tell Jordan that—"
But Kathryn wasn't hearing anymore as she looked across the people to see Cole Jordan standing and glaring at her. His look said she may have won the battle but the war was yet to come.
"Come on, Zach," she heard him say as he cupped his hand at the back of his son's head. As they turned away, the boy winked at Kathryn.
"Oh lord," she whispered to herself. "What in the world have I got myself into?"
* * *
Chapter Three
Kathryn straightened her shoulders and tried to put some steel into her spine as she raised her hand to knock on the door of Cole Jordan's office. It had been a mere two hours since the verdict had been given, and only minutes ago, Mr. Stewart had dropped her and Jeremy off in front of the Jordan house. Now Jeremy was sitting in the hallway, their small trunks on the floor at his feet, and it was Kathryn's job to find out what Mr. Jordan had planned for them.