shook my head and pulled Kenna closer against me. These women were goofy as hell, but it did my soul good to see some of the heaviness leave Kenna’s shoulders. Unfortunately, I had to put it right back on. “We need to think about where they might hit next.”
Kenna stiffened. “What else is there? They’re trying to take my home. They already took my job. You guys know what they’re doing, so it’s not like they’ll be able to turn you against me. What else is there?”
I heard a desperate edge to Kenna’s voice. One that said she was at her wits’ end. I didn’t blame her. “I’m not sure where they might strike next, but I want us to be prepared. To cut them off at the knees.”
Ford tugged on Bell’s hand, pulling her into his lap. “Crosby has a point. Do you have any loans? I’m pretty sure Clark is tight with the local branch manager.”
Kenna let out what almost sounded like a growl. “No. My car is paid for, and I don’t have anything else that required a loan. But what if I get kicked out of The Gables and want to buy a house? How much do you want to bet that loan gets denied?” Her shoulders slumped. “I’m so damn tired. This is just like before. The Abbots beat me down into exhaustion with a million smaller attacks.”
She had a point. From what Kenna had told me about the time she was pregnant, the Abbots had tried to grind her down. I was sure they thought that if they threw enough at her, she’d agree to not put Grant’s name on the birth certificate. I didn’t even want to think about them possibly pressuring her to get an abortion.
“This isn’t going to last forever. The case will be settled within a matter of weeks, and we have the truth on our side.” I was actually taking these new attacks against Kenna as a good sign.
Caelyn spoke from her spot on the floor. “They know they’re going to lose, don’t they? That’s why they’re pulling all of this crud.”
“How is any of this even legal?” Bell asked.
I rubbed the back of my skull, where a headache was starting to form. “So far, he hasn’t done anything explicitly illegal. We could file a complaint with the courts, but it might do us more harm than good.”
Bell’s gaze met mine. “Why?”
Kenna answered first. “Because Grant and Hotchkiss will twist my complaint in their favor. And I’ll come across as a whiny brat.” She turned to me. “Judge Moore wouldn’t like that, would he?”
I shook my head. “He’s not a fan of squeaky wheels or anything that appears to be personal drama. I think Grant was counting on us filing something.”
Kenna straightened. “Then that’s exactly what we won’t do. I refuse to give him the satisfaction of knowing that he rattled me.”
I pressed my lips to her temple. “That’s my girl.” Tough as nails. But that knowledge didn’t stop the urge I had to lock her away and stand between her and anything that might cause her pain.
Kenna pushed to her feet. “I need my laptop and my phone.”
“What for?” Bell asked.
“I’m going to call every single one of my clients and tell them I’m putting out my own shingle.” The color had come back to Kenna’s face, and with this new sense of purpose, an energy that I hadn’t seen in days.
Ford grinned. “You know, I’ve been thinking about getting an accountant for the bar now that Bell is focused on her shop. I hate doing payroll. Think you got a spot for The Catch on your roster?”
Kenna was silent for a moment, the kindness of the gesture seeming to take her by surprise. “You’re my first official client…Thank you.” She looked around the room. “All of you.”
38
Kenna
“Thank you so much, Mr. Carpenter. I really appreciate your confidence in me.”
Mr. Carpenter’s gritty laugh sounded over the line. “I’ve told you before. Call me John. And I’m always down for anything that will stick it to The Man. Plus, you’re a damn good accountant.”
I grinned down at my papers that were sprawled across the coffee table. “Well, no matter your reasoning, I appreciate it.”
“I’ll see you next week, Kenna.”
“Next week, John.” I hung up with a sigh. But a happy one.
“That was the last one?”
I looked up to see Crosby removing what looked like takeout from Rocco’s out of a bag. He’d made Bell and Ford stay with me