Episode 2.24

Pinõn Hallow Mall

Maggie walked around the back halls coming up upon Imagination Clothing and Film Magic’s back doors. She paused when she heard voices, and looked around the corner to see Conner and Grace. Her eyes drill into the red head and her dainty voice makes Maggie’s skin crawl.

“So the 7:30 show at Angel Multiplex tonight?” Conner asks of his new friend.

Grace nods, “Yeah I’ve got a sitter for Jasmine so it’ll be perfect.”

Conner leaned over and kissed her cheek, “Great, I’ll see you later. Eric will be in soon and well I want to make sure nothing flammable is around.”

Grace rolled her eyes, “If you so afraid of Eric burning down the store, why do you keep him around.”

“It’s just a joke, he’s not dangerous, I promise. If anything he’s just your average college kid. Well what today’s average college kid is. Far different then only a few short years ago when I was one.” Conner smiled. “He’s a good kid, yeah he parties, and he’s into health food, but over all he’s just average.”

“Alright, I better go I think I’m getting a shipment today.” Grace said before kissing Conner on the lips and walking away.

When Maggie saw that she wanted to pull this woman off Conner. She knew that she had no right; she had gone from him, to Kevin and then to Luke.

Hallow Hills—Main House

Chad walked in through the back sliding door and saw his Uncle going out the front door. “Mom!” he called out just as Adel came into the room. “Hey, what was so urgent I had to rush right over?”

Adel sighed as she sat down across from her oldest child, “You’re father called, said he’d be home soon.”

Chad nodded, “Alright, but what else is wrong? I can tell by the look on your face, plus you’re pale and this isn’t normal.”

“You’re father has arranged for him and I to adopt a baby girl.”

“What? But your grandparents!”

Adel nodded, “I know, but theirs a whole sob story with this. Plus he wants to rename her. Chad, this family is about to be turned up side down.”

Chad sat across from his mother, “Yeah it sounds like it. Dad, just announced this out of the blue?”

“Yeah, he did, he does have a habit of doing that though.”

Doug’s Office—DI Paris

“So Ryn told you about her, and you took Quincy from her?” Laura asked as she stared at her brother from across his desk.

“Yes, I will not allow my child to be raised by such trash.”

Laura rolled her eyes, “but it’s alright for you to sleep with Ryn?”

Doug shook his head, “Trash is fine to use and then toss away. That’s why its trash.”

“God! You’re worst then mother!”

“Are you still upset about that guy from high school?”

Laura crossed her arms over her chest, “I loved John, and Mother only forced me to break up with him because she was afraid he would knock me up and go after my money. It wasn’t true.”

“Yes and if you stayed with him you would’ve been saddled with several kids and being a housewife.”

“How are you going to explain Quincy to Adel?”

“I’ve told her that Quincy, damn that is an awful name, well that her mother died in a boating accident and the father is no longer in the picture. She needs a family and we can give her an amazing life in the States.” Doug leaned forward, “Adel will re-name her when we return home in a few days. After that, Kathryn will be out of the picture, and I will have my child to myself. Nothing, and no one will keep me from my children.”

Pinõn Hallow Marketplace

Maggie placed the low-carb warps in her basket before moving on to the dairy section where she went to pick up a bag of cheese and somebody else grabbed the same one.

When she looked up she saw him again. His crystal eyes, as dark as a deep blue ocean. “Dr. Raleigh, right?”

“Carsyn please, and you’re Maggie right?”

Maggie blushed, “Yeah I am.”

Carsyn peaked into her basket, “low-carb? Are you sure about that?”

“I’m not a bread fan, this is a nice alternative to salads everyday.”

He smiled, “I’ll accept that.” He then noticed her uniform, “Oh the Java Jet, they have the best coffee in town.”

Maggie giggled, “Wow, you’ve got a slight accent when you said that.”

Carsyn sighed, “Yeah I’m from Jersey, it comes out once in a while on certain words, Coffee, Orange, you know the usual.”

“Yeah I understand, when I was in Nashville I was told all the time I had an accent.”

“Don’t worry its not that strong.”

Maggie’s mouth gaped open, “I do not have an accent.”

“No you don’t.” It appeared he was about to ask her something when his beeper went off, “I gotta go, duty calls.”

“Bye.” She said as she watched him head towards the check out.

Hallow Hills—Main House

Chad had left, and Adel was looking through a picture album of the boys growing up.

Adel was in the bedroom when Doug came in, “Honey, I have some bad news about Charlene.”

“What about her?” Adel looked up at her husband, “honey tell me please.”

Doug put his hand on her shoulder, “She and your father were in a car accident. They didn’t make it sweetheart.”

Adel’s face went white, “what about her boys?”

“I’ve arranged for them to come live with us.” He kissed her forehead and held her close to him as she began crying, “Everything will be okay sweetie, I promise.”

Adel closed the photo album and went to the window and looked out towards the pool house, “How can I be a mother and a grandmother at the same time?”

“What are you taking about over there?” Jeff asked as he stood at the entrance.

Adel turned around, “Doug wants us to adopt a daughter.”

“Oh.” Was all Jeff could say, his brother had the worst timing. Every moment he grew closer to Adel, Doug swept in and won her. “Adel, why didn’t you and Doug ever have kids of your own?”

Adel sighed, “I was pregnant, once, and I miscarried and the doctors told me I wouldn’t be able to carry a child to term. A few months later Charlene died and I had Chad and Kip. I just never thought I would be a grandmother, and about to have another child to take care of. I did such a stellar job of raising Chad and Kip ya know? I mean Chad ran off cause he didn’t want to join DI or work at the Mall like I wanted, and Kip. Kip’s been accused of rape, that’s why I sent him to Florida.”

Adel wiped the tears that were forming in her eyes, and a moment later she felt Jeff’s arms wrap around her, creating a blanket of warmth and comfort.

Dan and Abby’s Apartment

Dan was in the kitchen standing over the stove cooking something when Abby came in, “Hey big bro, what ya making?”

“Just some pasta, what’s with that look on your face?”

Abby smiled, “Odd conversation with Ethan today. He um, well he asked me to stay with him while your out of town. Rather then me staying with Dad and Mom.”

Dan’s face began to show the look of an over protective brother, “Is he trying to get you into bed?”

Abby rolled her eyes, “He’s a minister Dan, besides it might be better then going back to Mom and Dad’s, you know how they can get.”

“Yeah, I sure do.”

“Speaking of Mom.” Abby started as she went to the fridge and took out a diet cola, “have you told her you’re going to be a cop yet?”

Dan sighed, “Not yet, she hasn’t had a chance to see me yet. She’s always running around with that Joni Lynn stuff.”

Abby smiled, “True, true, so then just leave her a message on her cell phone and go to the academy. She can’t hurt you there.”

“Mom will just get super worried, that’s all.”

“I know, but hey she totally handled it well when Sam moved to Hawaii.”

“That’s true but he wasn’t going to get a job that involved chasing bad guys.”

“Yeah, because Pinõn Hallow is a hot bed of crime.”

“We have our fair share, just ask Det. Lane.”

Abby laughed, “I would but I’d rather stick to not spending hours hearing statistics.” She sat down on the counter, “So, when do you leave?”

Dan looked down at the pot, “In a few days, I won’t be gone long, I promise.”

“You better not be, Sam already deserted us, you can’t leave me here with mom and dad alone.”

Dan put his left hand up in the hair and his right hand on his heart, “I promise I will not leave you alone to deal with Mom and Dad, for any longer then my training will take.”

“Thanks bro.”

“No problem Sis.”