report just now, Miss Coogan. I would like a succinct explanation why you are seeking an injunction to have the minor child, Ariana Rosas, removed from the care of Pru Reynolds and her fiancé Flynn Bohannon.”
Annoyance rippled across the woman’s features before she pulled herself together. “Quite simply, your honor, because they lied.”
“About what, exactly?”
“The nature of their relationship. They did not meet two years ago, as indicated by Mr. Bohannon’s exception to policy paperwork.”
Judge Moseley looked back to their table. “Is this true?”
“Yes, your honor.”
“If they lied on official paperwork, what else are they hiding? Add to that, the child ran away two days ago—”
“Because you were going to take me away!” Ari shouted. “I heard you.”
Judge Moseley looked at Ari and his expression softened a fraction. “You heard her?”
Ari hunched back against Pru. “I was eavesdropping. Sir. She said she was going to take me away from Pru and Flynn for no good reason.”
“I have a reason,” Lydia interrupted.
“Miss Coogan, it is not your turn to speak.”
The woman sat back as if she’d been slapped.
“Ari, go ahead. Why did hearing that make you run?”
“Because I don’t want to leave. I don’t want to go anywhere with her. She’s not like Mae. She’s not nice, and she’s more concerned with the rules than what’s actually best for people. I was going to hide at Logan’s until everything got straightened out.”
“And who is Logan?” Judge Moseley asked.
“Logan Maxwell, your honor. A close family friend,” Pru explained. “He has a farm about ten miles from our house.”
“Ten miles? Holy crap, is it really that far?” Ari asked. “No wonder I didn’t make it.”
“I believe it’s safe to say, your honor, that Ari wants to stay with Pru,” Robert said.
“Duh,” Ari answered.
Pru gave her hand a warning squeeze.
“The law is not about what people want but about what’s right,” Lydia said.
“Miss Coogan, you will not tell me in my own courtroom about what the law is or is not.”
Flynn stood up. “Your honor, if I may have permission to speak? I’d like to address the allegations Miss Coogan has leveled against us.”
“Granted.” The judge leaned back in his seat and waited.
“I arrived in Eden’s Ridge the last week of June, just a few days before Kennedy’s wedding. That was the first time I met Pru. We were attracted to each other, and after the wedding, I opted to extend my stay to pursue that attraction.”
Pru appreciated him leaving out the part where she’d propositioned him.
“When Miss Coogan became aware of the intimate nature of our relationship, I’m the one who lied in an effort to protect Pru. I’m not from here. I didn’t know anything about how your foster system worked. But I wasn’t willing for her involvement with me to in any way endanger her adoption of Ari. It was my lie. And I’m the one who convinced her and Ari and Kennedy, who I have known for years, to go along with it. I changed all my plans, and I stayed to make sure that everything happened as it should. And I fell in love with her. I fell in love with them both. I don’t know at what point the lie became real, but it did.”
Flynn turned to look at her, and Pru could swear there was apology in his eyes as he said, “I love this woman. It may not have been for as long as we claimed, but that doesn’t make it any less real.”
Pru smiled at him, so relieved to have him on her side, this whole ordeal seemed just a little less scary.