Chapter Thirty-One
Garrett stared uneasily up at the Twin Rivers Courthouse, struggling with the monumental meaning of the day he was about to have.
It was a strange feeling, he thought as he looked up at the white doors, to have his love life taking such a positive turn as his work life was falling into shambles at his feet.
Yet still he had faith. Still he believed that God was leading him.
So he took a deep breath, straightened the simple silver bolo under the lapels of his crisp, clean white shirt, and took a step toward the porch.
His foot didn’t get a chance to land before he felt small, familiar fingers wrap around his own. He stopped, and his heart thudded against his chest as he saw Hannah’s blue eyes, full of hope and love, as she smiled at him.
“Sorry I took off so quickly from the buggy,” she apologized, “I just had to go get something real quick.”
“Oh?” Garrett asked, “I was wondering where you shot off to.”
Hannah’s smile grew a little more as she reached into her small purse and, to his surprise, pulled out a small wad of bills. His brows flew up in surprise as she offered it to him, but he didn’t take it.
“Where did you get that?” He asked.
“You know those cookies I made? Well, they weren’t just for the church congregation.
I dropped off some at the grocer as well, hoping to sell a few in order to knock off some of our tab.
But it turns out a lot of people really liked them, so I got more orders.
I not only got our tab down to even, but this is what I earned extra. ”
Hannah turned his hand over in her own, revealing his palm, and she placed the money there.
“I want you to have it,” she urged. “To do with whatever you think is best for us.”
Touched by her willingness to help him, Garrett pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.
“You’re an amazing wife, you know that?” He whispered.
He heard Hannah hum in delight as she hugged him back.
“You’re a pretty amazing husband,” she replied. “Going through all this and still making time to care for all of us? Not every man could do that. I promise you, no matter what happens today, you’ll still have me. We will get through getting the ranch, or losing it, together.”
Relief flooded through Garrett, grateful to know that whatever was about to happen, he wasn’t going to have to go through with it alone.
“She’s not the only one that’s going to be by your side, you know,” Logan said.
Garrett turned and found his friend walking up to him with a determined smile. To his left was Amanda, and to his right Dean. Grace was not there, and though her absence hurt him, he supposed he understood why she had not come.
“You all came,” Garrett said, touched by their presence.
“Of course we did,” Logan replied, clapping him on the back with one hand as he handed him a stack of paperwork with the other, “And with proof. Witness testimonies and Mr. Dawson’s original deed. We’re going to get this sorted out.”
Garrett was trying to form the right words to thank Logan and everyone else for all they had done for him when Kenneth walked out to the courthouse porch and waved them in, signaling that Judge McCall was ready for their case.
His friends gave him one last round of encouragements, then together they walked into the courthouse.
His anxiety began to spike again as he entered the vast, regal-looking wood-paneled court room.
He’d never had a reason to go beyond the clerk’s office before, and as he stood at the plaintiff’s side of the room, he stared up at the Judge’s seat and the man seated in it.
Directly above and behind him hung a brass cross with the words of Proverbs 21:15 scribed just below it on the wall in large but elegant black handwriting.
It is joy to the just to do judgement: but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity.
“Lord, please be with me,” Garrett pleaded silently, his eyes caught on the scripture.
“He’s tough but fair,” Logan whispered into his ear, as if he thought Garrett was staring at the judge and not the verse beyond him.
Garrett only nodded, bordering on a stunned trance until the judge rose and tapped his gavel, commanding everyone to be seated.
The next few minutes were spent with introductions and a brief summary of the court case at hand.
As Garrett had predicted, Southern Pacific Railroad had hired what looked to be a very fancy lawyer who used so many legal terms foreign to Garrett that it made his head hurt.
Still, when it came time for him to speak, Garrett pushed away any intimidation he felt and presented his evidence.
With a strong, calm tone that echoed through the court room, Garrett read off his witness testimonies, including Kenneth Harper’s, which, Garrett noticed, made the Judge sit back and raise his brows in surprise.
Then he presented the original deed. As his opponent had done, he requested to bring the deed up to the Judge so that he could look at it himself, and as Garrett watched the man nod, he was filled with hope.
“You may take that back, Mr. Mercer,” Judge McCall said, handing Garrett back the deed, “And take your seat.”
Garrett quickly thanked him and did so; not missing the smiling, supportive faces of his friends who sat in the benches behind him and Logan’s table.
“From what I have seen and heard thus far, this all seems to be a matter of misunderstanding,” Judge McCall stated, peering over the courtroom until his eyes landed on the Southern Pacific Railroad lawyer. “Unless you have anything more to add, sir, I am ready to rule.”
Garrett’s heart raced as he looked anxiously over at the lawyer, unable to believe that the matter could be settled so fast.
“Actually, Your Honor, I do,” the lawyer stated, “Might I do so in sidebar?”
“You may,” Judge McCall answered.
Garrett’s brows furrowed as he looked at Logan. His friend leaned in and whispered, “It means he wants to speak to the judge privately.”
Worry bled back into Garrett’s heart as he looked toward the judge and lawyer, who were whispering vehemently.
“Why? What do they have that can’t be shared in front of all of us?” Garrett asked.
“I don’t know,” Logan whispered back, looking surprisingly grim as he kept his eyes on the two whispering men, “But it’s probably not good.”
“Thank you,” the Judge said aloud, silencing Garrett and Logan’s quiet conversation, “You may take your seat, sir.”
Garrett watched as the smirking lawyer thanked Judge McCall and walked back to his seat, not even taking a second to acknowledge Garrett’s presence.
“Mr. Mercer, please stand,” Judge McCall said, focusing on Garrett.
Even though his knees were threatening to quiver right out from under him, Garrett stood and gave the judge his full attention.
“I have gathered evidence from both sides and have reached my judgement,” Judge McCall stated. “Though it seems that your witness testimonies and the deed to Diamond W Ranch states that it belongs to you, it has been determined by this court that the land was not for Mr. Dawson to give.”
Nausea swept through Garrett as he heard Amanda and Hannah gasp from behind him.
“I…” He stammered, feeling sweat begin to pour from his forehead and palms, “I don’t understand.”
“According to records submitted by the legal council of the Southern Pacific Railroad Company, this Mr. Dawson of yours sold the rights to his land two years before he left it to you in his will.
Seeing as there is no way to validate whether the late Mr. Dawson was of sound mind during the writing of his will, I have no choice but to honor the dates of the contracts submitted to me.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Mercer,” Judge McCall stated, picking up his gavel and striking it, “But the land does not belong to you. The sale of such land already committed by the Southern Pacific Railroad Company stands, and will remain in possession of one Mr. Blackwood of Montana. Mr. Mercer, you have until June 15 to vacate the premises.”
Garrett’s breath punched out of his chest as Dean and Logan began to shout. He couldn’t make out their words though; his ears still ringing with the judge’s verdict.
“Quiet!” Judge McCall roared, banging his gavel again, “Quiet in my courtroom!”
Garrett was still in shock as Dean loudly replied, “Your Honor, if I may? This ruling is unjust, but if this is what you have decided, then I ask that either the Southern Pacific Railroad Company or the man they sold that land to compensate Mr. Mercer for the structures he built on the land. He’s built a new house and a barn since being under the impression the land was his, and his labors were not part of the original sale.
And the cattle! This sham of a contract did not include cattle! ”
“Sit. Down, sir,” Judge McCall commanded.
It was only then that Garrett snapped out of his shock just enough to turn his head and see that Dean had not only gotten up from his seat, but had come up to his and Logan’s table.
Dean’s unhappiness was evident on his face, but he grit his teeth and returned to Amanda and Hannah. It was only when he was seated again that Judge McCall’s glowering expression shifted to one of quiet reflection as he turned to Garrett.
“For your efforts, Mr. Mercer, the court rules that the most recent owner, Mr. Blackwood, is to pay you fifty dollars,” the Judge ordered. “As for the cattle, you may sell at your discretion outside of this court.”
“Fifty?” Logan rasped at Garrett’s side.
“Your Honor, that is mighty low,” Dean called out.
Judge McCall ignored them both.
There was no relief, no sense of justice for the pittance he was offered as Judge McCall banged his gavel and concluded the trial. Garrett had tried his best, and he had still failed.
“I lost it,” he breathed, slowly turning toward his friends.
Hannah was at his side at once, promising him that they would figure something out.
Amanda and Logan were speaking rapidly, too quick for him to understand what they were saying; though he caught a few words about raising money from the cattle.
Dean was staring hard at the floor, his jaw tight and nostrils flared as if he was using every ounce of self-control not to explode.
“I lost it,” he rasped again.
His quaking knees gave out and he landed hard on the chair. Everything he’d worked for. Everything he’d dreamed of. Was gone.