An attractive young attorney abandons her remaining family who've treated her despicably. Mollie is hired under unusual circumstances and landed with chairman's laid-back grandson Gary King to re-program and groom for top management in King & King Law. Mollie's own career takes off and she finds herself being incorporated into the King family, where physical abuse has never surfaced.
Chapter 1
Mollie O'Rourke, looking a little bedraggled and a mite unhealthy, arrived in Acacia by train. She walked across the street to the Traveler's Guest House and booked a cheap room for a week, hoping she'd find work and would then relocate. Two hours later, after a meager meal of soup and vegetarian pie and salad, she went to bed and slept undisturbed, the best sleep she'd had in days.
In the morning Mollie made coffee and sat on the small deck outside her second-floor room and watched the city of 118,000 come slowly to life, the 29-year-old enjoying the first morning of her new life as a free woman. For the past eight years Mollie had cared for her invalid mother, victim of a vehicle crash that had killed her father. Her two brothers who lived and worked the ranch with their wives had paid for day help to allow Mollie to go through college and then on to law school. The day she ended her studies they cut their financial support and only visited their mother on Sunday to have lunch with her, departing as soon as they'd eaten.
Left alone to care for her mother, Mollie was able to use her qualifications to find a position in the property law department in the nearby town's only law firm. Much of the starting salary went toward day care for her mother. Mollie gradually built up her experience with the law firm until her mother died and all hell broke loose.
Mollie's sisters Megan and Shirley came home for the funeral and the family reunion was pleasant enough until the contents of the will were disclosed after the burial. Megan, Shirley, Clem and Brian were each left a quarter share of the in-debt ranch while Mollie was the beneficiary of an insurance policy for $900,000. At the time the will was written cattle prices were just beginning to ease off and the value of the ranch was assessed unchanged at $4.9 million. Its value had dipped sharply by the time the will was read some years later.
Mollie's older siblings were furious after they learned of the net value of their inheritances compared with Mollie's bequest.
"You're the baby of the family and for twenty-eight years have enjoyed free food and lodging," Brian shouted.
"Yeah, some of that money is ours," Clem snarled.
There was an uneasy silence and then Shirley, the cleverest one of those four, suggested the five of them pool their inheritances and take a one-fifth share.
Mollie said firmly, "No, mother knew what she was doing when she made her decisions. Have patience, we all know farming economics run in cycles and your rosier days will materialize."
Her brothers and sisters were in no mood to listen and when her position appeared unshakable, Shirley said, "I want the ranch sold or alternatively you guys buy me out."
"Yeah, me too," said Megan, pregnant with her fourth child.
Brian whispered something to Clem and the younger brother nodded. Brian said threateningly, "Mollie, you're going outside until you come to your senses."
He and Clem advanced on her and Mollie showed no fear, not even when her brothers stripped her down to her panties and pushed her outside. The laughter of her sisters rang in Mollie's ears as the door slammed behind her and she heard the key turn.
It was snowing but fortunately for Mollie the front porch was in the lee of the howling wind. She sat on a chair and fell shivering to sleep, awoken almost two hours later when her two sisters arrived to half carry her to a warm bath and then they put her to bed. Shirley, Brian and Clem resumed drinking and later loud shouting and screams awoke Mollie. She rushed out to find Brian and Clem had broken Megan's wrist and three of Shirley's fingers when bullying them to reverse their desire to have the ranch sold.
Mollie ran back and returned with her grandfather's unsheathed saber and when toughie Clem advanced on to her saying she'd not have the guts to use it on him; she reversed the blade and whacked him across the face, breaking his nose. She then drove the two men from the house and called the Sheriff's department.
The brothers received short-term sentences for assault causing injury. Megan's unborn baby appeared unharmed, The brothers instructed their attorney put the ranch up for sale but there was a problem: settlement of a sale could not occur until after probate and finalization of distribution of the estate.
On the evening her brothers were jailed, Mollie decided to escape her dysfunctional family and the next day, after establishing her identity with her mother's insurance company and lodging her bank account number with them, boarded a train heading east for she knew not where.
Mollie finally found peace within herself during her escape. After zigzagging 2800 miles non-stop, apart from waiting for connecting services, travel-weary Mollie ended her journey at Acacia City – a place she'd never heard of and where she was sure her despicable brothers who were jailed partly because of her testimony would be unable to find her. She had three suitcases containing all her possessions that included photographs of her parents and children, her personal papers and a glowing reference and work record from her one and only employer. She'd sold her pick-up before leaving and household effects to dealers.
The morning after her late afternoon arrival in Acacia, Mollie paid the $10/hr her landlady demanded for use of her computer and on the Acacia City website found twenty-eight law firms listed, some of which were advertising for personnel. She noted all phone numbers and during the next three days contacted all twenty-eight about positions. She had three interviews but none of the interviewers expressed any interest in hiring her. Mollie pointed out to no avail that it was the depth of experience and quality of work that mattered most, not the location and size of her previous law office.
Mollie was undetrred, aware that established a new life comes with problems. On her fourth morning in Acacia she found a newspaper advertisement placed by a Realtor requiring a contracts manager. Molly thought at least that would be a place to keep busy until she found an opening in a law office. As she approached the realty office Mollie heard a scraping sound and a shout. It appeared an elderly woman while backing her car out of an angled parking space had knocked a guy off his bicycle. The woman stopped the vehicle and got out. The cyclist appeared not badly hurt, if hurt at all.
The he cut loose. "You stupid old crow, you've wrecked my bicycle."
The woman was firm in her retort. "I'm sorry. Your bike is black and you are wearing black clothing. I-I just didn't see you. I'll pay for repairs or a new bike if that's necessary."
By now Mollie was at the woman's side, ready to assist.
"You bitch, you'll pay for a new bicycle now – three hundred bucks."
Mollie interjected, icy blue eyes flashing, "How dare you attempt to exploit an elderly woman who's admitted partial blame and apologized."
"Stay out of this Blondie or get whacked."
Mollie ignored the threat. "You bike is a heap of rust, you were riding without due care and attention in dark clothing making it difficult to see you on this overcast day. Your brakes are probably defective – go before the police arrive and I then demand your bike's brakes be tested."
"You bitch..."
At the sound of the distant siren the cyclist looked along Main Street and saw flashing lights. Without a word he picked up his cycle, raced across the street and disappeared down an alley.
The woman said calmly, "Thank you dear. You were brave standing up to that bully."
"It was nothing. Excuse me, please stand on the sidewalk and I'll run your car back in."
The police cruiser came slowly down the street. The elderly woman waved at the two patrolmen who both waved back and continued on slowly looking for the reported accident.
"They didn't stop. I'll have to go and report it myself."
"Whatever for?" Mollie smiled. "They chose to ignore you and anyway, where is the bicycle and where is the rider you felled? At the pace he ran across the street and disappeared carrying his wreck I'd say he's definitely not injured. In all probability he has a police record."
