Sweet Cravings

Chapter Fourteen – Confronting the Issue

Sebastian

The movie ended to the sound of rumbling tummies. I grinned at Bri.

“Time for dinner, I think. We passed a diner on the way here…”

She cut me off quickly.

“Oh—umm—no, it’s okay. You guys must be tired, I can umm—”

I placed my finger gently on her lips.

“Bri, I am not going to let you hide. We’re going to go out, with our heads held high, and have a nice dinner. I promise I won’t leave your side.”

Her eyes widened. I could see the fear there. I pressed my forehead to hers.

“Come on. I know you’re strong enough to do anything.”

Her shoulders straightened, and she met my gaze.

“Let's do it.”

The moment we stepped into the diner, everything went silent. The boys and I froze as whispers rippled through the room.

“Come on, Sebby. Aunt Gemmy says to ignore the old biddies. They just like to gossip.”

Sky’s small hand tugged mine, and we followed Bri to a booth at the back.

The boys and I sat opposite our girls, and I leaned over to Bri.

“Is it always like that?”

She grinned. “Yep. You’re now sitting with the socially unacceptable in town. Still want to eat?”

I stared at her. I couldn’t believe she dealt with this every day. Gem had warned me about the town, but this was way worse than anything I could’ve imagined.

An older lady came over with menus, smiling warmly at Bri and Sky.

“Hey there, lovely ladies. We don’t normally see you at this time of day—especially with such handsome boys accompanying you.”

Bri grinned. “Ruth, this is my friend Sebastian and his sons, Alex and Zack. They’re just visiting for a few days.”

I nodded, too shocked by the atmosphere to speak. Ruth smiled and walked away, but the sensation of eyes burning into us made my stomach turn.

We chatted quietly about the menu. When Ruth returned, we ordered. I hoped the food would come fast—I just wanted us out of there.

“So, umm… what did you find out from the bank? I know things went south after, but did you get any answers?”

She smirked and brushed her hand over mine.

“Just ignore them, Bast. And yes, actually, I found out something very interesting. Turns out Jaxon was a big fan of your company.”

She explained how she’d invested the insurance money into the companies Jaxon had been investing in — and the biggest one just happened to be mine.

She pulled a file from her bag and slid it across the table. My eyes widened as I skimmed the figures.

“Hell, Bri… that’s a lot of shares. I guess we now know you can afford to do almost anything you want.”

She leaned in.

“What do you think I should do? I mean, I’m making money from them, but with the changes…”

A throat cleared behind us.

“Well, look at this. You dare show your face after how you behaved this morning? After all the lies you told, I find you sitting here talking about my son’s money with a strange man. Where did you pick this one up, Brianne?”

The woman—who I assumed was Jaxon’s mother—slammed her hand on the table. The man with her tried to calm her, but she wasn’t having it.

“You are a thief, and I will not let you run around—”

That was enough.

I winked at the kids—who looked ready to burst into tears—and pulled out my phone, dialing Dan.

He answered on the third ring.

“Dude, I’ve been trying to get hold of you all day—”

“Sorry, Dan. I’m in Montana, and Bri and I need some legal advice.”

The woman was still ranting, though the man now looked desperate to stop her. He stared at me like I’d grown a second head.

I put Dan on speaker.

“Okay, Dan. Here’s what’s happening. Bri, Sky, the boys, and I came to the diner for dinner, and Bri’s mother‑in‑law started making some fairly damaging statements. Some I won’t repeat in front of her grandchild. I’m also sending you a photo of Bri’s investment portfolio—she’d like some advice on it later.”

A scoff came through the line, followed by a cough.

“Hey, Bri. Hey, little princess. So—what exactly was said?”

The two people standing at our table froze.

“Well, let’s do introductions,” I said. “Mrs. Carson, this is my lawyer, Daniel Frances. He’s a full partner at Frances and Gilbert on the Upper West Side, New York. You can Google them—they’re extremely impressive.”

The man behind her blinked, but Bri spoke first.

“Hey, Danny. Standing with Valerie is our town’s mayor, Harrison Mills. His wife is best friends with Valerie.”

Dan actually snickered, earning a look between Bri and me.

“So,” I continued, “Bri has been called a very unpleasant word, she’s been accused of stealing, and I’ve apparently been labeled a gold digger.”

Dan didn’t hesitate.

“Well then,” he said, his voice snapping into that clipped, razor‑sharp tone that makes people rethink their decisions. “Mrs. Carson, Mayor Mills?”

They both muttered a stiff greeting.

I could practically hear Dan grin.

“Thank you for confirming that you are present and, from the background noise, speaking loudly enough for multiple witnesses to hear.”

Valerie’s face drained of color. Harrison straightened like someone had yanked his spine into line.

Dan continued, “I’ll keep this brief. Defamation is a civil offense in the state of Montana. Public defamation—especially accusations implying criminal behavior, such as theft or… the other word used—is fully actionable.”

He paused; I could hear the smirk even from hundreds of miles away.

“And since you’ve chosen to make these statements about my client, Ms. Brianne Carson, in a public establishment, in front of minors, and directly in front of my client’s business associate, this is no longer a misunderstanding. This is a pattern.”

Valerie sputtered. “P‑pattern? She—she—!”

“Mrs. Carson,” Dan said smoothly, “I strongly recommend you stop speaking unless you’d like to add more evidence to the case file. You are currently in a diner full of witnesses. I assume at least one person is recording. People usually do.”

Harrison’s eyes darted around, panic flickering when he realized Dan was right.

Dan’s voice softened as he addressed Bri.

“Bri, sweetheart, I’m so sorry you’re going through this again. But listen: you’ve done absolutely nothing wrong. You’re grieving, you’re raising your child, and you’ve been dealing with people who seem intent on tearing you down. That ends today.”

Bri’s fingers curled into mine beneath the table.

Dan took a breath.

“Sebastian, here’s what I need you to do. Calmly inform Mrs. Carson and Mayor Mills that any further harassment will result in restraining orders and a formal defamation suit. Then—enjoy your dinner. Don’t let them ruin it.”

He paused, his tone sharpening again.

“And Mrs. Carson? Before accusing someone of being a ‘gold digger,’ you may want to check which direction the money is actually flowing. Based on the documents Mr. Conner sent me earlier, your late son and his wife, Mrs. Brianne Carson, invested heavily in Sebastian’s company. Bri is reaping the rewards of a strong investment—not taking from anyone.”

Valerie stared at Bri, utterly speechless.

The whole diner went silent.

Dan finished, slow and unimpressed:

“Now. Is there anything else either of you would like to say? If so, please speak clearly for the recording.

Valerie’s mouth opened, closed, then opened again—like a fish gasping for air. For a moment, she looked genuinely stunned, as if Dan’s words had slapped the breath right out of her.

Her gaze flicked to Bri, then to me, then to the phone on the table, as though trying to decide which of us was the biggest threat.

“I—I didn’t…” she stammered, voice suddenly much smaller than it had been moments ago. “This is ridiculous. I was only trying to protect my son’s legacy.”

Harrison Mills cleared his throat sharply, shifting beside her. “Valerie,” he warned under his breath, “I think we’ve said enough.”

But Valerie was too far in to back out gracefully. Her chin trembled, pride pushing her forward even as fear pulled her back.

“She has been—she has caused—this town has talked for months! And now you bring strangers here and—and threaten legal action? Over… over dinner?” Her words came out shaky, her bravado crumbling.

The diners behind her weren’t whispering anymore. They were just watching.

Waiting.

Bri finally lifted her chin, her voice quiet but steady.

“Valerie, I have never taken anything that wasn’t mine. And I have never once asked you for help. Not for money. Not for support. Not for anything.”

Valerie flinched at the softness in Bri’s tone—like it hurt more than shouting ever could.

Dan spoke again through the phone, calm and controlled.

“Mrs. Carson, at this point, the wise course of action would be to step away from the table.”

Valerie swallowed hard. Her eyes darted around the diner, taking in the stares, the silence, the phones pointed in her direction. The reality of the situation finally sank in.

With one stiff inhale, she straightened her blouse, trying to reclaim some shred of dignity.

“This town used to have standards,” she muttered, though her voice lacked the conviction it had before. She turned to Harrison, almost pleading. “Harrison, let’s go.”

The mayor didn’t argue. In fact, he looked relieved.

“Apologies for the disturbance,” he said quietly—to us, to the room, maybe to himself.

He placed a guiding hand on Valerie’s arm, and for once she didn’t shake it off. They moved away from the table, their steps uneven, their exit far less triumphant than their entrance.

Only when the door shut behind them did the tension in the diner release, like air slowly being let out of a balloon.

Sky let out a tiny breath.

“Sebby… dat was scawy.”

I reached over and squeezed her hand.

“You were very brave.”

On the phone, Dan exhaled.

“All right. Crisis managed. Now, can someone please tell me what the hell is going on in Montana?”