Country Love

Chapter Fifteen

"Yes obviously." Bradley said dryly. "Dennis seems like the model of a gentleman and Joe sounded like a real winner too."

"Don't insult my sons." Garth said coldly.

"Then tell your wife not to insult, Isabelle." Bradley replied just as coldly.

"I don't see how any of this is your business." Natalie said looking over at Bradley. "I have worked too hard to get my granddaughter away from that woman to stop now."

"What do you mean you've worked hard to get her away from her mother?" Bradley asked. He fought to keep his satisfaction from showing on his face. Natalie was doing exactly what he had hoped she would do.

"I didn't have her thrown into that psychiatric hospital and report all those abuse claims to social services for nothing. I have been working hard to get my granddaughter away from her mother. Isabelle is not the best thing for Sara."

"You had no right to do any of those things!" Isabelle exclaimed angrily. "I am not crazy and I would never hurt my daughter!"

"I know that." Natalie spat. "But that doesn't mean I want my granddaughter with you."

"So you knew you were lying when you had Isabelle thrown into that hospital and when you claimed she was abusing Sara?" Bradley asked and Isabelle was irritated at how calm he sounded. She wanted him to be just as scared, nervous and angry as she was.

"Yes." Natalie said her voice full of venom as she glared at Bradley. "I know that Isabelle would never hurt her daughter but that doesn't mean I want her raising my granddaughter!"

"You hate Isabelle so much that you would try to ruin her life and take her daughter for no reason?"

"Yes." Natalie replied. Then she turned to Isabelle. "This is not over Isabelle. I am going home to my lawyers and I am filing a suit to take Sara once and for all. Once the judges hear about your past and the fact that you're shacked up in some town with a man and pawning your daughter off on his family they will give her to me and Garth for sure."

"Okay I think we've got enough." Bradley said raising his arm and motioning at Edgar. Edgar nodded and pulled a voice recorder from under his newspaper. He stood and walked over to them.

"What is the meaning of this?" Garth asked.

"Edgar Ross here was kind enough to record our conversation." Bradley replied and he saw Natalie grow pale when she remembered what she had just said.

"Now I think we need to get down to the real reason I invited you both here. You are going to stop harassing Isabelle and you are going to stop trying to take her daughter away." Bradley said leaning back in the booth and crossing his arms over his chest.

"Why? Because you say so?" Natalie demanded. Bradley nodded.

"Yes. And you just admitted yourself that you know that Isabelle would never harm her daughter. You admitted on record that you had Isabelle falsely thrown into that hospital and then you admitted on record that you made false claims of abuse to social services. What do you think the courts will think about that?" Natalie and Garth both stared at him wide-eyed for several moments.

"We have money and we have a good lawyer. I will get my granddaughter." Natalie said but she no longer sounded quite so sure. Isabelle remained silent. She figured Bradley was doing a good job without any help from her.

"The way I see it you have two choices." Bradley said. "The first option is that you go on home and leave Isabelle and Sara alone and stop trying to take Sara away from her mother. The second option is that you go ahead and go to your lawyers and your judges and you give taking Sara away your best shot but you should keep in mind that I have you on record admitting that you know Isabelle would never harm her daughter and admitting that you've lied to try to prove her unfit. I also have pictures and video footage showing what a happy little girl Sara is when she is with her mother." Bradley added pulling several pictures from his pocket and laying them on the booth.