"Love in the Great Pine Woods" by Gratiana Lovelace (2015-2016) (Completed)

Ch. 38 (PG-13, D, L): The Fight for Wakeforest Mountain, Part 1

"Love in the Great Pine Woods", Ch. 38 (PG-13, D, L): The Fight for Wakeforest Mountain, Part 1, May 30, 2016 by Gratiana Lovelace (Post #918)

(An original story copyrighted by Gratiana Lovelace; all rights reserved) [(1) story cover, left]

Author's Content Note: "Love in the Great Pine Woods" is a mature love story with dramatic themes of love and relationships. It will mostly be at the PG and PG-13 movie levels. Specific chapters or passages may have a further rating of: L for language, D for dramatic emotions, and S for sensual themes. And I will rate the chapters accordingly. If you are unable or unwilling to attend a movie with the ratings that I provide for a chapter, then please do not read that chapter. This is my disclaimer. And as is my habit, I will summarize the previous chapter's events at the beginning of the next chapter.

Author's Recap from the Previous Chapter: A man named Mr. Quimby tracked Sam Wakeforest down at the June 11, 1956 Wakeforest Summer Family and Flower Festival and served he and his family with civil suit papers claiming negligence on the part of Wakeforest Family Lumber Mill and Conservators in the January 2, 1956 Wakeforest Mountain avalanche death of tourist Aiden Carter. Though the inquest at the time had ruled the death an accident by nature—and no criminal charges were filed--civil suits have a much lower burden of proof.

"Love in the Great Pine Woods", Ch. 38 (PG-13, D, L): The Fight for Wakeforest Mountain, Part 1

Sam Wakeforest has always been a man of stoicism and restraint. His previously taciturn and gruff demeanor--before meeting and marrying his wife Olivia, whose love has opened him up to displaying more tenderness--bore a stark testament to those hallmark qualities. Yet when his family, livelihood, and civic purpose are threatened, woe betide anyone who crosses Sam's path. For they will truly know the passion that stirs within this man's chest.

And the civil suit claiming Wakeforest Lumber Mill and Conservatorship negligent in the avalanche death of Aiden Carter last January is nothing if not threatening to Sam and his extended Wakeforest and Delaney families. That the suit was served to them at the otherwise happily enjoyed June 11, 1956 Wakeforest Summer Family and Flower Festival last month was an uncalled for indignity which Sam felt that he and his family suffered.

The extended Wakeforest and Delaney Families quickly organized a legal response team to the civil suit. Their brother-in-law Roger Delaney is also a Trustee of the Wakeforest Mountain Wakeforest Family Conservatorship. So Roger is also named in the civil suit. And though Sam is still a partially practicing attorney—his Wakeforest Mountain conservatorship being his primary career focus these days—he realizes that as one of the defendents in the case, it would be wise to seek outside legal assistance. So Sam engages the services of their state capitol's largest legal firm of DeWitt, Grimes, & Branch—with their having the distinguished elder law firm partner Lawrence DeWitt to lead their civil suit's legal team of five lawyers. The Wakeforests were not only able to pay to put the firm on retainer, but the Wakeforest Family's general prestige as upstanding community members and philanthropists also serve them in good stead in securing the best legal advice.

Depositions have been taken on both sides over the last four weeks and witnesses and experts assembled, as they wait to proceed to court while standing in an anteroom of the state capitol courthouse in Largemont an hour away from the Town of Wakeforest this Monday, July 11, 1956.

Sam Wakeforest paces the small conference room like a coiled panther waiting to pounce. Then in frustration, Sam plops down onto a none too comfortable metal chair, leaning forward expectantly [(2) right]. For the sake of the trial, Sam is trying to look more professional—less of a mountain man—within reason. He still eschews ties, and formal suit trousers. But he is wearing a jacket, and he has his beard trimmed considerably, though still with faint stubble. Sam is ever the rebel.