Legally and Lawfully Yours

Book Series: Stand Alone Title 

Publishing Date: 2015

Author: Anita Stansfield

Publisher: Covenant Communications, Inc.

Category: LDS Contemporaray Romance
Point of View: Third Person Limited: Shannon and Phillip
Chapter Count: 17
Page Count: 249

Chapter 1- New York City, Manhattan: Meet Shannon Turney, a successful attorney at law with curly blonde hair who wears pencil skirts, pantyhose and pumps. Despite living in the city she drives an SUV. Shannon has one messed up brother who is currently doing time while his ex-wife is hardly fit to be a mother to their two kids who live upstate. Shannon visits her brother in jail after she gets off work. He is worried about his children's welfare. Shannon promises to do everything in her power to keep her niece and nephew safe. They are Shannon's next stop where she finds their mom passed out drunk leaving nine-year-old Neal and seven-year-old Jeanie to fend for themselves. Shannon is appalled such negligence could exist in the world. She must rescue these poor children!

Chapter 2- Next day, Shannon makes some major life changes: she quits her job, withdraws all her money, talks to the children's social worker, has the necessary legal papers drawn up, packs up her apartment and moves out. Shannon was once engaged to be married but he cheated on her. She has no religious affiliation but believes in the Bible, prayer and angels. With a police escort, Shannon drives to her sister-in-law's house to claim the children. Mom is escorted off to jail in handcuffs. Shannon tells her new charges she will be their legal guardian from now on. Neal and Jeanie have no problem with this. They pile into the SUV. Shannon drives all day and all night going wherever the open road takes her without a care in the world. All she knows is that she MUST get these kids away.

Chapter 3- Day Three: Shannon checks into a respectable motel in a quiet town. They find the local city park where the kids play while Shannon starts talking to an attractive man with five dogs he's currently pet-sitting. She finds herself telling him everything before he introduces himself as Philip Meadows and informs Shannon she's ended up in (fictional) Sugar City, New York (not Idaho?) which is supposedly located near Lake Erie. Shannon and Philip talk and talk and talk until they've completed a circumference of the park with the five dogs in tow on their leashes. Both are amazed at the developing chemistry between them, as if they've known each other all their lives.

Chapter 4- Still the same day, Shannon learns Phillip is actually the local veterinarian here. The kids are invited to come see his office and visit the animals. Shannon has a "good feeling" about this man and this town. She admits she likes the idea of setting up house here. Phillip promises to help Shannon find a place to live. He'd also like to take her to dinner. 

Chapter 5- Phillip lives with his mother who is delighted her son has finally taken an interest in girls and getting serious about matrimony. Marj wants Phillip to bring Shannon and her kids over right away so she can meet them all.

Next morning, Phillip greets Shannon and the kids at his office. Since they're both mid-singles, it just seems natural for them to be together now; every minute of the day. Shannon sends the kids off to play so she can make Phillip cry after he hears the tragic story of the children's upbringing and how they came to be under Auntie Shannon's care. Phillip tells her she is one extraordinary woman. Shannon blushes modestly. Phillip is not gay, he's always been shy and introverted (and sexually repressed) around all females. He's never had any close friends and apparently has no social life. Now that Shannon and her kids are here, being with them has become his number one priority. Now he feels compelled to help them, and they only met yesterday.

Chapter 6- Phillip jokes if they were back in high school, he would've called Shannon up for a date on a Friday night, taken her to prom, asked her to go steady, ect. Shannon grimaces. She was a high school dropout, living on the streets until she decided to go back to school and make something of herself. Now her knight in shining armor is here to rescue her, take care of her and the kids. He starts by taking them all back to his veterinary office where, once again, the kids are sent off to play because, as Phillip explains, they'll only find what he plans to show their aunt boring. He selects a key from the wall and takes Shannon downstairs where he unlocks the door to his red room empty room that he declares would be perfect as an office for the new local attorney this town has always needed. Shannon likes the idea.

Next, Phillip takes them to meet his mother who welcomes them with open arms. The children immediately accept her as a surrogate grandma who whisks them off to the kitchen to make cookies so Phillip and Shannon can have more alone time. Phillip takes Shannon in his arms. Shannon sobs because Phillip really is too good to be true.

Chapter 7- Somebody pops in a Disney movie and Shannon falls asleep with her head on Phillip's shoulder. He nudges her awake and they have another long conversation that takes many pages. As if we haven't guessed by now, Phillip really, really likes her. Shannon demurs, she's just not that into him...yet. Phillip agrees to be patient until Shannon has made up her mind what she wants to do and how they should define their relationship. Since it's summer, the kids can roam free and no definite plans need to be made. For now, Phillip invites her to bring the kids to church services tomorrow. Unfortunately, they've never attended church in their lives and have no appropriate Sunday clothes to wear (Really?). Shannon promises to come next week. They seem to have time-warped to the 1960's because apparently, here in Sugar City, no businesses are open on Sundays (not even Wal-Mart?) and the local diner where they've been taking all their meals will be closed so they might as well come over for Sunday dinner with Phillip and his mom.

The entire next day, like most of this book, is unbelievably saccharine. After an amazing Sunday feast and more feel-good conversation, Phillip escorts them back to the motel where Shannon allows a chaste hug before closing the door firmly behind him, locking it tight because there's always the possibility sister-in-law might've sent a hired assassin after them.

Chapter 8- Next morning, Shannon gets two phone calls. One is from Phillip asking for her number (about time!), the second is from her brother, checking in, relieved to know his sister has the kids, just as they agreed, and will keep them safe until he's finished paying his debt to society.

Phillip tags along with Shannon as she goes apartment hunting. Sugar City really is like something from the Twilight Zone. Because the city planners won't allow anything but single family homes, there are literally no apartment complexes or structures of any kind, only private "mother-in-law" units for rent. Shannon is shown a spacious, airy, FURNISHED, 3 bed/2 bath basement apartment that opens onto a back porch and private yard. The home owners, their landlords, live upstairs. The rent is more than affordable. Another miracle for Shannon and the kids.

But the kids aren't alright. Left with Marj all morning, they became overly anxious with the abandonment issues Shannon forgot to warn them about. The kids are both screaming and Phillip's mom is understandably upset at the dramatic display of bipolarism as Neal uses words that would make a sailor blush. Phillip intervenes. Neal calms down, dissolving into tears. Everyone joins in and the incident is smoothed over and resolved until Shannon can arrange some psychological counseling for everyone.

Chapter 9- Shannon moves her family into their new home and goes online to Google "Family therapists for our unique situation" but rural towns like this one have very limited resources. Shannon kneels in prayer and we get the first hint that Phillip and Marj are members of the LDS faith as Shannon mimics the prayers she's already heard over the dinner table in the Meadows' home which always end in the name of Jesus Christ.

Feeling inspired, she makes one last phone call where the female Dr. Bell sounds like the perfect match for all their needs (um, insurance?). In celebration she invites Marj and Phillip over for dinner. Afterwards they (say it with me) send the kids off to play so the adults can have another long, boring "first discussion" about God and religion. Shannon will set up her own private law practice in Phillip's convenient office which he's promised to let her use, rent free, until she's made permanent arrangements and can pay him back. Is this guy for real?

Chapter 10- Yes he is. Phillip loans Shannon his credit card so she can make all the necessary online purchases from an office supply store (he's really that naive) to furnish her new office. He shows up one day at the apartment to present them with a kitten along with all the pet supplies (so maybe he does secretly hate them after all).

Shannon takes the kids into the nearby (unnamed) city to meet the esteemed Dr. Bell in person for their first appointment. Phillip comes over to the apartment later that evening to hang out (again). He offers a family prayer and helps tuck the kids in bed because there's nothing creepy at all about this entire situation.

Chapter 11- With the front room to themselves, Shannon and Phillip can finally make out have another long, boring conversation; this time concerning Shannon's fragile self-esteem issues. Phillip keeps telling her she's beautiful but Shannon has trouble accepting the sincerity of his declarations. This non-sexual relationship is going nowhere fast.

Weeks pass. Shannon gets a few legal cases to keep her occupied and help supplement her dwindling budget. They attend church every Sunday with Phillip and Marj. Shannon and Phillip spend every waking moment together (This town has no singles bars? Phillip has no LDS Planet profile? He's never heard of Tinder?). Since Marj is only too happy to babysit for free, Phillip FINALLY gets around to taking Shannon out on an official "date" where he actually picks her up at her door and they go somewhere together. He takes her to dinner, in the city, at a nice restaurant. Phillip just won't shut up telling her how beautiful she is. He's the perfect date and this is all starting to feel very contrived.

Chapter 12- Walking Shannon to her door, Phillip is allowed to kiss her on the forehead (like a good brother in the gospel). Another couple weeks pass. The children make friends at church and seem really happy and content with their new life. 

One evening, everyone is at the apartment, dinner cleared away, kids outside and Phillip takes the opportunity to give Shannon her first kiss. Both marvel at how incredibly RIGHT this feels, as if they've stepped back into the 1950's when teenagers dated and went steady (and either practiced abstinence or married young). Since they are both in their thirties, Shannon agrees it's time to take this relationship to the next level. She will be Phillip's girlfriend, *headdesk* while the word "cohabitation" is never mentioned because this is an LDS published novel.

As more time passes, Shannon, Phillip and the kids continue to do lots of wholesome, uplifting, family activities together. Shannon enrolls the kids in school, talking to their teachers about their "unique" dysfunctional family situation and their tendency to freak out whenever they remember Shannon is not their real mother and could abandon them at any time. 

Halloween is celebrated with all the adults dressing up and taking the kids trick-or-treating.

Chapter 13- Marj has big plans to host Thanksgiving for all her married children and their families which now includes Shannon and the kids. It promises to be a major event. Phillip takes them back to the apartment and leaves them at the door, kissing Shannon before he departs. Shannon enters and finds the kids staring in shock at the shattered sliding glass door. Shannon screams at them to run upstairs and tell their landlords. They obey. Shannon turns around just as a man with a gun appears out of the shadows to confront her. He's here for the children.

Phillip enters the scene and, with one judo kick, takes out the man. The police arrive and take the man into custody. They all end up back at Marj's. Shannon calls Phillip her hero.

Next day, the police return to discuss the filed break-in report. Phillip holds Shannon's hand while she recounts the experience again. Later, Shannon worries maybe Phillip will abandon her thanks to her shady family connections with the mob. Phillip reassures her by proposing marriage. Shannon sobs in his arms (with happiness).

Chapter 14- Turns out the perpetrator traced them through the kids' school records transfer. He did this illegally, of course. The law is on Shannon's side and she will continue to have custody of the children. That night she has a nightmare about the children witnessing Phillip's violent judo kick against their intruder, screaming and crying at such explicit behavior. The shock and horror on their innocent little faces makes Shannon sit up in bed with a gasp. 

Saying nothing about her dream, she and the kids spend the day with Phillip who uses the kids to officially propose marriage to Shannon who accepts. They impulsively decide, since neither of them have any friends worth mentioning and Shannon has no immediate family, why not get hitched over the Thanksgiving break when the entire Meadows clan will be in town? Shannon loves the idea.

Thanksgiving Day, everyone crowds into the house. Shannon enjoys meeting all her new family and the kids bond immediately with their new cousins. Everything is perfect until Shannon overhears Phillip having a heated discussion with one of his married sisters who is concerned over just how fast they're moving; rushing into marriage like this. Phillip tells her to chill out and Shannon feels a rush of warm, tender feelings towards her fiancé.

Chapter 15- The wedding takes place without a hitch; no one crashes the party and the kids are all right. Phillip and Shannon spend four days in the city on their honeymoon (Not Niagara Falls?) and don't do anything significant to commemorate this joyous occasion. Even the consummation of their marriage gets no mention. They check into their hotel and return to Sugar City four days later so Phillip can move his new, instant family, into his mother's house (on which he did co-sign).  

Everyone anticipates the most extravagant, outrageous Christmas ever because the holidays don't mean a thing without family around. 

By spring, Shannon is pregnant. Both are thrilled over the idea of becoming first-time parents. The children are apprehensive at first but soon embrace the idea of a growing family. Shannon gives birth to a girl they name Shannon Grace.

Christmas comes round again and life is perfect. The following year is without incident until one day, in late autumn, a court summons arrives in the mail for Shannon from sister-in-law. Shannon runs to the bathroom to be sick then sits down and cries until the baby wakes from her nap. When Phillip returns from work and sees Shannon curled up in the fetal position, staring at nothing he knows something is very wrong. When he learns the news, the world goes dark. This is a disaster of epic proportions. Worse than a terrorist attack in Paris. Biological mom has the right to split up their family. What can they do?

Chapter 16- They tell Marj who tells them to have faith. They sit the kids down and tell them about the possibility they might have to return to their real mother. They pray together as a family and Shannon promises the kids she'll take them to see Dr. Bell who can advise them on coping strategies. Phillip and his little family all fly to NYC where the hearing will take place. Phillip rents a car so they can all enjoy some sightseeing during their trip (Has the author never visited Manhattan? You don't need a car!).

With brave fronts, Shannon and Phillip enter the courtroom and the battle over legal custody of the children begins.

Chapter 17- The female judge calls the two children in, with the adults present and with the understanding that if any of them interrupts they will be held in contempt. It doesn't take much questioning for both children to make it clear who they prefer to live with. Their mom starts screaming her indignation. Judge Judy tells her to shut up and orders her back to jail. It's a miracle from God! The day is won. Shannon has been granted permanent custody of the children, she's pregnant again and everyone can now live happily ever after.

THE END