Sweet Vidalia Brand (12 page)

“Enough already!” Selene said, but she was laughing so hard she had tears brimming in her eyes, and she was leaning on her husband Cory as if she’d fall down without him. He was laughing too.

Bobby Joe frowned though, and sent a searching look Vidalia’s way, but she averted her eyes.

“She was a premie.”

“An eight-pound premie,” Edie said. “Good thing she came early, or Ma still wouldn’t be walking straight.”

Mel snorted, elbowing Alex, her quiet, well-dressed husband whose sharp eyes seemed to see everything, and everyone laughed. Then the next ornament came out of the box, and another story came with it. No one seemed overly stuck on Selene’s tale. No one but Bobby Joe. He was kind of fixated on it and spent the rest of the evening searching the girl and noticing things that probably meant nothing at all.

Her eyes, though, weren’t they a lot like Joey’s? The shape of them, at least. And her chin was almost identical to Jason’s. But no, she looked like her sisters too, and like her mother. All in different ways.

Still....

No. No, Vidalia wouldn’t have kept a secret like that. Not like that.

Would she?

He watched when the ornament with her baby photo was hung, and sidled that way at the first opportunity for a closer look. But Vidalia reached past him, and took it from the branch where it dangled. “Sorry, Bobby Joe, but this one ought to be on my tree at home. I have no idea why it was buried in that box of forgotten ornaments.”

“You’re the one who keeps saying everything happens for a reason, Vidalia,” he said. “Could there have been a reason for that, too?”

She averted her eyes. “My forgetfulness is the only one that comes to mind. Oh, look! Kara, that’s the God’s Eye you made in Kindergarten!” And she hurried to her daughter and left the conversation with Bobby Joe unfinished.

But a seed had been planted, and he was looking at Selene differently now, and at the easy way she was laughing with Joey and rearranging the glittering silver ball he’d just hung.

When the tree was all decked, Vidalia ran around shutting off all the lights, and Rob stood with a plug in one hand, near an outlet. Everyone else gathered in front of the giant pine. The children were still giggly but starting to look a little bit sleepy, too.

As soon as Vidalia returned to his side, Bobby Joe said, “Okay, Rob. Light her up.”

Rob plugged in the extension cord, and the tree came to life, a collection of multicolored lights, topped by strand after strand of tiny white twinkling ones. There came a collective “Ooooh” that should’ve been corny, but somehow, wasn’t.

Softly, Maya started to sing “Oh Christmas Tree” and the others all joined in. Even his sons, though they probably had to guess at the words. Vidalia elbowed him. “Come on, open that heart of yours and let the magic in.”

He nodded and started singing. He didn’t mutter. He sang out loud. And he knew he was going to get his wish. A Christmas his sons could remember after he was gone. And all thanks to this woman.

Even as he thought it, she looked up at him with a dreamy smile and a suspicious glimmer on her lashes, and slipped her small hand inside his. He closed his around it, and his heart tightened. It wasn’t fair not to tell her. He realized he had to do it and soon. He was going to break her heart otherwise.

Vidalia said she had posted signs all over the OK Corral explaining that tonight, she was closing in order to help welcome a new saloon to town and encouraging her patrons to stop in to see her at the grand opening of The Long Branch.

Now she was with him, at the brand new saloon, and she and the boys were rehearsing their lines in the store rooms in back. Bobby Joe had spared no expense on the costumes and props. Vidalia had even added Miss Kitty’s beauty mark to her own cheek for good measure. She looked more like Miss Kitty than the real one had, aside from one minor alteration. Vidalia’s hair was jet black, not copper penny red.

Her big skirt and bustier top might have been a little sexier than Miss Kitty had worn, but then, he’d probably think that about a feedbag if she was the one wearing it. “Marshall Dillon” walked up behind her and looked over her shoulder at her reflection. He couldn’t keep his eyes off her décolletage and didn’t bother trying. “Damn, woman. You look even better in that getup than that photo of you from Halloween.”

“Well, it’s a nicer costume,” she said, but her eyes were on him in the mirror. He wore his duster and cowboy hat and her eyes said she liked the look on him.

“Even better than you did in my imagination when I picked it out, too, he went on, as if she hadn’t spoken. “And trust me, that’s saying something.”

“I’m not bad for my age, I suppose.”

“You’re not bad for any age.” He turned toward the still-open door leading into the saloon. “Jason, you out there?”

“Yeah, pop,” Jason said, poking his head through the door. “What’s up?”

Bobby Joe pulled his six shooter from his holster and held it up. “You’re gonna have to switch out my blanks for real bullets, or I’m not gonna be able to keep the competition away from my lady, here.”

Vidalia spun around, snatched the gun away from him. “Keep it in your holster, Marshall.”

He laughed out loud, slapping his thigh, and Jason laughed too, shaking his head and returning to the saloon.

“You look so much better than you did the other day,” Vidalia said, her smile giving way to a serious expression, and a searching one too.

“I feel better. You make me feel better.”

She looked as if she was about to say more, even opened her mouth, but then closed it again, and he could almost hear her thoughts.
Not tonight. Tonight’s the grand opening. It can wait
.

To ensure she didn’t change her mind, he went to the door, pushed it open a little and peeked out. “Man, the place is jumping, and it’s still early.” They would repeat their floor show twice tonight, and it was nearly time for the first run.

“I’m glad. I want the Long Branch to be successful, Bobby.”

“Not afraid I’m gonna put you outta business anymore?” he asked.

She shook her head firmly. “No. You were right, it’s an entirely different sort of place. I think it’ll complement mine, not compete with it. Yours is for tourists and special occasions. Mine’s for the locals. I’m sorry I didn’t believe you in the beginning.”

He shrugged, letting the door fall closed and facing her fully. “You’ve got nothing to be sorry for, Vidalia.”

“Oh yes I do, Bobby Joe. And I’m gonna tell you all about it...soon. But not tonight.” She heard the gasp of the crowd and then the sounds of Joey’s grand entrance as he burst into the saloon through the batwing doors, shooting his guns in the air and growling, “Hand over the cash, barkeep!” The barkeep was Robert, who hadn’t wanted to play, but had agreed to tend bar and at least put his hands up and act scared when the villain burst in.

“You’re on, Miss Kitty,” Bobby Joe said. “Head on out there.”

“I’m nervous, can you believe it?” She headed for the door, and Bobby Joe attempted to smack her on the backside as she passed, but the layers of slips and crinoline prevented it from amounting to much.

Then she made her entrance, sashaying across the saloon to the center of the floor, where an area had been cleared of tables for this to play out. She put her hands on her hips and a heap of attitude into her tone as she called, “Just what do you think you’re doin’, Mister? Put those guns down before I show you a new place to keep ‘em.”

Feigning shock, then pushing his hat back a bit and admiring her much like his father had just done, Joey said, “Well now, ma’am, far be it from me to insult a beautiful lady, but I got business here.”

“If your business is robbing this saloon, then it’s my business too. Now put those guns away and get out of here before I do what your mama should’a done years ago.”

“And what would that be, ma’am?”

“Oh, I’ll show you what that would be.” She had, by that time, maneuvered her way to the authentically aged braided leather bull whip that was curled up and hanging on the wall, and she yanked it down and gave it a snap that cracked deliciously.

Technically, Miss Kitty had never used a bull whip in
Gunsmoke
. It was Barbara Stanwick as Victoria Barclay who had often put bad guys in their places with a whip back in the days of
The Big Valley
, but Bobby Joe had taken a bit of poetic license, and Vidalia agreed it was a nice effect.

As she swung the whip for a second time, Joey caught it and jerked her forward, pulling her around in front of him and turning them both to face the doors just as Bobby Joe, dressed as Matt Dillon walked in, drew his gun, and ordered, “Let the lady go, pard.” He’d gone out the back door and come around the front to make his entrance, just as planned.

“Drop your gun or I’ll drop your woman, Marshall.”

“Don’t listen, Matthew!” Vidalia cried. “Shoot him in the head. You won’t miss!”

“Yeah,
Matthew
. Shoot me in the head, and maybe hit her instead. Or put your gun down,” Joey drawled.

Bobby Joe lowered his gun. Vidalia stomped on (beside, actually) Joey’s foot, then spun away from him, and Bobby brought his gun level again and fired twice.

Joey jerked with each blast, got one shot off that went astray, knocking a painting off the wall—it was rigged. Behind the scenes, Jason had simply pulled a cord that sent the picture to the floor. It took Joey five minutes to finally die, and even after he hit the floor he kept kicking and gasping for a while. But he finally ended it. Saloon girl Selene was ruining the ruse by giggling at his antics behind her gloved hand.

Matt Dillon swept Miss Kitty into his arms, bent over her and kissed the living daylights out of her while the crowd whooped and roared. The piano player started tickling the ivories again, and a couple of dusty cowboys (Cory and Jimmy) came in and dragged Joey out of the bar.

But Vidalia wasn’t paying attention anymore. She was in Bobby’s arms and that was right where he wanted her to be. When he lifted his head, she stared into his eyes. “That wasn’t in the script,” she whispered.

“It is now.”

“Bobby, I have something I’ve got to tell you. And it can’t wait any longer.”

He frowned and set her upright again. Then taking off his hat and waving it at the still cheering patrons, he scooped her up into his arms and strode right out the front door, and around to the rear of the saloon.

There wasn’t much out there, Vidalia thought. A patch of scrub brush, bare ground, and a creek meandering along a few yards back. That was where he carried her, despite her protests. And when he set her down on her feet again, he kept his hands around her waist. “You look so good as Miss Kitty I can’t take my eyes off you. No one could.”

“Oh, stop it Bobby Joe. This is serious.” She lowered her head, unable to look him in the eye. “I should have told you a long time ago. But I just.... I was so ashamed.”

He frowned, his playful expression giving way to a worried one. Then he led her a little farther, where a wooden bench had been placed along the bank of the creek.

“Here. Sit. If you can, in that skirt.”

She bunched its layers up, checked the bench for dirt, and not seeing any, took his advice and sat down. He sat beside her. “I like to come out here and just watch the water go by,” he said. “It’s soothing.”

“Water’s like that for me, too. It’s a nice spot. The whole thing, what you’ve done here, with this place. It’s really amazing, Bobby. It’s wonderful. You did all right.”

“You think the boys liked it?” he asked, his eyes searching hers.

“Joey sure did. He almost convinced me he was a real outlaw.”

“Yeah, yeah.” He nodded, eyes low. “But do they like the place? I built it for them, you know. I want to leave them something more than just a portfolio full of stocks and holdings. I want to leave them something real. Something they can build on, be proud of. You know, when I go.”

“Which isn’t gonna be for another thirty years or so.” She frowned at him. “Is it?”

He smiled as if she’d said something funny. “You said you had something to tell me. You trying to change the subject now?”

She wasn’t. But she thought maybe he was, and she filed it away to mull on later, with all the other little things leading her to a conclusion she didn’t want to reach. But first, she had to come clean. Entirely clean. Because she was falling in love with this man. Again. Maybe she’d never really fallen out of it.

Drawing a deep breath, she nodded once, lifted her chin and met his eyes. “I lied to you all those years ago, Bobby. That night we spent together? The night you can’t remember?”

He nodded, but didn’t speak.

“I told you I didn’t remember either. But I did. And I still do. I remember every single second of it. And it was...it was the most beautiful, the most intimate night of my entire life. You made me feel...cherished. And I didn’t want it to end.”

He sat up straighter and searched her eyes. “Are you saying that we–?”

“We made love. We made sweet, incredible love.” She pressed her lips tight, nodded once. “And there’s more....”