Vegas Heat (14 page)

“I can top that,” Birch said, opening his trunk. “Roller skates with a key, a scooter with a bell on each handle.”

“Ha!” Billie said. “Take a look at this red wagon! Complete with a family of dolls!”

“What did you bring, Mom?” they asked in unison.

“Well I . . . I didn’t know ... I thought ...”

“This is Dolly,” Simon said, taking a basket out of the car. “She’s seven weeks old. Polly and Dolly. A savings bond, too,” Simon said.

“Dad’s here,” Billie said. “Wonder what he brought. Sneak a look in the van and see if there’s a package, Birch?”

“Yep, a big one too. Where is he?”

“He’s with Sunny,” Fanny said quietly.

“How’s our new little mother?” Billie asked.

“I imagine she’s fine,” Fanny said. “I haven’t seen Tyler.”

“He makes rounds early on Sundays. He’ll be here soon.”

“Let’s go inside,” Fanny said, “and see what we can do to help.”

“This is how we’re going to do it. You’re going to wash your face and then you’re going to get behind my chair and push me out into the family room. After the greetings, you’re going to ... what, Sunny?”

“Tell them everything. What if Tyler isn’t there, Dad?”

“Then we’ll wait for Tyler. He’ll be here any minute. You can do this, Sunny. I’ll be right beside you. You made a commitment and now you have to follow through. You have no idea how good you’re going to feel once you open up.”

“Dad, what made you come up here early? What made you ...”

“I heard Birch talking to Sage several days ago. You gave up too easy, kiddo, that’s how I knew for certain something was wrong. I know how much you loved working at the casino. The bright lights, the noise, the moans and groans get into your bloodstream after a while. I want you to come back. I
need
you, Sunny. Christ, is that a confession or what? I want it to be your goal. If, and this is a big if, you feel it’s a worthy goal. This is the eighties, the working woman’s decade.”

“What if ... what if . . . I end up in a chair like yours? Will you still want me?”

“Don’t you ever ask me a stupid question like that again. Of course I’ll want you. After a while the chair becomes invisible to other people. His and hers. Father and daughter. It has a nice ring to it. I know you have ideas, Sunny, and I want us to act on those ideas. I want Babylon to be Uno forever. Together we can do it. You game?”

“Yeah. I really am. Okay, I’m going to wash my face and we’ll get this show on the road.”

“Daddy’s home,” Jake said, running from the room, his chubby legs pumping furiously. A moment later Tyler was standing in the middle of the room, Jake on his shoulders.

“Ash, nice to see you. Where’s Sunny?” he boomed. Then in a whisper he said, “Did you talk to her?”

“You know women. She’s splashing perfume or something.” Ash nodded and whispered in return, “It’s under control.”

In the family room there were more hugs and kisses, more oohs and aahs, as Tyler showed off his new daughter.

“She looks so much like Sunny it’s uncanny. Do you agree, Ash?” Fanny said as she reached for her granddaughter.

“It was my first thought when I saw Sunny holding her. I brought a present. Will you get it, Birch? I want you to know I sweated this present, kiddo, but I managed to track it down. It’s used, secondhand if you will, but I thought you’d like it.”

There was a mild scurry as brothers and sister ran to the courtyard to bring in Polly’s gifts. They laughed over the tricycle and scooter. Sunny openly frowned at the puppy in the basket. “I don’t think so, Mom. Not now. Jake might hurt it without meaning to and I don’t have the time to train a dog. Please don’t be offended, but you’ll have to take her back. I appreciate the bond. Thanks, Mom and Uncle Simon.”

“C’mon, c’mon, open mine,” Ash said.

“It’s almost too pretty to open,” Sunny said breathlessly. “Okay, here goes.” She removed the large red bow and the silver foil paper. Nestled inside the large box, amid mounds of tissue paper, was a complete layette.

“Your mother made you one just like this when you were born. I convinced her to make another one for the fund-raiser at the medical center. It fetched the most money in the raffle. A doctor’s wife bought it. She saved it all these years. I tracked her down through the medical center and got her to agree to part with it. This layette is what convinced your mom to go into business. Sunny’s Togs are the result. The woman said it’s in mint condition. Do you like it?”

“Oh, Dad, this is super. What an absolutely wonderful gift. Mom, it’s exquisite. I’ll save it for Polly’s first baby.”

Fanny stared at Ash, her mouth dropping open. The urge to put her fist to her ex-husband’s face was so strong, she clutched at the puppy until it squealed.

Simon leaned over to take the puppy and whispered, “Easy does it, Fanny.”

“Thank you all for the wonderful presents. Listen, there’s something I want to tell all of you before the minister gets here. Please, let me say what I have to say and when I’m finished, let’s not beat it to death. I don’t want any discussions, any advice, or any of that stuff.”

Sunny reached for her husband’s hand. Ash reached out to take her other hand. He squeezed it.

Sunny talked steadily, her eyes on Bess, who was holding Polly. “So, that’s the way it is. Dad’s going to go with me. He’s going to be my . . . backbone until mine stiffens up a little more. I’ll deal with it, and I’ll handle it the best way I can. I have the best husband in the world, and I know he’s going to be there for me. When whatever it is I have is under control I’m going to go back to work at the casino. I guess that’s it and in the nick of time. I hear Reverend Gillespie so let’s get Polly christened so we can enjoy the party and just being together. Is everyone okay with this?” Sunny beamed at the smiles and nods.

Fanny could feel her insides start to quiver. All she wanted to do was run from the room and cry. Everyone had to be as aware as she was that her daughter had difficulty looking her in the eye. Her hug had been a mere touching of the shoulders and there had been no kiss, or smooch, as Sunny referred to a real kiss.
She hates it that I got married and moved away
, Fanny thought.

Baby Polly voiced her opinion of the christening with one long, loud wail. She was asleep in Billie’s arms a moment later.

For the first time in her life, Fanny felt like an outsider. It showed in the stiffness of her shoulders and the grim set of her jaw.

After the ceremony, the young people moved off toward the kitchen and the patio, Ash and Simon headed for the cemetery. Fanny looked at Bess.

“It’s going to be okay, Fanny. All you need to think about now is the end result. It doesn’t matter how or why Sunny gets there. Let Ash do the father thing. I saw something in his eyes, Fanny, when Sunny was talking. It was good. Usually you, me, the world, can read Ash Thornton. Today was unlike anything I’ve ever seen where he’s concerned. Maybe that’s what’s bothering you. This time he might come through all the way for Sunny.”

“I refuse to believe that. I know Ash.”

“You
used
to know Ash. The puppy wasn’t a good idea, but then I guess you know that. If Sunny is feeling deserted, the puppy was just a reminder of that desertion. You cut the strings, Fanny. Don’t attempt to tie a knot now to make things better. It is what it is. You’re entitled to a life of your own. You paid your dues, and it’s your turn now. You are happy, aren’t you, Fanny?”

“Actually, I’m not happy at all, Bess. My marriage is ... was . . . a mistake. I think I’m finally ready to talk about it. I feel like I don’t belong here.”

“You don’t. You’re damn right we’ll talk about it later. Your kids get their own lives, you get yours, if you’re lucky, and everyone gets on with the business of living. Or, moving on if you prefer that term. I like to think of it as my time in the sun.”

“Bess, the last time I saw Jake was at his christening. He’s three years old. I can’t tell you where those three years went. They’re gone, and I can’t get them back. I don’t even know that little boy. What’s worse, he doesn’t know me. I know in my heart Sunny left him with a sitter when Sage and Iris got married just to keep him from me. Sunny looked right through me. All those calls, every single day. They meant something to her. I . . . oh, Bess, I thought of them as interruptions because that’s how Simon viewed it. More often than not I’d hurry her off the phone. My God, what did I do in the name of love that’s now sour?”

“You had the audacity to reach out for some happiness with a new life. We’ll talk about that new life when you’re ready. Stop being so hard on yourself. Mother-daughter love is something that can never be destroyed, no matter what.”

“You’re wrong, Bess. I feel it here,” Fanny said, thumping her chest. “Maybe I’ll stay on for a little while. Simon can handle things back at the ranch. I’m not sure I even want to go back there. With him.”

“Were you invited?” Bess asked bluntly.

“No. I should . . . don’t I . . . I need an invitation?”

“Absolutely. You never take anything for granted where kids are concerned, and it doesn’t make any difference how old those kids are.”

“This is my house,” Fanny said defensively.

“Was your house. Another family lives here now.”

“Are you saying I’m not welcome?”

“Fanny, I don’t know. So much is going on right now. You could offer to stay. Sunny would probably view it as after the fact. That’s just my personal opinion. If it were me, I don’t think I would even offer. You need to go back home and settle your own life. If Sunny needs you, she knows where to find you.”

“You make it sound like I’m forcing myself on my daughter. I don’t much care for this conversation. My children are like yo-yos, Bess. They keep switching sides and that shouldn’t be. A parent’s love is unconditional. A child’s isn’t. Someday I hope I’m wise enough to understand it all. I’d leave right now if Billie and Thad weren’t coming.”

“That’s something Ash would do, not something Fanny does. Shift into neutral and . . . what is it Ash says? Oh, yes, play the game, it’s the only one in town. Go join your daughters and daughter-in-law in the kitchen. Just be Fanny.”

Fanny walked into her old kitchen. It was Sunny’s kitchen now, warm and light with plants and herbs on the windowsill and shiny copper pots hanging from the beams. A colorful rag rug sat beneath the huge claw-footed table. There were baskets of flowers on the hearth and a new red plaid cushion on her old rocker. Bess was right, this wasn’t her kitchen any more than the rest of the house was hers.

At some point during her scrutiny of the kitchen she’d become aware of a change in the tone and the conversation.

“Am I interrupting anything serious?”

“Of course not, Mom,” Billie said. “We were trying to figure out what it will take to get Birch to the altar with Lily. Bachelorhood isn’t that wonderful.”

Fanny had never been able to warm up to Lily Bell. Secretly she thought Birch could do much better, but she would have cut out her tongue before she voiced such an opinion.

“Birch was always a slow starter. He builds up to things,” Fanny said lightly. “How’s your family, Iris?”

“Mom and Dad went on a cruise. When they make a port of call Dad golfs and Mom shops. They’re bringing Sage and me grass skirts and Sage swears he’ll dance for all of us wearing his. It should be interesting because he has two left feet.”

“I would like to see that. He has rhythm though,” Fanny smiled. “Do you use the studio much, Sunny?”

“I haven’t been in it since the day we moved in. It’s not locked if you want to go down there.”

“No. I was just curious. It seems a shame to waste the space now that we’ve moved the offices back to town.”

“We can’t disturb the shrine,” Sunny said as she nestled small baby carrots next to thin slivers of cucumber on a silver tray.

Shrine
? She wasn’t going to touch that one. Because she was the closest, Fanny reached out to take the tray from Sunny’s hands just as Jake charged through the kitchen door, his father in pursuit. The tray fell and skidded across the floor.

“I’m sorry, it was my fault,” Fanny said, dropping to her knees to pick up the vegetables. “It wasn’t your fault, Sunny.”

“If you hadn’t dropped it, I would have. I drop everything. Tyler, you need to stand Jake in the corner. He knows better than to charge through the door like that.”

“Honey. He’s only three. Three-year-olds have the attention span of a gnat.” The moment the words were out of her mouth, Fanny regretted them.

“Then why was it good enough for us and not for him? Some of my earliest memories are of ‘don’t run, walk or you’ll get your fanny paddled.’ Getting paddled when I didn’t listen is another unforgettable memory. Long-distance grandmothering doesn’t work these days, Mom.”

“I see that,” Fanny said as she put the vegetables in the disposal. “I think I’ll go outside. If there’s anything you want me to do, call me.”

“Sure, Mom,” Billie said.

“Where’s
that
dog?” Sunny asked.

“Simon put her back in her basket in the car. I’m sorry about the dog. I guess neither Simon nor I thought it through.” Fanny’s tone was apologetic, defensive. The urge to reach for her daughter and shake her made her quicken her pace.