Vegas Sunrise (3 page)

“There's Jeff now. He does look a lot like your dad. Ruby's really nice. I like her a lot. I'm glad your mom welcomed her into the family. She belongs. Right off she wanted to know what she could do. She pitched right in. She looks so damn normal compared to . . . Celia. I thought you were bringing your boyfriend tonight.”

“He had duty. Detectives are on call twenty-four hours a day. He might stop by later. It's not serious, Iris. We're good friends. I like him. He likes me. He doesn't just listen to me, Iris, he actually hears what I say. I like that in a man. I'm not about to get serious. I like being my own person, making my own decisions. It works for me the way being married and having kids works for you.”

“What do you think works for Celia Thornton?”

“The Thornton money.”

“I'm of the same opinion.”

“Sunny's dribbling. Let's go clean her up.”

“Billie, earlier Jake . . . what happened was Sunny was drinking a soda pop and she let the bottle slip. Jake . . . that little kid was so good about it. He wiped it up and said, ‘Heck, Mom, I do that all the time.' Sunny's eyes filled up, and Jake wiped away her tears. He whispered to her for a long time. I guess he was giving her a pep talk because she started to laugh. He was grinning from ear to ear. He's really good with Harry, too. Ash made sure Jake understood his mother's limitations. He really understands, Billie. Do you think as he gets older that will stay with him? Every day I do my best to reinforce all that your dad taught him.”

“That boy idolized his grandfather. Trust me, his teachings will stay with Jake. I appreciate you telling me this, Iris.”

 

At ten minutes to midnight, Fanny asked for a drumroll. “Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for our guests of honor to make their way to the limo that is going to whisk them to the airport for the first leg of their journey. Let's all give them a big hand.”

Bess and John ran to the door. Tears rolled down Bess's cheeks as she waved to everyone, her eyes searching for Fanny in the crowd.

“Have a good trip, old friend. Take lots of pictures and send a card every week.”

“Fanny, this is the wrong time for me to be leaving. That girl spells trouble. I could feel it and I could smell it. My feeling has nothing to do with the outfit she's wearing either. John loved it. There's something about her that bothers me.”

“Bess, don't worry. I have your itinerary. I'll call if there's a problem. Hey, old buddy, this is me. The me who has a crisis in her life at least twice a month. Go and have a wonderful time. They're blowing the horn for you.”

“Come on, Fanny, time to go upstairs. The doors are now open to the public. The party is over. You see, you worried for nothing. Your family is headed for the Harem Lounge for a nightcap. They asked us to join them,” Marcus said.

Fanny nodded. “Marcus, how am I going to tell Birch he has to work under his half brother?”

“You just tell him, Fanny. Are you thinking of going back on your word?”

“I would never do that.”

“Then there's no other way except to be up front and open about it. You said Birch and Sage both worked here together. Running this place is a full-time job for six people, never mind two. From what you said, this Birch is different from the Birch who went away a long time ago. He's older, wiser, more mature, and he has a wife now.”

“I wonder if that's going to be a problem.”

“Take a look,” Marcus said. “I wonder what they're talking about.”

Fanny looked into the lounge. Her children were seated at the bar. Celia was perched on one of the stools, a generous expanse of leg showing. To her right was Birch who was talking to Sage. To her left, Jeffrey Lassiter. Celia swiveled her stool until she was facing Jeffrey.

Celia's voice was playful, coy when she said, “And who might you be?”

Jeffrey Lassiter smiled. “Me? I'm the illegitimate son who's going to own this casino someday.”

Sunny Thornton nudged the man in the wheelchair next to her. Her voice was a low hiss when she said, “You saw what I just saw, didn't you, Harry?”

The gangly redhead, whose face was a field of freckles, hissed in return, “And you were the one who said learning to sign and read lips was a mistake. Nevertheless, to answer your question, of course I saw what you saw.”

“There is going to be trouble. Mom's back was to the wall when she asked my half brother to take on Bess and John's job. With Birch back there is going to be hell to pay. What should I do, Harry?”

“All he said was he was the illegitimate son, which is true, and that someday he was going to own the place. It's a stretch, but it is possible. If you start blabbing now, you might start something you aren't prepared to finish. When in doubt, do nothing.”

“I don't like Celia. She's flirting with Jeff right under everyone's nose.”

“You just met her, Sunny. Sometimes first impressions . . .”

“I saw the way she looked at you and me and our wheelchairs and the dogs. I'm an open-minded person. I could look beyond that, but I can't look beyond the revulsion I saw in her eyes. She didn't even try to hide it. I'm telling you, Harry, I see trouble, I feel trouble, and I smell trouble. If you expect me to keep my mouth shut, then we should go back to the center now.”

“Then let's say our good-byes.”

“Are you leaving so soon, Sunny?” Iris asked.

“Early to bed, early to rise. We aren't supposed to get excited,” Sunny said.

Iris grinned. “Ohhh, I like the way that sounds.”

Sunny's gaze swiveled to the bar. She shrugged. “Want to walk us to the van after we say our good-byes? One of the guys took the dogs out a few minutes ago.”

“You bet. It's time for Sage and me to leave, too.” Iris's voice trilled when she said, “I just love that brother of yours.”

“Sage loves you just as much, Iris. He told me his world wasn't complete until you came into his life. It's so comforting to be loved.” Again Sunny's gaze swept the length of the bar. She turned her chair with ease, increased the pressure on the hand control as she whipped down the room, ignoring Celia's outstretched leg.

“For God's sake!”

“How clumsy of me. Sorry,” Sunny called over her shoulder as she brought the chair to a halt next to her mother.

“I saw that, Sunny.”

“I swear, I'm getting worse and worse.”

“Really,” Fanny drawled. “Then how do you explain the wheelchair race you won two weeks ago at the center?”

“Pure dumb luck,” Sunny drawled in return. “Harry and I are leaving now. We'll see you next week. Bye everyone!”

Birch wrapped his arms around his sister. He whispered in her ear, “So, big sister, what do you think of my new wife? She's a knockout, isn't she? She's kind of reserved at first, but once you get to know her you're going to love her. She's really big on family.”

“I'm happy for you, Birch. Remember your promise to come out to the center to see me. What do you think of Harry?”

“A nice guy, Sunny.”

“Yeah, he is. We look out for each other. He's doing better than me. He pushes me to my limit, and that's good. I'm glad you're back. I really missed you. We all missed you, especially Mom.”

“Well I'm home now. You're going to get sick of looking at me. Iris is motioning to you, so you better get going.”

Outside in the cool evening air, Iris looked up at the stars. “It's beautiful, isn't it? Do you want to talk about it, Sunny? I can come out to the center tomorrow if you want.”

“What's wrong, Iris?”

“Nothing. I did see that little byplay in there.” Iris dropped to her haunches and reached for Sunny's hands. “It's the strangest thing, Sunny, but suddenly I feel this fear. I don't think I ever experienced fear before. At least not like this. I shouldn't be telling you, and if Sage heard me, he'd say my imagination is working overtime. I'm afraid of her, Sunny. My God, I just met the woman, and I'm afraid of her.”

“Come out to the center tomorrow afternoon. We'll talk on my turf. I'm a little braver there. If it's any consolation to you, I kind of feel the same way. It's like we've been . . . invaded. We do need to talk. Bring Billie if she wants to come. Three heads are better than two.”

“Okay.”

Iris watched until the van's taillights were dots of red on the winding road. She felt herself shivering until her husband's arms circled her shoulders.

“You okay, honey?”

“I'm fine.”

“Why so quiet this evening? Everyone seems kind of pensive. This was supposed to be a happy night. Birch is back with his new wife, and he's happy. The family is together again except for Dad.”

“Do you think Birch changed? Being his twin, you would be more aware than the rest of us.”

“He's happy. That's the only change I see in him. I would imagine there will be fireworks when Mom tells him Jeff is going to run the casino. I think he'll accept it. It was his choice to stay away. Life goes on. Mom will never go back on her word.”

“What do you think of Celia?”

“Didn't we have this discussion a little while ago? It's a loaded question if I ever heard one. She seems pleasant. Birch is crazy in love with her. Sunny detested her on sight. They got off to a bad start, but I think Birch can make it right. No one wants to be on the receiving end of Sunny's wrath. It doesn't matter that she's disabled—her brain is as sharp as ever, and that mouth of hers is still the same. She listens to Harry, though. Strange, isn't it?”

“They're so good for one another. I can't tell you how much I admire Sunny.”

“We all do, Iris. If we're lucky, maybe they'll find a cure for multiple sclerosis in our lifetime.”

“Sage, Birch must have told Celia about Sunny and Harry. Yet

. . . I saw the way she looked at Sunny. It wasn't distaste. It was revulsion. Sunny saw it, too. I'm not sure about Harry, though.”

“Iris, that's a terrible thing to say. Sunny . . .”

“I know what I saw, Sage. It's not my imagination. It's too nice a night to argue about something that . . . I was going to say that doesn't concerns us, but it does concern us. Celia is now part of the family. You need to know, Sage, that I will step in if it looks to me like Sunny is getting the short end of the stick. I won't tolerate it. Neither will your mother.”

“Jesus. It sounds like the three of you drew battle lines, and this is only the first shot. It is possible you misinterpreted the whole thing?”

“Wrong. Count us as four. Billie saw it, too; she was steaming. I'm afraid, Sage, and I don't know why.”

“Fearless Iris. I don't believe what I'm hearing,” Sage said, trying to make a joke of the whole thing. When his wife's expression didn't change, he felt his own first stirrings of fear. No, second stirrings of fear. The first ones were at the airport and on the ride home. Dependable, down-to-earth, commonsense Iris never got rattled, never showed fear. She looked problems in the face, studied them, resolved them. He kissed her lightly on the cheek, praying his own fears would dissipate.

Iris snuggled into her husband's embrace. “I love you so much, Sage. There aren't any words in my vocabulary to tell you how much.”

Sage felt his heart start to pound. His wife was professing her love and yet the words had an ominous ring to them. Fear jumped into his throat. He felt the urge to roar like a lion, giving notice he was protecting his own. He almost snarled when Birch came up behind him. His voice was less than cordial when he said, “What's happening?”

“Nothing. I came out to get some air. I guess I really did miss this place. I like Marcus Reed. Mom seems really happy. Now, tell me, how do you like Celia?”

Sage's heart continued to thump and grind in his chest. Birch looked like his answer was something he waited for all his life.

“Trust you to pick a real looker. We just met and didn't have a chance to get acquainted. By the way, where is she?”

“Playing twenty-one. This is all so new to her. She's like a kid at Christmastime. It'll wear off in a week or so. I figured I'd let her indulge herself. Iris, you'll take her under your wing, won't you?”

“Well . . . ah . . . sure. I don't have much free time with the kids and all. You know me, I cook and bake and take the kids on outings. Do you think she'll like being around kids?”

“Are you kidding? She loves kids. She can't cook or bake or do that homemaker stuff. I was hoping you could teach her, Iris.”

“For you, Birch, anything. Give me some notice, and I'm all yours.”

Sage slapped his brother on the back. “Time for us old married people to hit the road. We get up with the kids at the crack of dawn. We're usually in bed by ten, so it's past our bedtime. We'll say good night. If we don't see Celia, explain for us.”

“I'll do that. Good night.”

“I'm glad you're back, Birch.”

“Me too.”

 

“What can I do to make that frown disappear, Mrs. Reed?” Marcus asked.

“Until six o'clock my world was almost perfect. Then, in one instant, it changed. Right now I should be the happiest woman alive. All my chicks are in the nest, my wonderful husband is at my side, my two best friends are finally going to get the vacation they deserve. Billie and Thad are here, and so are Josh Coleman and his family. I haven't seen any of them all evening. I'm a terrible host. What's wrong with me, Marcus?”

“Your son brought a wife home. A wife you didn't get to approve or disapprove of.”

“I'm sure she's a lovely girl . . . woman. This wasn't exactly the ideal time to introduce her. We all gave her short shrift as my father would say. Tomorrow we'll arrange dinner or something so she can be the center of attention. If not tomorrow, then maybe this weekend at Sunrise. Josh said his family was staying on through the weekend. I really want to get to know all of them.”

“Honey, when are you going to tell Birch about Jeff?”

“In the morning. I invited him for breakfast. He said Celia likes to sleep late. What do you think of her, Marcus?”

“In my day we would have called her a dish. She's a beautiful young woman. It's obvious to anyone who looks at Birch that he's completely in love.”

“But what do you
think
of her?”

“I think I want to know why you didn't do that Fanny thing with your arms and your lips. I don't think I ever saw you act so formal. Even with the Colemans whom you just met. Everyone kissed and hugged.”

“I meant to and wanted to. Then I looked in her eyes. I knew I didn't want to hug or kiss her. I reacted to my feelings. Did Birch notice?”

“If he did, I don't think it bothered him. Men are usually oblivious to things like that. How would Ash have reacted?”

“Oh, Marcus, I was just thinking the same thing. Isn't it wonderful that you and I can talk about the children's father without either one of us getting upset. To answer your question, Ash would have sized her up in a heartbeat. He had such a way with women. In minutes he would have known her strengths and weaknesses. He'd go on from there, well armed. He could outhink and outguess just about everyone expect me. He admitted that to me once. I'm sorry to say Ash wouldn't have liked Celia one little bit.”

“You look tired, Fanny. Let's say our good nights and head upstairs. Tomorrow is another day.”

“This is wrong, Marcus. We've all formed opinions on the run where that young woman is concerned. I'm sure she's wonderful if Birch chose her for his wife. This . . . can be overwhelming at first. There was the long plane ride, choosing clothes quickly, the apprehension of meeting our family, all these people. Tomorrow I'm sure we'll meet the
real
Celia.

“It's wall-to-wall people,” Fanny said a moment later. “Unless we page everyone, we're out of luck. Let's just head upstairs to bed.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

Celia Thornton watched her mother-in-law make her way to the private elevator that would take her to the penthouse. The penthouse that Birch promised would be hers.

The champagne flute in her hand started to shake. She set it down next to one of the slot machines as her gaze swept around the entire floor. She tuned out the world as she listened to the bells and whistles, the voices, the sounds of money dropping into metal trays. This was certainly very different from Ardmore, Alabama, population 1096. She shivered when she thought of her last day in the small town.

“I've been looking all over for you, honey.”

“I've never seen anything like this, Birch. Money smells, did you know that?”

Birch laughed. “Tomorrow or the day after, I'll take you into the counting room. We had to buy a hydraulic lift to move the money from place to place. Money is heavy and, yes, money smells. Amazingly, people get sick from handling money. Are you ready to call it a night?”

“Yes. How do you get used to this?”

“After a while it becomes just a place. The noise, the smoke, the late hours, it gets to you eventually. My father loved it. They called him The Emperor of Las Vegas. It was in his blood.”

“Will they call you The Emperor if you take over?”

“I doubt it. Tell me, what did you think of the family. Aren't they great?”

“Absolutely. I know I made the wrong impression. I should have listened to you about this dress. Do you think they sell sackcloth in the boutiques?”

“My sisters and mother aren't glitzy people. Aunt Bess and Aunt Billie are plain people, too. We even eat plain stuff. My father was the glitzy one because he had a very high profile. He tried to mold Mom into what he wanted her to be, but it didn't work. In the end he wanted her just the way she was. My mother is probably the most wonderful woman in the world with my sisters close runners-up. You'll fit right in. Didn't you just love Iris? I was jealous when Sage started going with her. Mom, Sunny, and Billie loved her on sight. I think she's perfect.”