Vegas rich

by Michaels, Fern

  "I don't think I have a view. I can't say I ever gave it much thought. That's not to .say I'm miserable. I don't think about it. I try to stay busy. My life is quite full."

  "You sound defensive," Fanny said.

  "You're pretty brash for just meeting me for the first time," Simon said with a chuckle. "Actually, I kind of hke it, it's refreshing to meet someone who doesn't say five different things when they don't mean any of them. I'm almost an expert at interpreting people's conversations these days. The key word is almost." The chuckle stayed in his voice.

  "Would you listen to those kids!"

  Simon charged ahead, apologizing over his shoulder as he leaped

  for a basketball that Birch threw to Sunny. He intercepted the ball, loped up the driveway to sink the ball with his first shot!

  "For an old guy that was pretty good," Sunny yelled. "How'ya doing. Uncle Simon?"

  "Who are you calling old? I can beat you with one hand tied behind my back wearing weights on my ankles."

  The twins hooted with laugPiter. "Put up or shut up. Sunny. My money is on Uncle Simon. Let's make it interesting and make a pot here. All bets for Uncle Simon go on this side, Sunny's stack goes on this side. We'll take lOUs."

  "Can we bet on ourselves?" Sunny asked.

  "Why not. I'm going to beat you," Simon grinned.

  "Not on your best day!" Sunny shot back. "You're bettin' on me, right, Mom?"

  "Fifty bucks," Fanny said generously.

  "Put me down for fifty too," BilHe said.

  "Does she have fifty bucks. Mom?" Birch demanded.

  "Yes, she does. I don't approve of gambling."

  "A Thornton who doesn't believe in gambling. Shame on you!" Simon yelled.

  "Birch and I are each betting fifty bucks on Uncle Simon," Sage said.

  "I'm betting a hundred on myself," Simon said.

  "Ah, this is getting real sweet," Birch said. "Chue, what are you in for?"

  "One hundred dollars on Miss Sunny," Chue said smartly. "How does this work. Miss Fanny? Do they have enough to pay off'if Miss Sunny wins?"

  "I'm covering all bets," Simon said.

  "In that case, Chue, let's decide what we're going to spend our money on," Fanny said.

  "Spoilsport," Simon said as he took his place in the middle of the driveway to face Sunny. Sage held the ball aloft. "On the count of three. Ten shots. Okay, ready, one, two, THREE!"

  "Is she really good, Chue?" Fanny whispered.

  "She's hot stuff:"

  "Really," Fanny said. The pride in her voice was unmistakable.

  They were whirlwinds racing up and down the driveway. Sunny laughed as she forced her uncle to use muscles he'd forgotten he had.

  "C'mon, c'mon. Uncle Simon, you can do it!" the twins shouted as Simon lagged behind.

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  "You got him, Sunny, he's huffing and puffing," Billie shouted. "Dribble, dribble, he's no match for you. Go! Go! Wow! Did you see that! Yeah, Sunny!"

  Fanny clapped her hands. "Ooohhh, I can't wait to spend my money! Good girl. Sunny, you're wearing him down. It's seven-four. You're in the lead, honey!"

  "She's gaining, Uncle Simon, c'mon, make her work for her money. She can't last forever. She's a girl! Get that ball! Oh, no," Birch groaned as Sunny sank two baskets one right after the other.

  "Nine-four," Fanny screamed. "You won. Sunny! Pay up," she said, holding out her hand. She turned to Chue. "Did you see that, we won!"

  "You are the marvel in marvelous," Simon said, hugging his niece. "I don't think I ever saw such fancy footwork. Congratulations!"

  "You kept up with me. That's good for a guy your age. I don't mean that disrespectfully," Sunny added hastily. "It's a compliment."

  "And a sincere one too," Simon gasped. "God, I feel old."

  "Come along, it's almost midnight. Chue needs his sleep."

  "Cocoa and fried egg sandwiches. I'll make it," Sunny said.

  "Don't look at me like that, Simon. She has this thing about fried egg sandwiches and cocoa at midnight. It wasn't bad enough that she wanted it, she got the others hooked right along with her. As early as seven I had to sleep with one eye open because she'd try and do it herself"

  "I don't think I ever had a fried egg sandwich at midnight," Simon said, laughing.

  "With ketchup and crispy bacon. You have to spread butter on the bread first, then ketchup, then you put the bacon on and the egg goes on top of it. The yolk has to be semisoft so it dribbles down your chin. The cocoa has to have marshmallows and be hot enough to melt the marshmallows. Trust me, you'll love it!" Fanny laughed.

  "In the kitchen everyone! Billie, see if Grandma and Devin are in the garden. They love my fried egg sandwiches."

  Midway during the feast, Fanny poked Simon on the arm. "This is one of those small moments called happiness." Simon nodded, understanding perfecdy. "I want to thank you for being so kind to Sunny when she beat you." Simon's eyes were puzzled as he nodded. That, he didn't understand.

  "I cooked, you guys clean," Sunny said.

  The kitchen was suddenly filled with good-natured kidding and laughter as everyone had an excuse for not doing kitchen duty.

  Sunny saw him first, the laughter dying on her face.

  "Looks like I missed a great party," Ash said. "Simon, it's good to see you. Mom, Devin, good to see you too." He ignored his wife as he walked around the table to shake hands with Simon and Devin. He clapped his sons on their backs before he took a seat at the table. "What were you celebrating?"

  "Sunny beat me shooting baskets down at Chue's. This daughter of yours is pretty fast on her feet."

  "Good night, everyone," Sunny said. In her haste to get out of the room she knocked over her chair. As she fumbled to right it, her face miserable, she managed to upend Sage's half-full cup of cocoa. In a dither she tried to mop it up with napkins, her brothers scrambling to help her. "Oh, shit," she muttered under her breath. It was Devin who saw Ash's raised arm and moved accordingly. It happened so fast, Fanny could only gasp.

  "Sorry, old man, I didn't realize you were moving. Did the chair get you on the leg?"

  "Yeah, it's okay. Sunny, come here. What did you just say?"

  "She didn't say anything, I said, 'oh shit,' " Birch said.

  "I heard him," Sage said.

  "So did I," BiUie said.

  What the hell. When in Rome ... "I heard Birch say it too," Simon said. "If my memory serves me right, I think that was your favorite expression when you were Birch's age."

  Fanny felt like she should stand up and cheer. "Thank you," she whispered to Simon. "Time for bed," she said then. "Tomorrow's a big day. I'll clean up."

  "Who's going to make me a fried egg sandwich?" Ash asked.

  "Good night, everyone," SalUe said as she followed Devin from the room.

  "Don't look at me, I can't cook. I'm more than willing to dry if someone else washes," Simon said.

  "Don't look at me either," Fanny said coolly. "I'll wash, you dry," she said to Simon. She turned her back on her husband to fill the sink with hot soapy water.

  "Well, I had a rough day, so I'm off to bed," Ash said. "Don't be too late, Fanny."

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  Fanny shuddered as she plunged her hands into the soapy water. She didn't acknowledge her husband's comment.

  Fanny didn't speak until she was certain Ash was upstairs. "I'm sorry you had to ... he like that and to hear ..."

  "Listen, it never happened, okay. I need to know something first, though. What would have happened if Birch hadn't stepped in? Then we won't speak of it again," Simon said gendy.

  "I don't know. Obviously Birch didn't know either and that's why he . . . said what he did. I'm surprised Sunny didn't get right in Ash's face and tell the truth. The fact that she didn't, stuns me." A tear dropped on Fanny's cheek. "I'm not going up there. I'm not. There's no way I'm going up there. I absolutely refuse."

  "Okay, we've established you aren't going up there. Is it okay to ask wh
ere you are going to go?"

  "I have any number of places I could go . . . can go. I can sleep with Sunny or Billie. I can go down to Chue's house. I usually end up at the studio. I had dead bolts put on both doors a while ago."

  'Jesus. I'm a good listener, Fanny, and I never judge. What went wrong? I was under the assumption you and Ash had one of those heavenly miarriages. I can tell you I was damn jealous for a long time."

  "Now that's about the funniest thing I've heard in a long time. I suppose I should laugh. I don't know what went wrong. Probably everything. A lot of it I think has to do with your mother. He thinks I look like her and act like her. He resented the help Sallie got me when the twins were born. Then I got pregnant again and things didn't get any better. Ash wanted a stylish, beautiful wife like the showgirls in town, and there I was, and ... he started having affairs, staying away, coming home drunk, and being abusive. He was never around for family things, never around for the kids' events. I was a single parent. I swear to God, I never complained. I bit my tongue, made excuses, lied . . . you name it, I did it. All in the name of family. I don't know why I'm telling you all this . . . maybe you should just go up to bed and forget about us."

  "You're telling me because you finally got the courage to talk to someone. Even though we're related, I'm pretty much a stranger. For now. Whatever you say will never go any further than me. Go on."

  "I started to sew to keep myself occupied. Billie, your mother, and my friend Bess persuaded me to start up the business. They all helped. Ash blames BUlie for making me independent. He never

  liked Bess, and you know the situation with your mother. No matter what I did, it wasn't right. I couldn't please him. He drinks too much, and he's nasty. Things got worse when your mother deeded Sunrise to me on my thirtieth birthday. I stayed up here and he stayed in town. It became a way of life."

  "I'm sorry. At least now I understand why the boys have called me so much. Did you know they called?"

  "No. It doesn't surprise me, though. They need and want a father. You're the next best thing and please, don't take that the wrong way."

  "Never," Simon said. "How will you deal with tomorrow and the day after tomorrow? I'd like to help if that's possible."

  "I don't know. I pretty much take it as it comes and try to deal with it at the time so things don't get out of hand." Fanny took her hands out of the soapy water and grasped the edge of the sink. She turned to face Simon, her eyes locked with his. "Do you ever feel like you want to chuck everything and run away? You know, when things start to pile up. My mother did that to my brothers and me. She just up and left us. She never came back. I think I can understand her now." She paused. "Y>oyou ever get restiess?"

  "Twice a day. Someday I might just up and leave, too. Someday I'm going to wake up and say the hell with all of this. Then I'm going to buy a boat, christen it Someday, and sail away and not look back. I have a list of people who want to sign on as my crew. Put your name in now if you want to come along."

  Fanny dipped her fmger into the soapy water, withdrew it, and made a big X on Simon's shirtfront. "Count me in." Her knees felt weak when he smiled at her.

  "Can I walk you to wherever you're going?" Simon asked, hanging up the dish towel.

  "If you like. I'm going to my studio."

  "Mom told me about it. She called it your sanctuary."

  "You really felt the need to share that with me, huh?" Fanny laughed.

  He loved her laugh, loved her easy stride, loved the way she looked, loved her tell-it-like-it-is attitude. Ash had to be the biggest fool alive. "We're here. I'll wait until you lock the door."

  "Good night, Simon. Thanks for walking me home. I think I can truthfully say no man or boy has ever walked me home before. It's a nice feeling. When I was in high school I always wondered what it would be like to walk home with a boy I really really liked, you know, have him hold my hand under a harvest moon wdth the scent

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  of autumn in the air. I love the smell of burning leaves. Good night, Simon. I'll see you in the morning."

  "You bet." He waited until he heard the sound of the dead bolt shooting home before he started up the path to the main house— the house he'd grown up in. He sat down on a low brick wall in the courtyard. It was new—Chue must have built it sometime during the past few years. He looked back at the dim yellow light in the studio windows. He wanted to run back down the path and bang on the door. And do what? He fumbled for a cigarette and lit it. He blew three perfect smoke rings, one right after the other. What a big, major accomplishment, he thought sourly. Since he wasn't going to go back down the path, maybe he should go upstairs and put his fist through his brother's smirking face. What he should reallj do was get back in his car and head for home before things got out of hand.

  Even before the thought hit him, he knew he wasn't going to do it. What he was probably going to do was take the boys to Pennsylvania, garage the car, and hop a plane back here the next day. He'd stay until he was either asked to leave or until he couldn't stand it a minute longer. Whichever came first. It sounded like a reasonable game plan. A workable game plan. He could stay as long as he wanted. He had capable people working for him, making him money. All he had to do was call the office and say, you'll see me when you see me. Period.

  And then what? Did he stay with his mother? Everyone would want to know why he was suddenly smitten with Nevada after all these years. Who would be the first to figure it out? Ash, of course.

  Better to go back to New York where he belonged and forget about the person who put a big soapy X on his shirt, diat person who signed on for his runaway cruise.

  Sallie and Fanny stepped from the car to sharp whisdes of approval. Ash added to the scene by putting his arm around his wife's shoulders and whispering, "You look gorgeous, honey." Fanny tried to shrug ofi'his arm, hut it only tightened more securely. "We need to talk, Fanny, and I don't mean later. I mean now."

  "Ash, Fm down to the wire. I have so much to do and the Cole-mans will be arriving soon. I'll talk with you after the party. We'll talk in the garden the way we used to do."

  "All right, after the party. Don't stand me up, Fanny."

  "Don't ever threaten me. Ash. Those days are gone forever."

  "You like my brother, don't you?" Ash said coolly.

  "He seems like a very nice man. Yes, I like him. The children like him, and children, for the most part, are shrewd judges of character."

  "I guess I'm supposed to make something out of that statement. The kids like him, but they don't like me, is that it? You like him too. Simon the Savior," Ash snorted.

  "Maybe you need to pay more attention to your brother and try to be a littie more like him," Fanny snorted in return. "I want a divorce. Ash. I don't want to live like this any longer. Think about that before we meet in the garden."

  "I told you . . ."

  "I know what you told me. I was afraid of you then. I'm not afraid of what you c^n do any longer. The children have a voice now. Your slimy friends and their testimonials don't bother me. Your mother knows even>-judge in this state. If I have to, I'll appeal to her. You think about that too."

  "Fanny, I don't want a divorce, I never did. You say you do each time we have a falling out. What happened to us? We were meant for one another, you said so yourself. You think about that until we meet in the garden."

  Fanny stared at her husband vvdth her mouth hanging open. "What happened to z^.^'There is no us. It's just you. The marriage didn't work from the beginning, and we both know it. I at least tried. This is the end of the discussion. Don't look at me with those narrowed eyes, Ash. I'm not buying into your silent threats. Get it through your head, you can no longer intimidate me. Now, I suggest you put on your party face and act like the host you're supposed to be."

  "Hurry, Fanny, we need to get ready," Sallie said from the kitchen doorway. "Sweetie, I couldn't help but hear. I'm so sorry. Abide by your conxdctions, and you'll never go wrong. That's all the adace I'm g
oing to give you. Sage just finished hanging the paper lanterns. They're going to look so festive when it gets dark. The band arrived while we were in town. Mazie tells me everything is running smoothly. I didn't know there was such a thing as a portable dance floor. I guess I really am behind the times. So, tell me, what did you think of Simon?" Sallie asked on her way up the back stairway.

  "It's hard to believe Simon and Ash are brothers. They're so different. I like his sense of humor and his forthrightness. I can understand why he's such a successful businessman. He gave me the impression he was going to come back. It wasn't anything he said, just an impression."

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  "If that's the case, then things will run smoothly. Simon has that rare knack of making things right. He knows what to say at just the right time. WTien you walk away from Simon you always have a smile on your face. Ash always makes me grit my teeth. I notice you do the same thing."

  "It's all wrong, SaUie. I think it was wTong from the beginning. Let's not talk about this today, okay?"

  "Okay. I'll see you in twenty- minutes. You look gorgeous, Mrs. Thornton."

  "And you, Mrs. Thornton, look ravishing. I plan to dance all evening if someone will dance with me," Fanny said airily.

  "I'll be right behind you," Sallie said just as airily.

  Twenty minutes later the two Mrs. Thorntons met in the upper hallway.

  "Ravishing," the young Mrs. Thornton said.

  "Gorgeous," the elder Mrs. Thornton said.

  "I'll second that," Simon said, whisding his approval.

  "A man of discriminating taste," Sallie said.

  "Allow me," Simon said, extending both arms. Sallie took one, Fanny the other.