"No. I don't know why I didn't. Probably because of something Sallie said. You know, never share everything. Some things need to be kept private. When I felt the urge to bolt, I thought about that little house. We probably should be getting back. Bess's husband is a cranky cook. A good one, but feisty.
I don't think I can eat anything anyway. Do me a favor, Billie. Eat and run so I can leave. I never thought I'd live to see the day I would say something like that."
Billie laughed.' 'Next time I get to unload. My granddaughter and my daughter are at it, too. Sawyer absolutely refuses to acknowledge Maggie as her mother. It's eating Maggie alive, and there's nothing she can do about it. It seems to me like we just move from one crisis to the next with barely a breather in between. Take a deep breath now. You can handle this, Fanny."
The next two hours were pleasant enough. Everyone smiled, joked, ate, drank, and cleaned up. Fanny watched Ash closely, her thoughts in a turmoil. As Billie and Thad said their goodbyes, Fanny walked over to Ash's chair, leaned over and whispered, "If I ever find out you have an ulterior motive for what you promised today, I swear, I'll make you regret the day you were born. Better yet, I'll shut down Babylon. For good. I have the power to do that. I think it's wonderful that you got Sunny to agree to seek help. Don't let her swing in the wind, Ash." She leaned even closer, her voice more hushed, "You fuck with our kids, and it's all over for you. That's a threat and & promise. I apologize for my language. Unfortunately it's the only kind you understand. Did I make myself clear?"
"Absolutely."
"Then I'll say good-bye."
"Leaving so soon, Mom?" young Billie said.
"Yes. You young people can visit. Is there anything I can do before I leave?"
"Not a thing," Sunny said as she hugged her mother. "You're upset with me, aren't you?"
"A little, but it's okay. I understand, Sunny. If you need me or if I can do anything, call me. I can be here in a few hours. Polly is just as beautiful as you were when you were born. Take good care of her. Hug Jake for me and give him a big kiss."
"Okay, Mom."
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The chorus of good-byes rang across the mountain as Simon slipped the car in gear.
Fanny was silent for so long, Simon reached over and chucked her under the chin. "Tell me exactly what's wrong. How can I help you? What can I do? If my opinion counts for anything, I want you to know that I believe Ash will come through. We had a long talk at the cemetery. For the first time in his life he cares about someone besides himself. In his condition that says a lot."
' 'Simon, I want to stay here for a few days. I'd like it if you dropped me off in town and went back to the ranch yourself. Just for a few days. I think I need to be by myself for a little while."
"If that's what you want, Fanny. My thinking is you shouldn't be alone."
Fanny thought her husband's voice was whiny and threatening at the same time. She felt her insides start to crunch.
"I need to be alone. If you don't or can't understand that, then I'm sorry."
"I do, and I don't. Will you at least call me?"
"No. Alone means alone."
' 'If you had married anyone but me, this wouldn't be happening, would it?"
' T don't know. What I do know is I cannot allow my children to dictate my life. I would not do that to them, and I will not tolerate it from any child of mine. Just drop me off at Babylon. I want to locate the most strategic places in the casino in case I have to torch it."
"Jesus, Fanny, do you know what you just said?"
"I told Ash I would do it if he didn't follow through with Sunny. I will, too. Yes, drop me off at Babylon."
' 'Fanny, do you see this developing into a problem between the two of us?"
"We already have a problem, Simon. My family that you're so intent on keeping away from me is now right before me. I will deal with it, and I don't want any interference from you.
Now, tell me, is Polly the most beautiful baby you've ever seen?"
"You were probably just as pretty when you were born. I know a secret."
There was such tight control in Simon's voice, Fanny felt her insides start to shrivel. "You can't keep a secret, Simon. Tell me."
"Okay. Thad isn't taking Billie back to Washington. He's taking her to Hawaii!"
"Oh, how wonderful for Billie. When is he going to tell her?"
"When she realizes they aren't landing at Washington National on time. Are we going to be okay, Fanny? I need to know."
"I'll be fine, Simon. I don't know about you. I think I still love you, Simon."
"You think!"
"Yes, think. I haven't been happy for a long time. You know that, and you don't seem to care. You are much too controlling, and I do not like the way you try to keep me from my family. I'm having a hard time believing I capitulated where you're concerned. I won't do that again, so be so advised."
"That sounds like a threat."
"Call it whatever you want. It's the way it is."
"Obviously we need to have a long talk."
"We had three years to talk, and it didn't work. Do you know why it didn't work? It didn't work, Simon, because you were too busy listening to yourself instead of hearing what I had to say. I don't care to discuss this anymore."
"Fine," Simon snapped.
"We should be leaving, Tyler. It's after nine and Sunny looks tired."
"It's a good kind of tired, Sage. She loves it when you all come up here and she gets to show off the kids and her home-
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making skills. Birch looks like he's had a few too many. Perhaps you should drive him down the mountain."
"I already thought about that and mentioned it to Lily. She's agreeable. We'll say good night then. Guess I'll take the lead. Is Dad staying over?"
"He didn't say anything to me. I don't think so. He said something about wanting to be in town first thing in the morning to get things moving."
"Guess he'll bring up the rear then."
"Time to go, Sage. You're last in line and blocking my car," Birch said.
"Get in my car, Birch, you've had too much to drink. Tyler will move your car to the garage and drive it into town tomorrow. I'll bring him back up the mountain in the evening."
"Telling me what to do again, Sage?"
"You're drunk, Birch."
' 'Want to see me walk a straight line?''
"Sage is right, Birch," Ash said quietly.
"Am I drunk, Lily? Are you afraid to drive with me?"
"Why don't I drive?"
"Does that mean you think I'm drunk, too?"
"I don't know if you're drunk, but yes, I think you had too much to drink," Lily said.
"Well I don't think any such thing. If you're coming with me, get in the car."
"I'm going first, Birch. Stay behind me and don't even think about passing me on the road. You ride my bumper," Sage said.
"Yes, sir!" Birch said, offering up a sloppy salute.
"Listen, Birch, it's been a long time since I drove this road in the dark. My reflexes aren't what they used to be. Ride with me," Ash said.
"C'mon, Dad, you can do anything. Isn't that what you always told us? Hell, you were a fighting ace during the war. You're single-handedly going to get Sunny on the mend and ride off into the sunset. Get in the car, Lily."
"Ride his ass, Dad," Sage said before he climbed into his own car. "Don't give him any maneuvering room."
"Okay, son."
Sage climbed into his car, fastened his seat belt. He turned to his wife and said, "That's the first time in my life that my father ever called me son. I hope it's not an omen of some kind."
In the few short minutes it took Sage to back up his car and swing it around, Birch roared past him in reverse, swinging his car around in the middle of the road. He blew his horn one, long blast as he careened down the dark mountain road.
"Son of a bitch!" Sage swore.
"Go after him, son. I'm right behind you
," Ash said.
Sage needed no second urging. "He's going to do something stupid. I feel it in my gut. I always know when he's ..."
"Be careful, Sage," Iris said. "He's not that far ahead, and he's not driving that fast. We can see his lights. Lily will talk to him. She said he's afraid to get married because of what happened to your mom and dad. Your dad is right behind us. Please, Sage, don't drive so fast. God, I hate this road. With all the money your family has, why didn't they ever install guardrails?''
"We rarely drive this mountain at night. To answer your question, I don't know. Birch has never been a fast driver. We've always been a cautious bunch. You learn to respect the mountain. It's the curves that worry me. Dad was right, he's been drinking, and when you drink your reflexes aren't what they should be. My father is an expert on things like that."
"I can't see his lights! I can't see his lights! Oh, Jesus! Oh God!"
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8
Simon watched his wife drive away in her rental car. He should have pressed harder to find out where she was going. Goddamn it, he should have demanded Fanny tell him where she was going. He was her husband for God's sake. His eyes felt moist, which was strange in itself since he was in the desert. He could understand his dry throat and how difficult it was to swallow. He turned to get back in his car when Fanny's vehicle was no longer in sight. His stomach started to rumble and his chest was tight. He couldn't ever remember being this angry. Except maybe when he was a kid and he and Ash were going at it.
Where to go? What to do? Fanny told him to go back to the ranch. As he put the car into gear, he thought he could feel his life slipping away from him. Would Fanny come back? He desperately wanted to believe she would, but would the pull of her family allow her to continue with her own life—her life with him? He simply didn't know. His anger started to build.
Simon made a U-turn in the middle of the road. Just because Fanny said he should go back to the ranch didn't mean he had to do it. If he went back to the ranch without Fanny, it would mean he lost and Ash won. He could stay here, hang out by the car rental agency until her return. So what if the employees thought him a lovesick fool. He knew he wasn't a lovesick fool. He was hanging out to protect his investment. He drove three blocks, made a second U-turn, and headed back the way he'd come. He'd always been a man of his word. Five blocks farther down the road, Simon pulled to the curb. The urge to put his foot through the floorboard was so strong he removed his foot from the brake pedal and turned off the ignition. Where the hell was Fanny going? Maybe what he should do was forget about going to the ranch and drive to his friend Jerry's house.
Jerry seemed to have a handle on why women did the things they did. Perhaps he would share his knowledge and offer comforting words. His mood lightened considerably at the thought of spending time with his old school friend who was now retired.
Thirty minutes later, Simon climbed from his car but not before he gave the horn three sharp blasts.
Jerry afforded Simon the first genuine laugh he'd had in weeks when he ran down the driveway dressed in purple-and-yellow lightning-striped shorts, green socks, and red tee shirt. "Yeah, yeah, yeah. I'm painting the kitchen. These are my work duds. You're just in time, Simon. If you help, we can zip it off and drink beer the rest of the day. Later you can tell me what's bothering you. I know something's bothering you because you're standing here. I am in-tu-it-tive as you well know. The best part is we'll have the house to ourselves. Carol went to Georgia to see her sister, who had her gall bladder taken out a few days ago." It was all said with the speed of an out-of-control locomotive. Before Simon knew what was happening he had on a shirt three sizes too big that was smeared with pea green paint.
*'Carol said pea green is a restful color for a kitchen. Let me tell you, it's so damn restful she won't cook or clean. I myself almost fell asleep twice while I was painting the ceiling. You take the woodwork and baseboards and I'll finish the walls. How's life in the mountains? Want a beer now, or should we wait till the sun's over the yardarm? Maybe we should eat first. What do you think, Simon?"
Simon pried open a can of semigloss paint. "Fanny went off somewhere to think. She didn't want me along. I'm having trouble dealing with that. I watched her drive off and didn't try to stop her. You've been married a lot longer than I have. Did Carol ever do anything like that?"
"She does it all the time. She goes into the bathroom and locks the door. She stays in there for hours. Once she stayed in there for a whole day. She can't afford to go off to a hotel. Women do things like that when life starts to overwhelm them.
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To this day I have never found out why she does what she does. When she finally comes out, we don't discuss it. What that means is she came to terms with whatever was bothering her in the first place. You need to stir that paint with gusto."
"I thought you knew everything there was to know about women since you've been married so long."
"No one knows everything about women. I seriously doubt if anyone knows anything about women. Maybe if you told me what happened prior to Fanny going off, I might be able to offer some small measure of insight, but don't count on it."
Simon told him. Jerry rocked back on his heels. "That's a motherhood thing. You don't ever, as in ever, mess with motherhood. Listen, let's forget this kitchen and go outside. I have three cases of beer and two hammocks. What'ya say?"
Simon slapped the lid on the paint can. He sealed it by bringing his heel down on the top of it. "I'm your man."
"Here we go," Jerry said, climbing into one hammock and indicating that Simon should climb into the other one. "If you want to lie down, you need to position your head just right on the pillow or the beer will dribble down your chin. Watch me so you don't screw up."
"Gotcha. Are you telling me there's nothing I can do or say?"
"The kids are off-limits and sacred. They aren't your kids. The fact is they aren't kids anymore at all. They're grown adults. For some reason that doesn't seem to matter to a mother. Fathers are different."
"Fanny is feeling guilty. Her family has always been her number one priority. She's had to be both mother and father to them all these years because Ash is ... Ash."
"How is your brother, Simon?" Jerry uncapped two beers and passed one to Simon. ' T think we can finish this off before the sun goes down. What's your opinion?"
"Do you have an outside bathroom?"
"Nope. Just aim for the bushes."
"Ash has taken over where Sunny is concerned. If there's anyone who knows about disabilities, it's Ash. I saw his face,
Jerry, and this time I think he's on the level. I really think he wants to help his daughter. I want to believe he's being a genuine father this time around, and until someone can prove me wrong, I'll stick with my belief. Fanny is certain Ash is trying to get Sunny's trust monies. Sunny has always blown hot and cold where her father is concerned. She does love him, though, and that's how he got her to agree to seek help. He's going to be right at her side. My feeling, Jerry, is, what does it matter who gets her to go as long as she goes. I think Fanny is seeing it as a betrayal of some kind. The kids resent their mother marrying me on the one hand; the other hand is glad, or was glad that finally Fanny seemed happy. It's all screwed up." His voice was so weary, Jerry handed over another beer that Simon swigged from, almost emptying the bottle with one long gulp.
"Are you afraid Fanny will want to come back here to ... you know, do that mother thing?"
"I'm not afraid. Hell, I understand that this might be very serious. Sunny doesn't want her here. That's what's bothering Fanny. These past three years we've been so locked into ourselves we didn't go back to Sunrise. Fanny only saw Jake when he was christened. Sunny pointed that out to her. Ash on the other hand has seen the kid a lot, and he genuinely likes the little guy. He did a number on Fanny when he gave Sunny a gift from long ago. I thought Fanny was going to bawl her head off."
"It's wrong to have competition between p
arents," Jerry singsonged. "If we were painting, we'd be done by now."
"Ask me if I care?" Simon tossed his empty beer bottle in the general direction of the bushes. He held out his hand for a refill.
"What are you going to do next?"
"Stay here with you. Fanny told me to go home. It's not home without her. Everything's under control. I'll buy the next load of beer, okay?"
"Sounds good to me. Carol won't be back till next week. We can throw our wet towels on the floor, not make our beds,
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leave dishes in the sink and . . . whatever else we want to do. We have to finish the kitchen before she gets back, though."
"Let's call someone to do that. My birthday present to you."
"I accept."
"Jer. who do you think she'll pick, me or the kids?"
"I keep telling you. They aren't kids. Wherever she is. she's probably thinking about how she can combine the two things. She's not going to make choices. Didn't you learn anything hanging around with me when we were younger? You saw how my mother did things. When Fanny comes back, it will be just like Carol coming out of the bathroom. It will all be under control."
Simon's eyes rolled back in his head. "You must be some kind of saint. I want answers, explanations. How do you stand it?"
*'It drives me damn near nuts. I have to stand it because if I don't, she goes back into the bathroom. She honest to God put a dead bolt on the inside and cemented the pins in the hinges so I couldn't take the door off. We have wire mesh on the bathroom window, too. Wnat'ya think of that 0 "
"Jesus."
"Yeah. I love her though. It will work out. Simon."
"Do you really think so?"
"Yeah. I do. Fanny loves you. You love her."
"Jem. remember when my father had his stroke and my mother ..."
"That was different. Simon. Devin and your mother weren't married. You and Fanny are married. Your dad was no kid. It's not the same thing at all."
"I wonder where Fanny is right this minute?"
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