Regan had barely come to a halt when Frank opened the back of the Jeep. He jumped in, scooped Whitney in his arms, and pulled her out, resting her on the ground. Dirt hurried over and handed him his pocketknife. Frank carefully cut the ties on Whitney's arms and feet, the gag on her mouth, and the blindfold on her eyes. She looked up and couldn't believe she was looking into the eyes of the man she was in love with, eyes she never thought she would see again. “Something tells me I owe you a phone call,” she said.
Frank smiled and brushed back a tear from his eye. “It's okay. Just don't let it happen again.”
71
Bella and Walter were going nuts. They ran out to the barn along with Nora and Luke and Lilac and Earl. The bikers were helping Leon with the hoses. A couple of the motorcycle gang had stayed behind, standing guard over Edward until the police arrived. Edward was probably anxious for the cops to get there. Anything was better than listening to Lucretia yelling at him.
Huffing and puffing, Bella and Walter arrived at the barn just as Whitney was lifted out of the Jeep. What a rescue!
Everyone went running over to Whitney. The firefighters came racing down the road and stopped in front of the barn. They scurried out of the truck, turned on the hoses, and got to work.
“Walter,” Bella whispered. “What are we going to do about the treasure?”
Walter looked around. Everyone was distracted by Whitney. “I'm afraid to leave the trunk in the ground back there—it's made of wood. If these fires spread, the trunk will burn. Who knows what could happen to the bottles? Let's go get it. Nobody will see us. We can hide the trunk in the vineyards and come back for it tonight.”
Together they slipped behind the barn. “Where are the shovels?” Bella demanded.
“They were right here when I walked away,” Walter whined. “I don't know what could have happened to them.”
“We both have two hands,” Bella said. “Let's get to work.”
They knelt down where Walter had left the stones, just feet from the burning building, and started to dig. “Hurry, Walter, hurry,” Bella commanded.
“I'm hurrying,” he insisted.
Like two frisky dogs they pawed their way through the dirt. The heat from the burning building was causing them to sweat.
“I'm glad Whitney's okay,” Bella said as they toiled.
“Oh, me, too. Me, too.”
They didn't notice Regan Reilly on the sidelines, watching them with an amused expression on her face.
“Here it is,” Walter cried as the red of the trunk started to show through the dirt.
“Ohhhh!” Bella trilled.
They reached their hands down the sides of the trunk and heaved it out of the ground.
“Do you want to take a quick peek?” Walter asked Bella.
“Not now. Let's just get it out of here.”
“I'd like to take a look,” Regan called to them.
Bella whipped around and snapped at Regan. “This belonged to my grandpa, and now it's mine.”
“We'll see about that,” Regan said. “I'll get two of the bikers to carry that back to the house. We can talk to the Weldons about what they'd like to do with what was found buried on their property.” I knew those two looked as if they'd been digging around in the dirt, Regan thought. But a buried treasure? Regan was dying to see what was in there.
72
Whitney was weak and coughing but insisted on walking back through the vineyards to the house. “I need freshness!” she laughed. She stretched her arms overhead. “I want to be out in the air with the people I love.” She lowered her arms back around Frank on one side and Lilac on the other. They both supported her as she walked to the lodge. Leon and Earl were following close behind.
Heidi was trying to chat up Leon, whom she found very sexy. The way he had raced around directing the gang of motorcyclists and fought the flames until the fire department arrived got her all tingly.
Regan was walking with Nora and Luke. She pulled her cell phone out of her pocket to call Jack.
“More exciting news,” she reported to him when he answered.
Dirt and Big Shot were carrying the red trunk back to the house. None of the Weldons even knew about it yet. All they cared about was Whitney.
Bella and Walter were bringing up the rear. Now it was Bella's turn to shake her fist. “I don't care what they say. Those bottles belonged to Grandpa Ward. They should stay in the family.”
“I know, I know,” Walter replied. “We'll see what we can do.”
Lucretia came running out of the main lodge to meet her niece. “Whitney!” she cried.
“Lucretia!” The two women hugged.
“I'm so sorry!” Lucretia lamented.
“What are you sorry for?” Whitney asked.
“I'm so sorry that that pathetic excuse of a man I was about to marry plotted to keep you away from our wedding.”
The police were leading Edward Fields out of the house in handcuffs. They stopped just feet from Whitney. She looked straight at him. “Why didn't you want me at your wedding?”
He didn't answer her.
“His name is Edward Fields, formerly known as Hugo Fields,” Lucretia prodded.
“So,” Whitney said, shaking her head. “What does he have against me?”
“Haven't you seen him before?” Lucretia asked.
Whitney squinted. “Maybe, but for the life of me I couldn't tell you where.”
Edward looked horrified. “You don't remember me?” he howled.
“Sorry,” Whitney said. “I'm not very good at remembering people's faces. Uncle Earl told me I have to focus more on that kind of thing.”
Edward nearly collapsed. The whole point of keeping her away from the wedding was unnecessary? She didn't even recognize him? He wanted to die. “We were in acting class together!” he shouted at her. “We were working on a scene.”
“Is that why you didn't want me at the wedding?” Whitney asked. “Were you a really bad actor or something?”
“Noooooo,” Edward cried as the police led him to the patrol car. He began wailing. His thoughts were like Earl's wildest monkey, swinging from tree to tree. If only he had taken his chances. If only he hadn't contacted that idiot Rex. If only, if only, if only . . .
“Wow,” Whitney commented. “He really doesn't like me now.”
“Well, we do, honey,” Lilac assured her daughter. “Let's get you inside the house. You need some food and drink.”
“It's no longer a rehearsal dinner,” Lucretia announced. “And I thank God for that!”
Regan pulled Lilac aside. “Bella and Walter unearthed a trunk behind the barn that her grandfather left behind over eighty years ago. It has some valuable old wine bottles in it. She thinks they should get to keep it. I have to tell you that those bottles are potentially worth a lot of money.”
Lilac looked at Regan, remembering how she felt when Uncle Haskell's money went to Lucretia. She understood the feeling that something that had once been in the family should stay in the family.
“You know,” Regan continued, “the shovels we used to break open the barn door wouldn't have been there if those two hadn't been digging out back.”
“Say no more,” Lilac whispered as she took in the sight of Whitney sitting with Frank on the couch and looking so happy. “I have everything I need. Tell them the bottles are theirs.”
Regan turned to Bella and Walter, who were leaning against the wall, and gave them the thumbs-up sign. Bella started to cry as she rested her head on Walter's chest. “Mother will be so happy. Let's go call her.”
“And tomorrow we go shopping for a new car.”
The Road's Scholars were busy preparing the grill and setting up the dinner in the backyard. In the living room a round of toasts was being made.
Frank and Whitney were cozy on the couch. Heidi and Leon were hitting it off. Nora and Luke were sitting side by side, next to Bella and Walter, whom Lilac had invited to stay for dinner.
Lynne
B. Harrison and her cameraman were recording it all.
“To karma,” Earl toasted. “What goes around comes around. We are so happy to have Whitney back and to have Lucretia in our life.”
“And I am so happy to have you as my family and new friends,” Lucretia gushed. “What good is having all that I have if I can't share it?”
They're getting the money, Regan thought.
“Maybe my love life didn't turn out so well this time around . . .”
They all laughed as Charles and Phyllis walked through the front door. Lucretia spotted them and waved. “But you never know what might happen,” Lucretia continued. “Charles and Phyllis, come on in!”
“Phyllis?” Lilac asked.
“Yes, it's me. We were worried about Lucretia.”
“But we just heard on the radio that that worry has been erased,” Charles said as he took Lucretia's hand and squeezed it gently.
“He's in the slammer,” Lucretia acknowledged.
“Well, I'd like to make a toast that they throw away the key,” Charles suggested.
“Hear! Hear!” they all cried and drank heartily.
“This is so wonderful!” Lucretia exclaimed. “I don't know what could make this party better.”
“How about us?”
Everyone turned toward the door.
Two elderly women and a white-haired man were standing in the entrance.
Lucretia looked at them, a puzzled expression on her face.
“Come on, Lukey!” Polly cried. “You said you'd never forget us!”
“Ahhhhh!” Lucretia screamed. “My two oldest friends in the world.”
Polly and Sarah came forward for an embrace.
“Your two oldest friends who would never, ever, ever divulge our secret,” Sarah said.
“Who cares anymore?” Lucretia asked. “I'm proud of the fact that we're ninety-six years old!”
“Lucretia!” Charles laughed. “You lied about your age!”
“What actor doesn't? And you know I am going to be acting again.” She smiled at Heidi. “I have a part in the film Whitney is doing. I want to start a production company. We'll have so much fun, Charles. You must come out of retirement. We're back in the movie business.”
“I'll drink to that.”
Lilac raised her glass. “I have another toast to make. To Regan Reilly. If it hadn't been for Regan, well, I don't even want to think about it.”
“Thank you, Lilac.” Regan laughed. “I guess you could say it's been a busy day.”
Dirt stuck his head in the window. “Soup's on.”
Lilac pulled Phyllis aside. “I can't thank you enough for calling me.”
Phyllis looked embarrassed. “I wasn't so honest . . .”
“Stop,” Lilac insisted. “If you hadn't called, we wouldn't have gotten Regan Reilly to look for Whitney. That call saved my daughter's life. I can never repay you for that, but I certainly intend to try just as soon as Lucretia . . .”
Phyllis felt as if she had won the grand prize on her favorite game show. “The money's not important anymore,” her voice quavered as she interrupted Lilac. “Knowing I had something to do with saving Whitney is what makes me feel like a winner.”
Lilac grabbed her hand. “Let's go eat.”
By the end of the evening everyone looked happy. They had eaten, drunk, sung songs, and had a grand old time. Lilac insisted that they all stay overnight. “There's plenty of room,” she said. “I have a pullout couch in the office that's a Bernadette Castro special, and I have a cot I can get out of the basement, and . . .”
When Regan finally went to her room, she glanced out the window and smiled. The bikers were laying out their bedrolls under the stars. It's been quite a day, she thought as her head hit the pillow. Now it's only two more weeks until I see Jack.
Sunday, May 12
73
Sunday morning was bright and clear. The birds were chattering and chirping, and the last fires had been extinguished long before dawn. Regan awoke and lay in bed for a few moments, listening to the sounds around her. It was nearly nine o'clock. I slept without moving once, she realized. Boy, was I dead.
She got up, showered, and went out to the dining room. Every chair was filled. The bikers took up several tables. Luke and Nora were sitting with Lucretia and Charles and Lucretia's old friends.
“Happy Mother's Day, Mom.” Regan gave her mother a kiss on the cheek.
“Thanks, dear.”
Lilac and Phyllis emerged from the kitchen carrying serving plates stacked with pancakes.
“Regan, could you go out to the deck and get a couple of chairs from there?” Lilac asked.
“Sure.”
Regan walked out of the dining room, through the main room, and out onto the deck. There was only one chair on the deck, and Jack Reilly was sitting in it.
“I thought you'd never get up,” he said, smiling.
“Jack!” Regan sat on his lap and hugged him. “What are you doing here?”
“I had a couple of days free. I thought that maybe we could pick up our vacation where we left off . . .”
“Not here! I want to get out of here.”
Jack laughed. “I'm kidding. Somebody had to come and escort Rex back to New York, so I figured it should be me. I couldn't wait another two weeks to see you again.”
Lucretia appeared in the doorway. “Darlings! Get moving. It was too late to cancel the caterer, so we're going down to my house in Beverly Hills for a wonderful party.” She paused, smiled slyly, and winked. “Unless of course you two want to keep it as a wedding celebration.”
“We need more time to plan,” Jack answered. He turned to Regan. “Don't you think so?”
Regan smiled at him. “I do.”
Contents
Acknowledgments
Thursday, May 9
1
2
Friday, May 10
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
Saturday, May 11
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
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46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
Sunday, May 12
73
Jinxed Page 19