Long ago, when he was in his early teens, his father had brought him and Sage to the ranch to see the way things were done. All he remembered now was what a monster operation it was, and profitable. Now, at night, it looked different. He wondered if the chickens were asleep. For the first time in days he felt genuine amusement. He jumped to the side when he felt something brush against his ankle. He looked down to see a large yellow cat. He dropped to his haunches. “You’re a big guy, aren’t you?” The cat allowed his head to be stroked. He purred contentedly. On his feet again, the cat followed him to the front door, where he rang the bell.
Ruby Thornton opened the door. “Birch! Come in, come in. Is anything wrong? Did something happen? I’m babbling here. Please, come in. Can I get you a drink or some coffee?”
“Coffee would be good. Nothing’s wrong. Listen, what should I call you?”
“Ruby’s fine. Do you like kitchens?”
“My favorite room in a house. We used to live in our kitchen at Sunrise. So, how do you like living way out here?”
“I hate it. I hate the chicken business even more. I’d like to unload the whole thing.”
“I’m looking for a job.”
“But . . . I thought . . . what about Babylon? You want to work here at the ranch? Tell me what you want. This is so strange. I was upstairs cursing this business, this town, my life, the whole ball of wax. I was a hair away from throwing my clothes in my suitcase. Then you ring my doorbell. Is this divine providence or what? Talk to me, Birch.”
It was almost midnight when Birch wound down his hours-long-monologue. They had replenished the coffeepot twice. “I’ll never sleep now,” Birch said ruefully.
“Mr. Thornton, sir, you are this lady’s answer to her prayers. If you think you can handle this business, it’s yours to run. Cough up some bucks and you’re my partner. The books say you can take a half million out a year in salary. My father and your grandfather started a wonderful pension plan and initiated a bonus system that will keep you comfortable for the rest of your life. The house goes with the job. I don’t want your answer tonight, Birch. I want you to talk this over with your mother. Fanny’s been wonderful to me. She made me feel a part of your family. Ash . . . didn’t want me anywhere near any of you. I’m like my mother was in many ways. I came on to your dad like gangbusters. I wanted to know my brothers. He didn’t want to know me at all. I never did get to meet Simon. End of story.”
“What will you do?”
“Travel the world, write a book. Find a man who will love me unconditionally. Don’t send me any reports. Stick them in a paper bag under the sink. If I ever come back, I’ll know where to look.”
The awe on Birch’s face was total. “You’re serious, aren’t you?”
Tears welled in Ruby’s eyes. “Your mother made my life bearable. When Ash got sick, really sick there at the end, she called me. We sat in the kitchen at Sunrise and talked for hours and hours. She put her arm around me and let me cry. She never had a mother, so she knew how I felt. I had a mother, but I didn’t have the family. Your grandmother was a whore and so was my mother. I had a hard time with that for a while. All your family’s riches, all my mother and father’s riches came from two frightened whores. It’s amazing when you stop to think about it. Now, I want you to tell me how you’re going to present this plan to your wife.”
“You’re gambling on me, Ruby. I know nothing about chickens. I’m going to flub up. That’s a given. As to Celia, well, I guess I’ll just tell her. Whatever happens, happens. Who’s your attorney?”
“Forget that legal stuff. We’re family. A handshake will do it. That’s how my father did things, and your father did them the same way. That’s good enough for me. Give me your answer Sunday when we all go to Sunrise. If you agree, I’m out of here come Monday morning. Deal?”
Birch’s hand shot out. Ruby pumped it vigorously. “This calls for a toast. Let’s switch to lemonade. The cat goes with the deal. Will you take care of her? Her name is Cleo. She’s a real love. Smart, too.”
“Okay.”
“I’m going to miss Sunny. Your sister is a real piece of work. I admire her so, and yet I cry for her. Will you keep me up-to-date on her? I know she can’t respond, but I’ll write to her anyway. I can’t believe she gave you her car. By the way, there is a Ford Mustang in the garage. It’s in good shape, and I just had it serviced a few weeks ago. Your wife can use it if she wants. It will save you some bucks.”
Birch nodded his thanks. “Do you know anything about free-range chickens?”
“No. Should I?”
“That’s what the health-food industry wants. I’d like to give it to them. Profits could double. I read about free-range chickens on the flight from Costa Rica.”
“Go for it.”
Birch nodded. “It’s late. I should go home. Would you mind showing me the house?”
“Go ahead. The upstairs is lighted. Take your time. Mom had it done over before she died. The bathrooms are all new and so is this kitchen. The floors are solid oak. The cross ventilation is great. There are four central air-conditioning units. The fireplaces are great in the winter. There is enough wood in the shed to last you all winter. We have about twenty generators in one of the barns. Make sure they’re always in working condition. That was one of the things Dad always drilled into the workers. Listen to me. I sound like you’ve already agreed to take on the business. I hope you do, Birch. I can go away knowing Pop’s legacy is in good hands.”
It was after two when Birch said good-bye. He whistled when he strode down the dimly lighted path. He knew what his answer was going to be on Sunday. He couldn’t wait to tell Sage.
It occurred to Birch as he drove up the mountain that it should be Celia he wanted to share things with, not his twin brother. Here he was, driving to Sunrise in the middle of the night. Sage would understand. He’d wait till five o’clock, when Sage said he got up, to ring the doorbell.
Instead of waiting for a light to go on inside the house, Birch climbed from the car and headed to the private cemetery behind the house. He sat on the low brick wall Chue had built years ago. He thought about the past, the present, and what the future was going to hold for him.
Inside the house, Rosie ran up the steps to the second floor and, with a mighty leap, landed on Sage’s stomach. She growled and tugged at his pajama top.
“Okay, okay, I’m coming,” Sage said groggily. “How come you can’t do your business at ten o’clock? All right, all right.”
He saw the car when he opened the kitchen door. What the hell was Birch doing here at four in the morning? More to the point, where the hell was he? “Go fetch him, Rosie.” The little dog raced off. A sheepish-looking Birch followed Rosie to the kitchen.
“You were in the neighborhood and thought you’d stop and visit, huh?”
“Nah. I didn’t feel like going home. I don’t have a home. I think I’m what you might call a displaced person. I was out at the chicken ranch all night talking to Ruby. We worked out a deal. I’m going to take over the ranch.”
“Birch, what in the hell do you know about the chicken business?”
“Not a damn thing. Don’t you see, Sage, that’s the beauty of the whole thing. I didn’t know a damn thing about building a village either, but I did it. I can do this, too. Ruby thinks I can do it. I like her. I’m going into the free-range chicken business and in a year I can double profits.”
“Uh-huh.”
“I can do it, Sage.”
“What exactly are free-range chickens?”
“Ask the health-food industry. Free-range chickens are what organic vegetables are to the produce industry. I think I came up here to have you pat me on the back and say, good idea, Birch. Celia isn’t going to like the idea. The house and a cat named Cleo go with the deal. Good bonuses, pension plan, and a half million in salary.”
Sage whistled. “Not shabby.”
“It’s not the money. It’s the challenge of the job. I want what I do to co
unt for something. I want that adrenaline rush when I know I pulled it off. The casino isn’t going to do it for me. Too many bad memories there. I would have given it my best shot, though.”
“Mom’s going to take it personally.”
“She’ll understand when I explain things to her. You got any of that stew left over?”
“I’ll fix it,” Iris said from the doorway. “Promise me you won’t make visiting at this time of night a habit.”
“Honey, Birch is going to take over Thornton Chickens. He’s going to raise free-range chickens.”
“No kidding. Put us down for a crate a month. They are so delicious! The Thornton coffers are going to bust wide open. What a super idea, Birch.”
“You know about free-range chickens?” Sage said.
“Of course. I’m a cook. They’re hard to come by, and they’re very expensive. I want mine free.”
“You got it,” Birch beamed.
Sage slapped his brother on the back. “Leave it up to you, you son of a gun. Go for it, big brother.”
“It’s almost like old times, eh, Sage.”
“Yeah. Yeah it is. All we need is Sunny and one of her fried-egg sandwiches.”
“Ruby said I should cut you all in on the free-range end.”
“This family is something, isn’t it, Birch?”
“Yep.”
4
Fanny Thornton Reed stood in the driveway waiting for Marcus to lock the doors and close the garage. “Do you know what I love best about our house, Marcus?”
“That I came with the deal?”
“That too. This house doesn’t remind me of anyone or anything. We built it, and the only memories are ours. There were days when I hated Sunrise, days when I hated the cottage in the cottonwoods. Before you, Marcus, I hated a lot of things. I love you so much. This,” she said, waving her arms about, “is as good as it gets. You garden and work in your shop in the garage, I cook and sew. We have the dogs to keep us company. We can pick up and go away on a moment’s notice. My family is together now that Birch is back. We are definitely blessed.”
“I love you, Fanny. I think I waited all my life for you. Remember our pact, we don’t dwell on the past.”
“After today, we won’t. We need to make a decision where Simon’s estate is concerned. I can’t believe he never changed his will and everything was left to me. I shiver every time I think about it. It’s been hanging over my head since the will went through probate. I just want it to be over and done with.”
“It’s a mind-boggling amount of money, Fanny. You need to make the right decisions.”
Fanny’s voice was weary. “I know, Marcus. I wanted to turn it all over to Mr. Hasegawa’s estate, but they wouldn’t take it. Do you believe that? He was so generous with his help in building the other rehab centers. No one wants Simon’s money. Even the kids don’t want it.” Fanny stared at the diamond-shaped windows on the second floor of her house. Her heart hammered in her chest when she turned and ran to the car, gasping for breath. “I swear, Marcus, I thought I saw Sallie at the window.”
Marcus put his arm around his wife’s shoulders. “It was a trick of light, honey. I know you have feelings where she’s concerned but ghosts, spirits, whatever, even if I did believe in them . . . they haunt old places, not brand-new ones. Lay her to rest, Fanny.”
“I know, I know, and I feel foolish when things like this happen. It’s Simon. Even his memory can do this to me. I’ve been thinking, Marcus. The truth is I’ve been doing nothing but thinking where Simon’s monies are concerned. Do you remember me telling you about the property Ash had me buy in Atlantic City?” Marcus nodded. “What do you think about building a casino there? Sunny was in on Babylon from the ground floor, and she finished up with my brothers. It might be good for her to get involved from the ground up. Sunny has always been an idea person. It wouldn’t have to be on the same scale as Babylon. My brothers are still in business. We could give them some kind of percentage annually. They’ve been saying they’re going to retire for years now. This could put their business over the top so their sons will never have to worry about money.”
“It sounds good to me. Do you think the others will go along with it?”
“It’s either that or divide the money up among them. I can’t see us giving the money away. When the casino is finished we could transfer Jeff to Atlantic City and have Birch take over Babylon or vice versa.”
“For some reason, Fanny, I don’t think that’s going to fly. You might want to rethink that idea. Jeff might not take kindly to that kind of shift. As it is, I see trouble ahead where Birch and Jeff are concerned.”
Fanny’s voice was anxious when she said, “Do you think I made a mistake, Marcus?”
“Yes and no. Your back was to the wall. Birch should have informed you of his plans to return. You might want to give some thought to six months on and six months off, that kind of thing.”
“I don’t understand what you mean, Marcus.”
“Jeff at the helm for six months and then Birch takes a crack at it. You’ll see who’s doing the best job and go on from there. Look, I’m the first to admit I know nothing about the gambling business, but we’re talking people here. If Jeff does a lousy job, and I don’t think he will, what are you going to do, boot his tail out the door? This way you’ll have a better handle on things. Put it to a vote with the kids.”
“Things were settled. This is the kind of thing I object to. I don’t want to be involved in the business anymore.”
Marcus’s voice was gentle and sad. “Fanny, you can never walk away from your family,” he said. “They need you and depend on you. You’re their port in a storm, and a storm is coming. You need to batten down your hatches and steer everyone to clear, safe waters. These are little interludes, small passages in time that are troublesome. We can do this together. Enough business. Did you bring the potato salad?”
“It’s in the backseat. I brought it out earlier. Did you put the racing cars you built for Jake and Chue’s kids in the trunk?”
“Did it last night.”
“The doll cradles for Lexie and Polly?”
“They’re in there, too.”
“Then let’s get this show on the road.” The gurgle in Fanny’s voice brought a smile to Marcus’s face. It stayed with him all the way to Sunrise.
“How much do you want to bet Iris has the front porch decorated for Halloween?”
“I’m not betting on that, Fanny. That young woman could make a holiday out of every day of the week. She’s going to have pumpkins, haystacks, scarecrows, spiderwebs, and whatever else goes with the deal. She’s going to have pumpkin pies and she’ll decorate them like pumpkins. I bet she decorates the plates and napkins, too. The big question is, what do we think the centerpiece will be?”
“That’s a biggie all right. I say Billie made something exquisite and came up early to set it up. A fifty-cent bet, Mr. Reed.”
“You’re on. Iris and Billie get along so well. Iris is so craftsy. She told me the kids are making all their own Christmas presents this year. I think it’s wonderful. She’s also thrifty, to Sage’s delight. Mine, too. She’s like Billie in that respect. When you can create something out of nothing, you’ve earned my respect.”
“What do you think Celia’s strong point is?”
“I have no idea. Maybe we’ll get to know her today. Do you think she’ll fit in?”
Marcus reached out his hand to Fanny. “You’re worried about that, aren’t you?”
“I suppose so.”
“Are the Colemans coming?”
“They said they were. Billie and Thad left last night. Thad said he had a lot of paperwork to catch up on. He has to clear his desk so they can go on that cruise with us in November. I’m really looking forward to it. Then before you know it, the holidays will be here. We’ll be so busy we won’t have time to catch our breath.”
Fifteen minutes later, Marcus said, “Looks like we’re the last to arrive. You were
right, Fanny, look at the porch!”
“My goodness, it’s a whole scene complete with a tombstone.”
Marcus chuckled as he opened the trunk of his car. He was surrounded immediately by whooping children, their voices carrying down and around the mountain. “This is man stuff, Fanny. You take your potato stuff in the house and us guys are going to play.”
Fanny laughed as she hugged the children. She knew if she looked out the window in five minutes she’d see her husband sliding down the mountain while the children watched.
“Mom’s here!” Sunny shouted.
“Hi, honey. Harry, it’s good to see you.” Fanny tweaked Fred’s and Gus’s whiskers as she made her way around the kitchen.
“Are we in the way with our chairs and dogs?” Sunny asked.
“Absolutely not. I’m so used to skittering around kids and my own dog, I’m an expert,” Iris said from the far end of the kitchen. “Sage is handling the bar. What will you have to drink, Fanny?”
“I think I’ll have an ice-cold beer,” Fanny said smartly. “I’ll swig from the bottle the way my husband taught me.”
“She’s one of us now,” Sage boomed as he handed his mother a beer. “Where’s Marcus?”
“He made some racing cars for the kids, and they’re trying them out on the hill.”
Sage and Birch were like tornadoes as they collided at the door.
“We’ll never get them in now,” Iris moaned. “Sage is going to get that contraption he built with Birch when they were kids and show off.”
Sunny started to laugh and then choked. The dogs were on their feet in an instant. Harry held up his hand. “She’s okay.” Both dogs lowered themselves to the floor.
“Sorry about that. Sage and Birch made this racing car out of milk crates. They used the wheels from Billie’s baby buggy and the steering wheel came from Chue. That baby could really fly. We used to take turns riding it down the hill to Chue’s house,” Sunny said, her eyes watering.
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