“That’s none of your business, Sage. Keep up this inquisition, and I’m out of here.”
“In the whole of your life you never talked to me like this. That’s the part I don’t understand. I’m your brother, Billie. If something’s wrong, I want to help.”
“If I need your help, which I don’t, I’ll ask for it. Now, if you don’t mind, I have a ton of phone calls to make.”
Sage shrugged. He managed to keep himself busy as he strained to hear his sister’s low-voiced phone calls while he kept one eye on the clock for Ruby’s return. He was about ready to jump out of his skin when Billie slammed down the phone for the last time. She stomped her way to the small kitchen area, where she poured a cup of coffee. She carried it back to her desk. “They can’t meet the deadline. I told all of you it was a mistake to try to open 120 stores at the same time and expect things to run smoothly. No one listened to me. This is what happens when you overextend yourself and don’t allow for contingencies.”
“Is that what you’re going to tell Ruby?”
“What else can I tell her?”
“What about the dolls?”
“We only have enough for opening day. The suppliers have been late. Rain checks might work. Rain checks bring people back, which in turn gives you a second shot at having them buy another meal. It’s not the end of the world.”
“Providing it’s a two- or three-day loss. What kind of time are you talking about?”
“Sixty days,” Billie mumbled.
“Sixty days! Ruby is going to bounce off the ceiling when you tell her that. You had almost a year, Billie. What is the problem here? Give me the goddamn list. We’ve been doing business with these people too long to put up with this kind of bullshit. They’ve always come through at crunch time. How’d you let this get away from you? You aren’t overworked, Billie, so don’t think about giving me that song and dance. Give me that list. Ruby’s due back in fifteen minutes. Wait a minute. Who are these people? I never heard of half these names?”
“I switched up. These people gave better delivery and were cheaper.”
“Better delivery! That has to be a joke, right? What exactly does cheaper mean?”
“It means I got more for my money.”
“I don’t think so. You did this without talking to me? I got it, they gave you a kickback and you took it, didn’t you?”
“So what? I haven’t had a problem until now. It was too much for them to handle.”
“Then you should have gone back to our regular suppliers. You did pay them, didn’t you? Don’t tell me you stiffed them. How long were you going to keep this to yourself? Where’s my cut of the kickback? Not that I would have taken it. It’s your sneakiness that’s getting to me. The others are going to feel the same way. God, Billie, what were you thinking of?” Damn, I should have told her I know and offered to help.
Billie ran from the room to lock herself in the bathroom. His face murderous, Sage made one call after the other. At one point he kicked the drawer of his desk so hard he was sure he had broken his toe. Ruby took that moment to enter the office.
“Give me the bad news first and the good news last.”
“There is no good news, Ruby. Sit down.”
There was nothing to do but tell Ruby the truth and hope for the best. He expected an explosion, the wrath of God, something. “All we need is Plan B. We have thirty-three days.”
“I just happen to be in the business of trucking my chickens all over the country in refrigerator trucks. Your father bought an interest in the company when he worked for my father. Say what you will about your father, but that man had insight, foresight, hindsight, and male intuition where business is concerned. He actually liked the chicken business, but his true love was the gaming industry. So, what should we do? Do you have any ideas? More important, what are you going to do about your sister’s problem? The rest of this stuff is secondary. Billie needs to come first. Your mother . . .”
“No! Mom doesn’t need to know this. When the time is right, I’ll talk to Billie. We have to give her a chance to get her head on straight. Today was an eye-opener for her. She’ll act on it. Iris will help. She’s good when it comes to a challenge. There’s Chue and all the ladies in his family. Sunny might have some ideas. Hell, I’m willing to learn how to make those dolls myself. We have a lot of employees at the casino that constantly look for overtime or more hours. It’s not the answer, but it’s a place to start.”
“Billie and Bess are back. They’re with your mother. Would it be wise or unwise to pay them a visit?”
“A challenge is a challenge, Ruby. Go for it.”
“And Billie?”
“I’ll work on it. We all screw up at one time or another. I did. Birch did. Sunny did, and Billie was there for us each time. We can’t do less for her now. I need to talk to Birch and Sunny and go on from there. I’m sorry, Ruby.”
“Me too. If it’s meant to be, it will be. That’s my philosophy. If there’s anything I can do, let me know.”
“By the way, did you win anything last night?”
“Not a cent,” Ruby said cheerfully. “What kind of night did you have?”
“My butt was whipped. I couldn’t have made it up that mountain if my life depended on it. I had the most god-awful dream. Nightmare is more like it. When I woke up, I thought Mom had been in the room. I smelled her perfume everywhere. I even smelled it on me and was more tired this morning than when I went to bed. Is that weird or what?”
“I love your mother’s perfume. Celia wears the same thing, doesn’t she? It’s so unusual, unique really.” Later, Ruby swore she actually saw a lightbulb go off in Sage’s head.
“I think you’re right, Ruby. Now that you mention it, every time I’m near Celia my first thought is of Mom. That’s weird, too. Oh well, tonight I’ll get to sleep in my own bed next to my wife. Iris gives the best neck rubs, Ruby. I fall asleep even before she finishes. I haven’t seen her or the kids for a whole day, and I miss them.”
“You’d never do anything to jeopardize that little family, would you, Sage?”
“Never in a million years. Why do you ask? Oh, because of Dad, right? Nah. I had enough of that stuff growing up. I’m nothing like my father, Ruby. I thought you knew that.”
Ruby smiled, the relief showing in her face “Sometimes it’s nice to hear a man say the words. Do you think there’s a man out there who might want me and my chickens?”
Sage laughed. “I’ll start looking. Are you going to see Mom?”
“I’ll stop at the medical center first. If she isn’t there, I’ll go to the house. I promise not to say anything about Billie. Don’t wait too long, Sage.”
Sage raised his voice. “Bye, Ruby.”
When the bathroom door opened, Sage looked at his sister. “Sit down, Billie, we need to talk. Before we do that, I have something I want you to see.” He slid the envelope Neal had given him across her desk. He wanted to cry at the stricken look on his sister’s face.
Outside in the bright October sunshine, Ruby found herself humming a popular ditty she’d heard earlier on the radio on her drive in from the ranch. She should be upset with what had just transpired, but she wasn’t. This was real family stuff, the nitty-gritty problems that attacked siblings from time to time. She was part of it now thanks to Fanny’s insistence that she truly belonged to the Thornton family. By being part of the family, she had to take the good with the bad and work from there. An idea struck her as she waited for a traffic light to turn green. If she could put it into effect, she could save Iris a mountain of worry and wipe the misery from Sage’s eyes. What it would do to Birch, she had no idea. Well, nobody gets it all. She’d read that somewhere just recently. Birch might even thank her someday. On the other hand, Birch might not thank her at all for sticking her nose into his private business. It was a chance she had to take.
The Chicken Palace needed a spokesperson. What better person than the newest addition to the family, the glamorous Celia Thor
nton? The female baby boomers would look at her svelte figure and know she couldn’t cook and therefore relied on the family’s famous chicken recipes. The male baby boomers would lust after Celia and the chickens she advertised. Celia would go on the road, first-class of course, making public appearances, meeting with town fathers and customers. A sweet deal if ever there was one. A generous salary, a bonus at the end of the year and her picture plastered all over the country would be all the incentive the greedy Celia would need. The big question was, how would it play out with the family? Time was of the essence now, with only thirty-eight days till the grand-opening events all across the country. She’d get on it the moment she left the medical center.
Ruby noticed an unusual quietness at the medical center as nurses walked around in their rubber-soled shoes. Their uniforms didn’t crackle with starch the way they had when her mother was here. Nylon and polyester, she supposed. The nurses didn’t wear caps anymore, either. She wondered why that was.
They were sitting quietly, knitting, all three of them. She knew they were making things for the twins Iris was carrying. Sitting in a waiting room like this was the best place to knit or crochet. Her own mother had made six afghans for her girls when Philip Thornton had his stroke. She herself had knitted mile after mile of nothing when her mother, Red Ruby, was here. She’d used all the stray yarn she could find, and, when that ran out, she’d bought odd lots and discontinued colors. The day her mother died one of the nurses told her she’d knitted five miles of nothing. She’d nodded and carried home the yarn. She thought she threw it in the attic, but she wasn’t sure. Perhaps one day she’d be known as the woman who knitted five miles of nothing.
“How’s everything?”
Fanny looked up. “Ruby! How nice of you to stop. I’m sorry I was asleep when you came by the house. It’s been a difficult time. Is everything okay?”
“More or less. I wouldn’t know what to do if things ran smoothly. A few snafus but nothing that can’t be corrected. I wanted to talk to you about something. If this isn’t the place or the time, we can do it another time. Has Marcus’s condition changed at all?”
“No. This is fine, Ruby. What’s on your mind?”
Ruby told them, leaving out the parts about Billie’s problem, Iris’s dark suspicions, and Sage’s strange behavior. “What do you think? Will I be stepping over the line if I approach Celia?”
“In my opinion, no. My children, and that includes their spouses, haven’t seen fit to confide in me. Celia certainly has a mind of her own and, as Sunny constantly reminds me, this is the eighties and women are out there making their way. I don’t understand why Celia didn’t join Birch in Atlantic City. The fact that she didn’t leads me to believe she does what she pleases. It would be a marvelous opportunity for her, and it’s very generous of you, Ruby, to include her in your plans.”
“Do you think I should ask Birch? He might not approve.”
“I don’t think it will matter if he does or doesn’t approve,” Bess said.
“No one likes to be left out. I think I would tell him,” Billie Kingsley said.
“Fanny?”
“If it were me, I think I’d mention it. Sometimes Birch is very broad-minded. Other times he’s so narrow-minded it makes you shiver. Birch has always tried to be fair. If it feels right, do it, Ruby.”
“What are you knitting? When my mother was here, I knitted five miles of nothing. It was a mishmash of color and mistakes.”
“Baby blankets. It gets cold on the mountain in the winter. Billie’s doing the whimsical suns, Bess is doing the border, and I’m doing the center. If you have any time, Ruby, you could do the bumper covers.”
“I’d love to. What stitch are you using? Ah, I see. Okay. What’s the lot number of the yarn?” Ruby scribbled in a small notebook. “I’ll pick up the yarn on my way home. Is there anything I can do? Would you like me to fetch you some lunch?”
“No. We’ll go out to lunch. Thanks for offering, though. Come out to the house, Ruby. I won’t be spending the night here.”
“That’s good, Fanny. I’m a phone call away.”
Ruby stared at the phone attached to the console in her car. Should she call Birch first or go to see Celia at the Golden Nugget? Birch, of course. She flipped through the pages for the number Sage had given her. Minutes later, Birch’s voice crackled over the wire. “Thornton here.”
“Birch, it’s Ruby. Listen, I’m sorry to be calling you at work, so I’ll make it quick. For starters, we’re on the road to free-range chickens. Secondly, how would you feel about me asking Celia to be The Chicken Palace spokesperson? I could hire a professional person, but I thought keeping things in the family was important. It will be a lot of traveling on her part and a lot of work. She’s incredibly photogenic, so the commercials will be wonderful. I wanted to know what you thought before I asked her. Waitressing and teaching is hard work, not that this won’t be. The pay will be a lot better, though.”
“It sounds like a wonderful opportunity. The decision has to be Celia’s. I’m okay with it. Are things on schedule?”
“We’re down to the wire. We ran into a few problems. Hopefully, all the glitches will be taken care of by the end of today. If not, we’ll, what is it Sunny says, oh, yes, we’ll suck it up and go on from there? How is Sunny?”
“She’s doing great. This is the best thing in the world for her. She’s not out here all day, maybe four hours or so. She has rosy cheeks these days. Harry feels useful, and he helps out as much as he can. I swear to God, Ruby, I will never, ever, take my arms and legs for granted again. How are Marcus and Mom?”
“Marcus is the same. Some people don’t recover from severe head trauma, Birch. We’re all hopeful. I just saw your mother, and she seems more with it if you know what I mean. Billie Kingsley and Bess are here, so that helps. John is in the middle of everything. How about you, Birch, are you okay?”
“The truth is, Ruby, I feel . . . great. I’m thinking of driving up to Vermont this weekend. They have some fresh powder. Sunny and Harry are up to the trip. Libby will be with us, so things should go smoothly. Sunny and Harry can ‘lodge it’ with hot toddies and a blazing fireplace while Libby and I ski. You’d like her, Ruby.”
Ruby laughed. “I met her and I adored her. Give her my regards. Sunny and Harry, too. It was nice talking to you, Birch. The telephones work two ways you know.”
“I’ll remember that. Bye, Ruby.”
“Bye, Birch.”
A wicked smile tugged at the corners of Ruby’s mouth. A ski trip. A lodge with hot toddies and a blazing fire. A winter wonderland. Togetherness. Sunny’s earlier words rang in her head. “I can’t wait for Birch to meet Libby. I know in my heart and my gut that she’s his destiny. You know me. I’m never wrong.”
“Oh, Sunny, I don’t know if I want you to be right or wrong this time,” Ruby muttered as she slipped the car into gear.
“Celia, what time do you get off?”
“Another thirty minutes. Can I get you something, Ruby?”
“Coffee would be nice. Do you like waitressing?”
“I hate it. I hate teaching, too. I have to eat and pay the rent. Birch . . . never mind. I’ll get your coffee.”
Ruby lit a cigarette and blew a perfect smoke ring. Celia returned with the coffee.
“Can you take a break?”
Celia looked around. “For a minute. Is something wrong?”
“No, not at all. I came here to offer you a job. Hear me out, okay?”
“Sure.”
“So, are you interested?” Ruby asked later.
“Television commercials? Well, sure, it sounds exciting. Glamorous, designer clothes and limousines. A girl could get used to that real quick. What kind of year-end bonus are you talking about?”
“It depends on what The Chicken Palaces take in. I see it as a sizable amount.”
“What’s sizable, Ruby? You need to be more specific.”
“Six figures easy.”
“The lean side of six figures or the hefty side?”
Ruby leaned across the table. “For someone who’s making thirty-five bucks a day subbing and another thirty in lunch-hour tips, I find this conversation very puzzling.”
Celia leaned across her side of the table until their noses almost touched. “Listen, Ruby, I got burned once. I married a guy who’s so wealthy it makes me dizzy, and he tells me I have to support myself and he’s not about to share his trust fund. On top of that he beats me up and then goes off to Atlantic City to work for nothing while I bust my ass teaching ten-year-old snots and working my ass off serving hash to old people with white hair. What would you ask if you were in my place?”
Ruby sighed. This was definitely not the girl next door. This woman sitting across from her was jaded, cynical, and didn’t trust anyone. “I’d say the middle range but it could go either way. There is an expense account that will require penny for penny documentation. I need your answer now so things can be set in motion.”
“Okay, I’ll take it. I should say I’ll take it if Birch agrees. I’ll call him the minute my shift is over. I’ve got eight more minutes to go. More coffee?”
“Sure.” Let the little twit work for her money.
Ruby sipped at her fresh coffee and smoked a second cigarette while she waited.
In the lounge, Celia piled the change from her tips on the little shelf under the pay phone. Her voice was sweet and weary when Birch came on the line. “I know you’re busy, honey, but this will take just a minute. I didn’t want to make a decision until I talked to you. Ruby offered me a wonderful job. Oh, she did. Well, what do you think? I think it’s great, too. It means I’ll be on the road a lot. Ruby said it would all be first-class. The pay is great, and there’s a bonus at the end of the year. I think it’s going to be mostly weekend stuff. That means I won’t be able to get to Atlantic City too often unless I’m somewhere close by. Are you sure it’s okay, Birch? I know it’s up to me. I can’t take it if you aren’t comfortable with me doing it. At the same time I want to help Ruby. Her back is really against the wall. I miss you, honey. I won’t miss these two jobs though. Senior citizens don’t believe in tipping. What have you been doing? How’s Sunny and . . . Harry? Skiing in Vermont. You promised me that you would take me skiing so you could laugh your head off when I fell on the bunny slope. Oh, Libby is going, too. That’s nice, honey. At least you’ll have a partner. Of course I don’t mind. See, Birch, when we share and explain things, life runs more smoothly. Have a good time, honey, and don’t break any bones. I might not be calling for a few days if Ruby keeps me busy. I love you, Birch. You’re the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I think about before I fall asleep at night. You’re my reason for living, and don’t you ever forget it, even for a minute. Have a wonderful trip and give my regards to Sunny and Harry.”
Vegas Sunrise Page 19