Vegas Sunrise

by Fern Michaels

  “Why do you suppose he kept Jeff a secret? That had to be the lowest blow of all to Mom. To all of us when we found out. Even Grandma Sallie knew.”

  “For the same reason my father kept me a secret. Some small part of your father and your grandfather knew it was wrong, and that same small part of them didn’t want to hurt anyone else unnecessarily. Stop and think about it. If Ash had told you kids and your mother about Jeff, all of you would have been devastated. He didn’t think any of you would have been able to handle it. I think he was right about that. My own father used the same kind of reasoning. What neither one of them took into consideration was how deep the hurt went for me and for Jeff, too, I would imagine. It hurt to my soul. I spent years in therapy trying to get a handle on it. I used to rant and rail from time to time. I said some bitter, ugly things to my mother and father. They’d get tears in their eyes and their shoulders would slump and that would be the end of it until I boiled over again. It was what it was. Nothing can ever change the past. That’s what was hard to accept. It’s baggage that needs to be left behind in the past. I understand it better, but to this day I still have a hard time with it.”

  “I did love him, Ruby. I didn’t agree with the way he did things, but I did love him. He did tons of good things that people didn’t know about. Then he’d go and do some piss-ass thing that didn’t count for beans and blow his horn. I never could figure that out. Our family was never peaceful. There was always some crisis in our lives. Even when Birch and I went East to school we knew something was going on between Mom, Dad, and Simon. It followed us. Birch tried to run. Hell, he went halfway around the world for all the good it did him. You can run, but you can’t hide. Birch didn’t know that for a long time. He knows now, though. What is your opinion of Celia, Ruby? By the way, in case you’re interested, we passed Hartford, Connecticut a little while ago.”

  “What’s it known for?”

  “I have no idea. Paul Newman and some kind of spaghetti sauce. Maybe popcorn. I went to school with a kid from Hartford. So, what’s your opinion of Celia?”

  Ruby sucked in her breath. Lie or not to lie?

  “Celia is a beautiful young woman.”

  “I didn’t ask you if she was beautiful. I asked you what you thought of her.”

  “She’s family now, Sage. I thought we valued loyalty above all else.”

  “We do, and that’s why it does matter, Ruby.”

  “Maybe I should ask you what you think of her. In some respects, Sage, I’m still an outsider. I applied for my wings but I’m not sure they’ve arrived, if you know what I mean. I love it that you kids have accepted me. I’m only a stand-in for your mother at this point in time. Do you know what I mean?”

  “Yeah, I do. Celia scares me, Ruby. The minute I locked eyes on her at the airport the day they arrived she scared me. I had this scary, creepy feeling. I swear to God I looked into her eyes, and I thought I could see straight through her head. Her eyes are translucent. Didn’t you ever notice that? I felt . . . you’re going to laugh when I tell you this, but I felt like she was evil. I couldn’t bring myself to hug her or kiss her cheek. I was damn lucky I managed to shake her hand. I haven’t changed my feelings either. Sometimes I think she stalks me. She’s a game player, and I think she’s tied herself into something with Jeff Lassiter. I know this for a fact because Jeff put her up in that special room my father kept at the casino. I had her booted out when I found out. She knows I’m responsible for that. She charged up a storm and then paid off the charges with casino winnings. My gut tells me she doesn’t love Birch. That’s the bottom line. So, I guess my next question is, why did you hire her, of all people?”

  “My back was to the wall, Sage. Billie . . . I’m not blaming anyone, I just didn’t have many choices at the time, and it was down to the wire. Too much money was invested to let it wither on the vine. We signed a contract. I can pull it anytime I want. For whatever it’s worth, she’s been doing a good job. She’s incredibly photogenic, and she speaks well. We can rerun the commercials till the end of time as long as we pay her a residual. We can always hire someone else to do the live interviews as time goes on. I thought I was doing the family a service by hiring her. Fair is fair, Sage. Birch brought her here, cut off her funds, and then left her to flounder. Birch was okay with the job offer. At least he said he was. Again, it’s what it is.”

  “Well, I want it on record that I don’t like her, and I don’t trust her.”

  “Are you telling me this because you think we . . . you might not make it? Just how fast are we going, Sage?”

  “About 600 knots ground speed. We’re inside the jet stream, so we’re picking up about a hundred more miles an hour. Flying west to east the predominating winds in the jet stream are 100 to 150, but then you know that. Our ETA is another hour from now. I wasn’t thinking clearly when I told you five to six hours. Metaxas will be landing soon if it’s possible to set down. Someday I want you to tell me how he got clearance for you to be my copilot when you don’t even have a pilot’s license.”

  “Someday.”

  “Dad was a member of the Mile High Club. Did you know that, Ruby?”

  “Hell, yes, I knew that. He gave me his pin and patch as a joke. I guess having sex at 5000 feet is supposed to be some kind of major accomplishment. My personal opinion is it’s stupid. What is your feeling?”

  “Stupid is as stupid does. Once Birch and I sneaked his pins and wore them to school. We thought we were hot stuff until we found out no one knew what the damn pins meant except the principal. He called Dad, who was appropriately pissed off. In private he thought it was a hell of a joke. Mom gave us kitchen duty for sixty days when the principal called her. That meant washing and drying the dishes, setting the table, clearing it, sweeping and scrubbing the kitchen floor, on our knees, and taking out the trash. We had to peel all the vegetables, too. If we couldn’t see our faces in the shine of the pots, we got a week added onto the sixty days. Mom made up these little pins that were really buttons and made us wear them.” In spite of himself, Sage chuckled.

  “What did the pins say?”

  “Kitchen God 1 and Kitchen God 2. I was the two. Birch claims to have Mile High status, but he refused the pin and patch because he swore Mom would think up something worse than the Kitchen God stuff. We were on our honor to wear them twenty-four hours a day.”

  “Did you?”

  “Yeah, but we made up some lie about what it really meant. All of our friends wanted one of those pins. It was kind of funny at the time.”

  “What is our flight level, Sage?”

  “We’re at 39,000. We’ll be descending soon. We’ll pick up the snow around 25,000 feet. See if you can raise Metaxas? Do you really love that guy, Ruby?”

  “I do.”

  “Then why’d you ask me to look for a husband for you?”

  “I was feeling old, vulnerable, you name it. I never, ever, thought Colette would give him a divorce. I got tired of eating myself alive over something that could never be. Shhh, I think I might have him.”

  “Sweet baby, is that you?”

  “I’ve been called a lot of things in my day, Metaxas, but never sweet baby.” Sage grinned at Ruby. “Your sweet baby is right here doing what she’s supposed to be doing. How’s it looking?”

  “Bad, boy. Give me a fix on where you are.”

  Sage rattled off the information.

  “I’m thirty-eight minutes ahead of you at 23,000. This baby is a killer, boy. Everything is closed up tight. I got one angel on the ground I’m going to owe big time if he comes through. He’s all we have going for us. There is some kind of flashing light out there that’s iridescent. Don’t know where the hell it’s coming from. Tomorrow neither one of us will have a license.”

  “That bad, huh?”

  “Worse.”

  Ruby licked at her dry lips. Her tongue felt thick and swollen in her mouth. She wanted to say something, but the words wouldn’t move past her lips.

  “Sag
e, tell my sweet baby I love her.”

  “She heard you.”

  “Tell him . . . tell him I’m giving up the chicken business,” Ruby gasped because she couldn’t think of anything else to say.

  “Don’t go getting carried away here, Ruby,” Sage hissed.

  “Just tell him.”

  “Metaxas, Ruby said to tell you she’s giving up the chicken business.”

  “Sweet baby love, ya’ll doing that for Metaxas. Ya’ll just made my day. I gotta ask why? We’re dropping down to 21,000. No visibility. That strange light is ahead of us. I’m picking up some strange static. Maybe my angel on the ground is trying to make contact. We’re signing off now.”

  “She’s allergic to chicken feathers.”

  Sage shuddered at the sound of Metaxas’s laughter.

  Ruby started to cry. “I just know that fool man is going to get himself killed. I just know it.”

  “Ruby, I need you to be quiet now.”

  “We’re at 36,000 feet; 35,000 feet; 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25—and I see snow all around us-24,000 feet, 23, 22, 21. Metaxas was right. There is no visibility—20,000, 19, 18,000 feet.”

  Sweat dripped down Sage’s face. He knew his hair was plastered to his head in wet strands. In his life he’d never been this scared. He wondered if he’d ever see Iris and the kids again. Please, God, help me. If he were at 16,000 feet, Metaxas must be down to around 7,000 or 8,000. I can do this. I will do this. Oh, yeah. Please, God, help me.”

  “Will I do? The Almighty is kind of busy right now.”

  “Dad!” Sweat trickled into Sage’s eyes. He swiped at it with his sleeve. What was happening here? Was something going to happen? Was his fright and panic taking over, causing him to hallucinate?

  “It’s me. Wings and all.”

  “I need help. My God, is it really you? I don’t know if I can do this. Help me. Are you real? Am I sleeping? Am I wigging out?”

  “Everything is A-okay. All you need to do is keep your wits about you. I don’t think you ever asked for my help before, son. As I recall, you were the defiant one.”

  “That’s because I was afraid you’d say no. It was better to muddle through than risk a no from you. Where are you?”

  “I’m on your left wing. How many times did I tell you a good pilot is only as good as his wingman?”

  “Two thousand at least. Are you going to make sure I land safely, Dad?”

  “You’re going to do that yourself I’m just here to guide you. I really don’t think you needed to tell my sister about the Mile High Club.”

  “I’m at 13,000 feet, Dad. Zero visibility. Zero, Dad! Where the hell is Metaxas?”

  “Sage, who are you talking to?” Ruby asked through clenched teeth. You’re going down too fast. Too fast, Sage. Stop mumbling. Who are you talking to?”

  “Dad. Shhh, I can’t hear him if you keep shouting.”

  “Your dad? Where . . . where is he, Sage?”

  “On the wing. If you look out, you can see him. He’s covered with snow and he’s the one making the bright light. Do you think he can feel the cold?”

  “Sage . . .”

  “You okay, son?”

  “I’m fine, Dad. I never thought you’d be my wingman. Never in a million years. How am I doing?”

  “You’re at 8,000 feet. Did I ever tell you the ultimate high for a pilot is coming in low and fast? Better than an orgasm. Don’t do it, though. Listen to me and I’ll get you down right behind Metaxas.”

  “Maybe you should be helping him, Dad. He’s going to slough through it first. Yeah, yeah, you told me that the same time you told me gold wings and navy whites will get you in any woman’s s bed. Metaxas isn’t as good a pilot as you are . . . were. How do those wings feel? What are they made of?”

  “Chicken feathers,” Ruby chirped, her face whiter than the snow outside the plane. “Seven thousand feet.”

  “Metaxas is flying blind. He just ripped the tops off some three-hundred-year-old pine trees. He didn’t listen to me. I can do two things at once you know. That means I am helping him. To answer your question, I never asked what the wings are made of because I don’t care. Hard right, Sage. said hard! We’re doing just fine, son. Easy on that throttle. You’re at 5,000. Ease back. Zero visibility. You’re doing fine, son. Don’t expect any transmission. Parish’s radio is out. He’s going down, and he’s coming in too fast. There is no angel on the ground. You need to know that, Sage.”

  “But, Metaxas said . . .”

  “I know what Metaxas said. There is a man on the ground, but he lost his radio contact. I told you he was flying blind. He went down with nothing but his guts churning at 100 knots an hour. I helped a little. Two thousand. Easy does it. I’m going to leave you now, son. If you follow the light, you’ll make it.”

  “Dad, wait! Dad!”

  “Where’s that light coming from?” Ruby shouted. “My God, it’s like daylight. Metaxas must have some really good flares. I bet they’re weather balloons or something like that. One thousand feet, Sage. Can you see his plane?”

  “I can’t see past the bright light. Hold on, Ruby. Five hundred, four, three. Chicken feathers, my ass. My old man would never wear something as tacky as chicken feathers,” Sage grated.

  “I see the flares. They’re red, Sage. What was that light? Where did it come from? Are you all right? Can you see Metaxas? What happened to the light?”

  Sage felt dizzy as the breath exploded from his body in a loud sigh. Shaking, he craned his neck to look out the window at the swirling snow. He was almost afraid to stretch his neck farther to see the wing of his plane. He blinked when Ash Thornton raised his thumb in a jaunty salute. “I couldn’t have done it better, son. You’re as good as your old man. You can take that one to the bank. See you around.”

  “Dad! Dad, wait! Hey, Dad!

  “Did you see him, Ruby? He was right there. He gave me his famous thumbs-up. Tell me you saw him. Please, Ruby, you did, didn’t you?”

  “No, Sage, I didn’t.”

  “He said . . . what he said was . . . I was as good as he was. He said that, Ruby. I swear to God he said that. We both know there is no way in hell I could have brought this plane down in one piece. I was flying blind. He said Metaxas sheared the tops of some three-hundred-year-old pine trees. You don’t believe me. I can see it in your face. I know what I saw. You saw the same bright light I saw.”

  “Sage, if thinking you saw your father helps, then I’m willing to concede that you think you saw him. It was all in your subconscious. The weather service shoots off those balloons all the time. We’re on the ground, and that’s all that matters.”

  “What do you think the odds of that happening are? We’re from the biggest gambling Mecca in the world and no oddsmaker would have touched this one. You know it, and I know it. It helps to believe.”

  “Yes, it does. I see lights coming our way, Sage. Secure the plane, and let’s hit the ground. I’ll get our gear and open the door. I’ll fly with you anytime, Sage.”

  Sage offered up a shaky grin. “I didn’t do it myself, Ruby. Someday I hope you realize that.” Ruby nodded, her eyes on the wing of the plane. She gasped when she saw a form outlined in a bright light. Words that sounded as though they were coming from outer space circled her. She reached out to grab hold of the doorframe leading off the cockpit deck. “Sage was right. I’d never wear chicken feathers. You owe me an apology, Ruby. I’m waiting.”

  “I . . . I . . . A man of your class and distinction would only wear pure down. My apologies, Ash.” Ruby’s knees crumpled as she tried to grapple with what she’d just seen and heard. Sage caught her.

  “I told you. Oh, ye of little faith.”

  “We’ve just come through one of the worst experiences of our lives. It’s natural for us to hallucinate. You spooked me, Sage, and I spooked you. We aren’t going to talk about this anymore, okay?”

  “Okay. Here comes your sweet love. I can’t see him, but I can see the high-powered
light he’s holding. Bundle up, Ruby. We actually landed at the damn airport. That’s something else the oddsmakers in Vegas wouldn’t touch.”

  Sage opened the door. A violent gust of wind drove him backward as stinging snow battered its way through the open doorway. “We have to back out and fall to the ground. The big question is, who’s going to shut this door?”

  “Sweet love, you made it,” Metaxas Parish said, catching Ruby as she dropped to the ground. Within seconds she was covered with snow. “Guess the young pup that flew you here knows a thing or two after all.”

  “More than a thing or two. How did you do it, Metaxas?”

  “I’ll be dipped in oil if I know. Some guy talked me down. After I sliced off the trees. I’ll have to make good on those. We had some kind of effervescent light or something. The guy knew his stuff, though. He was a wise-ass, too. Called me a powder-puff pilot. I set him straight in a hurry. I asked him what his name was, and he said Major would do just fine. I don’t know if it was a title or a name.”

  “Guess it was your angel on the ground.”

  “No. He had no radio contact with us. He did set up the flares, though. We came in blind the same way you did.”

  “I think it was Ash. Don’t laugh, Metaxas. Sage talked to him all the way down. He said he was sitting on the wing the whole time.”

  “Sweet love, you don’t see me laughing now, do you? Pilots experience all kinds of things that seem real. Flying has always been an ethereal experience for me. Why don’t we just say we had some kind of well-meaning intervention and let it go at that?”