Charming Lily

by Fern Michaels

  “They’re from Bluefield, West Virginia. They can’t know anything.”

  “You also need to shut up, voices carry in the night air,” Junior said coldly.

  Dennis poked Matt in the arm. “Okay, they’re inside. Here come the girls.”

  Lily rushed up and grabbed Matt’s arm. “What do we do now?”

  “You girls go in first, through the front door. We’ll be right behind you. I’m assuming the door to the rear patio is locked. Surprise is on our side although Junior’s not as stupid as you think. He’s already suspicious.”

  “This is like the Keystone Kops,” Sadie hissed.

  “You two girls home in on the youngest one. He’s not the brightest crayon in the box. Dennis, you take the middle one, and I get Junior. Let’s go!”

  “What’s taking you guys so long?” Sadie trilled as she opened the door and stepped through, Lily right behind, Dennis and Matt brought up the rear.

  “If that bastard Marcus was here, we’d have a grand slam,” Matt hissed.

  “Who’s there?” Junior called from one of the bedrooms.

  At the sound of Junior’s voice, Matt broke ranks and raced around the corner. “It’s just me, you son of a bitch! Don’t move! If you do, I’ll blow your fucking head off! Now, sit the hell down and haul out that computer of yours! Now!”

  “What the hell . . . how . . .”

  Matt heard the bedlam behind him, but he ignored it, his gaze never wavering from the man standing in front of him. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the man’s laptop on the desk in the corner. Could he take him? He was in shape, but he wasn’t sure. If he was going to stand there and think about it, he might as well give it up. He rushed forward, his right foot shooting forward to land square on Junior’s shinbone. Junior’s leg gave out, and he went down on one knee as Matt’s left foot shot upward to smash against his nose. Blood spurted in all directions. “Dump my dog, will you?” He swung around again, his right leg shooting forward, then upward, to knock Junior off-balance.

  “You got me, ease up.”

  “Like hell. You’re gonna pay for what you did to Gracie. You left her out there to die, you scumbag. Nobody does that to my dog. You hear me? You left me out there to die. I’m taking you back there, you bastard, and I’m going to strip you naked and turn you loose the way you did me.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?” Junior whined. “We left you clothes and we notched the trail for you. At the most it should have taken you four hours to get to the main road. And we didn’t dump your dog. We put her in a safe place. I like animals. We stole your money, but we didn’t hurt you.”

  “You made me miss my wedding. You dumped my dog, and you left me to die. I spent two weeks in the hospital hanging on by my toenails. I don’t even know why I’m bothering to talk to you. You move even one muscle, and you’ll wish you hadn’t. Dennis!” he shouted.

  “I’m here, buddy. I’m happy to say there wasn’t a scrapper in the bunch. We tied both of them up with sheets. Howzit going, big guy?”

  “Take a look! Give him his computer and then call the police. Boot up and log on. I’ll do the rest,” Matt snarled.

  Fascinated, Dennis watched the blizzard of numbers sweep across the laptop screen. The moment the last transaction was completed, Matt picked up the laptop, walked out the front door, tossed it onto the flagstone path. He stomped on it until there was nothing left but a mass of crushed plastic. Then he stomped back inside.

  “Did you call the police?”

  “Yep. They’re on the way. I have a call in to the Natchez police, too. Our work here is done,” Dennis said dramatically. “This is going to hit the papers, Matt.”

  “I know. It’s okay now. I made good on it. My investors can’t fault me for this. They will view it as a shining example of how I handle a crisis.”

  “How’d you find us? We didn’t leave a trail,” Junior asked, a towel to his bloody nose.

  “A vision. Your biggest mistake was not believing me when I told you I would track you to the ends of the earth. I would have probably let you get away with it and kissed the money good-bye if you hadn’t dumped my dog. I found my dog just the way I said I would, but I didn’t do it alone. I had lots of help.”

  “I want a lawyer,” Junior shouted.

  “Yeah, I guess you do,” Matt called over his shoulder. He put his arm around Lily and pulled her close. Dennis did the same thing to Sadie.

  “Can we get something to eat, Matt? We haven’t had anything to eat today,” Lily said.

  “Honey, I am going to buy you the best meal this island has to offer even if I have to wake someone up to cook it for you. And then I am going to give you anything in this whole wide world that you want for a wedding present. Anything, Lily. If it’s in my power to do it, it’s yours. But first, we have to go to the police station so I can sign the complaint. You guys with me on this?”

  “You bet,” Dennis said.

  “Always,” Lily said, squeezing Matt’s hand. “I can’t believe it was so easy. The two younger ones just . . . gave up and sat down. You’re okay, aren’t you?”

  “Honey, I am so okay it’s sinful. I wouldn’t want to do it again, though. What’s your best guess, Dennis, is the stock going to go up or down?”

  “It’s going to skyrocket. You’re the man! Investors love this stuff. Next week we unveil Open Door 2001, and it’s clear sailing on the really big XML announcement. You’re golden, buddy!”

  “Except for the black cloud where Marcus is concerned.”

  “Marcus is history, Matt. What goes around comes around. A month from now if someone mentions his name we’ll say Marcus who?”

  Betsy Collins stared around her look-alike Holiday Inn room. If there was one color she hated above all others, it was orange. She had to get out of there. She had to go somewhere that was stimulating, someplace that suited her. She could afford it now. She could afford to buy anything her heart desired. Anything. She didn’t move, didn’t lower her legs from the bed where she’d propped them. Suddenly all her energy was gone as well as the desire to do anything but sit and swig on little bottles of Coca-Cola that didn’t even taste like the Coca-Cola in the States.

  She thought about her daughters and how she’d left them behind and all because of her own greed. Did they hate her? How could they not hate her? If there was a way to get them on this side of the ocean she would find it. She wasn’t giving up her children. Temporarily yes, long-term no. She just needed a bit more time to come up with a plan. She could see her reflection in the closet door that she’d left open. Who was this person sitting on the chair in her underwear with her feet propped on the bed? A greedy, selfish woman who never thought about anyone but herself. The same greedy, selfish woman who drove her husband away with her constant whining and outrageous demands. It was okay to cry now because she hadn’t applied her makeup. What was she supposed to do now?

  She couldn’t go back to the States. That was a given. She took a moment to mourn the loss of Bergdorf Goodman and Saks Fifth Avenue and all the specialty stores where she shopped. “I’m a woman without a country,” she wailed. “My husband left me, and my children hate me. Where did it all go wrong?” How and when did she turn into this hateful woman in the closet door mirror?

  It happened when Marcus started to climb the corporate ladder. Don’t blame Marcus, blame yourself. “I wish . . . I wish . . . I wish I had the answer to all my problems.” She moved from the chair and threw herself on the bed, where she sobbed until she couldn’t cry anymore. “I wish I had a fairy godmother who would let me wish and wish and wish. Someone who will keep my wishes and dole them out when needed and not one minute before. I wish I could go back to being more like Lily Harper. I was like her once. I could be like her again. I know I could. How hard would it be for the fairy godmother of her dreams to turn her into a clone of Lily Harper? It wasn’t so much to ask, was it? All she had to do was say, I wish I was like Lily Harper. I wish . . . I wish . . .”


  What was the point to all this wishful thinking? She was simply too tired to think about things like this. She pulled the orange-and-brown spread down to cover herself and was asleep within seconds.

  Betsy woke to darkness. She felt disoriented. How long had she slept? Obviously all day since it was now dark outside. She felt terrible, her head ached, and she knew her eyes were puffy and swollen. And she was hungry. Room service again. She dressed and used the phone in the bathroom to order her dinner. She crossed her fingers that there would be something on television other than CNN. She would probably be up all night since she’d slept the day away.

  Thirty minutes later, Betsy snapped on the light in the bedroom at the same moment the knock sounded on her door. She stood in the doorway waiting for the waiter to place the tray on the round table between the two chairs. She signed the check, then locked the door.

  She looked down at the tray and grimaced. A ham and Swiss cheese sandwich, a salad that looked like it was all lettuce, a pot of coffee, and a bowl of canned fruit. She reached for the napkin, felt the weight as she shook it out to find a silver chain with a pendant. How quaint. How tacky. So tacky her daughters would love it. It must be something the hotel gave to guests to make up for the awful orange-and-brown bedspreads. She shrugged. Because there was no reason not to, Betsy slipped the necklace around her neck.

  “My life is never going to be the same again,” Betsy whimpered aloud, as she bit into the ham and Swiss cheese sandwich.

  “That’s the last of it,” Matt said, piling their luggage by the front door. Before you know it, we’ll be in Las Vegas and we’ll both be saying I do. Someone’s here, Lily.”

  “Oh, it’s Mr. Sonner. I’m glad he got here before we left. I’ll be ready to go as soon as I show him the closet. You can start taking the bags out. Where are the dogs, Matt?”

  “In the limo. They aren’t taking any chances on getting left behind again. Take your time. I have to roust Dennis and Sadie. No, I guess I don’t. Here they come.”

  Lily waved from the doorway. “I’m sorry about this, Mr. Sonner, but as I told you, I want the closet closed up. Take all the time you want. We’ll be gone a month. Just lock up when you leave. I want to check the closet one last time to make sure nothing is in there.” Minutes later, she dropped to her knees, flashlight in hand. Her heart skipped a beat when the minuscule light revealed nothing but the floorboards. Using her hands, she ran them up one board and down the other. The Wish Keeper was gone. She’d put it there herself, had wedged it between the floorboards, and now it was gone. She felt so light-headed she leaned her head against the wall.

  “Miss Harper, are you all right in there?”

  “I’m fine, Mr. Sonner. Listen, maybe I was too hasty about this. Would you mind not doing this till we get back? Crawling around in here made me realize how much space there is in this closet. I’m not sure I’m willing to give it up. I’m sorry I made you come out here for nothing.” Act normal, Lily. Stop shaking and pretend everything is all right, she cautioned herself.

  “No problem, Miss Harper. Call me when you get back. I can see myself out.”

  Lily sat back on her heels, staring at the inside of the closet. “So you gave me my wish after all. Thank you.” She took the steps two at a time, then whizzed through the door to the waiting limo. “The door locks itself. Let’s go! The Wish Keeper is gone. Do you hear me? It’s gone. I told Mr. Sonner to forget about closing up the closet I don’t believe it’s gone, but it is.”

  “Good!” Sadie said. “That means life can return to normal. This is a very happy ending for all of us. Las Vegas is going to be such fun. I still can’t believe the Thornton family is closing the casino for your nuptials. Babylon is the most famous casino in Vegas. You two are getting married and going on your honeymoon. Digitech stock went up twenty points. Dennis and I have become good friends. The Laroux brothers are in the pokey awaiting trial. Mrs. Figgins is happy with the new pipe we bought her, not to mention the two little kittens to keep her company. Our world is right side up. Life is wonderful!”

  Lily squeezed tighter against Matt’s side. “Matt, were you serious about giving me anything I wanted for a wedding present because if you are, I know what I want.”

  “Name it, honey, and it’s yours.”

  The Great White Way.

  Lily waved her arms high over her head. “I feel like I should be shouting, Viva Las Vegas!”

  “Then do it,” Matt grinned.

  “Somebody might see me. I can’t do that. Here’s the deal. In two hours we are having a candlelight ceremony at Babylon’s wedding chapel. The whole Thornton family will be there. Sunny’s family. You all know about Sunny. After a hard day on the course, Sadie, Sunny, and I would sit and talk way into the night. We know all about that fabulous family. They own a mountain, Matt. Sunny’s brother lives on it. When Sunny was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, her mother, Fanny, with the aid of all the casino owners, built this special place in the cottonwoods for handicapped people. To show you what a remarkable person Sunny is, she gave up her son to her brother Sage to adopt because she couldn’t take care of him. That young man is something else. He loves his mother so much there are no words to describe it. Sunny will tell you herself that when she dribbles, he wipes her mouth. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for her, but she knew he needed a family and sometimes I just want to cry when I think about it. Her husband divorced her when she became ill. She doesn’t give in. She pushes herself and her husband Harry, too. He also has multiple sclerosis.”

  “I can’t wait to meet her. Did you tell her about your idea for a camp, honey?” Matt asked.

  “No, not yet. You gotta get her on the side and get her to tell you how she and Harry survived in a snowstorm in wheelchairs. It will make your blood run cold. But, she survived, and so did Harry. That’s what this is all about. She’s going to go over the moon when I tell her. Well, let’s sign in and get spruced up. Sunny told me we each have our own room.”

  “Isn’t the other side of Sunny’s family coming, too, Lily?” Sadie asked.

  “Sunny said the Colemans from Texas are coming and the Colemans from Kentucky. Let’s see, Texas is oil and airplanes. Kentucky is Thoroughbred racing. It should be a night to remember. I swear, Matt, if you stand me up again, I will ... I will ...”

  “It won’t happen. Trust me.”

  “It better not. Sadie and I will meet you at seven o’clock in the chapel. Be on time, Matt, or I won’t wait!” She waved as he walked off with Dennis.

  “God, Sadie, all of a sudden I have this awful feeling. I don’t know what it is. Nothing is going to go wrong, right?”

  “Nothing is going to go wrong. You are going to be married promptly at 7:10 this evening. Period. Oh, look at the room number, Lily! It’s 711. Aren’t those supposed to be lucky gambling numbers?”

  “I have no idea. Okay, here’s the room. I hope my suit isn’t wrinkled.”

  “Sunny! Oh, Sunny, it’s so good to see you. I didn’t know you were waiting up here. I would have moved a little faster,” Lily said, bending down to hug the thin, pretty woman in the wheelchair sitting in the middle of the room.

  “Harry and I have a room here for the night. Security called to say you had checked in. I’m just two doors away. Harry will be over in a few minutes. So, are you ready for the big step?”

  Lily sat down cross-legged on the floor next to Sunny. “Yes, I’m ready, but first I have to tell you something. Okay, here goes. Matt said he would give me anything in the world that I wanted for a wedding present. He meant it, too. Do you know what I asked for? I asked for acreage in Natchez, Mississippi, to start my own survival camp for people like you and Harry. What do you think?”

  Sunny squealed her pleasure. “That’s a kick-ass present if I ever heard of one. That’s wonderful. Sign me and Harry up. Lily, the past two summers were the best for Harry and me. We came back here more determined than ever to push ourselves to the limit. That is so wonderful. I can’t
wait to tell Mom. Hey, the whole damn family is here. Turn around, Lily.”

  Lily turned and gasped. “Sunny!”

  “Do you like it, Lily?” she asked shyly.

  “Like it. It’s the most beautiful creation I’ve ever seen. Where in the world did you get it?”

  “My sister Billie made it for you. It’s one of a kind. The minute you called to tell me you were going to elope to Las Vegas, I called her.” Her voice turned shy again. “She made yours, too, Sadie. Do you like it?”

  “You are too much, Sunny. It’s gorgeous, it’s breathtaking. How did she know what size, what color . . .”

  “I might be wasting away, but there’s nothing wrong with my brain. Yet. I remembered everything you two said, and I had all those pictures. Billie is an expert designer. She’ll be up in a minute for any last-minute alterations. I’ll leave you to get ready. I just wanted to be here to welcome you. How much is it going to cost, Lily?”

  “What do you mean how much is it going to cost?”

  “For people to take the course. Ozzie’s camp was expensive. Most of the people at the center have no money. Harry and I were lucky that my family could afford it.”

  Lily dropped to her knees. “It’s free, Sunny. For any and all handicapped. Matt is going to fund it. Maybe not Matt directly, but Digitech will be there, too.”

  The relief on Sunny’s face brought a smile from Lily. “Like your mama said, when God is good to you, you gotta give back. Matt’s a good guy. You’re gonna like him. If he doesn’t stand me up again.”

  “Not a chance! Can Harry and I call the center and tell everyone?”

  “Absolutely! Tell the world.”

  “Good, then I’ll leave you to get ready. Billie will be up in a minute, and she’ll take you to the chapel. We’ll be waiting. Thanks, Lily. Thanks for everything.”

  “Lily, I think this is going to be a night to remember,” Sadie said. A scarlet-satin maid-of-honor dress. Is this gorgeous or what?”