“Ash! Ash, is that you? How’d you know I was here? Back there on the mountain you said good-bye. I thought you weren’t ever . . . you know, coming back.”
“I did say good-bye to Fanny because she didn’t need me anymore. I keep tabs on all my family. You know that, Ruby.”
“Yeah, well, I remember the day you told me to get out of your life. Are you here because you know about me and . . .”
“You can’t dwell on things like that. I learned the hard way.”
“Easy for you to say, you’re already dead.”
“Dead is dead, Ruby. You’re still alive. I was stupid back then. Blood is blood. They don’t come any better than you. I haven’t forgotten how you saved my kids. That guy you married, he’s one in a million. Stop worrying about what’s going to happen. Live your life, Ruby. When it’s your turn, I’ll be here waiting for you along with a lot of other people.”
“Ash, what do you think about this new branch of the family?”
“They’re okay. She’s a spitfire. I’ve been watching her for a long time. It took you all long enough to hook up. Is anyone ever going to look for Aunt Peggy ? Now there’s a project for you, Ruby. I think you’re going to learn a lot from each other. I guess you miss the family.”
“Yes, I do. Everyone has their own lives. We come together for an event, a crisis, but other than that, I never get to see anyone. It’s a damn shame when you look forward to a funeral just so you can see your family.”
“Ah, Ruby, if you had your way, you’d cluster all of them under one roof. I can see how Fanny rubbed off on you. The mountain is lookin’ real good these days. Real good.”
“Ash, do you know how long . . . ?”
“Live, Ruby. Do what you want, but live. God, lady, you have it all. Do you have any idea what you can do before it’s your time?”
“We aren’t talking horse races and balls, are we?”
“In part. Keep a sharp eye, Ruby. The Colemans are in some financial difficulty. There’s going to be some trouble there.”
“Damn it, Ash, be more specific. Don’t make me spin my wheels. Who the hell is Peggy?”
“There’s a severe drought in Texas. The oil wells are coming up dry. The Japanese stock market is down, way down. The coffers are almost empty. Fanny owns fifty-one percent of Coleman Aviation. Just tuck that away for future reference. Peggy is Sallie’s sister. Did you forget?”
“What does that mean, Ash? Don’t just throw words at me like that. What is it I’m supposed to do? I don’t ever remember anyone telling me about an Aunt Peggy.”
“You know how to fight, Ruby. You showed me that at the casino the first time we met. You have guts. Be prepared to use them.”
“Does this all have something to do with Nealy and her brothers? Ash, don’t let me hang here.”
“Aver y Hollister is a jerk. Hell, he’s not even a bad lawyer, he’s a terrible lawyer. He’s real sloppy with his paperwork, too. Listen, I gotta go, Ruby. I think you can handle things.”
“Wait, Ash, don’t go. What if I need you? Should I whistle, call your name? What?”
“Ruby, you sound just like Fanny. When you need me, I’ll be there for you.”
“All right, Ash. Is this our little secret? I don’t think I ever had a real secret before. Having one with my brother is kind of special.”
“It’s whatever you want it to be, Ruby.”
“Oh, shit! That means this is all a dream, and I’m going to wake up and start to cry all over again. Don’t come into my dreams anymore. It’s too sad. Oh, I wish this was real.”
“Ruby, are you ready?” Nealy called from the hallway.
Ruby jerked upright. “I’m . . . I’m coming, Nealy. I think I must have dozed off for a moment. I was having this . . . nice dream about my brother. I’ll be out in a minute.”
“Take your time. I’ll meet you downstairs.”
In the bathroom, Ruby’s bare toe touched something cold and hard. Staring up at her was a round gold medallion that said Babylon in the middle and underneath, the number 1000. The gold medallions were special. Everyone in Las Vegas knew about Ash Thornton’s thousand gold medallions. Fanny had told her early on that Ash had a thousand of them made up to give to special people. Anyone entering Babylon with one of his gold medallions was to be given the red-carpet treatment. Translated, that meant the holder of the medallion was to be given whatever he or she wanted, no questions asked. To date, according to Fanny, all but two of the medallions had been redeemed. Fanny said she kept hers in her safe-deposit box and as far as she knew, Ash had the other one, but it was never found after his death. The number on Fanny’s medallion was 999. Ash’s number was 1000.
Ruby squeezed her eyes shut and then opened them immediately as she dropped to her knees to see the gold chip winking up at her. It wasn’t a dream after all.
She finally had a secret.
“Thanks, big brother.”
“My pleasure, Ruby.”
She arrived in a swirl of dust and spurting gravel, the horn blasting on a brand-new, fire-engine red Jeep Grand Cherokee. She said her name was Willow Bishop, and she was there to cook. But not till her nine suitcases, four trunks, and her box of copper-bottom pots and pans were secured indoors.
“How old is she, Ruby?” Nealy whispered.
“Maybe twenty-two. I don’t really know. Probably twenty. I told you, her mother used to cook for us. I never met Willow. She was away at school. Unfortunately for us, Angelina just signed a contract to cook for the secretary of state. We have Metaxas to thank for that since he’s the one who got her the job. She assured me Willow was a better cook than she was. Why, Nealy, is it important? You don’t have to be a certain age to cook. Look at you, you’re forty-eight, and you can’t cook worth a damn.”
“Take another look at her, Ruby, and then think about Nick.”
“She is pretty. Look at those dark eyes. A body could drown in them. Nice figure, a perfect size eight, I’d say. Fashionable, too. You do realize she only cooks and cleans up. No housework. Five hundred a week, room and board. You’ll probably want to give her a raise after the first week. I’d sign her to a contract if I were you. Don’t worry about Nick. According to you, all that boy does is work. If they hit it off, great. If they don’t, that’s okay, too.”
“I’m Nealy Clay, Miss Bishop. This is Ruby Parish. Your room is off the kitchen, and it has a private bath. I’ll give you the name and phone number for the grocery store. Just call and have them deliver whatever you want. They’ll send me a bill. I’ll send someone up to carry your things inside. We like to eat dinner around seven, lunch around twelve, and breakfast at six. Is that okay with you?”
Willow smiled. “That’s fine, ma’am. What I do is make up menus the beginning of the week. I stick to them, too, unless something special comes up. You can pencil in any changes Monday morning. All I really need to know is, are you into health-conscious food, are you hearty eaters, and how many will there be for meals? I’ll check your pantry, your refrigerator, and get to work. Is there anything in particular you’d like for dinner this evening? I’m not going to be able to do lunch with what you have here,” she said, opening the refrigerator and frowning.
“She has a lot of those pop-up things you put in a toaster. Some are even like pizza.”
“You can die from that stuff,” Willow said, wrinkling her nose.
“As for dinner, surprise us. I do like desserts. Sweet desserts. The gooier the better. Make enough so I can eat it before I go to bed, too. Lately we’ve been more or less eating on the run around here.”
“Not anymore,” Ruby grinned. “I think we should get out of Willow’s way and let her get started. I can’t remember the last time I was up and dressed at this hour. Probably never. No, that’s not true. I used to have to get up for the chickens. Do not ever serve me chicken, Willow.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“All right, Ruby, it’s time to start working with Sharpshooter. Get it in gear and let�
��s go.”
It was six-thirty when Nealy walked into the kitchen, with Ruby trailing behind. She was tired, so tired she didn’t think she could take another step until she sniffed at the aromas emanating from the stove. She perked up immediately. “Do we have time to shower and change, Willow?”
“Absolutely.”
“I’ll set the table for you when I get done.”
“That’s not necessary, ma’am. I already did it. In the dining room. My food is not kitchen food. It deserves to be eaten on fine china in a dining room. I have three different wines for the meal. I washed everything since it had a thick layer of dust on it.”
“Well . . . I . . . thank you. I like eating in the dining room. Fine china is good. Crystal and silver are just as good. Actually, I’m looking forward to this. I’m starving. How about you, Ruby?”
“I have never been so tired in my whole life.” At Nealy’s instant look of concern, she hastened to add, “It’s a good kind of tired, Nealy. It’s nothing to worry about. A shower, some clean clothes, and a fine dinner will work wonders. If I don’t fall asleep after dinner, remind me to call Metaxas.”
“He called five times, Miss Ruby. He said not to disturb you. He’s going to call you after dinner.”
“And dinner is . . .”
“Roasted Maine lobster with some very fine chanterelle mushrooms, a butter cognac sauce with fried leeks. I found a nice Corton Charlemagne, Bonneau du Martray. I also prepared a grilled rack of lamb with potato gratin, a mango-apple chutney, and mint aioli. I prepared a small dish of pan-crispy turbot with baby spinach, some teardrop tomatoes, and a bluefin tuna, bacon, and truffle hollandaise sauce. I did not make a lot of any one thing. I need to see what kind of appetites you all have. Miss Smitty said she would be joining you for dinner and said she likes to eat hearty. She said your son also has a big appetite. I kept that all in mind. Hurry now, as it will all be ready to serve momentarily.”
“What’s for dessert?” Ruby shouted as Nealy dragged her toward the stairway.
“Bonbons and petit fours with a minty chocolate marshmallow sauce.”
Nick charged into the kitchen, stopped in his tracks, stared at Willow Bishop, sniffed the aromas that wafted about, grinned, and said, “Marry me now!”
“That’s one way of keeping her in the family!” Ruby giggled. “Sign her to a contract, Nealy, as soon as we finish dinner.”
“I knew it! I knew it!” Nealy sighed. “He’s only twenty!”
“And you think, what? That he’s a virgin?”
“No, I don’t think . . . he might be . . . He doesn’t really, you know, date.”
“That you know of. Stop being a mother for a little while. Let him be a young man.”
“All right. All right. Emmie sort of inched her way along. This is like bam!”
“Nealy, look at me. You’re jealous, aren’t you?”
“A little,” Nealy said.
“Get over it. Quickly. For both your sakes.”
“I’ll try.”
21
“Hey, big guy, how’s it going?” Nealy said, crawling out of the straw in the stall next to Sharpshooter. “No work today. We’re going for a long ride with just two stops for you.” She fished a mint from her pocket and held it out. “I’m going to give you a whole bag of these if you take me into the winner’s circle. D’ya think we can do it?” The colt reared back and snorted. “I’m going to take that for a yes. I think we’re both lookin’ pretty good. Ruby dyed my hair last night, so they aren’t going to be calling me an old lady when we trot into the gate. Well, maybe they will, but they won’t be able to call me an old lady with gray hair. You better not show me that pissy side of you when we get there either. We both know that doesn’t work with me. Your daddy didn’t get away with it and neither are you.
“It’s a beautiful day for traveling. I don’t know why, but I’ve always loved the month of June. For some reason the world seems different in June.” As she talked softly to the colt, her hands were busy, rubbing and caressing his head, whispering in his ear, snorting in his nostrils and tickling him. Each time she laughed, Sharpshooter whinnied.
“The last time I traveled to New York, it was a day just like today. I woke up with a rocket in my stomach that morning. I think Flyby had one in his stomach, too, and they both exploded at the same time. Listen to me, this race isn’t for me. I don’t have to prove anything to anyone any longer. Smitty and Ruby are right, it’s time for me to give back. I know this isn’t exactly what they meant, but it’s a start, and I want to give this win to Rhy and Pyne. Three weeks out of my life and two minutes to race you down to the home stretch don’t amount to much unless you’re counting time like Ruby and my brothers. There’s only one little thing bothering me. Ricky Vee is going to be riding Dillon Roland’s horse. We can’t let that bastard win. We’re favored to win, but that can go either way. No one knows I’m riding you tomorrow. Rhy filled out the papers with another jockey’s name. He’ll be scratched at the last minute and my name announced. My brothers want it that way. I know it has something to do with Dillon, but guess what, I don’t care. I hope you understand everything I said.
“If you were mine, I think I would give Ruby your first colt. Then again, maybe it should be Flyby’s colt. Can you imagine anything more important than your daddy siring two Triple Crown winners? I guess it’s going to depend on how well you do tomorrow.”
Ruby rolled over in the straw in the stall to the left of Sharpshooter’s stall. She blinked at the mention of her name, then listened shamelessly.
“In the three weeks that I’ve known Ruby, I have come to love her. I want to do something wonderful for her. And for her husband, too. She’s so rich her husband planted a whole mountain, and you know what, she’s sleeping in a barn and she makes me coffee. She’s sick, too. If I could, I’d breathe my own life into her. I’d give her one of my organs if she needed it. I’ve been praying every night that the doctors can help her. I don’t like time limits, so I am going to pretend she is going to be here forever. Okay, baby, time to go for your walk. No workout today. Okay, okay, one more,” Nealy said, as the colt tried to stick his nose into her shirt pocket.
Ruby struggled to her feet, her eyes moist. The only person who had ever said such nice things to her was Metaxas.
“She meant every word she said, Ruby.”
“Ash! Good morning. You’re up early,” Ruby quipped. “I know she did. I love that girl. Is she going to win, Ash?”
“I have no clue. Listen, Ruby, I thought I told you to stay on top of that legal crap. You promised you would.”
“Ash, when have I had time? I told Metaxas to check up on it. He said he has a handle on all of it. Nealy needed me here in the barn. Did something happen? What?”
“There’s a big powwow going down in Texas tomorrow.”
“What does that mean to me, Ash? If you know what’s going to happen tomorrow, how come you don’t know who’s going to win the race? Does that . . . powwow have anything to do with Nealy and her brothers?”
“It has everything to do with them. Now get on it, Ruby.”
“First I have to find my husband. Do you know where he is?”
“Ruby, Ruby, Ruby. I don’t know everything. I imagine he’s having breakfast. Did you ever have a fried egg sandwich at midnight?”
“Almost every night of my life once I met all our family. It’s Sunny’s favorite. She’s doing really well, Ash. Jake is . . . Jake. He talks about you all the time. He hasn’t forgotten you either. I don’t think he ever will.”
“I have to go now, Ruby. Get a move on. You need to take care of this family. I’m counting on you.”
“Really, Ash. I thought . . . Fanny . . . the kids. Why me?”
“Because I picked you, that’s why.”
“Are you going to be at the race tomorrow?”
“Damn straight I’m going to be there. You might want to think about giving Nealy your good-luck charm tomorrow.”
“Wh
at good-luck charm?”
“The one I gave you. It’s kind of special, Ruby. It doesn’t mean you can’t, you know, lend it out for special occasions like tomorrow. When you get it back, you keep it close to you, and you’ll be fine. Do you hear what I’m saying?”
“Are you saying what I think you’re saying?”
“Yeah, Ruby.”
“Oh, Ash. Can I tell Metaxas?”
“I think he knows, but yeah, okay.”
“I’ll see you . . . talk to you tomorrow. I have to find Metaxas now.”
She was off like a bullet, running like a young girl, shouting her husband’s name as she raced to the kitchen where he was finishing his breakfast. She burst into the kitchen, her face flushed, her voice jubilant.
“Quick, Metaxas, come with me. I have to hurry, and there’s something I have to tell you. Hurry, honey.”
“Ruby, what the hell? Calm down. You know what the doctors said.”
“Screw those doctors, Metaxas. I want you to listen to me. I don’t have time to go through this twice.”
“Okay, honey, spit it out!”
“I’m just going to blurt out all of this as I get undressed. I’ve been talking to Ash. He told me something so wonderful I can’t believe it. You know the story of the gold medallions he gave out, right? Fanny has 999. Ash had the last one. Number 1000. They were all redeemed except Fanny’s and the one Ash had. Fanny keeps hers in her safe-deposit box. They never found the one Ash kept for himself. I found it, Metaxas. Three weeks ago right there on the bathroom floor. I didn’t tell you because . . . because I thought you’d laugh at me. Look, here it is,” she said, opening the dresser drawer. “Ash told me not ten minutes ago that if I kept it close to me, I would be fine. He said I’ll be okay. He said I’m not going to die. When you’re up there, you have the inside track on things. He isn’t the one who is going to let me live, it’s nothing like that. What he meant was all the treatments, all the medications and therapy are working. It’s like I can breathe again, come alive, and be with you.”
“Ruby . . .”
Kentucky Rich Page 26