Behind the Pine Curtain

by Gerri Hill

  Kay raised both eyebrows. “You gossip worse than an old hen, Rose!”

  “What’s gossip, Mommy?”

  Kay grinned, waiting for Rose’s response. Rose stuck her tongue out at Kay before answering.

  “Gossip is something you’ll learn all about when you get into high school. Until then, you don’t need to worry your little britches about it.”

  Kay shook her head. “Lame, Rose.”

  “What’s lame, Aunt Kay?”

  “You really think Greg can handle it?” Kay asked as they drove home.

  “I don’t know. What do you think?”

  “He’s super smart, I know that. And I know from talking to Rose, at least in the last year or so, your father was getting him more involved. But Jackie, run the whole thing?”

  “From what everyone has told me, the operation is set and runs smoothly on its own. There are just some decisions to be made regarding purchasing and sales, decisions that my father made. And from what I understand, Greg has been monitoring that for him. So yeah, I think Greg probably knows better than any of the managers what’s going on.” Jackie let out a heavy breath. “Kay, I don’t mind saying, I’m way over my head here.”

  “I’m sure it’s a bit frightening.”

  “It’s fucking frightening!” Jacqueline said with a laugh. “I came back for a funeral I didn’t want to go to. I never would have imagined he’d leave me his business. I mean, Kay, what was he thinking?”

  “Well, judging from the letter he left you, he was trying to make amends.”

  “You know, if he hadn’t left me that damn letter—hadn’t said that he didn’t want Madeline to get the business—I’d just sell the thing and be on my way. Hell, I’d give it to somebody. I don’t want his money! I don’t need his money!”

  Kay reached over and squeezed Jackie’s thigh. “Jackie, don’t let this make you crazy. It’s overwhelming, I know. But just take it one day at a time.”

  “I feel like I’m in a dream or something, you know?” Jacqueline reached down and covered Kay’s hand, pressing it harder into her thigh. “I’m just kinda making it up as I go.”

  Kay’s eyes lighted on their hands, and she had the strangest sensation travel through her body. Jackie’s hand was warm on her own, and Kay spread her fingers, squeezing lightly on Jackie’s thigh, feeling the gentle tremble of Jackie’s leg. She looked up, watching Jackie’s profile as she drove. Then Jackie turned, meeting her eyes. In the brief instant that their gazes locked, Kay stopped breathing entirely.

  “I’m sorry,” Jacqueline murmured, releasing Kay’s hand. What are you doing?

  Kay cleared her throat. “Sorry for what?”

  Jacqueline shook her head, cursing the silly teenage crush that she couldn’t seem to shake. But it wasn’t all her fault. Kay was just too affectionate, too physical. And Jacqueline was not immune to her touch. She never had been.

  Kay realized her hand was still resting gently on Jackie’s thigh. She moved it, but only far enough to wrap her fingers around Jackie’s forearm.

  “Do you think I’m afraid of you, Jackie? Because you touch me? Is that it?”

  Jacqueline shrugged. “Straight women, sometimes, get uncomfortable when—”

  “We’ve always touched, Jackie.”

  Yes, always. And at the end, it had been pure torture. Jacqueline remembered one night in particular. A Friday night. The football game had been out of town, and Kay decided she didn’t want to go. Billy Ray was taking a bunch of his friends, and Kay didn’t want to ride with them. So, Jacqueline stayed behind, too. They made popcorn and watched TV and fended off Rose as she tried to crash their party.

  “It’s not like I can’t smell the popcorn,” Rose yelled through the door. “Let me in!”

  “Go away, squirt!” Jackie yelled back. “We’re talking.”

  “I’m nearly thirteen! Quit calling me squirt!”

  Kay laughed and bumped Jackie’s shoulder. “You know, she only yells when you’re here.”

  “Probably because that’s the only time you lock her out of your room.”

  Pounding on the door finally brought Kay off the bed. She jerked it open, staring down her sister.

  “Rose! Stop already. Jackie hasn’t been over in nearly a month. We would like some privacy, if you don’t mind.”

  “Rosie? Leave them alone,” Mrs. Garland yelled down the hall.

  “Now you’ve done it,” Kay said. “Mama heard you.”

  “Can I at least have some popcorn?”

  Kay looked at Jackie, waiting. Jackie took one more handful from her bowl, then offered it to Rose.

  “Here you go, squirt. Yo u can have the rest of mine.”

  Rose snatched the bowl, grinning. “Thanks, Jackie.”

  Kay shut the door and locked it, then joined Jackie on the bed, moving her bowl of popcorn between them so they could share.

  “She’s crazy about you, you know,” Kay said.

  Jackie grinned. “ Well, what’s not to be crazy about, huh?”

  Jackie shut her eyes for a moment as Kay leaned back against the pillows, their shoulders brushing. Common sense told her to move away, away from her touch, but she couldn’t make herself move. It felt too good.

  “I’m glad you decided not to go to the game, Jackie. Yo u haven’t stayed over in ages.” Kay moved her hand, lightly resting it on Jackie’s hip. “I’ve missed this.”

  Jackie managed to stifle her moan, but the hand on her hip was hot, burning her skin. She cleared her throat, but her voice was still husky when she spoke.

  “I’ve missed this, too, Kay.”

  Kay moved the popcorn and turned on her side, facing Jackie. Jackie felt as if her heart would explode at any moment. She was certain Kay could hear it as it pounded out of control. She kept her eyes glued firmly on the T V, so afraid to even look at Kay as she lay next to her.

  “Do you think we’re too old for this?”

  Jackie dared to look at her then. “ To o old for what?”

  “Sleepovers. We’re seventeen.”

  Jackie swallowed nervously. “Like maybe we shouldn’t share a bed? Does it bother you?”

  “No! Of course not. I love sleeping with you, Jackie. Especially like now, when it’s cold.”

  “Why when it’s cold?” Jackie asked hesitantly.

  “ ’Cause of the way you snuggle.”

  “Snuggle? I don’t snuggle,” Jackie insisted.

  “ Yeah, you do. You’re like my own personal heater when you wrap your arms around me and hold me.”

  This time Jackie couldn’t stop the groan that escaped and she lay her head back, eyes looking at the ceiling. Oh my God, she thought to herself, you hold her when you sleep!

  “What’s wrong?”

  Jackie turned, meeting the blue eyes that were so close to her own. Blue eyes that were filled with trust and love. And Jackie knew the night couldn’t come fast enough.

  “I love sleeping with you too.”

  “Are you okay?”

  Jacqueline turned, bringing her mind back to the present. “Yes. I’m sorry.”

  Kay grinned. “You missed our turn.”

  “Oh, shit. Sorry.” Jacqueline turned at the next block. “I was—”

  “Lost in thought?”

  “Yeah.”

  “About?”

  Jacqueline shook her head. “Just thinking back to when we were kids.”

  Kay again rubbed Jackie’s arm. “Jackie, is something bothering you? I mean, something other than the will and all?”

  “No. Why?”

  “Just… just in case you needed to talk. Yo u know, we can talk about anything.”

  “What brought that on?”

  “You have that same look on your face as you used to get when we were in high school. But back then, you didn’t share, did you? Yo u were afraid to talk to me. I’m just telling you, if there’s something you want to talk about, please don’t be afraid.”

  Oh, Kay. If you only knew. But Jacquelin
e shook her head, slowing the car as they approached Kay’s driveway.

  “I’m fine, Kay. Really.”

  But later, as Jacqueline lay in bed, eyes still wide open, she wondered if maybe it wouldn’t be better to just tell Kay the truth.

  “Tell her what?” she whispered out loud. Tell her you still have a stupid teenage crush on her?

  She rolled over, punching the pillow. She didn’t need this now. She didn’t need to have these… feelings. She needed to get the business straightened out, she needed to decide what she was going to do with it, then she needed to get the hell out of Pine Springs, Texas!

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  When Kay walked out of her bedroom Friday morning, Jackie was in the same place she’d left her Thursday night—sitting at the table, poring over reports that Greg had printed out for her, her little computer within arms reach.

  She walked behind her, lightly resting her hand on Jackie’s shoulder. Jackie looked up and flashed a smile.

  “Good morning.”

  “Been up long?”

  “Hour or so. Couldn’t sleep,” Jacqueline confessed.

  Kay reached for the nearly empty coffee cup. “How about a refill?”

  “That’d be great. But you don’t have to wait on me.”

  “This is hardly waiting on you.” Kay laughed. “Breakfast in bed, now that would be waiting on you!”

  Jacqueline watched her walk away, her mind picturing herself lying naked in bed, waiting for Kay. And it wouldn’t be a breakfast tray she’d be waiting for. She closed her eyes and chased the image away. For the last few days, the direction of her thoughts had taken a decidedly intimate track. And she wasn’t sure how to stop them.

  “You’re not nervous, are you?” Kay called from the kitchen.

  “A little,” Jacqueline admitted.

  Kay placed the coffee cup within reach, then sat across from Jackie. “Need to talk it out?”

  Jacqueline took off her glasses and rubbed her eyes, then smiled shyly at Kay. Yes, she needed to talk it out. Unfortunately, she didn’t know where to start.

  “Did you know that Greg was only making forty thousand?”

  Kay raised her eyebrows. “Around here, that’s excellent.”

  “Peterson, one of the managers, is making well over a hundred thousand. Close to two, if you count all this extra crap he gets.” Jacqueline found the list of employees and their salaries. “It’s very top heavy. I’m sure some of them got raises as the company prospered, just because they’d been with my father so long.” She found another printout. “Greg gave me a breakdown of how much time everyone is logged into the network. Peterson averages about ten hours a week. His assistant averages over forty. His assistant gets paid less than Greg.”

  “Surely you can’t judge time logged into the network as time worked, can you? I mean, don’t they travel?”

  “Yes, they travel. They also have laptops. Peterson’s assistant travels too. My point is, it appears Peterson gets the pay while his assistant does the work.” Jacqueline handed Kay the report. “All of the managers average at least thirty hours a week, about what their assistants do. All except Peterson.”

  Kay leaned forward. “I’m just guessing here, but you’re not real impressed with this Peterson guy?”

  “No, I’m not. And Greg seems to think that Mr. Lawrence is going to recommend I appoint Peterson to run the place while we transition.”

  “You’ve not talked to Mr. Lawrence about any of this?”

  “No. He’s going to be at the plant this morning. We’re going to meet first, then have the staff meeting.”

  “And you’re really looking forward to that?”

  Jackie laughed. “I’m not exactly boardroom material. I just want to lay down some ground rules and hope everything runs smoothly while I’m gone.”

  “Gone?” Their eyes met. “You’re leaving?”

  “Kay, you’re going to eventually get tired of having a roommate.” Before she could stop herself, Jacqueline reached for Kay’s hand. “Besides, I can’t stay here forever. Ingrid will be hounding me before too long for edits.”

  “But what about everything here?”

  “If my mother contests the will, it could be awhile before everything is settled. But Keys Industries, that’s a done deal, I guess.” Jacqueline released Kay’s hand and picked up her coffee cup instead. “If Mr. Lawrence agrees with me having Greg run things, then that’ll be smoother, and I can trust John to keep everything in order. And I’ll probably have David fly down here to go over everything, just to be safe.”

  “David?”

  “He’s my attorney. Not that I don’t trust Mr. Lawrence, but I don’t know where his true loyalty lies. I’ve known David since college.”

  Kay looked away. “You’re going to sell it, aren’t you?”

  “If I had any sense, I would.”

  Kay stood. “Well, I guess I can’t blame you. It’s an awful lot to be saddled with.”

  Jacqueline let her walk away. She didn’t know what to say to her. Sell it? Yes, it was the sensible thing to do. But there was the matter of her father’s letter and the nagging guilt that she couldn’t shake. And Kay obviously didn’t want her to sell it. But Jackie knew the reason for that and it had nothing to do with the business. It was an excuse to keep her here. And who could blame her. For all Kay knew, Jacqueline would leave again and they would drift apart.

  Yes, it would be the sensible thing to do. Fade from Kay’s life, before Jacqueline screwed it up completely by doing something totally inappropriate. But the thought of leaving here, without Kay, was painful to think about. Jacqueline rested her chin in her palm, her eyes sliding closed. Yes, too painful to think about being alone again.

  Jacqueline was impressed when Paul waved her through the gates with a smile. She drove the winding road to the offices, feeling confident as she pulled into her father’s parking spot. She owned the damn thing. Might as well start acting like it.

  However, when she got out and slammed the door, preparing for a staff meeting, she felt extremely underdressed. Oh, she’d struggled with Kay’s iron that morning, pressing the lone cotton shirt she’d brought along. However, she’d already abused the funeral suit twice, so she’d dutifully pressed her jeans, tucked the shirt inside, and stole one of Kay’s belts. And no matter that her soft, leather boots were chic, or that she’d taken extra time with her makeup. She still felt underdressed.

  But what the hell. She was the boss. She could dress however she pleased.

  “Yeah. Who cares?”

  She laughed, then walked up the steps. She was a little amused at her nervousness. She had nothing to lose here today. Because if anybody pissed her off, she’d just sell the damn thing and be on her way. She simply didn’t need—or want—the headaches.

  “Yes, may I help you?”

  Jacqueline arched an eyebrow. It was the same woman who’d taken her to Greg the other day. She obviously had a short memory.

  “No, thank you.”

  Jacqueline walked past, only to be grabbed by the arm.

  “I’m sorry, ma’am, but you can’t just go back there. Do you have an appointment?”

  Jacqueline decided to take pity on the woman. She obviously didn’t have a clue as to who Jacqueline was. And why would she? They hadn’t been introduced. So, Jacqueline held out her hand.

  “I’m Jacqueline Keys. I don’t believe I need an appointment,” she said as pleasantly as she could.

  The woman blushed crimson. “I’m so sorry.”

  Jacqueline gave a firm handshake, then dropped her hand. “Nothing to apologize for. We had not been formally introduced.” Jacqueline pointed to the stairs. “Mr. Lawrence is in?”

  “Oh, yes, ma’am. And the managers are gathered for a staff meeting. I guess I know why now.”

  Jacqueline smiled slightly. “So, it’s okay if I go up?”

  “Oh, yes! I’m sorry. Would you like me to take you up?”

  Jacqueline shook her head.
“No, thanks. I can find my way.”

  She paused at Greg’s door. Three monitors were filled with data, and he was running his finger across one of them, studying the figures. She knocked lightly.

  “Come on in,” he murmured without turning around.

  “It’s me.”

  He swung around then. “Jackie!” He looked at his watch. “Is it that time already?”

  “Going up to see John first.” She moved farther into the office, her voice low. “You still okay with everything?”

  He nodded. “If you are.”

  She gave a relieved smile. “Absolutely.” She watched as his eyes traveled over her body. “What?”

  He grinned. “I like casual.”

  Jacqueline felt a slight blush creep across her face. “I didn’t exactly come packed for boardroom meetings.”

  Greg straightened his own tie. “Your father had a dress code,” he stated. “Ties for the men, dresses for the women.”

  Jacqueline’s eyes widened. “You’re joking? Dresses? Always?”

  “Yes.”

  “How many women work here?”

  “Besides Arlene out front and Mrs. Willis upstairs, Ms. Scott is director of personnel, and there are two women in accounting. And then each of the managers has a secretary.”

  “I see.” Jacqueline smiled sheepishly. “Well, the first executive decision I’m making is to do away with the damn dress code.”

  “It’s been that way forever, they tell me.”

  Jacqueline was still shaking her head when she opened the door to the third floor. Mrs. Willis greeted her immediately.

  “Welcome back, Miss Keys.” If she was surprised by Jacqueline’s attire, she made no mention. “They’ve all been whispering among themselves,” she said with a smile.

  “Got them thinking, do we?”

  “I’d say.” She pulled Jacqueline toward her father’s office. “You want some coffee before you meet with Mr. Lawrence?”

  “What flavor?”

  “Flavor?”

  “Of coffee?”

  “Well… coffee flavor. What do you mean?”

  Jacqueline placed her laptop and briefcase on her father’s desk. “Bottled water?”

  “We have some, yes.”

  “Perfect.”