Kelly's Rules

by Barbara Miller

  “Coming, Bea.” She went to the door and let her mother in. “What’s the matter? The kids are occupied in the TV room and Sue is still asleep.”

  “I have to meet someone. Can you keep the kids with you today while Sue is at work?”

  Kelly was impressed that Bea took babysitting so seriously. “As it happens Quinn has a meeting in Pittsburgh and I am working on Sue’s house today, so I can take them with me, but where are you going?”

  “Pittsburgh. I have to meet someone at Station Square.”

  “You can’t take my Jeep. Quinn has it.”

  Bea flung her hand onto her hip. “Now did I ask for your car? I’m getting a ride.”

  “But how will you get home?” Kelly followed her mother to the end of the driveway where she had parked her tote bag, not her everyday tote bag, but her I-don’t-know-when-I’ll-be-back tote bag.

  “Will you answer me?”

  “I thought you wanted rid of me, that you didn’t care.”

  Bea looked confused and desperate. This was not a good sign.

  “I don’t want you smoking in my house, but I do care whether you live or die and that goes along with not wanting you to be smoking at all.”

  “Kelly, this is very important. This man could be your father. I met him on the cruise and he remembered me from the old days when I waited tables at Kelly’s.”

  “You said my dad was a cowboy, Sam from San Antonio. What was he doing on your cruise?”

  “He has red hair like yours. I have to talk to him.”

  “You didn’t talk on the cruise?”

  “He was with…someone.”

  “His wife? Mom, aren’t you getting a little old to be the other woman?”

  “We’re just going to talk. Besides that broad was not his wife. I’d bet my life on it.”

  “You never told me Sam Barr had red hair. In fact you said…”

  “Kelly! Kelly! Forget Sam Barr. I made him up.”

  Kelly felt her jaw drop. Her handsome rancher dad evaporated into thin air and she felt betrayed again. “You said he didn’t know about me and that’s why he never wrote. I looked him up. There is a Sam Barr in San Antonio.”

  “Really? I had to tell you something.” Bea was flagging a car Kelly didn’t recognize to the curb.

  Kelly rubbed her forehead. “You lied to a five-year-old?”

  “I had to tell you something. In those days I couldn’t just give you my last name. You had to have a name.”

  “Why Barr?”

  “In all these years you never figured it out?” Bea looked over her shoulder and shook her head. “I worked at Kelly’s Bar.”

  She stared at her mother for a moment before a terrible light bulb crackled to life in her sleep-fuzzed brain. “Kelly’s Bar—Kelly Barr. Oh! You didn’t even know who my father was?”

  “But this might be him. See you.”

  Bea hopped in and the car sped away leaving Kelly at the curb, knowing she might see her mother that night or in six weeks. Was it any wonder she was so detached? She had abandonment issues enough for twenty and they continued into adulthood. The mother-baby bond had been broken so early for her she could never remember thinking of Bea as her real mother. She always thought Bea had stolen her from someone else and she pictured a cultured lady somewhere mourning the loss of her infant daughter. Definitely kids were not such a good idea. What if she was as neglectful?

  She looked down and realized Nicky had come back out of the house and was standing at the curb in his jammies hugging a floppy rabbit.

  “Where’s Aunt Bea going?”

  “I don’t know. I feel like pancakes with blueberries. How about you?”

  Nicky nodded. “But Daf fell asleep again.”

  “We’ll wake her with the smells.” She picked the child up and walked with him to the house. “Then the two of you have to help me at your mother’s.”

  “Okay.”

  * * * * *

  Quinn had thought about looking for an attorney in Laurel Hill, but he had already consulted with Ebring in Pittsburgh who seemed to able to communicate with Brenda’s lawyer if not with Brenda herself. The downside was driving to Pittsburgh for the consults. He’d reluctantly borrowed Kelly’s Jeep for the trip, and was now disgusted that Ebring wanted to cave in and hand over everything but his fee. Much as Quinn wanted to get things over with, there was no point in caving now. He looked around the expensive dark-paneled office and realized he had made a big mistake. This man was not going to fight for him. He might as well be talking to Brenda’s lawyer.

  “So this is what you saved in twenty-five years?” Ebring asked.

  Quinn took immediate offense. “Brenda is a shopper. I wouldn’t be surprised to find she has debts all over the city, but none with my name on them.”

  “You cancelled the joint credit cards?” Ebring perched his bifocals on his long, thin nose.

  “Some time ago and paid them off.”

  “She can get more credit cards then, since you placed her in good standing.”

  “Not with my signature on the application. I’m with a different credit card company now.”

  Ebring flipped a page. “Your youngest son?”

  “Will be eighteen in September.”

  “Probably of age before we settle. No question she gets half your savings and pension. They can make a case for her getting half your salary. The problem is she wants the money now.”

  “The stock?”

  “What stock?”

  “Her father’s company pensions consist only of stock for executives. He finds it keeps them loyal. There’s a reason I cannot sell the stock right now. I can’t even transfer half to her to sell.”

  “Her lawyer must have thought of that. Can you buy her out of the pension?”

  “With what?” Quinn demanded. Was this guy stupid or what?

  Ebring took his glasses off. “The house you bought in Laurel Hill must be worth something.”

  Quinn exhaled in despair. Just what he had feared. “I guess I’ll have to sell it, but it won’t do any good because Brenda will then want half of that money and there won’t be enough left to buy her out of her half of the pension.”

  “I’m sure she’ll see reason.” Ebring gave an impatient half-smile.

  “I’m just as sure she won’t. You don’t know her. We had a verbal agreement. You see what that was worth.” Quinn pushed himself back in the leather chair, determined to enjoy the feel of it for a few more minutes since it was costing him dearly.

  “Unless we can resolve the pension issue, the case can drag on and you don’t want that,” Ebring advised. “It could get expensive.”

  The case dragging on could be the best revenge he ever had on Brenda, but he didn’t want to owe this guy any more than he did today. “How expensive? In fact what do I owe you right now?”

  “I can’t give you an exact figure.” Ebring was starting to look pained.

  Quinn put on his auditor’s face. “Surely you know how many hours you’ve put in.”

  After the lawyer called his secretary and translated his hours into dollars, Quinn looked at the paper and said, “Okay, you’re fired.”

  “You don’t mean that.”

  “I barely have enough savings to cover your bill, which had better be itemized before you expect me to pay it. Remember, I’m an accountant.”

  “But you can’t represent yourself in this,” Ebring said. “They’ll get everything.”

  “You’re handing over everything already and charging me for it. Besides, when I pay you there will be nothing to get.” He left without saying more since he didn’t want to get angrier than he was and certainly he didn’t want to be charged for another minute of the man’s time.

  After waiting an hour to see him, Quinn was more than disappointed. He was outraged that Ebring had done nothing to earn his fee. Maybe Kelly was right. Maybe he should wait for Brenda to do something else stupid, but he couldn’t think of anything that would get her thrown in jail sh
ort of burning down his house and he didn’t want that. It would be worse than selling it.

  On the drive back he thought about living in an apartment. He’d be back where he’d started, but he had some years left to rebuild his life. He would just be an old man by the time he was in a position to—to what? Ask Kelly to marry him. Maybe she wouldn’t care if he was a pauper but he cared. What he had to focus on now was Jason, getting him through college. They just had to have a decent place to live for four years.

  He was almost to the turnpike when he thought of a plan that Ebring would never suggest, that he could not even confide to a lawyer. If he wasn’t going to be free to marry Kelly soon, then maybe he did want the divorce to drag out. When Brenda’s father was ruined, the company stock would plummet and there would be no retirement money for her to squander. Maybe it was just as well. She didn’t realize that yet, but he bet her father had an inkling. Maybe he just needed to wait since the ball was in their court. It wouldn’t solve everything, but it would help.

  What Quinn did not dare do until the SEC made its move was sell off any stock at all. That would look as though he was using privileged information to profit, insider trading in other words. And he could not warn anyone about what was coming.

  Brenda’s dad might tell her if he wanted, but that would be stupid because she would blab it to someone. Besides Quinn thought her father might be living in a dream world. He never thought his empire could fall, never listened to Quinn about what was going on. He had to know by now that Quinn had gone to the SEC, yet he had never confronted Quinn. Probably on advice from his lawyer.

  Selling Kelly his house would also be a trick, but he didn’t think he could be called on it. Brenda wasn’t that smart and no one else would care. Maybe her lawyer. What did it matter? At least someone he liked would have his house.

  Chapter Ten

  “Rule 10: Be wary of mating displays. For men it’s flashy clothes, Mohawk hairdos and gold chains, accompanied by gifts of flowers or baubles. For women add revealing clothes, red claws and painted lips. Both use cologne, tattoos and piercings to show how brave and conformist they are.” — SMFA and SWFW

  She was almost finished repairing scratched and dented plaster walls at Sue’s when her friend appeared from the bedroom in what she guessed was a new dress. At least Kelly had never seen it before. It was red, which wasn’t all that shocking until Kelly saw the matching nails and lipstick. Sue was on the hunt and Kelly was guessing she was going to be staying in her own house from now on.

  “Yikes,” she said as she took a step back, looking Sue up and down. “Hot date with a vampire?”

  “Devin is taking me out to dinner tonight. Just me without the kids. He says there’s something he needs to tell me. Please say you can watch them.”

  Kelly glanced toward the children who had now collapsed in front of the TV. “They’ve been busy all day actually helping me sand the rough spots, so I imagine they will hit the sack early tonight. I’ll take them back to my house in case you two, well, you know.” Kelly almost flipped a spatter of plaster onto Sue’s outfit with her gesture.

  Sue retreated. “I think Devin could be THE one.”

  “He seems so nice, besides that black belt in karate. For sure none of your ex-boyfriends will mess with you if Devin stays around. Pity about the tattoo. But he has only one and I think it has some actual significance to him.”

  Sue tilted her head wistfully, but wistful didn’t come off, considering her war paint. “I love the tattoo. I’m actually thinking of getting one.”

  Kelly could hardly recognize Sue behind the artificial claws and the red mouth. She couldn’t imagine her at all with a tat. Much as she wanted to advise against it she kept her mouth shut. She’d always thought red nails and lips made women look dangerous. So why did it attract men? Oh, yes, men liked to live dangerously. Somehow she didn’t think Devin was one of those men. He seemed too controlled for that.

  Sue picked up her purse and stilt walked to the door on her new red heels. “Wish me luck.”

  Break a leg was on the tip of Kelly’s tongue but she really didn’t want anything bad to happen to her best friend. “All the best,” was what Kelly said.

  “That’s what both of us want, all the best. It’s funny, but every good memory I have of my life is tainted with something bad happening that day…because of a man.”

  Kelly thought back over her own good memories and realized it was a short list, but the taint was usually her mother, not a man. She cleared her throat. “No one gets to pick and choose, Sue. If you want to have only happy memories you have to edit out too much. Ha, I’d have nothing left except you and the kids.”

  Sue came back and hugged her. Kelly did not recoil because she could see the insecurity behind the scary clothes and makeup.

  “Tonight is real important to me,” Sue said. “I don’t want anything to go wrong.”

  “Pretend you’re a teen again, that nothing bad has ever happened to you, that he’s your first.”

  “Yeah, right. Thanks again. I’ll pick the kids up in the morning.”

  Quinn pulled in just as Sue was sliding into her car. She even waved to him. He smiled as Kelly loaded the kids and tools into the Jeep.

  “Who was that borrowing Sue’s car? She sort of scared me.”

  “You didn’t recognize her either.”

  “Not Sue. She didn’t scare the children?”

  “They must have seen her like that before, but they didn’t give her a hug. What’s worse, she may scare Devin off with that blatant display of red.”

  Quinn squinted in the direction of Sue’s retreating car. “I bet if there’s a rule attached to this, it’s for women.”

  “Both men and women. Of course Devin has a tat so maybe Sue won’t scare him away.”

  “Good point.”

  “What I appreciate is clean, and soap is like perfume to me. Besides I’m allergic to cologne.”

  Quinn waited for her to lock up, then get the kids into the car. He drove them slowly to Kelly’s house wondering what to say to her. He pulled down her driveway and sat still as the kids unbuckled and hopped out into the yard.

  “You also appreciate being treated equally, and in my clumsy way I offended you by seeming surprised at your competence.”

  Kelly chuckled. “Even though you are.”

  He grinned. “Let’s not visit that topic again just now. Jason is grilling and he wants to know how many for dinner.” Quinn looked toward his son, who was manning the portable grill and volleying question from the kids.

  “Just us and the kids.”

  “Where’s your mom? Not on a date or something?”

  “I’m not sure, but Bea went to Pittsburgh.”

  “Huh, I could have given her a ride.”

  “I doubt you were going to the same area.”

  After they had fed the kids and sent them to bed, Kelly turned to Quinn and Jason. “I’m going to have to ask one of you to stand watch since I’m in charge of the children tonight.”

  “I’ll do it,” Jason said. “I like camping out in the old house. I found a box of books in the attic.”

  “Thanks, I owe you one,” Kelly said.

  “You shouldn’t have to guard my house at all,” Quinn said. Did he sound too possessive? Should he have said the house not my house?

  “He’s right, you know.” Jason wrapped up the leftover burgers and carried them inside.

  “And you shouldn’t have to help me rescue my friends,” Kelly replied. “But I guess that’s what knights are for.”

  “Wish I could aspire that that office, but I’m just an average guy.” Quinn would love to be an average guy. Right now with all the problems hanging over him, he felt below par.

  Kelly smiled at him, flipped the cooler open and got out a small bottle of wine. She unsealed it and poured half in her glass.

  Quinn reached for the bottle. It was a good Chardonnay but not hugely expensive. “I didn’t know you drank.”

&nb
sp; “Never enough to get drunk. Funny that Jason would load this into the cooler. Do you think he’s trying to tell us something?” Quinn poured the rest of the wine into his own glass. Was his son playing Cupid? If so it was premature since nothing could happen for a long time yet. He had better let Kelly know just how long their future might have to wait.

  She sat on the heavy swing and started it moving.

  “Rough day?” he asked. “What am I saying? They’re all rough days.” He downed the wine for courage and rehearsed. I love you but I’m going to have to put you on hold for six months or a year. That didn’t sound very affectionate.

  “Just trying to get past something in my life I don’t think I can get over.” She paused the swing, he got on and she resumed the pendulum movement.

  Quinn stared at her, trying to fathom what kind of crisis Kelly could have that he didn’t know about. “What’s happened? Is Bea okay?”

  “Bea is fine, wherever she is. Odd how nothing ever seems to happen to her. At least as far as I know, she’s never been in danger, but I doubt that she’d tell me if she was.”

  “Then what’s wrong?”He reached for her hand but she wasn’t ready for that.

  “She told me my dad is not a cowboy.”

  He wrinkled his brow. “I didn’t know he was supposed to be. Is that a cowboy in the real sense or in the fooling around sense?”

  “She made him up, and when I was five I liked cowboys, so she said he was a cowboy.”

  Quinn leaned back in the swing with a sigh. “So…who is he?”

  “She isn’t really sure. That’s why she named me after Kelly’s Bar.”

  Quinn gaped, then he burst out laughing. When he got control of himself he glanced at her and she looked like she wanted to dump him off the swing except he outweighed her. She tossed back the wine in her glass and waited for him to get control of himself.

  “So glad you think it’s funny.” Her voice was brittle, not mellowed at all by the alcohol.

  “Kelly, we all find out things about ourselves that surprise us, but that doesn’t mean you’ve lived a lie. Who your father is doesn’t matter. It’s who you are that counts.”