Kentucky Sunrise

by Fern Michaels

  He was dressed casually in creased jeans, Nikes, and a Polo shirt. His hair was slicked back but still unruly. Emmie had said he looked delicious, with his golden tan against the stark whiteness of his shirt.

  In all the years he’d lived in Kentucky, he’d never been to the Inn. And it was the Inn. People from all over the world stayed at the Kentucky Inn when they came for Derby Week. He couldn’t help but wonder how Willow had managed to snag a room since the Inn, according to the newspapers, was always booked a year in advance. It was obvious to him now that Willow got what Willow wanted when Willow wanted it. He made a mental promise to himself to come back another day and explore the famous inn.

  His gaze swept the crowded lobby. He saw her one split second before she saw him. He had just that one second to realize she was just as pretty as he remembered. He made his way toward her, through the milling crowd of early Derbyites.

  Willow motioned for him to sit down opposite her. A small table with a coffee service sat in the middle. “Black, one sugar, right?” Willow said.

  Nick shook his head. “No, thanks. Let’s get to it, Willow. No games. What is it you want?” He was amazed at how cold and uncaring his voice sounded.

  “I want you. We’re still married, Nick.” Her voice was still as soft as he remembered, almost a purr, mesmerizing. He fought the urge to clench his fists in preparation to slugging her in front of everyone.

  “No, we’re not married, Willow. I divorced you. I have the papers to prove it. Don’t go down that road. Now, what is it you want?”

  “A divorce is just a piece of paper just the way a marriage license is a piece of paper. We were married. We made love. We slept in each other’s arms. You swore to love me forever. I want free legal counsel. I’m being set up for something I didn’t do, and I want your firm to represent me. The man I was living with was murdered. They need someone to pin it on, and I’m their target. I didn’t do it, but I can’t prove it. I wasn’t anywhere near the ranch when he was killed. I want you to head up the legal team, oversee everything. That’s it, no more, no less, Nick. Consider it a favor for old times’ sake.”

  “The firm doesn’t do criminal law. I don’t do criminal law. You need to get yourself a criminal lawyer for whatever it was you didn’t do. Besides, we don’t practice outside the state of New Mexico.”

  “Now, that’s lie number two. Lie number one is, yes, you do handle criminal law. I checked it out. Your firm is the best of the best. Right now, I need the best and your firm is it. Hatch Littletree and Bode Jessup both defended people accused of murder, and they won their cases. Both are licensed to practice outside the state. Hatch can practice in any state of the union. Maybe you can’t, but they sure can. I need an immediate answer, Nick.”

  “I’m speaking for myself, and the answer is no. Hatch is semiretired, and Bode is basically running the firm. We all have full caseloads. I’m also low man on the totem pole, and my opinion doesn’t count for much, so I would suggest you go elsewhere.”

  Willow brought the delicate porcelain coffee cup to her lips. “This is your way of getting back at me, Nick. I suppose in the scheme of things, I can understand your attitude. I won’t take no for an answer. Make it happen. If you don’t, honey, I’m going to call Buddy Owens just the way I told Emmie I would.”

  “How can you be so spiteful, so cruel? Emmie never did a thing to you. She went out of her way to be nice to you. I never did anything to you either, and yet you walked out on me. Why did you do that? I want to hear you tell me why.”

  “Because your mother saw through my little charade. We both had a week of fun. You were so cute and such an apt learner once you got the hang of lovemaking. I still think of you fondly. If we had stayed together, you would have smothered me, Nick. I need my space. I like the challenge of... Look, it is what it is. Like I told Emmie, I may be a lot of things, but I’m no murderer. None of my . . . ah . . . husbands is going to make waves. Every single one of them has an ego that won’t allow him to be made a fool of. I was very careful of my choices, so there’s no problem there. You divorced me, so that’s not a concern either. If there’s no one to file charges of bigamy, I’m off the hook. Get me out of this and I’ll disappear and you’ll never hear from me again. I meant it when I said I would tell Buddy about Emmie’s little girl. You help me, and I’ll keep quiet.”

  Nick squirmed in his chair. “How do I know I can trust you? All you do is lie and manipulate.” He couldn’t believe he had said what he just said. Still, he had to consider Emmie and her wishes.

  “That’s a chance you have to take. What’s it going to be?”

  Nick looked around the plush lobby, at the chattering guests drinking mint juleps at noon on a Sunday morning. Doesn’t anyone go to church anymore? Waiters in pristine white coats and immaculate gloves mingled among the guests with trays perched high over their shoulders. Piano music wafted his way, probably from the bar area. There was so much old money in the room, Nick thought he could smell it.

  “I told you, Willow, it’s not my decision to make. I have to talk to the partners.” He leaned across the table and hissed between his teeth, “You say one word to Buddy Owens, and I’ll hunt you down and kill you myself. Emmie has enough on her plate right now without worrying about you telling Buddy about Gabby.”

  Willow looked into his eyes and purred, “Ooohh, I love it when you get mad like this. You look so manly. I wouldn’t object if you wanted to go upstairs and renew what we once had.”

  “I’d rather renew old feelings with a rattlesnake. I’ll get back to you when I have something to report.” He was on his feet a second later. He managed to thread his way through the gaggle of people clustered everywhere in the lobby. The minute he was outside, he took a deep breath of air. He felt drained and disoriented as he made his way across the parking lot to the pickup. Six cars were waiting for his parking space. He looked around, panic on his face, to see if the three birds were still huddled under the bush. They were, but farther back in the shrubbery. For some odd reason he felt relief at the sight.

  “Shit!” he said as he backed out of his parking space and crawled through the parking lot and out to the highway. “Shit, shit, shit!”

  Nealy clutched at Hatch’s arm. “There’s something about saying good-bye on a rainy day that doesn’t sit right with me,” she fretted. “I know I’m going to cry when Nick carries Emmie down to the car. How am I going to say good-bye to Gabby? The poor thing is so confused. Maybe it is the right thing but, then again, maybe it isn’t. She’s so little to be taken away and thrust among strangers, and they will be strangers to her even though they’re family. I don’t feel good about this, Hatch.”

  Hatch reached for his wife’s hand. “You have to accept that this is what Emmie wants, honey.” He squeezed her hand in a show of support.

  “But Hatch, I’m her mother, I should be going with her. This feels so . . . so terminal. I think I’m scared. No, no, I know I’m scared. If I feel like this, imagine how Emmie must feel. Hang on to me, Hatch, or I’m going to run after her and drag her back.”

  “Easy, Nealy. Here comes Fanny. Smile, honey.”

  Fanny wrapped her arms around Nealy, and whispered, “I know just what you’re feeling. We’re going to take very good care of your daughter. Sage will pick you up at the airport first thing tomorrow. Emmie doesn’t know you’re coming, so let’s keep it at that. We’ll do . . . do what we discussed when you arrive. Jake will be ready with all his gear when you’re ready to return. We’re going to make it work, Nealy. I’ll see you in the morning at Babylon.”

  Nealy wiped at the corner of her eye. “Okay, Fanny. Thank you.”

  Nick joined his mother and Hatch on the porch the moment the line of cars headed out to the main road. He looked at his watch. “Hatch, I need to talk to you. Mom, you need to hear this, too. Let’s go inside. It’s damp out here, and I can see you’re shivering.”

  Nick looked first at his mother and then at Hatch. He reiterated his conversatio
n with Willow and didn’t spare himself when it came to recounting his emotions.

  “That’s blackmail,” Nealy sputtered.

  “Of course it’s blackmail,” Nick said tightly. “How else do you think she could convince me to help her? Emmie is . . . Emmie is wild about this. Now that she has this condition, and her activities are so limited, it is conceivable that Buddy could file for custody. A judge won’t look kindly on Emmie for not telling him he has a daughter. He could get custody of Gabby if he knew. Am I right, Hatch?”

  “He’s on the money, Nealy.”

  “This is so like Emmie,” Nick said. “She never thinks things through. I tried to get her to tell Buddy. The time to do it was when Gabby was born. Back then he just wanted to be rid of Emmie, so the chances of his wanting a child at that same time were nil. She didn’t do it.”

  “Nick and I both tried to talk her into telling Buddy about Gabby,” Hatch added. “I wanted to do it legally, with a letter and the courts, but Emmie was adamantly opposed.”

  Nealy twisted her hands in agitation as she looked from her husband to her son. “How do we know Willow won’t tell Buddy even if you agree to help her? Say you do agree, and somehow it goes wrong with her even with your excellent representation. Just suppose she gets angry and tells him anyway just for spite. I knew that girl was trouble the minute I set eyes on her. I’m sorry, Nick. I wish things hadn’t turned out this way.”

  Nick poured himself a cup of coffee. “Don’t sweat it, Mom. There’s more. When I got back from the Inn, I made some phone calls. Guess what I found out! Willow worked as a chef in Fanny Thornton’s casino, Babylon. She just walked out one day. I guess that’s her MO. She did the same thing in Bermuda. I asked Sage about it. I think I blew his mind when I told him I’d been married to his chef. Talk about someone’s mouth going slack and agape.”

  Hatch stood with his back to the screen door. “Nick, what did he actually say?”

  Nick cleared his throat. “He said to run as far and as fast as I could. He said I didn’t want to be tarred with that brush. You know how it is in Vegas. Junior Belez is . . . was a high roller. There’s a very large estate involved, but since Willow wasn’t legally married, I don’t know what the hell it means. All Willow said to me was that she’s wanted for questioning. She said she was a lot of things but not a murderer. I don’t think she’s a murderer either. According to her, they’re going to try to pin the murder on her. If she’s arrested, they won’t give her bail because she’ll be considered a flight risk, which means she sits in jail. The thought doesn’t pain me at all,” Nick said coldly. “However, no one should spend time in jail unless they’re guilty of something. She’s staying at the Kentucky Inn, Hatch. I wish you would talk to her and see what you think.”

  Nealy continued to wring her hands. Finally, she stuffed them in the pockets of her slacks. “I can go to Ohio and talk to Buddy.”

  “No!” The single word exploded out of Nick’s mouth like a gunshot. “That’s the worst thing you can do right now. You didn’t see old Buddy sending you any Christmas cards after he dumped Emmie, did you? You, Mom, are just as much a part of his problem as Emmie is. You never wake a sleeping tiger, just as you never ask a question unless you already know the answer.”

  “Nick’s right, honey,” Hatch said. “I’ll call and arrange to meet with Willow. I’m not making any promises to either one of you. Let’s understand that going in.”

  “Can you keep this quiet, Hatch? I don’t want those film people finding out about this, or they’ll want to include it in that damn movie. They’re ready to go into the editing phase, but they can still shoot footage. Nick doesn’t need that, and neither does this farm. And for sure Emmie doesn’t need it.”

  “Nealy, you can’t keep something like this under wraps. Sooner or later it’s all going to get out. This family is newsworthy. In Vegas, the Thorntons are newsworthy just as the Colemans in Texas are newsworthy. The press loves stuff like this. I’ll do my best to keep it quiet but don’t count on any miracles.”

  “I’m going to pack my gear and head out to the airport,” Nick said. “I have to be in court early in the morning. When you get to Vegas, give me a call so I’ll know you arrived safely. Mom, promise you’ll keep me up to speed where Emmie is concerned.”

  “All right, Nick. Are you okay with the Willow thing?”

  “No, Mom, I’m not okay with it. I thought it was over and done with, and I was moving on. Now this comes up. Oh, another thing, Emmie didn’t take her patch of grass with her. You might want to think about digging it up and taking it with you. I think she just forgot it.”

  “I’ll do that, honey.”

  Nick nodded. He set his coffee cup in the sink, turned around, and clapped Hatch on the back. “I don’t know if I should wish you good luck or not. Do you want me to fill Bode in on things when I get to the office?”

  “Yeah. Tell him I’ll call him after I talk to Willow. Have a good flight.”

  Nealy rinsed the coffeepot, not because she wanted to make more coffee but because it gave her something to do with her hands.

  “It’s just you and me now, Nealy. If I drink any more coffee, it’ll be running in my veins. I know you want to go out there to dig up Emmie’s patch of grass. While you’re doing that, I’m going to call Willow. I guess we have no plans for Derby Day, right?”

  Nealy shrugged as she set the empty coffeepot back on the counter. “I was only going to go because I thought the family was staying on to attend. Then Emmie’s condition surfaced, her leaving for the rehab center, and this Willow thing . . . Derby Day is not on the top of my priority list. Next year.”

  “Hey, that’s fine with me. We can watch it on television.”

  Nealy snuggled into the crook of her husband’s arm. “Are you ever sorry you got involved with my family, Hatch? It seems there’s one crisis after another.”

  “I’m loving every minute of it because I love you. It’s all going to work out one way or another. It’s called life, Nealy. Go on now, dig up that grass and pack it up. When we both wind up our tasks, I say we head into town for some Chinese.”

  Nealy smiled. “Now that sounds like a plan to me.”

  Nealy followed Fanny Thornton into the Harem Bar and sat down at a small table, her eyes wide in awe. “This is so exciting, Fanny. I’ve never seen anything like this in my life. It’s so . . . alive. Don’t people sleep when they come here? How is it this place can be open twenty-four hours a day all year round?”

  “It just is. If you want it in one word, that word is money. Billions, not millions, of dollars go through this town yearly. There are no clocks either. I always found that amazing. So many things have happened here in Babylon. I met my husband Marcus right here in this very bar. I was sitting on this same chair at this same table. We’re just babbling, Nealy. I’m . . . going to take you . . . somewhere in a little bit, but first I want to assure you that Emmie is in good hands. After we . . . after we do some, ah, business, I’ll take you out to the center and give you the tour. You won’t be able to see Emmie, but at least you’ll know where she is and how things operate. Sage called earlier and said Gabby had a good night. Cookie is with her. They’re all going fishing today. Jake is ready to leave with you. That young man is so excited. You’ve given him a new lease on life, and Sunny is delirious with joy that you’re taking him on.

  “Harry and Sunny will both be looking out for Emmie. She isn’t going to be alone the way Sunny was. It’s all doable, Nealy. Accept it, and things will move forward. Acceptance is the biggest hurdle.”

  Nealy leaned across the table. “Did you accept it, Fanny?”

  “No, not at first. We had our rough patches just like you will.”

  “Is the casino in Atlantic City like this one?”

  “Almost. If you mean just as lavish and decadent, yes. It’s a tad smaller but we’re the only ones who know that. Running a casino like this is a monster undertaking. The twins have it under control. I never did when I wa
s running it. Things would just get away from me. I’m not comfortable here. I never was. I’ll bet you don’t know that handling money can make you sick. We have hydraulic lifts to move it from place to place. To me it’s artificial and phony. Ash, my first husband, thrived in this atmosphere. See, I’m babbling again.”

  “Is something wrong, Fanny? You look so . . . jittery.”

  Fanny drew a deep breath. “That’s because I am jittery. This place makes me crazy. All those bells and whistles, all those people milling about. It’s time to leave, Nealy.”

  Nealy slid off the chair and picked up her purse. “Are we going to the center?”

  “No. We’re going . . . what we’re going to do is . . . is, go to this dump and . . . wait. They have the best chicken soup and bread. They’ll give you some to go.”

  “Can I ask why we’re going there, Fanny? It’s a little early for lunch, isn’t it?”

  “We’re not going to eat. You’d think after all these years, I would be comfortable going there, but I’m not. I don’t bother them, and they don’t bother me. Or my kids. We work . . . in harmony now. They have their side of the street and we have ours. We . . . help one another . . . from time to time. One time I turned off the power and the water. The town turned black. From that day on, they knew I meant business. It’s a mutual respect kind of thing for us. They helped Metaxas replant the mountain. Now when we get there, don’t panic. They lock the door and pull the shade. Then they give you soup and bread. Somebody comes and . . . then things happen. You’d think in this high-tech age things would be different instead of . . . of the way I do it. I know this doesn’t make sense to you, but that’s okay. Sometimes I think they just keep doing it this way to humor me.”

  “Can I ask how you arranged this . . . whatever it is we’re going to do?”

  “I have this phone number. I just call it. Any time of the day or night. It’s all because of Sallie, my mother-in-law. Don’t ask me any more questions, Nealy. All right, here it is. I told you it was a dump,” Fanny said nervously. “Don’t say anything.”