Claiming Amelia

by Jessica Blake

  “I’m leaving that up to Worth, and you’d better do the same.”

  “I think that’s wise, Auggie. She’s been through a lot and she’s not as strong as the rest of us. Let Worth tell her in his own way, but don’t let it go too long. You don’t want that guy showing up at her condo uninvited,” he cautioned and I had to agree.

  We visited for a while, talking about the upcoming yearling sales. Dad said he thought he might buy one, thinking it would give him something to do. I told him to keep an eye out for me, although my barns weren’t completely ready yet. “I’m on a day by day basis right now,” I shared and he nodded.

  Ford woke up and immediately made it known that his diaper needed changing and he was starving. Dad stepped out of the kitchen so I could tend the crying baby. As I nestled my son to my breast, a knock came at the kitchen door. I looked up to see Linc standing there, his face peering through the window at me feeding Ford. “Dad!” I shouted as I quickly covered myself.

  Within moments, Dad was in the doorway. “What is it?”

  I nodded toward the door and Dad looked at me, then at the eyes of the man outside. I sat frozen to the spot but didn’t need to say anything. Dad knew who it was. He went and opened the door. “Help you?” he asked, pretending ignorance.

  “Hi there. Hello, Auggie,” Linc acknowledged me. “Didn’t expect to see you here and certainly not like that,” he snickered, indicating my still partially exposed breast.

  I nodded and rose, clutching the baby and my blouse tight against me. I left the kitchen but lurked in the dining room where I could overhear the conversation.

  “I’m looking for my mother, Caren Langford,” I heard Linc say, his voice as rude and obnoxious as the night before. “Since Auggie’s here, I’m guessing I’ve got the right place. You Mr. Langford?”

  “Who are you?” Dad asked. He had evidently decided to play dumb and buy some time.

  “I’m pretty sure you already know who I am,” Linc said, his voice holding no humor. “Is she here?”

  “No.” Dad came right to the point.

  “Do you know when she’ll be back?”

  “She doesn’t live here,” Dad answered and I could tell by the location of voices that he hadn’t invited Linc inside.

  “No shit? Well, now there’s an interesting development. Where can I find her?” he pressed.

  “Don’t have any information for you. She doesn’t live here anymore.” Dad was curt.

  “Like that, is it?” Linc asked in a voice filled with anger.

  “It is. Good day,” Dad said, followed by the click of the door.

  I finished up with Ford and came back into the kitchen. “That won’t be the end of it,” I said to Dad. He looked me straight in the eye and nodded in agreement.

  ***

  I found Worth at home when I got there. “Where were you? I’ve been worried,” he said, coming to help me carry Ford into the house.

  I barely refrained from rolling my eyes. “You have my cell number. What’s the big deal? I’m not going to be a prisoner, you know.”

  “You’re right, but you can understand, under the circumstances.”

  “He showed up again,” I said simply, walking into the foyer.

  “What? Bill was still here when I got back,” he said, puzzled.

  “Not here. I went to visit Dad and he showed up there, right at the kitchen door while I was nursing Ford.” There was no point in holding back that information. Worth would find out about it eventually, I knew.

  “The bastard!” he shouted. “What did he want?”

  “Mother.”

  “Mother?”

  “Yes, of course! My mother, his mother, our mother.”

  “Jesus Christ. How did this shit happen?” Worth was angry. I could see he was strategizing logistics and options again. “Here, let me show you how this security system works.”

  I gave Ford to Betsy to bathe and feed him my pumped milk before putting him to bed then followed Worth through the house and his overview of the wiring, the remotes, and the cameras.

  “I don’t like having cameras in the house,” I said.

  “You think I do?” He was exasperated. He ran his hand through his hair in frustration. It occurred to me that if this was a stranger, Worth would just turn him over to the authorities for stalking. Linc, however, had secrets to spill and that made him dangerous, if not untouchable.

  “Worth, we have to do something about this. We can’t let this man run our entire lives from here on out.”

  “I’m already working on that,” he said, his voice reassuring, his eyes filled with promise.

  “What are you doing?” I wasn’t stupid, but I was desperate. I needed to know.

  His face closed up and he turned away. “The less you know, the better off you’ll be.”

  Fear spiraled through me and I sighed, running a hand through my hair. “I was afraid you’d say something like that.” Then I was in his arms, hugging him for all I was worth.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Worth

  I was having a drink at Joe’s, my favorite hangout. It was frequented by everyone who was anyone in the equine industry — at least the males. A sort of holdout where traditional rules and old money still carried weight, it smelled of tobacco, whiskey, and moth-eaten tweed jackets. The more a man looked like a hobo, the older his money. Joe’s sat beneath the Third Street Bridge in an area affected by the overwhelmed Ohio River in the flood of ’37 that left a million people homeless. Seventy percent of the city had been under water and you could still see the stains of the waterline on the walls; a sort of badge of survival and a preamble to many a “I remember back when…” story. Joe’s was not given to gossip. It was a dark cave of back-slapping deals with a complete disregard for elected officials. Every time I walked in there, I felt like I was entering a conspiracy.

  Louisville had played a key role during Prohibition; a result of its existing industry of whiskey production and the less legal moonshining that made its way up from the Appalachian foothills. Beneath its brick streets lay a web of secret tunnels, alert buttons and spring-loaded doors where the elite could drink and gamble without detection. It was said that at one time, mail carriers could deliver mail to almost any business in town without setting foot on ground level. Its history was directly tied to the bootlegging industry from the north, a favorite source of income for those who routinely flaunted the law. While the players of that era were long gone, their progeny was not. Being the son of a son-of-a-bitch came with bragging rights. Where better to do a little subtle investigation? Not even Bill was welcomed in Joe’s.

  I spotted exactly the man I’d come to see. Earl Kinsey and I went way back to grade school days. We were the class troublemakers and often found ourselves sitting side by side in the principal’s office. We’d been to the same parties and I wouldn’t doubt we’d shared a few of the same girls over the years. Earl’s father was well-known as a bootlegger. Even now, a good part of Kentucky was dry but that didn’t mean people didn’t drink. They just didn’t talk about it.

  “Hey, Earl,” I began, settling on the stool next to his.

  “Well, goddammit, if it’s not Worth LaViere. Holy shit, man, how have you been?” He was authentically glad to see me. I was lucky to have caught him here, for he was seldom in town.

  I patted him on the back. “Good to see you too, Earl.” I grinned and bought us a couple of drinks. We reminisced for a while about old times and old hijinks, certain that we were the only two kids in history who had ever been so clever. Little did we realize at the time that it was only the fear of our fathers that had protected us from the authorities.

  “Listen, Earl, need to talk about something serious for a minute. Between us, right?”

  He grew immediately serious. “Hey, Worth, what’s wrong? Of course. How can I help?”

  I lowered my voice. This was not for public consumption. “My old man and yours — well, let’s say they didn’t always stay local for every
thing they did.”

  “I get you.” He nodded, puffing on a thin Cuban.

  “Well, seems like I’ve inherited a bit of trouble with the boys up north and since I’ve never dealt with them, I’m not sure what to do about it.”

  Earl was still nodding. He understood exactly who I was talking about. “Buddy, all I can say is to tread gently. Things are different now than they were when Dad was in the game. There’s drugs, slavery, weapons and all sorts of shit. We don’t have any pull any more. They’ll smash you like an ant if you get in their way, you know?”

  I knew exactly — and that was the problem.

  “Are they reaching out to you here?” he asked me bluntly.

  My lip wrinkled up as I considered how to answer that.

  “Never mind. The look on your face says it all, Worth,” he observed and drew again on the cigar. “Look, the old man’s contacts are gone, just like him. My advice to you is to stay out of reach. Don’t make yourself a target. They’ll self-destruct eventually. They always do. Greed and power eat them alive.”

  I nodded. “That’s some pretty sound advice, my friend. Just not sure how long I can hold out.”

  “As long as it takes. As long as it fuckin’ takes,” he said, emptied his drink and patted me on the back as he left.

  ***

  I was glad I talked with Earl. It had helped to put things into perspective. I was so busy scaring the shit out of myself, I didn’t take into consideration that nothing had or might ever happen. My life was just as calm and nourishing as it had been the day before Linc LaViere rose from his grave.

  I’d just opened a clinic in Cincinnati after choosing a little different venue for this one — inside a chic department store downtown. My market research told me that my clients were primarily female, over thirty and had a sustained income in the six figures. This matched the demographics for the department store and its six-story location in the center of town.

  I signed a lease and was putting a staff in place. This would be a bit more luxurious than my previous clinics. I was including a salon for beauty make-overs, realizing that if a woman felt beautiful, she felt healthier. The department store had their shopping assistants and would bring hand-picked clothing selections into the clinic. The idea was that a woman could walk in the door in the morning, looking tired, aging and dull and walk out an entirely new person. We were gaining some traction with some of the local news outlets and even a few shows were booking time with us for their on-camera staff and guests. I was working my way north and eventually east.

  Auggie was on board for the expansion but she had no desire to leave grass behind for concrete. She was willing to help me however she could, as long as I stuck to our deal and went strictly by the book. I was guilty of a bit of manipulation regarding my clients purely out of boredom and rebellion against my father. How ironic that although he’d put a bullet through his head one night, he was still in control of my life. I couldn’t seem to rid myself of his cruel influence.

  For the time being, however, I was content to leave Auggie at home with Ford to supervise the additional building plans underway. We had hired an architect, Beverly Dexter, to build additional outbuildings for Auggie’s horses and an eventual grandstand and Steeplechase track. This was Auggie’s love and her horse, Carlos, and she had participated regularly. She was anxious to return to the track and it made me happy to give her these opportunities.

  Auggie had a pet project in the Sunset Village retirement home, having taken an interest in one particular resident and then championing the initiation of a foundation to expand and maintain the home. I was very proud of her accomplishment. The last I’d heard, Sunset Village had become quite the desirable place to retire.

  Prior to building our home, we bought a large condo not far from the first clinic. After Father’s death, Mother moved into it and took it over as we moved into the main house. I looked in on her from time to time, but she was enjoying living in town and re-entering her social scene. She had been denied friends while my father was living; he controlled every life within reach.

  Although I was exhausted from the day, I decided to drop in on Mother and see how she was faring. She never asked anything from Auggie or me, so it was up to us to initiate the visits. She adored it when we brought Ford along, his being her only grandchild.

  I pulled into the condo development and parked outside her entrance. As I neared her door, I heard voices inside and hesitated to knock. If she was entertaining, I didn’t want to intrude. I turned around and got back into my Escalade. I was backing out when her door opened and a man walked out, glancing in my direction.

  Son of a bitch. It was Linc!

  Running for Mother’s condo, I found the door still unlocked and I didn’t hesitate to enter. With my heart in my throat, I found her seated in a club chair looking out the patio doors, her back to me. “Mother!”

  Calmly looking in my direction, she said, “Worth, how nice to see you, dear.” Tears gleamed in her eyes.

  “What did he want?” I didn’t bother with formalities, assuming she already knew who he was.

  “Do you know who that was, Worth?” she asked, her voice filled with sorrow.

  “Yes, Mother, he calls himself Linc LaViere. Did he hurt you?” I was looking her over from head to foot but as far as I could tell, she was physically unruffled. Every silvery hair was in place, as usual, and she was tastefully dressed in a jacket dress. It was the faraway look in her eyes that was troubling.

  “Yes, Worth, Linc came back,” she said.

  “Mother…” I shook my head, trying to clear the confusion. “Mother, you didn’t understand. That wasn’t Linc. Not our Linc. It’s a long and sordid story. Did he threaten you?”

  Her hand moved to her throat as her eyes widened. “Threaten me? No, why would he? He just asked my help is all.”

  “Mother? Did you give him money?” My temples throbbed as my blood pressure rose. Anger churned in my stomach.

  “No, dear. He didn’t want money. He just wanted a place to live.” She smiled and wiped away the tears.

  “What did you tell him?” I asked, hoping I wouldn’t hear what I feared.

  “Why, what could I tell him? He belongs on his family’s land, of course.” She was wide-eyed that this hadn’t occurred to me already.

  “Mother? Mother? What did you do?” I lamented, knowing what was to come.

  “Why, I gave him title to the farm, of course! You don’t want it, Worth. Especially with all that’s gone on there. You and Auggie are all set. I have all I need here. He’s your blood. Why shouldn’t he have the farm? Your father left it to me and now I’m giving it to his son.”

  I leaned against the wall, needing the support it offered as her news sank in. My enemy had threatened and found the weakness in my defense. He could now abide within its confines — not only with permission but the aid of those I was fighting hardest to protect.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Auggie

  “You have got to be kidding,” I exclaimed, just as Worth had probably expected. “Why would she do that? Is she losing her mind? Seriously, Worth?”

  I was cuddling Ford against my chest but suddenly felt contaminated by the words I’d just heard. I put him down in his carrier to keep him clear of this sordid news.

  “I have no idea what she was thinking, Auggie. I think he’s just damned good at conning people and she’s an easy mark,” Worth speculated, throwing a pillow across the room in anger.

  “Worth, whatever he is, don’t let him get to you. I can tell it’s eating at you but so far, has he really done anything to us?” I didn’t want Worth to lose perspective on this whole thing.

  “Am I hearing my own wife correctly?” He had a look of astonishment atop the anger of his expression.

  “I’m only saying this. The farm belonged to your mother to do with as she wished. You gave it to her, remember? I know I don’t want to live there and I doubt there’s many people in the county who do, given the hist
ory in that study.” I was trying to be sensible.

  “He’s an interloper, Auggie!” Worth was beyond reasoning with.

  “Worth, listen to yourself! He truly is your brother. You share blood with him. You might not care for his manner, or for the fact that he threatened you, but has he really done anything to harm us on his own? Isn’t this all part of the crappy legacy your father left you? Why not let him have the farm? Good riddance! Go on with your work and let our family go back to the way it was. Don’t let him ruin our lives,” I pleaded with him to see the logic of my words.

  “That’s precisely the point, Auggie. This is my family and I will protect it.” Worth could not let go.

  I faced my husband and said in an even, clear voice, “He is not going to control me, Worth. I won’t allow it. He’s my brother too, remember?”

  He uttered a cursed breath and pushed through the French doors to stand on the patio. I couldn’t stand to see him so upset, but I knew I didn’t want to be trapped by what Linc LaViere wanted to dish out. He was nothing to me if I didn’t allow it. He was bad blood and I knew plenty of families who had to deal with such things. It was the timing of all this that had us shaken. These were all logical thoughts I was telling myself, but I knew deep down that I was every bit as worried as Worth. This one time, however, I had to be the strong one and protect him by not letting him see my fear. He was dealing with too many emotions to stay in control. I knew he would blow up at some point and that would not only be the worst thing that could happen, it would give Linc LaViere exactly what he wanted.

  I gave Ford to Betsy to put to sleep for the night and decided to finish cooking dinner to return some normalcy to the household. I will deal with this by example, I told myself. I opened the oven to spoon some au jus over the roast and checked the boiling potatoes. The raspberry crisp was still warm to the touch and I covered it with a clean dish towel to keep in the heat until it was time for dessert. We were going to eat in the kitchen tonight. It was the cheeriest room and had a breakfast nook with windows that faced to the west. I loved to watch thunderstorms come in and this time of year, they were very active. I could see a bank of black coming in as I cooked and it actually lightened my mood.