Jenny, who’d stepped out of the room, returned a moment later with a folder. “Will you give this to Donnie? He’ll need it for the meeting tomorrow.”
Kris nodded toward her purse which was sitting on the counter. “What meeting?”
“Didn’t he tell you? Tyler has asked to speak at the chamber of commerce. He’s bringing along representatives from Cal-Trans and the Army Corps of Engineers. Ty faxed Jonathan an outline of his presentation. Your fax machine isn’t hooked up yet, is it?”
Kris felt a flutter of unease pass through her. Why hadn’t Donnie mentioned this? “Is the meeting open to the public?”
Jenny looked at her. “Yes. I can’t be there because Lara has a doctor’s appointment, but Ida Jane told me the Garden Club ladies are sending a contingent.”
“How come I’m always the last to know?” Kristin asked. “Donnie should have told—”
Jenny interrupted. “It’s not a secret, Kris. Jonathan reported it in the paper. Meridian is planning to hold a series of public hearings, but Tyler wanted to introduce his plan to the chamber first. He’ll need the members’ backing.”
Still feeling slightly disgruntled, Kris had to admit she’d been too busy with work and getting unpacked to open a newspaper. “Did I tell you I’ve decided to hire Lillian? I need someone to handle my appointment schedule.”
Jenny clapped. “Terrific. That means you’re busy.”
Lara—bored with the necklace and looking a little droopy-eyed—made a whimper and put her arms out for her mother. Kris walked to her sister and gave Lara back.
“I’ve been swamped ever since people found out I was marrying Donnie. He’s got a lot of support in Gold Creek.”
Jenny motioned for Kristin to follow her. They didn’t speak until they reached the twins’ bedroom where Jenny quickly changed Lara’s diaper, then sat down with her in the rocking chair. Kristin took the nearby windowseat.
“Donnie is popular. He’s got a great reputation, but you know this town. People are slow to accept change—even good change. Magnus has pulled the wool over their eyes. They don’t see the corruption—or if they do, they think it works to their advantage.”
Kristin knew that, but she refused to believe that anyone would knowingly support a man like Magnus when they could vote for her husband. “One of the reasons I came here today—besides to cry on your shoulder—was to ask Sam if there was a place for me in the campaign. No one’s said anything to me about my role.”
Jenny cradled her little girl and whispered a soft lullaby. Lara’s eyes closed and her thumb went into her mouth. Jenny smiled serenely then looked at Kris.
“You’re on the list, but Donnie asked Sam to back off until you got settled. The move, the boys, your work. He knows you’ve got your hands full.”
Kristin wanted to believe that. Until this morning, she would have considered the gesture thoughtful, but now she wondered if it was another example of how little faith he had in her abilities. “Maybe he’s afraid I’ll say the wrong thing to the wrong people.”
Jenny shook her head. “Kristin, don’t look for reasons to be unhappy. Donnie loves you. You love him. Don’t two pre-teens provide enough discord in your life?”
Kris sighed. Jenny was right. As usual.
“Where is Donnie, by the way? Sam said this might be his last day off till the election. I thought you’d be doing something together.”
Kris frowned. She pictured the hurt look on her husband’s face when she’d announced that she was taking Zach to the ranch. “I thought we could all go to church together then have breakfast at the Golden Corral,” he’d said.
“Jenny and I have to figure out what’s going on with Ida Jane. We think her medication is causing problems,” she’d explained. Not a lie, but they could have handled it on the phone. “And Zach hasn’t spent any time with the twins since the wedding. I want him to get to know his cousins.”
“Donnie was going to work on a couple of speeches,” Kris said, whispering. “And he has to hook up the new printer.”
They’d converted his mother’s room into an office where Donnie and Jonathan could run the campaign without people constantly traipsing through the house. Originally Donnie had planned to rent space at the bordello, but this location made more sense. Unfortunately, it also meant that Kris didn’t see Donnie as often as she would have if they were in the same building.
And according to Jenny, she’d be seeing even less of him after today. Kristin started toward the door. “I think I’ll go now. Thanks for the pep talk.”
Jenny looked startled. “Wait. I’ll walk you down. I have to get Tucker for his nap, too.”
Kris paused, but she was impatient to go. To see Donnie. And Lucas. If they were going to be family, they needed to start acting like one.
ZACH EYED his stepbrother cautiously. Lately, he couldn’t be sure how Lucas would react to the least bit of criticism. Lucas’s volatile temper and short fuse had been the reason their so-called band broke up. Zach hadn’t found out till after he and his mother got back from the Rocking M that today’s practice had been cancelled.
“Since it’s just the two of us, how about we try that song your dad gave us?”
Lucas was sitting on Mike’s amp, fixing one of the strings on his guitar. Zach had been tempted to tell him that if he didn’t play like a madman the strings would last longer, but he kept his opinion to himself.
“What for? We suck. Even your mother can hardly stand to listen to us.”
That flat, resigned tone worried Zach. And pissed him off.
“Did you ever think the reason we suck so bad is that we never practice?”
Lucas ignored Zach. He set his guitar against the wall and stepped away. When the guitar tipped to one side and started to fall over, Zach lunged for it and managed to keep it from hitting the floor. Lucas didn’t even look backward.
“A-hole, this is a nice bass. Are you trying to bust it?”
Suddenly Lucas spun around and grabbed the Fender out of Zach’s hands. Holding the guitar by its long, skinny neck, he swung it over his head as if he intended to smash it over the amp. Zach jumped up and wrestled it out of his hands.
Lucas went ballistic, screaming profanities and hitting Zach in the belly so hard Zach saw flashing dots of silver and black. He stumbled backward; as he went down, his elbow punched through the brown fabric of the speaker.
“Shit, man,” he swore, but just as suddenly as it erupted, the fight went out of Lucas. He stood there with a glassy look in his eyes then turned and fled.
Zach let out a shaky breath. His gut hurt, and he could feel a knot growing on his elbow. What was he supposed to do now? Let Lucas go on messing with whatever drugs he was taking or tell somebody? Tell who? His mom?
Zach tried to picture the look on his mother’s face if he took this to her. Between her work schedule and worrying about Ida Jane, Kristin was frazzled. Besides, what could she do?
He’d be better off telling Donnie, but he was also busy with other things. And although Tyler was due back in town tomorrow, Zach decided it would be disloyal to discuss Lucas with him.
Zach was no snitch. But he didn’t want to see Lucas screw up his life—and everyone else’s too.
THE NEXT MORNING Kristin locked the door to her shop then dashed up the bordello steps. She’d rescheduled all her appointments so she could attend the chamber of commerce meeting. But first she needed to check on Ida Jane.
Despite the preventative medication she’d been taking, their dear aunt wasn’t doing well. The doctors believed she’d suffered a second stroke.
The most recent episode had left her unable to do much for herself. Since Andi was in the third trimester of her pregnancy, and Kris was swamped at work, the sisters had hired a nurse to attend to Ida’s needs, monitor her blood pressure and give her the medications. Still, each triplet tried to spend some time with Ida each day.
“Hi, Auntie,” she called cheerfully, entering Ida Jane’s large, airy room.
Ida was sitting in a wheelchair, which faced the window. The curtains were open, and Kris noticed a small army of finches vying for space at a bird feeder someone had suspended from a shepherd’s hook outside the window. “What a great feeder! Where’d that come from? Andi?”
Ida shook her head.
“Jenny?”
Kris dropped a kiss to the top of the silver head. “Must have been one of the men, then. How sweet! They’re both such great guys.”
Ida’s watery eyes narrowed. “Don,” she said with surprising clarity.
Kris’s hands tingled. “Donnie put it up for you?”
Ida nodded.
“Really? He didn’t mention it.”
Ida nodded again. This time tears made crooked paths down her cheeks.
Kris comforted Ida with a hug then wiped her face and helped her blow her nose. “I’m going to put a chicken into the Crock-Pot before I go to a meeting. Wanna help?”
She wasn’t sure if Ida’s nod was a confirmation or not, but Kris gripped the handles of the wheelchair and maneuvered the awkward thing through the hall to the kitchen.
“Hey, there you are,” a voice called, startling Ida Jane. “I checked your office, but the door was locked. I assume that means you’re going to the meeting. Do you want to ride with me?”
Andi was dressed for business in her maternity jumper and matching jacket made of dark blue wool. Her orange blouse added a jaunty touch.
“Sure. Thanks,” Kristin said. “I’ll be ready in a minute.”
“Whatcha making?”
“Chicken and dumplings.”
“Mmm, one of my favorites.” She rubbed her protruding belly.
Ida Jane smiled and reached out to pat her tummy. Andi covered Ida’s hand, smiling serenely.
The scene moved Kristin. She was afraid to predict how many more moments like this they’d share with their great-aunt.
“So are you ready to challenge Tyler to a duel?” Andi said.
“Will it come to that?” Kris asked. She leaned down to set the temperature, then placed the lid on the pot. She double-checked the clock to make sure she’d allowed adequate cooking time.
“Only if he tries to bulldoze the old bordello.”
Ida sat up sharply. “No. You can’t let him.” Her voice raised in pitch, her hand gripped Andi’s. “Suzy, don’t let ’em do it.”
Kristin hurried across the room and knelt beside the wheelchair. She put her arm around her aunt’s shoulders and whispered soothingly, “It’s okay, Ida Jane. Nobody is going to do anything bad to the old bordello. It’s our home. We love the place. We’ll protect it.”
Ida let out a long sigh and seemed to collapse like a deflated balloon. Kris checked her pulse, then nodded to Andi. A few moments later, a woman dressed in white shoes, white pants and a brightly patterned uniform top entered the room. “I thought someone had stolen my patient,” she said. “Good morning, Miss Ida, time for your bath.”
Andi and Kris said their good-byes, then hurried outside to Andi’s black Mercedes. “Well, that was scary.”
Kristin started to say that it was only going to get worse, but she changed her mind. They needed to focus on the battle at hand. Ida Jane had given them a mission, and Kris planned to carry it out.
THE GOLD CREEK Chamber of Commerce building was a converted gas station. The antique gas pumps out front served as interactive displays to give tourists directions to the county’s attractions. At the moment, some two hundred citizens were jammed into what had at one time served as a double-bay garage, and all eyes were on Tyler Harrison. Except Donnie’s. He was trying to find his wife. He knew she was here; he’d seen her enter with Andi, who was seated at the raised dais along with the other board members, but Kris had melted into the crowd before he could reach her.
“Please look over the material my staff is distributing,” Tyler said, his voice carried by a microphone attached to the lapel of his expensive-looking suit jacket. “I assure you that Meridian has no intention of running roughshod over the town of Gold Creek. You will see that what we’re proposing is a safeguard from the kind of unrestricted growth we’ve seen up and down the Sierras.”
Donnie declined a copy. He’d spent half the night studying the brochure. He and Sam had discussed it over breakfast. He probably knew what it said as well as Tyler did, but that didn’t make it any more palatable.
Tyler gave the crowd time to review the pamphlet, then he nodded to his assistant who dimmed the lights. Someone pushed a giant, projector-type television into place. Seconds later, an image filled the screen. An aerial view showed a mountain range dissected by tiny streams all feeding into one twisting, turning river. Gold Creek.
“The computer tells us this is what the Gold Creek area looked like B.G.—before gold.”
Chuckles rumbled through the crowd; people were obviously charmed by Tyler’s relaxed, professional demeanor. When the next image flashed on the screen, Ty pointed out the changes people had made to the landscape. The most obvious was the road. A narrow squiggle line with two or three dozen buildings.
Slides showing the evolution of Gold Creek followed. Village, hamlet, town, bigger town. Sprawl became more noticeable. Tyler pointed out new additions, like the golf course and the airport. When he indicated the housing tract where Donnie’s house was located, Tyler looked straight at him.
“Finally,” Ty said, “we have Gold Creek, 2002. A nice place to live. No one is disputing that, but it’s also a town poised for development. You may think I’m the big bad wolf, but believe me, I’m not the only one knocking on Gold Creek’s door. People want to escape from the cities in the valley by moving to the mountains. But when they get here, they’ll want jobs, movie theaters, shopping malls, a car wash, fast food restaurants.”
“Then let them stay where they are,” a voice called.
Tyler smiled. “You can try telling them that, Beulah, but change will still come. As it always has. My plan is designed to protect Gold Creek, not destroy it.”
The screen changed. Donnie felt the buzz of energy grow. People pointed. “Look at the road,” someone whispered. “That can’t be good.”
Tyler walked to the screen and pointed out the most obvious difference—a four-lane half circle that surrounded Gold Creek. “This is a proposed bypass. It’s been on the books for years, but it lacked the necessary support at all levels—local, state and federal. Now I believe it’s the only thing that will save Gold Creek from urban sprawl.”
The audience hum went up a notch as people discussed the pros and cons. Tyler gave them a few minutes then cleared his throat. “Not only is safety a key issue, but by shifting the growth centers away from the downtown area, we can protect the historic integrity of—”
A voice broke in. “How is destroying the old bordello—a hundred-year-old building—protecting our history?”
Donnie recognized his wife’s voice. She was only a few feet away from Tyler. She positively bristled with anger.
Donnie started toward her, but the crowd was too engrossed by the unfolding drama to let him through.
“Look at the terrain, Kristin. There’s nowhere else for the bypass to go.”
She rose up on her toes. “I’ll tell you where it can go.” She shook her finger at him and said, “It can go to hell. That building is a part of Gold Creek history. Maybe not the part some people want to remember, but it’s Ida Jane Montgomery’s legacy—your son’s legacy. And my sisters and I will not let it be torn down.”
The murmurs escalated. Donnie could feel the sympathy shift. Apparently so could Tyler, because he walked to the podium that had been set up and tapped on the microphone. The clacking sound reverberated. “Okay. I think we can tell that Kristin Sullivan—excuse me, Grimaldo—is not in favor of the plan.” His sardonic tone produced a few chuckles. “The microphone is open for public comment, but first let me offer it to Gold Creek’s elected officials.”
He motioned for Magnus Brown to come forward. Donnie had to
admit the older man carried himself well. He looked like a white-haired Daniel Boone. He kept his speech short and to the point. “Anything that saves lives is all right by me. People are coming. Let’s put ’em where we want ’em, not where some goldang developer wants to put ’em.”
Donnie and Jonathan exchanged a look. They had proof that Magnus had been taking kickbacks from developers for years.
“Now you know where I stand. Let’s hear what my opposition has to say about this plan.”
Donnie muttered a silent curse. He’d hoped to talk to his wife before he got called to the podium, but fate had conspired against him. This time the crowd gave him room to move.
He took a deep breath. “I studied this plan carefully last night. I was prepared to hate it. But in all honesty, I think it’s the right thing to do.”
He heard gasps of disbelief. He knew his wife’s was one of them. He regretted more than ever not waking her up last night to discuss this. Or canceling his meeting with Sam’s bankers. He only hoped she’d listen to the rest of what he had to say.
“However,” he said, raising his voice, “it isn’t perfect. As my wife pointed out, it doesn’t take into account the value of the past. Rewriting history is a dangerous thing. The bordello—once torn down—cannot be replaced. If we lose it, we lose a part of who we are.”
He heard some discreet clapping; he couldn’t miss Andi’s two thumbs-up.
“I will endorse this plan if provisions are made to move the old bordello, not bulldoze it. If Ida Jane and her nieces agree, I think the building would be a terrific addition to the historical center.”
He stepped back. As he passed Tyler, the look they exchanged said they understood each other. Donnie predicted negotiations between the historical society, the triplets and Meridian would start immediately. With a few compromises on all sides, Donnie hoped they’d be able to put off doing anything for as long as Ida Jane lived.
Donnie exited as quickly as he could break through the throng. People stopped him every few feet to offer their support and promise him their votes. When he finally reached the parking lot, Kris was gone. He might have gained badly needed votes, but had he lost the one that counted most?
The Comeback Girl Page 20