Wrong Side of Forty

by DeLeon, Jana

  There was no disguising his appreciation. The long lingering gaze, the slow smile.

  “You look fantastic,” he said.

  Marina blushed. “So do you.”

  He offered his arm to her. “Then let’s go piss some people off.”

  “I thought you’d never ask.”

  Cars lined the street and the circular drive to the Southern mansion the LeDoux called home. Luke offered to let Marina out in front of the house, but she was too nervous to stand there alone. Not because she was afraid of a confrontation. She was kinda expecting one of some sort, even if it was conducted quietly. She was more afraid of what she might do if there was no one else there to rein her in.

  Her attitude over the last six days had changed so drastically, she wasn’t even sure she knew herself anymore. But she liked what she saw, and she was really hoping that the world wouldn’t end so she could explore more of the new and improved Marina.

  It was a bit of a hike from Luke’s truck to the house and Marina said a prayer of thanks that she didn’t let Halcyon convince her to wear that awful Lycra thing. Of course, the fact that she would have been passed out after another minute of wear would have probably prevented her from leaving the house in it, but still.

  As they approached the front door, Luke slowed and looked over at her. “Are you ready for this?”

  “I’ve been looking forward to it all day.”

  “Okay. But before we enter, if anyone starts trouble with you, how would you like me to handle it? And I don’t mean how I would handle it for you. I have zero doubt you can handle things on your own and quite frankly, I’m looking forward to seeing it. But I need to know at what point or in what situation you would like backup.”

  Marina felt her chest tighten for just a second. This strong, confident man believed in her. Believed she was strong and confident, too. And by God, she wasn’t about to prove him wrong.

  “If I’m about to cross a line that will make our current legal situation worse, then intervene,” Marina said.

  “And if things get physical?”

  “Good Lord, they’re assholes, not thugs. They’re not going to throw down in front of witnesses.”

  “You’d be surprised at the things I heard during my time working the legal system.”

  She blew out a breath. Before this week, she wouldn’t have thought Avery capable of launching at someone either, but everyone had their breaking point.

  “No. I probably wouldn’t be surprised, come to think of it,” she said. “I suppose if things get physical, then try to break it up before I punch someone. My dad was a big boxing fan and taught Halcyon and me how to box from the time we were little. I might look all made of sweetness and light but I have a wicked right hook that would get me into a lot of trouble.”

  He stared at her for a moment, then grinned. “The more I know about you, the more I like you. I don’t suppose you taught Avery that right hook.”

  “Guilty.”

  “Ha! Let’s do this.”

  She took his arm and they rang the doorbell. One of the caterers answered and invited them inside, pointing toward the back of the house. Down the hallway, she could see into a large living room where people stood holding drinks and napkins with finger food. She tightened her grip on Luke’s arm as they stepped into the room.

  And then, as people caught sight of Marina, they stopped talking and began casting nervous glances between her and Preston, who was standing near a huge fireplace, talking to Patricia. His deputy lackey, Kyle Pitre, was standing nearby, as always, and leaned over to whisper something to Preston.

  Preston’s head yanked around and he stared at Marina, first in disbelief, then it all shifted to anger. He started to walk forward, but Kyle put his hand on Preston’s arm and said something again. He must have been pointing out Marina’s date, because Preston looked over at Luke, his mouth forming a scowl before he turned back around to face a clearly livid Patricia.

  “Apparently, we’ve made an entrance,” Luke said.

  “Like that wasn’t what you were trying to do.” Adelaide’s voice sounded behind them and they turned around to see her grinning. Marina did a double take when she saw that the grouchy senior was actually wearing a dress.

  “I didn’t even think you owned a dress,” Marina said, taking in the long, silky navy garment with a sparkly silver collar.

  “I have one,” Adelaide said. “This is it. Take a good look. Maybe even a picture. You’ll see it about as often as Halley’s Comet.”

  “I thought you said you wouldn’t even attend one of these events if you were bound and gagged,” Luke said.

  “Well, that was before I found out you were bringing Marina as your date,” Adelaide said.

  “And you were afraid you’d miss the show?” Luke asked.

  Adelaide gave him a slightly disgusted look. “Boy, please. I’m here in case she needs backup. There’s only a handful of people in this town who will stand up to the LeDoux and most of them aren’t at this party.”

  Marina smiled. “Do you have your shovel?”

  “Dottie wouldn’t let me bring it.” Adelaide grinned.

  “You’re here with Dottie?” Marina asked. “Did you drug her?”

  “Thought I might have to,” Adelaide said. “But she’s a good sort. Got off her high horse and came because I thought you might need more support than you’d have otherwise.”

  Marina’s heart warmed that the two older women had come to an event they usually avoided strictly because she might need them. She’d always been on good terms with both women, but Marina had never known that they liked her that much. It was a good feeling. And when all this mess was over with, she was going to spend some time getting to know the two of them better.

  “Well, I appreciate both of you,” Marina said.

  Adelaide nodded. “Tonight, I have something better than the shovel.”

  Luke’s eyes widened. “You’re not packing, are you?”

  “Of course I’m packing,” Adelaide said. “I’d leave home without a bra before I’d leave my gun. Doesn’t mean I’m going to shoot people. The LeDoux aren’t even worth the cost of a bullet.”

  “I’m almost afraid to ask,” Luke said.

  Adelaide dug into her purse, pulled out her cell phone, and waved it at Luke. “This little piece of electronics has taken down more people in the past decade than cancer. All you have to do is capture the wrong moment, put it up on YouTube, and it’s all done but the crying.”

  “Genius,” Marina said. “Except for the part where I have to be the poster child for propriety or I’m just as guilty.”

  “You’re way closer to that mark than me,” Adelaide said. “And yours is sincere. Since the LeDoux are faking class, they’ll crumble. Mark my words.”

  “I hope they last long enough for me to get a tour of the house,” Marina said.

  Adelaide frowned. “Why on earth would you want to see more of this garish pile of crap?”

  Marina shrugged. “Basic curiosity. Not like I get invited up here on my own.”

  Adelaide motioned to someone across the room and before Marina could ask what she was up to, Dottie walked up.

  “We’ve been talking to your date,” Marina said.

  Dottie sighed. “I know. It appears hell has frozen over. But she convinced me we might be needed.”

  “And you’re up,” Adelaide said. “Marina would like a tour of the house and since neither Preston nor Janice is likely to offer that up, I need you to ask.”

  Dottie’s expression never changed, nor did she ask a single question. She simply headed off in Janice’s direction. Marina felt her chest tighten just a little. These were two of the women she respected the most in Last Chance and they were trying to help her, no questions asked. It was both humbling and somewhat overwhelming.

  Marina watched as Janice’s face lit up at the chance of showing off her home to Dottie. Until Dottie waved for Adelaide and Marina to join her. Then she looked as if she’d bee
n sucking on lemons, but she did her best to hide her dismay when Dottie looked back at her.

  “Do you want me to come with you?” Luke asked.

  “No,” Marina said. “I’ve got this. Janice is a coward. No way would she try anything. And definitely not in front of Dottie. Go mingle with all the people you need to talk to. In case this goes south soon, I’m going to need a ride home.”

  “Or to the sheriff’s department,” Adelaide said.

  “Yeah, I’m trying to spend less time there,” Marina said as they crossed the room to where Dottie was standing with the unsmiling Janice.

  “Oh, great,” Dottie said as they stepped up. “Now we can get going. I just love what you’ve done with this wallpaper, Janice. Did you pick the pattern yourself or did you use a decorator?”

  Marina could tell Janice was struggling with being angry that she had to host Marina directly and wanting to bask in Dottie’s praise. The wallpaper looked like something that belonged in a bordello owned by the color-blind, and Marina was certain Dottie hated it as much as Marina did, but that just showed the first lady’s ability to work a crowd.

  As they walked through the six bedrooms and bathrooms upstairs, Marina made a point to sidle close to any furniture that looked like it might hold jewelry. But nothing tugged at her. Well, except for the fact that the place looked like it had been furnished by children. The decor and furniture were so mismatched, it almost made Harold’s mother’s taste look exquisite. Preston and Janice’s room was all red and shiny gold and made her wish she was wearing sunglasses. The suite Patricia and her husband shared was shiny silver and bright pink. It looked like a room in a cheap Vegas hotel. But Chastity’s room was the worst. Despite the fact that the “girl” was in her twenties, her room was decorated with unicorns. It looked like a preteen occupied it.

  Dottie fed Janice a steady stream of questions, so all she had time for was to glance back occasionally with a quick frown at Marina before she plastered on her fake smile again for Dottie. Adelaide elbowed Marina in the side every time Janice played split personality and Marina was fairly certain she was going to bruise.

  “Is there an award for the worst acting job ever?” Adelaide asked as Dottie pulled Janice into a closet for a minute.

  “If there is, Janice wins, it. Hands down. And Dottie wins the best.”

  Adelaide nodded. “I don’t know how she does it. And all with that serene smile. I’m pretty sure every time I look at Janice I appear as if I have gas.”

  Marina nodded. “Or smelled a port-a-john.”

  “That perfect-face ability has got to be in the DNA. No way can you learn that. I know I couldn’t.”

  “I don’t think I could either.”

  “Oh, you’re plenty gracious enough to pull it off.”

  “Not lately. I think I finally reached that stage you were born into.”

  “Welcome to the best years of your life.”

  Marina nodded but she wondered if she only had days rather than years to enjoy her newfound attitude. So far, the house tour had yielded nothing, and if the ring wasn’t here, then where else would it be? Few people in Last Chance had a lot of disposable income and even fewer had inherited assets, especially of the giant ruby kind. And if they had inherited that kind of stone, it probably would have been sold off long ago. Dottie and the LeDoux were two of the only families that had the money to let something like that sit around.

  Marina had conjured up a theory earlier that day that maybe everything that had happened recently had been the ring working to get her to the right place. But that didn’t appear to be the case. The ring had brought her closer to Dottie and Adelaide, but Adelaide’s family wasn’t rich and she would have never held on to something that valuable. She was too practical and not at all sentimental. Dottie had already said she didn’t own anything with a large ruby, so that really only left the LeDoux. Preston and Patricia were the last of the family line and they all lived in this estate along with their children, so unless they had it in a safe-deposit box, it would be in this house. But unless it didn’t want to be found, Marina was convinced the ring wasn’t here.

  She must have sighed without realizing it because Adelaide gave her a hard look.

  “What’s up with you?” Adelaide asked. “Coming to this party is out of character enough, although I’m thrilled if being this perverse is part of a new you. But touring this god-awful place is enough to make a person constipated. Why in the world would you want to do it? It can’t be just to hack Janice off, although I will admit, that part has been fun.”

  “I don’t know how to explain it,” Marina said. “I guess I was just hoping to get an answer that I don’t think is here.”

  “I hope the question wasn’t ‘why are the LeDoux assholes’ because that one might need some time to answer.”

  Marina smiled. “Come on. They’re headed back downstairs. There’s catered food and an open bar. Might as well make gluttons out of ourselves and make them even madder.”

  “Now you’re talking.”

  They followed Dottie and Janice back toward the staircase that led into the living room. About midway down, Marina paused as she saw Chastity enter the room—with Harold. Adelaide sucked in a breath.

  “Wow. He’s got some serious balls showing up here with her,” Adelaide said. “He’s lost his damned mind. Maybe that facility will put a bed for Harold next to your mother.”

  “They’d kill each other.”

  “Bonus plan.”

  Marina heard Adelaide’s words but they didn’t register. So many emotions were overriding them—disbelief, anger, sadness, grief. How in the world had the man she’d spent thirty years with gone that far off the rails? How could someone just dump their family and never look back?

  And here he was, only days after Marina had caught him with his child sidepiece, and Avery probably hadn’t even gotten the stench of sitting in jail off of her, and he was trotting around in an ill-fitting suit like he’d done nothing wrong.

  And that was when it hit her. He didn’t think he had.

  Harold had always put himself first. Marina had known that, but she’d been raised by a woman who put men on a pedestal, no matter how many times they hopped off and rolled around in the mud. Harold was the primary financial support, so it was Marina’s job to make sure that income was protected and that meant giving Harold more time to dedicate to his career, which meant less responsibility for their home and their daughter. But somewhere along the line, everything had become Marina’s job and Harold had merely sat back and enjoyed the spoils.

  She’d updated his mother’s hideous house and kept it clean and repaired. She’d done all the shopping, cooking, and laundry. She’d raised their daughter. And she’d still gone back to work after Avery started preschool.

  Harold put himself first because he could. He didn’t care about fair or equitable or partnership. He didn’t care about promises or vows, either. And he certainly didn’t care that he was making a fool of himself with Chastity LeDoux. But with his huge opinion of himself, he probably didn’t see things that way.

  Adelaide elbowed Marina. “Look at Preston,” she said. “He’s mad enough to spit nails. I don’t think he likes Baby Precious with Harold.”

  “Why would he?”

  Adelaide shrugged. “I would never have a useless twit of a daughter like Chastity, but if I did, I’d be looking to pawn her off on the first guy who would take her off my hands.”

  “He probably thinks all this doesn’t look good for his election bid.”

  “You’re probably right. God knows, any objection he has wouldn’t be about what’s best for that girl. It will always be about what’s best for Preston.”

  “He and Harold have that in common.”

  “A lot of men in Last Chance do. If it makes you feel any better, I don’t think Luke is that type at all.”

  “Oh, this isn’t a date. I mean, not that kind. Jeez, I’m still married.”

  “To that.” Adelaide poin
ted to Harold, who was standing with his hand on Chastity’s back and grinning like an idiot.

  “Still, I’m not ready for a relationship. I don’t know that I ever will be.”

  Adelaide waved a hand in dismissal. “You’re not the kind who winds up alone. Someone will sweep you off your feet. You’re a good woman, Marina. Better than Harold ever deserved. And I have to say it tickles me that makeup can’t cover those bruises Avery left on Chastity’s face. That girl has a great punch.”

  “I’m afraid I might have taught her that,” Marina said.

  “Even better.”

  Preston glanced up at them and then hurried across the room toward Chastity. Marina assumed to warn the happy couple that things weren’t going as expected.

  “Uh-oh,” Adelaide said. “Big Daddy LeDoux is going to tattle to Baby Precious.”

  “Maybe we should get downstairs and blend.”

  Adelaide nodded and they headed into the crowd in the living room and sidled down the far wall toward the bar when Marina spotted Luke talking to the owner of the hardware store. They were halfway across the room when Marina almost walked right into Harold. She glanced around but Chastity was nowhere in sight. Probably off getting an earful from daddy dearest.

  “Marina.” Harold’s eyes widened. Clearly he hadn’t expected to see her there. “You look great,” he said.

  Marina felt a wave of dismay wash over her when she realized that he actually meant it. Talk about too little, too late.

  “I’m going to puke,” Adelaide said. “I need alcohol. Stop talking, Harold. You’re creeping people out.”

  “Thanks,” Marina said. “I see my date has a drink for me.”

  Harold whipped around and spotted Luke holding a drink up and smiling at Marina. She flashed him a seventy-five-watt smile back and gave Harold a little wave and a glance. The look of shock on his face made the entire night worthwhile.

  “It was worth putting on this dress just to see his expression,” Adelaide said as they approached Luke.

  Luke smiled and handed her a glass of wine. “Looks like Harold was surprised to see you here.”