A Fine Mess (4 page)

“Well, I’m not so sure about that,” her mother said with a sigh. “I seem to recall thinking similar thoughts when I was your age. In fact, I guess I think them now. But I suspect that it’s more that when we’re young, we’re so busy having fun that we don’t really pay a lot of attention to the weather. Then we get older and do notice!”

“I expect you’re right, Mom. Either that or I‘m turning into a wimp in my old age!”

“What do you think, Paul? You’ve been pretty quiet today, too.”

“I agree with Annie in that you’re probably right. As for my being a little quiet, it’s just been a long week and I’m taking it easy so I can have fun over the weekend,” her husband said with a forced grin. “I hope you’re up for barbeque because I’m planning on giving the grill a good workout between now and Monday night.”

“Hmm.
I could probably work up an appetite for some steak tips,” Maddie decided after considering her options. “And maybe a New York strip steak. Then again, a plain old fashioned hamburger sounds pretty good, too.” Paul chuckled.

“Your wish is my command, Sweetheart.”

Annie felt like she was in a bad soap opera. Not that there were any
good
soap operas, but this one would be in the top two worst of all time.

How could they be talking about grilling steaks and burgers when things like embezzlement and jail loomed over their heads? Throw in her mother’s cancer and the whole situation was just too bizarre for words.

~~~~

At seven on the nose the doorbell rang, and the Condors returned, bringing several of their friends along to keep them company. Annie wished sincerely that she’d skipped dinner. Still, she jumped up as though propelled from a canon saying,

“I’ll get it.”

And she practically flew from the room, wiping her sweaty palms on the jeans she’d changed into as soon as she’d gotten home.
Hands that trembled when she opened the door to Ian McCann.

“Miss Blake,” he said quietly. Annie’s stomach felt like it fell to her feet. The tone of his voice did not sound promising. “May I come in so we can talk?”

“Of course,” she murmured, stepping aside to admit him into the small foyer. Without preamble he told her what he’d come to say.

“I may have come up with a plan to fix this.”
Short, to the point, and very sweet to her ears.

“Thank you,” she whispered, sagging against the stair railing.

“Please understand that I’ll need to see your mother before I can make up my mind as to whether I want to take a risk like this.”

“Um- She doesn’t know what my father has done,” Annie explained quickly. “She’d have had a screaming fit if she’d known.
And refused treatment.”

“I wondered if she knew,” he said, nodding his head slightly. “Don’t
worry,
I won’t clue her in to the situation. But I do need to make one thing clear.”

“And that is?”

“If I decide to help, I need to know that you will back me up one hundred percent.”

“I don’t understand.”

“I’ll explain later.”

“Mr. McCann? My father doesn’t know I came to see you this afternoon.”

“Lots of secrets in your family, eh?” A slight smile softened his observation. “You’re all trying to help and protect one another.
Very commendable.”

~~~~

A concept that was utterly foreign to Ian. His mother had died while he was a young boy, and after that, his father had looked upon him as an inconvenience. Until he’d shown an amazing talent in dealing with stocks anyway. But even then, Ian McCann Sr. was looking out after his own best interests and never that of his son.

“Shall we go?” Annie Blake reluctantly said. “Mom usually falls asleep not long after supper.”

Ian nodded then followed her into a living room that one would probably describe as ’homey.’ Again, not that he would know about that. His father’s home, basically a small mansion, could never be described as anything but cold. He owned the best of everything, making Ian feel as though he were living in a showroom at an upscale furniture store.

Then there was his apartment. He supposed that might be considered Spartan, though it was all he required. Most of his waking hours were spent at the office, so he didn’t require much.

The Blake home was like nothing he’d ever seen and he felt out of his element. So he concentrated on the woman in the recliner in the corner, preferring to ignore the frightened face of Paul Blake for the moment.

There was no disguising the fact that she had been extremely ill. No way to hide that her clothes hung on her like skin over bone. No question that the hideous green hat covered a bald head.

His eyes moved to the nearly black shadows beneath hers, to the pale, sunken cheeks, and the confused expression she directed his way.

So Ian mustered his most charming smile and strode toward her, hand extended saying,

“Mrs. Blake. It’s good to see you again.”

“Thank you. I’m sorry but I’m afraid I can’t quite place your face. You do work with my husband, right?” Her hand felt very frail in his and he let it go gently.

“Yes, Ma’am, I do. Ian McCann.”

“Ian McCann? No, you’re too young to be- Oh, that’s right!” she exclaimed, pleased that she’d finally remembered him. “You’re the boss’ son, right?” He grinned at her obvious delight.”

“Guilty.”

“Paul, this is the nice young man I told you about at the picnic. He fetched me a glass of lemonade while you and Annie were playing softball.”

“I remember that,” Ian told her. He hadn’t realized that she was sick then, only that she’d looked exhausted on that miserably hot and humid day.

Ian noticed that Paul had remained silent, not so much as a greeting passing his lips and he sought to assure him that all was well.
Or would be.

“Paul, how are you tonight? After the week we’ve had I imagine you’re looking forward to three days off as much as I am.” Paul’s only response was a nod of his head.

“I believe he’s planning to spend all of his time off barbequing,” Maddie told him with a chuckle.
“Trying to fatten me up by tempting me with all my favorite foods.”

“Nothing wrong with that, Mrs. Blake.
Is he tempting you?”

“Well, I have to admit that steak tips and a burger with lots of mayonnaise and catsup sounds wonderful. I’m also partial to those pies you make on the grill,” she said, closing her eyes in anticipation. “Don’t you just love them?”

“Hmm.
I don’t know that I’ve ever had one,” Ian admitted, liking the woman more with every moment he spent in her company.

“Well, I suppose it doesn’t sound good to tell you how we make them, but take my word for it, they’re delicious.”

“So how
do
you make them?”

“Well, we have a few
things,
oh I never can remember what they’re called. They open up like a clam and you put a slice of buttered bread on each side and whatever pie filling you like in the center of one. Then you close it up, lay it in the coals and turn it occasionally, until the bread browns nicely. Then you drizzle cream cheese frosting over it and it’s, well, delicious.”

“It sounds like it,” Ian said enthusiastically. “I’ll have to get you to show me how to make them someday.” She looked especially pleased by his reaction and immediately invited,

“Well, we’ll be grilling tomorrow.
If you don’t have plans, we’d love to have you come for supper, wouldn’t we, Paul?”

“Yes, of course you’re always welcome here, Ian.” Paul had finally found his voice and Ian realized that he would do anything to make his wife happy. Do anything for her period. Even stealing money to try and save her life.

“Well, that’s kind of why I stopped by. I’m afraid I can’t come for dinner tomorrow because- Well,” he reached out to Annie, who still stood beside him, put his arm around her shoulders and drew her to close to his side.

He noticed that Maddie looked at them with keen interest while Paul simply looked suspicious. Annie just looked up at him in stunned surprise.

“I know you said this wasn’t a good time, Darling, but I think it is.” He looked directly at Maddie and said, “I’ve made arrangements for Annie and
I
to fly to Las Vegas in the morning so we can be married.”

Gasps filled the air but it was Annie’s reaction that he needed to make sure of. He wrapped both arms around her and whispered fiercely in her ear,

“This is the only way to keep your father out of prison so you’d better make a good show of it!”

“Married?” Maddie exclaimed, torn between confusion and pleasure.
“
Tomorrow?
”

“Yes,” Ian hurried to explain. “Annie thought we should wait but I wanted the right to be able to help you through this difficult time. And the fact is, I love your daughter and I want her for my wife.” A bald faced lie but, given the circumstances, what else could he do?

“Now wait just a minute,” Paul started to protest, jumping to his feet.

“D-Dad,” Annie stuttered before saying firmly, “I-it‘s okay.” Smiling a smile that left much to be desired, she said sweetly, “If you’d excuse us for a moment, I need to speak to my fiancé’ for a moment.
Because you’re right,
Darling
.
I thought we’d agreed to wait.”

~~~~

“
Married?
” Annie hissed, glaring up at him from where they stood on the front porch, where she’d dragged him. Against his will, judging from the amount of resistance he’d shown.
“
Married!
That’s
your solution to our problems?”

“Calm down,” Ian said quietly.

“I will not! You waltz in and calmly announce to my mother that we’re getting married tomorrow and you want me to calm down?”

“As a matter of fact I do.
Like I said before, if you want to keep your father out of prison, this is the only way.”

“How could our getting married possibly help my father?”

“Quite simply, it will make available to me half of an inheritance that my grandmother left me. The only way I can use it now is if I get married. It’s that or
wait
 
until
my fortieth birthday, which is another seven years away. By then I expect your father will have settled quite comfortably into his cell.” By the time he’d finished his explanation, he’d leaned down until he was almost nose to nose with Annie.
“
Capisce?
”

Annie cleared her throat and took a couple of steps away from him.

“Actually, no I don’t understand. You’re willing to give up your freedom to help someone who stole from your father’s company? Why? You’re either the kindest person I’ve ever met, or you’re inheritance is out of this world.” Ian snorted and rested his arm against the house above her head.

“Sorry to disappoint you but I’m not that nice. Neither is the inheritance overly large.”

“So you’re doing this because...”

“Because the inheritance is large enough that I can help your father, buy a home, and start my own company so that I’m free of my father. Believe me, I have no designs on you, Miss Blake,” he assured her. “However, there is one other thing you need to be aware of.