Baby Daddy (5 page)

I had to ask, given my critical timeline.  “Do you know when that will happen?”

“My best guess, Killeen, is about three months.”

That would be cutting it close
.

“Are you feeling okay?  You look a little pale,” Harlan asked, studying me closely.

“I’m fine.”  I was even able to manage a smile while my mind screamed,
I’m not fine at all
. 
I’m scared shitless because in a few months a human being is going to squeeze out a hole barely big enough for a tampon, I’ll be spending the rest of the summer living in a cardboard box under a bridge and I’ve just found out my mother was a moral hypocrite.  All those times she gave me various versions of The Talk and telling me to wait until marriage, and she’d been a fucking groupie, following bands and banging strange men.
  I was having a lot of trouble wrapping my mind around that whole concept.

Harlan looked doubtful, but he continued,
“Okay, about the third number.  I’ve done some confidential checking around and the $1,000,000 is my best estimate of what Roger’s P.I. firm,
Scandals Investigations
could sell for after expenses.”

“Why did you scratch that number out?” Dallas asked.

“Roger’s death had a direct and very negative impact on the resale value of the firm.  Christopher Tate, Roger’s General Manager, has about twenty people working for him, about the same number as when Roger was alive.  They are still attracting customers and keeping quite busy, but any buyer would be leery of the value of the firm at $1 million with the founder and the guy whose face was on all the TV commercials dead of an overdose.”

“Will it ever be worth $1 million?” Dallas asked.

“That will be up to you guys.  If you can prove the firm’s stability and grow the revenue and the size of the business for three-to-five years, you probably could get that much for it.  And, of course, there’s the building which has been appraised for around half of that $1 million.  It has a good downtown location, but real estate of that type doesn’t sell quickly, and who knows what the market will bear.”

“Anyone got three-to-
five years to donate?” Reno asked.  “I know I don’t.”

Harlan cleared his throat and took a drink of water from his glass.  “This is the first point where the bequeathing process gets complicated.”

“Bequeathing process?” Tulsa asked.

Harlan chuckled.  “Sometimes I think we lawyers just make words up.  Bequeathing process
…when Roger made out his will, with my help…the hardest part to write was what to do with the business he had worked so hard to build.  Usually, when a client is thinking about leaving their business to their children or other next of kin, there are several things that have to be considered, but two that particularly fit this situation.

“
First, Roger needed to objectively gauge the level of interest that you or Christopher would have in taking over the business.”  Harlan looked around the room for a minute as he thought about the rest of the answer to Tulsa’s question.  “Roger, after he found you, kept close track of your activities, but he had no way of judging how you all might feel about running the business.

“
The second consideration in the bequeathing process,” Harlan continued, “I cautioned him that brilliant children don’t guarantee astute business people.  Running a business takes a rare mix of faith, financial discipline, obsessive attention to detail and long hours.  He had no way of guessing who would have those characteristics.  So Tulsa, he listened to me and then said he wanted to leave Scandals to Christopher and any of you who had an interest in taking an active role in running the business…in equal parts.  Only those of you committed to Scandals will receive a part of the business.  If you choose to walk away, you will relinquish any and all claim on the business, including any value it might have in a future sale.  Long answer.  Questions?”

“So, we actually have to work there?” Dallas asked.

“Yes.  Of course, Roger understood that you had commitments to your educations and future career paths.  He assumed you would be able to create a schedule to make it all fit together and perhaps integrate your chosen career into one that will complement Scandals.”

Dallas nodded, accepting that explanation.

“Okay,” Harlan turned back to the board.  “The fourth number.  $5,000,000.  That’s the amount of life insurance on Roger’s life.  Here’s the second wrinkle in the estate.  The insurance company is refusing to pay off on his policy.”

Dallas immediately interrupted.  “On what basis?”

“The life insurance company isn’t going to pay on the policy because the police classified Roger’s death as an unintentional suicide.”

“I guess we can’t cry over not getting that money since none of us ever expected it anyway,” Reno pointed out.

“What the hell are we going to do with a P.I. firm?” Tulsa asked.

“That’s one of the details w
e need to get into this weekend,” Harlan commented.

“Who is this Chris dude?” Reno asked.

“
Christopher
came to work for Roger as an intern about eight years ago while he was a freshman at UT, working on a criminal justice degree.  He and Roger hit it off, and Christopher took on more and more responsibilities.  After he graduated, Roger offered him the job of General Manager.  He was like a son to Roger.”

“As if Roger didn’t already have enough sons,” Dallas muttered.

Everyone in the room except Harlan nodded their agreement.  It was clear they all had a long way to go to deal with everything they had heard today.

“Christopher is a nice guy and very intelligent.  He’s not your enemy or your competition.  He is guaranteed partial ownership of Scandals.  Just how much is entirely up to you.”

“So how long do we have to decide?” I asked.

“I’ve allowed two weeks, but if you all agree, that date could be extended for a few more weeks,” Harlan reluctantly offered.  “Keep in mind that as long as the ownership of Scandals is undecided, we run the threat of losing personnel and clients.  Instability is bad for business.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not so good for us, either,” Tulsa stated.

“I
can’t see myself taking part in any of this, but I’ll give it two weeks,” Dallas agreed.

“This is all so new to me,” Liberty spoke up.  “I can’t imagine what I could do to help.  I’m not sure I’ll stay
past the two weeks.”

“I’ve already taken the time off, so I might as well stick around,” Reno agreed.

Tulsa looked around.  “I don’t know about the rest of you, but I’m taking advantage of all the things I’ve been missing for the last twenty-one years.  Roger owes me at least two weeks of not worrying about where my next meal is coming from or if I’ll have a bed.”

I felt sort of bad that my reason for staying was simply because I didn’t want to go back to work at Harry’s.  Come to think of it, I didn’t have a bed either.  “I’ve got nothing better to do,” I told them.  “So, I guess I’ll stay and see how it goes.”

The five of us exchanged wary glances.  So much had changed in the last few hours.  We had all walked in the front door alone, with very different backgrounds.  Now we had four brothers and sisters.  And a father.  And a business.

Sometimes life could throw quite a curveball.

CHAPTER SIX

Gerald escorted us upstairs and showed us to our rooms.  I was glad we didn’t have to share because I needed the time and the space to absorb all I had heard.  My room was at the end of the hall, next to Reno’s and directly across from Tulsa’s.  My luggage was at the foot of the biggest bed I’d ever seen.  I couldn’t resist throwing myself down on it and stretching out to see if was as comfortable as it looked.  It was.

I yawned and wished I could snuggle under the comforter and take a nap.  I hadn’t slept well last night, worried I’d forgotten something or that I’d miss my flight or that this whole trip was a joke.

But Harlan had told us we had only forty-five minutes until we were supposed to join him around the pool for dinner.  Apparently, John had a big Texas barbecue planned.  I hoped it didn’t give me flashbacks to my days at Harry’s.  I’d smelled enough barbecue sauce to last me for a while.

I forced myself to get up and check out my room.  If I hadn’t known better, I would have thought I was in a
Hard Rock Café
or a
Planet Hollywood
.  Memorabilia was everywhere, and as I looked around, I realized this bedroom was a tribute to The Beatles.  Framed photos and album covers were displayed on every wall.  I was sort of familiar with their music and walked around, studying each item with interest.  There was a large display case with a blue Nehru jacket on a mannequin, next to a signed guitar from Paul McCartney.  I recognized it as one of the outfits they had worn on the Sgt. Pepper album.  On the other walls were two more guitars, one signed by John Lennon and the other by George Harrison and in another display case, a set of drumsticks signed by Ringo Starr.  All in all, a very impressive collection.  The color scheme was red, white and blue, but not the familiar stars and stripes of the U.S., but the crosses and bars of a Union Jack, the flag of the United Kingdom.  Considering The Beatles were British, I guess that was appropriate.

I hung my clothes in the closet and put the rest of my things in two drawers of the dresser, then stowed my suitcases under the bed.  In my exploration I had found a private bathroom with a big soaking tub and a separate shower.  It was a bathroom right out of a
n
HGTV
TV show.  As I arranged my hygiene items on the granite countertop, I couldn’t help thinking that no matter where this whole thing went, I was going to thoroughly enjoy the next two weeks.  It was like an all-inclusive resort.

There wasn’t enough time to do justice to the big tub, so I took a long, hot shower.  It felt good to get rid of the travel grime.  I was delighted to find a hair dryer in one of the drawers, so I didn’t have to go downstairs with wet hair.

It was a little after 7 p.m. when I headed out of my room and found my way down the hall to the rear staircase that took me down to the kitchen and out to the pool area.  The whole area was covered in flagstone like the front driveway and beautifully landscaped with tropical palms and flowering bushes.  The pool was edgeless and the land fell away down to Lake Travis.  The air was clear, and I could see miles to the western horizon across the Texas Hill Country.  The patio followed the house around to the left and then the large barbeque pit was in front of us.  Gerald was talking with a man, who was wearing an apron and a chef’s hat.  I didn’t see any of the other guests, so I assumed I was the first one to arrive.

“Hello Gerald,” I said
.

Gerald turned toward me.  “Killeen!  This is John
…John, Killeen.”

“Hello
,” John greeted me.  “I hear you’re the barbeque expert from Phoenix.”

I
rolled my eyes and laughed.  “Definitely not.  It was just part of my very short career in the food industry.” My stomach growled as I caught scent of grilling meat.  As long as it wasn’t doused in sauce, I was looking forward to a good meal.  If John or Gerald heard, they were kind enough not to mention it.  I realized that other than a package of cheese and crackers and some French fries at the airport in Phoenix, I hadn’t eaten all day.

“If you didn’t bring a swim
suit, we have a selection of spares that would probably fit you,” Gerald told her.  “Roger liked to have impromptu pool parties.”

I glanced over at the pool.
  The sparkling clear water definitely looked inviting.  “I brought one with me.  Is it okay if I swim laps in the morning?  I’m used to working out every day.”

“Use the pool whenever you want.  It’s yours,” Gerald said matter-of-factly.  “There’s also a nicely equipped exercise room next to the game room.  I doubt it got much use when Roger was . . .” He swallowed hard, then tried to shake it off.  He was obviously very upset about Roger’s death.  “Well, you know.”

“Thanks.  I’ll check it out later.”  I was curious about a man who could so carelessly scatter children all over the country and yet inspire such loyalty and devotion as Roger had.  He was a dichotomy, and I wasn’t sure yet how I felt about the whole situation.

Reno, still dressed in leather pants and a black long-sleeved shirt joined us. 

“Hello Reno,” Gerald said and repeated the introductions to John.

“You’re the magician
,” John responded.  “I hope you’ll give us all a demonstration after dinner.”

“Hmmm, I just happen to have a deck of cards with me.”  Reno smiled.  “Gerald
…do you have Coors Light?”

“Absolutely Reno.
” Gerald opened the top of a large metal cooler that was mounted on a wheeled cart and pulled out a can of beer.  “We keep the cooler out here stocked as well as the refrigerator inside.  If there’s a brand you want that’s not here, just let me know.”

“
Thanks.  This is fine,” Reno said as he opened the can and took a drink, then set it aside.  He pulled the cards out of the box, then removed the four aces from the deck.  “Killeen?  Would you be my assistant?”

“
Sure.  But if you have a saw, I’m out of here.”  I laughed, just a little nervously.

“
Good to know your limits,” he laughed.  “We’ll start with something less risky.  Look at these four cards.  What do you see?”

“Four aces
, right?”

“Yes.”

“So here’s what I’m going to do,” he instructed me.  “Place the first ace in the palm of your left hand, face down.”

I put the ace of diamonds face down in the palm of my
left hand.

“Take the next ace
…the ace of clubs, and place it in the palm of your right hand.  Then put your hands together and turn them over.”

I
did as he directed.

“Okay
…so when you open your hands, what card will be on top?”

“It has to be the ace of clubs.”

“And the second card will be…?”

“The ace of diamonds,” I shook my
head as if Reno’s questions were ridiculous.

“
Open your hands.”

I
pulled my hands apart and gasped. The top card was the ace of hearts and the second card was the ace of spades.  “How did you . . .”

Reno flipped
over the two cards that I would have sworn had never left his hands, and there was the ace of diamonds and the ace of clubs.

“Magician’s secret.  If I told you, then I’d have to kill you,” he teased.

At least I hoped he was teasing.

“
That was pretty slick,” Gerald said with genuine admiration.

“Thanks
.”  Reno put the cards back into the box and stuck it into his pocket just as Dallas walked up.

“Hey Dallas
.  Watch your wallet and wristwatch around this guy,” I said, nodding toward Reno.

“He’s a thief?”

“No, he does crazy things with his hands.”  I laughed.  “Gerald, can I get a virgin margarita?”

“Frozen or on ice?”
  He asked.

“Frozen.  And make it extra sour.
”

“How about you, Dallas?  What would you like to drink?” Gerald asked.

“Do you have Blue Moon?”

“On tap at the bar.  I’ll be right back.”  Gerald went to the stone and teak bar at the corner of the patio area, and a few seconds later, I heard the familiar whir of a blender.  He quickly returned with my margarita and Dallas’ Blue Moon in a tall glass with an orange slice
on the rim.

I took a sip and nodded. 
“Delicious.  For a butler, you sure know your way around a bar.”

“
I picked up all sorts of skills as Roger’s road manager.  Once we retired, I tried a couple real jobs and hated every minute of it.  I moved in here temporarily…and just stayed.  Playing butler was more or less to return the favor.”

Liberty
walked out of the house and sort of drifted toward us, pausing often to look at the flowers and a big yellow butterfly that hovered over the purplish-blue flowers on a plumbago bush.

“She’
s the one on the vegan diet,” Gerald told John.

John
nodded, then took two trays of appetizers out of the cooler and placed them on the counter of the wet bar.

My stomach growled again, and I jumped in to help. 
“I’ll take the wrap off these.”

“Thanks
, Killeen.”  John smiled at me and returned to the grill.

Harlan and Tulsa
walked out from a different door and headed straight for the bar.  We all turned to look at them, and our surprise must have registered on our faces because Harlan hurried to say, “Tulsa is going to school for computer and internet security, and we were talking shop after our meeting today.  There are several areas of concern that I need to clamp down on, and she’s volunteered to check them out.”

Reno gravitated to his familiar role as bartender and everyone crowded around
the bar, throwing orders at him that he filled perfectly and with great panache.  He could do all the toss-the-bottle tricks from the movie
Cocktail
and a couple others he had made up.  It was a great ice breaker and after a couple of drinks, we all relaxed and let our guard down a little.

After all the appetizers were gone and John called us for dinner, we migrated to the outdoor dining area.
  The sun slowly sank into the gentle hills on the other side of Lake Travis and the garden area turned into a magical fairyland of twinkling white lights in the trees, blue lights in the pool and strings of small round party lights around the roof of the patio area.  Dotted all along the shore lights glowed from dozens of homes and above us the sky was blanketed by stars.

Harlan stood up and tapped
a knife on the side of his water glass to capture everyone’s attention.  “First, John, thank you for another excellently prepared meal.  Everything looks positively delicious.”  We all applauded.  “Second, Gerald, thank you for taking excellent care of getting everyone settled in their rooms today.”  We clapped again. “I hope you all are enjoying your special themes.  Roger spent a lot of time amassing an amazing collection of entertainment memorabilia.  Each of the items in your rooms are genuine and quite rare.

“Finally, to our guests of honor
…you ladies and gentlemen got through the news about Roger far better than I could have hoped for. Of course, you will all need time to come to grips with your extended family and potential commitment to Scandals.  But just remember, you are not in this alone.  There are four other people who, I hope will become your very good friends as you explore the possibilities.

“Roger knew he was a failure as a father,
but he wanted to make it right.  He worked hard to build his business, and his greatest hope was that at least some of you would pick up where he left off and continue the legacy.  I look forward to working with you and will be available to answer any questions or resolve any concerns you might have.  Tomorrow John will prepare an a la carte breakfast starting at 10 a.m.  We’ll have a brief private meeting here at noon, then Christopher will join us.  But for tonight, enjoy dinner and make yourself at home.  After all, everything here is yours, at least for a while.”

Harlan sat down, and we all dug into our barbecued ribs, brisket and sausage with sides of grilled corn, potato salad and baked beans
…everyone except Liberty who seemed quite happy with her mixture of fresh vegetables and fruit salad.  Dessert was peach cobbler with Blue Bell ice cream, drizzled with caramel. 

Liberty
and I were the only ones underage, but I was pretty sure Harlan and the others would have looked the other way if we had asked for alcoholic drinks.  However, she also declined and we both stuck to iced tea.  It was a good excuse for me to avoid alcohol.  I had a back-up excuse that I was still in training, but since no one asked, I didn’t volunteer anything.

After we had cleaned our plates, we migrated to lounge ch
airs around the pool.  Harlan, wisely, decided to give us some time alone, so he said his goodnights and left.  After Reno offered to continue as bartender, Gerald and John went inside to finish the dinner clean up.

For the first time,
it was just us five kids without any filters or adults to moderate us.