Hidden Hearts (36 page)

“But she doesn’t know you’re her aunt?”

She turned and faced them. “Do you understand now why I didn’t want to get into all this? It’s not important. She knows she’s adopted. That’s enough. She loves me and we’re family, not just in the blood sense. What would be gained from telling her? Her biological past is full of pain.” Her gaze shifted from Penn to CC. “This is what I’m trying to tell you girls. The past is the past. It’s not always good to know everything.” She gazed at the portrait again. “You make your family, and I’ve made mine.”

CC stood. “Viv, you said Jacob would do anything for your mother, right?”

“Absolutely.”

“Would he commit a felony?”

****

CC, Penn and Viv rode in Penn’s Nova as CC explained her theory. “I think Jacob confronted your father about the fire, Viv. He threatened to turn him into the police for arson and murder unless he signed over the enclave.”

“Why would he do that?”

“Because he wanted something good to come from Mac’s death,” Penn concluded. “In all likelihood nothing would’ve happened if he’d gone to the police. There was no real proof. Chet would’ve denied it, and you didn’t actually see him set the fire.”

“And unfortunately in those times the death of a black man wasn’t a big deal,” CC said. “But he could help your mother if he got the land away from Chet.”

Viv’s head seemed to swim with the information. “Why didn’t he have Pops sign over the place to Mama?”

“Because property law was vague and ambiguous back then.
Most states didn’t allow women to own property on their own,” CC answered. “Jacob threatened Chet to sign over the land, and then he held it for Lois.”

“But he should’ve signed it back in the seventies when the laws changed,” Penn growled as she turned on to Grand Avenue.

“Mama was already in trouble by then, Penn. Her brain wasn’t working right. And I imagine Jacob had his own box of letters. They probably just forgot about it.”

Penn glanced at CC. “Are you thinking duress, counselor? Are you hoping to prove that the contract between the two men isn’t binding?”

She shook her head.
“Nope.
That could be an angle, but there’s no proof. I’ve got another hunch,” she said with a grin.

“Where are we going?” Viv finally asked.

“Here,” she said, pointing to the big sign.

Viv shrugged, puzzled.
“Della’s?
Why are we here?”

“Good question,” Penn agreed as they slid through the front door of the restaurant.

She asked for a table against the far wall, noticing Seth Rubenstein wasn’t around, but his Lexus was parked outside. After the waitress took their pie and lemonade orders, she motioned for Penn to help her remove the
Farmhouse Pies
sign that hung above them.

“What in tarnation are you doin’?” Viv asked.

They lowered it onto the table and stared at the message on the backside, written in the long, angular script that CC had seen on the letters in the shoebox.

Della’s
Restaurant  Est
. March, 1957

Jacob Rubenstein, Della Rubenstein and Lois Battle

Founding Partners

“Well, I’ll be damned,” Penn said, kissing her cheek.

Viv leaned over the sign as the waitress appeared carrying a coffeepot. “Excuse me, but you’re not allowed to do that.”

Viv looked up with a victorious smile. “I most certainly am, young lady. I own this joint.” She pointed at the message and explained who she was.

“Cool,” the waitress said. “I love the sweet potato pie. It’s the most ordered item on the menu.”

Seth Rubenstein hustled out of the kitchen. “What’s going on? Why are you here?”

CC pointed at Jacob Rubenstein’s message and he shrugged. “So?”

“It means we’re partners,” Viv said. She stuck out her hand. “Put her there!”

He stared at her extended hand. 

“You knew, didn’t you?” Penn accused him.

He shuffled his feet, but said nothing.

Viv gasped.
“You son of a bitch.
If your parents were alive they’d tan your fanny but
good
! You’re not half the man Jacob was.”

His face turned completely red and clashed with his bright pink Hawaiian shirt. “I’m calling my lawyer, my
new
lawyer,” he said to CC as he walked away. “You’re fired.”

A few minutes later, on the drive home Viv asked, “Will I get to keep the enclave? I really don’t want to own a restaurant, even part of one.”

“I think so,” Penn said. “His new attorney will advise him to drop the suit. The Della franchise is worth a ton more than the property. He’s not going to want to cut that
pie
in pieces.”

They laughed so loud CC almost didn’t hear her phone. She groaned when she saw Blanca’s name and put the phone on speaker.

“Yes, Blanca.”

“Your things need to be removed from our office by noon tomorrow.”

“I understand,” she said, glancing at Penn and Viv who were listening intently. From the echo on the line, Blanca’s phone was also on speaker.

“And you should know that I intend to file a formal complaint against you with the state bar association for ethics violations.”

“I understand,” she repeated, imagining a giant toilet with wads of cash that represented her education circling in the bowl.

“And I’ll need our new attorney to speak with Ms. Battle’s attorney. Who might that be?”

“She’s right here,” she said, holding the phone out.

“This is Penn.”

“Uh, hello, this is Alicia Dennis. I’ll be taking over the Rubenstein matter. Hi, CC, I assume you’re listening as well.”

Penn shook her head. “That was quick. You people at Hartford and Burns give new meaning to turnover.”

“Let’s stick to business,” Blanca directed. “What does your client want?”

Penn glanced at Viv. “You sure you don’t want part of a restaurant?” Viv waved her off and leaned closer to the phone. “Ms. Battle will be perfectly happy with a deed to the property. She’ll gladly forfeit her portion of Della’s.”

“I’m certain that will be acceptable,” Blanca said. “I’ll have Alicia draw up the paperwork.”

“It’ll be done by Friday,” Alicia said quickly.

“Oh, and Alicia you may want to write a few things down. Are you ready?”

“Yes.”

“First, when we come down to sign those papers, I expect you to return CC’s Melissa Ferrick CD, got that?”

“Uh, okay—”

“And I’m not sure what you’ve got on her, but if anything appears on the Internet that defames her in any way, I’m coming after you personally and Heartless and Burned, too. And I won’t care if the whole world sees. Do you understand that, Blanca?”

“I do,” she said tersely.

“I think that’s it,” Penn said.

“Oh, no, wait one second!” Viv cried.
“Vivian Battle, here.”

“Yes, Ms. Battle,” Blanca said flatly.

“As the president of the Alzheimer’s Association, and a personal friend of Bill Hartford’s, I’m requesting that you forget about filing that complaint with the bar.” She let the message sink in before she said, “It won’t turn out well for you, dear.”

Her voice was as sweet as if she was reading a Chloe book, but the venom lurked under the surface. It took several beats but Blanca finally said, “I understand. Consider it forgotten. Are we through?”

Penn piped up. “Just one more point, Alicia. I really need to thank you.”

“Why?”

“For being a moron.
You gave up a total babe who’s fabulous in bed. Thanks a lot. My rediscovered sex drive is very grateful.”

She disconnected, and Viv slapped her back. CC stared out the window too stunned to speak. Penn kept her eyes on the road and her hands at ten and two on the steering wheel. When they stopped at a red light, she turned to CC and appeared to be three times larger than she was.

“Sometimes I absolutely love the law!”

They parked the car, and CC’s head fell against the dashboard.
“What have I done?”

Penn stroked her back. “You’re miserable. You
hate
being a lawyer.”

“But it’s all I know how to do! And my student loans…”

“You have us.”

She sat up and touched her cheek. “Penn—”

“Listen to me, CC.”

“Yes, listen to
us
, CC,” Viv said.

Viv held up her portfolio and displayed her most recent drawing, a picture of Danny the Dachshund leaping through the grass, playing with a butterfly. “This is excellent. This is what real talent looks like. You want a job? I’m giving you a job.”

“What?” CC asked.

“I can’t stop old age from interfering with my life. God knows I try every day. But the arthritis is getting to me, and it’s harder to hold my brush. I need someone to help me with Chloe. I may not be able to control what happens to me, but Chloe can be timeless. She never has to die.”

She couldn’t believe what she was hearing. “You want me to be your apprentice?”

She shook her head. “You’re far too talented for that word, but yes, I want you to learn from me, and in exchange I’ll introduce you to my publisher.” She tapped the picture and smiled wryly. “He’s going to love this little guy and all the money he’ll make. Kids love wiener dogs!” Her expression shifted, and she said seriously, “So when can you start? When can you move in?”

She blinked. “You want me to live here?”

“Of course!
This is my home, and I’m loaded. It’s that simple. And I want people around me I admire, love and trust. This is my family. I decided on Maya, Penn, Lynette and Siobhan, and now I’d like to add you.”

“Uh, Viv, where will CC live?” Penn asked warily.

“With you,” she replied, and Penn sputtered an unintelligible response that made her laugh. “I’m kidding, Penn. She can either stay with me, and Lord knows I’ve got the room, or she can move into Siobhan’s place, which I imagine will be empty soon.”

Penn snorted. “I don’t know about that.”

“I do,” Viv said, pointing toward the cottages.

They got out of the Nova as Siobhan stormed toward her truck with Lynette and the dogs following after her.

“Siobhan, wait! I need to talk to you.”

When she opened the tailgate, Lynette gave a shrill whistle and motioned. The five dogs jumped into the bed.

Siobhan pointed. “Get out!” The dogs ignored her and focused their stares on Lynette who was shaking a finger at them.

“I’m going to be late,” she cried. “Lynette?”

“I really need to talk to you.”

“I can’t right now. I have a concert. You need to get these mutts down!” she shouted in her thick brogue.

Lynette wrapped her arms around her and kissed her passionately. As Lynette walked away, she whistled again, and the dogs tumbled out of the bed, nearly knocking a dazed Siobhan to the ground.

Lynette threw up her hands and said, “I think I’m trainable.”

September, 2010

From my childhood bedroom on the second floor I watched their exchange. They’d been playing this cat and mouse game for over a month but neither could become a cat. Both were just timid mice, afraid of love, too scared to try again. CC sat at the drawing board inside the sun porch perfecting her version of Chloe. She was naturally gifted, and I knew when I could no longer hold my brush, the young readers would be just as pleased with her Chloe. Only a few would catch the subtle differences in our styles.

Penn stood on her porch on the other side of the hedge, her arms folded, leaning against a post. She gazed at CC without being able to see her, picturing her through the thick foliage I’d planted decades ago. My breath caught, and for a moment fifty-five years evaporated and Mac and Mama appeared, he outside the cabin, and she on the sun porch. It disappeared when I heard the annoying ring from CC’s cell phone. She answered, and I knew without looking across the hedge that it was Penn, wooing her to abandon her work and take a break.