Miss Fortune (47 page)

I owe you, Dagne, she whispered, and turned around, walked inside, to Flynns open arms.

Subject: Merry Christmas!

From: lt; [email protected] gt;

To: Dad lt; Aaron.Learl@leartransindcom gt;

Hi Dad. he train gets in around noon tomorrow. Do you think we could go to that Italian restaurant I love? I dont know how youre feeling, but Robbie said that with everyone coming up for Christmas, she didnt want you and Mom to have to worry about cooking. What time is everyone getting in? Im really excited and I have a big surprise for everyone. Dont try and get it out of me, but its bigger than a breadbox, it has nothing to do with my dissertation, and I think you are going to be very very very pleased. At least 1 hope you will be and 1 have my fingers crossed. Merry Christmas, Dad, and I love you! Rachel

Subject: Re: The Lear FamilyBrace Yourself From: Flynn lt; [email protected] tgt; To: lt; [email protected] gt;

[email protected] wrote:

Dude, are you certain you want to unveil yourself at Christmas? Do you know the murder and suicide rate is the highest at that time of year and our father is famous for going off at family gatherings? Im not saying he will kill you or anything, at least I dont think so. and you never know what Grandpa might do. but they could make it really, really hard, okay, all right, if thats what you want to do, just consider yourself forewarned. Robin, Rachels extremely protective big sister, but whose other sister Rebecca said I needed to lay off because she talked to you on the phone and you seem like a really great guy. You better be, thats all I have to say! :)

Dear Robin, please let me put your mind at ease. I am an infinitely pleasant sort of chap and I have excellent table manners, thanks to my mum, who had dreams of marrying me off to Diana Spencers cousin. Unfortunately, that dream ended tragically when it turned out that the Diana Spencer to whom the young girl was cousined was not, in fact, that Diana Spencer. And lest you think I am the lamb being driven to slaughter, Rachel has told me all about her father, warts and all, as they say, and well, to be a bit blunt about you, as well, which has inspired me to practice a bit of kung fu should the need arise. I look forward to making your esteemed acquaintance and that of the entire family, whom I hope to call my own one day. Yours, Flynn Oliver

AN unusually cold north wind was whipping across the Texas landscape with such force that Rachel, Rebecca, and Robin were the first to be driven inside the ranch house at Blue Cross.

Perfect. Just perfect, Robin groused as she tried to straighten the short, knee-length black skirt she wore. Is this an omen, or what?

Stop it, Robbie. Dont start getting all weird on us, Rebecca said, trying to comb her shoulder-length hair with her fingers.

You have me confused with Rachel. Shes the one with all the weird stuff, Robin reminded her, and pointed at Rachel, who was peering out the front windows at the long drive leading down to the ranch house from the main road.

Yeah, but I dont believe in omens, Rachel said. And besides, were supposed to be thinking positively. Chi, remember? Positive energy flow.

I got some energy flow for you, Robin muttered.

Here comes Flynn, Rebecca said.

The front door banged open and Flynn jumped inside, then struggled against the wind to push the door shut be-hind him. Rather nasty out, isnt it? he said, dragging his hands through his hair as he looked around. Do you think we might kip a pint of lager before we begin?

Flynn! they all cried at once.

Sorry! he said, holding up a hand. But it has been a rather trying day all in all, what with the weather. He sighed, and was suddenly bumped in the back as the door flew open and Jake, Matt, and Grandpa crowded into the front entry.

I never seen a blue norther this blue, Grandpa said, shaking his head. Dont know why we all had to troop down to that silly pond in the first place. Anyone with a lick of sense would have known to do it all right here, right by the fire.

It was my idea. Oh God, this is a disaster! Rebecca insisted.

Its all right, Rebecca, Matt said. You did the best you could under the circumstance. I dont think anyone can fault your event planning when the weather is this bad.

Thats right, Robin adamantly agreed, shaking her fingers through her hair as Jake tried to fix the collar of her coat. Its freezing out there.

So Flynn, this is your first time to Blue Cross, eh? Grandpa asked. What do you think of the place?

Fabulous, Flynn said, looking around admiringly at the richly appointed ranch house.

When you finish up that school youre in, you ought to have your green card. You could come down here and hire on, huh?

Perhaps, Flynn said with a wink. But we havent quite decided where we might end up.

The door burst open again; Bonnie appeared, one hand clutched at the throat of her coat, the other holding her hat firmly to her head. I cant stand it another moment. I cant! she said, marching into their midst. After all weve been through, were supposed to endure this shit? she exclaimed.

Mom! Rebecca cried.

Im sorry, Bonnie, it was my idea, Aaron said at the door as he pulled Grandma in behind him, while the pastor pushed her from behind.

Oh Dad, I know you wanted a scenic spot, Rebecca said. But its freezing!

Well, good night, honey, your daddy knows its freezing! Look at his lips! Grandma exclaimed as she maneuvered through the hall into the great room and the fire roaring at the hearth.

I thought the weather was sort of appropriate, Aaron said with a grin. There was a time your mother said shed come back to me when hell froze over.

Bonnie laughed, put her arm through his. I never said that, Aaron Lear. And I will never agree to renew our wedding vows in an ice-cold wind storm.

The good pastor here is going to perform the ceremony in our great room, Aaron said. Why dont yall go on in and find a place to sit?

Wait! Rebecca cried as Grandpa headed in that direction to join Grandma. At least let me set up something to work as an altar! Come on, Robbie, help me.

Me? What about Rachel?

Im coming, too , Robin! Rachel said with a roll of her eyes, and smiled at the pastor. Actually, Reverend, she said, holding out her hand to take him to the great room, Im surprised youre still here with this group of heathens. The pastor laughed as he joined Rachel.

Behind them, Jake and Matt and Flynn looked at one another. I dont know about you guys, Matt said, but when Rebecca gets thrown a curve, its best to stay out of her way.

Maybe for you , Jake said with a laugh, clapping Matt on the shoulder. But if Im not in there, Robbies likely to hurt someone.

What say we send the new guy? Matt said, and he and Jake both grinned at Flynn.

Bloody hell, Flynn said, and with his hands on his waist, he leaned to one side and peeked in at the flurry of activity within. Might I inquire, he asked stoically, how long a mates got to put in before hes no longer considered the new guy?

Thirty years, pal, Jake laughed, and gave him a friendly shove as the three men walked into the great room to help get it ready for the ceremony reuniting Aaron and Bonnie Lear.

Bonnie put her arm around Aarons waist.

Im glad were all at Blue Cross, he said, smiling down at her. Just look at those beautiful girls we managed to make. Best thing we ever did.

Thats right, Bonnie said. And look at the men who love them. Good, solid men, who will protect and care for them all their days.

Aaron smiled, squeezed Bonnies shoulders. Thats all I ever really wanted, you know, for those girls to be happy. And once I had that, I thought I could just go ahead and die. But apparently, God wants me to stick around a little longer. He looked down at her. Whoever would have guessed after that surgery Id still be around a couple of years later?

Bonnie laughed, rose up on her tiptoes and kissed him. And for the foreseeable future. Cancer free, Aaron. Its a miracle. She slipped out from his arm. Im going to go lend a hand.

Ill be right there, Aaron said after her.

Cancer free. Thank you, God .

Bonnie didnt know it, but hed made the guy upstairs a deal. If He let him stick around, he was going to do things right. He was going to be a positive presence in his daughters lives, not an oppressive one. He was going to be a better husband to Bonnie, too, and had actually graduated Daniel the Jerks counseling sessions with praise.

He was going to be a better dad. It was too late for his girls, but he had all those grandkids. Even his baby Rachel had a bun in the oven (which, she had gleefully announced, meant that shed have to take a sabbatical from her en-dowed chair in the Art and Architecture Department at Brown University).

Yeah, he was going to be a better man, all right, and he was not going to squander a single moment of the days he had left, however many there were. Hed spend the rest of his life making up for the first sixty years of his life.

He heard the girls laugh at something, their laughter rising up like angels around him, and felt tears well in his eyes. Damn, he was getting sentimental these days. He blinked back those silly tears, and with a smile, he walked into the room filled with his loved ones.

He was, he recognized, one lucky sonovabitch.