Plus None 2 (24 page)

Suddenly, the roses don’t smell so sweet. I’ve been thinking about this subject since the morning after our fishing trip. Harlow County is the mullet of all redneck counties, but it’s my home. My family’s there. My bakery is there. I can’t leave.

“Charlie?”

I turn, very reluctantly, toward him. How can I be the one to throw yet another wrench into our relationship?

“How does--” He spreads his hands in front of him. “--Ramirez and Associates, sound to you?”

My stomach can’t even flop properly. It just lies inside me like soggy pancake. “It sounds great,” I lie, trying to smile.

Alex steps forward and holds my face in his hands. “You’re not going to mind having lunch with me every day?”

The pancake sizzles. “What are you saying?”

“I’m thinking of opening up my own firm. In Harlow, if that’s alright with you.”

I focus in on his mouth, sure I heard him wrong. “You? In Harlow?”

He kisses me gently. “Don’t you want me with you?”

I bring my hands up and fold them around his. “Of course I do, but…”

“But what?”

“Do you really think you can be happy there? I mean, to begin with, the majority of your caseload will be paternity suits, and the rest will be consumed by bailing my dumbass cousins out of jail.”

“I think--” He smiles as he leans in for another kiss. “--I won’t be happy until I’m wherever you are.”

His lips brush mine when the sound of shoes on gravel interrupts us. The man in the gray suit from the wedding rehearsal strides casually into view. Alex straightens and actually steps in front of me.

“You should listen to her, Alex. She’s a smart girl.” His voice has a lovely tenor quality. Each word has a small lilt at the end, like a golden-era movie star.

“You weren’t invited here. Leave.” Alex throws him arm toward the garden wall. I’m stunned to feel how tense his muscles have become when I place my hand on his back.

The man in the gray suit is equally tall and broad. His white hair is cropped close to his head in military fashion. There’s something about him I can’t quite put my finger on.

He grins coldly at Alex then his gray eyes lock with mine. “Charlotte Davies. We meet at last.”

The way he says my name gives him away. I nod in his direction. “Mr. Spelling.”

Gordon Spelling is dressed to the nines. The tailored suit fits him perfectly. His wingtip shoes are shiny and scuff-free. Even the black onyx ring on his right hand, which would certainly look tacky on anyone else, looks perfectly suited to him.

“You.” He shakes a finger at me. “You have been very busy since coming to my town.”

Alex steps toward him in an overtly aggressive move. Gordon waves him off like he’s swatting a fly.

“No need to get worked-up, Alex. I just came to congratulate you and your lovely lady friend.”

Alex doesn’t back down. “Don’t say another word to her.”

Gordon’s eyes are like ice. I stand powerless, watching as they stare each other down like a couple of predators. It feels like a bucket of cold water has been poured down my front.

“You’ve shown all your cards, son. Don’t threaten me.”

Alex flinches almost indiscernibly, but Gordon sees and smiles.

Not knowing what to do, I move forward beside them. Gordon dismisses Alex with a disgusted look and turns toward me. The way his eyes undress me reminds me of Spencer.

“I have to say, I get what he sees in you. You’re a stunning woman.”

“Thank you.”

He breathes in deeply through his nose. “I’ll do you the credit of speaking with no pretense.”

Next to me, Alex speaks sternly. “You don’t have to say anything to him, Charlie.”

I place my hand on his arm. “It’s okay.” I give Gordon my full attention. “Say what you came to say.”

He considers me intently. “I think you know that your…relationship with Mr. Ramirez has caused me some problems. I think you also know I’m a man of means. I’d like to make you an offer.”

I increase my grip on Alex who moves to advance on Gordon. Once I’m satisfied he’s not going to punch anyone else on my behalf, I reply. “Not interested.”

“Now, don’t be hasty, you haven’t even heard my pitch yet.”

The heart thundering in my chest is the only sound in the garden other than Alex’s rapid breathing.

“I’ve done some checking up on you, Miss Davies.” He waves a hand in the air. “I apologize for the crassness of it but it couldn’t be helped. When the future of your company and your family’s reputation is on the line, one needs to be…thorough. You grew up in the Pueblo Princess Trailer Park where much of your family still resides. Your mother died when you were young leaving your sister and you to fend for yourselves. Your father, overcome by grief, spent a number of years behind the bottle.”

I flinch. Daddy’s problems with alcohol ended a long time ago, but they’re not happy memories.

“You’re actually quite bright, second in your class, but you couldn’t get away from the pull of your family and gave up your scholarship. A college dropout.”

“Yeah, I’ve got all this in a scrapbook back at the trailer park. You wanna get to the point?”

He smiles. His teeth are white but small, like an animal’s. “You worked for quite a number of years in the oil fields. I’m curious, how was that for you?”

“Hot.”

“I imagine. Did you know, Ms. Davies, that the oil fields on the outskirts of Harlow County, where you and your father spent so much time under the hot sun, is owned by the Valencia Oil Company?”

“I say a prayer for them at dinner every night.”

“Did you know Valencia Oil Company was founded by Valentine Ramirez in nineteen twenty-three?”

I look to my left. Alex is glaring at Gordon so hard, he might be trying to make his head explode. My throat’s dry and stings a little when I swallow. When I met Alex I told him I worked those oil fields, he didn’t say a word.

I clear my throat and look back at Gordon. “I did not know that.”

His eye crinkle. “We’ve established that you’re an intelligent woman. I think you can put the rest together.”

Juan Ramirez sold ninety-nine percent of his company to Gordon Spelling, which makes the man in front of me my father’s boss. And not just my father but Luke, four of my cousins, and two of the aunts ex-husbands.

“See, I knew you were smart.”

Alex moves his arm, dislodging my hold on him, and wraps his arm around me. He looks down at me. I know what he’s going to say, that he won’t let anything happen to my family, but I shake my head. Bullies only respond to strength. This needs to end here and now.

Gordon rubs his hands together. “Now for my offer. You leave Dallas and Mr. Ramirez and go home to Harlow County where you belong and I won’t eliminate the jobs of every person on that field that you hold dear. It’s a tough economy Miss Davies. I shudder to think of what will become of your family without the stability of the oil fields.” Gordon’s smile is venomous.

“Oh, and I almost forgot, I recently bought some land as an investment opportunity in your hometown. Not a bad deal either. Of course, there’re a few residential developments that’ll have to be bulldozed to make way for the new shopping center. But if Harlow County’s not short of one thing, it’s trailer parks.”

A stunted pain starts in my chest and spreads like a gunshot wound. Even Alex, who was so determined to fight this man, can do nothing more than stand silently. Gordon has threatened my family’s livelihood, their homes, not to mention what he might have planned for Alex’s parents. I’m shaky and out of breath, blinded by shock and disbelief.

“I can see by the look on your face I haven’t sold you on my proposal, so let me add a small amendment.” Gordon steps forward, towering over me. “If you continue to interfere with my plans, I will ruin you and your family. I’ll make certain your father loses his pension. I’ll bury your home under a landfill. I will squash your hopes and dreams under my heel like the cockroaches you people are.”

I watch my hand rise and my finger point like it’s happening on film. “Nobody threatens my family.”

Gordon cocks his head to the side. “As I said, this is simply a business deal. You’re free to turn it down.”

My boot crunches on the gravel before me. Somewhere in the recess of my mind I hear Alex say my name but all I can see is the man in the gray suit. I stand dangerously close to him, my head thrown back so I can look straight into his steely eyes. “You disgust me. You think you can come to my sister’s wedding, and threaten
my family
? I’m from Texas, asshole. We don’t negotiate with terrorists.”

A ‘whoop!’ comes from between the rows of neat flowers behind Gordon. The aunts followed closely behind by Paige, Ken, Daddy and Cadence walk around him and stop near Alex. Only Cadence hovers over the line separating her father and me.

“You tell ‘em, sugar,” Brook says, turning her rings to face in.

“Oh good, the whole Davies family is here. It’ll save me time writing pink slips.”

My father, who is shorter than Gordon by a foot, pokes a chubby finger between the man’s shoulder and collarbone. “Are you threatening my daughter?”

I pull Daddy back, trying to reassure him with my eyes. “I got this.” He gives me an appraising, prideful look and nods firmly.

Gordon appears completely unconcerned that he’s now severely outnumbered. “This is the family you’ve chosen to marry into, Kenneth? What do your parent’s think of your new in-laws?”

Ken hangs a tan arm over Paige’s shoulders. “They think I’m marrying up.”

Gordon twists his mouth in a bitter expression then turns his attention back to me. “You’ve made the wrong decision, my dear. I’d say I hope he’s worth it, but you’ll find out the answer to that on your own. Just remember--” He leans over, close to my face. “--I gave you a choice.” He turns to his daughter. “It’s time to leave.” He takes her arm but she pulls out of his reach.

“No.”

“You come with me. Now.” His face turns redder with every word.

She shakes her head and backs into a clump of pink rose bushes. Gordon makes a move toward her and before I know what I’m doing I jump between them.

No one moves.

“You’ve made your offer, now let me make one of my own.” I stretch to get level with his face. “Leave us alone or I swear to God in Heaven, we will end you.” My breath is erratic from the excitement.

“Ha! Do you know who I am?” he yells. “I will
own
you.”

 “You may regret that, Mr. Fancy Pants.” Jolene’s voice echoes.

“Yeah.” says Brook, mouth open, eye winking. “No refunds.”

Gordon looks behind him, bewildered.

Patsy bends and grabs a lime-green stiletto right off her foot. She slaps the sole against her palm. “Why don’t you come over here and test out the merchandise? Three for the price of one.”

He looks around him, finally recognizing that he’s standing alone against a whole mess of angry country-folk.

He chews the inside of his cheek and looks daggers at me. When he tries to reach around me to get to his daughter, I throw my arms back protectively, pushing Cadence against the prickly bush. I feel her tense behind me but she doesn’t move or say a word.

“You’ve come between enough families for the time being, don’t you think?” His breath is stale and dry. “Go home. While you still can.”

“Don’t you dare!” Cadence’s voice is light and raspy as a whisper. “Don’t you dare threaten these people. They haven’t done anything to you.”

“Stop,” her father commands.

She places cold hands on my arms and gently moves me away so she can stand on her own. “I will not stop talking. I’ve remained quiet long enough.”

The entire crowd is huddled between two narrow garden paths. Brook looks to be having another
Knots Landing
moment while Alex looks pained and sad.

“You have bullied people my whole life and I won’t take it anymore. You treat people like they’re one of your companies. Buying and selling when and where you can to make the most profit. But we’re real people, Daddy. You can’t do it anymore.”

“Cadence,” he barks.

She stomps a dainty shoe on the ground. “No. I’ve had enough. I nearly let you bully me into marrying someone who doesn’t love me. And he would have done it, too. He would have sacrificed every dream he had for his life because he’s got more honor and loyalty in his little finger than you’ve got in your whole damn body!”

Paige gasps. Surprised by Cadence’s speech or her very mild cussword, I don’t know.

Gordon gets in his daughter’s face. “You think I wasn’t thinking of you when I orchestrated that little deal with Juan Ramirez? I knew how much you liked the boy. You practically mooned over him every time he came around. I gave him to you tied in a bow and you still couldn’t keep him. At least she--” He points to me. “--knows how keep a man pleased.”

The crack of a hand crossing a cheekbone breaks the night air. I look down, expecting to see my hand red and feel it sting, but both are hanging limply at my sides.

Cadence pulls her arm back. Her eyes are as wide as saucers. Gordon is, finally, speechless.

An impeccably dressed, beautiful woman with thick white hair walks blithely into the garden. Every head turns in her direction.

“I think that’s enough now, Cadence.”

“Mother?”

“Mother?” The aunts and I say in unison.

“Paige, my sweet, sweet Paige.” The woman embraces my sister. “Darling, I can’t wait for tomorrow. You’re going to be the loveliest bride in Texas.”

The woman I know as Trish, who ‘bought’ me a drink at Paige’s shower, turns to Alex and wipes something unseen from the front of his jacket. “Hello, Alex my dear. How’s dear Helena? Still drunk and useless?”

I see the sparkle in his eye from six-feet away.

“Well, at least you got her looks.” She smiles and winks at him.

My father looks stunned, like Cindy Crawford’s just walked into the garden wearing a bikini.

“You must be Paige and Charlie’s father?”

“Dale.” He bends awkwardly to kiss the hand she’s extended.

“You’ve raised some fine young women, Mr. Davies. You should be proud.”

“I am. Thank you.”

Trish turns toward Cadence, Gordon, and me.