The Denver Cereal (34 page)

Valerie clamped her mouth
shut. She spun in place and moved into the sea of
dresses.

“
Oh no, you don’t.” Sandy
caught Valerie’s wrist. “What did your mom say?”

Valerie sighed.

“
Celia used to say that we
had to get Aden ready for when he met his baker,” Valerie said.
“She thought it was a funny turn of words. I stopped talking
because you’re a hairdresser, right?”

Sandy nodded.

“
Mike and I thought it
might be Candy, you know, because she is a pastry chef. But,
Candy’s gay.” Valerie looked away. “I didn’t want to tell you
because you’re not a baker . . .”

“
Sandy’s a great baker,”
Jill said. “She can make anything just by feel. She does it to
relax, so she didn’t want to do it for work..”

“
You baked the scones for
breakfast?”

Sandy nodded. With her
eyes wide, Valerie squealed again.

“
YOU’RE THE BAKER! Oh,
Jake will just die!” Valerie looked around the upstairs and shook
her head. “Get out of that dress.”

“
But it’s nice,” Sandy
said. “It fits.”

“
We’re going shopping for
something very special, very sexy to seal the Aden deal. That’s a
man you don’t want to get away,” Valerie said. “Not that he would.
I bet he’s smitten. Still, I’m sure Jill will let you wear some of
her diamonds.”

Valerie clamped her mouth
closed again.

“
What diamonds?” Jill
asked. “Jake said that: ‘Val has your diamonds.’ I thought he was
hallucinating.”

Valerie clapped her hands
together like Katy did when she was excited.

~~~~~~~~

Jacob opened his eyes to a
silent room. He knew he was in the hospital. He just couldn’t
remember why. With deliberate care, he wiggled his toes, then his
fingers. His right arm felt funny. With his left hand, he felt the
gauze on his right shoulder and arm.

Shoulder injury.
Okay.

He racked his mind for
details. How did he get here? Hockey? Shooting accident? No,
hunting season is in the fall. Judging from the light, it was still
summer. Had to be a construction accident.

He should know
this.

“
So you’re awake,” the
nurse said.

Ah, great, Nasty Nurse.
Why do I remember her and not why I’m here?

“
When will I be released?”
Jacob managed.

If Nasty Nurse knew he was
foggy, he wouldn’t make it home. Every cell in his body wanted to
be at the Castle.

“
Today,” she
said.

“
It’s Sunday?” Jacob
guessed.

“
Right,” the nurse said.
“You want me to call someone?”

Jacob calculated. Dad
would be at Trevor’s wedding. Aden and Blane, too. Valerie was in
LA faking an engagement to that producer. Delphie doesn’t
drive.

“
Yeah, can you call my
friend Mike?”

“
What about your
girlfriend?” the nurse sneered.

“
My
girlfriend?”

The nurse snorted at
him.

“
I figured as much. That
sweet girl’s just one of a crowd, eh?” she sneered. “You men are
all the same.”

“
Okay,” Jacob said.
“Mike’s number should be in my file.”

“
You can call him
yourself.”

“
I don’t seem to have my
phone.”

The nurse curled her lip
at him. With her hands on her hips, she seemed to
cackle.

“
You’ll get your phone
after the doctor takes a look at you.”

The nurse slammed the door
behind her.

Girlfriend?

What
girlfriend?

~~~~~~~~

“
Okay,” Valerie
said.

She was in full actress
mode. Her audience? Jill and Sandy. They picked up Sam and Mike on
their way through the kitchen.

“
Is this going to take
long? The limo is due here in . . .”

“
Dad!”

Valerie mock glared at Sam
and they laughed. Mike held a clipboard in one hand while his other
hand ran over Val’s round behind. She leaned into him. They were
standing near a fireplace in the basement of the Castle.

“
How long have you been
divorced?” Valerie asked Jill.

“
Um . . .
Trevor asked me in January. It was supposed to go through in three
months but he screwed up the paperwork. It was a big mess, but my
lawyer sorted it all out and resubmitted the paperwork. The
engagement party was three weeks ago. The divorce was final the
next day.”

“
Six months since Trevor
originally filed?” Valerie asked.

“
Almost seven,” Jill said.
“Right?” She looked at Sandy for confirmation.

“
Almost seven months,”
Sandy repeated, then added in a mock whisper, “Thank
God.”

“
Mike?”

“
It’s not exactly right.
She’s supposed to be divorced for six months
but . . .” Mike looked at Valerie, then Sam.
“Objections?”

“
Sounds fine to me,” Sam
said.

“
Val?”

“
I don’t care and I know
Jake could give a shit.”

“
Check,” Mike
said.

Valerie cleared her
throat. “Mr. McGuinsey no longer has access to any of your
financial records or accounts?”

“
Mike set that up,” Jill
said. “Wait. Mike insisted on that.”

“
Mike?”

“
Check,” Mike
said.

“
Mike will you read the
instructions,” Valerie said. “See, I’d make a great game show
host.”

“
Maybe when you’re ancient
and wrinkly.” Mike kissed her.

“
Wrinkly? Like that’s
going to happen,” Valerie laughed. “Rules.”

“
Jillian Roper is to
inherit my entire diamond collection. However, they are willed in
trust.”

“
What are you talking
about?” Jill asked.

“
Celia wanted you to have
her diamonds, Jill,” Sam said. “There are conditions on the gift.
That’s what they’re telling you.”

“
I can’t take her
diamonds!” Jill said. “What about Val? Gosh, you must be
so . . .”

“
Excited,” Valerie
said.

“
Let them finish,” Sandy
said. She whispered to Jill, “We’ll sort it out later.”

Jill nodded. She and Sandy
could work out anything.

“
I’ll be good,” Jill
said.

“
Basically,” Sam said.
“Celia willed you her diamonds. But you were only able to know
about the inheritance, and receive the diamonds, when you were
financially separate from Trevor. Celia was afraid that he would
take the diamonds or the money from you.”

“
What does the trust thing
mean?” Jill asked.

“
The diamonds aren’t
allowed to leave the Marlowe family,” Mike read. “Jillian Roper can
sell the diamonds within the Marlowe family or bequeath them to a
Marlowe. However, the diamonds will remain within the Marlowe
family.”

Jill looked at
Sam.

“
Val wants to buy some,”
Sam said. “That’s why she’s so excited. She’s waited nine years to
get them.”

“
Oh,” Jill said. “Why
would I sell them? Val can have what she wants.”

“
Nope,” Valerie said.
“Doesn’t work like that. Mike?”

“
There’s a handwritten
note here, Jill. It says, ‘Welcome to the family.’”

“
Celia worried that you
would feel intimidated by all this money. She wanted to give you a
chance to be on a little more even footing.”

“
Of course, it never
occurred to Mom that you and Trevor would be married for so long.
She believed you and Jacob would marry and live happily ever after.
She wanted to ease the way there,” Valerie said. “Don’t worry,
Jill. I’m not jealous.”

When Valerie’s face lit
up, Jill saw Celia’s daughter. Pure and simple, Valerie was the
kind, generous, open-hearted daughter of Celia Marlowe. Jill was so
struck by seeing her dead friend in another person that she failed
to notice what Valerie was doing until Sandy gasped.

“
Pretty, huh? Mike and I
set them up for you. We thought we’d give them to you Monday
but . . . Jill?”

Mike caught Jill before
she hit the ground in a dead faint. He cradled her head.

“
What happened?” Valerie
asked.

“
She faints when she
hasn’t eaten,” Sandy said. She kneeled down to hold Jill’s hand.
“Did you see her eat yesterday?”

“
She said she was sick to
her stomach,” Sam said. “She just drank coffee.”

“
I didn’t see her eat
today,” Sandy said. “She said she ate with Jacob, but we’d have to
ask him how much she actually ate.”

“
Does she have an eating
disorder?” Valerie asked.

“
Yeah, it’s called
poverty,” Sandy said. “If she can’t pay, she won’t eat. We tried to
bribe her into eating Friday morning, but outside of a few bites,
she wouldn’t eat. She’s been like that since we were
kids.”

“
Blane said she wasn’t
eating because she couldn’t pay,” Sam said. “I just couldn’t
believe it. I’d buy her anything. I don’t care.”

“
She cares,” Sandy said.
“I doubt she’s eaten much this week. She just had enough money for
Katy to eat. She traded for the paint. She painted as a way to pay
for her rent this week.”

“
Oh God,” Valerie
said.

Mike stood up with Jill in
his arms.

“
I’ll deal with this,” he
said. He moved out of the basement leaving a guilt-stricken group.
Standing at the bottom of the basement stairs, he turned. “There
isn’t anything you can do. My parents were very strict about this
kind of thing — no charity. Val, can you lock up?”

Mike carried Jill up the
stairs as Noelle Norsen, followed by her brother Nash, came down
the stairs.

“
SANDY! Daddy, Mr.
Lipson’s down here with Sandy! Hi, Sandy! I didn’t know
you
would be
here!”

“
Hi, honey,” Sandy said.
“What’s going on?”

Aden jogged down the
stairs.

“
Blane can’t make it,”
Aden said. “He’s having a bad day. He asked if I would go in his
place. Delphie’s with Katy but she said she would watch the kids.
I . . .”

Aden saw Sandy for the
first time. His face flushed with emotion.

“
Hi, Sandy.”

Valerie giggled at his
reaction. She put her arm over Sandy’s shoulder.

“
Wanna go to Trevor’s
wedding?” Valerie asked Sandy.

“
I don’t have anything to
wear,” Sandy said. She looked from Valerie’s delighted face to
Aden’s blushing face. “Plus, he
didn’t . . .”

“
I’d love it if you would
come with me. We’re filling in for Jacob,” Aden said. “We’re just
there to pay the bill and support Sam. We won’t stay for the
reception. Just the wedding.”

“
Oh,
I . . .”

“
Val can get you dressed,”
Sam said. “Can’t you?”

“
Of course,” Valerie said.
“How much time do we have?”

“
Twenty minutes at the
outside,” Sam said. “Aden’s tux is here.”

Valerie grabbed Sandy’s
wrist and dragged her through the basement.

“
Twenty minutes,” Valerie
yelled back to the men. “And I get Delphie.”

“
Wait for me.” Noelle ran
after them.

Sam looked up to the
ceiling when Delphie and Katy cheered overhead.

“
Time to get dressed,” Sam
said. “I wondered why your tux was in my closet. Delphie had it
cleaned.”

“
Of course,” Aden said.
“You want to come with us, Nash?”

“
Sure,” Nash
said.

“
Maybe you could help me
find my cufflinks.”

~~~~~~~~

“
Hi,” Mike said to
Jill.

He had carried her to
Jacob’s apartment and laid her on the bed. Jill sat up with a
gasp.

“
Drink this,” Mike said.
He held a glass of chocolate milk out to her. “Do it.”

Jill took a sip and set it
down.

“
Drink it.”

Jill sighed and drank the
milk.

“
I can’t help it. I feel
awful. I don’t have a job! I don’t have a way to take care of my
child! And all this bullshit. I’m going to be some spokesmodel and
marry some rich guy I don’t even know. The guy I almost got
killed
because I’m too
incompetent to even keep a job. And diamonds? I mean, come
on . . .”

Mike hugged her to
him.

“
I’m sorry,” Mike said.
“I’ve been so caught up in Val being home I never thought to ask if
you had money.”

“
I’m not your
responsibility,” Jill said.

“
You’re my sister, Jill.
Yes, you’re my responsibility. So is Katy, but I can’t imagine
you’ve let her suffer at all.”