"I've been calling for several days, but there was no answer. There are some papers that need to be signed. I brought them along. If this is a bad time, I can come back another day, or you can stop by the office."

"Step into my office," Sallie said, pointing to the space next to her at the top of the steps.

Eyes twinkling, a wry smile on his Hps, Devin Rollins climbed the steps and took his place next to SaUie.

"WTierever are my manners? Coffee, cigarette?" SaUie said dryly. "Tulee, fetch another cup for Mr. Rollins and a clean ashtray."

"I'll have both. This is.. . ah . . . cozy. I don't think I've ever conducted business on a staircase before. Yes, your knee or mine?" He grinned as he held out paper and pen.

"Mr. Rollins, surely you don't expect me to sign these papers without reading them!"

"Absolutely not. I'll just drink my coffee and smoke my cigarette while you read them. My next appointment isn't until after lunch. Peruse to your heart's content. Signing these papers in no way obligates you to use my services. I'm simply tidying up my uncle's part of the business."

Sallie scanned the papers in her hands. She had no idea what she was reading, she was too aware of the man sitting next to her. He smelled of tobacco, soap, and something else that reminded her of her garden in Sunrise at the beginning of summer. It was an earth smell, clean and fresh. She wondered what she smelled like. Octagon soap and No Worry bleach. A heady combination if there ever was one. She noticed her broken nails for the first time, the polish cracked and chipped. Her hands were already red and dry-looking. She cringed when she looked down at her bare feet.

"They appear to be in order," Salhe said.

"Then you'll sign them."

"No. Leave them, I'll look them over later and drop them off at your office tomorrow,"

"Then you just pretended to read them. There's nothing complicated or momentous in any of them. A delay could cost you money. Perhaps you should consider giving your attorney your power of attorney. Time is money, Mrs. Thornton. Just because you have a lot of it doesn't mean you can sit back and do things at your convenience. It's a foolish way of doing business."

"Really," Sallie drawled. Maybe he wasn't her destiny after all. "You're being pushy, Mr. Rollins. That will not endear you to me. rU sign the papers when I'm damn good and ready. Another cigarette?"

"Why not. Are we haing lunch up here, too?" He laughed then, a sound that sent chills up and down SaUie's spine. "I don't think I've ever been called pushy before," he said. "Exacdy what does that word mean to you?"

SaUie stared at the man sitting next to her. "It means you're treading on my privacy when I'm in a vulnerable state. You want me to do something I don't want to do. At the moment. I didn't say I wouldn't sign the papers. I said I wanted to read them again, and then you gave me a lecture on time and money. That's pushy. For sure I won't sign them now. I don't like people telling me what to do. When I make a mistake I learn from it, and then I don't make the same mistake again. Do you understand?"

"Point taken. What's for lunch?"

"Crow."

He laughed again-and SaUie shivered again.

"Tulee!" WTien the old Chinese woman appeared, Sallie said, "Bring us two ham sandwiches and some pickles, please. And some fresh coffee."

They talked as they munched, mostly of Alvin Waring and his years of devoted service. "He told me so much about Sunrise. I'd like to see it someday. He spoke very highly of your sons, Simon and Ashford. These are very good pickles. In fact these are the best pickles I've ever eaten. Not too sour, not too sweet, just right. Do they have a name? Do you mind if I eat yours?"

118 Fern Michaels "Be my guest. I'll have Tulee give you a jar when you leave. When are you leaving?"

"Just as soon as I finish your pickle. You've already forgotten that I said I had an appointment after lunch. Obviously, I interrupted something you were in the midst of. I do thank you for spending time with me."

SaUie didn't know if she should laugh or cry. "I was clearing out Simon's and Ash's rooms. Simon ran away last week and enlisted. I didn't find out until last evening when I got back fi-om Sunrise. Phihp . . . PhiKp signed the papers for Ash to enhst. He left on Monday. I didn't know. I should have known something was wrong. I didn't. So, as you can see, I'm . . . What I'm doing is-"

"Trying to erase them fi"om your life. You can't do that, Miss Sal-he. Oh, you can clean their rooms, put their things in storage, but how do you remove them from your heart? You're just doing physical things to get you through a bad time. Your sons appear to be fine young men. They're doing what they perceive to be their duty. You can't fault diem for that."

"It's not that simple, Mr. Rollins."

"It never is. Please, call me Devin. Mr. Rollins is my father and grandfather. I'd like it if you would allow me to call you SaUie, the way my uncle did." SaUie nodded, her eyes miserable.

"When you're done, you aren't going to feel any better, you know."

"I know."

"Why don't you put everything back. That might make you feel better. It's something to think about."

"I'll think about it," Sallie said.

"No you won't. My uncle said you were pigheaded at times."

"That won't endear you to me, either," Sallie snapped.

"I wasn't trying to endear myself to you. The truth hurts sometimes. You said something about giving me ajar of pickles."

"Go into the kitchen and ask Tulee to give you one."

"Shall we set up an appointment, or should I just drop by? There's a lot to be said for spontaneity. I enjoyed our meeting. The next time you must allow me to take you to lunch."

Devin was four steps below her, his eyes locked on hers. Instead of being flustered by her appearance, instead of being nervous and jittery at their closeness, she felt exhilarated as he looked deeply into her eyes. "Tell me something," he whispered.

At that precise moment Sallie would have told him the combination to the Sunrise wall safe. "What?" she whispered in return.

"Why do you paint your toenails?"

Sallie's jaw dropped. She pulled her arm up to toss the coffee cup in his direction, but he was at the foot of the steps and out the door. The door opened a second later. "I'll get the pickles another time." She could hear him laughing as he made his way down the walkway.

"Destiny, my ass," Sallie muttered as she walked down the steps. "A pain in my ass is more like it." She knew she was being crude, but she didn't care. Devin Rollins stirred something in her she didn't want to deal with. Something she hadn't felt for many years.

Sallie spent the rest of the afternoon putting everything back into Ash's room. When she was finished she closed the door quietly, her head bowed. She took a deep breath before she walked into Simon's room. She sat down on the edge of the bed and tried to imagine the times Simon had come in here to hide his hurt and anger. Probably as many times as Ash had gone into his room. She said a prayer, then asked God to keep her sons safe. There was nothing else for her to do.

It had been a long time since she'd really looked in here because Simon liked privacy, though he often invited her in. During those times she sat on the chair or on the edge of the bed as she listened to his problems, some of them real, some imagined. Always, though, there was an undertone of unhappiness.

Ash, on the other hand, had an open-door policy. He didn't care if she came in or not. Many times she'd seen him lazing about in his underwear. He'd never been shy or embarrassed the way Simon W21S. He was messy where Simon was neat and tidy. How Ash managed to go out of the house looking like he stepped from a bandbox was beyond her comprehension. His bathroom was always sloppy with spilled water, wet towels, the mirror dotted with shaving soap, and dirty clothes on the floor. No wonder Tulee was always tired.

SaUie thought about the many mistakes she'd made during these last years, all with good intentions. So many mistakes. Wearily she made her way to the bathroom. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She looked like a scrubwoman after a long hard day of work. And looking like this, she'd had lunch on top of the steps with Devin Rollins. He liked her pickles. She started to laugh and couldn't 120 Fern Michaels stop. When she finally calmed down she started to cry-^for the past, the present, and whatever the future held for her.

Sallie woke with a headache pounding behind her eyes. It was going to be one of those all-day headaches. A soft knock sounded on her door. She recognized Phihp's knock because it was always tentative. "Come in, PhiHp."

"I thought you might like some coffee. I saved Tulee a trip up the stairs. You have one of your headaches, don't you?"

"I felt it coming on all day yesterday. I'll take a headache powder and it will go away. Do you want to talk about something, Philip?"

"I guess I want to talk about the boys. SaUie, as God is my judge, I believed Simon was with you. He planned it all very carefully. He tricked both of us. I'm more than willing to take the blame for s^-ing the papers for Ash. I don't think it was wrong, Sallie. It might be the best thing in the world for the boy. It just might make a man of him. I'm not blind to his faults, Sallie. I wanted him to be the exact opposite of me. I went about it all wrong. I don't want you to hate me; our relationship is strange enough as it is. We need to talk about that, too. Would you Uke me to move out or to retire to Sunrise? I can't bear to see you unhappy."

"I've been unfair to you, Philip. I'm truly sorry. What do you want to do? Whatever it is, it will be all right with me. I tried so hard to guard against this happening, but it happened anyway. I don't think I can describe the devastating feelings I experienced. I wish ... I could turn the clock backward. I feel such ... a loss. My God, Philip, what if something happens to them? How will we deal with that?"

"I don't know, SaUie. I guess we trust in God the way every other parent does. We aren't special when it comes to something like this. One of the conditions to me signing Ash's papers was that he 2igreed to write faithfully. I don't know what to say about Simon. I want to believe he'll write, but more than likely he won't. He concocted some cockamamie scheme, and he won't want to jeopardize it. I'm certain he'll call, Sallie. Let's agree to think positive about this."

"All right, Philip. Which brings us back to you. What do you want to do?"

"I want us both to be happy. If we can't be happy together, maybe we can be happy apart. It's going to be hard on both of us now with the boys gone."

"Doyou want a divorce, Philip?"

"No. I've gotten used to the strange way we live. I always wanted to believe . . . that we would hve happily ever after. The joke's on me, though."

"Then let's just let things be. Your job is here in town, so why don't I move back to Sunrise. I can conduct business from there. Since we put in a paved road, I can be here in a httle over two hours if I want to come to town. Sunrise is your home, too, Philip. Anytime you want to come up and stay, it will be fine with me. Your teaching friends are here and I know you made a separate life for yourself It's up to you. Philip, why haven't you ever used the money I gave you?"

"Because you can't buy me, Sallie, and that's what you were doing. You were trying to make up for marrying me when you didn't love me. It's all in the bank. I more or less promised it to Ash. It's a princely sum by now."

"I see."

"This time you really do see, don't you?"

"Yes. Phihp, why don't you and I play hooky today and go on a picnic?"

"Now that sounds like a fine idea. Get up, take something for your headache, and I'll have Tulee make us a grand picnic lunch complete with wine and long-stemmed glasses."

"I'm going to wear slacks."

"Great idea."

"We'll drink a toast to our sons. I'd like to do that, Philip."

"Then that's what we'll do. I'll meet you downstairs when you're ready. I'll be the guy in the kitchen reading the paper and drinking coffee."

"And I'll be the dame wearing pants for the first time in public.*'

"Where shall we go?" Philip asked.

"The one place we both love, Sunrise. We can picnic in the garden and drive back this evening. If we're going to reminisce, I guess we should do it there. The boys were happy there in the summers and during the holidays. Go along, Philip, read your paper and drink your coffee. Oh, I do have to make one stop before we leave. I 122 Fern Michaels promised Mr. Rollins I would sign and drop off some papers he left for me yesterday."

Sallie blinked several times before she permitted her eyes to register the changes in xldn's old offices. In just two weeks, Dein Rollins had transformed the dry, dusty, old-fashioned rooms into a comfortable, colorful suite. The roll-up shades had been replaced with fashionable Venetian blinds and pale gray draperies. Deep burgundy threads ran through the window hangings that complemented the rich maroon chent chairs. In place of the olive green threadbare carpet was a thick, ankle-hugging dove gray rug. Small mahogany tables held lustrous green ferns and the latest magazines. In the center of the room a shiny mahogany receptionist desk sat empty, but only for a second. A young woman, impeccably dressed, walked from the inner office to take her seat.

Out with the old, in with the new. Sallie couldn't help but wonder where the money came from for all the changes. For a reason she couldn't explain, she felt angry and annoyed.

"Can I help you? Do you have an appointment with Mr. Rollins?"

"No. I'm Sallie Thornton. Tell Mr. Rollins I'm here, please."

"Mr. Rollins is busy at the moment. Would you care to make an appointment or leave a message?"

During all the years she'd done business with Alvin, she'd never once made an appointment, and she wasn't about to start now. "Actually, no, I don't care to make an appointment. Not now, not tomorrow, not any day in the near future. Write that down, Miss . . ."

"Reddington. Do you wish to leave a message, then?"

"Well, in a manner of speaking, I guess I do. SiL^' It was an iron command the receptionist didn't question. Half out of her chair, she sat down primly. "Now, stay there until I come out of the office." The folder of papers in one hand, ajar of pickles in the other, Sallie managed to open the door and unscrew the lid from the jar of pickles at the same time.

Devin Rollins, minus his suit jacket, was puffing on a cigarette, his feet propped up on a shiny new desk. His feet thumped to the floor at the si^t of Sallie in the open doorway.

"Your secretary said you were busy and wanted to know if I cared to make an appointment. I do not. Nor do I care to leave a message. In the end I was Alvin's only client because he retired and saw to my affairs as a courtesy. What that means is you aren't busy." To m2ike her point, Sallie banged the open jar of pickles down on his desk. She turned on her heel and marched out of the office, her head high, her face burning. In the doorway she turned to face Miss Red-dington. ''If ever return to this office, you better be prepared to stand on your head and whisde 'Dixie' at the same time. I do not make appointments!"

"Write that down, Miss Reddington," Devin Rollins shouted as he bit into one of the pickles. He laughed as Sallie slammed the door, but he stopped laughing as he watched from the window and saw her get into the car with her husband.

"I just did an incredible, stupid thing, Philip," Sallie said as she climbed into the car.

Phihp grinned. "What did you do?" Sallie told him in detail.

"I'd wager that got his attention," Phihp said. "Good lawyers are hard to find. I'd heard he was from Boston, but that was just a rumor. He's from Philadelphia. A Harvard man. That means he's one of the best. There's going to be trouble in this town soon. Those gangsters are going to start moving in in droves." There was no apology in his voice when he said, "Red is in a position to hear everything that's going on. She's worried. You know how those mobsters operate. They have their own stable of girls and take a large percentage of the profits. Red gets by because she only takes a small percentage."

"Well, maybe we can do something about that for Red. She's your friend, Phihp, would you like me to help her out before those thugs plow her under?"

"Would you do that, SaUie?"

"Of course. Snowball adored her. I've been trying to-"

"I know, SaUie. Red knows, too. You don't have to sign your name to things. You should have seen her in that dress you sent that Christmas. You would have thought you gift wrapped the moon and the stars and threw in the clouds for good measure. That was nice of you."

"Snowball-"

"You would have done it anyway. Don't negate a good deed. Red is not as old as you think."

Sallie nodded. "I'm going to ponder on the matter. I will do something, Philip."

"Have you noticed all the new people in town?"

"I'm up on it, Philip. I have this town under control."

124 Fern Michaels "Now that they've legalized gambling, there could be a whole mess of trouble. I want you to be careful, Sallie."

"Philip, I give you my word, I'll be careful. All my plans are in my head. I think I'm going to build a gambling casino. What do you think of the idea? I plan to give that bug person a run for his money. I'm going to wait until he fmishes his project and fmds out he has no way to dispose of his sewage, and no way to get his laundry done, and no place to get his ice and no freight company to haul his stuff."

"Jesus Christ! Is that why you bought up all those companies?"

"Yes. I knew this town would boom again. I knew it, Philip, in my gut. You told me everything in life comes full circle at some point. The two ends of the circle are coming together. I don't know why, Philip, but it's important to me for you to be proud of me. If you hadn't been my teacher, we wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation."

"I am very proud of you, Sallie. However, you give me too much credit. You took everything I taught you, all your learning, and built on it by yourself Jesus, you can speak Chinese like a native. I was never able to do that. Hell, yes, I'm proud of you. Most times I'm downright jealous."

"I like honesty," Sallie said.

"I know you do." Husband and v^e shared a friendly, genuine moment.

The outing was one of the few truly happy moments in Sallie's life.

Three weeks from the day of the picnic, Sallie Thornton sashayed into Devin Rollins's office along with an architect, a builder, and Red Ruby. Sallie nodded curdy to the receptionist as Devin literally bounded from his office, his shirtsleeves rolled to his elbows, his tie askew. He made no apologies as he offered his hand first to the architect and then the builder. He smiled at Sallie. "Does this mean I'm your attorney and you're my client?" he whispered as the men preceded him into his plush offices.

"For the moment. Don't get too comfortable in the position. Things change in this town on a daily basis." She smiled to take the sting from her words.