"Yes, I will read it this evening. Lunch would be very nice. Come to my house, and I'll make sure we open a fresh jar of pickles."

"Would you like to come up to the office, or do you want to wait here while I go and get the folder?"

"I'll walk down the street to the post office. I know it's v^hful thinking, but there may be mail from my sons. Don't forget the letter from your uncle."

"I'll be the man standing here with a manila folder in his hand."

"I'd know you anywhere."

"How is that?"

"Because you're my destiny." Sallie winked at the stunned attorney.

"Now you are flirting with me."

Sallie laughed. "See, I told you you would know."

"Jesus," was all Devin could think of to say. He knew Sallie Thornton was laughing all the way to the post office. He suddenly felt as if he was eight years old and discovering for the first time that girls were different from boys.

At home, Sallie ripped at the stiff, crackly paper Alvin Waring had always used to write his letters. As she unfolded the single-page letter, she closed her eyes, remembering another time when she'd gotten a letter and how she'd prayed for printed letters instead of script She found herself smiling at the memory.

My Dear Sallie, You are the sunshine of my life. I want to thank you for making my life so pleasurable in so many small ways. I hope you will have fond memories of me and speak well of me after I'm gone.

There are several matters I wish to put on paper. The first is a new company Pd like you to invest in. Pve given my nephew all the details, and he's promised to research the firm. If his report is satisfactory, I wantyou to buy in as heavily as you are comfortable with.

134 Fern Michaels The second thing Vd like to address is Devin. For^ve ^is foolish old man when he tells you he thinks the two of you are meant for each other. Devin has had much sadness in his life, some of it he will talk about, other things he won't discuss at all, even with me. He's a kind, caring man who is capable of great love and devotion, just as you are. Ton, dear Sallie, need to set Philip free and absolveyoursef of the guilt that shackles you. If you don't, you can never be happy. Tour marriage is not the kind Cotton had in mind for you. In a way you betrayedyour benefactor, Sallie. Tou need to give this some very serious thought That's all I have to say. I'm very tired, dear girl, it's time for me to get ready to go to that place old attorneys go when they can'tfmction anymore.

I hope I served you well over the past years. I want to leave you with my wish for you, dear one. Fill your life with wonderfid words, beautifiil music, and warm sunshine. Stretch out your arms and embrace all that life has to offer you. Tour ever faithful servant.

Alvin Waring, Esq.

Sallie read the letter three times before she gave in to her grief. She wept for a long time.

It was past midnight when Sallie read the last sheet of paper and returned the pile into the folder. Her eyes were wide with shock, her shoulders stiff with anger. "Phihp, are you awake?" Sallie shouted, hoping he'd answer.

"I am now. I was just dozing. This book was so dry and boring it put me to sleep. What's wrong, you sound. .. angry. Did something happen, was there a phone call?" He came into her room, his voice so fearful, SaUie herself became frightened.

"No, no, nothing like that. You know the aviation company Mr. Waring and Mr. Rollins want me to invest in. I'd pretty much made up my mind to go ahead. You are never going to guess who owns the company. Never in a million years, Phihp."

"For God's sake, who?"

"My brother, Seth Coleman."

"Perhaps it's someone with the same name."

"There's some biographical information on the last page. He's my brother. I know it, I feel it. It says he has a 250,000-acre ranch outside of Austin, Texas. He's married and has a son and a daughter. His son is in the Navy, flying fighter planes. He raises catde and started up this aviation company. He's rich."

"Then why does he need money?" Philip asked.

"I don't know. If Mr. Waring was here, he'd say the first rule of business is you never use your own money in case you go belly-up. His ranch is called Sunbridge. I inherited a home called Sunrise. Isn't that odd, Philip? They say he's the richest man in the state of Texas. If that's true, why didn't he go back for the family? Why didn't he ever do anything for them? He just lit out and never looked back. What do you think my chsmces are of buying up fifty-one percent of his company?"

"My God, Sallie, do you want to plow him under? You're angry right now. You need to think this through before you do something you might regret."

"You mean like going there and killing him? That's exactly what I feel like doing. My mother died of a broken heart because of him. Peggy told me his name was on Mama's lips when she died. Seth was the only one Mama cared about."

"Sallie, your mother died because she was sick. I'm not negating what you just said, but-"

"There are no buts, Philip. If he'd gone back once, if he'd sent money, maybe Mama wouldn't have gotten sick. I'd bet my last penny he doesn't even know our parents are dead. Don't even think about defending him, Philip."

"Sallie-"

"Don't Sallie me, Philip. I'm angry. You didn't know my mother. Peggy told me what it was like at the end. My sisters were literally starving. And all my mother wanted was to believe that her firstborn son, Seth, would arrive in time to send her off to heaven. Just a lit-de bit of money, Philip. Five dollars a month. It would have made all the difference in the world. My mother might be alive today if he'd done the decent thing. Don't think for one minute that I won't find Josh, too. I will, somehow, someway."

"The Pinkertons couldn't find Seth. You spent all that money for nothing."

"I tried, Philip. I had to try. You had a wonderful family, Philip. You had a childhood filled with fun and laughter. I never had that. All I can remember is worry about whether I would be cold or hot or hungry. Do you hear me, Philip, I never had a childhood! I can never get it back."

"It wasn't all Seth's fault, Sallie. You had a father. It was his responsibility."

"When my father fell down on the job, it was Seth's place to step in and take over. Instead, he lit out just as Josh did later. It's just like you, Philip, to stick up for Seth because he's a man. Another thing," SaUie raged. "Our son Ash would do the same thing, and you damn well know it"

"I don't want to believe that You're angry right now. You don't mean it"

'*You goddamn well better believe it I saw it in him every day as he was growing up. He plays both ends against the middle. Ash had to get that from somewhere. I'm not like that and neither are you. It's my bloodline, and don't try telling me differendy. I'm thinldng about having an affair, Philip," Salhe said in much the same way she would have said, '*! think it's going to rain today."

"Is it something you want to discuss?" Philip asked.

"Yes. No. I might, and then I might not I've never hed to you. I won't be mentioning it again. There is something else I want to talk to you about. I know it's late, but it's on my mind."

"Why don't I make us some hot cocoa and we can sit in the kitchen. How would you like a fried egg sandwich with ketchup?" It wasn't the end of the world; she hadn't said she wanted a divorce. An affair was something he could live with. A divorce would kill him.

"I'd love one, but I want bacon on mine."

"Bacon it is. Cocoa or coffee?"

"Cocoa will be fine," SaUie said, lighting a cigarette. She told him in great detail about everything that happened in Devin RoUins's office and at lunch, leaving out only the personal remarks between her and the attorney.

"I'll bet that made Red's wild red hair stand on end. Chickens, huh? Very clever, SaUie."

"Philip, could you see yourself running a chicken and cattle business? Have you ever thought about giving up teaching?"

"Just about every day of my life now. I don't know anything about chickens. I know less about cows. Milk cows, or cattle for butchering?"

"Both."

"I guess I could learn. I assume you're talking about a lot of chickens and a lot of cows."

"Hundreds, thousands maybe. Instead of a salary you take a share of the profits. What do you think?"

"It sounds interesting."

"You'll do it?"

"It sure beats a stufiy classroom."

"If you're agreeable, that will take some of the pressure off Mr. Rollins. He doesn't know anything about chickens, either. What do you think I should do about my brother, Philip?" SalUe asked, switching the conversation to what was really on her mind.

"Besides killing him? SalHe, you have never been a vindictive person. The past is past. You cannot undo it no matter how much you want to. If you're looking for vengeance, wouldn't the sweetest revenge be buying into his company and not telling him who you are until the right moment? That moment always comes, Sallie. You just have to learn patience. Think it through before you do anything; that's my best advice."

"Okay, Philip, I'll think about it. That was a wonderful sandwich, I'll see you in the morning. Good night." Sallie kissed the top of his head in passing, something she did every night when they parted at the foot of the stairs.

In her room, Sallie flopped down on a chair, withdrew the contents of the manila folder, and spread the papers out on the floor. She picked up the phone and asked to be connected to Devin Rollins's home. His sleepy voice startled her. "You were sleeping, Mr. Rollins." It wasn't a question but a statement.

"It's two o'clock in the morning. I hope you're calling to whisper sweet nothings in my ear and not to talk about chickens."

"I'm calling on business, not about chickens, and I don't whisper sweet nothings into anyone's ear at this hour of the night unless I'm in bed. No, I am not flirting with you. I read all the information you passed on to me. Pay attention to me. Or would you prefer getting a cup of coffee first. I can call you back."

"I'm wide-awake with pencil in hand, SaUie. Do you do this often, call in the middle of the night?"

"Only when I pay outrageous fees to an attorney. I call it getting my money's worth. I want to buy into that company. Is there anyway I could buy the controlling interest? If not now, down the road? If I can't ever get a controlling interest, then I want other considerations. I want you to bargain, to get me the best deal possible. A voice in the firm would be very good. How are you at negotiating? Oh, one other thing, I want my share in the name of S.P. Thornton. My middle name is Pauline. I do not want you ever to allude to the fact that I am a woman. I suspect Mr. Seth Coleman is my brother. I suspect your uncle thought so, too. My brother doesn't even know I exist. All I'm going to tell you about him is he ran off'and left our family to fend for ourselves. He never looked back, never sent a 138 Fern Michaels penny home, never inquired if we were alive or dead. Do you get the picture, Mr. Rollins?"

"I'll do what I can, Sallie. Don't expect a miracle, though. I told you I spoke with him several times, and I didn't like him. Right off he tried to bamboozle me. Then when he found out I was an attorney, he pulled in his horns. He wants this firm off the ground and in the air so bad he's willing to do almost anything. For some reason he doesn't seem to be able to get investors in his own home state. I'm looking into that. How much money are you talking about, Sal-lie?"

"Whatever it takes to get me what I want. Use the word cash as often as you need to. You can hand deliver it if necessary."

"What about the chickens?"

Sallie heard the laughter in his voice. "I've taken care of those chickens, Mr. Rollins. Philip is going to give up his teaching job. I told him I was contemplating an affair."

"Jesus Christ!"

Sallie clucked her tongue. "Good night, Mr. Rollins."

The last thing SalHe did before climbing into bed was to drop to her knees and say her nighdy prayers. "Please, God, take care of my sons, don't let anything happen to them. Bless this house and all those I hold dear. Tell Mama and Cotton I'm doing my best down here and forgive me for the vengeance in my heart."

Three momentous things happened to Sallie in the last two months of 1942. The first was an unexpected phone call from Simon, who begged her forgiveness and promised to call once a month whenever possible. The second was the beginning of a twenty-year love affair with Devin Rollins. The third was an unexpected asitor in the early hours of the morning on a bright day.

Packing for a weekend tryst with Devin, Sallie at first ignored the doorbell. When the persistent ringing started to give her a headache she walked downstairs to open the door. She looked around for Tulee but didn't see her. "Yes, can I help you?"

"If you're Mrs. Sallie Thornton, yes, you can help me. I'm Benjamin Vallee. I'd like to talk to you about a business matter."

Sallie stared at the man standing in front of her. His double-breasted dark suit, colored shirt with matching tie, and gray fedora shrieked gangster to Sallie. The bulge on the inside of his suit jacket confirmed her suspicions. "You need to speak with my attorney, Mr.

Vallee. You caught me at a bad time, I was just about to leave town for a long weekend."

Vallee handed over a small white business card. "Why don't I just tell you what I want, you speak to your lawyer, and when you get back, call me. I'll be in town for a few weeks. I'm interested in purchasing some property you own. I'm willing to pay a fair price."

"What do you consider fair?"

"Double what you paid for it. It's desert, Mrs. Thornton."

"Just because it's desert doesn't mean it's worthless. If it was worthless, you wouldn't want to buy it now, would you? I'm not interested in selling, however, I might be interested in leasing the property. A long-term lease. A very long-term lease. Why don't you think about that while I'm away and get back to my attorney or myself early next week?"

"Lease?"

"Yes, lease. It might be advantageous for you to consider leasing as opposed to buying something I cannot legally sell. The property is tied up in a trust account An attorney can explain it better than I can."

"Are you telling me all the property the courthouse records show is in a trust? You own almost the whole desert!"

"That's not quite true, Mr. Vallee. I own a//of the desert. What I don't own is not worth owning."

"But you're a woman!"

"How observant of you. Is there something else you want to say?"

"I don't like doing business with women."

"That's too bad. I'm a very good businesswoman. I'm fair and I'm honest. Are you?"

"^^lat kind of question is that?"

"How does this sound? I'm not thrilled and delighted to be doing any kind of business with a gangster, and yes, you are a gangster, so don't bother trying to deny it. The way I look at it is, business is business. You be fair, and I'll be fair. You look out for your interests, and rU pay someone to look out for mine, like my attorney, or the lieutenant governor, who is going to be marrying my sister very shortly, the police force, and the townspeople themselves. That's another way of saying you can't come into my town-and this is my town-and scare me. I will not allow that. That gun you're carrying doesn't scare me, either."

"I'll be back. We'U talk then. Lease, huh?"

"Yes, lease."

"Good-bye, Mrs. Thornton."

140 Fern Michaels "Good-bye, Mr. Vallee. Have a nice day and enjoy the dry desert air."

"Yeah, I will." Sallie heard him mutter as he walked down the steps out to the road. The moment ^he closed the door she had to fight to take deep breaths. Devin was going to throw an unholy fit when she told him what had just transpired.

"Where are we going, Devin? Why won't you teU me? What's the big surprise?" Sallie asked as she climbed into the attorney's convertible.

"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise. Did you miss me this week, Sallie? We haven't seen each other in three days."

"I missed you terribly, Devin. The house here in town is so empty. For some reason I don't even want to go to the bingo palace. I sit curled in a chair and think about you. Where were you, Devin?"

Dedn reached across the seat to take Sallie's hand. "Across the border in Arizona. As you know, my uncle left his estate to me. His ranch was badly in need of repair so I had the work done these past months. The workers were putting the fmishing touches on everything, and I wanted to be there to make sure it all went according to schedule. That's where we're going. I'm going to carry you over the threshold. I know we aren't married, but it makes no difference to me. Along the way you can tell me what Las Vegas was like in years past. I don't think I can even imagine it."

"If you aren't in a hurry, let's take the scenic route. There was nothing here but tents when I first arrived. I was scared out of my wits. I didn't know what I expected. All I could see were tents, sand, cactus, and bubbling water holes. It smelled terrible. Everywhere you looked there was a saloon that served watered-down whiskey. Crooked gambling was the only kind that went on. There were bust-out joints on every corner. For a while it was a felony to gamble, but the police looked the other way. For the most part the gaming owners went undercover. Operating in the open, the customers played for cigars and drinks. Money changed hands outside, supposedly no more than two dollars a hand. It didn't work that way. I saw what went on because I sang in those saloons. Then came the nickel-in-the-slot, but the gamblers didn't like that. They likened it to playing bingo in the church basement. And, the operators had to be licensed by the local government and they had to pay annual license fees to run their clubs. That caused problems for the state be- cause no one paid their fees. Then in 1931 the Nevada Legislature passed the wide-open gambling bill.

"Turn here, Devin. This used to be where the Oasis stood. It was the town's leading restaurant. Only the ehte were able to eat there. They had pretty little Mormon girls from the rural areas serving as waitresses. Later in the evening, after theatergoers left the airdrome, they would stop at the Oasis to get an ice-cream sundae.

"This is Second and Fremont. The post office was on the comer, and there were offices on the second floor. I think it was called the Griffith building. Go down two more blocks, Devin, to Seventh and Bridger. That was the high school. I used to walk by, and I waoited to go inside so bad, but I never had the nerve. Later on they made it into the Fifiii Street Grammar School. If you go over a few more blocks you'll see the first service station. I think it was called the Tower Service Station. There it is, between Fremont and Ccurson Street. In the beginning all they had were dnmis with spigots.

"Go over to Eighth and Ogden and you'll see where the old hospital was. Doctor Martin converted the Palace Hotel into the hospital. Then he built a new one later on. When they did surgery they had fans blowing over blocks of ice."