Grandfather, son, and granddaughter walked into the house leaving Sallie, Fanny and the boys on the front porch. "Philip tells me you're going to Sunrise. If you want my opinion, I think it's a wonderful idea."

"Sallie, I forgot about the fund-raiser. If I give ou twenty-five dollars, will you bid on something for me?"

"Of course. What are you going to donate?"

"That's something else I forgot. Ash had a wonderful idea, though. I'm going to donate the second layette I made for Sunny.

If no one bids on it, don't tell me, okay? Don't you bid on it, Sallie. Promise me."

"I promise."

Sallie hugged her daughter-in-law. "Are things okay between you and Ash?"

"Things are okay, Sallie. Why are we standing here on the porch in this heat?"

"Because women do stupid things from time to time." Sallie laughed.

"I'll get the layette ready. I just want to put tissue paper between the garments and then wrap them in more tissue."

"Did you label everything?"

"Yes. It will only take a few minutes to cut those labels. I forgot about that."

"Don't take them out. Let the buyer think Sunny's Togs is the name of the company that made the layette. The labels might fetch a bigger price. I've been meaning to ask you, wherever did you get the idea for that whimsical sun decal you put on all of Sunny's clodies?"

Fanny laughed. "I guess you could call it my signature. When we were little and didn't have money to buy presents for each other, my brothers made their own. Daniel always put the sun on his packages. It's his own drawing. I always cut them off his packages. Each one is a litde different. I have hundreds of them in my album. I just picked the ones I liked best and then duplicated them. It seemed so . . . appropriate. I thought about it the minute Ash. said he wanted to name our daughter Sunny. I made a toddler overall for Billie's son. She said she'd pay me to make all of her children's clothes. She was just kidding. It was a long nine months, Sallie; it gave me something to do. Would you like to see the other things I made?"

"I'd love to. Good lord, what is all that stuff. Ash?"

"The kid's stuff. A man could go to war with less," Ash said cheerfully, as he loaded the car with the boys' things and all of Sunny's gear. "You might have to sit on the roof, Fanny."

"Mommy sit on the roof," one of the twins giggled.

Ash scooped up Sage and swung him high in the air. He plopped him on the roof of the car. "Do you think Mommy should sit up here?"

"Her's too big."

"Yep. Mommy is going to sit by me. It was a joke."

"Daddy said a joke, Birch."

304 Fern Michaels "Me up, Daddy," Birch said.

"Okay, little fellow, hold on."

Sallie closed the door. "He's acting like a real father."

"He's trying, Sallie."

"Show me everything," Sallie said as she watched Fanny rummage in her cedar chest.

"Darling, these are priceless. Sunny is going to be the best-dressed Httle girl in Nevada. They must have taken you forever. I never saw such fine stitching."

"Mrs. Kelly taught me to do needlepoint when I was nine years old. The stitches are small like that. It took a long time in the beginning, but after I made a few of them, it went faster. Here's the layette. Do you think it's enough?"

"Enough! Fanny, this is . . . these are ... I haven't seen anything half as good in the stores. I had no idea you were so talented."

Fanny flushed. "You're making me sound like a designer or something."

"Someday you may be one." Someday you will be one, Sallie said to herself "Here it is. I suppose it should be in a box, but I don't have one."

"Not really. We'll display the layette so people can see it. Well, I'm off. Have a wonderful time at Sunrise. I'll call you to let you know how the fund-raiser goes."

"It's so quiet and peaceful here in the garden," Fanny said lazily. "You must have been very happy here as a child."

"At times. Other dmes it was miserable," Ash said flady.

Fanny watched her two sons frolic in the small wading pool. She felt like her heart was going to burst with happiness. In the whole of her life she'd never had such a wonderful rime. Thirty days of pure bliss with her family. She wanted it to last forever. She said so.

"Fanny, nothing lasts forever. Life would be pretty boring if it did. You have to be open to new things, new ways. You need to make challenges in your life and stride toward them, and when you reach them you have to stretch and embrace those things head-on. That's life. This was our family vacation. Vacations are usually pretty perfect. Like that time you and I were in Hawaii over Christmas. We both knew it couldn't last forever. If it had lasted, we wouldn't be sitting here right now watching our kids and that very fat bumblebee who is going to nip your big toe any second now."

Fanny squealed as she slid backward on the grass. "Are you trying to tell me something, Ash?"

"I suppose. We've all been so happy here, especially the boys. They romp from morning till night, they're eating good, sleeping through the night. That says something to me, Fanny. Look at you, you have color in your cheeks, you romp with the boys, you do your sewing in the afternoon while I nap, it's perfect. I think you should stay up here. I'll come up on the weekends. I'll leave around noon on Friday and stay through Monday noon. I know my mother would love it if you'd stay here. Pop will come up more often to see the kids. Those are the pluses. The negatives are we won't see each other three days a week. What do you think? It's a suggestion, Fanny, that's all. Don't blow it into something else. Invite Bess to come up with her kids for a week or so. You said Billie was going to come for another visit with her kids. Don't think I don't know that you two are planning something. This might be a good time for you to cUnch whatever that secret is."

Fanny sighed. "You overheard?"

"I'd have to be deaf not to have heard you squeal when Mom told you your layette fetched three hundred bucks. Then there was all that whispering with BiHie, and more squeals."

"It was your idea. Ash," Fanny said.

"Yeah, but I'm not the rich doctor's viofe who plunked out three hundred smackaroos to buy the layette. And wants to order more!"

Fanny closed her eyes and rolled over on her stomach. If there was an ulterior motive to Ash's suggestion, she couldn't see it. Yet.

"Okay. I want your promise. Ash, that the weekends are for me and the kids."

In a theatrical gesture, Ash placed his hand on his heart. "I do solemnly swear the weekends are for you and the kids. We need a dog around here, and a couple of cats for the boys. I've got to get my stuff together. I'll have one of the guys at the club drive your car up here next weekend, okay?"

"Sure. You're leaving now. Are you packed?"

"Did it this morning."

"What ifl had said no?"

Ash laughed. "Then I would unpack. C'mere, give me one of those sizzling kisses."

Fanny was the first to pull away, her eyes glassy, but not so glassy that she couldn't see there was more to come. She waited.

306 Fern Michaels "Fanny, you know that strip of land Mom didn't lease to those . . . gangsters . . . the one she kept for herself."

"WTiat about it?"

"What do you think about us building a casino like they want to build. They already have a name for it, The Flamingo. We could beat them to the punch. We could sell off the bingo palaces and poker parlors as well as the Silver Dollar. Mom has more money than God."

"Then why would she want to do that, Ash? She loves the palaces, it's how she got started. She likes to sing for the customers at the Silver Dollar. It's her life, .sh."

"They aren't making enough money. That's what I meant when I said you can't stand still, you have to move with the times or you get left behind. I want you to talk to Mom, Fanny. She'll listen to you."

Fanny wanted to cry. She should have known there was a glitch to all this wonderful togetherness. "I can't do that, Ash. I won't do it. You need to talk to her yourself. It has nothing to do with me." Her voice was shaking so badly, she could barely understand her own words.

"I don't get it. You'd take from her to start up a baby business, but you won't ask for help for the business she already has."

"Where'er did you get an idea like that? WTien would I have dme to start up a business?"

"I heard you talking to Billie. She's going to come up with the colors for you. What was that corncob yellow, hayride beige, and red wagon business?"

"That was just a fun conversadon. Billie and I do that sometimes. I wanted to make some larger-size clothing for Sunny, and ... it was just a brainstorming conversation. The colors were a point of reference, kid stuff. I won't allow you to throw guilt on me like this. Another thing, Ash, I don't have to explain my phone conversations to you. You had no right to eavesdrop? You were, so don't deny it."

Ash didn't bother to deny it. "You won't talk to Mom then?"

"Absolutely not. That's your job, Ash. You understand the business, I don't. I c^n't believe you're even asking me to do something like that. Your mother would see right through it the minute the words were out of my mouth. No!"

"Son of a bitch!" Ash said, stomping his foot in front i)f Fanny. "You Ve going to regret this. The good life is going to start dwindling, and I'm not going Xo let you take any more money from my mother.

We'll make it on my salary. No more freebies. That means you go back to town and live on my salary-, doing ail tlie things other housewives do. You'll have to stretch your food allowance, cut back on your personal shopping, make sure there's enough money to pay all the bills. You might as well make plans now to get rid of all your help. We can't afford it. We can't afford two cars; yours will have to go."

Fanny's heart fluttered in her chest. "What are you talking about? You make good money. Stop spending it."

"You see, you didn't listen to what I said. My mother is subsidizing us. The palaces and the Silver Dollar are barely making it. Mom has to put money in every month to make the payrolls. She knows everyone and won't let them go because they depend on their salaries. She hands me a check. It's never the same amount. Sometimes she's vei*y generous, other times she's stingy. I can't count on the same amount every month. I work my ass off, Fanny. I don't slack off. She tells me Fm running things, but those are just words. She's running things. Every time I make a decision she countermands it. Fm thinking of looking for another job, maybe going with my father. How hard can it be to learn the chicken business? He offered to pay me twice what Mom is paying me."

"Without talking to me? I don't believe Fm hearing this. Your mother will take all of this as a betrayal."

"You don't listen, Fanny. You're just like she is^-she doesn't listen either."

Fanny heard the whining tone in his voice. She squared her shoulders. "You need to call your mother and tell her evei->thing you just told me. It's the way you say things, Ash. It's all in the presentation. For once in your life try and be a little humble. This is the way the world is. It's not the navy, where you were this big hero and you lived on your adrenaline."

"Jesus! It's amazing how much you sound like my mother. Get your stuff together, we're going back to town."

Fanny's heart started to flutter again. If she did as Ash wanted, all the rest was a lie. He'd tricked her into coming up here, wooed her, and now this. She thought she could feel something in her die. "No."

Ash's eyes narrowed. "No what? No, you aren't getting your stuff together or no, you aren't going back to town?"

"Both," Fanny said in a strangled voice. "For now." The "for now" was the coward in her speaking. She knew Ash recognized the words for what they were. She wanted to hit him, to wipe the smirk 308 Fern Michaels from his face. She clenched her fists and stared him down. It was all she could do.

Fanny didn't move for a long time. She heard the car backfire, heard Ash race the engine for her benefit. He was daring her to come to the driveway to say good-bye, to say, okay, Fll talk to your mother. She clenched her teeth. Her dream was crumbling, and she was powerless to stop it.

So that she wouldn't cry, Fanny widened her eyes to stare at the familiar surroundings, surroundings she loved. The cottonwoods were beautiful at thLs time of year, the flower beds more vibrant, the carpet of grass, greener than emeralds. The filtered sunlight was just right as it swept through the leaves to create lacy patterns on the freshly mown grass. The scent of the fresh grass and the smell of sagebrush seemed to circle around her, just the way it had yesterday when she and Ash had made love in the gazebo under the stars. She could hear the birds now, chittering as they nesded in the cotton-woods, preparing for the evening. She felt the need to cry. Crying never solved anything.

Fanny smiled when Moon set a cup of tea down on the iron table, and then took the boys inside with her. As she sipped at the hot tea, her thoughts swirled inside her head. She knew in her heart her husband would never work with his father in the chicken business. Ash would consider it demeaning. What he wanted, what he'd always wanted, was to take over his mother's business. What was happening to him?

Dear God, how had things gotten to this point? What was wrong with her? Why did Ash turn on her? Didn't he love her?

Fanny did cry then; for the would-haves, the could-haves, the should-haves. When there were no more tears, she picked up her sewing basket. Maybe this was all she was good for, taking care of children and sewing children's clothes.

Where had all the love gone? Was it ever there? For her, yes. For Ash, she had to admit she didn't know. Whatever it was, it had given her three beautiful children. Her eyes widened suddenly, her forehead beading with sweat. Her knitting basket fell to the ground as she raced into the house in search of a calendar. Her hand trembled as she counted off the days since her last period. The calendar back home in the dressing room was clearly marked, for her benefit as well as Ash's. Three days of sexual abstinence. They had both agreed three children was enough. She closed her eyes as she leaned against the kitchen wall. She was almost 99.99 percent certain that she was already pregnant.

Ash would blame her for this too.

She was so beautiful, all Ash could do was stare at his mother standing on the stage singing for her customers. He looked around at the rapturous looks on the faces of the audience. They loved her. Too bad there weren't more of them. The house was only half-full. Allowing for the month of August, when things were normally slow, regular customers on vacation, plus it was the middle of the week, Ash knew September wouldn't be much better. He hadn't seen a full house since his return. What the Silver Dollar needed was a ht-de skin. Some high-kicking, long-legged showgirls with sparkly costumes. A litde boogie-woogie would help too. His mother needed to get rid of the fuddy-duddy atmosphere and spruce up the place with some chrome, glass, and mirrors. Some bright colors would be nice. Bright colors made people move faster, and the faster they moved, the more money they spent. The Silver Dollar's regular customers took naps in the lounge. His mother saw it as amusing since they always woke up when she started to sing. He saw it as money going down the drain because no one bought a drink or gambled when his mother began her hour-long act.

Ash waited until his mother finished the last song of the evening. No one, at least no one to his knowledge, could sing "Sentimental Journey," like his mother. When the applause died down and his mother came back onstage. Ash knew she would sing two more songs, "If I Loved You," and "Till the End of Time." The audience would beg for more, but his mother would just smile and walk off the stage, and take her seat next to Devin Rollins. He looked around for Devin, but didn't see him. If Devin wasn't at the Silver Dollar, he might have a chance of cornering his mother to address his concerns.

Ash made his way backstage, nodding to various employees as he went along. It was a dark and dreary area, long overdue for a makeover. He knocked on the door. He noticed his hand was shaking. His mother always did this to him. Anytime he found himself in her presence or even anticipating being in her presence, he either started to shake or he got tongue-tied. Pure and simple, she intimidated him. The moment he opened and closed the door, he jammed his hands into his trouser pockets.

310 Fern Michaels "Ash! How nice of you to come backstage. I hope you're here to tell me you enjoyed my performance."

"I always enjoy listening to you, Mom. As always, you had the audience mesmerized."

"What can I do for you, Ash?" Sallie said as she prepared to remove her theatrical makeup.

Ash drew a deep breath, his hands still jammed in his pockets. "I need to talk to you about a couple of things. The palaces and the Silver Dollar are losing money."

"I know. I don't want you worrying about it. Ash. It's more important that people have jobs and work for someone they like. We aren't losing that much. Actually, according to Simon, we're breaking even. That means we aren't losing, and we aren't winning. I can live with that."

"What does Simon have to do with this?"

"I turned everything over to him months ago. He's come up with some marvelous suggestions and already he's invested certain sums that are showing remarkable gains. You know how he loves to play in the stock market." Sallie smiled at her son in the mirror.

"Play?"

"It's just a figure of speech. Ash."

"And does Simon approve of your break-even way of doing business?"

"No. The gains he's made in other areas pay for the loss of revenue."

"It's time to sell the palaces and the Silver Dollar. If you don't, you're going to get lost in the boom that's starting. You need to move with the times. You need high-class shows, and you need to renovate if you refuse to sell. Do you want this place to be a 'has-been'? The palaces are pure deadweight. You can never tell me they're breaking even. Get rid of them now while you can make a profit. If you have fifty customers a week, it's a lot. Nobody's interested anymore."

"WTiat happens to all those people and their famihes? They depend on me, and I refuse to just get rid of them. When it's time for them to retire, it wiU be different. Just out of curiosity, if I were to get rid of them and the Silver Dollar, what would you suggest?"

"Build a big new modem casino on that desert land. You have to stay competitive."

"Why?"

'*Why? So you make money. So I can earn more money. I have a family to support. I'm not able to do that the way you pay me. Pop offered me a job at twice what you pay me."

"Is that what this is all about? You want more money? Why didn't you just say so?"