by Elle Casey
I press the green button and chew on my thumbnail while I wait for someone to answer. My call goes into voice mail. I press the red button and then dial the house number. After three rings, somebody picks up.
“Hello?”
“Barbara?”
“Who the hell is this?” She’s pissed.
“Mom, it’s me; it’s Amber.”
“Prove it.”
I’m not sure I heard her correctly. “Excuse me?”
“I said prove it. I’m sick and tired of you reporters calling here and making up stories, pretending to be my daughter.”
No wonder she’s so angry. How dare they! “I’m the beekeeper and the wheeler-dealer at the farmers’ market.”
She lets out a long sigh. “Thank God.”
“Mom, what is going on over there?”
“Well,” she lets out a bitter laugh, “the shit has hit the fan, as they say.”
“Why? How?”
“Apparently, somebody let the cat out of the bag. I think half of New York City is camped out in our backyard right now.”
My heart sinks. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
“I wish I were. The good news is, we have completely sold out of all of our honey, jams, and jellies. And at this point, I’m going to start pulling things out of the barn and selling them as antiques.”
“Mom, don’t.” I feel sick to my stomach.
“Hey, don’t be upset. Now you know why we chose to leave when we did. We had a feeling this was going to happen eventually. It’s just happening a lot sooner and more quickly than we thought it would.”
I picture all those strangers ruining our grass and leaving their trash behind as they conjure up gossip about my family. “Kick them out! Tell them they can’t stay.”
“That’s not who we are, you know that. Our home has always been available to anybody who wants to be here.”
“But they’re vultures! They’re not people who want to stay there and get in touch with themselves or nature.”
“Maybe they are and maybe they aren’t. Who am I to judge?”
“They’re going to use you, Mom. They’re going to take advantage of you.”
“Listen, sweetie . . .” She sighs. “I know what I’m doing. I spent a couple years living the life, okay? I know how to handle reporters.”
I’m grouchy now, knowing she probably does know what she’s doing, whereas I am a complete nincompoop when it comes to public life. “Well, that only makes one of us.”
“Hey, I hear you didn’t do too bad, actually.” She sounds proud.
“Oh yeah? Then how did they find out all the stuff about the family? I must’ve done something wrong.”
“No, that’s got nothing to do with you. Somebody’s feeding them information, and I know it’s not my girl.”
The first person who jumps to mind is Lister. If he were standing in front of me right now, I’d set his pants on fire. “I am going to kill him.”
“Who are you going to kill?”
“Never mind. Do me a favor: tell Rose and Em that I’ll call them later. I have to go take care of something.”
“Don’t do anything rash,” she warns.
“You do know who you’re talking to, right?”
Her voice softens. “My little gladiator. Just don’t take anything too personally, okay? No matter what you see or hear or read, know that it really has nothing to do with you. It’s just people’s egos getting in the way of their common sense.”
“I know. The only people who really know me are you, Carol, Sally, and my sisters. Everybody else can go eat worms.”
Ty walks out of the bathroom just in time to hear me say that.
“I gotta go. I love you.”
“Love you too. Bye-bye.” She hangs up.
“What’s going on?” he asks, his expression impossible to read. He’s holding a wet towel around his neck on either side; another one is draped around his hips.
“I have to go see Lister.” I jump out of bed and start pulling on my clothes, finding them in heaps around the room.
“Don’t you want to take a shower first?”
“No, I don’t have time. I need to go kick some ass and take some names.”
“Can I come watch?”
At first I’m going to say no, that this is between me and Lister, but then I decide I’d rather have Ty standing by my side than be alone. I can trust him. “Be my guest.”
Ty rubs his head with the towel from his neck. “I’ll be ready in five minutes.” He disappears into the bathroom as I rake a brush through my hair. I know I look like a crazy fool with yesterday’s clothes on and old makeup, but I don’t care. The look matches my mood. That Lister better look out, because I’m not going to put up with any of his lawyer crap. Things are about to get real.
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
The people sitting at the reception desk in Lister’s office try to stop Ty and me from going past, but I’m not having any of their nonsense. I buzz right past and walk as quickly as I can down the hallway that I’m pretty sure leads to Lister’s office.
I pass the copy room on my right. “Hi, Linny!” I yell as I rush by. She sticks her head out, but I’m gone before she has time to respond.
I see the conference room next. I signed papers in there. Knowing Lister, I probably signed a contract donating one of my kidneys without even realizing it.
“Take your next left,” Ty says. I turn around to thank him and realize that Linny is right behind him.
I stop for a moment. “Sweetie, you’re not going to want to see this. I’m really angry at your uncle.”
“Good. So am I.”
“Why don’t you go make a photocopy of your butt? I’ll be there in a minute to do one with you.”
She grins. “I already did.”
I walk over and give her a quick hug. “You are so adorable. Please go wait in the copy room. I don’t want you to see me so upset.”
“Do you know each other?” Ty asks, mystified.
“We’re old friends,” Linny says. She sticks her tongue out at him and then turns around to leave, her ponytail swinging back and forth.
He’s taken aback, first staring at her for a few seconds and then at me. “I guess she told me.”
“Don’t try to make me laugh right now. I’m righteously pissed, and I want to stay that way.”
He holds his hands up in surrender. “Yes, ma’am.”
I turn around and keep going. I eventually end up at Lister’s office and, miracle upon miracle, find him at his desk. A woman I saw once before here is leaning over with a very see-through blouse, showing him something in a folder.
He looks up. “Amber. Ty. I wasn’t aware we had an appointment.”
“We don’t have an appointment.” I stop in front of his desk, glaring at him.
He looks up at the woman. “Veronica, could you give us a minute, please?”
She nods, taking the folder from his desk and walking out the door, barely glancing at Ty or me.
Ty shuts the door behind her, and I fold my arms across my chest.
“Why don’t you have a seat?” Lister points at the chairs in front of his desk.
“No, thanks; I’ll stand.”
“You look upset.”
I tilt my head. “Do I? That’s funny. Why would I be upset right now?”
He looks at Ty. “Is this about the news coverage?”
Ty shrugs. “Don’t ask me. You’re talking to her.”
I wave at him. “Yeah . . . Hello? Mr. Misogynist? I can speak for myself, you know.”
He frowns at me. “I don’t know what this has to do with me.”
“What this has to do with you is you’re the one feeding the press information about me.”
He frowns and drops the pen that was in his hand, placing his hands on the arms of his chair. “I did no such thing.”
“Really? Because they sure know an awful lot about me, and it wasn’t me who gave them anything.”
&nb
sp; He glances at Ty before refocusing on me. “I did notice they had a lot of detail.”
“Did you? Was that before or after you sent them all of my personal information?”
He stands up. “I did no such thing. I would never do that.”
“Well, then, who did?” I unfold my arms. “Somebody in your office?”
“No. Anyone who works here protects our clients’ confidentiality. And anyone who didn’t would be fired instantly.”
“Fine, then. Call them in here. Anyone who touched my file is a suspect.”
He grabs his telephone handset and starts pressing some buttons. “I don’t think that’s going to be necessary.” He puts the phone to his ear and waits for it to connect. I hear a male voice on the other end of the line answer. “It’s Lister. I need to ask you a question.”
He hesitates before he continues. “Have you talked to the press about Amber and her family?”
I wish I had been watching the numbers he pressed on the telephone. I need to know who he’s talking to so I can call him or her and bitch them out myself.
He frowns. “I don’t know what you hoped to accomplish by doing that, but it was a mistake.” He pauses while the voice on the other end of the line is going.
“How do I know?” he asks. “I know because Amber is standing in my office right now and she’s very upset. And I’m angry too. You had no right to do that. I told you nothing good would come of it.”
He hisses and shakes his head as he listens to the man on the other end.
“Whatever. Like I told you before, I cannot represent you. I don’t want you contacting my office ever again. We’re done.” He hangs up the phone with a bang.
I open my mouth to speak, but suddenly Ty is at my side and he’s furious. “Who in the hell was that?”
I put my hand on his shoulder. “Let me handle this.”
Ty turns his glare on me and then returns it to Lister. But I feel his muscles relax slightly under my hand. “Fine. But then I’ve got some things to say to him.”
I turn my attention to Lister. “Who was that on the telephone?”
He presses his lips together and says nothing.
“He’s not your client, so don’t tell me you have some sort of confidentiality between you two.”
He still doesn’t respond.
A flash of memory moves across my mind. “Is it that guy from the hotel? The guy with the long hair and the leather?”
He flinches.
“Who the hell is she talking about, Lister?” Ty asks.
Lister’s gaze drops to his desk and he picks up his pen, poking the top of his desk blotter with it. He lets out a long sigh.
“You’d better start talking, buddy, or you’re about to lose some really valuable clients,” Ty says.
Lister looks up at him with a challenge in his eye.
Ty laughs at him. “Don’t think I won’t tell the band everything I’m listening to right now as soon as I leave this office. And trust me . . . if Red finds out that you screwed Amber, you’re done. There will be no forgiveness. He’ll probably sue you for malpractice, too. You’ll burn, Lister. You will burn, and I’ll be standing right there next to him with lighter fluid and matches in hand.”
“I didn’t do anything to Amber,” he finally says, defeat written all over his face. “It was Darrell.”
“Darrell?” I can’t believe I’m hearing that name again. What the hell?
Lister throws his pen on his desk. “You might as well have a seat.”
I think about remaining on my feet, but then decide against it. Lister appears as though he’s ready to confess, and I want to keep him talking. I sit down and give Ty a look that asks him to do the same. He follows my lead silently. Once we’re seated, Lister begins.
“I was approached by Darrell a couple months ago. Everyone in the band knows—except you, Ty—that he tries every once in a while to work his way back in.”
“You’re right. I didn’t know.” Ty’s jaw is twitching.
I reach over and touch his arm. “That was in the past.” I’m referring to him being left out of decisions by the band. We’re beyond that now, and I’m not going to let him be hurt by it anymore.
He nods curtly at me and we both turn our attention back to Lister.
“Like always, I told him the band isn’t interested, but this time he had more information with him. He knew about Amber’s mothers and he somehow found out about the girls, too. I don’t know how—he tracked them down, somehow—he wouldn’t tell me how. But he was planning to use it as his way in. Blackmail the band if necessary.”
“How?” I ask, totally in the dark. “How could he do that?”
“Do you mean how could he do it technically, or morally?”
“Both.” I try to picture the man I saw in the lobby. He seemed a little cold, but downright mean? I don’t know. Maybe.
“He assumed that if he told the press that twenty-five years ago the band got three women pregnant and then dumped them out in the backwoods in Maine, it would seriously damage their image. We’re in the middle of contract negotiations with a new label, and it wasn’t going to look good for them if this news came out right after the signatures were on the papers. It would have looked like they were hiding their dirty laundry with full knowledge of the damage it could have done to their brand. They could have been sued by the label for fraud, and the damage to their reputations would have been pretty bad.”
“Is that why they offered me money?” I feel sick all of a sudden. They came across as so genuine. Did I completely misjudge them?
He shakes his head. “No. They wanted to meet you. The money was my idea. Kind of.”
“Kind of?”
“They wanted to give you money as a way of making up for not being there. I had different reasons for offering it.”
“What? I thought you didn’t want us to have any money. I thought you didn’t like us.” Thirty million bucks is an awful lot of dough to hand over to people you dislike.
“As I’ve told you on several occasions, how I feel about you is irrelevant. There aren’t many people in the world who find out their fathers are multimillionaires and don’t ask for some of it. I figured we’d offer you something that’s more than generous and end it right there. You’d agree to complete confidentiality and you’d agree never to seek more.”
I stare at him with something akin to hate in my eyes. “We’re not those kind of people.”
“So you say. But it doesn’t matter. When I refused to play the middleman in his scheme and the band refused to bend, Darrell leaked the information to the press anyway. So now your secret is out, and I’m sorry about that. I never intended for that to happen. I thought Darrell was smarter than that.”
“Does Red know about your involvement?” Ty asks.
“He knows most of it. He knows that I’ve been fending Darrell off for years. He doesn’t know that Darrell tried to strong-arm me, and I specifically didn’t share that information with him because I cannot trust him to be reasonable about it. Red would go after Darrell with violence, and all that’d do is land him in jail.”
“I guess we can agree on one thing,” Ty says, not sounding very happy about it. “Not telling Red—that part was smart.”
“So, what do we do now?” I ask. I’m at a total loss.
Lister pulls his chair forward and picks up his pen again, spinning it between his fingers. “You have several options. You can keep doing what you’re doing, work as a consultant for the band, and then go back home. After a while, the press’ll leave you alone. If there’s no story there, they’ll find other people to talk about.”
“What’s my other option?”
“You go home now. End it, and walk away. The story will go away a lot faster if you choose to do that.”
“I don’t think you should just walk away,” Ty says, reaching out and taking my hand.
“Why? Because you’ll miss me?” I’m so sad now, bitter words are flying out. I’m try
ing not to cry in front of Lister, though; I don’t want to give him the satisfaction.
“Yes, I’ll miss you. But that’s not all. The band really needs you. Look at what you’ve accomplished already, in just two days. You got our relationship back on track, we’ve got them agreeing to bring in Sam for a trial, you’ve changed their look for the better. And there’s still so much to do. We need you.”
I want to believe him. I really do. The hope his words give me makes me feel like I could fly over all these skyscrapers with just my arms as wings.
Lister drops his pen on the desk, drawing our attention back to him.
“You don’t agree with that?” Ty asks.
“It’s not up to me. It’s up to the band. Have you talked to Red about this yet?”
Ty shakes his head. “I haven’t, but I know how he feels. He wants her to stay.”
“Maybe he won’t when he realizes it could hurt their reputation.”
I really hate Lister for saying that, but mostly because I know it’s true. Red and the rest of them do have to think about it. A person’s reputation is a very valuable thing. My mothers realized that when they left, and I will make the same decision twenty-five years later, if necessary. I won’t destroy the careers of a whole group of men, careers that for some of them span almost three decades, just so that I can find professional fulfillment.
“Bullshit. Red doesn’t give a shit about any of that. He wants Amber and her sisters in his life, no matter what it takes.” Ty looks at me, pleading with his eyes. “You know I’m telling the truth, babe. He said that to you himself. Mooch asked you to call him Dad, for chrissake. You can’t back out now.”
When I start crying, Lister stands up. He walks over to his bookshelf and comes back with a box of tissues, setting it down in front of me. He hikes his hip up onto the edge of his desk and rests his hands on his leg as he looks at me.
“Amber, you need to do what’s best for you. I can’t tell you what that’s going to be, but whatever it is, you should decide soon and let everybody know. There’s a lot of money riding on your decision, and a lot of other things that need to be put in place depending on which direction you decide to go.”
