Spring, The Twosies

by Josie Brown

  “Lily, dear, let’s leave the adults to their meeting,” Eleanor declared briskly.

  Lily shook her head adamantly. Instead, she took Daniel’s hand.

  It held the safe deposit box key.

  She held it up to him. “Did you find the other people’s money?” she asked.

  Daniel nodded. “Can you guess where I found it?”

  She gave her mother a sidelong glance. Finally, she turned back to Daniel and nodded. “My father had it.”

  Daniel looked up, shaking his head. “Like I said, a chip off the old block.”

  Lily scowled. “What does that mean?”

  Daniel laughed. “Ask your mother.”

  He nodded goodbye to Eleanor before heading out the front door.

  Eleanor looked at Bettina. “Lover’s spat?”

  “We…were never lovers. Or anything else, apparently.”

  Eleanor clicked her tongue. “A shame,” she said as she headed toward the kitchen.

  “It’s okay,” Lily assured her mother. “I don’t think he likes me either anymore.”

  “He doesn’t believe in lying,” Bettina murmured sadly.

  Lily tucked her hand into her mother’s. “If he loved you, he wouldn’t want you to go to jail.”

  Her daughter had a point.

  Lily kissed her mother’s cheek and then ran into the kitchen after her grandmother.

  At long last, the crisis that tore our lives apart is behind us, Bettina realized. I can now get on with the task of running the club. Granted, I no longer had to have the files to keep the minions in line. That’s okay. I’ve got something even better: I’m also a successful businesswoman. All’s well that ends well…

  But without someone to share it with—without Daniel—it was a hollow victory.

  She couldn’t think about that now. She had something more pressing to do:

  Break the news to Lily that Art was really dead.

  Picking up her sleeping son, she followed Lily into the kitchen.

  “Bollocks!” Andy screamed at the top of his lungs. “Bollocks! Bollocks!”

  Other people in the park turned to stare at him.

  Kimberley’s first impulse was to hush him.

  Instead, she gave into the urge to scream too. Jubilantly, she added, “We might have died in there, and yet—I’ve never felt so alive!”

  He nodded exuberantly. “I hear ya!”

  Then he kissed her.

  She crumpled onto the ground, sobbing.

  He shushed her, but it was useless. Hiccuping, she gasped, “No, no—you don’t understand! That bitch, Kelly, told me that you and Bettina had rekindled your affair.”

  He glanced at her warily. “That’s why you showed up with the gun. You were going to kill us.”

  As she nodded, a tear fell off her cheek.

  She flinched when he brushed it away.

  “I’ll never hit you again,” he swore.

  She snickered in disbelief. “Why? Because you now know I’m locked and loaded?”

  “No. Because I’m through playing games.” Solemnly, he shook his head. “I’m sick, Red. Testicular cancer.”

  She wept all over again.

  When she could force herself to stop, she asked, “I know how Kelly feels about Bettina. Still, why would Kelly try to coerce me into shooting you?”

  “Because she’s jealous of Bettina. And perhaps she knows that Nathaniel is my son.”

  “She’s sick,” Kimberley muttered. “But that makes me sick too, for falling under her spell.”

  He laughed. “Welcome to the club.”

  “How did Kelly take it—about your cancer?” As hard of a question as it was for him to hear, it was harder for her to ask it. Still, she had to know.

  “You know Kelly,” he muttered.

  “So what you’re saying is that you never said a word,” Kimberley guessed.

  He shrugged. “I figured she’d pity me—or quit caring altogether. In any case, she’d have dropped me. So instead, I dropped her first.”

  “Good for you,” Kimberley exclaimed fervently.

  Both he and Kelly had used her, and yet she still loved him.

  Her way of showing him was to stay the night. She called her husband and said that her sister had asked her to babysit all night; but that she’d be home by the time their children woke tomorrow morning.

  As she fell asleep in Andy’s arms, she realized that cuddling was a bigger turn-on than his beatings.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Monday, 11 May

  7:08 a.m.

  At the buzz of her cell phone, Bettina sat straight up in bed. Who the hell is calling at this ungodly hour, she wondered.

  The Caller ID showed that it was Brady.

  Last night, Lily had cried herself to sleep. So that the call wouldn’t wake up the little girl, Bettina slipped out of the room.

  “I had a lousy Mother’s Day, so this better be good,” she groused.

  “Unfortunately, it’s not. Word of Art’s—well, let’s just call it his untimely demise, is all over the papers.”

  “Oh, bloody hell,” Bettina muttered.

  “The Chronicle makes it sound as if it was the shootout at the OK Corral.”

  Bettina sighed. “I’ll admit it got dicey at times. Still, he’s finally out of our lives, so all’s well that ends well.”

  “Not for us. AOZ demands we swallow a poison pill.”

  “What does that mean, exactly?” Bettina asked warily.

  “Your contract has a clause that states any behavior causing a lack of trust in the board or the public at large means they can buy you out—or you can buy them out,” Brady explained.

  “I can’t afford to do that! Even with Art six feet under, my funds are frozen! AOZ knows this!”

  “Hence, their insistence that you swallow the poison pill.” He hesitated, then added, “That is, us.”

  “They want you out as well?”

  “We’re partners, remember?” Brady replied morosely.

  “Oh…yes. Well…” Emotions constricted her chest, making it difficult for her to talk. “I’m sorry that I’m the one Brady Pierce bet that didn’t pay off.”

  “Make that two. The deal to fund the national roll-out of Ally and Jillian’s pie shops also bit the dust.” He sighed.

  “I’m sorry to hear that.” Bettina meant it.

  “In fact, Ally and I…we’ve broken off our engagement.”

  “She’s a fool,” Bettina muttered.

  Brady chuckled half-heartedly. “Gee, Bettina, I didn’t know you thought so highly of me.”

  “Don’t get too cocky. Personally, I find you egotistical and vulgar. However, you do have a few assets—financial, to begin with.” She thought a moment. “And you’re not too hard on the eyes.”

  “You can stop there. I’d hate for you to strain further in an attempt to assuage my broken heart.”

  “Good, because quite frankly, scrounging for legitimate compliments can be exhausting.” She softened her tone when adding, “Seriously, Brady, I know Ally will come to her senses.”

  “I hope so.” Brady’s voice was weighted with sadness. “As for the Bum Free Zone app, I’m not giving up without a fight. I’ll circle back around to—”

  Bettina heard Lily crying. Sighing, she murmured, “Brady…I’m sorry but—I have to go! I have the club today. Now that this is out, I’ll be doing damage control there, so do what you have to do regarding BFZ. You know I’ll support it—and I presume Matthew will too.”

  She hung up, but her phone rang again.

  The Caller ID said: Lorna.

  What? Again? Since hearing of Art’s death from Eleanor yesterday afternoon, Lorna and Matthew had attempted to call several times last night. Even this morning, Lorna had rung Bettina’s number every five minutes.

  Bettina had refused to take the calls.

  By now, Matthew also knows that AOZ had taken a pass, she reasoned. I’m sure that all they want to do is gloat. They don’
t care that I’ve lost everything—

  Even the club.

  She bolted straight up at the thought.

  That’s why she’s been calling. She’s going to ask me to back out of the club entirely. And she’ll use her entourage as a Greek chorus. They’ll echo any lies she attaches to me. Well, I’m not going to let that happen!

  She was ready to fight Lorna for control of it again, if need be.

  With that in mind, she composed the following text:

  Lorna Dearest,

  So sorry I haven’t gotten back to you before now. So many fugitives running about, so little time! With that in mind, I’ve already sent out an email asking the club’s members for a half-hour grace period for today’s meeting. Most seem sympathetic in allowing me a few extra minutes to compose myself before addressing their concerns regarding yesterday’s drama. And I’m sure you’ll also appreciate an extra half hour to attend to your two new little bundles of joy!

  That being said, I look forward to seeing you at 10:30.

  Forever in awe of you, your sister-in-law if not in fact,

  Bettina

  A similar and just-as-personal note was devised for Jade, Jillian, and Ally.

  By the time they get to the meeting, I’ll already have the sympathetic ears of the other Top Moms, and there will be nothing Lorna can do about it, Bettina reasoned.

  The email sent to the rest of Top Moms read:

  We will have a very special meeting today, in which I hope to cover a lot of topics—not the least being an update on the status of the investigation of my ex-husband, Art Cross, since many of you were affected by his illegal actions. I’d appreciate your prompt attendance at ten o’clock.

  —Bettina Connaught Cross, Founder and Chief Executive Mom

  Holding her head up, Bettina went to comfort her daughter.

  * * *

  Also 7:08 a.m.

  Kimberley woke to the faint buzz of her cell phone.

  “It’s about damned time you picked up!” Kelly hissed. “Where the hell are you?”

  “I’m at my sister’s. She needed me to babysit overnight.” Kimberley, barely awake, didn’t dare tell Kelly the truth:

  That she was in Andy’s bedroom.

  With one hand, she patted his side. With the other hand, she cupped her cell phone with her hand so that Kelly couldn’t hear his gentle snores.

  “Did you find him…with her?” Kelly asked.

  Ha! You can say that again.

  Kimberley wanted to laugh into the phone. Instead, she lied, “No. He never showed up. I waited an hour, but then I had to get home.”

  “Really?”

  Kimberley felt a chill go up her spine. “Don’t you believe me?”

  Kelly chuckled. “Let me put it this way. We both know what happens if I don’t. You end up with the fuzzy end of the lollipop, so to speak.”

  When Andy flipped over toward Kimberley, his snore ended with a cough. She slid out of bed, onto the floor. Heart racing, she hissed, “You know, Kelly, considering all the crap I take from you, it would be greatly appreciated if you took me at my word.”

  “Yeah, whatever.” Kelly sighed mightily. “Then again, maybe it was for the best that he stood up Bettina. Have you seen this morning’s paper? Art was there! And you know what that means!”

  “No, not really.”

  “The club’s morality clause, idiot!”

  “Yes, I get it: those lewd pictures of her. But since we never got them back, there’s nothing we can prove—”

  “The morning paper has all the proof we need,” Kelly declared. “We can now bring her expulsion to a vote of the members—”

  “Do you mean to tell me that the Chronicle has the picture that…that Andy took of Bettina?” Kimberley squeaked frantically.

  “No, you moron! Try to stay with me.” Kelly sighed. “Art was hiding in Bettina’s house! She was harboring a fugitive—”

  “It wasn’t that way at all,” Kimberley exclaimed.

  “Oh, yeah? How do you know?”

  “I was there! ...I mean, I was outside, listening to the investigators who were walking in and out—”

  “Good! Then you’re the club’s prime witness! You can validate that she’s in Dutch with the police.”

  “I just told you, she isn’t,” Kimberley declared firmly.

  “So, lie! By the time she’s able to prove us wrong, we’ll already be leading the club.”

  Kimberley’s voice trembled as she murmured, “I can’t do that.”

  “You can. And you will, if you know what’s good for you,” Kelly growled.

  “It’s over, Kelly. You have no hold on me,” Kimberley exclaimed.

  “You think not, eh?” Kelly’s cackle was so loud that Kimberley jerked the phone away from her ear. “Where did you say you were again?”

  “At…my sister’s.”

  “You’re a liar. You’re at Andy’s. I saw your car there an hour ago. In fact, it’s been there all night,” Kelly growled. “What did you do, stop him when he got to Bettina’s house, and then beg to be his slave if he didn’t go in there? Ha! I’ll bet he loved that!”

  “You’re right,” Kimberley declared. “I’m here with Andy now. And he did ‘love it.’ In fact, he loves me. So, quit stalking him! Leave us alone!”

  She was about to tap off when Kelly cooed, “Do you want Jerry to leave you alone too?”

  Oh. Crap.

  “I thought not,” Kelly retorted. “So, what do you say? Are you up for being my Co-Chief Executive Mom?”

  Kimberley stammered, “I…you…”

  The kids…

  Kimberley murmured, “Yes, of course. But to oust her, you’ll need a majority of the Top Moms to agree. You don’t have the votes.”

  “The hell I don’t! Have you forgotten that Bettina has missed practically every third meeting? If she bothers to show up at all, she’s on autopilot. Mallory is livid about it. Even that imbecile, Sally Dunder, has commented on it.”

  “You’ve done a great job of trashing her at every turn,” Kimberley muttered.

  “Today, all those efforts will pay off,” Kelly promised. “Even that namby-pamby sister-in-law of hers won’t stand beside her. She hates Bettina more than I do.”

  Kimberley couldn’t argue with that.

  “Lorna won’t just step aside and let you take over. She’s worked too hard for the club—”

  “Yeah, okay, I’ll admit she presents a bit of a problem,” Kelly said grudgingly. “That’s where you come in. You’ll express your concern that she’s tainted by association; that no one will believe that she’s not Bettina’s little puppet, but that we recognize her value, and will create a special position for her—say, co-president, along with you.”

  “But you just said I’d be co-Chief Executive Mom with you!” Kimberley pointed out. “You’re already demoting me?”

  “If you keep it up, I’ll make sure your job description includes scrubbing out the rec center toilets, no matter what title I give you,” Kelly warned her. “Now, get your ass out of there. I’ve already sent around an email to the Top Moms demanding that they get to the meeting by nine-thirty instead. Also, I’ve put together all we need to make the case that she’s unfit to continue as our fearless leader. Your job is to distribute the handouts—and of course, you’ll second any motion I make.” Kelly paused before adding, “Oh, and by the way, this is your final warning: if I ever catch you anywhere near Andy Hepburn, I’ll send Jerry my own little dossier on you. Trust me, it is thicker than Bettina’s—and more damaging. Do you understand me?”

  “Yes,” Kimberley muttered.

  “Yes, mistress. Say it!”

  “Yes…mistress.”

  “That’s better.”

  Kelly’s laugh was still ringing in Kimberley’s ears as she clicked off.

  Sleepily, Andy mumbled, “Who was that, love?”

  Kimberley shook her head. “No one. I’ll show myself out…the kids…the club…” Hastily, she grabbed h
er jacket and her pocketbook.

  Still, he wouldn’t let her go without a kiss.

  “I’ll miss you, Red,” he whispered, “until I see you again.”

  She loved it that he now called her that.

  It gave her yet another reason—an even better reason—to love him as well.

  * * *

  9:55 a.m.

  “Why must I go with you to the meet-up?” Lily’s question came with a pout. “I’ll be the only Fivesie there! They’ll make me play with the Foursies.”

  “Lily, dearest, you know I can’t leave you home by yourself! Your grandmother had an appointment, and it’s very important that I be at the meet-up today. As you know, your teacher, Ms. Vanderbilt is perfectly fine with you taking as much time as you need to…to feel better. But if you’d prefer to be at school—”

  Lily shook her head. “No! I don’t want the other children to…to feel sorry for me.” She lowered her head to her chest.

  Bettina patted her hand. “We’ll leave as soon as the meet-up is over, I promise. And I’m sure the Foursies Top Moms will appreciate your help with their children.”

  Lily shrugged. “If you say so. At least Aunt Lorna and Dante will be there.”

  By the time they arrived at the Moscone Recreation Center, Bettina had lifted her lips into a smile.

  She was ready to do battle.

  * * *

  Also 9:55 a.m.

  Ally’s first inclination was to ignore Bettina’s email.

  She didn’t even bother to look at Kelly’s, which was sent with this subject line:

  THIS EMAIL SUPERSEDES ALL OTHERS.

  Why go to the meeting at all? The last thing she wanted was to run into Jillian.

  Has she told Lorna or Jade about Life of Pie, she wondered.

  No, probably not. Otherwise, they’d both be on the phone demanding to know if she’d lost her mind.

  Maybe I have, she thought miserably.

  The truth was, she needed her friends now more than ever.

  That meant Jillian too.

  She needed to explain to her soon-to-be-ex partner that if she wanted to change her mind, Ally would stand with her—