by Cheryl Holt
“She will not do that,” her mother said. “We’re scheduled to fly out tomorrow, and there’s no reason to go any sooner.”
Dennis rounded on Crystal, and he was so incensed that Lindsey was afraid he might hit her. He never had in the past, but there was a first time for everything.
“What part of non-negotiable don’t you understand?” he bellowed at her mother.
“You’re being so dramatic,” Crystal blandly responded. “Would you calm down before you have a heart attack?”
“Believe me,” he said, “this is me being calm. If I allowed myself to vent the rage I’m currently feeling, I’d toss her out the window. How many times have I warned you that her nonsense better not impact me?”
“At least a thousand.” Her mother’s tone was incredibly sarcastic.
“She will depart at once,” Dennis said, “and you will accompany her. You will be glued to her side every second of the trip, so you can guarantee she arrives in LA without doing something even more idiotic.”
“The wedding is at two,” Crystal reminded him. “I’m not missing it.”
“Yes, you are, and I can categorially state that no one will care if you’re not there.”
“Why are you being such an asshole?” Crystal threw up her hands in exasperation. “She’s a kid. She had a fake ID and wormed her way into a bar. It happens constantly. It’s no big deal.”
Dennis ignored her. “You will get her cleaned up—and sobered up—then your publicist, Pippa, has hired a crew to film and edit a grovel video. Your daughter will confess every sin she’s ever committed.”
“She is not filming a video like that! We’ll be laughed out of town.”
Dennis continued as if she hadn’t spoken. “She will announce that’s she’s withdrawing from her college that she loved so very, very much.” He snickered at that. “She will declare that she hates how her actions have brought such disrepute and scorn to so many, so she’s going to be noble and quit.”
“If she withdraws, we’ll appear weak. It will hurt my legal case.”
“Here’s a news flash, Crystal,” he scathingly told her. “This debacle isn’t about you. It’s about me, and I will not have this mess floating on the fringe of my life.”
“She’s nineteen. How am I supposed to control her?”
“I’m not concerned over how you do it. Just do it. After she’s finished the video, she will check herself into rehab, and she will remain there—out of sight—until I decide she can be safely released. Unless she can persuade me that she has her act together, she will not be permitted to leave. If she’s locked away for the next decade, I’ll be thrilled with that.”
Crystal bristled with offense. “She doesn’t need rehab.”
They yanked their livid gazes over to where she was slouched on the chair and working hard not to puke. Her head was pounding, her mouth dry as a desert, and she’d simply like to slide to the floor and fall asleep.
“Look at her!” Dennis fumed. “She’s a tramp and a drunkard, just like her drug-addled father. If we could haul a breathalyzer machine up here, I bet it would show she’s still wasted.”
“Don’t drag her father into this. Since you’ve never parented her yourself, you can’t complain about him.”
They were glaring at her, and she asked, “Could I say something?”
“No!” they shouted in unison, but she didn’t listen.
“I don’t want to go to rehab.” She frowned at her mother. “He can’t force me, can he? I mean, I’m an adult, and I won’t agree to it.”
“We’ll discuss it later.” Crystal glanced nervously at Dennis.
“He’s not my father,” Lindsey blustered, “so he doesn’t have any authority over me.”
Her comment infuriated him. He advanced on her, and with how she was slumped on the chair, he towered over her in a scary way.
“You think I can’t do whatever I like to you?” he demanded.
“No, I don’t think you can,” she dared to reply.
“I’ll obtain a court order by claiming you’re incompetent to manage your own affairs. With your drunken face plastered all over the Internet, there’s no judge in the country who wouldn’t name me as your guardian.”
“I’d like to see you try,” she retorted.
“The fact that you assume you have power equal to mine only indicates how deranged your brain has become. I’ve had enough of you, and it appears the whole world has had enough too.”
Crystal finally came to her rescue. She grabbed Dennis by the arm and pulled him away. “Quit badgering her. I have a better idea of how to handle this. Jennifer’s brother, Kyle, brought her home from the bar.”
“He was drinking too?” Dennis snorted. “I don’t believe it. That kid’s so clean-cut he could be a monk.”
“I talked to him about whether he’d be willing to issue a statement.”
Dennis scowled ferociously. “What kind of statement?”
“I thought it could be along the lines of the video being taken out of context. I couldn’t convince him to assist her. He wasn’t interested, but you might be able to persuade him.”
“And beg him to do what? To lie for her?”
“Well . . . ah . . . yes. It might tamp down some of the loudest voices.”
Lindsey vaguely remembered Kyle arriving at the bar, driving her to the Inn, dumping her in her room. He’d been really nice in a manner no one ever was, and she said, “I won’t have you guys pestering Kyle.”
“Nobody asked your opinion,” Dennis snidely responded.
Crystal said to Dennis, “Just talk to Kyle. What can it hurt? It might fix what’s happening to her.”
“If you presume we can fix this,” Dennis said, “then you’re deluded. Aren’t you the brilliant web influencer? Aren’t you the genius who develops images and brands? You ought to spend a little time on the web this morning, where you will discover that your daughter’s image is wrecked and yours is about to be too.”
It was Crystal’s turn to scowl. “What do you mean?”
Dennis sneered at her. “People are realizing you’re not a good mother! Fancy that! If your sponsors haven’t already begun to drop you, they will shortly. Best start looking over your shoulder, Crystal. You’re about to be swept away by an avalanche.”
“Then I demand you help me get out ahead of it.”
“There’s the problem for you, dear wife. This dilemma is of your own creation, and I have no desire to help you.”
He marched to the door, and Crystal asked, “Where are you going?”
“I’m having breakfast—with a friend in the village.”
“I forbid it!” Crystal said with unusual fierceness.
Dennis simply laughed. “As if I care.”
“You will not have breakfast down there!”
“How will you stop me?” There was a pause, where it seemed as if Crystal might lash out crazily, but Dennis scoffed at her impotence. “I’ll be back at noon. You and your daughter should be on your way to Aspen by then. Don’t cross me on this. It’s not a fight you can win.”
He stomped out, and Lindsey and Crystal were frozen in their spots, waiting for the dust to settle. Lindsey was eager to lighten the tense moment, and she facetiously said, “I didn’t want to attend that stupid wedding anyway.”
“Shut the hell up. Have you any notion of the trouble you’ve caused? Can you envision the ramifications that are about to rain down on me?”
“On you? I’m quite sure I’m the one who’s being sent home in disgrace and has been ordered into rehab. I won’t go; it doesn’t matter how loudly he shouts about it.”
“You’ll do what he says!”
“I won’t! He can be a big asshole, and you can be your typical drama-queen self, but I’m nineteen. I don’t have to bow down to either of you.”
> Crystal seized her by the hair and shook her. “He’s the only one who has the power to make this disappear. You will obey him. Do you hear me?”
“I hear you, but I’m not listening.”
Crystal slapped her as hard as she could, and it shocked them both. She and her mother didn’t get along that well, but Crystal had never hit her before, mostly because she wasn’t concerned enough about Lindsey to become enraged.
“What was that for?” Lindsey asked, rubbing her cheek.
“Think about it, you little shit. I’m positive the answer will come to you.”
Crystal whipped away and stormed out too. Lindsey slid off the chair and sank to the floor as she’d been dying to do ever since Crystal had first dragged her into the room. She closed her eyes and curled into a ball, and finally, she felt better.
“Is Eric back? Shall we bet on it?”
Sharon chuckled. “My son can be a rude ingrate, but he’s not such a waste that he’d miss his wedding.”
Greg chuckled too. “We’ll see, I guess.”
“I’ll text you as soon as I talk to him.”
She was on her way to Eric’s suite, and Greg was on his way to his own. He’d spent the night with her again, and they were loafing on the landing, not able to bear the prospect of parting, and they were using every excuse to delay.
The wedding would be held at two, then there would be a supper and dancing that evening. On Sunday, they were checking out, and she was counting down the depressing minutes until they left. What would happen after that?
She’d like to suggest they stay in touch. She could visit him in Oregon or he could fly down to California, but she’d been too nervous to mention it. If he’d quashed the idea, she’d have been crushed. Besides, she was certain he’d insist he couldn’t get time off from work.
Yet in her view, a person could find time for the things he or she truly wished to do, so if he claimed he couldn’t schedule a vacation, it would tell her exactly what she was afraid to know.
“The whole morning will be chaotic,” he said.
“I was just about to say the same.”
“Let’s text like mad, okay? I want to hear everything you’re doing.”
“I don’t have any tasks to keep me busy,” she said, “so if Jennifer decides she needs help, send for me. I’ll can be a message-deliverer or a gofer.”
Jennifer was dressing in his suite, having her hair and makeup done there too, so it would be packed with female activities, and he said, “If it’s too crowded or too crazy, I’ll scoot out and track you down.”
“I’d like that. It would be much more enjoyable than twiddling my thumbs and watching the clock tick toward the ceremony.”
He dipped in and kissed her, and when he drew away, he was laughing, and he told her, “Go! You’re distracting me so completely that I feel as if I’m attached to you with magnets. If you don’t walk off, I can’t walk off either.”
They were grinning like fools, and she shoved him toward the stairs. He took another quick kiss, then dashed off, and she gazed after him until he vanished around a corner. She sighed with gladness, but as she spun to head to Eric’s room, Dennis was down the hall and gaping at her.
They suffered an awkward moment, and her cheeks flushed, as if she’d been caught committing a terrible sin.
“Happy wedding day,” she said to break the tension.
He approached her, and he was tsking with offense. “You and Greg Layton? Really, Sharon?”
The comment infuriated her. “Yes, Dennis, me and Greg Layton. Not that it’s any of your business.”
“Isn’t it kind of incestuous?”
“I suppose,” she breezily said.
“He’s pretty far beneath you.”
“I beg to disagree. I stooped about as low as I could go by marrying you. Everything after that has been a climb uphill.”
He snorted, sounding amused by her sly insult. “But Greg Layton? You ought to think of your reputation. I mean, what would people say?”
“Yes, that’s definitely a huge concern for me, and thanks for the advice. I’ve always loved having you tell me how to behave.”
She stomped off, his eyes cutting into her back like daggers.
“Sharon!” he said, but then, he was a man who insisted on having his way.
She glared over her shoulder. “What?”
“Would you like to have breakfast?”
She didn’t understand this sudden need for familial bonding, especially after their breakfast with Alex the prior morning had been such a debacle. Eric hadn’t even bothered to attend.
“I can’t. I have to check on Eric—to be sure he’s here.”
Dennis frowned. “Why wouldn’t he be here? His wedding’s in a few hours.”
“Well, he’s very irresponsible, and he went off with Josh last night. I have no idea if they returned.”
“He wouldn’t skip his own wedding.”
“Keep pretending that’s true, Dennis.”
She started off again, and he said more sharply, “Sharon!”
“What?”
“I want your opinion about something.”
He’d never been interested in her opinion on any topic, so he’d piqued her curiosity, and she asked, “What is it?”
“You mentioned yesterday that you were worried about Lindsey, that she might be having some trouble with alcohol, and I’ve discovered you were correct. I’ve set a process in motion to deal with it, but I’m positive there’s more I should be doing. You were always good at handling tough issues with our boys. I thought you might have some suggestions.”
Was that a compliment? From Dennis Benjamin?
She scoffed. She was very worried about Lindsey Holliday, but honestly! The girl wasn’t Sharon’s daughter, and he had some gall to request her assistance. She couldn’t be involved, and even though it likely indicated she was a real bitch deep down, she said, “I can’t help you with her. If she’s having problems, you should discuss the situation with your wife.”
She marched off yet again and continued down the hall to Eric’s suite at the end. The door was propped open so visitors could enter without knocking. Eric was lounged on the sofa in the sitting room, his eyes closed, an ice pack pressed to his forehead.
“Why is the door open?” she asked.
He peered over at her, clearly about to hurl a scathing retort, then he saw who’d arrived, and he smoothed his features. “Oh. Hi, Mom. It’s you. We’re receiving constant deliveries of stuff, and I was tired of having to get up and answer.”
“Is Josh back too?”
“Why wouldn’t he be? What brought you here? No offense, but I’m so hungover I could die. I’m not in much of a mood to chat.”
How was she to reply to such a remark? Since he’d deigned to appear at the Inn, she’d talked to him alone on precisely two occasions: once in the Great Room and once on the stairs.
As a child, he’d been rude and spoiled, and he’d grown to be a rude and dismissive adult. After Dennis had announced the divorce fifteen years earlier, she’d worked hard to maintain a relationship with him, but he hadn’t seemed to want or need a mother.
She liked to think he wouldn’t treat a dog the way he treated her, but maybe she was wrong. Maybe he’d treat a dog just as hideously. It was his wedding day. Couldn’t he simply be glad she’d bothered to stop by?
She was so weary of his disregard. Who was there to love him? Jennifer would—for awhile—until he betrayed her so often that she left. Then who would he have? Dennis and Crystal? And probably not even Crystal.
If Dennis tossed her over for someone younger and more exotic, who would Eric have then? Just Dennis, and as Sharon had learned, having Dennis was like having no one at all.
“I had to check if you and Josh were up,” she said. “I would hate for
you to oversleep and miss the wedding.”
“Why would we have done that?” His tone was snotty and curt.
She could have listed a dozen prior bad acts, but she wasn’t about to argue with him. Nor did she have the patience to stand and let him bark at her.
“You’re right,” she said, “that you’re in no condition to chat, but I’m not busy. If you need anything this morning, text me. Or if your phone can’t get a signal, call my room. I’m happy to pitch in with whatever you might require.”
“Why would I need you? There are a million people in this blasted hotel who are hovering all over me.” He waved her off—as if she were a servant. “I’m fine.”
At a previous period in her life, the comment would have devastated her. Not anymore. She would find Alex, her kind son, her sane son, and have breakfast with him. She’d persuade Greg to join them. Her time with both of them was winding down.
“Of course you’re fine,” she blithely said. “How silly of me to offer my assistance! Have a fun day. I hope your wedding is all you dreamed it would be.”
She strolled out, and she didn’t feel sad about how he’d spoken to her. She’d tolerated his snarky attitude for most of two decades, and she didn’t have to put up with it another second.
The realization was thrilling. Man, oh, man, but her trip to Colorado had painted a lot of subjects in sharp relief!
He recognized that he’d been a discourteous wretch, and he called to her retreating back, “Mom! I apologize.”
“For what?”
“For being such a prick, but when I told you my hangover is killing me, I wasn’t lying.”
She glanced at him, and he flashed a weak smile. It didn’t erase her irritation though.
“Apology accepted,” she blandly responded, and she kept on.
From how angry Jennifer was, Greg wasn’t certain she’d proceed with the ceremony. If she didn’t, Sharon couldn’t blame her. Eric was so sure of Jennifer’s fawning devotion that it would never occur to him that she might have had enough already.
