THURSDAY STARTED OUT miserably. By eight o’clock Meg had gotten a disheartening medical report about Amelia. And she faced the rest of the day with a million details on her mind, all of which needed to be addressed before Saturday’s auction. To make matters worse, she’d lain awake until well past midnight when she’d finally heard the front door open and close and Gloria giggling all the way up the stairs.
Then, she missed seeing Wade this morning, which meant she wouldn’t get any insight on “the date” from him, not that she’d have the nerve to ask him about it. And there was no guessing when Gloria might stumble downstairs to gloat over the evening.
Deciding the best thing to do was to immerse herself in auction preparations, Meg began polishing Amelia’s furniture to a glossy shine. But even that chore didn’t stop her from imagining what Wade and Gloria had done the night before or from analyzing her past relationship with her cousin. While Gloria slept off the effects of her night at McGruder’s, Meg looked back on her childhood at Ashford House with a new and profound understanding of those carefree days. The truth was, they had not been nearly as carefree as her faulty memory had led her to believe.
Adjusting to the clear, levelheaded view from adulthood, Meg now remembered that those times when she and Gloria were together, quarrels and petty jealousies had often sent the two strong-willed girls to separate bedrooms for the night without speaking. It had been Amelia’s diplomatic skills that had mediated the problems the next morning and brought harmony to the house again.
“Well, Amelia’s not here now,” Meg said as she applied polish to an old cup ring on the top of an end table and wiped furiously. “And even if she were, no amount of sweet talk could negotiate a peace this time.”
Meg truly tried to make Gloria the target for her anger. She told herself that Gloria could have asked if Meg minded if she went out with Wade. She could have asked if Meg had an interest in him.
“Did Gloria care enough to even ask how I felt?” Meg said aloud. “Did she think beyond her own selfish interests for once? No. In typical Gloria fashion, just like always, she saw what she wanted and went after it.”
Unfortunately Meg’s attempts to make Gloria the bad guy made no sense. Not this time. She plopped down in an old chintz chair and dropped her polishing materials to the floor. Reason had suddenly prevailed, and Meg shook her head and turned her frustration where it rightfully belonged—on herself.
“Snap out of it, Meggie,” she said. “You’ve got no claim on Wade. You could have gone out with them last night, but you didn’t, so why blame Gloria for taking advantage of the situation?” She sat forward, dangling her hands between her knees. “Still she could have asked if I minded.”
“Who didn’t ask?”
The question from the staircase was delivered in Gloria’s sleep-husky voice. “And didn’t ask what?”
Meg jumped up from the chair. “Oh, you’re up.”
Gloria stepped lightly off the bottom step. “Don’t remind me. Your son’s video game in the next room sounds like the real Indy 500.” Her fingers pressed to her temples, she said, “Where’s the aspirin?”
Meg followed her into the kitchen. She couldn’t help pointing out the obvious. “It’s nearly 10:30.”
Gloria made a beeline for the cupboards. “And that’s important because…?”
“Maybe you shouldn’t have stayed out so late.”
Gloria slammed a succession of cupboard doors after finding each one empty. “The aspirin, Meg. Or have you catalogued it to be sold in the auction?”
Meg retrieved the bottle from the pantry, took out two capsules and deposited them on the table.
Gloria sat in a chair, swallowed the pills without water and lay her head on her crossed arms. After a moment she looked up at Meg with red-rimmed eyes. “Correct me if I’m misreading you, but is something wrong?”
Meg slammed a glass of water on the table even though she knew Gloria didn’t require it. Liquid sloshed over the side and soaked the sleeve of Gloria’s bathrobe. “Why would something be wrong?”
“Oh, I don’t know. Because you’re you.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Meg asked the question even though she knew the answer. She had always been the righteously indignant one. Gloria had always been the free spirit who didn’t give a damn.
Gloria released a long, dramatic sigh, raised her head with a wince of her colorless lips, and said, “Okay, let’s have it. What did I do this time?”
Meg leaned against the counter and clamped her arms over her chest. She simply couldn’t ignore all the old resentment that welled up inside her. “You like playing the martyr, don’t you?”
“No more than you like playing the judge, Meg. It’s been that way since we were kids. I screw up. You tell me how. And Aunt Amelia makes us kiss and make up.” She buried her face in her arms again and groaned. “Only Amelia’s not here, and I feel like crap, so let’s cut to the chase and get this over with.”
Knowing her anger was misplaced, Meg sighed heavily. Gloria was truly miserable, and Meg didn’t have a reason to scold her for something that was just Gloria being herself. Besides, what had she done that was so unforgivable? All their lives, Gloria had acted on impulses that Meg denied herself because she overanalyzed them or they scared her to death. Now that she thought about it, she wasn’t angry at Gloria. She was jealous of her.
Meg sat down at the end of the table nearest her cousin and gently placed her hand on Gloria’s arm. “You didn’t do anything, Gloria. I’m the one who screwed up this time.”
Gloria raised her eyes. “Really?” A skeptical but slightly victorious grin curled her lips. “What did you do?”
“I stayed home last night while you and Wade went out. And I’m mad at myself for that and for blaming you.”
Gloria reached for the glass of water and took a sip. Then she sat up straight. “You like the guy, don’t you?”
“I don’t know. I shouldn’t.”
“Why not? He’s definitely decent-looking. Tall, law-abiding. Just your type, cuz. And he’s wild about you.”
“He is?”
“Oh, yeah. When he wasn’t saying how we ought to be getting home, he was talking about you.” Gloria frowned and gulped the rest of the water. “To tell you the truth, Meggie, he’s something of a drag in my opinion, but I can see where you’d like him.” She stood up and grabbed a box of cereal off the top of the refrigerator. “So, have you two had sex?”
“What? No!”
She found a plastic bowl on the counter and filled it with corn flakes. Meg got a little satisfaction from not telling her it was Mr. Cuddles’s food dish.
“So why haven’t you?” Gloria said. “Had sex, I mean.”
“We have issues, Gloria.”
“Oh, this house thing?” Obviously Wade had told her about the problem. “Big deal.”
Big deal? “Yes, it is, but that’s not all. There’s his wife who died. I don’t know if he’s come to terms with losing her. And I think his feelings for me have more to do with gratitude than anything else. I’m the first woman…” She stopped talking and stared at her cousin, while she tried to decide how to end that sentence.
Gloria poured milk in the bowl and took a bite of cereal. While she chewed, her overly critical gaze made Meg squirm. Then she said, “You’re an idiot.”
Meg slammed the flat of her hand on the table. “Well, thanks for that!”
“Sorry, but you’re just like you were way back when. Remember the old soapbox derby car that boy from down the road had? All us kids jumped in two at a time and tore down the hill, screaming our lungs out. But not you, Meg. Remember when we were teenagers and how everybody sneaked out at night and TP’d houses all over Mount Esther? But not you, Meg. Remember those guys from that little town west of here and the night they brought beer? We went down to the river and drank and roasted marshmallows. But not you, Meg. Remember?”
“You’ve made your point.”
“Right, and this could end up just like back then with you and I arguing and yelling at each other till we’re hoarse. But we’re older now and should know better. Now I’ll just say what’s on my mind and go back upstairs where I plan to be until at least late this afternoon.”
Meg didn’t even try to cut Gloria off. Nothing stopped her once she got up a good head of steam.
“Take a chance, Meg. Quit thinking so damned much and do something. The guy likes you. You obviously like him. So stop worrying about consequences all the time and let the poor man take you to bed.”
“But what about all the problems?” Even as she asked the question, Meg knew the answer. At least she knew what Gloria’s answer would be.
“You mean this old house?” When Meg nodded, Gloria held up two fingers and used them to illustrate her point. “What do you want, Meg? The man or the house? I’ll tell you this much. If you get the house, you’ll probably lose the man. But if you get the man, you just might get both.”
What Gloria was suggesting was ridiculous, and Meg told her so. “You’re saying I should sleep with him to get the house?”
“Of course not, because it might not work. I’m telling you to sleep with him because you want to. Ashford House might just be a bonus.” She blew out an impatient breath and gestured at all the kitchen collectibles Meg had spread over Amelia’s counters. “Look, Meg, you might know a lot about all this old stuff, but I know about men. When a guy’s been celibate for two years like Wade, and finally chooses you over every other woman he’s encountered in all that time, he’s serious. Give the guy a break, and yourself one at the same time.” She shook her head, a sign of her pathetic appraisal of Meg. “For some reason, you’ve spent your life telling yourself you don’t deserve the happiness other people take for granted.”
Meg was too astounded to speak. Was that true? Had she done that? After a moment, she got up, poured herself a glass of water, and faced Gloria. “Let’s assume you’re right.”
“I am right.”
“Okay, but think about this. I can’t have sex in this house. Not with Spence and Jenny and Roone…”
Gloria dismissed her with an abrupt wave of her hand. “You’re hopeless, Meggie. In the first place, I don’t care where you have sex, but this house is as good as anyplace. It’s huge. If you can’t find a secluded spot, you’re not looking. Especially when I’m offering to take those two kids to the movies tonight.”
Meg swallowed. “You are?”
“Yeah, but only once. And it’s up to you to avoid Gramps. Think about it. I’m going back to bed.”
Gloria left the room just as the phone rang. Meg picked it up and barely managed to say, “Hello.”
“Hi, Meg. It’s Wade. Can you come down to the office? I’ve got some information on that theft ring.”
WADE’S VOICE ON the telephone had been serious, almost somber. For sure he had bad news to tell her, probably one more disaster in an endless parade of them. Her aunt was dying. She knew that now and had to accept that it was Amelia’s wish. She was going to lose Ashford House. There was little hope of finding the deed. And now her brother might be in serious trouble with the law and the future of Colonial Auction House could be in jeopardy.
And Meg couldn’t erase feelings of resentment with regard to their business. Why did she always have to bear the burden of her brother’s lack of responsibility? She thought again about Gloria’s suggestion that she grab a little happiness for herself and forget all her problems for a while. Could she do that? Did she deserve such happiness? Did Wade even think of her that way anymore? And, the most important question—was a one-night fling with Wade what she wanted, even if that’s all it turned out to be?
She pulled into a parking space at town hall and got out of the car. She knew the answer, and it was yes.
Just thinking about what lay ahead in the next few minutes and maybe later that night, Meg was trembling when she entered Wade’s office. This first encounter had her nerves crackling with dread. The one to come later that evening had her blood heating with anticipation. Both were terrifying.
Wade looked up from a stack of papers when she came in. “Oh, Meg, good, you’re here.” Amazingly he looked at ease, even in this environment of clipboards, file cabinets, and computers. With his sleeves rolled up, his hair comfortably mussed, he appeared as relaxed in the office as he did on the porch of Ashford House. Maybe this was a good sign.
Meg took the chair he offered but remained silent, not trusting herself to speak.
He opened a folder on his desk. “It’s all here,” he said. “I got a faxed report this morning from the Jacksonville PD where the investigation originated.”
“So there is a theft ring?” she said.
He nodded. “’Fraid so. It’s pretty much as I told you yesterday. It involves stealing from freight lines and warehouses and then dumping the stuff at an assortment of irregular fence operations.”
“Like Colonial Auction,” she said, her voice tense with anxiety.
“It appears so.”
She put her face in her hands. “Oh, God, I knew it. Jerry’s going to jail.” And then when an equally horrible outcome occurred to her, she added, “Maybe I am, too.”
“Nobody’s going to jail,” Wade said. “At least not if Jerry cooperates now. He didn’t knowingly sell stolen merchandise, did he?”
She shook her head.
“He acted in accordance with Florida State statutes regarding auction houses?”
“Yes, I’m sure he did.”
“And he had no reason to suspect that the charity was involved in criminal activity?”
“No.”
Wade shrugged, and the tightness in Meg’s chest eased. “I think law enforcement officials will regard your brother as a victim, not a conspirator,” Wade said. “Maybe an inept, careless victim, but a victim nonetheless. I’ve seen lots of cases like this, and the poor guys who get caught with the merchandise usually just get a warning to be a little more conscientious from now on.”
Meg placed the flat of her hand over her chest where her heart still hadn’t returned to a normal beat. “Oh, Wade, thank you.”
“I’ll talk to the cops in Orlando and fill them in on what’s been going on.”
“And I’ll call Jerry right now and tell him not to sell any more of that stuff.”
Wade held up a finger. “I don’t think I’d do that.”
“What? Why not?”
“There’s one other possible problem,” Wade said. “According to the fax I got, the guys who handle the stolen merchandise don’t always work alone.”
“Well, then, who…?” Meg paused when the answer suddenly came to her. “Oh, no. Mary Beth?”
“A young, female accomplice has been reported in a couple of instances,” he said.
Meg closed her eyes, tried to imagine her brother’s reaction when he heard the news. “Poor Jerry.”
“When is he likely to see the guys who’ve been bringing the merchandise in?”
“Probably Monday. That’s when we make consignment checks available. I think he told me the men come by the auction in the morning and pick up their percentage.”
“Then unless I miss my guess, that’s the procedure I think the Orlando police will want him to follow. They don’t want the perpetrators alerted because of a change in routine. I have a hunch your brother will be told to run a few of the items through the sale as he has been doing so Horton will be in on Monday as usual to pick up the check.” He smiled. “And that’s when he’ll find a little surprise, like an FBI agent and a couple of Orlando’s finest.”
Meg wished the news weren’t so damaging. Maybe Jerry wouldn’t be facing a jail sentence, but he’d still very likely panic. This situation might be more than he could handle, especially now that he’d have to consider that Mary Beth was involved with the criminals. He might even insist that Meg come home, but of course she couldn’t, not with Amelia’s auction just two days away. And she couldn’t even provide moral support on Monday when Horton came to pick up his check. She’d still be doing the accounting from the Mount Esther sale.
Concern etched Wade’s features as he leaned forward. “Meg, what’s wrong? I just told you that everything should be okay with your brother.”
“You don’t know Jerry. He’s not a take-charge person and I don’t know how he’ll react to this news.”
“Maybe you should give him more credit. He’s a big boy, isn’t he?”
Meg only grimaced.
“You probably should call him soon and let him know what’s happening,” Wade suggested. “Once I get in touch with Orlando PD, I figure the cops will be at your place pretty quick. They’ll advise him what to do.”
The police at Colonial Auction? Jerry never even dealt with customers coming in with complaints. He always sent them to Meg. And now he was going to face a police investigation?
Wade reached over the desk and touched her arm. “He’ll be all right, Meg.”
She nodded, resigned to putting Jerry in charge of this latest dilemma. Wade was right. Jerry was a big boy. He’d made a mistake and he would have to face the consequences. Then maybe she could turn her thoughts to her own goals, especially the one she’d set for that night. Time was running out, and she had to put a plan in motion to insure that she and Wade would be alone. She took a deep breath and initiated the first of the details that would result in a night she hoped she’d never forget.
“What time will you be home this evening?” she said.
Wade frowned. “I don’t know. When will your cousin not be there?”
Meg held back a chuckle. “You didn’t get along well with Gloria?”
“Let’s just say I’ll never forgive you for bowing out on that little excursion to McGruder’s last night.”
“Actually Gloria is taking both kids to a movie tonight.”
His eyebrows arched in surprise. “No kidding? Maybe they can keep up with her. And maybe you can think of a way to make up for your traitorous behavior.”
She stood. “Maybe I can. Maybe I already have.”
She headed for the door before he could see the incriminating pink stain she knew had colored her cheeks. Jerry would just have to take care of himself. For once Meg was leading her own life, and it was getting pretty darned exciting.
“Seven o’clock, Meg. I’ll be there at seven,” he called after her.