Deep Dixie (44 page)

“
He said you told him he wasn
’
t welcome.
”

“
I never did no such of a thing. That Wallace Summers, now, he was not to set foot in this
house. Onliest times he ever did come around he come asking after money because he
’
d spent my girl
’
s inheritance and he figured to go through mine.
”

So Lettie
had
received some share of the family money. It gave Dixie some comfort to know Founder Fulton had taken care of his wife and child financially She wished he had done more—much more.

“
That weren
’
t the worst of what that Wallace Summers done, you know that. After Helen Betty passed, Fulton was welcome in my home, but not if he come a-toting that man behind him. I don
’
t think I have to tell you why that is so.
”

Dixie bowed her head.
“
No, ma
’
am.
”

“
Now, if my grandson wants to be a part of this family, he has to take that first step.
”

“
But you told him not to come back. Coming here makes him choose between his father, whom I
’
m sure he cares about, and you, whom he hardly knows.
”
Dixie
’
s pulse skipped as she realized she had never spoken so defiantly to Miss Lettie in her life. Still, she pressed on.
“
I don
’
t think you
’
re being fair!
”

“
I
’
m too old and too ornery to be fair, lamb.
”
She rocked and laughed.

“
Well,
I
’
m
not so old, but I can sure be ornery if I put my mind to it.
”
Dixie stood and turned to leave, calling over her shoulder as she did,
“
Guess that means that I don
’
t have to be fair, either.
”

* * *

“
She only wants to know that her grandson has come back to her out of love, not because of some long-kept secret family connection, Dixie. Is that so wrong?
”

“
They are both so sure they are right. That
’
s what gets me.
”
Dixie shut the passenger door to Riley
’
s truck, the solid
clunk
reverberating across the parking lot of Fulton
’
s office building.
“
Too sure to even listen to the other side and each willing to fight like fools to defend their erroneous positions.
”

“
Yeah, it
’
s amazing I didn
’
t catch on to
that
family resemblance earlier.
”
Riley followed her across the lot. His sarcasm came without venom, more from frustration than anything else.

Yes, if one word could describe the time he and Dixie had spent together today,
frustration
would just about do it. He
’
d made such big plans for how he would use this time, how he
’
d dazzle Dixie, make her laugh, touch her heart, then finally confess his love for her.

“
I know...oh, you mean…
”
She whipped around and crinkled her nose up at him. A hint of amusement in her eyes mingled with the wariness she
’
d worn all morning long like some women wear a second layer of makeup.
“
I
’
m going to pretend I find that hysterical so I can keep myself from smacking you across the back of the head. You can thank the family generosity gene for that, I suppose.
”

Before he could voice his thanks for all the things she made him grateful for, she stopped just outside the door to the building. He watched her breathe in, saw the moods shift over her beautiful face. Then her expression went still.

“
I am in full possession of all my faculties,
”
she told him.
“
Common sense included. Now, you have your goals—
”

“
To give Fulton some very basic instructions about dealing with Marcia, to hear any advice he has to offer, and to get a really good lunch.
”
He held the door open for her.

“
And I have mine, which is to convince Fulton to make up with Miss Lettie.
”
She swiped her hands together to illustrate how smoothly she expected it to go.

He smiled and gave a quick, silent prayer that all would indeed go well for Dixie today. She
’
d handled her talk with Miss Lettie yesterday better than he
’
d hoped. Now what he offered on her behalf helped to focus him as well. His heart swelled. He wanted what was best for her, and right now that was having him in a positive frame of mind, strong and supportive, ready to help her in any way he could.
“
Then let
’
s go pay a visit to Cousin Fulton.
”

“
He does know we
’
re coming, doesn
’
t he?
”
She jabbed the elevator button.

“
We have an appointment.
”

“
Daddy never made appointments with the Greenhows. He
’
d just barge into their offices like John Wayne in a business suit and start barking out orders. Either that or he
’
d call over there and say
‘
Howard, get over here pronto!
’“
She bellowed it out in what he imagined was her best imitation of her father pulling rank on poor ol
’
Howard Greenhow.

It was just nervous chatter, Riley knew, but it seemed to help her relax, so he laughed and nodded to encourage her.

“
Then he
’
d time it to see how long Howard took to get from his office to Daddy
’
s. Daddy said it was his way of keeping Howard in shape. That if he didn
’
t do it Howard would turn into a ball of blubber.
”
She exhaled slowly, fiddled with her mother
’
s pearls then laughed.
“
The truth was, Daddy didn
’
t like it very much when Mr. Greenhow Sr. let his son take over. He thought Howard was soft and spoiled and didn
’
t appreciate how hard some people had to work to bring home a paycheck, so Daddy made sure the junior partner worked for his money
”

“
No wonder Greenhow longed for the day when he could take charge of your family businesses.
”
He put his hand to her back and guided her onto the elevator and the doors rolled shut.
“
Think he
’
s gotten over losing that yet?
”

“
Cashing your check as payment for his part in the sale of Fulton
’
s Cartage went a long way toward assuaging his battered ego, I
’
m sure.
”

Riley nodded.

The buzzer blared to announce their arrival on Fulton
’
s floor. A gentle backdraft blew over them as the door slid open. They stepped outside.

“
This is it.
”
Riley met her gaze.
“
You ready?
”

“
As ready as I
’
ll ever be. You?
”

“
Hey, no problem. The hardest thing I
’
m facing here today is picking the place we eat lunch.
”
Riley opened the door to Fulton
’
s office.
“
As for the rest of it, I
’
m just going to trust—
”

“
Riley?
”
A woman with hair as wavy as his and almost as dark stood up the second he walked through the door.

His heart stopped. Or that
’
s what he supposed must have happened, otherwise he
’
d have felt something, thought something, done something except stand there, his entire body numb, and choke out,
“
Marcia?
”

Chapter Seventeen

“
Your sister just showed up at my office this morning unannounced. I tried to call to warn you, but you
’
d already left town and your cell phone must not have been on.
”
Fulton stood at the center of the room, his arms crossed like a sentinel keeping watch over Riley
’
s best interests—and his openly hostile sister.

“
His phone had a little, um, accident.
”

Riley felt Dixie slip into the room behind him. She edged in stiffly, standing near enough to seem supportive but not so close that her presence intruded on his reunion with his younger sibling.

The full weight of Riley
’
s scrutiny was not with either his lawyer or with Dixie.

He remained riveted to the spot where he
’
d come to a dead halt when he
’
d seen Marcia sitting in the outer office. Now she sat perfectly still in the middle of a row of chairs. Though dressed sedately and thinner than he ever remembered her being before, that did not keep her outfit from looking too teenaged for her to pull it off with much style.

She wore her dark hair shaped close to her face, as if those wisps could hide the crow
’
s feet and the early beginnings of sagging cheeks, which gave her the appearance of someone aged by more than just the passing of time. The sight of a few coarse curls of gray near her temples and in her bangs took him back. How could his little sister, the girl he remembered more like Wendy looked now than as this grown woman, have gray in her hair? It spoke to him of how much time had gone by, how much they had lost together as a family, and it saddened him.

Despite how disappointed he was over Marcia
’
s actions regarding Wendy, despite how angry he felt when he thought of how much Marcia had worried Momma, she was still his sister. Part of him wished he could tell her off but good for everything she
’
d done to those he loved, but another part wished he could just open his arms and wrap her in a reconciling hug.

“
I
’
d jump up out of this chair and yell
surprise
, but then you might get the idea that my coming home was going to be some kind of party.
”
Marcia crossed her legs, leaned forward, and gripped the arm of her chair.
“
When, big brother, it
’
s going to be anything but.
”

Riley
’
s jaw tightened, but he fought the impulse to grit his teeth. He fought every instinct, in fact, to seem defensive or antagonistic. Instead of folding his arms over his chest in a show of putting up boundaries and closing himself off to his sister after all these years, he pushed back his sport jacket and tucked his hands into the front pockets of his jeans.

Remembering his mother
’
s advice and his own promise to not back down regarding Wendy
’
s welfare, he steadied his breathing, swallowed to clear away any emotion from his tone, and looked his sister square in the eyes.
“
What do you want, Marcia? Why are you here?
”

“
Well, I couldn
’
t exactly go
home
, now could I? Seeing as you
’
ve picked up and moved and didn
’
t leave a forwarding address with anyone who would share it with me.
”
Her chin trembled, but her eyes narrowed in cold defiance.

Riley wanted to believe the tremble, but he had to respond to the defiance, for Wendy
’
s sake.
“
That
’
s all happened in the last six weeks. Anytime in the last six years you could have returned home and found us right where we
’
d always been.
”