Deep in the Heart (14 page)

“
Well, I’m glad.” Ike crossed his arms and leaned on the filing cabinet. “Dallas is a wonderful girl.”

“
Hey.” Keith looked up with a smile. “You don’t have to sell me on Dallas. I’m marrying her, remember?”

Ike looked pleased with that answer. “I’m glad. I was a little worried there for awhile.”

“
Worried?” Keith smiled. “No worries, man. This is the happiest time of my life.” He grabbed his keys from the shelf. “Gotta go. I’m meeting Greg for drinks.”

“
Greg? Uh-oh. Not too heavy on the uptake there.”

“
Me?” Keith flashed him a grin. “I’m a good boy.”

“
Yeah. Yeah. That’s what they all say.” Ike became very serious. “Take it easy, okay? You’ve got a lot to get done tomorrow.”

Keith held up his hands. “I’ll be good. I promise.”

“
Everything’s ready for tomorrow,” Vivian said as they sat at dinner Friday night. “The governor’s office called. He and his wife will be here.”

Maggie’s fork slowed in her hand. The governor? They didn’t mess around.

“
We may have an issue with the press. Patty Ann has security lined up to keep them outside the gates, but you know they always come up with some sneaky plan to get in where they aren’t wanted.” She glanced at Maggie but quickly returned her gaze to her husband. “We’ve got florists, caterers, the photographer. I think everyone’s lined up.”

“
Good,” Mr. Ayer said. “Lowell is expecting this to be a great photo op. It may even have national legs, so they are pumping it that way. The wedding definitely will be, and he may even get a little mileage out of the engagement.”

The roast stuck in Maggie’s throat. Very softly she cleared her throat and turned to fuss with Isabella who had been eating mashed potatoes with her fists. “Oh, baby girl. No. Don’t do that.”

“
The children will need to make an appearance,” Vivian said, and Maggie froze.

“
The children, Ma’am?”

“
Yes. We’d like to have them in the garden for pictures and such, but please keep them from making any scene. We can’t have that with the governor here.”

“
Oh, of course not, Ma’am.” The responsibility wrapped around her, squeezing the breath from her lungs.

“
Patty Ann has the next 24 hours planned down to the minute, and I expect that everything should go off perfectly.”

Maggie didn’t answer as the statement wasn’t meant for her, but her heart hurt. It all sounded so scripted. She wondered if Patty Ann had scheduled each kiss too. Then she snapped that thought in half. How she would ever make it through watching Keith kiss someone else was completely beyond her.

Isabella picked that moment to overturn her milk. In the next instant Maggie was on her feet, mopping up the white substance.

“
I’m sorry, Ma’am. We’ll just go and let you all finish.” She pulled Peter up. “Give your mom a kiss.”

He did as instructed, and then with his hand firmly in hers and Isabella planted on her hip, they escaped the suffocating atmosphere of the dining room. If they never had to go back, it would be too soon.

“
Well, it’s about time,” Greg said when Keith made it to the table at Tonie’s 30 minutes late and not happy about anything in life.

He wasn’t in the best of moods, and it was getting worse by the second. “Sorry. I lost track of time.”

“
That’s a bad habit, you know.” Greg eyed him. “Dallas is going to have to put a leash on you to get you where she wants you on time.”

Keith didn’t want to talk about Dallas. He didn’t want to talk about the party or the mansion or the next two months. Tonight he had one goal in mind. Forgetting everything.

“
Man, dude. Go easy on that stuff,” Greg said when they had been firmly ensconced at Billy Joe’s Dancehall and Bar for five hours. His wire-framed glasses set off his preppy look like a picture frame. “You got a big day tomorrow. Passing out tonight ain’t the best idea in the world.”

Keith turned alcohol-laden eyes on his friend. “What are you, my babysitter?”

Greg’s face fell into concern. “What is up with you tonight? I haven’t seen you like this since the night your dad got married.”

“
Yeah, well. I guess the joy of being married runs in the family.”

The worry on Greg’s face deepened. “Did you have a fight with Dallas?”

“
No.” He took another drink.

“
Well, you’re gonna have a fight if she finds out about this.”

“
Are you gonna sit there all night and ruin my good time, or are you gonna try to find you a hot babe to help you drive home?”

The displeasure on Greg’s face didn’t leave. “The way you look, I’m going to have to drive you home.”

“
Oh, yeah. Dad would love that.” His body swayed under the weight of the alcohol, which he was adding to by the second. “Hey, remember that time in college when you dropped me off, and I passed out on the front lawn. Boy, that was a howl, wasn’t it?”

“
Yeah, a howl.” Nothing in Greg’s voice said he’d enjoyed that episode.

“
Or, hey, how about… how about the prom? Remember… when I was with what’s her name?”

“
Kaci.”

“
Yeah. Yeah. Kaci.” He looked at Greg. “Boy, you’re good…” His train of thought slid away from him. “What was I saying? Oh, yeah. Kaci. Dang. Now she was fine.” He took another drink. “I wonder whatever happened to her.”

“
She’s married. Three kids. Upstate.”

That surprised Keith. “Really?”

“
Yes, really. Her mom’s a friend of my mom.”

Keith nodded although he didn’t really care.

Greg bent his head to catch a glimpse at his watch. “Well, it’s about that time, brother. How’re we going to get you home and tucked in safe and sound?”

Ache ripped through him, and Keith bowed forward, trying to withstand the thoughts that were flowing through him in disparate directions. He couldn’t catch them, not even one. All he knew was that he hurt so bad he just wanted it to stop. “Do you think I’m making a mistake?”

“
Considering what you have planned for tomorrow, I think this whole idea was a mistake.”

“
No, man. Do you think I’m making a mistake… with Dallas?”

Serious concern crowded over Greg’s face. “Come on, Keith. Listen to yourself. That’s crazy. Dallas is the best catch in the state, and you’re going to throw her overboard? Dang, man. What has gotten into you?”

“
Nothing.”

“
Well, I hope nothing disappears by tomorrow because Dallas will hang you out to dry if you ditch her now. She’s not one to toy with. Not to mention her dad.” Greg shook his head and mock shivered. “He’ll filet you and serve you with dinner if you hurt Dallas.” He set his face. “No, you’ve just got a bad case of cold feet, my friend. It will pass. Trust me. Once Dallas gets off that plane and she’s in your arms again, you’ll forget all about second thoughts. Now, we’d better get you home before it’s time to get you to the airport.”

There were so many other things Keith wanted to talk about, so many other things that were twisting through his brain and his spirit. However, Greg didn’t stick around to hear them. Instead, he walked off to find something, or someone or… Keith lost the thought in the sip he took. He’d gotten on this train the minute he’d taken his dad’s advice to “make it official” with Dallas, and there was no getting off now. Unless he found a way to forget or to escape.

“
We’re here, Sir. Sir?”

The words wound through Keith’s brain, fuzzy and incomprehensible.

“
You have to get out of the car, Sir.”

Car. It was something about a car. Keith pulled himself to upright and dragged himself out of the backseat of the car. Swaying dangerously when he was on his feet, he reached for his wallet. “What do I owe you?”

“
Your friend already took care of it.” The driver looked at him skeptically. “You be okay getting in?”

Keith looked up at the stairs that looked a million miles high. “Yeah. No problem.” And then he was standing by himself, not sure of anything other than he was home. Holding the railing to keep himself moving, he climbed the steps. At the top he pitched forward to the door. Key. He pulled his keys from his pocket and tried them, one after another. The second time around the key ring, he realized he must have forgotten to bring the right key.

Standing there as the world spun in front of his eyes, he reached over and punched the doorbell. There was no sanity left to tell him not to. Over and over he hit it, hoping someone would rescue him before he really did pass out. The door opened, and oblivious to who was standing there, Keith stumbled forward.

“
Mr. Ayer!” Inez said in horror. “What in the world…?”

“
Sorry. I dropped my key.”

“
Key? But…?”

“
Who is it, Inez?” his father called from the top of the stairs.

“
Umm, it’s… Keith, Sir.”

“
It’s me, Dad.” His voice was coated with a slap-happy grin. “Aren’t you glad to see me?”

By the time his dad made it down the last step, happy was the last word that would’ve described him. “What the…? Where have you been?”

“
Sleeping.” He grinned. “Where you think I’ve been?”

Pure, unadulterated anger poured through his father’s face until it was red and puffy with it. “Get out.” He pointed back for the door as Inez gasped.

“
Out?”

“
Now.” His father turned him around to the door. “You are not welcome here.”

“
But…”

“
Go home. Clean yourself up, and by tomorrow morning you’d better look like tonight never happened.” At the door, he gave Keith a push which really wasn’t necessary.

Somehow his hands caught the railing as he stumbled down the stairs. “But, Dad…”

“
Good night, Keith.” And his dad shut the door.

On the first sound of the doorbell, Maggie had come full awake. There was always uneasiness about sleeping in the mansion. The kids could wake up, and she wouldn’t hear them before someone else did. Someone could come in. She was never really sure why, but she had slept lighter here than at any place she’d ever laid her head.

With one swipe she had her button down shirt from the day before over her, and at the door she quietly let herself out. There were voices down the hall, and when she heard Mr. Ayer’s, she pressed herself into the space next to the wall cabinet.

“
What is it, Conrad? Who was there?” Vivian asked from next to the staircase.

“
My idiotic son.”

“
Keith? What’s wrong with him?”

“
He’s drunk. Imagine that.” He let a string of cuss words follow that statement as Maggie closed her eyes and willed this night to go away. Tears stained her heart and spirit as her thoughts went to him.

Vivian sounded almost as panicked as Maggie felt. “Did he leave?”

“
Leave? I threw his butt out.” Mr. Ayer muttered a few more choice words. “He’s enough of a headache when he’s stone-cold sober.”

No, this night hadn’t been good from minute one, and it was getting worse.

“
What about tomorrow?” Vivian asked with fear.

“
Well, I would tell you to ask him, but I don’t think he could tell you his birth date much less anything really important right now.”

“
But the Hendersons? He’s supposed to pick them up at one. And what about Dallas? She can’t see him like that. It will ruin everything.”

“
You don’t think I know that?” The low rumble of a guttural growl filled the expanse of space. “I knew it. I knew he would find a way to mess this up. Pulling something like this tonight of all nights. The only way this could be worse is if he had done it tomorrow night.”

“
Oh, don’t even say that.”

“
As important as this is, there was no way he was going to not screw it up.”

Vivian sighed. “Maybe he’ll be better by morning.”

“
Yeah, and maybe the sun will rise in the West.”

Their voices trailed off down the hallway, and Maggie stood, fixed in place. He was out there, by himself, hurting, and it was knifing into her spirit that his father didn’t care more than how that affected his political connections. It was the craziest thing she had ever even considered in her life, but her heart wouldn’t let her go back to bed. If they caught her, she would be out. But if she didn’t go, she would never be able to live with herself.

Quietly she eased to Isabella’s door and peered inside. Sleeping as usual. Then she opened Peter’s. How they could sleep through the racket of the doorbell, she had no idea, but she was grateful they had. When Peter’s door was closed, Maggie took a moment to close her eyes. “God, help. This is crazy, but I can’t leave him out there. Not like that.”

On cat feet she went down the kitchen stairs. The door just off the side of the kitchen was her best bet. It would let her right out near the trail. Then she could go up front and see if he was still there. There wasn’t even a squeak as she let herself out. It took more than a moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness. It was, after all, nearly three in the morning. Praying with each footfall, she pushed through the trees to the trail and met Keith’s stumbling descent full on.