A Thousand Lies (32 page)

In a weak marijuana-infused moment, he regretted the act, but what was done was done. However, he could be proactive in one aspect, and that was to start making nice with his wife.

He rolled over in bed and reached for the phone, and as he did, remembered a bit of a nursery rhyme from his youth.

Come into my parlor said the spider to the fly.

It was time to sweet talk his woman back into his web.

****

LaDelle had just finished putting antibiotic ointment on the tops of her feet. Pleased with how well they were healing, she went to the bathroom to wash her hands and was rinsing off the soap when her phone began ringing.

“Linny! Answer my phone, please and tell whoever it is that I’ll be right there.”

Linny was coming down the hallway with Rabbit under her arm and when she heard the order, bolted for the bedroom.

“Hello, this is Belinda Poe speaking.”

Anson hesitated. He’d had an opening comment prepared for his wife, not his daughter.

“Hey, Linny, it’s me. Where’s your mama?”

And just that fast, the smile on Linny’s face was gone. “Mama said she’ll be right here.” Then she threw the phone down on the bed.

“Okay. How have you—”

Anson heard the soft thump as the phone hit the mattress and frowned. She’d abandoned him as fast as Brendan had. It appeared his daughter had been away from home a little too long.

He was still frowning when he heard footsteps, and then his wife’s voice was in his ear. She sounded uncertain—even afraid, exactly how he liked his women.

“Hello?”

“Hey, sweetheart, it’s me.”

“Linny said it was you. What do you want?”

“I want you, Delle. I miss you. I want you to come home. I know I messed up, but I’ve been working long and hard to make it up to you. Everything you ever wanted done in the house has been done and more.”

He heard her sigh and threw in another question. “How are your feet? Are they healing up okay? I’m really sorry about that.”

“I know about the remodeling. The boys told me what you were doing and yes, my feet are healing.”

He softened his voice and added a touch of dismay to the question. “Don’t you want to come home?”

“Yes, but I don’t know if I can trust you.”

He laughed. “Darlin’ Delle, you’ve never trusted me, and it didn’t stop us from making some damn fine kids and a life together.”

She smiled in spite of herself. He was right. She had never felt safe—not really—and that had always been the draw.

“You know what I mean,” she said.

He shifted gears quickly. “Yes, of course I know what you mean. Just come home. You’ll see what I did just for you. Will you? Will you come home?”

He waited, and when he heard her sigh, he knew he was getting to her.

“I want to,” Delle said. “I think I have to. I don’t really belong anywhere else.”

He chuckled. “That’s my girl. When do you want me to come get you?”

“Brendan will bring us home.”

It wasn’t what he wanted to hear, but he wasn’t going to argue when everything was beginning to fall back in place.

“Okay, so when are you coming? I ask because I want to restock the groceries.”

“Tomorrow. I’ll ask him to bring us home tomorrow.”

“That’s fabulous! I can’t wait to get my woman home and back in my bed.”

“I’ll be home. We’ll talk about the bed. My feet are still very tender.”

“Yeah sure, I understand. I love you, Delle, and I’m sorry.” He waited, listening for another sigh, and when it came, he knew he had her.

“I love you, too,” she said and ended the call.

Anson hung up the phone and then rolled over and laughed out loud.

Unaware of how she was being played, Delle looked down at the baby-pink skin on her feet and thought about what she was doing. It wasn’t an easy decision, but it was right. It was time to let Brendan get back to his own life and quit worrying about theirs.

****

Brendan was at the kitchen table on his laptop, still scanning job sites when he heard his mama’s phone ring. Claudette was changing loads of laundry, and the gumbo she’d started earlier was an aromatic promise of things to come. A few moments later, Linny came wandering up the hall and into the kitchen, dragging Rabbit by one arm. Brendan saw the expression on her face and closed his laptop.

“What’s wrong, sugar?”

She went limp against his shoulder as she tucked Rabbit under her chin.

“Mama told me to answer her phone. It was Daddy. He’s going to tell her to come home, and he’s going to lie about being good to her.”

He thought about how she’s phrased that, as if she knew the future before it happened. “I thought you were ready to go home.”

When she looked up, Brendan saw past the child to the old soul beneath. “Mama’s ready, and I go with Mama,” she said.

“Are you scared?”

She shrugged again. “I don’t want them to fight.”

He thought of all the nights when he and his brothers were little, and how they had huddled under their covers listening to battles that often went on until daybreak. They’d lived through it and she would, too. Still, it hurt him to think of the years of turmoil ahead of her.

“How about we get a cold pop and some cookies?”

Linny smiled. “Can I have two cookies?”

He laughed. “Queen Belinda, ever the negotiator. Yeah sure, why not? You get the cookies and I’ll get the pop.”

She headed for the cookie jar, her mood seemingly forgotten, but Brendan hadn’t forgotten. He could hear his mother’s voice, although he couldn’t hear the actual conversation. It didn’t take a genius to assume Anson was turning on the charm. The bastard was still the puppet master, making sure everybody danced to his tunes.

“What’s going on in here?” Claudette said, when she saw them eating so close to lunchtime.

“Mama’s talking to Daddy. I think we’re going home,” Linny said.

Claudette frowned. “Maybe I will have one of those cookies, too.”

They were all working on their second cookie when Delle walked into the kitchen with her head up and her shoulders square to the world. There was a swagger in her step and a smile on her face. Brendan didn’t like it, but he understood. She loved Anson Poe—despite every bad thing he’d ever done—despite the ongoing war between them—even when she knew it was wrong.

Claudette saw the look and recognized it for what it was. Just like the day LaDelle had defied her whole family to marry Anson, it appeared she was willing to risk her life all over again.

“Hey! I hope you saved me a cookie,” Delle said.

Linny gave her one, then giggled when Delle pretended to bite her fingers and the cookie at the same time.

Brendan remembered her doing the same thing to him and his brothers when they were little. Despite the blind spot she had for Anson, she was an amazing mother.

Claudette stood up. “Want a Pepsi, sister?”

Delle smiled. “Don’t mind if I do.”

Claudette got another cold bottle from the refrigerator, unscrewed the cap, and handed it to her.

“When do you want to go home?” Brendan asked.

Delle looked a little taken aback that they’d already figured out her news, and then smiled shyly.

“I told Anson you’d bring us home tomorrow. I hope that’s all right. If it’s not, I can call him back and tell him to come get us.”

Brendan frowned. “No. I’m the one who took you away. I’ll be the one to bring you back.”

Her smile slipped. “I’m sorry, Bren.”

“Don’t be sorry, Mama. I’m glad you’re feet are getting better, and that you’ll have a nice place to go home to.”

“I think I’ll be happiest about the air conditioning. I swear to my time, there’s nothing worse than cooking in a hot kitchen.”

Every nerve in Claudette’s body was firing. Hot kitchens were a misery, but despite the added air conditioning, her sister was still returning to the heat of hell, and that made her sad on a level she couldn’t explain.

As for Brendan, he just kept nodding and listening to his mother’s voice, while the knot in his belly grew tighter with every word.

****

Sam woke up to an alarm clock going off, only to realize he’d slept from yesterday’s nap all the way through to morning. He’d gone from a pot high to a hangover low and groaned loudly as he got out of bed. His head was throbbing as he staggered into the kitchen to turn on the coffeemaker, then back to the bathroom to shower.

By the time he was finished, the coffee was done. He ate breakfast standing in the kitchen, wearing nothing but a frown and a towel around his waist, wondering what this day would bring.

When he went back to the bedroom to get dressed, he thought of Chance and what was on the horizon and wondered if he’d changed his mind. But when he tried to call, the fact that he didn’t answer made him nervous. He left him a message, but even as he was hanging up, wondered what the hell to tell Daddy when Chance didn’t show. He dressed with his gut in a knot, and when he stopped at the mirror for a last-minute check, all he could see on his face was the fear.

****

Chance woke up with a hangover of massive proportions. His drug of choice was the occasional beer, and he had never messed with anything else. Yesterday’s events had been an unasked-for high.

He couldn’t tell if this so-sick-he-had-to-get-better-to-die feeling was a physical reaction from the drug-laced smoke, or an emotional illness from the facts of his life. All he knew was that he felt dirty and he wanted it to go away.

For the first time, he thought he understood—really understood—what had driven Brendan away at such an early age. Despite the recent renovations to Wisteria Hill, it was rotting from the inside out, and taking everyone down with it.

Making the break as he had felt like taking the coward’s way out, but he wasn’t ready to die. He wasn’t certain what came next, but it would be something of his own choosing.

When his phone rang and he saw Sam’s name on caller ID, guilt hit him all over again. He sat staring at the name, refusing to answer because he was afraid he would cry. Only two years separated them in age, but Sam was the father he’d never had. Still, Sam made his choice and Chance was making his. Eventually, every child left home, it had just taken him longer than most to make that happen.

****

The day dawned cloudy with a chance of rain. The weather mirrored Brendan’s mood. His mother and Linny had packed last night, and he could hear them chattering in their room down the hall as he made breakfast.

Claudette had said her good-byes to Delle last night. Both of them ended up crying because they knew this wouldn’t happen again. When Delle made her choice to go home, it meant giving up contact with her sister again.

They made promises to keep in touch, but Claudette knew it wouldn’t happen. Like before, Delle had chosen the devil over her own blood.

Brendan, on the other hand, had been just as adamant that his new Auntie would be a permanent part of his life. In a way, he would be the bridge between them.

Linny was going home with far more than what she’d brought. She had the doll and doll clothes Claudette had given her, Brendan’s Xbox and games, and Rabbit with the secret phone hidden inside.

When Brendan called them to breakfast, they entered the kitchen chattering like two schoolgirls heading back after summer vacation.

Linny was talking about going back to see Sir Snapper and her kingdom in the bayou, and Delle was enamored of renovations to her home she had yet to see.

Brendan couldn’t bring himself to swallow more than a few bites of the pancakes he’d made, but he kept his attitude positive. It wasn’t like they were leaving the state. He would stay in touch as he’d always done, only this time more often. He couldn’t help but wonder what would happen when Chance was a no-show, but that was out of his control. Maybe Delle and Linny’s arrival would put Anson in a good mood and it would go unnoticed, at least for a while.

****

It was just after 10:00 a.m. when Brendan left the city. Storm clouds continued to build but the air was still. Even the weather was on hold, waiting to see what the homecoming would be like.

The closer they got to Wisteria Hill, the quieter Delle became. She was all but holding her breath as she waited for the first sight of the old mansion, and when he finally took the turn down the driveway, she scooted to the edge of the seat and then smiled.

“Oh, Brendan! Look! Just look how pretty! It looks amazing and the yard looks like a park! I can’t wait to see the inside.”

Linny was bouncing up and down in the back seat, excited because her mama was excited.

Brendan was stunned. This was way more than he’d expected and it made him nervous. By the time he pulled up and parked, his belly was in knots. When Anson came striding out the back door with a smile on his face, he felt like throwing up.

They all got out at the same time, but Anson had eyes for only Delle. He threw his arms around his wife and gave her a welcome-home kiss that was completely inappropriate anywhere but behind closed doors. Delle was so taken with the welcome she obviously forgot there were onlookers.

Brendan had Delle’s suitcase in one hand and Linny’s hand in the other. He looked away as they headed for the house, but he could tell his little sister was upset. Her steps were dragging as she held Rabbit tightly beneath her chin.

“You okay, honey?” Brendan whispered.

Her chin quivered. “Daddy didn’t even say hello.”

“Yeah, I know, but so what? Let’s go see your new room.”

Before she could answer, Anson and Delle were suddenly right behind them, and then Anson ran ahead. When they got to the porch, he was standing between Brendan and the door with his hands on his hips.

“No you don’t, boy. This is as far as you go.”

Brendan’s head came up, and then a look passed between them. So, this was the payback for knocking Anson on his ass, taking his wife, and putting a gun in his face.

Linny started to shake. On the verge of tears, she hid her face against Brendan’s leg, and then Delle walked up beside Brendan, put a hand on her daughter’s head, and stared her husband down.