CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Auggie
I was living the curse.
The one all mothers wished on their errant daughters and went something like, “I hope when you grow up, your kids give you everything you’re giving me, twice over!”
I lived in constant terror every time the phone buzzed. Both of the twins had gotten their driver’s licenses. Worth and I had not resolved our argument the morning Marga came in late. He was brooding, and I was stubborn. To best me, he took the twins out and bought them each a brand new car of their choice.
Marga had, of course, chosen a snow white Mercedes convertible. Where we lived, most of the kids in high school had expensive automobiles in the school parking lot. It was symbolic to the affluence of the parent, not the child, and anyone who came from middle class homes looked impoverished by comparison.
Mark, the more reasonable of the two, chose a red pickup, and I knew he was a boy after my own heart. He was being practical, and I knew he would take over the farm for me when the time came. He never was one to care about status.
I sat Marga down for a conversation.
“We’re going to have a talk, young lady,” I began, and she was already rolling her eyes. That was the moment I realized the curse had come true. “Don’t look at me like that, Marga. I’ll take the car away.”
“You can’t. Dad put it in my name and paid the insurance for the next five years. Like it or not, Mom, you can’t do anything about it.”
“Don’t be so sure, young lady. Until you’re eighteen, I’m responsible for you, and if that means that you sit in the bedroom, and I feed you with a tray slid under the door, then that’s what I’ll do. Don’t push me on this, Marga. There isn’t anything you can think of that I haven’t already tried. Believe me.”
“Are you trying to impress me, Mom?”
I ignored her jibe. “Starting with that.”
She rolled her eyes again and threw herself down on the sofa with her shoes on to irritate me. I ignored that too. “You know, Marga, we can play this little game.”
“What game is that, Mom?”
“The one where you spend all your time trying to irritate me so I’ll give up and let you have your way. The only problem with that scheme is that you’ll soon discover you’re spending more time trying to aggravate me and getting punished than you are out with your friends having fun. It defeats the purpose. So, if you’re smart, and I think you are, you’ll hear me out on the rules, follow them, and we can live in peace in this household.”
She rolled her eyes again. “Okay, Mom, have it your way. What are the rules?”
“You ride in your car alone for the first year. No one rides with you who isn’t your parent or an adult who is in our employ. Second, you will never be gone for more than three hours without checking in with me here at the house first. Not your dad; we both know you have him twisted around your finger. Third, you don’t leave this county, and I have an app on your phone and mine to track you.”
“Jesus, why don’t you just put me in a nunnery?” she wailed dramatically.
“Those are the rules and if you keep it up, the list grows longer. It’s up to you, Marga. If you behave responsibly, the rules are removed. If you don’t — well, you get the gist, and I can be pretty creative when I want to.”
“Allllll right! Have it your way, Mom!” She leapt off the sofa and headed toward her room.
“Oh, and Marga?”
She spun around on the stairs and gave me that now what look.
“Just so you know. You might own the car, but I own the keys to the wheel boot.”
Her eyebrows arched in question, and I pointed out the window as I leafed through a magazine. She jogged to the door and opened it. “What’s that?” she shrieked, referring to the hideous orange wheel boot I’d attached to her front wheel.
“That, my dear girl, is why I get to be the mom for at least two more years.”
***
My phone buzzed, and I was surprised to see Brandon’s name on the caller ID. “Brandon! What a delight! How long has it been?”
Brandon was a former college friend, and he’d helped me with several projects that called for an attorney through the years. We hadn’t seen one another for a long time. He used to carry a torch for me.
“Auggie, my love. I’ve been thinking of you.”
“Sweet talker, you. Aren’t you married yet?”
“Came dreadfully close a couple of times, but none of them could hold a candle to you, dear one.”
I couldn’t stop the grin. “Brandon, why don’t we get together? I’d love to catch up.”
“I was hoping for just that sort of invite, as a matter of fact.”
“Oh, wonderful! Why don’t you come over tomorrow after work and we’ll cook out and have a nice chat? This Indian summer is the perfect weather.”
“See you then!”
Brandon showed up a bit earlier than I’d planned. I had an idea that he wanted to chat alone before Worth got home. There had always been some jealousy between the two of them. Although I’d always flirted with Brandon, my heart belonged to Worth. It had from the moment I met him, for better or for worse.
“So, what’s going on in your life?” he asked after sitting down with his drink in his hand. He’d kissed me on the cheek and hugged me just a bit longer than necessary when he first came in. He smelled of being freshly showered and shaved. It was nice to have a man take some time to be well-groomed for you alone. I was flattered.
“Well, other than the farm, there’s actually quite a bit.” I filled him in on Hawk and the twins having stepped into a world of quasi-adulthood by driving. “Marga is giving me fits.”
As if on cue, the door opened, and Marga stepped out. I heard Brandon’s indrawn breath. Marga nodded to him, and he stood immediately. “Marga, you’ve turned into a woman since I saw you last. You’re the spitting image of your mother at your age.”
“Not sure if that’s a compliment,” she practically snarled, eyeing me.
Brandon flushed a bit at the cockiness of her attitude, and he glanced at me. I shook my head. “Did you need something, Marga?”
“Yeah. Lily wants to talk to you.”
“Would you tell her I’m with a guest and ask her to come up to the house?”
“I guess,” Marga allowed with a dramatic sigh and left.
Brandon cleared his throat.
“See what I mean?” I put to him. “Was I ever like that?”
“You, my darling, were exactly like that!” he answered and knew instantly that it wasn’t going to find favor with me. “Don’t get me wrong, Auggie. You are every bit as beautiful as you were in college, but you had a wild streak in you. She’s got it too. I don’t envy you.”
“You need to settle down and have some children while you still have a chance, Brandon.”
“Need the right woman. I only knew one so far who would fill the bill and she’s been taken,” he said, winking at me.
“Auggie?” I heard Lily’s voice by the front door.
“I’m out here on the patio,” I called out and she materialized in the doorway of the opened slider. “C’mon out and join us. Make yourself a drink.”
As she came out, Brandon stood and offered her his chair. “No, it’s fine, I’ll sit over here,” she said as she chose a rocker, her drink balanced on its arm.
I introduced Brandon and Lily and was surprised to see Brandon literally turn in his chair toward her. I smiled to myself. It seemed the man was attracted.
“Lily is my farm manager, but also a good friend. She and I had a lot in common — the way we grew up.”
Brandon nodded. “Well, it just so happens that I like Auggie-style of women,” he said boldly, and Lily laughed, recognizing that she was being flirted with.
“Well, I don’t know. Shall I leave you two alone?” I joked, and Lily laughed even more. Actually, it was more like a girlish giggle. It was sweet to witness.
“I was coming up to talk to you about Lightning Sal. She’s doing really well, and I think she’s ready for the track. Thought you might want to let her owners know.”
I nodded and made a mental note. “Brandon, why don’t you tell Lily a bit about yourself and the kind of trouble we used to get into. I’m going inside to check with Letty about dinner.”
They barely noticed me leaving, and I realized I’d just lost a beau. I went inside and found Worth standing in the doorway.
“Did I miss the party invite?” he said sarcastically.
“What do you mean?”
“I’m home early and I can’t help but notice that Brandon’s car is in the drive. You didn’t expect me so soon?”
“Didn’t realize I had to clear it with you first. Brandon was invited for dinner, and I’m on my way to talk to Lettie.”
Worth didn’t look like he believed me. He looked over my shoulder and saw Lily’s profile. “What’s going on out there?”
“Lily came up to talk to me — farm business. Make yourself a drink and go ahead and join them. I’ll be back out shortly.”
“Hmph.” He turned on his heel and went upstairs.
I shrugged and went into the kitchen to see where Letty was with dinner. “Our guest list has increased by one and the others are home early,” I told her and she nodded. Nothing could shake her.
By the time I got back out to the patio, Worth had changed to casual attire and joined the other two. Brandon was telling a joke — one that Lily found hilarious, judging by her laughter, but Worth was just barely smiling.
It was going to be a long night.
Worth
I hadn’t been to Joe’s in ages. When I walked in, it smelled like home — if not better. Home had become a war ground. Intense resentment and anger floated about like sludge on a pond. I knew Auggie was deep down angry. She felt betrayed on behalf of the children. I got that. What I didn’t get was how she separated her own culpability. She had gone along with everything I’d suggested without so much as a whimper or question. What had been good for me, was good for her too. Why didn’t she see that?
I ordered a beer at the bar and got a good look over from the other patrons.
“Where you been, Worth, ol’ boy?” came a few voices. When had I gone from “my boy” to “ol’ boy?” I gave out a general wave and realized then that there was no tweed, patch-pocket jackets as in the old days. The faces I saw were generally in my own age range. The torches had been passed, and mine had been one of the first.
I felt some movement to my left and looked to see Tom Duncan sliding over to the stool next to me. “Been a while,” he said, nodding.
“Yes, it has.”
“That’s a pretty nice place Auggie and you built out there. I hear lots of talk ‘bout it.”
“Is that so. Well, thank you.”
“Worth, now I’m not someone who gets into other people’s business, but I’ve known you a long time, and I know how you are. We been friends and I know if the situation were reversed, I’d want you to tell me.”
I put down my drink and steeled myself. A dozen possibilities passed like a slideshow in my head. “Tom, I think you’d better just spit it out before I imagine the worst.”
He took a gulp of his beer as a preamble and set it down. “It’s Marga.”
“Marga?” She wasn’t even on my dread list.
“Yeah, I pretty much figured you didn’t know. Worth, don’t get pissed at me but dammit, if I didn’t say anythin’ and somethin’ happened, well…”
“What’s she doing?” I wanted him to just tell me.
“She’s runnin’ wild, Worth. Folks are talkin’.”
I felt my blood chill. “Can you give me an example, Tom?”
“You just got her a new car, ain’t that right?”
“Yes.”
“Well, the word is that a few nights ago, she got somebody to buy her a keg, and they went down to the creek, there at Witch’s Holler, and had a party. I’ve heard ten kids, and I’ve heard thirty, so I don’t know. Anyhow, a few of them got to drag racin’, and you know as well as I do, Worth, them roads there ain’t nothin’ but curves. It ain’t no place for drunk kids to be runnin’ cars. Well, somebody called the sheriff, and one of his deputies went over to check it out. Word is that he lit out after a white Mercedes convertible, and it outrun him. ‘Tween you and me, I believe he let it go; probably knew he was bitin’ off a bigger chunk of trouble than he wanted, but they don’t take kindly to no kids makin’ a joke outta them, you know?”
I measured my words. “That the only incident, Tom?”
“No, Worth, it ain’t. There’s been talk ‘bout her bein’ seen with lots o’ older boys ‘fore she got her own car. Now I ain’t sayin’ she did nothin’, but if it were my daughter, I’d want ta know. Hope you ain’t sore at me.”
I patted his arm. “No, Tom, not at all. I take it as a favor. Most people would have figured I’ve got something coming and let it go. You’re a good friend, Tom,” I reassured him and downed the rest of my beer. I slapped a hundred on the bar and said to the bartender, “Keep my friend here supplied, would you?” I patted Tom on the back and left.
My head was spinning when I hit the cool air. Words were coming back to me then. Words from Auggie, complaining about Marga’s rebelliousness. I knew they were at odds, but I’d had my own problems with Auggie and decided it was easier to turn a blind eye.
I knew I couldn’t just jump on Marga without some kind of proof. If I called her on her behavior, she’d only up her game. She had the LaViere blood, and I knew how that worked. I’d have to tread carefully. Most of all, I couldn’t be seen as taking Auggie’s side. Marga might take off entirely if she thought she had no ally in the house at all. I’d have to watch silently from the sidelines and let Auggie take the hit as the bad parent. I knew, sure as hell, it wasn’t going to be a fun house.
In fact, I didn’t particularly want to go back there right then. This new information was too fresh. I needed time to cool down so I headed to the clinic. When I arrived, my supervising psychologist, Deborah Hunt, was in her office. I popped my head in. “Got a minute?”
“Of course,” she smiled and waved me to a chair. “What’s up?”
“You work with teens far more than I ever have. I’d like an ear, if you have time.”
“Which one?”
“Marga, of course. She’s the one most like me.”
“There’s your answer.” She slid her chair back from her desk and crossed her magical legs. They were why I’d hired her in the first place. I tried not to think how long it had been since Auggie and I had been in the same bed at the same time.
“I get that, but I’m too close to it.”
“So, what’s she been up to? Drugs?” Her face had lost its humor, and she was serious. She knew better than to mock me when it came to my family.
“Not sure, but I don’t think so. Ran into an old friend of the family who’s talking beer, car racing and boys. I wasn’t aware of any of this,” I lied. In some corner of my mind, I thought if I made Deborah a witness to my innocence, I’d be less responsible if something bad happened.
“Does Auggie know?” she asked calmly, a slightly quizzical look on her face.
“I think so.”
“You think so?”
I realized I’d just caught my own foot in the trap. I tried a side maneuver. “Well, she’s been complaining about Marga lately, but I thought it was just one of those mother / daughter things.”
“Look, Worth. Don’t drag me into this. I’m not your moral alibi if something happens.” I opened my mouth to protest, but she held up a hand to stop me. “If you know that Auggie’s upset, then you know something is up with Marga. Don’t be coy and don’t make Auggie the heavy. That won’t solve Marga’s issues; it will only amplify them. I’m not telling you anything you don’t know. I’m just voicing something you don’t want to hear.”
I looked down at the carpet, and the women’s voices in the health spa portion of the clinic suddenly were too loud, too raucous. “You’re right.” Jesus, do women always have to stick together? “So what do you recommend?”
“I understand your eldest son reappeared in your life recently?” she asked, taking a side track.
I nodded. “It’s been something less than a joyous reunion all the way around. The twins are relatively indifferent and Hawk, as he’s known now, has an axe to grind. He’s also engaged. Lots of tension.”
“Well, Worth, my best advice is to go home and heal your family. You’ve got new dynamics and sensitivities involved. Your family grew by two overnight. That’s bound to have repercussions. Perhaps Marga is taking advantage of your lack of attention, or maybe wanting more.”
“I think her behavior is not an especially new thing.”
“Maybe it’s just new to you because you haven’t been paying attention.”
My brows went up. “I seem to be getting accused of that a lot lately.”
“There you go. That’ll be a thousand bucks. Leave your check at the door.” Deborah’s arms were crossed as she grinned.
“Worth every penny,” I said, taking a long and obvious look at her legs as I left.