Page 40 of Shine On Oklahoma

“If it does, I don’t want you feeling guilty.You did the best you could.”

“Stop it, Jack.”

“Yeah. I’m being melodramatic, right?Impending grandfatherhood will do that to a guy, I guess. Listen,get back to your sister. Worse comes to worse, you tell her…tellher I’m proud of the way she outfoxed her old man. Tell her I don’thold a grudge. And that I…you know.”

“Love her.”

“And you,” he said. “And the kid. Diana.That’s something, isn’t it?”

“It’s something, all right.”

#

Jack hung up the landline phone.

“Anything new?” Phil was the one asking. Acewas too busy blowing his nose. Had been all through the phone call.All day, in fact. And for some reason, he’d stopped popping aBenadryl every few hours. He hadn’t run out, there were still threeboxes in the medicine cabinet.

“No change.”

Phil shook his head. “Boss doesn’t like it.He thinks your daughter’s just stalling.”

“Why the hell would she be stalling?”

“I don’t know,” Phil said. “Maybe to givewhoever she’s sending to save your sorry ass time to get here.”

Jack said, “I thought you were the smart one.Look, this was my idea. I don’t need rescuing.”

Phil averted his eyes. “She doesn’t knowthat.”

“True enough, but that’s why you agreed tolet me talk to her. To reassure her I’m safe as long as she getsRussell to accept his damn inheritance. And that’s exactly whatshe’s doing.”

Phil shrugged. Ace wiped his nose and tossedhis tissue at the wastebasket. They were on the sofa, watchingcollege football. The wastebasket was two feet further than hecould reach from there, so he tossed each wadded-up bundle at it,and missed nine out of ten. Little white puffs surrounded thewastebasket like snotty snowballs.

“Boss says you’re slick as a snail and twiceas slimy,” Phil said. “He thinks you might be running a game onhim, instead of on her.”

“Right,” Jack said. “Look, he only pays me ifI succeed. So what am I conning him into? Putting me up here inthis cable-free farmhouse with you two saints, straight through myfavorite holiday? Boy, am I clever.”

Ace laughed a little, and it turned into acough.

Jack was lying, of course. Thanksgivingwasn’t his favorite holiday. It used to be, though, back when thegirls were just toddlers and their mother was still with them.Damn, that woman could roast a turkey that would tempt a vegan.

“What’s going on, Phil?” Jack looked into hiseyes and he didn’t like what he saw. “Tell me the truth, come on.We’re friends, aren’t we?”

“Nothing’s going on. Caine’s just gettingimpatient.” Again, he averted his eyes.

“Right. So why can’t Ace take his Benadrylanymore?”

Ace said, “Makes me too sleepy. Mr. Caine’sgonna bring some non-drowsy allergy tabs with him when he comesback tonight.”

Phil glared at him, but by the time Acenoticed, he’d finished the revelation. He looked at Jack, and heknew that Jack was aware that his situation had changed.

“I’m not a guest here anymore, am Iboys?”

“Sure you are, Jack,” Phil said.

“Then I guess I’ll go. Maybe I’ll have betterluck getting Dax Russell’s cooperation myself.” He got up, andmoved toward the front door.

They both jumped up and stepped in front ofhim. He lowered his head. “Shit.”

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