Page 41 of Shine On Oklahoma

Ace was looking nervously from Phil to Jackand back again. Ace liked him.

“I probably oughtta thank you. I hated lyingto my daughter. Even though I owed her one. Now I don’t haveto.”

“It’s not a big deal,” Ace said. Phil elbowedhim, but he went on anyway. “Nothing needs to change. We just can’tlet you leave.”

“And Caine’s coming back tonight?”

Ace nodded. Phil said nothing.

“He’s gonna off me, and then he’s gonna tryto strong-arm Kendra himself.” He sank down onto the sofa again,shaking his head. “Look, don’t feel bad,” he said. “I understand,Caine’s a scary guy. You gotta do what you gotta do.”

He pretended to watch the game for a fewminutes, while his con-man’s mind worked overtime to figure a wayout of this mess. There was always a way out. Always. And he cameup with a plan.

During a time out, he said, “You know, evenon Death Row a guy gets to eat whatever he wants before he takesthe long walk to nowhere. Can you do that much for me?”

Ace looked at Phil like a kid looking at aparent for permission.

Phil shrugged. “Sure,” he said, soundingrelieved, because honestly, they’d bonded, too, as much as Philcould bond with anybody. Sort of the way a killer whale bonds withits trainer before turning around and biting him in half. “If wehave it here, it’s all yours.”

“I make the best chili in the country.” Jackhad pulled his plan together out of thin air, recalling what he’dseen in the kitchen while having free run of the place—a situationhe figured was over with now. “I saw beans in the cabinets.Tomatoes, too—canned, not fresh but they’ll do.”

“We got some frozen peppers and onions, too,”Ace said. “I’m real sorry this didn’t go better, Jack.”

“I’m sorry, too, pal. I’m sorry, too. Hey,before we cook, I need a drink. Is that still allowed?”

“Sure as hell is.” Phil got up to pour.

“I gotta drain the snake. Be right back,”Jack headed into the bathroom. He wasn’t in there too long. He didwhat needed doing, quickly and efficiently. Then he washed hishands and headed back out.

Phil handed him a glass, then tinked hisagainst it, and downed the whiskey in a single gulp. Jack sippedhis and retreated to the kitchen with all the Benadryl from thebathroom cabinet in his pocket. Ace came with him, said he wantedto help, but it was clear he was supposed to be keeping an eye onJack.

They chopped and sautéed frozen vegetables,and simmered tomatoes with beans and an butt load of spices. Jackcooked both ground beef and sausage. Then he mixed it all togetherand got it bubbling in a big pot on the stove.

He kept hoping Ace would get bored and leavethe room, but he never did. Apparently, the guy was an assistantchef in the making. So Jack had to send him digging through thelittle pantry for another can of beans. “Pinto beans,” he said.“Kidney beans are fine, but a can of pintos would really make thispop.”

While Ace had his head in the floor toceiling, curtain-draped pantry, Jack scooped out a bowl of thechili and hid it under a haphazardly tossed dishtowel. Then headded the final ingredient to the pot, the contents of all thoseBenadryl capsules, shaking the white powder from its toilet paperbundle.

He figured the meds would take a good hour tokick in. Maybe more, but the whiskey should speed things along. Soall he had to do was feed them, and hope to God they passed outbefore their boss arrived to witness, or possibly conduct, hisexecution. Shouldn’t be a problem at all.

CHAPTER EIGHT

When the shower wound down, and most of theguests had left, Dax helped load mountains of gifts into the backof Rob’s pickup. There was enough for ten babies piled in there,Kendra thought.

Ned and a couple of long-time waitresses werealready busy taking down streamers. Joe’s little girl,five-year-old Matilda was running around gathering up balloons. Shecould manage two at a time, kind of hugging them to her waist, oneunder each arm, but then she kept trying to go for three. She bentover a pink balloon, wiggled her fingers and twisted her hands, butshe couldn’t push her arms together around the balloons she alreadyhad. Little T-Rex, Kendra thought, and laughed out loud. Matildapressed her arms harder, and both balloons sprang free. She droppedonto her backside on the floor. A blond curl landed across herface, and she blew it away with a pouty little puff.

Kendra experienced a warm wave of somethingin the middle of her chest, behind her ribcage and a little to theleft. She looked at her sister, hadn’t meant to, just did, and hereyes locked onto that bulging belly, and she thought of her niecebeing Matilda’s age, that cute and that precocious and thatpretty.

This thing was real. There was going to be anew person in her life. It was a big deal. Her eyes were gettingall damp, stupid eyes, and when she dragged them off her sister’sbelly, she found Kiley looking right at her. She had an odd look onher face, like she was trying to interpret Kendra’s interest in herbelly.

Getting up with effort, Kiley came over.Kendra turned a little sideways to watch Joey, Matilda’s father,handing her a giant trash bag.

The little girl’s eyes lit up. “That’sbrilliant!” She shouted, springing upright andathim, like she’d been sitting on an airbag as it deployed. Hetotally knew it was coming, too, because he hunkered down andcaught her for a great big hug. “Thanks, Daddy.”

“Any time, Princess.”

Matilda looked at the bag, a green one, thenat the balloons all around the room. “I might need more than onebag.”

“I think you can make due with one,” herdaddy said. “Maybe some of the other kids want to take some home.You think?”

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