Every Woman Needs a Wife (44 page)

She had been sitting in the rental car over an hour, confronting old memories and gathering strength. She would meet with the D.A. later that day.

Then she saw her, the old decrepit woman bent over the flower bed in the front of the place.

The woman’s face had taken on a miserly look that in no way resembled the well-kept, well-coiffed woman Tanya remembered. Margaret had aged in just the few days since she’d seen her. And she hadn’t looked too good then.

A knock on her car window made her heart jump. Tanya’s gaze locked on another older woman with whisper-thin hair and gray eyes. Her wrinkled skin was the only thing that might have told her age.

“Hey, aren’t you Tanya Jaunal?”

Tanya couldn’t speak as she tried to put a name to the face.

The woman’s eyes narrowed as she repeated, “Aren’t you Tanya?”

Tanya still hesitated, but was inclined to shake her head.

“Oh, don’t bother denying it,” the woman said, brushing her off. “You look just like your mother.”

Tanya finally found her voice. “And that’s supposed to be a compliment?”

The woman’s thin pink lips spread into a soft smile. “I’m Mrs. Rankin. You used to play with my kids. Actually gave my Nathan a bloody nose for putting his hands in places he shouldn’t. Why don’t you come in for some tea? I’ll catch you up on your folks.”

“I don’t want to know about them,” Tanya said bitterly, forcing herself not to look back at the place she grew up.

“Oh hush. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t.”

Tanya followed Mrs. Rankin into her elaborate, but warm, wood-frame house. Two acres of land spread out behind it, and horses grazed in the pasture out near the pond.

The woman placed a tray with the tea service and cookies in front of Tanya. Then she poured two steaming cups of orange tea. “Did you see all that commotion downtown?”

“Yes,” Tanya replied. “There was a marching band and food vendors and everything.”

“Ah yes,” she said with a grin. “The Annual Social Circle Friendship Festival.”

Tanya took a bite of a shortbread cookie. “When did they start that?”

“About eleven years ago.” The woman sipped her tea gingerly. “Well, your daddy just got out of prison last month and he’s already back in.”

Tanya felt only a small sense of victory. If there was any way she could get them to look into the death of her sister, she’d make sure she did everything in her power to see to it that he got the maximum. Her mother, too.

“Yeah, they strung him up for what his sorry tail did to you and your sister. And your mother’s family came in and snatched up everything he took from them.”

Realization dawned on Tanya as the cup made it part of the way to her mouth. “So they’re poor now?”

“The house is all she has and her health is failing.” The woman peered at Tanya through narrowed eyes. “She has a thirty-million-dollar trust—in
your name. My husband was your father’s lawyer. He told me that no one can touch that money without your signature or proof of your death. Even your sister’s trust reverted to you so that no one could come after Margaret or Wilbur for the money.” The woman looked out of the window to the Jaunal mansion, grinning. “My husband said it was a darn shame your mother couldn’t find you. I told him you’d come home when the time was right. He’s not alive so I can’t tell him I told you so.”

Tanya took a moment to absorb that bit of news. “So that means I’m rich?”

“Yes, indeed.”

Tanya’s gaze went to the window across the room. A horse trotted across the pasture. “And they’re penniless?

“Exactamundo.”

“So how were they offering a hundred-thousand dollar reward for me?” Tanya asked, looking back at the woman.

“It was probably a scam. Or maybe they were banking on the money in that trust fund to pay the person off.” Mrs. Rankin rose and went over to a desk in the living room. She pulled out a large white envelope. “Here’s the paperwork that explains everything.”

Tanya tore open the envelope and the documents slipped out into her hands. “You’ve held onto these all this time?”

“Watched for you every day.” She smiled, displaying a youthfulness that was endearing. “My Jimmy called me just plain stupid.”

“Thank you,” Tanya said, scanning the sheets a second time. “Thank you so much.”

“So now that you’re a rich girl, what do you plan on doing?”

“I’m not sure yet.” Tanya said, clutching the papers in her hands. “But there’s one thing I definitely have to do.”

She finished her tea, hugged the woman, and was shortly on her way.

♥♥♥

Fifteen minutes later she pulled in front of a freshly painted wood-frame house. For the second time today she was hesitant to touch base with her
past. Bracing herself, she took a few deep breaths and got out of the car.

Tanya lifted a trembling hand to knock on the wooden door. Instead it swung open wide before she could connect. A man with piercing dark brown eyes and short silver-gray hair and generous lips, which slowly lengthened into a warm, wide smile, greeted her. “Miss Tanya, did you bring me some Brummistew?”

“It’s Brunswick stew!” she choked out as a knot formed in her throat.

“Little girl—” he waggled a long finger at her—“me and you ain’t gonna get along so well.” He stretched out his slender arms.

She threw herself at him and he soon enveloped her in a warm, loving embrace. Tears of joy filled her eyes and spilled over. She didn’t bother to wipe them away.

Grandpa James pulled her away to look at her, then craned his neck toward the house. “Hey, come quick. Tanya’s home!”

V
ernon had entered the Fairmont ignoring the curious glances aimed his way. He didn’t wait to be called. Instead he took the podium and braced himself. “I stand before you today asking that you cease all activity with regard to my wife.”

Murmurs of dissent flooded the air.

“I’m pulling back and reassessing things,” he said, looking out at the sea of men. “I’m ready to try to win her back the right way—not by bringing her down, but by facing up to my shortcomings.”

“You know your membership will be revoked,” William growled, his eyes blazing.

Vernon turned to his father, meeting his angry glare. “I’m aware that that’s the way things are normally done, but I don’t think that will be the case with me.”

“Your father can’t protect you from this one,” George Payne said, moving to William’s side as the other nine board members looked on.

“And I wouldn’t even try!” William replied. “How stupid can you be?”

“And the founding members can do no wrong?” Vernon shot back, looking at the eleven men stretched behind the podium. “All but one of you have a little honey on the side. So if there’s any finger pointing or memberships being revoked, let’s start from the top…”

William turned red. The board members turned to each other and whispered in hushed tones. “Boy, do you want to get lynched in here?”

“I’m doing what you taught me,” Vernon shot back. “I’m playing the game.”

“By putting people’s business in the street like that? What’s wrong with you!”

“Afraid of a little truth, Pops?”

William crossed the distance between them. “Afraid my only son’s making an utter fool of himself!”

The audience was strangely silent as the mic amplified every word, no matter how low they spoke.

“Then there shouldn’t be two sets of rules here.” Vernon pointed to the exit. “Care to join me on the sidelines?”

“You’re out of your fucking mind,” William answered through clenched teeth. “I founded this organization.”

“Then it would be no problem for you to practice what you preach.”

The whine of the microphone caused everyone to flinch.

George took the mic from Vernon. “People, we’ll continue this issue at the next meeting.”

“Oh no, my brother!” Jeremy Shipp stood and yelled from the center of the room. “We’ll do this right now.” He and Craig Richmond had just become members a month ago, when they finally met the financial requirements.

Hearty applause followed murmurs of assent.

“Yeah! We’re not sweeping this one under the table,” Craig said, supporting his best friend.

“This meeting is adjourned,” William Spencer bellowed at the top of his lungs.

“Wait a minute, let him speak.” John Macon, one of the oldest members of the board of directors, turned to face William. “I’ve had to keep my boxers tight all these years and you Negroes have been getting busy out of both drawer legs? Hell no, we’re not talking about this next time.” He snatched the microphone from William. “Didn’t you get busted with two—”

“Three,” Vernon supplied, then looked out at his best friends and winked. They nodded back. They had followed the plan just right.

“Yeah, three,” John said. “How can you all dismiss five hundred other men and y’all’s shit ain’t right? If the members who were dismissed for
the very same reason—ethics reason don’t get letters reinstating them, then there’s going to be hell to pay.”

“Oooooo-weeee,” Jeremy said, rubbing his hands together, and grinning broadly. “There’s gonna be some changes ’round here!”

Seeing that the meeting was getting out of hand, William said, “Look, no one’s perfect, but—”

“Speaking from experience?” John asked, staring William down. Something that Vernon had never seen happen.

Without taking his icy gaze from John’s face, William snatched the mic. “We’ll take your request under consideration.”

John snatched the microphone back. “False pretenses and fraudulent practices are against the charter’s by-laws…we want our dues back. All with me, take a stand.” Almost four hundred-fifty men—apparently the ones who hadn’t been caught cheating on their wives—stood.

“If it’s no infidelity among members, then that goes for everyone, not just for those who’ve gotten away with it.”

“You—you can’t call this now,” William sputtered. “Majority rules.”

“To hell with majority rules!” John scowled with indignation. “What about fairness?”

Craig and Jeremy settled down in their chairs, preparing for what would be a long night.

Vernon Spencer had single-handedly started the biggest debate in the history of the League.

As the argument raged back and forth, William Spencer grabbed his son’s arm and forced him to make a hasty retreat into the lobby.

“You’re destroying what I’ve taken years to build!” William growled, bearing down on his son in a way that made most men tremble with fear.

“No, Dad, I’m rebuilding an outdated forum. And the truth is out in the open. No more double standards.”

William’s hand fell away from Vernon’s as he searched his son’s eyes. “After everything I’ve done for you! How could you hate me so much?”

“I don’t hate you,” Vernon said simply. “Right now I don’t have any feelings about you and that scares me. When I could hurt, it meant that I cared.”

William’s jaw dropped as he stared at his son.

“All my life I’ve tried to live up to you, Dad,” Vernon said, in a weary tone, “and didn’t realize that all it took was a step down to reach the goal.”

“You’re letting it slip away and you’re trying to destroy me!”

“I’m not doing things your way anymore. Listening to you and following your lead instead of my heart and mind got me into this mess,” Vernon told him.

“So you think you know it all now?”

“I’m not saying that. I know that it does not take tearing down the strong to build up the weak. I’ve wanted your love and approval for so long that I didn’t realize it had become the most important thing in my life.”

Jeremy and Craig peered out of the door leading into the conference area. Vernon waved them back in.

William glared at them and back at his son. “I let those two hooligans in as a favor to you and now they’re starting trouble. If you do this, I’ll cut you out of my will.”

“You think that means something to me right now?” Vernon spat. “How can I be ruled by something that’s no guarantee? Something I won’t see for another fifty years if God is kind. Now if you had said you wouldn’t love me anymore, that might hurt. But since you’ve never loved me at all…”

Something in William’s expression crumbled. “Son, look—”

“I’m not your son, Mr. Spencer,” Vernon snapped. “A son would be a duplicate of the original. All I’ve been is a pawn, something you’ve used to keep Mama in line. Did you ever think about the fact that the reason you’re so successful is that Mama had something to do with it? All those parties and charities she hosted on your behalf? Our women have played a bigger part than you’ve ever given them credit for.

“Just like there are certain parts of The Perfect Fit that miss and need Brandi’s touch, there’s part of The Perfect Match that could benefit from my wisdom. We aren’t doing this by ourselves. And neither are they.” Vernon lifted his head proudly. “I’m getting back with my wife and this time I’m respecting her contributions to our marriage instead of beating her down because she’s excelling in areas you feel are manly.”

“You were nothing without me and would still be scraping the bottom if I hadn’t stepped in!”

“Dad, it wasn’t that much help.” he said with a little laugh. “Right now being nothing without you is looking pretty good,” Vernon felt his spirits lift with every word. “I’m living my life on my own terms and I’m feeling pretty good about me. I’m rebuilding my relationship with my wife—the wife that’s perfectly fine as she is. If I can help turn things around for her, and she’ll let me, I’d like to team up with The Perfect Match to get men more prepared for the workforce and to also help them become better mates and marriage material. They can learn from my mistakes—and yours.”

“All this to please some low-class bitch,” William spat, his skin turning a sickly red color. “That woman’s got your nose wide open.”

Vernon took a deep breath. “I don’t see the difference in this and when I tried to please another…bitch,” he said, leveling a cool gaze on his father, knowing the man would catch his meaning. “And if you ever call my wife that again, or disrespect her or my mother in any way, you’ll find out how much of your son I really am.”