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“It’s been hot and dry all month,” Dad says making small talk. “We could use a little rain to green things up.”
“Yeah, well things are pretty green here compared to most places I’ve been.” I gaze down the length of the creek and notice how beautiful the sparkling blue water is against the dark green trees. “I think you have forgotten how beautiful it is here.” I glance over at him to see his reaction.
“It is beautiful, but it’s also pretty damn quiet. I don’t think I can sit around out here after I retire.” He glances over at me with a scowl on his face.
“Are you retiring?” I ask, a little surprised since he is only fifty-six.
“No, I just like talking about it.” He laughs and slaps the steering wheel. “Keeps me sane, you know?”
“I know.” We all have those little things that we think or say in an effort to convince ourselves that life will be better one day. My favorite is, one day when I meet the man of my dreams. I smile, suddenly thinking about the fact that Trey could easily be that man. Of course, right now he is probably with Vanessa.
“How was your trip?” Dad asks, never one to let the silence linger.
“It was fine except we had to cut it short when Tyler overdosed,” I reply flatly.
“Yeah, that’s too bad. First Victor is gunned down, now Tyler. I should call Silvia and see how she is doing,” he says with a thoughtful gaze on his face. “It looks like Trey is the number one suspect again, so that has to be hard too.”
“I’m sure.” I roll my eyes and glare out the window. “It’s those fucking tabloids. They just make that shit up!”
“They have to sell magazines and nothing sells better than a scandal,” he quips. “Especially if it involves a rich family. We all like to see the rich get shredded. You know that as well as anyone, right?”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” I reply, wanting to change the topic. “On an upbeat note I won a million and a quarter euros at the Monte Carlo casino last night!” I perk up, suddenly reliving the thrill of winning all that money.
“Holy crap! What’s that in dollars?” Dad sputters, sounding as if he had actually chocked on something.
“Trey says it will be about a million and a half dollars.” I beam.
“Jesus, that’s amazing, girl!” He shakes his head and looks over at me with wide eyes.
“Yeah, Trey and I were playing Baccarat and we just kept on winning. I was betting against Tommy Fowler and we won three times in a row. He was so irritated by the end… it was awesome!” I explain, still reveling in how it felt to beat him.
“Tommy Fowler, huh? I really liked his TV show,” Dad says, with a sigh. “I suppose a million and a half dollars doesn’t seem like anything to guys like them. Trey will soon have more money than anyone could spend in ten lifetimes.”
“I don’t know, it seems that he has had a pretty tough road since finishing college. He wanted to prove to Victor that he could make it on his own, but I don’t think it has been as easy as he had hoped,” I confide.
“It never is pumpkin,” Dad replies, shooting me a knowing smile and shaking his head. “It’s a dog eat dog world out there. There is no place for the weak at heart.”
“I don’t think Trey is weak. He just needs to find a good mentor.” I tell him, thinking about what an impact the right person could have on him. “He really misses his grand dad.”
“Now he was a good man, both him and Dad. Those two were best friends for most of their lives.” His expression suddenly sours and he drops the subject. “Well, we’re almost home,” he says fearing that any silence might bring on a follow up question.
I snicker to myself, wanting to ask him about Silvia. It would be fun to see how personal I could get before he figured out that Trey told me about the affair. But, that would be childish.
My mood dampens upon entering the house, as it is so deathly quiet and dark. “She’s resting,” Dad whispers, giving me a subdued smile. “I’ll get her up; you go put your stuff in your bedroom.”
I walk down the hallway and into my room, which hasn’t changed a bit since the last time I visited. In fact, it looks exactly the same as it did in high school. It’s a waste of space, but it is sort of comforting to know that I still have the room where I grew up. It’s a place to go if the worst-case scenario ever comes to pass. I wince at the thought of it.
“Amanda?” I hear Mom’s weak, raspy voice coming down the hallway.
