“She would never do that at home,” Marcy said.
“No?”
Marcy shook her head. “She’s so different there. Prim and proper, like an old English lady. Like, she never goes into town unless she’s properly dressed. She and Pappa never dance, and if they did, it would be a waltz or something.”
Frances laughed at the image of Edie waltzing. “The Nana you saw last night is the Edie we all knew when we were younger. And she was never properly dressed.”
“What happened to you guys, anyway?” Marcy asked. “I mean, it’s obvious you all love each other and are close and talk to each other like sisters. I would never believe you hadn’t seen eachother in almost fifty years, except that you all say that. What happened?”
Frances pushed the container of yogurt away from her. “Same thing that always happens when women fall out—a man came between us. Because Edie fell in love for the first time.”
“With Pappa?”
“Yep.”
Marcy frowned. “She was never in love before him?”
“No. Don’t misunderstand—there were always men around Edie. She was like a siren mermaid, and they couldn’t resist her.” She smiled. “There was this one guy; he was determined to get her to Hollywood and transform her into a star. But your grandfather was the one who swept her off her feet.”
Marcy rested her chin on her knees and gazed at the clock on the old stove. “I know they fight a lot. But they love each other, too. She was talking to him last night.”
That was a bit of a surprise. Frances wasn’t aware they were speaking this trip.
“He wants her to come home,” Marcy added.
“He does?”
“I think so. It was after everyone had gone to bed, I couldn’t sleep. I heard her in the bathroom saying she didn’t know if she could trust him. But she didn’t sound mad.” Marcy shook her head. “My mom told me that Pappa cheats on Nana.”
Frances shrugged. “That’s men for you.”
“Did your husband cheat on you?”
“Mine? Never. Nick was special. He was …” The swirly, sickly feeling of longing swept through her. She had a sudden and overwhelming urge to be with him.It won’t be long, Nick.“He was special,” she said again.
“I think Nana really does want to trust Pappa,” Marcy said. “I could hear it in her voice.”
A dark thought popped into Frances’s head. If Edie wanted to trust Simon, could they really trust Edie?
Marcy’s phone pinged. She unwound herself and pulled herphone from a pocket. She looked at the screen. A smile slowly spread across her pretty face.
“Who is that?” Frances asked.
“Rocco. He wants to have dinner tonight in his penthouse.” She typed something out, slipped the phone back into her pocket, still smiling. “He’s not as bad as everyone thinks.”
Great. Add Marcy to the list of people who could not be trusted. “Not as bad as the man who stole your life savings from you?”
At least Marcy winced a little. “That was terrible. But … when we took the helicopter ride over Red Rock, he was so nice and respectful. We talked a lot. He feels like he never measured up. He said his dad was always disappointed in him, and his grandpa was the only one who ever believed in him. And that he’s made mistakes, but now, he’s finally making something of himself.”
“Poor baby,” Frances said sarcastically.
Marcy ignored her. “His mom has been having a rough time since his grandpa died. I think he wants to do the casino thing for her. To prove his grandpa’s trust wasn’t misplaced. I can totally relate to that, you know? Like, no one ever expects anything of me. I’m the family screwup.”
Frances had no desire or patience to live through Marcy’s insecurities just now. “I’m sure you’re not,” she said absently.
“I’m just saying I understand Rocco. Yes, he did a horrible thing and screwed me and lots of others. But people make mistakes. I don’t think he’s like …bad.Know what I mean?”
Frances knew exactly what she meant, and it wasn’t good. “Just curious. What did Rocco learn about you yesterday? Does he know you lost everything because of his Ponzi scheme?”
