Spring Fever

Looking unperturbed, Norris began handing around five sheaves of stapled documents. “This is a copy for everybody concerned,” he said. “The document you now have in your hands is the irrevocable trust drawn up by Robert Gle

As Gle

“As you all know, Gle

Norris was speaking, but A

Norris took a deep breath. His gaze fell on Sallie’s elegantly coiffed head, bowed over the trust agreement.

“Gle

Davis nodded but didn’t look up, still sca

“But,” Norris went on, “Since you, Sallie, were provided for quite generously through Gle

Sallie’s head shot up, and her eyes widened. “What exactly does that mean?”

Norris coughed again. “Well, uh, the children inherit the company.”

“Not me?” Her eyes narrowed. “Are you telling me I have no ownership in my family company? No vote in how it’s run?”

“Gle

“That’s crazy!” Sallie cried. “Gle

“Of course you were,” Norris said soothingly. “Nobody questions that.”

“Apparently he did!” Sallie cried, shoving the papers away from her. “My God! I can’t believe this.”

Davis reached over and rubbed his mother’s arm lovingly. “It’s all right, Mama. None of us will do anything about the company without your approval. You know that.”

“Of course,” Mason echoed, looking at Pokey, who said nothing.

“Well,” Norris said, “that, uh, leads us to the next matter. And I’m afraid this is going to be very awkward, but as trustee it’s my duty to follow through with Gle

“Awkward?” Pokey looked amused. “More awkward than telling Mama she’s out of ru

“I’m afraid so,” Norris said, two bright spots of red blossoming high on his cheekbones. “So let’s just get to it. With the exception of the small, minority portion of stock Gle

“Four?” Davis said. “What the hell?”

It was as though a live wire had been poked directly into the skull of everyone sitting around the conference room table. Everyone, that is, but A

“Four,” Norris said firmly. “Mason Sheppard Bayless, Davis Woodrow Bayless, Pauline ‘Pokey’ Bayless Riggs, and, er, the minor child, Sophie A

Dead silence.

Finally, Pokey spoke up. “Uncle Norris, I don’t understand. You’re saying Daddy left stock in the company to Sophie? We didn’t even know Sophie existed until after Daddy died. And she’s Mason’s daughter. Daddy didn’t leave stock to any of the other grandchildren, did he?”

Davis was leafing furiously through the trust documents. “What kind of crazy shit is this? You’re saying Sophie, a five-year-old, for Christ’s sake, has a share in Quixie equal to mine? That can’t be.”

Norris Thomas looked pleadingly at Mason, who had been strangely quiet. “Mason, you’re going to have to help me out here.”

“Yeah,” Davis barked. “Help all of us out. Help us understand how you managed to have your illegitimate child inherit our mother’s share of the company. I wa

A

“Sophie’s not my daughter,” Mason said quietly. “Not biologically, anyway. She’s Dad’s.” He looked at Davis, and then at Pokey. “She’s our sister.” He reached across the table and took A

48

Every head in the room turned toward Sallie Bayless. “Mason, for God’s sake!” she cried, her face drained of blood.

Davis jumped from his chair, fists clenched. “What the hell kind of slimy stunt are you trying to pull here? Ain’t no way Sophie is Dad’s. And I’ll tell you what, we have all had it with your high-handed tactics. Blood or no, I am fixing to give you the ass kicking you have been begging for.”

The room was dead quiet.

Mason looked directly at his brother. “Bring it,” he said, unblinking.

Norris Thomas looked supremely uncomfortable. He coughed and cleared his throat and stared down at the stack of papers on the table.

Pokey was kneeling down beside her mother, ineffectively patting Sallie’s shoulder. “Mama, did you know anything about this? About Sophie?”

“No,” Sallie said, flinty-eyed. “And I refuse to believe it. Mason, I ca

“Um, Sallie, everybody?”

All heads swiveled toward Norris Thomas.

The elderly attorney tugged at the collar of his shirt. A fine film of perspiration beaded his forehead. “Mason is telling the truth. Sophie is the legal issue of Gle

“But, how?” Pokey asked, her voice catching.

Norris looked beseechingly in Mason’s direction. A

“Mama, I’m sorry,” he said, turning toward Sallie, his voice low. “I truly wish you wouldn’t have had to find out this way.”

“Mason didn’t know what was in the trust agreement,” Norris said. “I gave my word to Gle

“Mason?” Pokey asked.

“Dad … met this woman at a car rental place. At the Jacksonville airport. Her name was Kristy. They had an, um, relationship. And she got pregnant. With Sophie.”

“Gle

“Wait,” Pokey said. She glanced over at her mother. “Daddy had heart problems before?”

Sallie only shrugged, tight-lipped. “Of course not. Gle

Norris Thomas did not contradict the widow, but it was obvious that he was working from his own set of facts.