Ain't She Sweet? Part 20

"Oh, yes," Gigi said with a wistful sigh. And then her face clouded. "You're going to tell me to study, aren't you? And be nice to Gwen and Jenny."

"Respecting other people and trying to understand how they feel about the world gives you power." Sugar Beth hoped that was true. "It also makes you kinder. And people are drawn to kindness. That doesn't mean you forget to stand up for yourself. But you don't do it by trampling on other people, unless they need to be trampled on, in which case you do it in an up-front manner, with no snotty remarks about being fat."

Gigi slouched into her chair and looked sullen.

Sugar Beth rolled the c.o.ke can between her palms. She unconsciously waited for the click of her wedding ring, but she'd made herself take it off last month. Gigi gazed up at her. She was going to be a real beauty before long, but Sugar Beth hoped with all her heart it didn't happen too soon. Beauty at too young an age got in the way of developing character.

She drew a deep, unsteady breath and tried to think of how to say what Gigi needed to hear. "Maybe it's time you came up with a plan for your life. A really ambitious plan. Without holding back. Even if it means deciding to be president of the United States. Your plan will probably change as you get older, but that might be even better, because, while you're preparing yourself for one goal, you'll be learning things that help you meet another goal. That's what real power means-not spending your time being b.i.t.c.hy because you're worrying about what somebody might be saying behind your back." She was shocked by the rush of anger that hit her. Why couldn't Diddie have said something like this when Sugar Beth was thirteen? But her mother had been incapable of thinking beyond the boundaries of her own narrow vision.

Sugar Beth leaned back in the chair and dredged up what she hadn't, until that moment, realized she understood. "People will always try to steal your power. When you do well, they'll say it's only because you're rich and your parents are big shots. People who care about you will try to steal your power, too, but they'll go about it differently. When you fail at something, they'll try to make you feel better by saying that n.o.body's good at everything, and you shouldn't be so hard on yourself. They might tell you not to feel bad about s.c.r.e.w.i.n.g up a math test because math's hard for girls. Or they'll say you shouldn't worry so much about injustice in the world because you're only one person. And even though they mean well, they'll be making you less than what you can be." Her chest felt tight, and she tried to ease it with another breath. "One way to grab your power is to learn when you need to step up to the plate and admit you're wrong, and when you need to dig in your heels because it's the right thing to do."

"How do you tell the difference?"

Sugar Beth shrugged. "Figuring that out is what life's all about."

"Have you? Figured it out?"

Only a thirteen-year-old could ask such a question. "Not yet. But I'm working on it."

Gigi nodded, as if she were thinking it all over, then planted her elbow on the table. "Let's talk about s.e.x now."

Sugar Beth had no intention of being dragged into that discussion, but she welcomed the change of subject. "Coffee's ready." She hopped up from the table.

"I mean, how do you know when you're ready to have s.e.x?"

She thought about the rumpled sheets upstairs. "Unless this is a pressing issue, which I sincerely hope it's not, why don't we postpone that discussion for another time?"

"Okay." Gigi's satisfied smile made Sugar Beth suspect she'd been manipulated into agreeing to another visit. "Could we do makeup now?"

"Why not?"

Sugar Beth's headache eased as they experimented with the contents of her cosmetic case. They talked about avoiding mascara smudges, obtaining power, setting goals. Sometimes Sugar Beth felt like a hypocrite, but not always, and as she contoured Gigi's eyelids, she wondered if she'd acquired at least a smattering of wisdom to pa.s.s on to the next generation.

Gigi said her parents were due back around four, and a little before three-thirty, she reluctantly headed to the door. "You don't have to come with me," she said as Sugar Beth followed her outside, leaving an unhappy Gordon behind. "I'm not a baby."

"And you're not climbing up that railing unless I'm there to make sure you get to the top."

"Like that's a big challenge."

"Sarcasm steals your personal power."

"You're sarcastic."

"Which is how I know this."

Gigi giggled.

Sugar Beth smiled at her. "We're all works in progress, honey. And believe me when I tell you that I've had to work harder than most."

"I think you've done a good job."

Sugar Beth shouldn't have felt so good about winning the approval of a thirteen-year-old, but she did.

As they neared the Galantine house, she ducked into the strip of woods at the side so she could watch Gigi climb the rail. Before she made it to the top, she started to goof around, leaning back and waving her arms and legs, deliberately trying to give Sugar Beth a heart attack and not doing a bad job of it. Sugar Beth forced herself to spoil the fun by turning away.

A branch cracked. Something moved in the woods in front of her, and Ryan stepped out of the trees.

He looked as shocked to see her as she was to see him and no happier about it. He was dressed in a navy sports coat, light blue dress shirt, and muted tie, an outfit she couldn't imagine anyone, except maybe Colin, wearing for a walk in the woods. "Sugar Beth? What-"

His head jerked as he caught sight of Gigi doing her acrobatics on the balcony post. "Gigi!" He rushed toward the house. "Get down from there right now!"

Gigi grabbed the post. Even from across the yard, Sugar Beth could see that she looked stricken. In a rush of memory, Sugar Beth recalled too well what a father's disapproval felt like. Gigi inched down the railing, moving as slowly as she dared, but not slowly enough for her father's anger to cool because the moment her feet hit the ground, he grabbed her arm and gave her a little shake. Sugar Beth instinctively rushed forward, but by the time she'd reached them, he'd let her go.

"What are you doing outside? And where have you been? Your mother and I've been looking everywhere for you."

"I took a walk," Gigi said stubbornly. "You weren't supposed to be back yet."

"We left the reception early, and you were told not to leave the house."

"I was suffocating," she cried, with all the drama of a soap star.

Ryan turned back to Sugar Beth, his expression hard. "I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but I don't ever want you around my daughter again."

It shouldn't have hurt so badly, but this was Ryan, and they'd watched s...o...b..-Doo together.

"Sugar Beth didn't do anything!" Gigi exclaimed. "I ran into her while I was walking. It was an accident. We didn't even talk. I don't even know her."

It had been a long time since anybody had tried to protect her, and Sugar Beth was touched. She gave Gigi a wry smile. "I'm afraid the jig's up."

"No, it's not! It's-"

"Ryan?" Winnie rushed around from the front of the house. Like her husband, she was dressed up, but her hair was windblown, her expression tense. "Ryan, what-" She froze. Her gaze flew from her daughter to Sugar Beth, then to her husband.

"Get inside right now," he snapped at Gigi.

In the kind of blatant miscalculation only a thirteen-year-old could make, she turned mulish. "I didn't do anything wrong."

Ryan's face flushed with anger, and Sugar Beth took a quick step forward. "Gigi..."

"Get inside!" he roared. "Go to your room. And stay there, do you hear me?"

Gigi turned on her parents, her hands in fists, eyes flooding with tears. "I knew this would happen. You're stealing my power! Just like Sugar Beth said you would!"

Oh, boy...Sugar Beth winced.

Winnie looked ashen, Ryan furious, but Gigi wasn't done. "I'm not going to let you! I'm not letting anybody steal my power."

Ryan's fist punched the air. "Get inside right now."

Gigi gave Sugar Beth a beseeching glance, but there wasn't a thing Sugar Beth could do that wouldn't make the situation worse.

Gigi stomped off toward the front door. A moment later, Sugar Beth heard it slam. She wished she could go to her room, too. She braced herself for Winnie's attack, but Winnie focused only on Ryan, who was looking at Sugar Beth as if he hated her. "She's only a kid," he said. "How could you have done this? You know we don't want you around her."

Gigi was in too much trouble already for Sugar Beth to rat on her. "She's my niece. I was curious."

Winnie came out of her daze. "Don't you ever come near her again. Do you hear me? I won't have it."

Sugar Beth ignored her to concentrate on Ryan. "Exactly what do you think I'm going to do to her?"

"We don't care to find out," he said pompously.

"You can't protect her from life."

"We can protect her from you."

Sugar Beth couldn't bear his self-righteousness and her temper flared. "You're too late. I already told her everything I know. How to smoke a joint. Steal money from her dad's wallet. Get laid in the back of a Camaro." It was a low blow, and Sugar Beth was ashamed of herself. Or at least she would be soon. "Go to h.e.l.l, both of you."

Winnie watched numbly as Sugar Beth strode away from them, moving with her familiar long-limbed grace. Panic welled inside her. What if Sugar Beth stole it all? Her husband and her daughter?

"If we hadn't left the reception early-" Ryan broke off. "I'd bet this was Gigi's doing. She's been curious about Sugar Beth for weeks."

He was going to defend his old lover. Heartsick, Winnie turned away and headed back into the house.

Upstairs, they had the predictable scene with Gigi, who stood in the corner of her room, an ink-stained Laura Ashley pillow clutched to her chest, and proceeded to blame Winnie for everything. "I needed somebody I could really talk to. Sugar Beth listens to me. She understands me."

"I'm your mother, Gigi. I understand you. And you can talk to me whenever you want."

"No, I can't! You just want me to do everything your way."

Winnie found herself wondering who this demon child was living inside her precious daughter's body. "That's not true."

"At least Dad listens sometimes!"

Ryan stepped in. "This isn't about your mother. This is about you. And you gave away something precious today. You gave away our trust."

Gigi tucked the pillow under her chin.

"Why don't you think about that?" he said, curling his fingers around Winnie's arm. "And about how long it's going to take you to get it back."

He drew Winnie from the room and closed the door behind them. They heard the mattress squawk and Gigi's sobs. She was Daddy's little girl, and Ryan hesitated for a moment.

"Leave her," Winnie said. "She needs time to think."

They walked downstairs together and into the family room. Winnie felt sick to her stomach. Ryan tossed aside his sports coat and loosened his tie. "Sooner or later we'll have our daughter back." But he didn't sound convinced.

Upstairs, rap began blaring from Gigi's room. Winnie s.n.a.t.c.hed up the sections of the Sunday paper he'd left everywhere. "When did I turn into the enemy? I have no idea. One morning I woke up, and there it was."

"This isn't about you. It's about her."

"It doesn't feel that way."

He unb.u.t.toned his collar and slumped into the burgundy leather chair she'd bought at an estate auction. "I should have known she'd find a way to meet Sugar Beth. She gave me enough clues."

"What do you mean?"

"She asked a lot of questions. I forbid Gigi to contact her, but she's so d.a.m.ned hardheaded. I might as well have waved a green flag in front of her."

"You didn't say anything about this to me."

"You're not exactly rational where Sugar Beth is concerned."

"And you are?"

He came out of the chair. "Don't start this again."

"Why not? Shoving it under the rug isn't working."

"You're so completely out of line."

"I don't care. I'm sick of it."

His lips thinned. "You know what I'm sick of? I'm sick of having to walk on eggs around you, afraid I'll say the wrong thing and hurt your delicate feelings."

"Then stop doing it."

A muscle ticked in his jaw. He reached for the remote. "You need to get hold of yourself."

She knocked the remote from his hands and sent it skidding across the carpet. His eyes widened in shock. She turned on him. "You need to be honest! If you want Sugar Beth so badly, go get her!"

He looked stunned. "Is that what you think of me?"

"I'm tired of pretending."

"I've been faithful to you for fourteen years."

"Let me find a medal."

"I married you, G.o.ddammit! I knew you'd gotten pregnant on purpose, but I never once threw it in your face."

"You wouldn't. You're too decent for that. I was the liar."

"You said it, not me."

"Because you've never had the guts to."

"You are not turning this back on me. It's your guilt that's making you overreact to everything. This is your problem, Winnie, not mine."

Her fury turned to despair. She sank down on the edge of the couch. "I saw the way you looked at her last night."