Free Vegas Sunrise by Fern Michaels Page A

some reason I don’t think my father would have approved of this. I suppose I could do it. Since I have choices, I’d like to opt for something else. I’m going to go out to the ranch tomorrow and talk to Dad’s half sister Ruby. Dad worked the ranch for many years. Between him and my grandfather they put Thornton Chickens on the map.”
    â€œAre you telling me you’d give up working here at the casino to clean up chicken shit? That, I think, doesn’t even bear discussing.”
    â€œIf I go to the ranch, we have to give up the penthouse. I prefer a house myself with a garden. A small house.”
    â€œA little house! Birch, I don’t like the sound of any of this. Two days ago our lives were settled. Now, things have switched up, and nothing is like you said it would be. What about me?”
    â€œGet a job. Keep busy. Do volunteer work at Thornton Medical Center. When did you become so selfish?”
    â€œThe minute I stepped back onto American soil. I want to know when you became so stingy?”
    â€œI was always frugal. Mom taught us all to save. We were taught to spend some and to save some. Sage and I used to save ten cents every week from our allowances. Sunny saved twenty cents. She always had to go one better than us. Billie saved her entire allowance. Once she lent me five hundred dollars when my clunker broke down. Billie and Sunny always had the most money in the bank.”
    â€œAll that money, and Sunny can’t enjoy it. It doesn’t seem fair. Money should be enjoyed. That’s my philosophy. So, what are you going to do, Birch?”
    â€œI’m going out to the ranch tomorrow. We’re going to Sunrise on Sunday. I’ll decide before then.”
    â€œAnd if I don’t agree?”
    â€œI would hope that you loved me enough to want what is going to make me happiest. Celia, working here wouldn’t give us any time alone. When I thought it was just going to be me running the casino, I planned on doing days and training someone for nights. Jeff gets the plum spot, and I’d have to do nights. I’d be sleeping all day. I saw what it did to my father. I had a plan all worked out in my head. It’s not feasible now. I think I’ll make some dinner unless you want to do it.”
    â€œIt’s hard for me to chew. I’ll just have some soup or a scrambled egg.” Her voice was so pitiful-sounding, Birch felt his stomach muscles bunch into a knot.
    In the kitchen Birch jammed his hands into his pockets to stop them from trembling. He wished he could cry the way he had when he was little. He longed for Sage to clap him on the back and tell him things would be better. Right now, this very minute, Sage was probably sitting down to the wonderful dinner Iris had made. The kids would be chattering, Iris would be talking to Sage, and there would be flowers from Chue’s greenhouse on the table. “Son of a bitch!” The expletive hissed from between his clenched teeth.
    He recognized his anger and disappointment as he banged pots and pans in his search for the frying pan. His dream of a happy marriage was crumbling right before his eyes. He thought about his father then because he always thought about Ash Thornton when things didn’t go right. It always comes down to money, just like he said. His thoughts took him into the future and words like prenuptial agreements, settlements buzzed around inside his brain. He’d been crazy in love with Celia three days ago and today he didn’t even like her. He didn’t discount his own violent behavior. He could make up for that by making sure it never happened again. What he couldn’t alter or change was the monetary situation. He couldn’t take the greed out of Celia’s eyes, couldn’t take away the revulsion Sunny said she saw in those same eyes.
    Birch looked around the homey kitchen. His mother had done her best to make the penthouse comfortable so she