House of Gold by Bud Macfarlane

skin–looked worn and old and tired.
    "Maybe so," Buzz replied. "Maybe that's why I see through all of you so easily."
    He turned. "Let's get out of here, Mel. I'm feeling sick to my stomach."
    He puthis arm around her shoulder.
    "Melanie?!" Helen mewed, a bit unhinged.
    "Good-bye, Mother," Mel replied, no longer facing her, a unique brand of finality in her voice.
    Buzz and Mel hurried away. He repressed his urge to run. When they got to the car, he quickly strapped Markie into his carseat. No saying bye-bye to Gramma tonight.
    "You'll be hearing from our lawyer," Melissa called behind them.
    Buzz began telling his version of the story before they got to the end of the driveway. He finished just as they pulled into their stump of a driveway in Lakewood.
    "My parents didn't protest when you said we were-moving away," was all she said.
    +  +  +
    The police came to their door later that evening, and took down Buzz's side of the story, but did not arrest him. George had filed a complaint.For reasons they never discovered, Howard decided not to press charges and the drama ended without further incident. Mel heard later that Howie had not been injured beyond a fat lip and sore ego.
    At Mel's gentle urging, a week later, Buzz wrote this short note of apology to her brother-in-law:
    Dear Howie,
    I'm sorry hit you, and I'm glad you're okay. There is no excuse for me to resort to violence,regardless of the provocation. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me.
    Sincerely,
    Buzz
     
    He wasn't very excited about sending the note, but agreed with Mel in principle that sending it was the right thing to do, so he swallowed his pride.
    "I'll let pre-American Revolution Mohawks pull out my fingernails one-by-one before I ever pay up on that bet," he told her as he sealed the envelope.
    "I don't think a bet counts if somebody cheats like that, Sweetie. And where do you come up with stuff like Indians pulling out your fingernails? Yuck!"
    "Sorry, last night I watched Last of the Mohicans after you went to bed," he explained, followed by his shouting impersonation of Daniel Day-Lewis, "You stay alive! No matter what occurs, I will find you!"
    The Woodwards were not invited to subsequentfamily gatherings at the O'Meara compound.

Chapter Four
    The Other Woman
    Sam and Buzz took the corporate plane to Montana. It took an entire day, beginning with pre-flight at six in the morning, and they stopped in Coon Rapids, Minnesota to refuel.
    It wasn't a fancy plane–a used, twenty-two-year-old twin-engine Beachcraft Baron 58 with upgraded avionics, decent de-icing capabilities, and enough room to cram six skinny people into her cabin.
    Buzz was cramped and claustrophobic in the cockpit next to Sam, who piloted with the same nerveless calm with which he guided his company; both were relieved when they climbed over the final mountain east of Butte.
    Buzz's discomfort during the flight had not ruined, however, his amazement at the endless empty spaces that defined the state. The skies had been clear, and for what seemed like thousandsof miles, the eastern third of the state was really nothing more than a huge, cold plain. There were very few trees, but plenty of mounds of dirt, dust, and sand, peppered infrequently with a small town here and there. The mountains began to dominate the state only after they passed the famous cowtown, Billings. He had not seen any farms, though Sam promised him that the real estate agent inButte had been confident that there were several to look at within a two or three hour drive west and south of the city.
    They stayed at the Fairfield Inn on the outskirts near the airport. There really wasn't a defined downtown in Butte. It was more akin to an organically laid out flower of rust and ramshackle buildings on a plain surrounded by seven mountain ranges. Incredibly rich copper minesserially owned by several different holding companies over the decades had placed the town at its location in central Montana. At