could arrange it. I know you didn’t like her, Dee, but there’s the matter of Shanna …” Lacy-Jane let the sentence trail off.
“You’re right. I wouldn’t have come down to her funeral. What about that baby she had? And … who’s Shanna?” Dee was confused.
Lacy-Jane paused. “Shanna is your half-sister. Nobody told you her name? Good Lord, this family’s so fucked up! I’ve been helping Margo and her since she was born, Dee. Now, don’t you be getting mad at me, either. Margo had a lot of issues and was drinking heavily. Someone had to take care of the baby. If that damn Violet Rose had stopped her from going out to get more vodka, she might not have hit the tree and killed herself.” Lacy-Jane paused to let the words sink in.
“Are you telling me my dad named his daughter with Margo after my mother?” Dee grew more indignant by the second. “That is sick!”
“The baby is innocent. Violet wants to take her from me, so I need your help. You have to talk your dad into letting me keep her if you don’t take her. Violet is not able to have more children, and you know this baby will end up not being cared for. She is half your blood, no matter how much you hated Margo. I swear I’ll take good care of her, and I’m coming to your wedding. I’ll bring her with me. Dee, she’s beautiful and I was there when she was born. Margo wouldn’t bond with her, so I did.” Lacy-Jane’s voice began to plead. “I love her, Dee, I truly do. I can’t lose another person I love. You know I wouldn’t ask you for help with Whiskey if I didn’t truly need it.”
Pulling a stool from the breakfast bar, Dee sat down. “My dad wanted a son. Of course he doesn’t want another girl. I can’t take care of a baby either. Violet raising a child, after what she did to her own daughters?” She shook her head. “How’d Margo feel about my dad naming her Shanna?”
“Margo didn’t care about the baby. Whiskey was fooling around during her whole pregnancy. She was positive he’d be back when she had a son. I had left to go get diapers and I was trying to keep the vodka out of the house. Why Violet didn’t drive her, nobody knows. Violet says she insisted she was driving and I guess we’ll never know what really happened. Violet has it in her head that she can finally be a mother and we both know that is impossible. If you won’t help me, I’m calling Dusty and Angie to deal with Violet. Bebe is on my side and I don’t think Rebel really wants to do this. I can care for Shanna. I need to get us both away from here. I have some money from Stevie’s death. I’ll dance and I’ll get a babysitter. You need to know your sister. You know your mother would want you to.”
Dee looked at Mad Jack, wide-eyed. “I can’t believe all of this. But … I’m glad she isn’t going to wreck my wedding. Our house isn’t totally finished, but we moved in anyway. I can ask Jack’s sister Kima about renting a cottage to you, as long as you don’t mind living in a small place. We’ll help you. I’ll get a babysitter for Shanna so you can have fun at my wedding. Are you really calling Dusty and Angie? Violet will have a fit!”
“I’ve been in touch with Bebe and Angie,” Lacy-Jane answered tiredly. “I’d expect both of them at your wedding. Angie is moving back to NJ. Don’t you talk to Dusty much?”
“I work a lot. My friend Willie and I opened a shop, W and D, Art by the Sea. I haven’t had much time to talk to Dusty and I really think memories of Maryland upset her. She’s in love, Lacy-Jane, so I leave her alone. Does she know Angie is coming here?”
Lacy-Jane coughed. Dee could hear a baby crying in the background. “Angie wants it to be a surprise to Violet and Dusty. After the crap that went down with Bebe, I don’t know what Dusty knows. She hasn’t been here in a while. I wouldn’t tell her. Hell, don’t even tell her Violet and Rebel are coming or she might not come to the wedding. I’ve
“You’re right. I wouldn’t have come down to her funeral. What about that baby she had? And … who’s Shanna?” Dee was confused.
Lacy-Jane paused. “Shanna is your half-sister. Nobody told you her name? Good Lord, this family’s so fucked up! I’ve been helping Margo and her since she was born, Dee. Now, don’t you be getting mad at me, either. Margo had a lot of issues and was drinking heavily. Someone had to take care of the baby. If that damn Violet Rose had stopped her from going out to get more vodka, she might not have hit the tree and killed herself.” Lacy-Jane paused to let the words sink in.
“Are you telling me my dad named his daughter with Margo after my mother?” Dee grew more indignant by the second. “That is sick!”
“The baby is innocent. Violet wants to take her from me, so I need your help. You have to talk your dad into letting me keep her if you don’t take her. Violet is not able to have more children, and you know this baby will end up not being cared for. She is half your blood, no matter how much you hated Margo. I swear I’ll take good care of her, and I’m coming to your wedding. I’ll bring her with me. Dee, she’s beautiful and I was there when she was born. Margo wouldn’t bond with her, so I did.” Lacy-Jane’s voice began to plead. “I love her, Dee, I truly do. I can’t lose another person I love. You know I wouldn’t ask you for help with Whiskey if I didn’t truly need it.”
Pulling a stool from the breakfast bar, Dee sat down. “My dad wanted a son. Of course he doesn’t want another girl. I can’t take care of a baby either. Violet raising a child, after what she did to her own daughters?” She shook her head. “How’d Margo feel about my dad naming her Shanna?”
“Margo didn’t care about the baby. Whiskey was fooling around during her whole pregnancy. She was positive he’d be back when she had a son. I had left to go get diapers and I was trying to keep the vodka out of the house. Why Violet didn’t drive her, nobody knows. Violet says she insisted she was driving and I guess we’ll never know what really happened. Violet has it in her head that she can finally be a mother and we both know that is impossible. If you won’t help me, I’m calling Dusty and Angie to deal with Violet. Bebe is on my side and I don’t think Rebel really wants to do this. I can care for Shanna. I need to get us both away from here. I have some money from Stevie’s death. I’ll dance and I’ll get a babysitter. You need to know your sister. You know your mother would want you to.”
Dee looked at Mad Jack, wide-eyed. “I can’t believe all of this. But … I’m glad she isn’t going to wreck my wedding. Our house isn’t totally finished, but we moved in anyway. I can ask Jack’s sister Kima about renting a cottage to you, as long as you don’t mind living in a small place. We’ll help you. I’ll get a babysitter for Shanna so you can have fun at my wedding. Are you really calling Dusty and Angie? Violet will have a fit!”
“I’ve been in touch with Bebe and Angie,” Lacy-Jane answered tiredly. “I’d expect both of them at your wedding. Angie is moving back to NJ. Don’t you talk to Dusty much?”
“I work a lot. My friend Willie and I opened a shop, W and D, Art by the Sea. I haven’t had much time to talk to Dusty and I really think memories of Maryland upset her. She’s in love, Lacy-Jane, so I leave her alone. Does she know Angie is coming here?”
Lacy-Jane coughed. Dee could hear a baby crying in the background. “Angie wants it to be a surprise to Violet and Dusty. After the crap that went down with Bebe, I don’t know what Dusty knows. She hasn’t been here in a while. I wouldn’t tell her. Hell, don’t even tell her Violet and Rebel are coming or she might not come to the wedding. I’ve
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